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3 Ct Cushion Cut Diamond - with Pictures and GIA! Help!?!?!

Re: 3 Ct Cushion Cut Diamond - with Pictures and GIA! Help!?

What would be best is if you could find one just under 3 cts. so you don't have the huge price jump at 3.

What is the clarity on the last stone you posted?
 
Re: 3 Ct Cushion Cut Diamond - with Pictures and GIA! Help!?

I agree. But looks like there's nothing in the 2.75-2.90 range. The stone is a VS2.
 
Re: 3 Ct Cushion Cut Diamond - with Pictures and GIA! Help!?

yeah, that's a tough carat range. I'd probably go with the J 3 ct AVC, just because the optics are so good. Perhaps call and ask about it?
 
Re: 3 Ct Cushion Cut Diamond - with Pictures and GIA! Help!?

Would you consider this one? It is quite a bit below your budget, and slightly below your specs, but you said you would consider 2.7+

You would have to ask whether or not it's eyeclean, but if it is, whew! It will be a beauty, and it's an E!!

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/7910/

EDIT: Whoops, you said 2.75+ and this one is 2.72... you should definitely still look at it though...
 
Re: 3 Ct Cushion Cut Diamond - with Pictures and GIA! Help!?

Damn that's a pretty one.
 
Re: 3 Ct Cushion Cut Diamond - with Pictures and GIA! Help!?

You could ask Good Old Gold to find one for you. If she doesn't mind color in a diamond a little bit of warmth can be very pretty. Lowering the color will definitely lower the price.
 
Re: 3 Ct Cushion Cut Diamond - with Pictures and GIA! Help!?

Ok. I've looked high and low and what I thought would be a pretty reasonable search: finding and H or I, 3 Ct Cushion brilliant that looks great for $30k has been a total loss? Two months ago there were tons of 3cts with these specs priced under 30k and now i'm being told everything is suddenly $33, 34, 35k? To make matters worse, all the vendors are telling me prices are only going to get higher?!? I hope this really isn't just a sales tactic to force me to buy at a higher price! I mean in 3ct cushions - these things are not flying off the shelves. I've seen the same 3ct cushions sitting on the market for months! But now all of the sudden the owners are unwilling to compromise on price? I mean seriously, the same stone that I was offered at $30k a month ago is now priced at $34k and the best the vendor is telling me they can do is $250 off?

I got it in my head, mostly from reading PS for months that I NEED a "Cushion Brilliant" with 8 mains and can't settle for anything less. I'm starting to question this. Is this just because this board is biased? I can get a Modified Brilliant in my price range and I'm sure the S.O. doesn't have a clue between the two. So do I buy the modified brilliant because the price is not insane (looking at $5k less for a similiar sized stone) and in the end the difference is negligble and somehow we've become cushion snobs here? Or, is it REALLY night and day?
 
Re: 3 Ct Cushion Cut Diamond - with Pictures and GIA! Help!?

I think you can find some nice modified brilliants but if you want the more 'antique' look then that may not be the best way to go.
 
Re: 3 Ct Cushion Cut Diamond - with Pictures and GIA! Help!?

athenaworth|1296007460|2833103 said:
Damn that's a pretty one.
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I agree!!! What about this one???? It faces up large too.
 
Re: 3 Ct Cushion Cut Diamond - with Pictures and GIA! Help!?

WallaWalla3|1296062441|2833625 said:
Ok. I've looked high and low and what I thought would be a pretty reasonable search: finding and H or I, 3 Ct Cushion brilliant that looks great for $30k has been a total loss? Two months ago there were tons of 3cts with these specs priced under 30k and now i'm being told everything is suddenly $33, 34, 35k? To make matters worse, all the vendors are telling me prices are only going to get higher?!? I hope this really isn't just a sales tactic to force me to buy at a higher price! I mean in 3ct cushions - these things are not flying off the shelves. I've seen the same 3ct cushions sitting on the market for months! But now all of the sudden the owners are unwilling to compromise on price? I mean seriously, the same stone that I was offered at $30k a month ago is now priced at $34k and the best the vendor is telling me they can do is $250 off?

I got it in my head, mostly from reading PS for months that I NEED a "Cushion Brilliant" with 8 mains and can't settle for anything less. I'm starting to question this. Is this just because this board is biased? I can get a Modified Brilliant in my price range and I'm sure the S.O. doesn't have a clue between the two. So do I buy the modified brilliant because the price is not insane (looking at $5k less for a similiar sized stone) and in the end the difference is negligble and somehow we've become cushion snobs here? Or, is it REALLY night and day?
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I think you CAN find a really nice modified brilliant but it will look totally different than a vintage cut like an AVC and will look different than an 8 main - it's all what you prefer. I like them all.

