3+ carat cushion cost?

[Oklahomamomma]

Hello all! I'm new here and my husband and I have been looking to upgrade my current ring. I really want a 3+ carat cushion with dimensions at least 8.2x8.3 ish preferably H color and VS2 clarity. I've heard of the rapaport reports however can't find the cushion info. Help? Is $33k enough of a budget for center stone with these specs? Thank you!! Oh and does anyone of have pics? I don't have a setting preference, prob a halo but I would like to see all settings, please state finger size

 

[tyty333]

Its going to be a hard search but its probably doable to get something close to what you are looking for for$33k.
Not sure what kind of cushion you are looking for but here is one I found on JA.

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/3.01-carat-h-color-vs2-clarity-sku-176996

 

[Oklahomamomma]

Thank you! That's exactly what I'm looking for. I'm hoping to buy from a local jeweler... Not sure how that will work with pricing

 

[Niel]

Its going to be a hard search but its probably doable to get something close to what you are looking for for$33k.
Not sure what kind of cushion you are looking for but here is one I found on JA.

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/3.01-carat-h-color-vs2-clarity-sku-176996

Oh wow I'd take that in a heartbeat! If that's exactly what you're looking for I'd really think before passing it up.

 

[Oklahomamomma]

I know what you mean, but I'm Hoping to buy from a local jeweler bc I'm trading in my original ring and I'll get exactly what I paid there. So.. I guess I need some "tips" on how to negotiate?

 

[chrono]

Expect B&M pricing to be very much higher than online. You are unlikely to get a 3 ct H VS2 for $33K at your local jeweller. Don't forget to factor in taxes which can be as high as $1K to $2K depending on your state tax rate.

 

[Oklahomamomma]

So.. How do I know if I'm getting a good deal? Anyone know what I can expect to pay? We are regulars at this jeweler so I'm thinking I can maybe talk my "guy" down a bit but how much is insulting? Do I take into consideration the online prices?

 

[SB621]

So.. How do I know if I'm getting a good deal? Anyone know what I can expect to pay? We are regulars at this jeweler so I'm thinking I can maybe talk my "guy" down a bit but how much is insulting? Do I take into consideration the online prices?

The worst thing you can do is expect that just because you are regulars you will get a good deal. First you should find out the specs and the pricing he wants for the cushions you are intereted in. Then compare them to what you find online. I know some vendors like James Allen and so forth will do a partial trade in pending your diamond. Personally I would look at all my options.

 

[Oklahomamomma]

Thank you sarahbear.. I understand what you're saying. My husband won't spend $33k+ online.. I don't blame him. I guess we are old school

 

[Niel]

Thank you sarahbear.. I understand what you're saying. My husband won't spend $33k+ online.. I don't blame him. I guess we are old school

Well would he rather spend thousands more for a stone, while also getting less information about light performance? These are stores too, just probably not in your neighborhood.

 

[Oklahomamomma]

Thank you sarahbear.. I understand what you're saying. My husband won't spend $33k+ online.. I don't blame him. I guess we are old school

Well would he rather spend thousands more for a stone, while also getting less information about light performance? These are stores too, just probably not in your neighborhood.

I'll see what he says. It's less the buying online and more it being shipped...

 

[SB621]

Thank you sarahbear.. I understand what you're saying. My husband won't spend $33k+ online.. I don't blame him. I guess we are old school

If it makes you feel any better most online vendors you call and talk too. For payment you would do a wire transfer from your bank. I bought my cushion from Old World Diamonds and I was nervous about doing it over the phone but there were so many good reviews it really eased my mind. I think regardless of where you buy your cushion from you need to know their return policey and check out reviews. Local does not mean there is less risk or you will be covered. That has been proved many times on PS!

EDIT- saw your note about shipping. Most places overnight ship and is included in the price. Also the diamond is insured while being shipped so you really are rather safe. Can someone correct me but the vendors insurance covers during shipping correct?

 

[kathness]

Hi OP where are you based at?

In new york you can check the ERD store or even email Perry Chen from Leon Mege... they have some unbranded antique cushions

 

[chrono]

My experience is that the vendor covers insurance when it is shipped to you.

 

[Niel]

Thank you sarahbear.. I understand what you're saying. My husband won't spend $33k+ online.. I don't blame him. I guess we are old school

Well would he rather spend thousands more for a stone, while also getting less information about light performance? These are stores too, just probably not in your neighborhood.

I'll see what he says. It's less the buying online and more it being shipped...

