Advice needed - Emerald -shaped diamond

[sklingem]

Hi guys - thanks in advamce for your input. I am looking to buy an emerald cut diamond and have been going through some of the advice on this site! I have a few remaining questions that I hope I can get answers to:

(A)I read that for an Emerald shaped-diamonds color and clarity matter more as compared to other shapes, meaning that lower color grades may appear more readily as are larger inclusions (actually SI seems to be discouraged for this cut?). Now I know that the tolerance for off-white and inclusions is variable and subjective, but should I even start looking at SI and I/H colored emerald shaped diamonds? I am planning on buying online so I want to reduce the chance of sending stones back and forth too much. The above assumes that I am going to get a very good-ideal cut diamond, with at least very good symmetry and polish and probaby between 0.9 and 1.1 carats.

(B) Talking of "Ideal" cuts, many websites'' values for depth and table seem to deviate quite a lot from the AGA cut chart values for "ideal". What should I rely on? What the websites (Blue Nile, Uniondiamond etc.)label as "Ideal" or the AGA chart?

Thanks,
S.

 

[strmrdr]

H is ok in smaller sizes for a lot of people even in an EC
avoid si online.

take the cut ratings with a grain of salt.

small table in the 50s to low 60s with a reasonable depth is the first criteria.
m girdle or thicker
l/w ratio is a personal choice.
crown height is important and has too be done once called in.
Work with a vendor that will call in stones and get you pictures!
GOG goes one step further and does videos which can be very useful for an EC plus they will call 2 in free too take pictures for serious customers who are looking to buy right away.
They can get in most any EC listed on the PS search.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

I don''t know anything about emeralds in particular, but thought I''d chime in on the color/clarity issues with step cuts. I think that before you make any decisions at all, you just have to go to jewellers and see what you like. I didn''t know anything about step cuts at all before we got mine, so I just spent a lot of time figuring out what I liked based on what I saw with my eyes.

First, you have to find out how color sensitive you are, so go look at some Hs, Is or even Js and see if you like the hint of warmth. I know Tbrube has an I colored emerald in a halo and I loooooove it. There are also some J colored asschers on here in more antique settings that are grogeous. DiamanteBlu has a 6 carat emerald/elongated asscher that is a K and it is beautiful and vintage looking. I think that those who are looking for a more vintage look like a bit of warmth. I went with an F because I am color senstive, but I''m really loving the lower colors now--this is why the more research you do in person, the better!

Clarity can be tricky because it''s so subjective. I only saw a couple of SI asschers and unless you looked at them from the side, they were eye clean. So by definition they were eye clean, but I knew that if I coud see the inclusion from the side, I''d be staring at it all the time. Yes, inclusions are more noticable in step cuts because you can see into the belly of the diamond, but it just depends on how picky you are. I decided on a VS2, and you can''t see anything from any angle, but having a VS2 in a step cut isn''t a guarantee. If you buy online, be sure to ask the vendor if they are eye clean from YOUR definition if yours is different from the industry standard.

I''m always a big proponent of going to a bunch of jewellers and seeing what you like with your own eyes--especially with fancy cuts because everybody has their own individual preferences.

 

[Lorelei]

Welcome!

Personally I would try to get to a store and look at some similarly graded ( GIA or AGS) diamonds in this shape, so you can get an idea of your personal colour preference. Then you know what to look for when buying online.

For clarity, I would stick to VS2 and above in the size you mention. I would also contact a vendor such as Whiteflash or Good old Gold to start with, tell them what you are looking for and your budget, and they can use their expertise to help you. Often the cut analysis is done on in house diamonds, such as ASET images which are very helpful, along with photographs of the diamond which can help you decide. They can advise you on cut too and how it all fits together. With fancy cuts, the numbers can be a guide, but they don't tell the whole story, so an expert vendor can help you sort out the best cut ones according to the numbers and the individual diamond's performance.

Hope this helps.

ASET info here - https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/why-we-prefer-aset-to-ideal-scope-with-fancy-shapes.73949/

www.whiteflash.com and www.goodoldgold.com

 

[chrono]

Here''s stats that will help you get started:

Colour: H and better because fancies like ECs tend to show body colour. This is subjective to the wearer''s taste/tolerance level. But the smaller the stone, the less obvious the colour. So for a 1 ct stone, H is perfectly fine.
Clarity: VS2 and better. No point getting VVS because even with a VS, you can''t see a thing and I haven''t seen any eye clean SI1s.
Table: 65% and under to avoid a glassy look and for more fire
Depth: 68% and under to avoid having a smaller diameter diamond
Crown height: 10% and higher for more fire
Girdle: Avoid very thin and under, very thick and over to avoid chipping and hidden weight. An even medium girdle is very hard to find so don''t aim for one.
Polish: Very Good and better
Symmetry: Very Good and better

Since ECs cannot be judged totally on the numbers, I would also get pictures of the actual stone from the vendor. I know that Blue Nile does not provide this service. I recommend sticking with vendors who can provide you other proofs that the stone is good or bad using tools such as an ASET. An Idealscope is fine but ASET is better.