3 Carat Radiant Cut Color H Budget $30-$35K

[Queenie60]

What's with the "Gypsy Witch Hunt?" Appears to me that she's just trying to help the OP to find a nice stone. Rockdiamond, I would suggest that you start a thread to educate the PS community on Radiant Cut diamonds.

 

[Gypsy]

Rynob, please continue to ignore all the distractions. I hope the personal attacks in this thread haven't scared you off.

One of the first things I did was look on the Original Radiant Cut site to see if they had any stones that fit your budget and specifications. And they do not have anything in the 2.5-3.5 carat range at all. I have seen this cut in person a few a times actually. As I have been a jewelry advisor and aficionado for over 10 years on these boards and one of my favorite things to do is to go look at different cuts of diamonds, with my own personal ASET in tow and talk to jewelers about their goods and experiences. The Original Radiant cut prices are not listed on their site, unfortunately. But please be aware most branded cuts carry premiums-- some times very hefty one. That is why as a general rule, we recommend lovely unbranded cuts to most posters where we can find them, so they can get the most bang for their buck.

I encourage you to buy the stones in this thread and, as I stated before, take them around to places locally, for comparison. If that includes a local Original Radiant cut dealer, then that is all the better. You should look at as many stones as you can locally. I just want to make sure you have a great comparison stone with you, to help you judge relative performance and faceting to find out what you like best.

My only goal is to make sure you get the nicest stone for your budget. Unlike some people whose goal it is to promote their own agendas.

Thank you Queenie.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Let me just throw in my support for Gypsy here. I agree with her 100% that a stone needs to be well cut no matter the shape.

I would also agree that a cushion would maybe stand the test of time better than a radiant unless you find a great one like Sharon had.

Gypsy gave you some great recommendations and that's why I felt no need to post. I would just ignore vendor posts because Gypsy gains nothing from recommending well cut diamonds.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Thank you Gypsy for your most thorough entries. Providing pictures of differing faceting patterns adds great value to your erudite posts. And FWIW, I love the square radiant you posted! Mine was a rectangle and its proportions suited my long fingers/large hands. Something else to be considered.

To the OP--sticking with an H color or better is a wise decision as Radiant cuts hold their body color.

cheers--Sharon

 

[lovedogs]

Going to jump on the "Gypsy support" wagon here and say that I think she posted some great options for the OP. I definitely agree that OP should purchase one of those and then compare in person to local stores with radiant stones. I do agree that cushions are more mainstream (classic) in my view, but I think a good radiant can look out of the world and you are in good hands here. I'd trust the recommendations you've been given 100%.

RD: please stop derailing the thread with personal attacks. I appreciate your passion, and have spoken with you before and found you kind and knowledgeable, but find your behavior in this thread really disappointing. Gypsy has helped countless buyers here without any personal gain or agenda. Insinuating that she knows less than she does or that she has some "hidden agenda" is silly and just reflects poorly on you, which doesn't help your cause.

 

[dollyanjuli]

As an always lurker, sometimes poster, fan of both of RD and Gypsy, and lover of good pricescope conversations that can be opposing but stay on track-

This stone Gypsy posted for the price is CRAZY good
http://www.b2cjewels.com/dd-8001980-3.01-carat-Cushion-diamond-D-color-SI1-Clarity.aspx?sku=8001980&utm_source=Criteo&utm_medium=Remarketing&utm_campaign=Dynamic

But if had my heart set on a radiant, this other one Gypsy posted has a truly terrific look. Glittery and broad, which IRL is so stunning. I have a few friends with Radiants and one of them has the crushed ice, more "original radiant" look, and one has this style. Both are very different but these slightly broader facets in an elongated cut really shimmer.
http://www.b2cjewels.com/dd-8610056-3.06-carat-Radiant-diamond-H-color-VS2-clarity.aspx

I second that RD, maybe you should start a new thread just on Radiants as you are one of the few vendors who seems to love them and have a lot of knowledge about the different types. Although now that I think about it, didnt you did make one like this some time ago...? I may be mistaken. Baby brain and all

 

[Rockdiamond]

Going to jump on the "Gypsy support" wagon here and say that I think she posted some great options for the OP. I definitely agree that OP should purchase one of those and then compare in person to local stores with radiant stones. I do agree that cushions are more mainstream (classic) in my view, but I think a good radiant can look out of the world and you are in good hands here. I'd trust the recommendations you've been given 100%.