Well in regards to shipping, even a local place has to ship stones in, especially at that CTW. The people you buy it from pay the insurance to ship it too.
I think everyone starts off slightly uncertain about the thought of buying. I mean you always here those stories about eBay and whatnot. But the thing about online vendors is they provide you more information about your diamond to make sure you are buying quality, and they do it at a better price.

 

[Oklahomamomma]

Hi OP where are you based at?

In new york you can check the ERD store or even email Perry Chen from Leon Mege... they have some unbranded antique cushions

Oklahoma, what does unbranded mean? Thank you!!

 

[SB621]

There are MANY types of cushions. I'm guessing your local guy will only know a cushion as a cushion, but the truth is they vary by facet pattern. You can read (and I hope this doesn't overwhelm you) about cushions here: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/cushion-101-my-experience-in-making-a-harry-winston-halo.183473/..']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/cushion-101-my-experience-in-making-a-harry-winston-halo.183473/....[/URL].

This will explain the difference between differnt types, branded and antiqu cushions.

Hope this helps!

Edit: Quoting Charmy: Branded Newly Cut Antique Cushions are more expensive than the generic antique cushions. There are two vendors that have developed antique cut cushions cut for light performance and to receive the highest cut ratings from AGS. Good Old Gold was the first and developed the very popular “August Vintage Cushion” but it also comes with a price premium due to all the research involved and the amount of rough required to cut to these specifications. Victor Canera has recently developed his own line and has a limited selection as of Dec 2012. The branded newly cut antique cushions are a good option when you are looking for a really well cut diamond and don’t want to invest the time in waiting and looking at diamonds. They are guaranteed to all look pretty much the same.

 

[Oklahomamomma]

There are MANY types of cushions. I'm guessing your local guy will only know a cushion as a cushion, but the truth is they vary by facet pattern. You can read (and I hope this doesn't overwhelm you) about cushions here: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/cushion-101-my-experience-in-making-a-harry-winston-halo.183473/....']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/cushion-101-my-experience-in-making-a-harry-winston-halo.183473/......[/URL].

This will explain the difference between differnt types, branded and antiqu cushions.

Hope this helps!

Edit: Quoting Charmy: Branded Newly Cut Antique Cushions are more expensive than the generic antique cushions. There are two vendors that have developed antique cut cushions cut for light performance and to receive the highest cut ratings from AGS. Good Old Gold was the first and developed the very popular “August Vintage Cushion” but it also comes with a price premium due to all the research involved and the amount of rough required to cut to these specifications. Victor Canera has recently developed his own line and has a limited selection as of Dec 2012. The branded newly cut antique cushions are a good option when you are looking for a really well cut diamond and don’t want to invest the time in waiting and looking at diamonds. They are guaranteed to all look pretty much the same.

Soooo helpful! Thank you, I do know I don't like the antique as much as the modified.. I'm a sucker for sparkle I'll check it out

 

[lovebug1031]

There are MANY types of cushions. I'm guessing your local guy will only know a cushion as a cushion, but the truth is they vary by facet pattern. You can read (and I hope this doesn't overwhelm you) about cushions here: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/cushion-101-my-experience-in-making-a-harry-winston-halo.183473/......']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/cushion-101-my-experience-in-making-a-harry-winston-halo.183473/........[/URL].

This will explain the difference between differnt types, branded and antiqu cushions.

Hope this helps!

Edit: Quoting Charmy: Branded Newly Cut Antique Cushions are more expensive than the generic antique cushions. There are two vendors that have developed antique cut cushions cut for light performance and to receive the highest cut ratings from AGS. Good Old Gold was the first and developed the very popular “August Vintage Cushion” but it also comes with a price premium due to all the research involved and the amount of rough required to cut to these specifications. Victor Canera has recently developed his own line and has a limited selection as of Dec 2012. The branded newly cut antique cushions are a good option when you are looking for a really well cut diamond and don’t want to invest the time in waiting and looking at diamonds. They are guaranteed to all look pretty much the same.

Soooo helpful! Thank you, I do know I don't like the antique as much as the modified.. I'm a sucker for sparkle I'll check it out

Don't be fooled - these newly cut antiques have just as much sparkle as a modern! They're just bigger flashes

 

[Oklahomamomma]

There are MANY types of cushions. I'm guessing your local guy will only know a cushion as a cushion, but the truth is they vary by facet pattern. You can read (and I hope this doesn't overwhelm you) about cushions here: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/cushion-101-my-experience-in-making-a-harry-winston-halo.183473/........']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/cushion-101-my-experience-in-making-a-harry-winston-halo.183473/..........[/URL].

