Princess Cuts - Need help knowing how to pick a good stone

[DeMarco]

I am in the market for a princess cut diamond; this website has been wonderful in helping me understand and evaluate diamonds, but I am afraid not all of the evaluation tools pertain to princess cuts....

- What should I be looking for in a Princess Cut
- Are there tools like an Ideal-Scope that work for Princess Cuts? Similarly, while the Ideal-Scope is not made for Princess, is it more helpful than nothing?
- Any opinions on the branded Princess Cut stones (example: HOF Dream, Tiffany Lucidia)

I want to be smart about my selection but I need help...rules of thumb sort of stuff

Please help!

 

[pqcollectibles]

The Ideal Scope can be used on Princess Cuts. White Flash posts pics of IS images on their Expert Selection Princess cut diamonds. You might take a look there to get a feel for what to expect in the IS of a princess.

Here's a link to the Cut Charts for Princess diamonds in the Tutorial:

http://diamonds.pricescope.com/fnc1.asp

Also, you can use the DIY cut grading system at www.gemappraisers.com to help screen candidates. Just click on DIY, select Princess, enter the info and the DIY will analyze the cut for you.

Generally speaking, to find better performing princess cut diamonds, you want to look a table and depth of 75% or less, with the table being 3-5% less than the depth. That's a general guideline. There are no hard and fast rules for fancies. After you screen candidates by specs, then it comes down to visual examination. A Prin can look good on paper and not be a good performer.

Also, there was a thread a few days ago about Princess cuts but I can't seem to find it right now. Maybe later.

Edited to add:
Here's a link to the article about the New AGS system for grading Princess diamonds:

http://journal.pricescope.com/Articles/13/1/AGS-new-cut-grading-of-princesses-a-first-experience.aspx

 

[DeMarco]

Thanks! That is great advise; I went to the White Flash site and think the IS images are helpful...I wish they had more!

I ordered an Ideal Scope today and while it isn''t perfect, I think it will certainly be better than nothing!

I especially appreciated your advise on table and depth %...if less than 75% is acceptable, what would be exceptional?

Do you have any similar rules for Crown, Pavilion and Girdle?

Thanks!

 

[alexah]

you can find more princesses w idealscope shots... at good old gold &superbcert. i believe dirt cheap diamonds also will provide i-scope shots on their signature series princesses upon request...

 

[alexah]

"Do you have any similar rules for Crown, Pavilion and Girdle?"

Generally speaking, you should look for a crown 10 or over on a princess if you''d like it to be lively & fiery.

Try to stay away from ext thin or very thin girdles, esp if the thin section is around the corners. Your best bet if you can find it would be medium or med to sl thk. Thick would also work but you''ll be losing a little ''face up'' size.

Crown & pavillion angles are tough to use in judging a princess; there are several of them & it''s more complex to use them for judging a princess than, say, a round. Your eyes are a better judge...

Best of luck to you demarco!

 

[pqcollectibles]

Getting an Ideal Scope is a wonderful idea!! I just got one myself and have been playing with all my diamonds. They are mounted, of course, so getting the right angles has been tricky. But it''s absolutely amazing what the IS reveals about diamonds!!

Thanks, Alexa, for pointing DeMarco in the direction of additional IS images of Princess diamonds. I couldn''t think of who all posted their pics and was being lazy. I knew WF had them for their ES stones, and I didn''t go searching the other Vendors websites.

There are several Vendors that physically stock Princess cuts that have been professionally evaluated and hand selected for performance. In addition to WF and those mentioned by Alexah, you might check out Nice Ice as well.