help - Princess cut for e-ring

[mryan]

I''m starting my search for a stone for an e-ring and once again welcoming the knowledge of pricescope that has helped me in the past.

I''d like to find a 1.5-1.6 princess cut for the center stone.

From my initial searching (atleast online) it seems these range from 10-14k.

so my question is what should i look for..do these sound about right?

Carat: 1.5-1.6ct
Color: F/G
Clarity: VS1/VS2/SI1 ??
Cut: ideal

Measurements: Unsure what to look for here (i.e. 6.21*6.35*4.57)
Depth: ??
Table: ???
Polish: Ideal
Symmetry: Ideal
Anything else???

what should I expect to pay for a higher end 1.5ct princess cut?

I also will continue to seach for forum b/c i''m sure this has been posted but thought i''d throw up a topic anyways

Any help/suggestions much appreciated.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 1/7/2009 12:59:30 PM
Author:mryan
I'm starting my search for a stone for an e-ring and once again welcoming the knowledge of pricescope that has helped me in the past.

I'd like to find a 1.5-1.6 princess cut for the center stone.

From my initial searching (atleast online) it seems these range from 10-14k.

so my question is what should i look for..do these sound about right?

Carat: 1.5-1.6ct
Color: F/G
Clarity: VS1/VS2/SI1 ??
Cut: ideal

Measurements: Unsure what to look for here (i.e. 6.21*6.35*4.57)
Depth: ??
Table: ???
Polish: Ideal
Symmetry: Ideal
Anything else???

what should I expect to pay for a higher end 1.5ct princess cut?

I also will continue to seach for forum b/c i'm sure this has been posted but thought i'd throw up a topic anyways

Any help/suggestions much appreciated.

Your specs sound fine for clarity, maybe consider H colour also ( GIA/ AGS graded) to enlarge the options? With Princess, there really aren't any set proportions for depth, table etc which will guarantee you a well cut diamond. I would recommend you work with a vendor who has in house Princess and all the analysis done such as ASET, Idealscope, detailed photographs etc in order to help you make an informed choice. This type of vendor will stock hand selected GIA Princess ( GIA do not grade Princess for cut at this time) and will have the info you need available. Also you can consider AGS0 cut grade Princess which can help to narrow the field. You will only find Ideal grades for symmetry and polish with AGS, GIA's highest grades are excellent. With a well cut stone, the details such as diameter, polish and symmetry should all fall into place typically as part of the diamond's craftmanship and finish.

Pricing...depends on whether you want to buy online or from a store, online prices are typically less than store jewellers. You can get an idea of pricing using the Pricescope your Diamond tool above, this will bring up prices of similar.

Here are some vendors who stock in house Princess of known cut quality. Some also stock branded Princess such as A Cut Above ( WF) and Crafted by Infinity ( Wink), so you could look at some of those if you wish.

www.whiteflash.com

www.winkjones.com

www.goodoldgold.com

www.niceice.com

www.exceldiamonds.com

 

[mryan]

Yes, i do like WF a lot will have to check them out.

Also, I guess I would save on taxes... err i mean delayed in paying them to the state!

 

[mryan]

getting overwelmed with all the info on the vendor sites - been looking at GOG, WF, and J.allen.

What size ct should I expect to get with my ideal cut, clarity, and color I listed above with a 15k budget for the stone alone?

 

[rpanno]

I don''t know specifics on price for the chracteristics you mentioned but I can tell you that you will not regret getting in contact with Bill Pearlman. He is possibly one of the best retailers I have ever encountered in any industry. He will take the time to make sure you get exactly what you/your fiance to be want and for a great deal. I know you will not be dissapointed with his service, prices, and end product.

I''m guessing he could get a hold of some really nice AGS 000''s to look over and make an expert decision. I was basically in the same boat as you when I called him. I knew the basic specs I wanted but princess cuts are so difficult it is often hard to simply judge by the numbers. So Bill found several stones that met my standards and looked them over individually for their own physically viewable qualities. He then made a reccomendation based on his opinion and the diamond turned out to amazing.

Also, the AGS 000 will carry a premium to a GIA graded diamond which is what I ended up with. BTW, our specs were prettty close with the exception of me looking at the 1.25ct size. I wanted a l/w ratio of .99 to 1.01 with Excellent Polish and Symmetry. The depth and table are really where the jeweler''s trained eye will pick the right diamond. I ended up with a slightly deeper diamond for the 1.25ct size which means that it will face up a little closer to a 1.00ct, however it really has unbelievable brightness, fire and scintillation and could fool many observers into thinking it was closer to 1.5ct.

Basically, my advice is to find a reputable jeweler you trust to help you because most of the time diamonds simply just look pretty. It''s easy to get caught up in the specs and forget what your ultimate goal was (which is to buy the love of your life a beuatiful everlasting token of that love). That jeweler for me was Bill Pealrman and his staff, namely his son Jason.

If you want any more help from someone who was in your shoes about 11 months ago, use the email in my profile.

 

[JulieN]

This one, maybe: http://www.niceice.com/certcopies2008/ags0009098808/index.htm

You might want to give the ol'' H color a try.

 

[mryan]

i went down to jewelers row in chicago to get some first hand looks at the stones and just general info on diamonds. i took the gf with me so she could see what she liked also.

she seemed to want to downgrade the color rating for size. she liked the H''s (VS1/SI1 range) as well as G''s. We did not like the I''s. You can see the yellow in them.

I think i''ll get with WF to see what they have available in the 1.5-2.0ct range for G''s and H''s.

would you rather get a slightly smaller G then a bigger H??

 

[JulieN]

Nice Ice will send the stone that I linked above to Dimend Scaasi in Chicago for you to view, I believe. Give them a call.

About the smaller/bigger G/H, each stone is really individual. I would have to see for myself before deciding.

If she is ok with H, I think the Infinity one would be an amazing choice.

 

[mryan]

after sleeping on it i think we decided to go with a 1.5-1.6ct F or G stone VS1 range (up 1 or down 1 clarity) with an 3/4 eternity setting which will push it over 2ct tw. it's more a piece of mind I suppose on the center peice.

i think going with WF ACA princess cut as of now. Loved the martini earrings I got from them last year and not to mention love all the rings I see from there on pricescope from them.

WF sent me a few stone examples and i liked a F VS1 ACA 1.53 princess cut so far. Likely will be doing this in the next month or so unless a diamond i like pops up that I cannot wait to buy.

WF diamond search for ACA princess doesnt seem to pull up much for the 1.5-1.7ct range for me. maybe i'm doing something wrong.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 1/11/2009 4:27:29 PM
Author: mryan
after sleeping on it i think we decided to go with a 1.5-1.6ct F or G stone VS1 range (up 1 or down 1 clarity) with an 3/4 eternity setting which will push it over 2ct tw. it''s more a piece of mind I suppose on the center peice.

i think going with WF ACA princess cut as of now. Loved the martini earrings I got from them last year and not to mention love all the rings I see from there on pricescope from them.

WF sent me a few stone examples and i liked a F VS1 ACA 1.53 princess cut so far. Likely will be doing this in the next month or so unless a diamond i like pops up that I cannot wait to buy.

WF diamond search for ACA princess doesnt seem to pull up much for the 1.5-1.7ct range for me. maybe i''m doing something wrong.

It depends on what stock they have, if they know what you are looking for then they can keep you in mind should something suitable come along or that they know is in the pipeline.