Asscher experts - selection advice

[Witos]

When it comes to Asschers (or Emerald cut) over the 1 ct. range, VS2 is riskier than you think. Keep that in mind.

 

[Wyer]

When it comes to Asschers (or Emerald cut) over the 1 ct. range, VS2 is riskier than you think. Keep that in mind.

With the rationale being? Based on what I understand, depending on the dealer I could even go for SI1 for an eye clean stone? So I thought VS2 would definitely have been tolerable?

 

[Laila619]

VS2 should be fine, I wouldn't worry about it. VS in general is almost always eye clean. Just look at the pics carefully/ask the vendor.

 

[Gypsy]

Ditto Laila.

On the setting. I would NOT go for Palladium. I would stick to platinum (did you read the 'why pave is fragile' link)?

And saying that the jewelry is not made from molded pieces is an interesting distinction.

Do some searches on here for handforged.

If you CAN do custom through Danhov, that might be a good option. Assuming their definition of hand forging is the same as ours (the right type of wire and fabrication). Have them lower it and also eliminate one of those gaps/loops.

 

[diamond5678]

Ditto Laila.

On the setting. I would NOT go for Palladium. I would stick to platinum (did you read the 'why pave is fragile' link)?

And saying that the jewelry is not made from molded pieces is an interesting distinction.

Do some searches on here for handforged.

If you CAN do custom through Danhov, that might be a good option. Assuming their definition of hand forging is the same as ours (the right type of wire and fabrication). Have them lower it and also eliminate one of those gaps/loops.

Hi Gypsy, can you share your thoughts on my second post on page 2? Is the issue of spread as carat weight increases something I should post in a separate topic? I value your opinion. Thanks!

 

[ADN]

When it comes to Asschers (or Emerald cut) over the 1 ct. range, VS2 is riskier than you think. Keep that in mind.

With the rationale being? Based on what I understand, depending on the dealer I could even go for SI1 for an eye clean stone? So I thought VS2 would definitely have been tolerable?

Hey mate - step cuts are pretty unforgiving with clarity - the whole purpose of the asscher is to be able to see into the depths. So inclusions are going to stand out like...(insert well know Australian colloquialism here)... ...and eye-clean VS2 goods are pretty tough to come by nowadays.
Look for inclusions that are soft/clear/light/whispy/scattered/etc if you can - if you can't, then be aware of the inclusions location within the stone - - you'll really want to try and find a VS/SI that is under a corner & 'prongable' (thanks for that one Gypsy )...which would then make it eye-clean.
Hope this helps

 

[Gypsy]

Okay so... Vs2's it is true may even show a few inclusions in step cuts over a carat. You just need to be aware of the issue and ask about it. That's doesn't mean rule out Vs2. They also show color more. As they have less facets to return light from and larger facets to show body color on.

That's another reason why I recommended cushions. All of us have a budget. It's not just an issue of spread. You can easily drop to an H Si1 in a cushion to get a larger stone. And not give up anything visible. You can't do that in an asscher. So your money doesn't go as far, at all.

 

[Gypsy]

Hi Gypsy, can you share your thoughts on my second post on page 2? Is the issue of spread as carat weight increases something I should post in a separate topic? I value your opinion. Thanks!

Sorry, totally overlooked that post and missed it completely.

I don't really know the answer to that. You may want to post for the pros to see what they say. I think part of the issue may be about availability of rough and weight retention at higher carats, stones cut deeper to hit certain carat marks to get more money. As you get up in carats the amount of selection available is less and less. And the likelihood that the stones are cut for performance or spread versus weight retention drops off. So that's my semi-educated guess. At lower carats there is more competition. So people are cutting more and more for performance and customers are getting more educated about spread. So there is more availability. At higher carats the rough gets more dear and the likelihood of getting a 'perfect' 2.85 versus getting a bottom heavy 3.0 goes way down because, even though the 2.85 may perform better and have the appropriate spread for its' weight, the 3.0 is going to fetch more money.

But you have to ask the pros to get more of an answer than that.

 

[Wyer]

Ditto Laila.

On the setting. I would NOT go for Palladium. I would stick to platinum (did you read the 'why pave is fragile' link)?

And saying that the jewelry is not made from molded pieces is an interesting distinction.

Do some searches on here for handforged.

If you CAN do custom through Danhov, that might be a good option. Assuming their definition of hand forging is the same as ours (the right type of wire and fabrication). Have them lower it and also eliminate one of those gaps/loops.

Went through it yesterday and just quickly skimmed it again now. I did read other threads on palladium vs platinum and seemed the former was fine, except for being lighter and potentially more difficult to repair in the future.

"Unlike many jewelry companies, no molds and mass-production assembly lines are used at Danhov.
Each ring begins with a single wire and is shaped to perfection by Danhov's artisan craftsmen. This preserves the quality and unique intricacies that only handmade and hand-assembled pieces can show."

I can go custom via Danhov, which is my preference - but I'll explore the various options offered on here a bit further first. However, I would think their version of handforged is the same as on PS, they make it a point to call out the rings are handmade - though if you go through everything in detail (not all of them are handmade - some of them, presumably the cheaper ones are handcrafted/assembled and wouldn't be from the wire).

 

[Gypsy]

Okay, then I would do handforged through them.

It's a good option. I would have them make sure that shank is no thinner than 1.8mm all around.

 

[Gypsy]

Palladium is more brittle than Platinum. That's why I don't recommend it.

