Help with choosing an oval or round stone

[sparklesgalore]

Hi there! My husband and I are looking to replace the diamond in my engagement ring. We unfortunately weren't very well versed in diamonds when choosing the original diamond, and it's lacking the brilliance and fire that we'd like.

I currently have a cushion, and while I love the shape of it, I'm not a big fan of the "crushed ice" look that my stone has. We're now looking at either a round or oval stone. The oval appeals to me because it's a little different, but it's also hard to go wrong with a round brilliant.

Our budget is $9k, and ideally it would be between 1.25 and 1.5 carats. We've started looking around at all the typical sites mentioned on here, but are a little at a loss about what specifically we should be looking for to make sure we choose a really good diamond rather than just an okay diamond. Cut is most important for us this time around, and we're very open to suggestions about how to get the most bang for our buck with a beautiful stone.

Any suggestions to get us pointed in the right direction (links to specific stones especially) would be most appreciated. Thanks in advance!

 

[ronaldweston]

I always prefer to go with oval shape and its really look beautiful and make your ring more appealing. Have a look at shop collection

 

[ecf8503]

I would suggest looking on Good Old Gold's site. They have SO many different cuts of stones! There are cushions that don't have a crushed ice look, so if you like the shape there's no reason to stray from it. An oval is nice, and will give you a different look, but is still a busy cut to my eye. If you are looking for top of the line optics, stay with ideal cut rounds, cushions, even hearts and arrows cushions! Good Old Gold also has a youtube channel where they have a ton of videos where you can see the various flavors in action. Whatever shape you go with, they can help you source them and make a video for you - and if I was going with a fancy shape like an oval, I would certainly look at GOG first. Other good vendors include James Allen (they have videos of stones on their site), Brian Gavin, Whiteflash, High Performance Diamonds, and more. That should give you a few options so you can see what appeals to your eye. I would suggest that you go shopping in person to try on the different shapes and look at real life differences in color and see what works for you. But don't buy anything in person - tell them you are just beginning the search and aren't ready to buy yet. Most B&M stores won't have light performance evaluation tools like ASETs or idealscopes, so you won't really know what you are buying.

 

[sparklesgalore]

Thanks for the help so far! I'd love to get thoughts on if a stone we're considering. I don't have the ASET yet, so can't share. The price is $9k. Interested in both thoughts on the quality of the stone, and the price. I know that it's hard to base judgements on the stats of an oval, but am looking for any thoughts people might have. I've also attached the photo that I have.

Oval Brilliant
Measurements: 8.85 x 6.62 x 4.16 mm
L/W Ratio: 1.34
Carat Weight: 1.53 carat
Color Grade: F
Clarity Grade: VVS1
Proportions
Depth: 62.9%
Table: 59%
Girdle: Slightly Thick to Thick, Faceted
Cutlet: None
Finish
Polish: Excellent
Symmetry: Excellent
Fluorescence
Fluorescence: Very Strong Blue