bluenile.com emerald cut

[bojanglesman]

I have a couple of questions:

I am planning/trying to purchase an emerald-cut diamond around 1 ct. as the center sone for a three stone setting. I was trying to avoid the internet because I just trust what I can see, but due to finances, I may have to take the plunge and buy over the internet to save some cash. I''m a little skeptical about such a big purchase over the internet, so I need encouragement and stories of people with good experiences with this. I have a local reputable jeweler that I trust to do the setting, but we just couldn''t come up with an agreement on diamond prices. I will probably find the center stone elsewhere and have the jeweler find two small emerald-cut sidestones to match (cut, clarity, etc.) the center stone that I purchase. This jewler seemed fairly reasonable on the sidestones when compared to bluenile, but not on the center stone. This jeweler has multiple certified gemologists, an appraiser, yadda yadda yadda........

Anyway, I was wondering a few things:

I like bluenile.com, and they seem to have some reasonable prices and are trustworthy from what I hear. My girlfriend lives with me, so I need to have it shipped somewhere other than where I live so as to not get busted. Will bluenile ship directly to this jeweler/appraiser or is that a bad idea liability-wise? Or should I just have it shipped to where I work? Any experience with the return policy? I know its 30 days with bluenile, just wanted to see if anybody had good/bad experiences in returning a diamond.

Also would like an opinion on these two stones I found on bluenile.

Stock number: LD00396990
Carat weight: 1.00
Cut: Very Good
Color: H
Clarity: VS1
Depth %: 67.8%
Table %: 71%
Symmetry: Good
Polish: Very good
Girdle: Thin to slightly thick
Culet: None
Fluorescence: None
Measurements: 6.92x4.87x3.30 mm
Length/width ratio: 1.42


Stock number: LD00433468
Carat weight: 0.96
Cut: Very Good
Color: H
Clarity: VS1
Depth %: 65.8%
Table %: 69%
Symmetry: Good
Polish: Good
Girdle: Very thin to slightly thick
Culet: None
Fluorescence: None
Measurements: 7.14x4.74x3.12 mm
Length/width ratio: 1.51

Thanks in advance!

 

[mrssalvo]

I know nothing about emerald cuts so I can''t really help you there. If you do a search here on bluenile a bunch of threads will pop up. many people have found there prices to be a little high compared to other internet vendors but do like the 30 day return period. There are several other vendors here woud have very good reputations. you can even have a stone shipped to an indepenent appraiser in your town and have a look before you buy. I have purchased from Whiteflash and they actually ship to a fed ex location not your home.

 

[AChiOAlumna]

I can''t help you with the online vs. B&M purchases as I bought my EC through a B&M, but like mrssalvo suggested, if you do a search on these boards, you''ll find many who have purchased throught Blue Nile and can give you a better idea of how they operate. As far as the two diamonds you''re looking at, here''s my feedback:

Date: 6/1/2005 12:41:05 PM
Author:bojanglesman

Also would like an opinion on these two stones I found on bluenile.

Stock number: LD00396990

Carat weight: 1.00

Cut: Very Good

Color: H

Clarity: VS1

Depth %: 67.8%

Table %: 71%

Symmetry: Good

Polish: Very good

Girdle: Thin to slightly thick

Culet: None

Fluorescence: None

Measurements: 6.92x4.87x3.30 mm

Length/width ratio: 1.42

This diamond''s table is a little too big in my opinion. It may look glassy when you actually view it. The Color/Clarity look good. The range of the girdle may be a concern, but since you''ve stayed away from the extremes (extremely thin to extremely thick) you''re probably okay. I like the ratio, but this is a personal preference...some people like the more "boxy" look...I like the 1.4 to 1.5''s myself!

Stock number: LD00433468

Carat weight: 0.96

Cut: Very Good

Color: H

Clarity: VS1

Depth %: 65.8%

Table %: 69%

Symmetry: Good

Polish: Good

Girdle: Very thin to slightly thick

Culet: None

Fluorescence: None

Measurements: 7.14x4.74x3.12 mm

Length/width ratio: 1.51

Again, the color and clarity are good. Your table still may be a bit high, but the depth is good. The girdle being "very thin" is more of a concern as it could chip easier. The L/W ratio is great!!

Some suggestions when looking for a good performing EC:

Keep the depth and table as close to 60% as possible and try to get the Depth > Table...not an easy feat, but it can be done!!
You want to physically see these diamonds before purchasing as numbers are ONLY a guideline with fancy cuts, such as an EC. You may get one with "off" numbers, but it "performs" beautifully!!

Hope this helps!!