RD: please stop derailing the thread with personal attacks. I appreciate your passion, and have spoken with you before and found you kind and knowledgeable, but find your behavior in this thread really disappointing. Gypsy has helped countless buyers here without any personal gain or agenda. Insinuating that she knows less than she does or that she has some "hidden agenda" is silly and just reflects poorly on you, which doesn't help your cause.

Thanks LD- I'm sure I enjoyed speaking with you too!
I have to point out that buying a $20k+ diamond to use as a comparison stone has a lot of potential down sides.
For one, you'll be without your $20k for a few weeks.
Secondly, you'll be responsible for this very small, loose diamond, and you've got over $20k on the line.
OK, maybe we'd advise the OP to first insure this stone, that would take care of the risk of carrying it. How much does it cost to insure a $20k loose diamond for a week?
Speaking from experience- it's kind of stressful taking out a diamond like that in a jewelry store. And I did that professionally for 20 years. There were cases where a stone popped out of the tweezer, never to be seen again. Not common, but it happened.
Who's paying the shipping? Is there a re-stock fee?
So it's really not all that simple a proposition.
Point is, speaking as a diamond seller who deals with thousands of consumers a year- it's really not a great idea.

As far as categorizing questions I've asked about statements that I believe to be inaccurate, I honestly don't feel that is a personal attack.
IN fact, I see it as a professional responsibility as a participating trade member.

dollyanjuli- thank you! Believe me I have started threads- but it truly seems that there's a few dedicated posters who don't want any sort of discussion that questions what they believe. We've seen them time and again- such as Melisadnre (sp?) from the thread Gypsy linked to. They come, get banned till they get a new user name and return if the topic comes up again. It's pretty easy to derail a discussion. For example I've tried to discuss leakage benefits and why green is good in aset. Typical response "RED IS BEST -YOU LOVE BADLY CUT DIAMONDS"
From my perspective, if anyone is getting attacked, they are sitting in my chair.
Monitoring threads and advice given is, at this point, the best way to forward the discussion- and make sure that inaccurate statements are corrected IMO.

 

[bridgettedonovan]

I second that RD, maybe you should start a new thread just on Radiants as you are one of the few vendors who seems to love them and have a lot of knowledge about the different types. Although now that I think about it, didnt you did make one like this some time ago...? I may be mistaken. Baby brain and all

Yes right here from Gypsy https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/radiant-diamond-help-fish-eye-or-bowtie.207447/ and the one Rockdiamond started at the end of that thread here https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/radiant-diamond-cut-evaluation-education.207584/

After reading through that last "edumagication" thread I can't say I learned very much, too many Opeds, promotional photos and incoherent arguments. Radiantman had some interesting thoughts about tilt windows, contrast uniformity, and cutting goals which was useful and educational.

 

[bridgettedonovan]

From my perspective, if anyone is getting attacked, they are sitting in my chair.
Monitoring threads and advice given is, at this point, the best way to forward the discussion- and make sure that inaccurate statements are corrected IMO.

I wonder if perhaps you want to correct yourself, you didn't respond to the last post in your own thread. (Yes I painfully read through the entire thing)

https://www.pricescope.com/communit...education.207584/page-9#post-3788322#p3788322

Even to this day I have never seen a GIA grading report with the outline description as Radiant that seemed like sophistry to me by both you and Radiantman.

 

[dollyanjuli]

I second that RD, maybe you should start a new thread just on Radiants as you are one of the few vendors who seems to love them and have a lot of knowledge about the different types. Although now that I think about it, didnt you did make one like this some time ago...? I may be mistaken. Baby brain and all

Yes right here from Gypsy https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/radiant-diamond-help-fish-eye-or-bowtie.207447/ and the one Rockdiamond started at the end of that thread here https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/radiant-diamond-cut-evaluation-education.207584/

this is the thread I was thinking of! Thanks for finding and posting. I'm going to start reading while feeding baby

 

[Rockdiamond]

From my perspective, if anyone is getting attacked, they are sitting in my chair.
Monitoring threads and advice given is, at this point, the best way to forward the discussion- and make sure that inaccurate statements are corrected IMO.

