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Just Saw the New "88 Cut Diamond"
I got a call recently from the manufcaturers of a new branded diamond they are calling the "88 Cut" located here in N.Y.C.. They were interested in testing their diamonds on our in house BrillianceScope machine (to see how they performed for brillinace, fire, and scintillation) and were referred to us by the people at Gemex.
One of their sales people came up to our offices (an extremely nice fellow) with a couple of sample diamonds to test on our machine and I got a chance to eye-ball them. They are one of a new breed of modified round diamonds and feature 8 sides and eighty eight facets (versus the 58 of the traditional round diamond.). A Similar new company selling a branded diamond of 81 facets is the Eighternity Diamond.View image
This diamond companies premise is that more facets equal more brilliance. On the BrillianceScope machine the stones didn't do all that bad; averaging a few highs...but falling far short of achieving the excellent scores of the round Super-Ideals.
The diamond itself I believe is in beta and the company is probably going to now focus on cutting the stones to achieve better results on the Bscope machine (and as a direct cause and effect, better visual results to the human eye.)
The marketing material and website looks very neat, and the people behind the brand seem very nice, I just hope that their new cut doesn't go the way of so many new branded diamond shapes before it; much noise and pomp at the begining only to vanish and be replaced by a newer more daring cut/shape within a short period of time.
Historically, this has been the case with many of the funky and "faddy" (is that a word?) diamond shapes. They come and go and have limited staying power, unlike the timeless and traditional diamond shapes that never dissapear.
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Comments
It's been almost 2 years since this article on the 88-cut diamond. I haven't been able to find any other posts about it. Do you have an update? I have just been introduced to the 88-cut while cruising in the Caribbean and I'm having difficulty finding it in the Continental US. I am definitely drawn to the unique shape and the brilliance. I'm also wondering if the value is worth the prices out there.
Thanks for your consideration.
Posted by: curious on December 8, 2007 11:39 AM
A year and a half later...I have an 88 cut just over 1 carat that I bought from Diamonds International (also available at shopDI.com, although it is a huge money saver to buy a loose one in person and have it set in your mounting). I still LOVE it, the brilliance and fire, and almost everyone notices and comments on its beauty, even people that see it all the time say they have to repeat how beautiful it is. But most importantly, I wouldn't trade it for anything (except to upsize for a bigger 88 cut of course!)
Posted by: happy on August 14, 2008 7:48 AM
I have a 1.5c 88 that I go from DI in Cancun. I was not looking for a replacement diamond, although my husband had wanted to upgrade my engagement ring at some time. I was shown the stone by a friend traveling with us, and was mesmerized. I literally could not leave it alone. It continues to be a source of entertainment for me on a daily basis. Oh, and I get comments almost weekly as people grab my hand for a closer look. Everthing's subjective, but I LOVE my 88!!
Posted by: vicky on May 7, 2009 3:25 PM
I purchased a 88 cut at diamond international in St Lucia. It has 17 diamonds, total wt 190. I can not tell you how many people come over to me and say "WOW" when they look at this ring. This band has brilliance. I love it!
Posted by: barbara on September 2, 2009 8:18 AM
Just got engaged in Mexico last week with a 88 cut dimaonds band of 3 carats. It is amazing, and way beyond what is available at high prices here in Canada, even for canadian-mine diamonds. Would not hesitate !!!
Posted by: JL on November 6, 2009 3:13 PM