2ct Emerald Cut - Cut vs Clarity/Colour (BG Black vs others)

[EC-Hunter]

Hi all,

Long time lurker, first time poster! I'm on the hunt for a 2ct emerald cut and have reached a decision point in choosing between cut and clarity (and colour to some extent) and was hoping you guys could help! My budget for the stone itself is around the ~US$30k mark.

What I've narrowed down to:

Carat: 2.00-2.10
Colour: D or E
Symmetry: Excellent
Polish: Excellent
Fluorescence: None
LxW: Prefer 1.35-1.50x

What we're unsure on:
Cut: I know GIA don't provide a cut grade on emerald cut diamonds, and we're therefore a little reliant on either sourcing an AGS certified stone (like the BG below) or taking independent advice on cut grade of a GIA certified stone.

Clarity: A number of people (jewellers, articles, PS posts) guide towards going higher higher on clarity for emerald cut due to size of table and ease of ability to spot inclusions that may be hidden by facets in a brilliant cut. As such we've limited our search to VS1 or above, but would really prefer VVS2 or above.


Onto the stones in question (from least expensive to most expensive)

Enchanted Diamonds, 2.01, E, VVS2, $20,910, ASET provided
https://enchanteddiamonds.com/v/5Z6435026

Good Old Gold, 2.01, D, VVS1, $25,524, No ASET or Idealscope provided (although has been very responsive to contact re a stone I was interested in that is now sold)
https://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond...D-VVS1-diamond-stock-EM17-565-cert-1186613686

James Allen 2.00ct, E, IF, $30,500, No ASET or Idealscope provided
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/emerald-cut/2.00-carat-e-color-if-clarity-sku-3441646

Black by Brian Gavin, 2.01, E, VS1, $33,746, ASET & Idealscope provided
https://www.briangavindiamonds.com/....010-e-vs1-emerald-diamond-bkags-104096832002


As you can see there's quite a range of prices for "similar" stones (I know similar is a very loose definition!). I really like the BG stone (and have previously bought a Signature H&A from them which was fantastic), however it's over 60% more expensive than the Enchanted Diamonds stone despite being the same size and colour, and one grade LOWER in clarity. It's also 30% more than the GOG stone which is a grade higher in both colour and clarity! This brings me back to my dilemma, which is the importance of cut. I've read BG's article on his emerald cuts and the ASET (to my very very untrained eye) appears fantastic, but is it worth the price premium? Is this simply a matter of personal taste?

Interested in any and all comments or pointers!

Cheers,
Michael

 

[bmfang]

I’m sure that GOG once they have brought in the stone can provide you with ASET and IS images.

Not that impressed by the Enchanted Diamonds EC, a lot of clear, green and dark areas with limited reds. It looks a little dull to me.

GOG stone looks good... on paper. Would have to see an image of it plus scope images to comment further.

JA stone looks a little better than the ED stone. Still a lot of grey fullness under the table to my eyes. Would be interested in seeing an ASET on it to compare.

BGD... well you do get what you pay for. There’s a lot of red in the ASET. A little crystal under the table that is noticeable at magnification. May be eye clean IRL (the eye clean view on the website, I certainly can’t notice it).

I’d see if you can get JA to provide you with scope images and check with GOG as to what they might charge to bring it in and get scope images for you.

 

[EC-Hunter]

Thanks bmfang!

I should add that these are just examples of stones at the various price points. If anyone has any other suggestions for stones that might fit the bill around the $30k mark I'd appreciate it and be happy to check them out.

I had a look at another stone on the Enchanted Diamonds site which they had given a cut score of 100.0, but the ASET still wasn't in the same league as the BGD stone.

I did notice the crystal in the BGD stone in the rotating Brilliance/Sparkle videos, and although I suspect it's eye clean (appears and claims to be), I don't know whether knowing it was there would be an issue... Mind clean vs eye clean debate!

 

[FreeDiam]

Just throwing these JA out there.Stay well within your budget, while still leaving room for a setting,stone looks bigger then the regular 2carats.
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/emerald-cut/2.03-carat-e-color-vvs2-clarity-sku-3736650

 

[EC-Hunter]

Thanks FreeDiam. It’s in the zone but appears to have a significant “black-tie” effect?

In terms of budget I’ve allowed for around $5-6k for a setting in platinum (EC main stone with baguette side stones) and around $30k for the main stone.

There are so many stones that seem to fit the bill but they’re all online! I’ve looked at jewellers here in Melbourne, Australia but have been a bit underwhelmed.

Thanks for your help!

Michael

 

[Rockdiamond]

Hi EC hunter- fellow EC lover here!
Re cut scores for emerald cuts issued by the sellers themselves: there's simply no accepted parameters that are broadly accepted by the trade. For this reason educated buyers tend to ignore "cut scores" which are not clearly defined ( secret sauce??) or accepted by the trade.
Using images and ASET is far more helpful

 

[LawmaLlama]

Rockdiamond has steered you correctly. If you have time, I would consider contacting GOG and asking them to hunt for what you want. They can provide the needed ASET imagery and videos so you can see the stones in different lighting. This is important with ECs.

As a EC owner, I'll add that for me the EC cut is important along with color and clarity. With your budget, you might consider as low as G color and VS2 clarity in the 2+ ct size. This should enable you to get something fantastic and maybe larger than you expect. Color can be tricky depending on your or your intended's sensitivity. Larger ECs can show more body color.

Cut itself is a personal preference when it comes to fancies, like ECs. Personally, I prefer a more old school elongated EC with a ratio over 1.4. The more modern, squattier EC is usually below that. I also prefer the shallower depths below 65, but many more modems hover below 68. I could go on, but GOG is likely to pull some beauties for you.
Good luck!