This will explain the difference between differnt types, branded and antiqu cushions.

Hope this helps!

Edit: Quoting Charmy: Branded Newly Cut Antique Cushions are more expensive than the generic antique cushions. There are two vendors that have developed antique cut cushions cut for light performance and to receive the highest cut ratings from AGS. Good Old Gold was the first and developed the very popular “August Vintage Cushion” but it also comes with a price premium due to all the research involved and the amount of rough required to cut to these specifications. Victor Canera has recently developed his own line and has a limited selection as of Dec 2012. The branded newly cut antique cushions are a good option when you are looking for a really well cut diamond and don’t want to invest the time in waiting and looking at diamonds. They are guaranteed to all look pretty much the same.

Soooo helpful! Thank you, I do know I don't like the antique as much as the modified.. I'm a sucker for sparkle I'll check it out

Don't be fooled - these newly cut antiques have just as much sparkle as a modern! They're just bigger flashes

This is a lot of work.. Can I just give you guys $35k for diamond and setting and y'all can find me the biggest prettiest ring?

 

[Oklahomamomma]

http://www.diamondsbylauren.com/index.php/jewelry/colorless-diamond-ring-301ct-j-vs2-cushion-cut-gia-halo-ring-currently-in-production-r4874

What do y'all think of this? What do you think of the J color? Price?

 

[04diamond<3]

http://www.diamondsbylauren.com/index.php/jewelry/colorless-diamond-ring-301ct-j-vs2-cushion-cut-gia-halo-ring-currently-in-production-r4874

What do y'all think of this? What do you think of the J color? Price?

WOW. That is a ring I've been drooling over forever, I even saved it on my desk top for when we can finally afford it. I won't be upset if you buy it! It's absolutely stunning and I'm with you, I like more the sparkly cushions.

 

[Oklahomamomma]

http://www.diamondsbylauren.com/index.php/jewelry/colorless-diamond-ring-301ct-j-vs2-cushion-cut-gia-halo-ring-currently-in-production-r4874

What do y'all think of this? What do you think of the J color? Price?

WOW. That is a ring I've been drooling over forever, I even saved it on my desk top for when we can finally afford it. I won't be upset if you buy it! It's absolutely stunning and I'm with you, I like more the sparkly cushions.

Thank you for the feedback.. Seems I have so much to thank about. Thank you everyone for your help!

 

[Niel]

http://www.diamondsbylauren.com/index.php/jewelry/colorless-diamond-ring-301ct-j-vs2-cushion-cut-gia-halo-ring-currently-in-production-r4874

What do y'all think of this? What do you think of the J color? Price?

I am not as much a fan of those cut, but I love DBL pictures of them. This is another one I love to at. Personally I wouldn't go down to a J in that cut, but that's a personal thing. If you seen that color and person and like them then I say go for it.

 

[04diamond<3]

http://www.diamondsbylauren.com/index.php/jewelry/colorless-diamond-ring-301ct-j-vs2-cushion-cut-gia-halo-ring-currently-in-production-r4874

What do y'all think of this? What do you think of the J color? Price?

I am not as much a fan of those cut, but I love DBL pictures of them. This is another one I love to at. Personally I wouldn't go down to a J in that cut, but that's a personal thing. If you seen that color and person and like them then I say go for it.

That's funny because this ring is cut similarly to the 3.01 J......Which Oklahomamomma - I think the J looks great in the halo! It is a personal preference, but a lot of J owners think that they face up pretty white. If you love the ring but are concerned about the color contrast, you should call David and he'll tell you honestly.

 

[yennyfire]

Welcome OklahomaMomma!

I hope you'll take my unsolicited advice. If I had done so, it would have saved me a lot of time, money and stress. I first came to PS because my original 2ct. MRB (modern round brilliant) had been lost/stolen. I wanted a cushion cut stone and DH and I flew from Georgia to NYC to meet with a few vendors (some PS and some not). At that time, despite reading as many of the cushion threads here on PS as possible, my eye wasn't educated and I couldn't see the difference between the various types of cushions (4 main, 8 main, crushed ice, antique cut, etc.)...it was all a jumble. We ended up buying a 3.5 ct. stone from a non-PS vendor. I tried while at the store to post here on PS to get help vetting the stone, but it was difficult to do since I needed an almost immediate response and couldn't get great photos of the stone. I ended up with a stone I didn't love, that even had a tiny inclusion that wasn't visible in the store lighting that I saw immediately when it arrived home (they had to ship it to me because it needed setting/sizing). When I contacted them to discuss my concerns, they were somewhat willing to trade it in, but we ended up spending another $9K to get an eye clean stone. By then, the stone wasn't "mind clean" to me and I ended up selling it (and the setting) and starting over with my antique oval. By this time, almost 18 months had passed and my eye was educated enough to see the differences between various cushion cut stones and to recognize the rarity of an antique oval when I saw it (so I could snatch it up!)....