As for the Danhov warranty. You said it not me. It's, for all practical purposes, worthless. You have to get it inspected every six months. Right. Cause that's helpful.

You are going to have to insure the ring. That's your real warranty. The one you purchase. Why? Because most of these warranties ARE crap. Because they have so many conditions that they might as well be toilet paper.

So a reputable jeweler that isn't 'double speaking you' isn't going to offer a warranty that is so easy to violate (ever buy a mattress, now there you go: worthless warranty central) that if your life gets in the way, say you get sick, or I don't know... pregnant and it slips your mind to have your ring checked out more often than you CAR (which at least has a helpful dash sticker and reminder light), you can still use it. Which is why most of our jewelers offer a one year warranty that is actually one you can count on.

But again, there is a learning curve here. And I'm feeling particularly sarcastic after a difficult day.

 

[diamond5678]

Hi Gypsy, can you share your thoughts on my second post on page 2? Is the issue of spread as carat weight increases something I should post in a separate topic? I value your opinion. Thanks!

Sorry, totally overlooked that post and missed it completely.

I don't really know the answer to that. You may want to post for the pros to see what they say. I think part of the issue may be about availability of rough and weight retention at higher carats, stones cut deeper to hit certain carat marks to get more money. As you get up in carats the amount of selection available is less and less. And the likelihood that the stones are cut for performance or spread versus weight retention drops off. So that's my semi-educated guess. At lower carats there is more competition. So people are cutting more and more for performance and customers are getting more educated about spread. So there is more availability. At higher carats the rough gets more dear and the likelihood of getting a 'perfect' 2.85 versus getting a bottom heavy 3.0 goes way down because, even though the 2.85 may perform better and have the appropriate spread for its' weight, the 3.0 is going to fetch more money.

But you have to ask the pros to get more of an answer than that.

Gypsy, thank you for your reply! i really appreciate the explanation, that makes more sense is there somewhere specific i should post to ask the pro's their opinion?

 

[Wyer]

Palladium is more brittle than Platinum. That's why I don't recommend it.

As for the Danhov warranty. You said it not me. It's, for all practical purposes, worthless. You have to get it inspected every six months. Right. Cause that's helpful.

You are going to have to insure the ring. That's your real warranty. The one you purchase. Why? Because most of these warranties ARE crap. Because they have so many conditions that they might as well be toilet paper.

So a reputable jeweler that isn't 'double speaking you' isn't going to offer a warranty that is so easy to violate (ever buy a mattress, now there you go: worthless warranty central) that if your life gets in the way, say you get sick, or I don't know... pregnant and it slips your mind to have your ring checked out more often than you CAR (which at least has a helpful dash sticker and reminder light), you can still use it. Which is why most of our jewelers offer a one year warranty that is actually one you can count on.

But again, there is a learning curve here. And I'm feeling particularly sarcastic after a difficult day.

I've read you are a lawyer on a thread and coming from a similar field I can see the pointlessness of the warranty. I should clarify as I re-checked what their website says and I can't see anything about getting it inspected, but if there are any repairs/modifications apart from by them it is void. In any event, the warranty would be impractical for us and hard to enforce if there were any disputes.

Thanks for bearing with me as I work through all of this and responding to all my posts!

This is a slow burn that is slowly getting there and I'm not necessarily as receptive as some posters are, sorry argumentative and opinionated. I also need to re-validate everything with the future wife in a discrete fashion.

Insurance is also an interesting topic, which I haven't explored yet. It's on my radar, but not fully considered - it would seem prudent to insure, but it's not optimised capital management - the quick thought would be to insure in the first year to get some data points and then potential scrap it. If the question is, do I insure my car, yes, but do I insure my watches? No. However, happy to hear/read the wisdom on this too.

One thing about all this reading is that, PS is doing my head in. I was pretty dead set on a course of action and that has gone full circle at points in my head. I also managed to get my hands on a couple of Royal Asschers the other day and they look superb, further compounding the confusion.

----

Oh and following the advice on here, if it were a custom from Danhov it would probably be 2mm based on the thoughts on here. However, I'm still worried about lowering the setting as the whole point is the Asscher would be accentuated. I would think the only way to do it based on the current design is to lift the swirls up (e.g. red line), thereby dropping the diamond - but I guess I'll explore that when I get to that stage.

 

[Gypsy]

I disagree with you on the comparison to the watches. And if your watches cost anywhere near the price of the engagement ring and were as fragile, yes, you should get it insured.

 

[MarionC]

Just a couple of comments about insurance. I insure every ring over about 5k with a policy that covers loss, theft, chips and breakage. Then I can wear my rings and enjoy them without worry. Chances are I will never need the insurance, but I think the money is well-spent for the peace of mind. You can get a high deductible, so if something happens you are only out, say $500 or $1000 instead of losing the whole value.

 

[Wyer]

I thought I replied the other day, but didn't seem to work.

@Gypsy, is there any chance you could drop me **edited by moderator, no personal contact info allowed please**

 

[Wyer]

Just a couple of comments about insurance. I insure every ring over about 5k with a policy that covers loss, theft, chips and breakage. Then I can wear my rings and enjoy them without worry. Chances are I will never need the insurance, but I think the money is well-spent for the peace of mind. You can get a high deductible, so if something happens you are only out, say $500 or $1000 instead of losing the whole value.

Thanks Jimmianne, we will probably have the ring insured - I just haven't looked into yet seeing as I'm still sorting out the ring!

However, I'm probably more concerned about the interest rate decision in Australia today since the amount is too small to buy an AUD/USD put option.