Oval Diamond Advice

[warrenlwade]

Hello Pricescope Friends,

I am shopping for an oval diamond for my girlfriend and found one we like based on the criteria below. I have a few questions I was hoping you might be able to help with:

**Diamond:
Here is the diamond we found that seems to meet our search criteria:
http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/Oval-cut/1.36-carat-K-color-VS1-clarity-sku-41446

**Search Criteria:
* Carat Weight – 1.3 and Above: We are considering mounting it in yellow gold as a solitaire, and think this size or above wouldn’t look to small by itself.
* Clarity - VS1 or Above: This was based on the recommendations of this site to avoid seeing inclusions in the diamond:
http://www.everything-wedding-rings.com/oval-cut-engagement-rings.html
* Color – K and Above: After looking at a lot of diamonds, she decided that this color or above would go well in a yellow gold band, to make it appear more clear while maintaining a warm glow. Our biggest concern is we want to make sure it has a good balance of brilliance, fire, and scintillation: https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/diamond-brilliance-fire-scintillation
* Table Percentage – 52% - 60%, less than depth percentage: This is to maximize brilliance based on the recommendations of this site: http://www.uniteddiamonds.com/info_pages/diamond_education/diamond-education-oval-table.html
And this thread:
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/oval-diamonds.119802/
* Depth Percentage - 62% - 68% : This is to minimize bowtie while maximizing brilliance based on the recommendations of this site: http://www.uniteddiamonds.com/info_pages/diamond_education/diamond-education-oval-table.html
* Polish/Symmetry – Good to Excellent
* Girdle – Stone Specific: Seems mostly to be personal preference, she doesn’t mind a thicker girdle…
* Length/Width Ratio – Less than 1.66 : Past this stones seem too long and bowties appear thicker as l:w increases.
* Certificate – GIA : Seems to have the most stringent/accurate standards.
* Budget - Our total budget is around $6K for stone and band.

** Questions:
1: Before going into technicalities, what do you think of the diamond? Our plan is to mount it in yellow gold and we don’t mind the color as long as it has a good balance of brilliance, fire, and scintillation.

2: How do you think it will look in a yellow gold band? Do you think it would look better alone or with sidestones?

3: If you don’t like the diamond, are we going somewhere wrong with our search criteria? Do you have another recommendation?

4: Is it common to ask for an ASET image?

5: Comparable ovals based on a Pricescope search average $2500/carat, JA is $3147/carat? Has anyone been able to negotiate them down?

Thanks for any help you can provide!

 

[tyty333]

** Questions:
1: Before going into technicalities, what do you think of the diamond? Our plan is to mount it in yellow gold and we don’t mind the color as long as it has a good balance of brilliance, fire, and scintillation.

The diamond looks nice to me but really cant say much without an asset.

2: How do you think it will look in a yellow gold band? Do you think it would look better alone or with sidestones?

It will look very nice in a yellow band...especially if you like a nice light candlelight glow in some lightings (I like this
myself).

I personally like a lower color in a plain solitaire but my opinion is really dependent on the setting so I cant say.

3: If you don’t like the diamond, are we going somewhere wrong with our search criteria? Do you have another recommendation?
See 1.
4: Is it common to ask for an ASET image?
From James Allen...Yes!

5: Comparable ovals based on a Pricescope search average $2500/carat, JA is $3147/carat? Has anyone been able to negotiate them down?
You really cant go by the searh engine because nice shaped stones with pretty faceting patterns are going to cost you more.
Those stones you are comparing the price with could very well be ugly or have large bow-ties. Without seeing each one there
is no way of telling. I dont think JA negotiates prices but you can always ask...I dont think it will hurt you but dont think you
are going to get them to knock the price down to $2500 like the other stones. If you could find that same stone on a different
site at a lower price maybe they can price match or come close???
Thanks for any help you can provide!

Post the aset when you get it.

Edit - I took a quick look...
I think I actually like the faceting pattern better on this one. It is a tad smaller and an SI1 but as long as it is eye-clean that
is usually ok with most people (ask the gemologist if its eye-clean). You should also request an aset on this one for comparisons
sake if you like the stone.
http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/Oval-cut/1.20-carat-J-color-SI1-clarity-sku-185417

 

[Roxy]

Hi Warren. I agree w/ TyTy that you'd need a little more info to assess the performance of the stone before pulling the trigger on this one.

JA will definitely provide an ASET if you ask for it, but I understand they may have a limit to the number of ASETs they'll provide per order, so make sure to ask about that.

The other thing that would be a huge help is if JA can provide a video of the stone moving around in different lighting conditions. That would help you & your SO determine if its "fire, brill, & scint" appeals to your eyes.

When it comes down to it, no matter how much data you gather, the final determination of the stones overall performance is somewhat subjective since different attributes appeal to different people. So I've found the videos to be really helpful in making a final decision about a stone.

Setting it alone w/out sidestones would be the way I'd go as well. That way you don't have to be concerned w/ whether the sidestones are complimenting or competing with the warmth of the center stone.

Once you get the ASET & (hopefully) a short video clip of the stone, come back & let us know what you think!

 

[JulieN]

Needs an ASET.

 

[diamonds-are-friends]

a k diamond will show an obvious tinge of yellow. make sure that you / gf are ok with the appearance.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Yes, K will show more color when it is out of that white background. Wall colors and various lighting will definitely cause the stone to show more tint. Even my G stone can look tinted in the car because of the light coming through tinted windows. I would recommend considering I or J color even with a yellow gold setting.

But as far as that stone goes, we have to see the ASET. You speak a lot about brilliance and excellent cut rounds are normally going to beat an oval. I would set the minimum on polish and symmetry at very good, although I always try for excellent on symmetry.

 

[warrenlwade]

Ok, thank you for all your advice! We are going to shop some more for an H or I diamond and will post the aset and photos when we get them for your expert opinions .

 

[Shibalover]

Hi! My fiance and I recently purchased my oval engagement ring and along with the other great advice posted, mine would be to pick 3 of the top stones in your budget (even ask here for opinions) and ask for an ASET and for a gemologist to look all of them over. What I thought would have been the best performing stone we chose was actually the worst and surprisingly the cheapest diamond was the best performing one. I did a lot of research on the "right" proportions for ovals and it definitely helps but it's not the be all end all and numbers unfortunately can't determine performance. The diamond we purchased is an H, VS1 oval and to me it looks very white and has great performance (not being a huge jewelry person this probably isn't saying a lot).