Am I being too selective based on cut?

[javier]

I am getting ready to purchase a round diamond, with a budget of about $3,500 (leaving $500 or so for the setting). Right now I am only looking at diamonds that fall in this range:

Depth %: 60.1 - 61.9
Table %: 54.0 - 57.0

As far as the other C''s, I''m looking at:

Clarity: SI1
Color: G-H
Carats: 0.9 - 0.99

With these parameters I can find a 0.9 diamond in my price range. My question is, would it be wise (or would you), loosen up on the depth/table percentages in order to get a bigger diamond?

I looked at some diamonds in person today and they seemed to sparkle adaquetly with poorer dimensions (in natural lighting). Cut seems hard to judge based on brilliance, and I am wondering if I am sacrificing too much in carats for the perfect cut. I doesn''t seem to make sense to go deeper though, because then the diamond looks smaller.

What cut porportions would you look for? Your input would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

You can go outside those ranges - but as you do it becomes trickier.

I do all my buying with an ideal-scope (which you can buy from me - disclosure doc) and often end up with diamonds with tables up to 60%. so if you are shopping live - that is exactly what I do.

 

[valeria101]

Date: 11/20/2005 6:25:22 PM
Author:javier


What cut porportions would you look for? Your input would be greatly appreciated.

If you'd want to look online, the I-Scope would not help much and a meaningful set of proportions will need to include more than depth & table. There is plenty on that (too much?) under the 'knowledge' heading above.

You may find at some point that avoiding the slightly deeper 62%-ish rounds just limits your oprtions without much gain to show for it.


How about THIS

No G-H came up on a search, but this F-SI1.


There are better cut ones out there, this isn't among what even the seller's classification.

Now, finding some trully best cut stone to look at may held make an informed decission of what exactly 'adequate brilliance' is and if the best are worth something. I surely agree with Garry about the IS, bit it will not give you an idea of what can be expected from a round brilliant cut at its finest (or worst) in person.

 

[javier]

Thanks for the quick replies.

An Idealscope would be useful, but as I am shopping online I''ve noticed most diamonds don''t come with an Idealscope report (as they are from virtual lists). Is there any way to do a search and only return diamonds w/idealscope reports?

Also, in regards to polish, symmetry, girdle width, floresence and cutlet, I have a hard time gauging what effect they have on brilliance and when I should sacrifice on those attributes for price-sake.

Javier (obviously a little lost...)

 

[valeria101]

Date: 11/20/2005 8:15:58 PM
Author: javier


Is there any way to do a search and only return diamonds w/idealscope reports?

Try the ''Cut Quality Search'' above




Also, in regards to polish, symmetry, girdle width, floresence and culet, I have a hard time gauging what effect they have on brilliance

There have been lots of questions like this... basically, if you find these have any sensible effect on brilliance, that would come as a surprise. I wouldn''t worry. Now, those diamonds that were cut to carefuly blanced ''ideal'' proortions, usually have these other monor details taken care of.

 

[javier]

Date: 11/20/2005 8:28:58 PM
Author: valeria101
Try the ''Cut Quality Search'' above

Thats cool... not a whole lot to choose from though is there?

Pardon my ignorance, but if polish/symmetry/girdle/culet/floroucense dont play much role in the brilliance of a diamond, assuming I don''t have an idealscope image of these online diamonds, what else should I be looking at besides table & depth percentages?

 

[valeria101]

Date: 11/20/2005 9:26:01 PM
Author: javier



Thats cool... not a whole lot to choose from though is there?

Yeah... because those diamods need to make it into sellers'' hands to acquire all the extra information listed there. The ''bulk'' databdase are stones still at wholesalers'' which no one can know more about than the numbers on the lab reports (sa me as given here).





Pardon my ignorance, but if polish/symmetry/girdle/culet/floroucense dont play much role in the brilliance of a diamond, assuming I don''t have an idealscope image of these online diamonds, what else should I be looking at besides table & depth percentages?

GIA lab reports do not give data about cut quality (this will change early next year, when GIA will add allot more on cut). AGS lab reports grade cut and you can ask for those extra measurements needed to qualify brilliance. But there is no HUGE database with such information just yet. Hopefully one stone amng those with better presentation will fit the bill. There are not so few after all - local shops may not have as much as this ''Cut Quality'' database.

Also, the other button (''In House'' ) leads to a larger stock of stones that do not have any ''cut pedigree'' as yet (either because thye do not make the mark of the seller for top cut quality or they didn''t get the cut reports done yet, or...) but are in sellers'' hands anc can be evaluated for cut quality per request.


Just my 0.2

 

[valeria101]

Btw... have you seen THIS ?

 

[strmrdr]

hca score
ideal scope image
clarity photo
regular photo
sarin report
ags or gia cert
skilled vendor reviewing/selecting the diamond


Thats my min. comfort level list when selecting a diamond over $500 or so online. In person the photos arent needed but the reports would be nice to have. Id also by an IS scope and take it with me.


From there the very nice to have:
full 3d scan data .srn file
helium report
gem file

from there the nice to have but use with caution and not required
b-scope scores
isee2 scores


Back up to the required level at the over $500 point.

An appraisal - for a lesser cost diamond a cert match by just about any appraiser is fine to me for an expensive diamond over say $3000 a full blown appraisal by an independant appraiser.

insurance


Those are my personal guidlines and what is right for you may be something else.
using the above id get the best cut i can.

 

[javier]

Date: 11/20/2005 10:46:03 PM
Author: strmrdr
hca score

ideal scope image

clarity photo

regular photo

sarin report

ags or gia cert

skilled vendor reviewing/selecting the diamond

Those things are all great, but how many online vendors offer all of them? I haven't found any...

Edit: ok superbcert for one... but they have no diamonds in the specs & price range I am looking for.

 

[strmrdr]

www.goodoldgold.com
www.whiteflash.com
www.diamondexpert.com
www.winkjones.com
www.niceice.com
www.jamesallen.com

 

[Regular Guy]

Date: 11/20/2005 9:26:01 PM
Author: javier

Date: 11/20/2005 8:28:58 PM
Author: valeria101
Try the ''Cut Quality Search'' above

Thats cool... not a whole lot to choose from though is there?

Pardon my ignorance, but if polish/symmetry/girdle/culet/floroucense dont play much role in the brilliance of a diamond, assuming I don''t have an idealscope image of these online diamonds, what else should I be looking at besides table & depth percentages?

There''s a couple of things you can additionally look at on the "quick search" big database board here. You can turn off and on options that include and exclude diamonds with certain characteristics, like being certed by other than GIA & AGS, and having comments associated with it that report is has "AGS0" characteristics.

Ordinarily, I would exclude EGL, but you''ve got a tough nut to meet, based on the requirements you''ve said you want to have. If you leave the AGS0 box checked, and accept EGL, this one might be worth a look, and as you can read in the strategy below my signature, WF will have others, albeit more expensive (closer to 5K) that more clearly do meet your requirements. Ana may have mentioned one, though it''s HCA may be above 2 (just double check). Note, crown & pavilion data on these quick search options in advance of their being seen is hard to come by. With respect to your original question, and despite Garry''s answer, you could easily say that by considering only depth and table data, you''re not being conservative enough.

 

[strmrdr]

Your biggest problem is the size range.
They will be less well cut to make the 1ct mark.
a .9 to .99ct diamond is usualy a fluke there is too much money in cutting them badly to make 1ct over a well cut .9-.99.