Storm-Worthy Asscher ? Part II

[Tripsy]

Thanks to everyone who chimed in on my first post. I''m looking for a fabulous asscher and the last one I posted was generally regarded as really nice. So I am keeping it in mind. But...part of me just loves the Royal Asscher look.

So I realize the title "Storm-Worthy Asscher" isn''t relevant here, as Storm prefers generic asschers, but still I''d like his opinion, and everyone else of course.

I started out looking in the 1.25-1.5 ct range but as you all know asschers look slightly small for their ctw, and I secretly was wanting a bigger stone too.

Sooooooo.....I came upon this guy: Royal Asscher, 1.96 ct, color J, VVS2. Whoaaaaa. I know! J!! G was the lowest color I had been considering! At first I dismissed it because of the J but the pictures didn''t look bad. I think I might be able to tolerate some warmth in the stone as a tradeoff for the fact that this is a Royal Asscher, and a BIG one (for me)...and getting toward a size where the extra facets can be appreciated, according to what I''ve read. I''m having the stone sent to me so I can see it for myself. The table is on the higher end of the usual Royal range. Price: 12,691. I was going to get a three stone ring (staying in the 8-9.5K range for the center) but this takes almost my whole budget for the ring, so I just would get a simple platinum setting, for now. I''m kind of excited here so be gentle...but let me know if something''s not right.

The other specs:
7.00 x 7.12 x 4.65
Girdle M/P
depth 66.4%
table 60%
cutlet VS
polish/sym VG/VG
flor none
GIA cert

 

[Tripsy]

Pic 2

 

[Tripsy]

Darn...I have 2 more (better, closer) pictures but it says the file size is too big to upload. Sorry!

 

[strmrdr]

RA''s are nice diamonds and in that size they work well.
Since your seeing it in person there isnt much to say other than view it in as many light conditions as possible and keep the curious here informed as you do so :}

 

[strmrdr]

You might find this thread interesting also about a generic that gives a RA a run for its money if you havent seen it allready.
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/royal-asscher-vs-generic-asscher-better-pics.38136/

 

[decodelighted]

Hey Tripsy,

The price is certainly tempting for a nearly 2ct Royal Asscher ... but I noticed that the corners don''t seem as wide as most RA''s so the windmills are kinda narrow. I''m super curious to know if it makes your heart sing in person. I''m not sure if I''d have picked mine from photos ... but in person ... "SOLD!"

Can''t wait for more info/pix...

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

If you like the color of L-M-N rounds you might like a J Ascher - there is noway an asscher can hide its color.

Dont do this without going into the real world.

A small sym deviation is easy to live with, unless you have only 1 eye like Storm

.
Extra facets might be very pleasant

 

[widget]

I think it looks beautiful from the picture...can''t wait to hear the "eye witness report"!

widget

 

[Lorelei]

I too think it looks gorgeous

and if it has a teeny tint of colour then great, but this diamond isn''t for me.......

unfortunately.......

 

[icekid]

it does look pretty! But very narrow windmills for a RA, it seems. I know I would not be comfortable w/ a J asscher though. I''m not even happy w/ my J round (looking for a new stone!), which hides a LOT more color.

 

[belle]

i like it better than the other one you were looking at.

can you live without it? that''s when you know you have found the right one...you just keep thinking about it and know you can''t live without it.

 

[Lynn B]

WHOOOOOAAAAAH BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know nothing about asschers as far as the numbers go... but I do know what I like when I see it, and to my eyes, that stone is BEEE-A-U-TI-FUL!

I LOVE the slight warmth of the J color, too. I have a J RB and yes, I know that there is a difference between RBs and step cuts in how they "hide/show" color, etc. But I am here to remind you that color is not BAD, it simply "is"! Many people actually PREFER warmer colored diamonds. IMHO some warmth in a diamond can add great dimension and color to the fire that I, personally, find VERY ATTRACTIVE.

I think that stone looks to be a KILLER, and I cannot wait to hear what you think of it once you see it in person!

 

[Tripsy]

Hey guys! Thanks for all your helpful comments. Yes I also noticed that the corners (and consequently the windmills) aren''t quite as wide as usual for a RA. We''ll see what it does for me in person.

I''m attaching a few more photos I''ve been sent....for your review!! There are 2 comparing this stone with a 1.81 ct RA which is a D color. Yes you can quite obviously see a difference but to ME it''s not tremendous or necessarily bad. And heck, that''s a D. AGAIN, I''ll just have to see it in person to make up my mind. I can hardly wait!! I am hopeful since a few of you seem to think it''s promising!

 

[Tripsy]

Another comparison with a 1.81 ct D Royal.

 

[Tripsy]

A stand-alone.

 

[Tripsy]

Last one.

 

[Tripsy]

Sorry, the 2nd comparison photo''s file size is too large.

 

[valeria101]

Date: 1/7/2006 2:36:29 PM
Author: Tripsy

I also noticed that the corners (and consequently the windmills) aren''t quite as wide as usual for a RA. We''ll see what it does for me in person.

Is the F from Excel out of the run? (sory, maybe I missed that part - just remembered the pictures). ? That one did have the octagonal shape...

