buying a 4ct asscher - am i paying fair value??

[motherof2labs]

Im in the process of buying a 4ct asscher cut 9.3 x 9.25,x5.65, f , vvs2, 61x61, no culet, no flor. vg,vg, thin to med. girdle... if u had to give a good guess as to a price range per ct. I would appreciate the help. Is shipping diamonds out of state kosher? How do i go about getting an independent appraiser? yellow pages?? Any other last minute words of advice?

 

[valeria101]

What is an 'ideal cut' square diamond? There is no standard behind this word. The combination of color, clarity and size sound very tempting, but two numbers do not a diamond's cut describe. Did you see the stone?

Using the services of an appraiser sounds very wise. There is a list of such businesses on top of this page. If you go this route, the best choice would be a specialised firm that does not sell diamonds or jewelry.

 

[valeria101]

Whatever ideal cut means, the cut of the stone will affect price. I suppose there is a GIA cert with the stone... it should.

 

[rocks]

i'm crazy about asschers and square emerald cuts. saw a gorgeous 4ct last week! as for ideal cuts, there are no recognized standards, just guidelines. that said, a depth percentage of 61 is on the shallow side for any kind of emerald cut...traditional, square, or asscher. if you can, look at the stone next to an asscher or square emerald cut with a depth percentage from 64 to 68ish...same table or smaller. the stone doesn't have to be 4cts...anything over 2 will exhibit the effect that you are looking for...the greater depth will give the stone alot more life, and by comparison the shallower stone may look "glassy" or "windowy".

 

[valeria101]

----------------
On 4/8/2004 7:16:42 PM rocks wrote:



by comparison the shallower stone may look 'glassy' or 'windowy'.----------------

Curious about this... The famed angles (and not just crown and pavilion but every step of the way - literally

) are at play here. I wander wether diamonds get a true see-through window before hitting 50% depth or lower. You need a real dog for this.

Hope this 61%x61% fellow is not the exception out there. With all these specs, I would bet it is quite a charmer. Not that someone could not have created a 'monster' within the same parameters. Obviously, this is just another case of 'seeing is believeing'. Getting the advice of an appraiser seems liek a very good idea

 

[motherof2labs]

u think a table of 54-58 vs depth 65-68 suits the stone better? I realize that proportions like these are common in royal asschers...however- i did see one that was 3.5 cts 57 x 65 and its presence was that of a 2 ct stone. Does a 61x61 fall into some kind of bad or frowned upon range?? The stone showed very nicely..and we looked at a bunch..

 

[valeria101]

----------------
On 4/8/2004 7:39:07 PM motherof2labs wrote:



Does a 61x61 fall into some kind of bad or frowned upon range?? The stone showed very nicely..and we looked at a bunch..----------------

Yes. The 1A cut class by the AGA tables (LINK) There is no higher grade in this table and stones within this range are unusual (just like most good things).

The explanation of what this ranking is based upon can be found under the links on the page cited above and HERE


Deeper cut stones are the most often found (so hnting down illusive numbers like yours is sometimes too time consuming to be wort it, both for assembling some stock or buying, lucky you). Also, deep stones look smaller but pack more weight where it is naturally found in the rough shape - so they are a better choice for sellers since diamonds are priced by carat, not area face up.

Besides, there is the eons old hipe that shallow stones must be dull - easy to say and believe when most often only the overly deep are in sight.

 

[Nicrez]

DiamondsMan always says that he prefers his Emerald cuts deep to about 70% to give the stones life. Me? I have to say that going for a 1a or 1B cut on the AGA charts in a colorless, good clarity 2ct stone was so exhausting that I just gave up! I was looking for a Radiant, and I settled happily for my 2B cut. Perfect, not likely, but perfect for me, yes.

Either prepare yourself for a search, or see if you can go out an look at some asschers in person. Even if they are not the right carat weight, look at some different depth and table stones to see what combination may work for you. Then I would suggest to find some good sellers and put the "word out", so to speak. I personally walked from door to door of ever jeweler in NYC diamond District with my criteria in hand, left them a copy with my number, and waited to see the goods they had with my specs. Hard work, but effective. Maybe then you can get a feel for the stone, it's nuances, and the effects of it's different angles and percents, so you can determine what the best will be for you, your budget and your search.

Either way, I wish you patience and luck, and you have my rapt anntetion when you finally find it and post pictures (which you MUST)! Good luck!!!

 

[Nicrez]

I found this one stone, not a 4ct on the dot, but fairly close on Blue Nile:
3.79ct, F, VS1 for $50,738.00

4ct stones are tough to find even in ROUND stones, on line, much less Asschers!

 

[diamondsman]

----------------
On 4/8/2004 6:36:20 PM motherof2labs wrote:

if u had to give a good guess as to a price range per ct. I would appreciate the help. Is shipping diamonds out of state kosher? How do i go about getting an independent appraiser? yellow pages?? Any other last minute words of advice?----------------

The price on for same/similar stone should be $14,875.00,
Shipping out of state is kosher and is advantagous to many clients.
You can get an independent appriaiser either from recommendations,or tell us what city you are in and I am sure this forum can recommend a few.

 

[dunndeal]

4ct is a "hot" size. The make sounds nice but your eyes will have to be the final judge! What type of mounting are you condiering just out of curiosity?

 

[motherof2labs]

----------------
On 4/9/2004 12:14:58 AM dunndeal wrote:

4ct is a 'hot' size. The make sounds nice but your eyes will have to be the final judge! What type of mounting are you condiering just out of curiosity?----------------

I was considering a 3 stone...w/2 asschers or possibly bullets on the sides. I like the truffle?style platinum mounting...but not sure if this is right for asschers.....I welcome any suggestions. Thanks to all in advance.

 

[Nicrez]

I personally have to say two Asschers could be VERy substantial and possibly lovely depending on your tastes and size preferences...what a lovely 3-stone that will be!

You better take pictures! I am not a fan of bullets, but the traps on the side of a poster, A-Fect, who had gotten an Asscher recently caught my eye and could be a lovely set for sidestones...

Asscher 3 stone

 

[diamondsman]

I would suggest the 3 stone ring with 2 matching side stones that are also asscher cuts in the 1.00 ct. range each , mounted in crossover prong ring.
After that you can also make beautifull pair of asscher cut earrings that are graduating, attached from corner to corner.

 

[rocks]

magnificent! i did a three stone ring several years ago with a center square emerald/asscher cut and matched canary square emerald cuts. it was a knockout! you might also try trapezoids, or tapered bullets, for a less chunky look.

good luck!