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DIAMOND BOW-TIES, GOOD OR BAD?

WHAT IS A DIAMOND BOW-TIE AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

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Diamond Bow Ties

Depending on who you talk to, you’ll hear different conflicting stories about the diamond bow-tie.

Jewelry sales people 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 sales people tell you differently, is when they’re trying to sell you inferior cuts of diamonds (like very dark, distinct bow-ties).

Diamonds that are cut too shallow will lack the bow-tie effect (and also lack sparkle). But, just because a diamond doesn’t have a bow-tie, doesn’t mean it’s cut well. You have to be careful. A diamond displaying no bow-tie, or a slight bow-tie is good, but only if it’s cut well. A well proportioned diamond is what you desire. Not a shallow stone.

What does a bow-tie look like?

A bow-tie looks exactly like what it sounds like, a bow-tie shaped shadow through the center of the 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-tie:

Long cuts of diamonds like the marquise cut (football shaped), 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… Again, SLIGHT, if it’s cut wellBut if it’s DARK, it’s NOT!

So look at your diamond… 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 cut too deep, the entire stone will appear darker and lack light and Life.

The bottom line; if you see a slight, distinct, faint bow-tie in a diamond, (not dark) then the diamond should be fine and display lots of brilliance and sparkle.

So say YES to the bow-tie!

The bow-tie is your friend.

Cheers! :)

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