1st time buyer in need of help

[dregre]

I need help finding a princess cut diamond. Ive been trying to research info but i''m still pretty new. Does the Princess cut below look good.

http://www.exceldiamonds.com/Loose_Princess_Cut_Diamond/Loose_Princess_Cut_1_Carat_E_Color_SI2_Clarity_diamond-276412.html

What should I be looking for in a Princess cut 1.0-1.5 carats. I want a stone that will look good to the eye. Unfortunately my GF and her friends don''t know much about cost of cut and color. They only sit and compare size. I have been trying to look at the dimensions of different stones to see which would show more size. Also, I know someone who owns a local jewelry shop. Typically how much of a discount do they get compared to what I can find online. I don''t know whether or not to bug them to find me a diamond.

I know its a lot but any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[JulieN]

For the price, it's very nice, if it's eye-clean.

 

[dregre]

Would I be able to find a better stone for 3500 or less. I am looking at cushion cuts too.

 

[:)]

Princess and cushion are very different looks - maybe spend a little more time browsing stores so you can be sure of which one you want.
No, I wouldn''t bug your jeweler friend, the margins on online stones are fairly tight and he may actually have a difficult time matching them with the overhead that shops have for storefront, employees, etc, etc. We have heard way too many stories about a friend or a friend of a friend that sourced a stone that went horrribly bad.

 

[JulieN]

You probably could find a bigger stone in your budget, but it could be difficult to find.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 1/21/2009 8:22:17 PM
Author: JulieN
For the price, it''s very nice, if it''s eye-clean.

Ditto.