When only the best will do.
D color (perfectly colorless) IF (internally flawless) diamonds are estimated to represent a tiny fraction of world diamond production. Less than one in one thousand (or 0.001%) of jewelry quality diamonds are D IF diamonds.
Since few jewelers can get their hands on a satisfactory amount of D IF diamonds they have to talk their customers into looking at diamonds among the lower color and clarity grades. This approach will appeal to the bargain hunter. They will tell you that you are paying for quality you can't really see. But owning a diamond is about so much more than bargain hunting. Maybe you want to feel that you own something of great value and there's no need to be "able to tell" that what you are wearing is the best. There something to be said for knowing that what you have is the best. Even if you know that the difference may be ever so slight, there's great satisfaction when you know that your diamond is better than everyone else's. Sure, some people may claim that diamonds which are just a few grades lower in color and/or clarity are adequate diamonds and have price tags to match. But we all know that the psychological and emotional components at play where D IF diamonds are concerned are hard to explain. These elite gems are purchased by people who want the very, very best.
If you get a D IF diamond it's a complete waste to get one that is poorly cut. It just doesn't make sense to buy a diamond without making sure it's cut to perfection. If you are looking for D IF diamonds you must absoultely insist on your diamond being cut to the highest standard. After all cut quality is the key to light performance, sparkle, brilliance and fire. For this type of quality we can't look past a very special cut. I am of course talking about the signature cut sold exclusively through Whiteflash called A CUT ABOVE®.
What Is The Premium?
With D IF diamonds occupying almost mythical status in jewelry shops you might be forgiven for thinking that these diamonds are priced astronomically higher than other diamonds of equal weight. It's an easy mistake. The best way to get an idea as to what the premium actually is can be easily accomplished by comparing two diamonds that are identical in every other way but clarity.
Perfection: Cost analysis
Comapring a D IF to a D VVS1
As luck would have it I came upon two diamonds of identical weight which are both cut to Whiteflash's signature cut A CUT ABOVE® specifications. This makes the comparison ideal, as it would otherwise leave too many variables that would have to be guessed at. Some people shy away from IF diamonds imagining that they are double or more the price of diamonds of lower clarity grades. This is far from the tuth. As you will see in the comparison below the price difference is not nearly that wide.
The first diamond is a 1.016 ct D IF. Whiteflash's list price for this diamond is $16,077.
The first diamond is a 1.016 ct D VVS1. Whiteflash's list price for this diamond which is one grade lower in clarity is $13,987.
The difference between the two is 14.9%.
 |
 |
|
| Price | $16,077 | $13,987 |
| Carat | 1.016 | 1.016 |
| Color | D | D |
| Clarity |
IF |
VVS1 |
|
Cut |
Ideal | Ideal |
| Category | A CUT ABOVE® | A CUT ABOVE® |
| Item Code | AGS-104108478034 | AGS-104108478035 |
| View This Diamond at Whiteflash.com | View This Diamond at Whiteflash.com |
If you don't know Whiteflash, I go through a list of reasons why Whiteflash is a great choice for your diamond here. They have a bewlidering array of precision cut Ideal and Super Ideal diamonds. You can search all you want but I can pretty much gurarantee that you won't find another e-tailer with a better selection of cut D IF diamonds. That’s right, this is literally the place to buy the most perfect diamonds in the world. Perfectly colorless, Internally Flawless, AND perfectly cut. It does not get any better than that.
And they are selling. This is for those who want their diamonds to reflect their high quality ethos. That’s why Whiteflash have recently added to their inventory in this elite realm.
Whiteflash's A CUT ABOVE® Collection Series has been rapidly growing as a portion and Whiteflash is investing more heavily in this area (DEF IF-VVS). But among these collection goods D IF are really trending, and there is virtually no competition. While other e-tailers and drop shippers post D IF diamonds in their virtual offerings, most of these stones are of mediocre cut quality.
The material is so rare, the vast majority are cut for maximum weight retention, not for optimal beauty. A CUT ABOVE® diamonds are cut specifically for light performance, and they are fully vetted and available for immediate sale exclusively from Whiteflash.
Why It's A Big Deal
The A CUT ABOVE® diamond is a thing of absolute beauty. It's an internationally recognized Super Ideal signature cut, available only from Whiteflash. Each diamond in this collection is crafted with ultimate precision. These extraordinary gems represent the pinnacle of diamond cut quality, taking light performance to the extreme. No matter which angle you look at one of these diamonds, and in any lighting situation, an A CUT ABOVE® diamond will outshine all others. They express the full beauty of the gem within. With each glance it will sparkle and flash, putting on its own magical light show. It has a dynamic personality reflected in each new moment, gathering light from the dimmest places and scintillating with fire in sparks of spectral color.
