shape
carat
color
clarity

Desperately seeking emerald cut diamond

Emeraldcutlover88

Rough_Rock
Joined
Feb 8, 2017
Messages
16
Hi all! This is my first post.

I've been reading a lot about what this community recommends after I fell in love with a 2.01 carat Blue Nile emerald cut diamond. My question is since my budget is under $10,000, can one and get a good 2 carat diamond for that?

I understand ASET is important to see, but they don't provide. Is it avail upon request? They have a video and it is pretty clear diamond. It looks like it reflects beautifully but that's also because it has ideal lighting. Link to video below.

http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-details/LD08016372

I plan on bezel setting it in yellow gold because I'm that kind of gal. Is J going to be two yellow? WillI or H be better? Since Emerald cuts aren't graded by GIA, how can one find a great cut if the symmetry and polish can be VG or sometimes Good and stil be a beautiful stone?

Specs below:
Price $9229
Price per carat $4,592
Carat weight 2.01
Shape Emerald
Cut Very Good
Color J
Clarity VS2
Length/width ratio 1.37
Depth % 67.1%
Table % 63.0%
Polish Very Good
Symmetry Very Good
Girdle Slightly Thick to Thick
Culet None
Fluorescence Strong Blue
Measurements 8.49 x 6.19 x 4.15 mm

Blue Nile also has a good reputation and good reviews. I trust it. But I'm also still new! Any help is much appreciated. Thank you!!!
 

Rockdiamond

Ideal_Rock
Trade
Joined
Jan 7, 2009
Messages
9,711
HI Emeraldcutlover!
Welcome to PS and the world of diamonds:)

A lot of your questions will come down to personal taste.
For example, is a J too yellow?
For some people, yes. For others, no problem.
H is more expensive than J- so many people will equate that to "better". I am not in that group. I love J-K colors for the value and although I can see the color, it does not bother me.

Polish and Symmetry ratings are NOT cut grade ratings- altough many people confuse the two.
So there may very well be cases of stones that are "only" Good Polish and Symmetry that may be a lot more attractive to you than another stone rates EX Pol/Sym

ASET is important for those advising you online to get an idea- but again, a lot of this is based on personal taste. That means that ASET is not going to be able to give you some sort of black and white answer.

I love to see a stone with a lot of flashes- facets that are quickly lighting up and going dark.
What I personally don't love to see are stones with large dark areas that rarely light up.

Then we have corner size and overall shape- both are crucial to the look- and again, it's based on personal taste. Some people love square, others prefer rectangular.

Do you want a square or rectangular stone?
 

LawmaLlama

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Apr 19, 2016
Messages
376
Hi there, owner of EC here.
I see the stone isnt available now, but it does look promising from what i can see on my phone. Did you buy it?

Something to ask BN: does the strong fluoro make it look hazy?

A yellow gold setting sounds lovely, but personally, I'm not a fan of bezeling an EC. ECs flash and don't sparkle like a MRB. They need all the light they can get to maximize that flashing. Bezeling, imo, blocks some of the light to the stone and may impede performance. An EC can look dull if it isnt getting the light it needs, much like a stone that needs a good cleaning. Just some food for thought.
 

Emeraldcutlover88

Rough_Rock
Joined
Feb 8, 2017
Messages
16
Hi Rockdiamond. Thanks so much for your reply.

I originally wanted a an emerald cut that was closer to a square, but not a perfect square or and Asher cut. I really wanted a ratio of 1 to 2 or 1 to 3, and I found one that matches that criteria for an extra $1000, blowing my budget. this one is closer to 1.37. But in the video it looks great and not too rectangular. I love the cuts of the corners. And honestly, I was looking for a diamond that uses the weight to give me the largest looking piece. And this time it fits that.

I just don't understand the light flashing very well not how to decide between a great cut versus ok cut for Emerald cut diamonds, so I thought I'd ask the expert community!

In terms of the video of the diamond, it does look as if it provides some really pretty flashes of light. It doesn't look too warm in the video, and since I'm setting it in gold, I thought that the warmth of a J would be a good thing.

But after reading so many forum posts about cut, I am concerned about that. Because Emerald-cuts are graded for cut via GIA I don't know what constitutes a good cut.Aand since I can't find the the Crown Heights or angles on specs, and all that important stuff, I'm kind of in the dark as to whether or not this is a solid diamond choice. What are your thoughts?
 

