Princess Assistance

[trizzane]

Hey everyone, hoping you all can provide some assisatnce to a newbie. Id first like to say that it is so great to have a fourm such as this one to assist the semi-educated diamond shoopper like me. I don''t know that i have seen any forum provide such assistance and genuine honesty, regardless of topic. Ok....

Here is what im looking for:
-Princess cut
-Price range: around $4,000
-As close to 1 carat as I can get

I havent really had the chance to compare in person the differences in color,clarity, and cut since im not sure of any jeweler in my area who is willing to take the time for me or have the expertise to do so. (those i spoke to didnt instill much confidnece) that being said im thinking :

color: H or better with the best cut i can get keeping the budget in mind. Cut being the more important of course. I dont know how much i can sacrafice in color without making it noticeable to the eye. Please let me know what you think of this selection:

http://www.dirtcheapdiamonds.com/diamond_detail.cfm?did=7101505

Also, as far as a setting , my girfriend has pointed this one out to me:

http://www.bluenile.com/product_details.asp?oid=354&catid=7&filter_id=0&nav1=settings_channel.asp&page=1&col=1&row=3&pos=7&set_shape=

She likes how the diamond doesnt appear to stick up from the ring as much as others due to the contour on the sides.

I would like to support one or more of the sites/people who frequent this site since everyone seems so helpful. I will most likely buy online (will need a vendor) , have it shipped to someone locally (who can help me inspect the diamond and ease all my concerns) and then ill need someone to set it for me (not sure if i can find someone locally or if ill need to again ship it for the best qualilty job) MY total budget is somewhere around $5500 for everything mentioned.

Sorry for the long winded post, and thanks in advance for any advice ! If anyone is in my area who could give me some assistance im willing to drive to consult with you. thanks !

-Jason (zip code 19608 for location reference)

 

[belle]

hey trizzane!!

welcome to ps!!
i think the diamond you picked shows some potential....you are paying a premium for the d color and the vs clarity however
...just something to think about. squares do tend to show color more than rounds, but you can drop significantly from d and save some $$$. again, clarity is another place to save....you can easily go si. princess cuts are difficult to buy without actually seeing them, but if you could get something with an idealscope image, it would be helpful. of course if you find something you like, make sure you have the vendor bring it in to have a look, and talk it over with you.
best of luck in your purchase!!

 

[trizzane]

Thanks Belle ! ok....

1) how far down in color do you think i can go in a princess that it wont be noticeable?

2) you say si1 will be fine to move down to

i can refine my searche using the above basics. af far as cut, what would be the %''s for an ideal princess cut, table, etc? and when will the new cutting standards be coming out?

i think ill start lookig possibly G or better and Si2 or better at around 1 carat. after i get some info on the %''s, i can know what to look for specifically.

any recommendations on where to have the diamond set, or where will be a good place to get the ring?

thanks for the help !! -jason

-sorry for my ignorance

 

[Christy42]

Hey, Trizzane!

There are no ideal cut princesses, yet. That''s supposedly coming. Go to http://www.gemappraisers.com/chartFrameset.htm and choose princess cut to get some ideas on depth, table, etc. There is some good reading as well. Good luck!

 

[trizzane]

Thanks Christy ! I was looking for that chart and could not find it. So with the current grading system there is no "ideal" cut or an equivelant like you would find in a round for instance? Does this mean the cut isnt as brilliant as the ideal cut of another shape stone or just that it isnt yet categorized for princess? If i were to get a stone with the highest category on that chart, would it compare to an ideal cut round? Anyone know when the new grading system will be out? Thanks again ! -Jason

 

[belle]

hey trizzane!
in the link christy pointed you to, you have to choose "princess" in the drop down menu in the upper right

as far as going down in color, well, that's up to you.....everyone "sees" color differently. in a well cut square, i would venture to say that it would be safe to go down to g or h....
si2 or better is a good place to start...of course, as with any inclusions, you would want to have someone that is trusted look the diamond over for any potential problems..
you are correct, princess cuts are not graded as "ideal" yet. the process has begun though, and there will be some available later this year. as it would be expected, the number of ideal cuts will be limited, and they will indeed carry a premium for this designation..
as for comparing them to rounds, or any other cut, in the sparkle department.....well, it can't be done...it's like comparing apples and oranges, they are just different.
two good places to start looking for stones:

http://www.goodoldgold.com/http://www.goodoldgold.com/http://www.goodoldgold.com/http://www.goodoldgold.com/www.goodoldgold.com

www.whiteflash.com

let us know how it goes!

 

[trizzane]

Thanks for the links, i have checked those and also dirtcheapdiamonds.com as well. i have found this one:

http://www.whiteflash.com/princess/Princess-cut-diamond-1212755.htm

I think i will want something close to this, but possibly in F or G color and a bit bigger, probably 1 carat or just over.

Does this seem like a good choice? Just trying to see if im looking on the right track as far as quality of cut,%'s, and overall quality. Thanks again !

small update?: this page has a 3 stone comparison of a few i selected, i still think i prefer the first, but its not large enough. let me know what you think. THANKS AGAIN ! id be lost w/o you -jason

http://www.whiteflash.com/diamonds/Compare_Diamonds.aspx?idnos=1150891,786093,820355

 

[belle]

the specs given on all of those look good, but really you would need a sarin report to get a more accurate picture. you can request one for any of the stones listed. alternatively, wf lists a few princess that they have in house in their "expert selection" with this information readily available. and of course, jonathan has a ton of information on his site at goodoldgold.