Here's a good example of a 2 carat modified that I find GORGEOUS:
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/halo-a-cushion-dont-mind-if-i-do.149580/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/halo-a-cushion-dont-mind-if-i-do.149580/[/URL]

ETA: The price increase isn't a sales tactic - the vendors are having to pay more as well -- see recent thread on this: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/diamond-prices-increased-by-3-000-in-one-month.155549/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/diamond-prices-increased-by-3-000-in-one-month.155549/[/URL]

Edit again: LOL! I hadn't noticed that you started that thread- oops. Based on the info there I don't believe it's a sales tactic.

Did you check out that GOG stone above? It faces up pretty large.
 
Re: 3 Ct Cushion Cut Diamond - with Pictures and GIA! Help!?

Ok. I saw the GOG stones. The E is clarity enhanced. So want to stay away from that. And can't go with the J. Will just be too "colorful" for the halo than the I's above. Or at least that's what I'm told. The vendor I'm working with also tells me right now the two above stones are the best two on the market in my price range and he reccomends not waiting a day longer and buying one before they're gone or the prices go up even higher than 30k. The first stone is obviously less nice than the second. But it is priced $3k less accordingly. So the question is, is this second stone worth 3k more? Or if i buy the 4 pavillion will i really notice that much of a difference? Both in shine and size (stone 1 is about .5mm in both length and width smaller).
 
Re: 3 Ct Cushion Cut Diamond - with Pictures and GIA! Help!?

I really like the 2nd stone. Have you contacted more than 1 vendor?
 
Re: 3 Ct Cushion Cut Diamond - with Pictures and GIA! Help!?

Yup, same price from them all. The kicker- it was offered to me for $3k less - a month ago. But they all say the NEW price is the best they can do. And it will actually be more if I wait longer because it will only go up. Feel like I'm getting ripped but don't have a choice.
 
Re: 3 Ct Cushion Cut Diamond - with Pictures and GIA! Help!?

Hi Walawala,

Just reading through this thread and it appears it has been planted in your mind that there is a cliff you will fall off of in going from an I to a J color. Ie ... that you will somehow break the barrier of going from white to yellow in just one letter of a grade. That is simply not true and a misconception. If you know you are fine with an I color and if you've visually compared I to J colors that are *equal in cut* you would be hard pressed to see the difference. You will however see a world more of difference amongst cut qualities. If you view my video tutorial on diamond color you will plainly see what I'm talking about and why cut is emphasized on the forums.

Kind regards,
 
Re: 3 Ct Cushion Cut Diamond - with Pictures and GIA! Help!?

Oh man I feel for you- I'd be bummed about having to pay 3k more as well. Do you love the stone? I wouldn't spend that much money unless I was sure it was the one.

ETA I agree with Rhino- if I was ok with I (I personally am) then I'd also be willing to look at Js (which I am as well).
 
Re: 3 Ct Cushion Cut Diamond - with Pictures and GIA! Help!?

WallaWalla - I only know what you've posted - but it sounds like a lot of pressure from the vendor... He might be right, I suppose, but you have to love the stone in the end. If your original specs are the top priorities, then you need to act on them. However, if you are open to what many of us have discovered, explore a little. It's amazing what unfolds. Then make your decision with all the info you have obtained.

Jonathan's idea is a good one - check out the video. I'm one of those color sensitive folks (as in I can discern it, not that I don't like warmer colors) - and the difference between those 2 grades isn't that great - particularly with a well cut stone.
 
Re: 3 Ct Cushion Cut Diamond - with Pictures and GIA! Help!?

CharmyPoo|1295917209|2832042 said:
Something has to give - you can't get all the specs in your budget unless you luckily find a second hand stone sold by a private seller.

The stone you picked is probably about as good as you can get given the constraints. We often over analyze here - you may not be able to tell the difference in real life.
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I agree with Charmy - I don't know that you can have it all without sacrificing CUT which is the #1 popular thing around these parts. Almost everyone here would sacrifice color or size... I would sacrifice color. But I implore you not to sacrifice the cut, because in the long run that's what is going to keep you in love far more than size or color.
 
Re: 3 Ct Cushion Cut Diamond - with Pictures and GIA! Help!?

