Emerald: Advice Please

[kevinraja]

I am looking for a 1.5 carat Emerald cut diamond, color of G or better. I am not sure about the cut at this time. Even though I am thinking of buying an SI1, I am not sure whether I should try VS-s cut. Could you please comment on the following 3 diamonds. Thanks.

http://www.bluenile.com/diamonds_details.asp?shortnamelink=1&pid=LD00822378

http://www.bluenile.com/diamonds_details.asp?pid=LD00523144&filter_id=1

http://www.bluenile.com/diamonds_details.asp?pid=LD00457827&query=2&filter_id=0

 

[bdazed]

The GIA report on the second on doesn''t look half-bad. Find out the crown% as it has a significant impact on "fire"

 

[hey joey]

MY ADVISE IS NO SI CLARITY ON EMERALD CUT. SOME OF SI CLARITY YOU CAN SEE WITH THE NAKED EYE. THAT IS A BOTHERSOME . NO LOWER THAN VS2 IF YOU HAVE TO GET 1.30 BUT A HIGHER CLARITY THAT BETTER CHOICE

 

[valeria101]

Yeah.. VS is safe (if the inclusions do not reflect

), but you can get lucky and find an essentially clean SI even step cut. As usual, it does depend what and where the inclusions are. Since the position of inclusions is somewhat at cutter's leisure, SI ECs are not so much a disaster as you may imagine.

The inclusion plots are not incredibly useful to judge what and how inclusions show in step cuts, because they do no capture reflectors or the depth at which the inclusion is placed in the stone. Both these aspects seem more important for steps than brilliant cuts, IMO.

Anyway. Of the three SI1s you posted, the middle one (E/SI) seems the safest - there is no inclusion under the table - the rest are safely hidden by the pavilion facets - as far as I can imagine. This is in fact the "scenario" I would be looking for in a stone like this (EC & SI). If any type of inclusion inspires more optimistic expectations than others, than clouds, graining and twinning are a safer bet IMO. The usual feathers are better tucked away near the girdle and especially near the corners of the stone. Included crystals have the most potential to reflect around the stone... so they'd better be small (meaning many on the plot as opposed to one large inclusion) and away towards the corners. At least this is the nicest I would try to find on a clarity plot.

It would be great to have magnified pictures to judge these inclusions, but BN does not oblige.

 

[valeria101]

This is just about what I have in mind logged as "SI clarity emerald cut diamond". You may just make out what and where the inclusions are (and this is 10X) and remain guessing - is it ? or isn''t... Not to bad, and not too different from what is expected from SI in any other shape, I wold say. There is worse, of course. But then, not all SIs are "eye clean" in RBC either.

 

[kevinraja]

Thank you all for your comments. Valeria, When it comes to inclusions, which one of the following is more visible to a naked eye: clouds, needles, fethers, etc. Since I looking to find a 1.5 carat stone, I guess SI1 inclusions will be much more visible than, say, a 1 carat SI1 stone. Am I correct? Also as far as color, I am thinking of going G or higher. Any comments on that?

 

[valeria101]

Date: 11/19/2004 6:37:41 AM
Author: kevinraja
Thank you all for your comments. Valeria, When it comes to inclusions, which one of the following is more visible to a naked eye: clouds, needles, fethers, etc. Since I looking to find a 1.5 carat stone, I guess SI1 inclusions will be much more visible than, say, a 1 carat SI1 stone. Am I correct? Also as far as color, I am thinking of going G or higher. Any comments on that?

About whic inclusions is better... I would not know what to add the the previous post (my first on this therad - with no pics).

''Where'' they are is just as important (if not more) than ''what''.

And no, the size of inclusions is not proportionsl to the size of the diamnd - so SI says about the same, be it in a 1 ct or 1.5 ct. Only for very large diamonds (say, 5cts and over) this criteria starts to change.

No dea what to say about color. This is really a matter of what works for you. There was a 4 carat K emerald cut bought and talked about around here. G is really safe if you want the ultimate colorless, IMO.