The A CUT ABOVE® is the most carefully crafted, comprehensively analyzed and thoroughly reviewed diamond in the world. I am not kidding! It starts with the selection of high quality rough diamond crystals, and world-class skill and attention to detail by master cutters working with state-of-the-art technology in ultra-modern facilities. Whiteflash actually publishes the exact specifications of these diamonds knowing that any copycats can only achieve the same results by a happy accident.
The polished diamonds are each transported to the American Gem Society Laboratories (AGSL) for complete gemological review and certification and have to pass the AGSL's multi-level quality control process. Diamonds that attain the grade of AGS Triple Ideal are then analyzed by the Whiteflash review panel consisting of two or more staff graduate gemologists. The Whiteflash review involves additional light performance tests. These tests include Ideal Scope, ASET Scope, and Hearts and Arrows Scope as well as verification that the diamond meets dozens of additional parameters eliminating diamonds with any cut quality or light performance defects.
A final intensive visual inspection ensures that only the very finest cut diamonds in the world, and only those of extraordinary beauty, achieve the distinction of A CUT ABOVE®.
The King of the Whiteflash “Royal Family” is the A CUT ABOVE® Round Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Diamond. Meticulously crafted by master diamond cutters in Antwerp Belgium to Whiteflash specifications, these diamonds are absolutely the “best of the best”. In addition to meeting all required specifications and passing all imaging tests, the A CUT ABOVE® Round must exhibit a perfect pattern of Hearts and Arrows demonstrating that it has been cut to precise three-dimensional symmetry. Perfect optical symmetry insures that the diamond is optimally “tuned”, with each tiny facet precisely aligned in relation to all other facets. This enables the diamond to reflect, refract and return to the eye the maximum quantity and quality of light technically possible. The ultimate specimens are the ones we are focusing on in this article. They are found in the A CUT ABOVE® Collection Series featuring DEF IF-VVS super ideals.
In order to be labeled as A CUT ABOVE®, a diamond must first receive the coveted grade of Triple Ideal from the American Gem Society Laboratory (AGSL). The AGSL is the most exacting and demanding laboratory in the world with respect to diamond cut quality analysis, and extremely few diamonds in the world are awarded the AGS Ideal certificate. For an in-depth look at this topic please see diamond cut grading at AGSL.
The diamond must then pass many more tests including light performance imaging and careful visual review, in order to be declared an A CUT ABOVE®. It is estimated that less than 1 out of 10 AGS Triple Ideal diamonds will meet all the requirements of membership in the elite A CUT ABOVE® category, making it the most exclusive super ideal diamond in the world.
What is the Secret?
Unlike other brands, there is no secrecy surrounding the requirements for A CUT ABOVE®. Whiteflash has been forefront in consumer education and providing detailed information on jewelry products. This has distinguished Whiteflash from a host of companies that rely on marketing spin and unsupported claims. Whiteflash publishes the specific guidelines and qualifications that are used for vetting their A CUT ABOVE® brand. The fact is that diamonds of this quality are so difficult to produce that even knowing the formula does not make it any more likely that competitors will be able to duplicate what they do.
Whiteflash stocks the largest in-house inventory of true super ideal diamonds of any retailer in the world. And they don’t just make claims about how special they are - they prove it, one diamond at a time. The ultimate beneficiary is the consumer who understands that an A CUT ABOVE® diamond is the most exhaustively evaluated and dependably consistent, high performance diamond on the planet. As an added and very popular benefit, each one comes with their own industry-best 100% Lifetime Trade Up Guarantee.
AGS Triple Ideal Platinum Certificate
The first requirement for A CUT ABOVE® is certification as Triple Ideal (Triple Zero) by the American Gem Society Laboratories (AGSL). The AGSL is the world leader in diamond cut quality analysis and their Platinum Certificate is the ultimate pedigree. The AGS light performance grading system involves a scientifically rigorous analysis that examines every facet of the diamond and assesses light return, light leakage, fire, and contrast which drives the all-important aspect of scintillation (sparkle!). In all, eleven key aspects of cut craftsmanship are analyzed and all must be Ideal for a Triple Zero platinum certificate to be awarded.
Both the A CUT ABOVE® Round Hearts and Arrows Diamond and the A CUT ABOVE® Princess share the distinction of being true Super Ideal Diamonds and must meet extreme standards for craftsmanship and light performance. However, both are distinctive and must be evaluated in unique ways. For detailed information please see our article on princess cut grading at AGSL.
But Wait! --There's more!
Joining the A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Diamonds in the Whiteflash “Royal Family” is the A CUT ABOVE® Princess. As a true Super Ideal it must pass tests and reviews above and beyond the foundational requirement of being a certified AGS Ideal. Because no other major laboratory performs cut quality analysis on Princess diamonds, and because receiving a grade of AGS Ideal for a princess is exceedingly difficult in and of itself, the A CUT ABOVE® Princess is an extraordinarily rare and special diamond. The Whiteflash panel review requires additional parameters and requirements to be met ensuring that only diamonds with world-class performance are designated to be A CUT ABOVE® Princess.