Ok. So I've done what everyone has suggested. Educated myself about every aspect of cushions (I see them in my sleep), watched all the GOG videos, and read 100s and 100s of posts over the past four months that I have been looking. I've even searched my specs on Pricescope everyday for the past two months just in case something new came up.

To be honest, the second stone posted is EXACTLY what I'm looking for. Cushion Brilliant, 8 Mains, H or I Color and VS1 or VS2 clarity. But the question is are MY STANDARDS too high from reading all this information? Is there a bias on PS for 8 main chunky cut cushions? Or really does a 4 main or even a modified brilliant look just as nice to a normal human being? (You know, someone who hasn't spent half a year researching cushions). So my primary concern is, is it worth the extra $5k to have a "Cushion Brilliant" instead of a "4 Main" or "Modified Brilliant" (e.g with diamonds of the same size, color and clarity: diamond 2 worth $5k more than diamond 1? In magnified pictures we can obviously tell the difference. But in real life, in a setting?)

I think my biggest issue is that I'm concerned of paying too much. This may entirely be due to the fact that the same stone I'm likely going to buy was $3k less a month ago. But if prices really rose that much; then I guess there's nothing I can do. And I'm even more concerned, beacuse I've been repeadtedly told by this vendor that if I don't buy now prices could go up even higher! I don't know what I would do, if I don't buy and then the stone comes back $5k more another month later?!?

What type of margins are we really talking about? I've read that online vendors only make/mark up 10-20% on a stone? Can that be right? On a $30k stone, that's $3k-$6k. But when the price went up by $3k, the vendor told me the best he could do would be to take $250 off?

Then I'm told that if I want to sell back the stone under the one year buy-back policy, I'll only get 70% of what I paid. That's close to a $10k loss? And the trade-up policy on a stone that already costs $30k+, forgetaboutit!

$30k+ is a huge sum of money, I just want to make sure I'm getting what I pay for?
 
Re: 3 Ct Cushion Cut Diamond - with Pictures and GIA! Help!?

It's tough to make generalizations regarding cushions because there are so many different appearances within "cushion brilliant" and "cushion modified brilliant". If you want a more antique/chunky look because that's what you prefer, by all means get it. There are indeed some beautiful cushion modified brilliant diamonds (GOG has a video about these, and someone linked to sillyberry's BEAUTIFUL cushion). There are also some cushion modified brilliant diamonds that take on a more 'crushed ice' appearance, as well as some cushion brilliant diamonds that take on a 'crushed ice' appearance. That is why it is so critical with cushions to evaluate them on an individual basis WITH PICTURES and not just with numbers.

If you love the 2nd stone you posted then by all means get it! Can you get an ASET image? Since it is more than the J AVC I would encourage you to consider that one as well, because J colors can be beautiful in halo settings. Ultimately you should get what you prefer though!
 
Re: 3 Ct Cushion Cut Diamond - with Pictures and GIA! Help!?

slg47|1296152462|2834729 said:
It's tough to make generalizations regarding cushions because there are so many different appearances within "cushion brilliant" and "cushion modified brilliant". If you want a more antique/chunky look because that's what you prefer, by all means get it. There are indeed some beautiful cushion modified brilliant diamonds (GOG has a video about these, and someone linked to sillyberry's BEAUTIFUL cushion). There are also some cushion modified brilliant diamonds that take on a more 'crushed ice' appearance, as well as some cushion brilliant diamonds that take on a 'crushed ice' appearance. That is why it is so critical with cushions to evaluate them on an individual basis WITH PICTURES and not just with numbers.

If you love the 2nd stone you posted then by all means get it! Can you get an ASET image? Since it is more than the J AVC I would encourage you to consider that one as well, because J colors can be beautiful in halo settings. Ultimately you should get what you prefer though!
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slg47 summed it up very well. :praise: I second getting ASET on the 2nd stone and comparing it to the AVC J (if you like the look of AVCs). The J may be very very close in color to the I of the 2nd cushion.
 
Re: 3 Ct Cushion Cut Diamond - with Pictures and GIA! Help!?

I think years down the road, you're going to appreciate having spent a bit more to get a well cut stone. Immediately? Maybe not- some people can be immediately excited about a $30K puchase, others have to spend some time getting over the "ouch" to the pocket book.

Again, I'd personally go with the J AVC. As Rhino says, there's no magic line at J that makes a stone yellow. A properly graded GIA/AGS J is by no means yellow. If you were trying to halo an M and have all the stones match, I'd say don't do it. A J though? Totally possible.