I wonder if perhaps you want to correct yourself, you didn't respond to the last post in your own thread. (Yes I painfully read through the entire thing)

https://www.pricescope.com/communit...education.207584/page-9#post-3788322#p3788322

Even to this day I have never seen a GIA grading report with the outline description as Radiant that seemed like sophistry to me by both you and Radiantman.

Hi
Since you're new here you probably didn't realize that the participant whose question you're asking was banned- and on more than one occasion.
This member has returned on numerous occasions taking different identities in a way that fooled the filters used by the mods to keep banned members out.
I can't say for sure why neither Radiantman or I responded back then, But it likely has a lot to do with that.
To respond to the point – if Stan indicated that he had had discussions with GIA about naming conventions I take that as a fact. If someone wanted to verify this by writing an email to GIA whatever answer they received would not be conclusive. GIA has quite a few employees and management does not announce every discussion they have.
A good point of discussion which I'll ask Stan is if there was any reslolution other that the fact that you're correct that the name Radiant is not how GIA describes them.

On a broader point: it is perfectly possible to have a discussion where the two sides may never agree, but they could have an informative discourse that would allow readers to learn. To do so, we do need to eliminate personal attacks – which is why such behavior is not tolerated by the administrators.

 

[Gypsy]

Thank you Diamondseeker, Sharon, Bridgette, Dolly, and lovesdogs.

I think it is awful when vendors ruin threads of new posters who are just here for help for their own agendas. It sets the wrong precedent and is counter to what PS is about.

And unfortunately due to the disruption in this thread, that poster appears to have run off. Not that I blame him.

And it's a true shame.

 

[Arcadian]

David, that was petty, passive aggressive, and small AF, please grow up. You have a vested interest because you SELL those types of diamonds dude. Nobody is blind to that. We see you boo.

Gypsy, thank you for all you do. When it comes to figuring out the best specs for the money, you have it on lock. I may not buy a lot of diamonds, but you've assisted me in buying 3 pairs of earrings without even knowing it.

OP, if the stuff not pertaining to you didn't scare you off, please do listen to what Gypsy has said. Hell I don't even really want a diamond as a main ring stone and Gypsy has picked out some lovely ones.

 

[Rockdiamond]

HI Arcadian,
I have a vested interest in Pricescope as well.
Both as an creator/owner of one of the internet's first diamond websites, as well as a longtime poster here, providing accurate, non biased information to consumers is my goal- as it has since 1999, when I opened Diamonds by Lauren. Yes, it's also based on self interest- because people like learning about diamonds from a variety of sources to get balanced information. Given that we sell Ideal cut and pretty much everything else, I'm not trying to "push" any particular type of diamond. My writing does bring us many sales because I'm forthright in my words. I can't count how many times people have complimented my posting here on PS.
My time is precious- but I devote time here for these reasons.

I recognize and respect Gypsy's dedication to what she does- yet my commitment is to an impartial and informative discussion about diamonds.
It is a difficult task, because no one like to have their advice questioned.

 

[Gypsy]

Bridgette,

ASET images are not uniformly evaluated with the same criteria for each shape. An ideal round ASET will always have more red than any other shape, save a hearts and arrows faceted stone cut for high contrast performance in other shapes. Some cushions come close (not the ones with crushed ice faceting). But after that, if you are talking about ASETS showing uniformly bright areas across the whole stone-- not going to happen. So in order to evaluate an ASET for a fancy you have to know what 'good, better, best' look like not just for the SHAPE, but also the particular facet pattern of the stone. As you saw earlier, when I posted some examples of different faceting on radiants (cut cornered square brilliants), all of those are going to ASET out very differently than each other


For a radiant of that crushed ice type of facet pattern, that is as good an ASET of that type (please note that is not a 'real' ASET of the stone, it is a computer generated one. A 'real' one would be helpful, but we can't have everything we want in life). As I said earlier, the best you can expect is some white and some green and some red with these facet patterns? Why? ASET measures the amount of light the stone is reflecting back from the crown and table. And colors strong light direct light return as red (high contrast) and weaker reflected light as green. Radiants of the crushed ice facet pattern are not cut for high contrast when viewed. They are cut for a uniform brilliance with small shots of sparkle so what you want is small distributions of color across the face of the stone in an ASET. That will give you a glowy stone with a beautiful shimmer as opposed to what a high contrast performance stone will give you. It's just a different look, a different personality. Not good or bad. And that's what you see in the stone I picked (again, that is a computer generated ASET so a real ASET is much better). To use David's own example this is what an excellent cut rectangular Radiant (cut cornered square or rectangular brilliant) PICKED BY HIM looks like and ASETs like:


So let's assume David is correct and that is a BEAUTY of a radiant OF IT'S FACET PATTERN.

