Last March I posted about the EightStar company’s “ideal” diamond cut. The S.F. Chronicle has now taken a closer look at the company owners and learned more about their efforts to promote the 58 facet cut, available through 63 jewelers. Others in the industry are reluctant to proclaim the EightStar cut as being the best, at the risk of devaluing all other cuts on the market. Each EightStar takes an average of 32 hours to produce, and retails at 40% more than a typical diamond, most of which are faceted in 45 minutes. The cut also sacrifices weight for brilliance. Assuming EightStar’s publicity efforts are successful, it’s up to the consumers to decide whether the “ideal” cut is worth the price. There always seems to be room for extra cachet on the high end. But hefty carats always garner the attention. Interestingly, diamonds have become so mass-market that Walmart now sells the most in the U.S. (March 2003 entry on EightStar)