I just think at the end of the day, you'll be better served with a nicely cut diamond, and it looks like you're going to have to give in some area to get that- and, IMO, you can squeeze another grade down in color to J and get a nice white stone. Or, spend a bit more and get the 2nd diamond, which, to my eye, looks a *lot* nicer than the first one- I suspect an AVC is probably a bit better in terms of performance than the second, but who knows by how much- if it matters. Still, it's your $ and you have to be comfortable with what you're getting for it. Good luck!

In terms of whether or not a layman can see a difference between a well cut and a mediocre cut diamond? Yes. Absolutely. They just don't know what they're looking at or why the stone is so sparkly. Usually the person assumes that the diamond is high color/high clarity first, rather than well cut. I've got an M colored OEC and I've had plenty of people ask why it's so sparkly, and then they automatically assume it's a high color that makes it so, not that it's well cut.
 
Re: 3 Ct Cushion Cut Diamond - with Pictures and GIA! Help!?

Thanks all for the advice. Because the trade-up policy is essentially not applicable in this case. What happens if I get the stone and then change my mind after the 10-day return policy and want to look for another stone? I'm trying to evalute buying right now, even at the $3k inflated price, or trying to wait it out for a little and risk the stone going up even more than that! I secretly suspect that prices might even go down in a few months, but maybe I'm completely wrong on this?

So, the question is, if I do buy and the 10 days pass what would my $30k stone really be worth on the open market? The vendor tells me that the only option they would be able to offer - because at that point they would own the stone from the wholesaler - would be under their 1-year buy back policy at 70%. But, wow, I would lose $9k in one year if I go that route! Isn't selling back at that price even less than they bought it from the wholesaler for?

At that point I could try to sell it independently myself (ebay? consignment?) but even there the fees are high or there are issues with fraud. What I'm trying to figure out is how often do people buy $30,000 cushions? One a month? One a year? The market for these stones has got to be significantly smaller than 1cts. Maybe I would never be able to sell it?

Maybe it's an industry issue, but I don't know of any other consumer goods or luxuries, where the second I buy it, it's worth $9k less in the exact same condition?
 
Re: 3 Ct Cushion Cut Diamond - with Pictures and GIA! Help!?

yeah, diamonds are not a good investment, but that's not why we buy them :) will the vendor of the "I" cushion make a video, or take pictures of it dropped into a halo setting? that might help you decide? you could also call GOG and ask them to do the same with the J AVC?
 
Re: 3 Ct Cushion Cut Diamond - with Pictures and GIA! Help!?

WallaWalla3|1296170058|2835098 said:
Thanks all for the advice. Because the trade-up policy is essentially not applicable in this case. What happens if I get the stone and then change my mind after the 10-day return policy and want to look for another stone? I'm trying to evalute buying right now, even at the $3k inflated price, or trying to wait it out for a little and risk the stone going up even more than that! I secretly suspect that prices might even go down in a few months, but maybe I'm completely wrong on this?

I wouldn't plan to keep the stone past the return policy if you don't plan on keeping it. It's highly unlikely that you'll be able to sell it for your purchase price. Diamonds aren't really investments - unless you happen to find the right buyer or keep the stone for many years then sell.

Maybe it's an industry issue, but I don't know of any other consumer goods or luxuries, where the second I buy it, it's worth $9k less in the exact same condition?
It's kind of like buying a car- once you drive it off the lot, the value drops significantly.
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I'd take Slg47's advice-- if you have the vendor make a video you can compare it to a video of the J AVC from GOG. (Have you checked out the AVC? I think it's loooooovely - you have 4 weeks to return it - per their site - and it has a lifetime trade up policy and they even have a buy-back policy on this stone of 75% of purchase price - since it has a "lifetime guarantee".) You can even ask them to set it in a halo (as slg47 also suggested)to get an idea of how it'd look - I've seen pics where they've done that for customers before. :) Maybe seeing pics of both stones set into a halo would help you see if the J AVC is much different in color than the I.
 
Re: 3 Ct Cushion Cut Diamond - with Pictures and GIA! Help!?

Hi Walla Walla,

One thing that I've learned here on PriceScope is that everyone seems to be going for the perfect cut. Its great to want only the best but like in most circumstances in life it might be better to give a little on something for the greater good. I personally just purchased a Cushion Modified Brilliant for my inventory that WOWED me like crazy. It sparkles tremendously, the color and clarity combination is excellent in the carat weight range it is in. It is an awesome buy at the price point as well. Frankly there isn't that much supply out there. It is very difficult to find exceptionally beautiful diamonds in the larger sizes these days. Especially the ones with the right combination of cut and quality and of course.. Price! A perfect I-VS2 Cushion Brilliant at 3.00ct is easily going to run over $30,000. If you want to stay under I say don't rule out all Cushion Modified Brilliants. I'm not sure why so many people are talking so badly about them. They too are diamonds and have feelings ;) But seriously, Cushion Modified's can be really amazing as well. You have to look at the overall specs of each.

