1.0 Carat Princess Cut Help

[ohiojagerguy]

I have given myself a substantial amount of time to locate the perfect diamond for girlfriend. She wants a princess cut and for it to be 1 carat. I have done alot of reading here on price scope but most of the advanced diamond knowledge is for round brillant cut. I know my priorities in the 4 C's needs to be as followed in this order... Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat. What I am lacking knowledge wise is the crown, depth, table, and symmetry. What would be considered favorable percents on these details? Also if I have left something out that I also need to be on the look out for please let me know. Budget wise in mind I am looking for a the following if this helps...

Setting: White Gold
Carat Size: .95-1.05
Color: D-I
Clairt: IF-SI1 (Not sure if SI2 is alright, any insight would be great)
Cut: Ideal- Excellent (I have read that there is not much of a difference between Ideal/Excellent/Very Good, and help would be great!)



Thanks in adavanced and sorry I am asking so many questions. Just want to get the best for my money as well. My budget for the diamond alone is $3000, also please tell me if I am out of my mind on fidning a nice diamond for that amount.

 

[JulieN]

3000 is a little low, but I will look around for you.

 

[ohiojagerguy]

I have found some places that are in the budget but don''t understand the details that I am unfermiliar with. Here is one place I have been looking not sure if they are a favorable on this forum or not www.brilliance.com

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 1/30/2009 3:25:38 PM
Author:ohiojagerguy
I have given myself a substantial amount of time to locate the perfect diamond for girlfriend. She wants a princess cut and for it to be 1 carat. I have done alot of reading here on price scope but most of the advanced diamond knowledge is for round brillant cut. I know my priorities in the 4 C's needs to be as followed in this order... Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat. What I am lacking knowledge wise is the crown, depth, table, and symmetry. What would be considered favorable percents on these details? Also if I have left something out that I also need to be on the look out for please let me know. Budget wise in mind I am looking for a the following if this helps...

Carat Size: .95-1.05
Color: D-I
Clairt: IF-SI1 (Not sure if SI2 is alright, any insight would be great)
Cut: Ideal- Excellent (I have read that there is not much of a difference between Ideal/Excellent/Very Good, and help would be great!)



Thanks in adavanced and sorry I am asking so many questions. Just want to get the best for my money as well. My budget for the diamond alone is $3000, also please tell me if I am out of my mind on fidning a nice diamond for that amount.

Welcome!

Well firstly it is important to know that cut quality is what will give you a beautiful diamond, unfortunately with Princess it isn't as straightforward as with rounds that you can go by such and such a depth, table, etc. The best way in my opinion is to work with a vendor who has in house Princess and all the information and images available to help you choose. Some vendors use labels to describe certain diamonds such as Ideal Cut, however the only accepted use of this term relates to AGS labs AGS0 cut grade round or Princess, and AGS are the only lab who currently grade Princess for cut.

But in order to begin, I would recommend you look at some of the PS vendors who have in house Princess and go from there. As I said AGS are the only lab to grade Princess for cut, generally AGS0 cut grade are considered to be top cut diamonds, there are well cut GIA Princess out there but you need to work with a vendor who has all the images and details available, indeed preferably for even AGS0 Princess.

Take a look at these websites and if you like, we could maybe suggest some diamonds for you. Is your budget flexible at all?

www.highperformancediamonds.com

www.goodoldgold.com

www.exceldiamonds.com

www.whiteflash.com

www.niceice.com

 

[ohiojagerguy]

Slighly but not by too much. I know champagne dreams on a beer budget, lol.

 

[JulieN]

Doesn''t look like Brilliance provides pictures of their diamonds.

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/E-SI2-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1211060.asp?b=16&a=12&c=77&cid=131
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/5003/
http://www.highperformancediamonds.com/index.php?page=view-id-diamond-infinity&id=449

I just go by pictures. It is not very fruitful to search for good princesses by a certain crown, depth, table, and symmetry. However, generally, good princesses will have a crown height of 10+%, at minimum 8%, table in the 60-75%. Symmetry can be anything, Good or higher.

 

[jstarfireb]

This is going to be a tough one! Can you increase the budget, perhaps by going with a simple setting? =449&src=loupe:2o8h065d]This is a beautiful Infinity, but it's J rather than I color and a bit over budget at $3557...but it's beautiful!

ETA: Maybe think about a smaller carat weight, like 0.75-0.85? Like this 0.778 I VVS2?

 

[Regular Guy]

Ohio,

I see 3 (no make that one) to review more carefully.

I also see Judah's lost his zeros!

With any non-rounds, cut data like crown & Pavilion angles & depths don't matter too much...too many variables. The solution, either use an ASET for direct measure of light performance, or in the case of a Princes...AGS0 grading stands in for that, and may improve on it.

GoG provides one for you to stretch to...

BN I thought had two more, (but you have to ignore their internal grading, which you can do!)...oops...take that back. They're AGS but not zeros.

But you have the nearly in budget GOG option.

(edited to add)...jstar & Julie both found an infinity option to ponder (all our choices don't match exactly what you want, after all). Julie...what IS your point of view on JA. It looks symmetrical, or what? What's the turn on?

 

[JulieN]

Date: 1/30/2009 3:40:26 PM
Author: ohiojagerguy
Slighly but not by too much. I know champagne dreams on a beer budget, lol.

It is the opinion of people in the diamond industry that it goes cut, color, clarity, carat, but they see lots of diamonds a day! For these people, I think F color or G color is their "sweet spot." For consumers, the trend on PS has been pushing that color floor down, down down. Most girls just get one diamond to look at all they want, so it''s really her priorities that you should consider.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 1/30/2009 3:43:50 PM
Author: jstarfireb
This is going to be a tough one! Can you increase the budget, perhaps by going with a simple setting? =449&src=loupe:2o8h065d]This is a beautiful Infinity, but it''s J rather than I color and a bit over budget at $3557...but it''s beautiful!

ETA: Maybe think about a smaller carat weight, like 0.75-0.85? Like this 0.778 I VVS2?

I understand ohiojagerguy about the budget!

I would definitely take a look at Jstar''s selections, a J colour could help the budget and she has linked some cracking diamonds!