So now, compare THAT to the ASET and image of the stone I recommended:



See the similarities?

Now do you see why I would think that stone is a very strong contender find FOR ITS TYPE OF FACETING? I didn't say it was perfect. But it's definitely, based on the information we have, for its facet type an A- stone. It does not have fish eye. And elongated shapes generally all exhibit a bit of a bowtie, you just want to make sure that it ASETs out RED not BLUE and that it blends well with the surrounding facets. This stone has that.

What you are concerned about is actually David's pet peeve. He HATES that people judge radiants by the same ASET and performance standards as they do other cuts. That is why he attacks me, again and again. Because he thinks that's what I do.

It's not what I do though. I know perfectly well that crushed ice faceted stones can be beautiful in real life yet have craptastic ASETs to someone who is, like you, unfamiliar with how ASETs perform with these facet patterns. That's because I have years of experience toting my ASET around to every jewelry store in the San Francisco Bay area to learn how the ASET interacts with these stones.

David's advice is always that you should see these stones in person, OR lacking that trust your vendor's eyes and experience. I think this is poor advice, and it is one of the points we greatly disagree on. Why? While David has been in the trade for however long, I have been a CONSUMER for ten years in and out of every type of jewelry store there is. I KNOW darned well the tricks vendors pull to make crappy stones seem wonderful. Especially with fancies. I consider myself an expert on the consumer experience in jewelry stores. Which is what makes me so effective on here. I understand, empathize and appreciate what our shoppers are looking for and are going to face out 'there.'

That is why my advice is GO IN ARMED and VERIFY everything you hear. You want to shop in person? Educate your eyes. Buy an ASET if it will be helpful for the type of stone you are looking at. Understand what to look for. AND when shopping for a stone like this-- take in a stone YOURSELF that is your 'safety' stone. One that has been vetted as a good stone. So that when vendors pull out their goods and tell you they have the best diamonds in the world ( ) you have your own baseline there to evaluate the stone next to.

 

[Gypsy]

David, that was petty, passive aggressive, and small AF, please grow up. You have a vested interest because you SELL those types of diamonds dude. Nobody is blind to that. We see you boo.

Gypsy, thank you for all you do. When it comes to figuring out the best specs for the money, you have it on lock. I may not buy a lot of diamonds, but you've assisted me in buying 3 pairs of earrings without even knowing it.

OP, if the stuff not pertaining to you didn't scare you off, please do listen to what Gypsy has said. Hell I don't even really want a diamond as a main ring stone and Gypsy has picked out some lovely ones.

Thank you very much Arcadian. I am happy to help you, directly, if you ever need it. And I would hope I could ask for your advice if I ever get to buy some lovely non-diamond puchases.

 

[Gypsy]

Bridgette are you in the trade?

As for the rest of your post. I will need to process when it is not after midnight here. I do agree with what you say about the edges, and have seen it quite a few times in action and do generally avoid that with fancies. But you are right I overlooked that here.

It's not about being right. It's about helping people. As I stated earlier, I grew up on these boards learning from POLITE vendors and prosumers. If you have information I need, I am happy to learn from you. I learn new information from Gary all the time. David has just burned his last bridge with me. So please, let's you and I talk. I would like to improve my understanding of radiants. In order to help more posters find the right stone for them, and if I am not giving them good advice I am always open to learning.

 

[Rockdiamond]

Gypsy-your position is kind of ironic. You've stated that It's not about being right, it's about helping people. Yet you won't respond to the considerations I've raised simply because you don't like the way I phrase them.
For example- my objection to suggesting that a consumer purchase a $20,000 diamond for comparison purposes in this situation.


