The Diamond of Your Dreams

Every woman aspires, at some point, to own the diamond of her dreams. But whether it’s a self-purchase or a gift, a diamond is often a “blind purchase”. How can you get a gorgeous sparkling diamond and ensure that you’ve made the smartest value decision?

Tips have been offered on buying the diamond of your dreams. Want a brighter, whiter diamond of better quality? Trade down on size. Want a larger diamond? Trade down on quality. But what if you could have a brighter, whiter looking diamond and one that looks up to 50 percent larger?

Christopher Designs was started by Christopher Slowinski. Originally trained in engineering, Slowinski applied engineering principles to the cutting of a diamond. He made a brilliant discovery.

A diamond, like an iceberg, carries significant size and weight below what can be seen from the top. In the case of an iceberg, that’s the water surface. In the case of a diamond that area is called “the girdle”, the widest point of the stone and the point below which you cannot see any more of the diamond. Below the girdle, the pavilion, carries weight that is not seen once the diamond is in a setting. When buying a diamond, a key factor in price (and one of the 4 C’s) is “carat weight”. Even though one may not see any of the diamond weight below the girdle, one ends up paying for it.

Slowinski discovered that if proportions and facets were modified to precise angles, the light return would be superior and it would not be necessary to have so much weight hidden where it wouldn’t be seen. The result? A brighter, whiter-looking diamond that is larger in surface area than other diamonds of equal carat weight.

Slowinski’s L’Amour Crisscut diamonds, available in a variety of shapes, place more of the diamond in the visible area, resulting in a diamond that appears up to 50 percent larger. The size difference is astonishing when a 1.00 carat L’Amour Crisscut is next to a 1.00 carat standard emerald-cut diamond. Another benefit of this unique cut is that because light travels through a shallower area to be reflected, the stone appears whiter and brighter, bursting with color and sparkle.