The point I'm trying to make is take your time...look at as many stones as you can. For $33K, it might make sense to take a trip to NYC and meet with ERD, Leon Mege, ID Jewelry and GOG (they're on Long Island, but you can take a train out there)....I have meet two out of three of these vendors and I can tell you that they will not try to pressure you into a sale. If they do not have exactly the stone you want, at least by meeting with them, they will know exactly what you are looking for and can work on sourcing it for you. Not to mention, they will be able to show you a lot of stones to help you educate yourself so you get something you love.....

Just my humble opinion. I wish someone had been as forceful with me and that had they done so, I would have listened. I cringe every time I think about the time, $$ and stress spent trying to find my dream ring. What was supposed to be a special time for DH and me was a nightmare that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy!

Good luck and please show us what you select!!

 

[SB621]

Welcome OklahomaMomma!

I hope you'll take my unsolicited advice. If I had done so, it would have saved me a lot of time, money and stress. I first came to PS because my original 2ct. MRB (modern round brilliant) had been lost/stolen. I wanted a cushion cut stone and DH and I flew from Georgia to NYC to meet with a few vendors (some PS and some not). At that time, despite reading as many of the cushion threads here on PS as possible, my eye wasn't educated and I couldn't see the difference between the various types of cushions (4 main, 8 main, crushed ice, antique cut, etc.)...it was all a jumble. We ended up buying a 3.5 ct. stone from a non-PS vendor. I tried while at the store to post here on PS to get help vetting the stone, but it was difficult to do since I needed an almost immediate response and couldn't get great photos of the stone. I ended up with a stone I didn't love, that even had a tiny inclusion that wasn't visible in the store lighting that I saw immediately when it arrived home (they had to ship it to me because it needed setting/sizing). When I contacted them to discuss my concerns, they were somewhat willing to trade it in, but we ended up spending another $9K to get an eye clean stone. By then, the stone wasn't "mind clean" to me and I ended up selling it (and the setting) and starting over with my antique oval. By this time, almost 18 months had passed and my eye was educated enough to see the differences between various cushion cut stones and to recognize the rarity of an antique oval when I saw it (so I could snatch it up!)....

The point I'm trying to make is take your time...look at as many stones as you can. For $33K, it might make sense to take a trip to NYC and meet with ERD, Leon Mege, ID Jewelry and GOG (they're on Long Island, but you can take a train out there)....I have meet two out of three of these vendors and I can tell you that they will not try to pressure you into a sale. If they do not have exactly the stone you want, at least by meeting with them, they will know exactly what you are looking for and can work on sourcing it for you. Not to mention, they will be able to show you a lot of stones to help you educate yourself so you get something you love.....

Just my humble opinion. I wish someone had been as forceful with me and that had they done so, I would have listened. I cringe every time I think about the time, $$ and stress spent trying to find my dream ring. What was supposed to be a special time for DH and me was a nightmare that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy!

Good luck and please show us what you select!!

Couldn't agree with this more!!!! It took months of reading and looking at cushions for me to figure out what I wanted. Then 1 day DH and I both took the day off work and went to many vendors to search around. However I guess Destiny was knocking on my door because OWD contacted me that night with an option after MONTHS of being put out feelers for what I was looking for. Even then I hestiated but loved how Adam (OWD) really cared that I was happy so with great return policey and customer service I was comfortable. Definitely don't rush it and jump at the first cushion you like! Education yourself and you will find something perfect!

 

[CharmyPoo]

The thing about online vendors is that they are all local to someone. I have purchased all my more expensive diamonds online but in person. A flight is so easy these days and is relatively cost effective. It is not that you can't get a nice and well priced diamond locally ... It is just far easier through the pricescope vendors.

On the diamonds, the JA one looks pretty but looks like it is sold. Now a fan of the dbl one you posted because the table is too big for me and I find dbl photos do not allow leakage to be evaluated.

 

[Oklahomamomma]

This is a lot of work!! I have a 7 month old so flying all around the world isn't an option. Maybe I just won't buy one yet..

 

[yennyfire]

I'd definitely add Adam at Old World Dismonds (OWD) if you want to consider antique stones. The vendors I mentioned earlier can source both vintage/modern stones.