I have not attacked anyone. Maybe my phrasing is different than yours and I've made every attempt to speak in reasonable terms - knowing going in this is a difficult discussion based on different opinions.
No need to attack anyone but responding to the points raised will allow readers to make up their own minds.

 

[Karl_K]

For example- my objection to suggesting that a consumer purchase a $20,000 diamond for comparison purposes in this situation.

David,
Someone seeing a diamond with their own eyes in their own environment with in the return period is a good thing and many consumers over the years have done so, some on far more expensive diamonds than $20k.
Most ended up loving the diamond but some ended up returning it for something else.
Given the variation in looks in what the trade calls Radiant it is not a horrible idea.
Yes there are some risks and costs but its something that many consumers have done successfully over the years.
Some even bought 2 or 3 diamonds for comparison.

Karl

 

[Gypsy]

In over 5 threads on these boards in the last few months alone, I have recommended customers get comparison stones and then also go shopping in person. In each case the customer has gotten the best stone for their money and the purchase of the comparison stone has been key in helping them do so.

David, you are not a customer. I have over 10 years as a customer on these boards. I say with all that experience that purchasing stones for comparison is extremely helpful. You aren't a prosumer on these threads. You don't know the methods that work. You have years of trade experience. But none of in under the circumstances that we have on these boards. We can agree to disagree. But that doesn't mean you get to harangue me for it in thread after thread, and in threads like this one derail the entire thread to the point that the customer runs away.

Here is one such thread. [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/e-ring-search-30k.218669/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/e-ring-search-30k.218669/[/URL] Customer purchased MULTIPLE comparison stones. And I went with him to Joe Escobar here were they had an immense assortment of cushions. I didn't have to say anything. His own eyes did all the work. He compared the two stone he had bought online to the plethora of stones Joe E had for him to look at. And he eliminated one of the comparison stones (the hearts and arrows) and ended up keeping the other (which was my favorite), and he chose none of the very nice cushions Joe E had. Why? Because very nice paled in comparison to the excellent stones he had bought online. Then even after that, he took that stone around locally and purchased a couple more online to boot before he made his decision.

I recently helped another poster. She did NOT want to shop in person. Thought she knew what she wanted. She bought 3 ovals online all of them high color three carat stones (way over 20k) and compared them to each other. Liked none of them. Finally I convinced her to go shopping in person. Again at Joe Escobar because they are the largest dealer with PS quality goods in this area. We made her try on EVERYTHING. And she was surprised by the results. She ended up liking rounds. Do you know happened after that? I advised her to buy 2 round comparison stones (to the tune of 90k). She did and she went with them to jewelers. She ended up returning one (and I will be posting about that one because it was an interesting issue) and keeping the other once she had a chance to look around. She is now happily working Erika Winters on her setting. This is part of her journey: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/joe-escobar-trip.223575/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/joe-escobar-trip.223575/[/URL] the rest was through emails with me privately.

That doesn't even cover the old cut hunters. Adam at Old World diamonds sends out 2 or 3 of 4 in some cases, of stones at a time to shoppers. That's after he makes videos. We have some decent old cut vendors here (Langs, and again Joe Escobar) and in the last year alone 3 of those shoppers locally have called me, comparison stones in hand, to meet up with them and to help them chose the stone that is right for them and that's what we do. I take my ASET I meet up with them, some time we go shopping locally with the stones, sometimes we just compare the 3 or 4 stones they have.

Comparisons stones are EXTREMELY helpful. I know this from my own experience as well. A while back with the permission of Andrey James Allen sent me two beautiful stones to evaluate, so that I could better understand how their videos translated into real life stones and performance, and compare with my personal ASET. I got those stones (an oval and cushion) and I went to over 5 places to look for diamonds here locally. And we have a lot of places in the Bay Area. In each case having a side by side comparison that I knew and could trust the performance of was helpful because while I have an ASET, the majority of our shoppers do not. So they need a way to judge the relative performance of stones. Having that comparison stone there that is PS approved and that they can compare head to head is invaluable, especially with fancies

And in most cases, after they shop in person. Guess what happens? They usually keep the comparison stones because they are better performers, have nicer faceting, and agree CHEAPER than what they see in the stores local to them.

I advise this in reverse too. When we have people buying GIA excellent stones that are great but not hearts and arrows perfection, I tell them honestly to buy the GIA stone and take it to Hearts on Fire and compare them head to head. That is very helpful to them.

