Tolkowsky Cut vs Hearts and Arrows Diamonds

Hi Danny, I'm in the process of researching different diamond cuts and am leaning towards either a Tolkowsky or Hearts and Arrows Diamond. Which should I choose? Is one more brilliant than the other? And how do you feel about fluorescence? I'm thinking of something in the range of 1.20 - 1.49 carats, F-G color and VS-1 or VS-2 in clarity. Thanks for your help! - Bob C.

Well Bob, I'm going to cut to the chase and simply suggest that you buy this 1.207 carat, F-color, VS-2 clarity, round brilliant ideal cut diamond from the Brian Gavin Blue collection, because it addresses all of your needs and I'll explain why...

Tolkowsky's Diamond Design:

What is commonly referred to as a "Tolkowsky Cut Diamond" is a round brilliant cut diamond which is cut within tolerance of Tolkowsky's Diamond Design which was published back in 1919, which calls for a total depth of 59.3% with a table diameter of 53% and a crown angle of 34.5 degrees and a pavilion angle of 40.75 degrees, but it failed to take into account the girdle edge of a diamond.

The idea behind Tolkowsky's Diamond Design was that it provided a proportions model which was optimized for brilliance and maximum light return, however it is not possible to produce a round brilliant cut diamond with a zero percent girdle edge, and thus the measurements of the diamond must be adjusted to account for girdle thickness... the end result is what is known as the modern round brilliant ideal cut diamond which is the foundation for all Brian Gavin diamonds, however we take it a step further and fine tune the optical symmetry of the diamond to deliver maximum sparkle as well as light return.

The optical symmetry of a Hearts & Arrows diamond:

While the proportions of a diamond control the volume of light return, the optical symmetry of the diamond is equally as important because it is largely responsible for the sparkle factor, in terms of how much brilliance, dispersion, and scintillation the diamond will exhibit.

All of the diamonds featured in the Brian Gavin Signature and Brian Gavin Blue collections have been cut to proportions which are in the middle of the range designated for the zero ideal cut rating by the American Gem Society Laboratory (AGSL).

The diamonds featured in the Brian Gavin Signature collection are cut to exhibit a crisp and complete pattern of hearts and arrows, as can be seen in the photograph pictured to the left which shows one of our diamonds as seen while unmounted through a hearts and arrows viewer.

Diamonds which exhibit a crisp and complete pattern of hearts and arrows are widely recognized as delivering a higher volume of brilliance, dispersion and scintillation, than round brilliant cut diamonds which are cut to a lesser degree of precision.

While the diamonds featured in the Brian Gavin Blue collection are not marketed as Hearts & Arrows diamonds, the fact is that they are produced by the very same diamond cutters who manufacture our Brian Gavin Signature diamonds, and as such they tend to exhibit an exceptional degree of optical symmetry.

Brian Gavin diamonds from both collections exhibit a high volume of light return, with broad flashes of brilliance, dispersion, and scintillation. The 1.207 carat, F-color, VS-2 clarity, round brilliant ideal cut diamond from the Brian Gavin Blue collection is perfect for your needs because it is cut within tolerance of Tolkowsky's Diamond Design (taking the girdle edge into account) and exhibits exceptional optical symmetry, and the medium blue fluorescence is something which I'm quite fond of... so from my perspective, you're getting the best of everything!