I wonder if it woudn''t be close to the D poster kid there - size and shape-wise. Too bad the three of them can''t be lined up side by side like that

 

[valeria101]

If only they used the same trick to make beautiful photos... comparable.

DC would do that, not so nice looking... but even handed, and under-used.

 

[Hest88]

Eh, I hate to be the dissenting voice here, but if I''m paying a premium for a RA I want it to be unmistakably a perfect RA, and this just doesn''t have that perfect octagonal appearance. It''s especially apparent next to the the D. I really think the Excel stone from the other thread deserves a second look. Did that have much smaller dimensions?

 

[valeria101]

Date: 1/7/2006 10:24:30 PM
Author: Hest88

Did that have much smaller dimensions?

The pictures were adjusted to scale... that F color was 6.3 mm or so. The shape seems to make some difference about how ''big'' these look. Well, the J color is a bit larger.

IMO, the IS and diffused light pictures taken of that Excel stones were doing it no good. That isn''t fair treatment for a step cut - I am surprised they came from a shop so keen on fine cut stones. It is a bit sad to see some photographic setup and cut grading logic developed to push H&A thrown onto fancies like a strait-jacket. After all, all diamond shapes and sizes get to be appreciated in the same natural environment.

 

[Tripsy]

Hess, I agree with you in spirit, and I did notice that about this stone. But I''m intrigued by the extra sparkle that, ostensibly, comes from the extra faceting of a RA. I obviously can''t afford a "perfect" RA in this size, so we''ll see what this "factory second" does for me in person. Maybe the Asscher family is training a new cutter and this was his first stone! They let him have at it on the lowest color they work with!

The first stone (an F I think) had dimensions of 6.46 x 6.15. So we''re talking about approx 0.5 to 1.00 mm difference between the two. Theoretically it seems miniscule, not sure how it translates in person. Probably not much.

Since I''m (unfortunately) now kind of set on getting a bigger stone, the only question is if I could find a great-cut generic of about 2 ct for a better deal, perhaps SI1 G or H would be a better compromise. I did a brief search of the major ''net vendors and didn''t come up with anything that thrilled me, those that came close were nearly as expensive as this RA. But I''m open to suggestions.

I''m traveling for a conference for the next 4 days so if I don''t post that''s why...but hey I''m sure they have internet connections in Tucson. I should get ahold of the J stone next Friday...

One other question though...if I did keep this stone, how would I have it appraised? I live in a non-cosmopolitan area (albeit kind of close to a big city) and I''m afraid joe-schmoe local appraiser/jeweler, not knowing what a RA is, would appraise it for less. The purpose of the appraisal is, I guess, both for insurance purposes and to see if I paid a reasonable price for the stone. The vendor carrying the stone has offered to appraise it, which is tempting in that it simplifies things greatly, but I somehow think I should get this from an objective third party. So will it be harder to get a fair appraisal for a RA? Or am I wrong in thinking it should appraise for more than a generic asscher? (one would think it should though, since they cost more to begin with).

 

[valeria101]

Date: 1/8/2006 11:47:35 AM
Author: Tripsy


Maybe the Asscher family is training a new cutter and this was his first stone! They let him have at it on the lowest color they work with!

Don''t think so - even if such things happened, that one is perfect, darn. Are all RA cut ''in house'' so to speak?



Since I''m (unfortunately) now kind of set on getting a bigger stone, the only question is if I could find a great-cut generic of about 2 ct for a better deal, perhaps SI1 G or H would be a better compromise.

Will you have a chance to see the J next to H/I ''generics''? I would expect color to show mostly when brilliance is low (diffuse ''office'' light and from the sides). Since the random chosen cuts may not be as well cut, the color difference you could expect would only show of less. So... it should be a telling comparison, IMO.




One other question though...if I did keep this stone, how would I have it appraised? ... So will it be harder to get a fair appraisal for a RA? Or am I wrong in thinking it should appraise for more than a generic asscher?

What do you expect from the appraisal value? It seems common that the number written on such papers is twice the price paid

as a rule of thumb. There are several professional explanations on this forum about what appraisal value is and isn''t (check Richard Sherwood''s posts for some, there should be others). Basically, why does it matter? depending on where you get the appraisal from, you may have any random number there, unfortunately.

 

[Tripsy]

Val, You''re right, the appraisal is just a number. Maybe for insurance purposes I need it?. I agree the "appraised price" seems typically about twice the purchace price. It''s kind of meaningless.

The only comparison stone I''ll have for "side by side" is my e-ring which is a G round brilliant. At least I can get an idea of the color difference between the two. It would be nice to have a comparably sized generic asscher to put it up against, but I don''t think it''s going to happen for now.

 

[valeria101]

Date: 1/8/2006 2:20:42 PM
Author: Tripsy

The only comparison stone I''ll have for ''side by side'' is my e-ring which is a G round brilliant.

That is good news.

Too bad it is so hard to get to see stones - even in decent pictures, let alone lined up infront

If you were considering SI for step cut diamonds, those definitely need to be seen. It takes a bit of luck to find one that looks clean (more luck than for brilliant cuts, IMO).

Even if a listing like this sounds interesting, what to do with nothing to look at?