And in ALL cases where I recommend this the shoppers thanked me for helping them navigate what is a difficult shopping experience. And never have the complained about getting a comparison stone.

David, you think you know me. You do not. At all. I have a TON more shopping experience as a consumer than you do. And I know what works for PS posters.

And it's not your wording that is the problem. It is your attitude I do not like. And that informs every word you write. You've insulted and harassed me for YEARS. At some point a woman has to stand up for herself. It is not ironic at all that I refuse to put up with any of your abuse. I said that my goal is education. You are not the sole fount of that.There are plenty of vendor here that are happy to help me learn, on and off the boards and do so respectfully and politely. Karl is a perfect example. So I don't have to put up with you to get what I need. It's about standing up for yourself and standing up to bullies. And you David, have tried to bully me for years. No irony there at all. I do not have to listen to you. I do not have to talk to you. And I do not have to prove anything to you. You have no authority over me or these boards. And the sooner you realize that, the happier we will both be.

 

[Rockdiamond]

Thank you for at least responding.
You're making a lot of assumptions about me being a consumer. I buy a lot of stuff online and shop diamonds daily as part of my job. I am constantly considering consumer viewpoint and benefits I'd want if I was the buyer.
I think we share some core goals. We both have taken great pains to satisfy online consumers over a course of many years. Given that we both participate here a best outcome would be a more open dialog which will benefit consumers.
Maybe I'm making wrong assumptions about you regularly discouraging radiant shoppers because my perspective is limited by time. I generally can't look at too many threads- and radiants are near and dear so I look at threads about them more.

About buying comparison stones. Looking at your results, I can see why you'd recommend it. I had not seen those threads before. That's very cool that you met a poster at a store to help.

We have also send multiple items to clients to choose. But generally they are rings, which are easier to handle than loose stones. Also- over the years we've seen all kinds of things happen - including clients losing a loose diamond. Shipping losses are rare- but they do happen.
So when we discuss a shipment with a client we go into the potential downfals. Insurance reimbursement will generally take at least 30 days - where the cleint is waiting for the payment. Of course all that is unlikely.
But the main point is that our policies are in line with the largest websites- refunds are processed in 14 days. That matters a lot to people who are getting ready to buy a stone.
Hence my point that in this case, given the op is in Chicagp a better option might be finding a high quality dealer who would bring in stones.
But I understand better why you'd suggest what you did.


I do wish we could find common ground Gypsy because we could help consumers more together- particularly with Radiant cuts

 

[Gypsy]

David,

Do you know when I am most likely to recommend you as a vendor? When you have left me alone for months. Distance make the heart grow farther. You are who you are. I've accepted it. I know you have many fans. And I respect that and I respect your right to be you. I leave you alone. I don't approach you. I don't hunt you down in threads and push my point on you. That is what you do to me. So for the billionth time. Just leave me alone. If you want to help me learn about radiants? Start a thread. Figure out how to write or have someone else (please God) write it for you. Make it informative and not self-promoting, don't put down others to make your point, be respectful of the people that ask you questions both in word AND in tone. And you know what? I'll read it. I may even respond with questions. But stop initiating contact with me. It doesn't go well. Make an effort to understand what bothers me and fix it if you REALLY want to go the extra mile. Talk is cheap. Actions matter more. And until I see your actions are sincere, not self-promoting, and polite -- not just your words-- I am going to continue to ignore you except in threads where I've specifically asked for vendor input and you respond nicely. That's an exception I'll make. And you know what would make a good start? Apologize SINCERELY for derailing this thread instead of starting your OWN thread, and for driving off this poor poster. That MATTERS to me. I hate when squabbles and drama send people away from RT. I hate it when their threads are derailed especially when they are new posters just looking for basic help. It is rude. So start there. You say we have the same goals? Prove it. Don't derail another thread with your personal agendas.

Okay?

