3 carat diamond price

[Razzle_Dazzle]

I'm currently looking at purchasing the following diamond:

GIA certified
3.02, J
SI2 but eye clean
59.2 (depth), 60 (table)
Measurements: 9.42 x 9.44 x 5.58 mm
excellent cut, excellent polish, excellent symmetry
no fluorescence
medium (faceted) girdle

What do you think is a fair price range would be for this diamond? Thanks in advance!

 

[kenny]

I'm currently looking at purchasing the following diamond:

GIA certified
3.02, J
SI2 but eye clean
59.2 (depth), 60 (table)
Measurements: 9.42 x 9.44 x 5.58 mm
excellent cut, excellent polish, excellent symmetry
no fluorescence
medium (faceted) girdle

What do you think is a fair price range would be for this diamond? Thanks in advance!

Please post the Crown and Pavilion angles from the GIA report to help us learn about how well-cut it is.
Good cut is more important to how beautifully a diamond performs with light than color or clarity.

GIA calling it Excellent cut is not enough.
They allow some not-so-great combinations of proportions to fall into their grade of Excellent cut.

 

[kenny]

Unlike other shapes, identifying a well-cut round diamond is easy using two tools, HCA and Idealscope.

First plug these four numbers from the GIA report into the HCA https://www.pricescope.com/tools/hca

Depth %
Table %
Crown Angle in degrees
Pavilion Angle in degrees

Reject diamond that score over 2.0 and get an Idealscope image on those scoring under 2.0.
https://www.pricescope.com/tools/ideal-scope
An HCA score is not enough because the angles entered are averages of 8 numbers.
Those 8 angles may all be the same or may be all over the place and an Idealscope pic will reveal this.

Compare to this chart: http://www.ideal-scope.com/1.using_reference_chart.asp

 

[Razzle_Dazzle]

Thanks for your input! I never even thought to consider that as I'm still fairly new to this.

Here are the angles: 33.5° crown angle, 40.8° pavilion angle

I plugged it into the HCA tool, as you suggested and it got a 1.5.

Light Return: Very Good
Fire: Excellent
Scintillation: Very Good
Spread or diameter for weight: Excellent
Total Visual Performance: 1.5 - Excellent

 

[kenny]

Bluenile have two with similar specs but cut quality is still not established.

 

[kenny]

Thanks for your input! I never even thought to consider that as I'm still fairly new to this.

Here are the angles: 33.5° crown angle, 40.8° pavilion angle

I plugged it into the HCA tool, as you suggested and it got a 1.5.

Light Return: Very Good
Fire: Excellent
Scintillation: Very Good
Spread or diameter for weight: Excellent
Total Visual Performance: 1.5 - Excellent

Great.
Next step is to get an Idealscope pic.
If your seller won't do this either find another seller or buy your own Idealscope and carry it into the store and use it to compare the diamond to your printed out copy of the Idealscope Reference Chart.

Personally I'd buy from an online vendor who offers these tools, and probably have better prices and policies too.
For years these vendors have been tried and tested by fire here on Pricescope.

Whiteflash
Good Old Gold
James Allen
Crafted by Infinity
Brian Gavin Diamonds
Bluenile is reputable but refuses to offer Idealscope pics.

 

[yssie]

I'm currently looking at purchasing the following diamond:

GIA certified
3.02, J
SI2 but eye clean
59.2 (depth), 60 (table)
Measurements: 9.42 x 9.44 x 5.58 mm
excellent cut, excellent polish, excellent symmetry
no fluorescence
medium (faceted) girdle

What do you think is a fair price range would be for this diamond? Thanks in advance!

What do you mean by "eyeclean", exactly?
1. Who said it was eyeclean?
2. What standards is he/she using to judge? Was it made by actually looking at the stone, or from pics/inclusion plot? What distance is the stone "eyeclean" from, and from what angles - face-up only, at slight tilts through the crown, at 5" or at 12"? What distance do *you* want the stone to be clean from, and does the description satisfy your requirements?There is essentially zero chance a 3ct SI2 is clean from all angles incl. side-view at close range so if that is important to you you'll need to reconsider the priorities.
3. If it is not completely clean face-up are the inclusion(s) prongable - can they be hidden/minimized w/ a particular sort of setting (4 prongs vs. 6 to better cover inclusions near the girdle, etc.)?
4. Are you comfortable with the body colour of a larger J? Have you seen some larger well-cut Js in-person?

 

[kenny]

Yssie makes good points.

A 3 ct J shows a LOT more color than a 1 ct J, especially in a side view.

Many people think GIA Js of ALL weights should look the same color.
GIA does not grade that way.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Ditto on the color issue and especially the clarity issue. If you see this stone in person, examine it very closely from the top and the sides. It isn't easy to find a totally eyeclean SI1 3 ct. stone, much less an SI2 (so say some of the experienced diamond dealers here).