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...
What is a Bow-Tie?
A Diamond Bow-Tie is basically a shadow that falls in the center of a Diamond. This shadow (if slight) 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 (Like dark, distinct Bow Ties).
Diamonds that are Cut too shallow will lack the bow-tie effect (and also Sparkle). Just because a Diamond Doesn't have a Bow Tie, doesn't mean it's Cut well! Be careful. You do want no Bow Tie or a slight Bow Tie in your Diamond but only if it's Cut good. A well proportioned Diamond is what you desire.
What does a Bow-Tie look like?
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.
Fancy Cuts get Bow-Ties
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 effect.
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 a slight 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 slight, distinct, faint bow-tie in your Diamond, (Not Dark!) then your Diamond should be fine and display lots of brilliance and sparkle.
Say YES to the bow-tie!
The bow-tie is your friend!
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Copyright © 04-26-2008 Jewelry-Secrets.com