Oh and one more thing. If you could give me the benefit of the doubt when it comes to radiants, from now on I would appreciate it. Yes, the crushed ice faceting in general is not to my personal taste. You know what else isn't to my personal taste? Round brilliants. I help people all day long with them. I do not have anything against helping people buy radiants. Yes, I will check EVERY SINGLE TIME that the buyer hasn't 'gone rogue' and decided to get something 'unique' for some poor woman who just desperately wants a "boring" (guy's perspective not mine) round solitaire or something else. But that isn't me being against radiants. That's me being feeling strongly that when someone is spending thousands on a gift FOR SOMEONE ELSE, they should at least know at a minimum level what the preferences of that person are. And no, I'm not going to do it with every other shape, every other time. Though I frequently do. But with radiants IN PARTICULAR there is something about them that appeals to men wanting to be 'unique' and forgetting to check with their SO's that unique is what they want. If you could just give me the benefit of the doubt there I would really appreciate it.

 

[madelise]

WOW. I came in here to poke around on a slow Sunday.
I AM APPALLED AT DAVID'S BEHAVIOR.

Why is he not banned for this? This isn't the first time I've seen him attack other prosumers and/or other vendors on PS.

THIS IS NOT OKAY.
THIS IS CHASING PEOPLE OUT OF THE PS FORUM.
THIS IS SCARING NEWBIES OFF.
THIS IS SCARING PEOPLE FROM ASKING QUESTIONS.

 

[Rockdiamond]

Gypsy- we have a history and I should have considered that more carefully before making a point that was contrary to yours. I will make sure to take more care with how I express our differences in the future. I'm sorry my observations were worded so that others read them as an attack. They were not meant as an attack.
I still have different opinions than some regular contributors and strongly believe that people coming here for advice get the benefit of multiple sources of advice.
.
To the OP sorry the thread went off track- we are all still here and ready to assist.
My advice stands- find a local dealer in Chicago that understands Radiant cut diamonds and look at them in person. I honestly have not seen valid methods of assessing Radiant cuts online using methods that work for some other shapes. Photos help but they are not conclusive.

 

[rynob]

Thanks everyone for all the information and help. With taxes, setting etc I think a budget closer to $25K would be best. Some examples have been great that have been sent along and great recommendations. I will also be considering the "right" cushion cut diamond.

 

[Gypsy]

Thanks everyone for all the information and help. With taxes, setting etc I think a budget closer to $25K would be best. Some examples have been great that have been sent along and great recommendations. I will also be considering the "right" cushion cut diamond.

I am so happy you are back. I want to apologize for the drama, and get you back on track!

"Right-sizing" the budget is a good move. 25k is something we can definitely work with!

What kind of setting do you want? I believe you said a pave solitaire? Let's leave 2.5k for that. So that leaves you with 22.5k for a stone!

I strongly advise you call B2C about that D cushion I recommended a few pages back. IF the fluorescence is not having a negative impact (please call the vendor and have them pull the stone, evaluated by a gemologist and then get back to you on that) and making the stone hazy, that is your best bet in your new budget for a 3 carat stone. So let's start there. Call about that stone, and please report back what the vendor says!

I will also look for some other stones for you.



David, I didn't ask you to change your opinions or to keep quiet. YOU asked ME for a way for us to proceed forward, and in response I asked you to change how and where you state your opinions. Not to change your opinions themselves. I also asked you not to initiate contact with me, especially in threads of posters like this one. If you can do that, then we've made progress. If not, we'll be having this song and dance happen, regrettably, again. I am now done with this conversation and I am going to focus solely on helping the rynob to the best of my ability.

 

[Rockdiamond]

HI Gypsy
I think the best way forward is to agree that we should both post in a manner that respects each others opinions, and that neither of us has the right to tell the other where or what to post.
Next time I post an opinion differing from yours I'll take extra care to post respectfully.

Good luck Rynob! Please feel free to post further questions. If have something to add, I'll do my best not to start another war

 

[diamond5678]

Gypsy, your posts specifically were a HUGE help to both me and my fiance regarding asschers, i don't think he would have found such a beautiful diamond without you, (he read many of your posts) and your setting from steven kirsch also influenced him greatly, as he ended up going with steven. would you mind looking at my thread about cleaning i started a couple days ago? I would private message you if i could, but your opinion was one i specifically was hoping for. thanks!!

 

[sarahb]

Gypsy, I too, love your approach & consideration you put forth. Please hang in there, you are a remarkable treasure on these boards.

 

[Gypsy]

Thank you diamond and sarah!