Emeraldcutlover88

Rough_Rock
Joined
Feb 8, 2017
Messages
16
Hi LawmaLlama,

Great to hear from an EC owner. I was concerned about the bezel set not allowing as much light into the stone, but as I was going to be the Rocky talkie forums, I noticed that some people said that the belt and bezel setting is better because then the back of the diamond is not covered up, allowing the light to come through the table and reflect back--at least that's the idea. I do you remember reading that some people said it looked great. Perhaps that was for a round stone?

As for the link, I should have noted that I put the stone on hold. So thank you for the reminder.If you scroll down past where it says at the 'stone is not available' you'll be able to see the video. As far as I can see there is no haziness and the stone looks really clear.

As for setting, I'm kind of torn between a traditional low dumb solitaire setting with four prongs, however there are four prongs are in platinum. And the gold bezel set which I'm leaning towards because I love that look. Do you think that stones sit in a yellow band with platinum prongs looks weird?
 

Rockdiamond

Ideal_Rock
Trade
Joined
Jan 7, 2009
Messages
9,711
Emeraldcutlover88|1486578564|4126063 said:
Hi Rockdiamond. Thanks so much for your reply.

I originally wanted a an emerald cut that was closer to a square, but not a perfect square or and Asher cut. I really wanted a ratio of 1 to 2 or 1 to 3, and I found one that matches that criteria for an extra $1000, blowing my budget. this one is closer to 1.37. But in the video it looks great and not too rectangular. I love the cuts of the corners. And honestly, I was looking for a diamond that uses the weight to give me the largest looking piece. And this time it fits that.

I just don't understand the light flashing very well not how to decide between a great cut versus ok cut for Emerald cut diamonds, so I thought I'd ask the expert community!

In terms of the video of the diamond, it does look as if it provides some really pretty flashes of light. It doesn't look too warm in the video, and since I'm setting it in gold, I thought that the warmth of a J would be a good thing.

But after reading so many forum posts about cut, I am concerned about that. Because Emerald-cuts are graded for cut via GIA I don't know what constitutes a good cut.Aand since I can't find the the Crown Heights or angles on specs, and all that important stuff, I'm kind of in the dark as to whether or not this is a solid diamond choice. What are your thoughts?

Crown height is another piece of the puzzle- but again, it's not going to give you 100% surety.
As a vendor, I can not discuss specific stones of other sellers- but I will be happy to answer general questions
 

Emeraldcutlover88

Rough_Rock
Joined
Feb 8, 2017
Messages
16
Hi Rockdiamond. What is a good crown height to look for in Emerald cuts?

Also the specifics I gave, being a vendor, can you advise generally if that's a good price point? I used the Pricescope diamond searcher and couldn't find much below $10k for my diamond specs.

Thank you again.
 

Rockdiamond

Ideal_Rock
Trade
Joined
Jan 7, 2009
Messages
9,711
Emeraldcutlover88|1486580434|4126084 said:
Hi Rockdiamond. What is a good crown height to look for in Emerald cuts?

Also the specifics I gave, being a vendor, can you advise generally if that's a good price point? I used the Pricescope diamond searcher and couldn't find much below $10k for my diamond specs.

Thank you again.

Crown height should be between....wait, you expect me to give you my "secret sauce" crown height recipe?...LOL

Seriously, I happen to ADORE emerald cuts.
I never even measure crown height because it's about how the stone looks.
I have seen many lovely Emerald cuts that "broke the mold"- that is to sayu they may have had a shallow crown, yet performed in a way I loved.
Conversely, I've seen many emerald cuts with generous crown height that simply did not "float my boat"
 

LawmaLlama

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Apr 19, 2016
Messages
376
Emeraldcutlover88|1486578848|4126069 said:
Hi LawmaLlama,

Great to hear from an EC owner. I was concerned about the bezel set not allowing as much light into the stone, but as I was going to be the Rocky talkie forums, I noticed that some people said that the belt and bezel setting is better because then the back of the diamond is not covered up, allowing the light to come through the table and reflect back--at least that's the idea. I do you remember reading that some people said it looked great. Perhaps that was for a round stone?

As for the link, I should have noted that I put the stone on hold. So thank you for the reminder.If you scroll down past where it says at the 'stone is not available' you'll be able to see the video. As far as I can see there is no haziness and the stone looks really clear.