 

[bojanglesman]

Thanks for the replies! I have been doing some additional searching on some of the other vendors' sites (whiteflash, abazias, diamond.com, uniondiamond) and I'm running into the same kinds of situations with table/depth. It seems all the diamonds in my price range (70%, a table > depth, or both. I know that you generally get what you pay for, but I'm wondering if I can compromise on this some.
My question is whether it is more important to have the table at Another question. I know an extremely thin girdle is not good. Medium is ideal. Is thin worse than thick? I know thin is more likely to chip, but is thick just an issue of "wasted carat size"?

Few more I saw:

Report: GIA
Shape: Emerald
Carat: 0.95
Color: H
Clarity: VS1
Depth: 66.2
Table: 68
Girdle: M-TK
Polish: Good
Symmetry: Good
Culet: None
Fluorescence: No
Measurements: 6.94-4.82X3.19
Length/Width: 1.44
Stock number: LD00486230


Carat weight: 0.97
Cut: Very Good
Color: H
Clarity: VS2
Depth %: 61.6%
Table %: 65%
Symmetry: Good
Polish: Good
Girdle: Medium to slightly thick
Culet: Small
Fluorescence: None
Measurements: 6.91x5.05x3.11 mm
Length/width ratio: 1.37

Stock Number CLS188220
Diamond Report GIA
Shape Emerald
Carat Weight 1
Cut Very Good
Color H
Clarity VS1
Depth 64.8
Table 69
Polish Good
Symmetry Good
Girdle THK
Culet NO
Fluorescence NON
Measurements 7.09*4.77*3.09


Thanks!

 

[AChiOAlumna]

bo...again, I''m no expert, but I did a lot of browsing here for my EC, so I can only pass on my experience to you!

As for the table Table rule, this guideline is to help you get a stone that looks as big as it is intended. What happens is whent he depth becomes too big, most of your stone ends up in the bottom portion resulting in a smaller-looking stone. Is it mandatory?? No...none of this is...they are guidelines...

For example, my EC (in my avatar) has Depth=65.9% and Table=63%. They''re both in the mid 60s and the Depth > Table, making the 1.03 carats that it is LOOK as such (some even say it looks bigger than 1.03 carats

)....

You''re doing the right thing by starting with the parameters that you aren''t willing to budge on and then working the rest of the parameters into what you want. The second stone in your 2nd post MIGHT have some potential...ultimately it comes down to what looks good to YOU...

Hopefully this helps some...post more if you have questions!!

 

[bojanglesman]

Well, I think I've made the decision to buy the center stone online, not sure which vendor yet, but all the help has been greatly appreciated. I'll probably narrow my decision down and post for more advice when I've got it down to 3-4 stones to pick from. I know looking at it is the only way to know for sure, but I'd like to start with the one that has the most potential on paper.
Couple more questions. I know the girdle should be somewhere between thin and sl thick. Too thick means wasted carats, too thin chips too easily. If I have this placed in a setting by a jeweler that I didn't buy the stone from, I know I'm basically screwed if the diamond cracks/breaks. Is the girdle the area that usually cracks when/if this happens? If so, is this a reasonable worry if I buy a stone with at least a thin girdle or am I just worrying too much? Should I error on the sl. thick or thin side? I'm planning on having my jeweler appraise the stone first before I settle on having it as my center stone. I figure its worth the extra cash to make sure it's truly what I paid for online.
From the last post it sounds as if the table size being less that 70% is usually more important than the table being less than the depth. Is it OK to say that if I can find a stone that has a table less than say about 67-68% and the depth is in the mid 60's, I'd be OK? (knowing that how it looks is most important). I just don't think I'll be able to find a stone in my price range with ideal measurements, but I'd like to stay around the 1 carat marker if at all possible.
My other question refers to the three stone setting. As far as an acceptable size ratio between the side stones and the center stone, I've heard from about 1/4 to 1/2 is acceptable (i.e. if center is 1 ct., then side stones should be somewhere between 1/4 ct-1/2 ct.). Is this true? I was thinking about pairing it with about 1/3 ct. stones (2/3 total wt.).

Thanks again!

 

[AChiOAlumna]

Date: 6/1/2005 6:14:25 PM
Author: bojanglesman
If so, is this a reasonable worry if I buy a stone with at least a thin girdle or am I just worrying too much? Should I error on the sl. thick or thin side? I''m planning on having my jeweler appraise the stone first before I settle on having it as my center stone. I figure its worth the extra cash to make sure it''s truly what I paid for online.

The general rule is if you stay away from very thin or very thick girdles then you''re the safest regarding chipping and/or wasting too much of the diamond in the center area

Is it OK to say that if I can find a stone that has a table less than say about 67-68% and the depth is in the mid 60''s, I''d be OK? (knowing that how it looks is most important).

You''ll be better off if you can get it in this range!!


Sounds like you''re off to a great start!!