As far as the price increase goes, many of the online retailers do not have a large inventory of in house diamonds (diamonds they purchase and put into their own inventories). They end up using a database available to jewelers with diamonds from different suppliers around the US and abroad. In turn, when prices on the wholesale side go up the price on the database changes and they have to charge based on the new price. Not all retailers are the same. There has been price increases on the wholesale side - mainly due to the lower supply and availability of goods.

Overall purchasing a diamond should not feel like a burden to you. A diamond is a magical, magnificent, wonderful and amazing stone and each one has its own unique characteristics. Just because the paper says "modified" does not mean it can't give you the majority of the amazing things a Cushion Brilliant will give you - and at a lower price. Don't rule them out.

Mark Broumand
 
Re: 3 Ct Cushion Cut Diamond - with Pictures and GIA! Help!?

If you compromise on cut, don't do it without an excellent upgrade policy... you may change your mind down the road.
 
Re: 3 Ct Cushion Cut Diamond - with Pictures and GIA! Help!?

Ok. Well I pulled the trigger and bought a stone. Its a 3.02 carat G VS2. I was told by the vendor that it was extremely beautiful, etc.

But now I have a slightly different problem. All the 2.5 carat cushions I looked at were a little too small (there measurements were around 7.88x7.88x5.35). I was told the other 3 carats the vendor sourced were "not as nice" as this stone and there was nothing better in the market. So I coughed up the extra cash and bought it.

But, when I finally saw the stone I purchased in person, it was the exact opposite reaction. HUGE! I hate to say this but the stone looks almost too big. The measurements are 9.15x8.90x5.40. Table 61.8%, Depth 62%.

But now I'm concerned since the setting that the significant other picked out and is 100% committed to is a substantial halo that the ring is going to look like a fake giant cocktail ring. And to make matters worse she has small fingers (size 4 to 4 1/2). Knowing that I can't change the setting, will a 3ct cushion in a substantial halo look ridiculous on a finger this size? If it helps, I've attached a somewhat blury picture of the stone on my pinky finger to give you an idea of how big it looks without a halo. For your refernce, my pinky is about a size 7.

It seems to me this stone is much flater on the face then the other stones I've seen. Is it possible this stone is too flat and hence why the size looks so large on the face? I wasn't told that by the vendor?

And, finally, (and this is a random question) - when you halo a cushion and one side is slightly longer - is it better to have the long side down the length of the finger or across the finger? Most of the cushion halos I've seen pictures of on here are lengthwise, but I didn't know if this is for a reason or if it's a matter of personal preference?


pinky.jpg
 
Re: 3 Ct Cushion Cut Diamond - with Pictures and GIA! Help!?

OH! MY! GOSH! :eek: That stone is HUUUUGGGEEE! Wow... on a size 4 WITH a halo.... seems like it'd be larger than the width of her finger... I don't think that looks *bad* - it's just a whole lotta ring/bling! :sun: It's a piece you'd definitely notice from afar IMO. Does your SO want a huge stand out ring? I personally am not opposed to that. :naughty: Is she dead set on the halo? Maybe do a daintier halo? I've attached a pic of a 5 carat cushion that Leon set in a delicate halo.

(Here's the thread: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/leon-mege-antique-cushion.140739/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/leon-mege-antique-cushion.140739/[/URL] -- you can search through it to see if the poster listed her ring size and the mm of that 5 carat to get an idea of how your stone would look in a halo..) I think it's gorgeous and not gaudy at all.

Also, do you mean the table on the stone is large?

Lastly, setting your stone N/S or E/W is purely personal preference. However, with such small fingers, I'd set it N/S.
 

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Re: 3 Ct Cushion Cut Diamond - with Pictures and GIA! Help!?

WallaWalla3|1295903642|2831724 said:
The ONLY guidance I've receieved from the significant other is she wants to go BIGGER in size rather than the better specs. So going under 3ct probably is not an option.
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I think this answers your question. You have bought the biggest and most beautiful diamond you could afford. You have chosen the best for the woman you love. She wanted BIG! I wouldn't worry.
 
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