As for setting, I'm kind of torn between a traditional low dumb solitaire setting with four prongs, however there are four prongs are in platinum. And the gold bezel set which I'm leaning towards because I love that look. Do you think that stones sit in a yellow band with platinum prongs looks weird?

In my experience of wearing an EC for 15 years, I know that ECs are a different look than other cuts that sparkle. A little dirt on an EC, and they don't quite look as flashy. For me, the bezel is just hindering the chance of the EC looking as flashy as often and as much as possible (not to say that it won't be flashy much of the time). For me, I'd just want to ensure as much light as possible. So, my anti-bezel preference is just that, a preference, but I will say that the tried and true settings for an EC, like a cathedral 4 prong basket or the Harry Winston style are tried and true for a reason. They let in more light. Some people like the bezel for its more modern feel. If that's what you like, then go for it.

Check out this recent post by someone who bought an EC from Tiffany and is seeing darkness. Look at all the pics of the ECs and notice the setting styles. Her situation may be the halo setting, or it could be the cut of that particular stone, but either way, I thought this link might be helpful to you.
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/tiffany-emerald-cut-soleste-band-in-middle.228459/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/tiffany-emerald-cut-soleste-band-in-middle.228459/[/URL]

When you get your stone, make sure it is very clear indoors away from a window. Then, take it out in direct sunlight to see how you feel about the fluoro and its effects. My current EC has faint fluoro and it has no effect. But I've always want to try out a strong or very strong fluoro stone! Lucky lady!

As for plat prongs and a gold setting, I do think that is the norm. I think the plat prongs are for strength since yellow gold is a bit softer, less dense.
 

Emeraldcutlover88

Rough_Rock
Joined
Feb 8, 2017
Messages
16
Dear Lawmalama.

Thank you for the link for he Tiffany story. Wow. Read through the story and got an idea about the flashes. I notice the diamond I'm looking at, when completely flat face to camera, all the 'frames' go 'off' which definitely take away from the brilliance. I've decided to keep hunting to see if I can find the perfect stone with the perfect mix of facets that reflect and absorb light, rather all doing the same, reflecting or absorbing!

This has been uber helpful. Thank you!!!
 

chrono

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Apr 22, 2004
Messages
38,364
I agree that you should not get an EC where it either goes on or goes off all at the same time. It should be "walking" as you are turning it slowly from side to side. I would shop at vendors that are willing to provide both a video and ASET imaging.
 

Bron357

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jan 22, 2014
Messages
6,534
My Emerald cut is the opposite to your preference. This is an Art Deco Emerald cut from an Art Deco ring. it is longer and thin than current cutting style. And it is fully bezel set, again my preference in this new setting. A many years ago I had a huge fall down concrete stairs and managed to chip both the top of the diamond and one edge. Very lucky the diamond didn't fully crack or shatter. Diamonds are scratch resistant but not impact resistance. Oh, and my hand was a complete mess as well. But of course I was more concerned over my ring than my mangled hand. image_1090.jpg
 

LawmaLlama

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Apr 19, 2016
Messages
376
Ooo bron357,
I love the elongated EC you have. Is it a 1.5 or greater ratio? Those are so hard to come by!

Did you choose this setting after the accident? Did you choose to bezel and halo because of that? My original EC was cracked by a chain jeweler when the jeweler offered to tighten the prongs of my ering. I chose to make the replacement EC a RHR in a typical basket 3 stone setting. Just curious how you came to decide to bezel.

Not to hijack rockdiamond's post, but out of curiosity and to assist rockdiamond with different views, I think it would be helpful.
 

Bron357

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jan 22, 2014
Messages
6,534
Thank you. The centre diamond is just under 15mm x 8mm. I particularly loved this shape when I saw the ring. And yes, the setting is for protection and I'm not a fan of claws. I have a way of catching them on everything from my hair to clothing. And interestingly, in comparison to that lovely Tiffany EC that you could see through, mine can't be seen through at all on the finger and only barely can you see through to the 4mm wide band when held up to the light. Maybe it's the benefit of the longer shape? . I imagine that lady was understandably disappointed with that Tiffany EC showing the band underneath so clearly.
 

Emeraldcutlover88

Rough_Rock
Joined
Feb 8, 2017
Messages
16
Bron357, your ring is stunning. Bravo on that!!! It makes me covet a longer one for my second ring!
 
Be a part of the community Get 3 HCA Results
Top