2 carat Radiant cut

[ClemsonPurdue]

Woohoo! "Squatty" diamond is on its way and should be here tomorrow. I'll let you know what I think once I see it in person. And I can't thank you all enough for recommending David with Diamonds by Lauren. He has been simply fantastic to work with. So understanding and helpful with my apprehension of an online diamond purchase.

In case anyone is interested, David did get in the 1.80 James Allen diamond and it appears nearly identical to the DBL diamond. I did like the length of the 1.80 better, but the DBL has more width, higher carat weight, appears whiter because of fluorescence, and ended up being a bit cheaper. Here is a side-by-side video.

 

[vintageloves]

Woohoo! "Squatty" diamond is on its way and should be here tomorrow. I'll let you know what I think once I see it in person. And I can't thank you all enough for recommending David with Diamonds by Lauren. He has been simply fantastic to work with. So understanding and helpful with my apprehension of an online diamond purchase.

In case anyone is interested, David did get in the 1.80 James Allen diamond and it appears nearly identical to the DBL diamond. I did like the length of the 1.80 better, but the DBL has more width, higher carat weight, appears whiter because of fluorescence, and ended up being a bit cheaper. Here is a side-by-side video.

Oh, my, those are both . Stunning, stunning stones.

I think you made the right choice. With the extra width, I think the one you chose looks bigger. I don't see any yellow, just tons of sparkle.

 

[rockysalamander]

Sorry to disappear. Life stuff. DBL is lovely and I can't wait to see what you think!

 

[farrahlyn]

Great choice, i can't wait for you to receive it!!!

 

[lovedogs]

Great choice!!!

 

[Emeraldsaremyfavorite]

Love it! Squattier radiants and ECs look bigger in my opinion.

 

[ClemsonPurdue]

I feel I need to update you all on my DBL "squatty" stone that I received this weekend. It is just beautiful, and I'm definitely keeping it! Hooray!!! So you don't have to flip back to look at specs, it's a 2.01 G SI1 measuring 7.98 x 6.38 with 67.5% depth and 66% table with medium blue fluorescence. Budget was $15,000.
Here's my assessment as I think it may be helpful to someone else looking to find their perfect radiant:

Color: The stone looks very white in natural sunlight. It does seem that radiants pick up color from the environment they are in more so than other cuts, so I'm very happy I stayed with the G and have the added fluorescence boost to make it even whiter. It is a very white stone, and I consider myself pretty color sensitive.

Carat: The stone faces up big and white. I would say that if it was placed right next to a 2 carat round with average face-up area, the round would most definitely look larger. However, I knew going into this that rectangular fancy cuts do appear slightly smaller than rounds of same size. If you all remember, I was worried this stone would not be rectangular enough. I wanted something closer to 1:1.35 and this stone is 1:1.24. After seeing it in person, I'm really happy with the proportions as I think the stone looks bigger than others of similar face-up area that are longer and skinner. It still looks plenty rectangular to me. More elongated is probably preferred for emerald cut.
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Clarity: You all may remember I was concerned about the black crystal on the table that David had described as getting "lost in the sparkle." I first saw the stone at night and searched and searched but could not see any inclusions in indoor light. The next day, I studied the stone in sunshine and at the right angle about 5" from my face, I can see the inclusion. It is still very difficult to see and no one else would ever know it's there. I wanted to get the biggest bang for my buck, and to get to 2 carats and stay under $15,000, I think an SI1 is the way to go.

Cut: The biggest confusion and frustration for me has been understanding faceting of radiants and trying to decide what "crushed ice" is and if it is good/bad. I've been to many jewelry stores to see as many radiants in person as possible, and I've seen many that exhibit bow tie and have dark spots in areas of the stone at certain angles. My stone is very uniform all the way across and gives off so much sparkle/glitter. I do love a H&A round and an emerald cut where it's all about the precision of cut and you can see ideal faceting. But I think the radiant is special in a different way in that it has unbelievable sparkle from every angle and is quite mesmerizing when you stare into it. Describing my stone as "crushed ice" seems accurate as that's what it looks like, a bottomless bucket of sparkle with no distinct pattern. It appears so sparkly from across the room. There is nothing mushy or cloudy about my diamond. It's drop dead gorgeous, and I love my "crushed ice" stone.

My last thought is this... Picking out a diamond, especially fancy cut, is incredibly difficult! This process became very stressful for me because of trying to approach this so "scientifically." It became a challenge to maximize spread, and make sure it was eye clean, and question if fluorescence would make the diamond cloudy, and is the diamond the right proportions, and shouldn't I hate crushed ice, and on and on and on all while balancing my budget. I was very fortunate to connect with David with DBL whose judgement I trusted and who constantly reassured me that this should be fun... I'm getting to pick out a beautiful diamond for pete's sake! For any of you like me that has found this process overwhelming, trust your gut, YOUR eyes, and pick what speaks to YOU. When I first opened the box my diamond was in, I said "It's the most beautiful diamond I've ever seen." In those first few seconds, I knew I had made the right choice. After all, you wear the diamond, not the GIA certificate or price tag.

 

[Rad_Fan]

...so happy that you found the winner! Pictures and videos to "back up" your claim?

 

[BlingObsession]

@ClemsonPurdue thrilled for you. Welcome to the ‘crushed ice lovers club’ hahhaha. Looking forward to seeing more pics.

 

[LetLoveRule]

So happy for you! Photos please

 

[LetLoveRule]

@ClemsonPurdue have you posted photos and have I missed them somehow?? Can't wait to see some pics!

Also, what's the next step with your setting? Cast or handmade? Are you going to get a custom setting from DK?