Depending on who you talk to, you'll hear different conflicting stories about the Diamond Bow-Tie. Jewelry Salespeople will either tell you that
the Diamond Bow-Tie is a good thing or a bad thing. It can really get confusing. So
what is a Diamond bow-tie and what really does it all mean? Let's dive in...
A Diamond Bow-Tie is basically a shadow that falls in the center of a Diamond. This shadow is actually the mark of a good cut! (To an extent!) (See Picture!)
The only reason you'll hear Jewelry salespeople tell you differently, is when they're trying to sell you inferior cuts of Diamonds. Diamonds that are too shallow or too deep will lack the bow-tie effect, hence the salespeople will say it's good NOT to have one. Mall Jewelry stores are notorious for this little fabrication. Don't listen to them. You do want a slight bow-tie in your Diamond. That bow-tie tells you that your Diamond is cut well and proportioned well.
A bow-tie looks exactly like what it sounds like, a slight bow-tie shaped shadow through the center of your Diamond. Faint, but noticeable! Not all Diamonds get these bow-tie effects. Brilliant Cut Diamonds don't get them. That's because Brilliant Cuts, or Round Diamonds, are perfectly symmetrical in shape and have an even distribution of light. Brilliant Cut Diamonds are called Brilliant Cut because they have the most brilliance out of any cut of Diamond.
Long Cuts of Diamonds like the Marquise Cut (Football shaped) (See Picture), Pear Cut (Tear Drop shaped), Oval Cut (Oval shaped) and Emerald Cut (Rectangular shaped), get the bow-tie stamp of approval.
It's all because the ends of longer shaped stones are thinner than the center of the Diamond. Light passes through the thinner parts of the Diamond easily and lights it up. But the center of the Diamond is deeper and will generate that bow-tie shadow if it's cut well.
If your Diamond is too shallow, the whole stone will be evenly lit and have no shadows (or any real brilliance either). If your Diamond is too deep, the entire stone will appear darker and lack light or life. Bottom line, if you see a distinct, but faint bow-tie in your Diamond, (Not too Dark!) then your Diamond should be cut well and display lots of brilliance and sparkle.
Say YES to the bow-tie! The bow-tie is your friend!
Copyright © 04-26-2008 Jewelry-Secrets.com
