shape
carat
color
clarity

Advice on Buying Princess Cut Diamonds

Status
Not open for further replies. Please create a new topic or request for this thread to be opened.

northstar1808

Rough_Rock
Joined
Apr 7, 2009
Messages
2
Hi I was wondering if anyone can give me advice on what to look for when buying a princess cut diamond. What measurements are good (eg. table %, depth %, length/width ratio)? I have done some research and heard it is important to have the pavilion and crown angles however most certifications do not have this information. What do you do when the angle information is not available?

I also saw at http://diamonds.pricescope.com/fnc1.asp the ranges for the measurements but I''m still confused as to what criteria would make a diamond a good princess cut diamond. I also heard that the table should be less than the depth, is that true as well?

Desperate for help,
Diana
 

Mrs W

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Sep 21, 2008
Messages
810
look for AGS 0 graded princess cut diamonds.....your best bet. Also, get ASET image, you cannot go by numbers with princess cuts, sorry im not more helpful
 

stone-cold11

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Sep 9, 2008
Messages
14,083
Date: 4/8/2009 12:40:24 AM
Author: Mrs W
look for AGS 0 graded princess cut diamonds.....your best bet. Also, get ASET image, you cannot go by numbers with princess cuts, sorry im not more helpful

Ditto. AGS0 cut graded princess is best bet if you are buying blind, but if an ASET image is available from the vendor, other labs are just as nice but you will need to do more leg work.

If you need stone suggestions and thinking of buying online, post your budget and specs and we can help you look around.
 

Lorelei

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Apr 30, 2005
Messages
42,064
Date: 4/8/2009 12:36:13 AM
Author:northstar1808
Hi I was wondering if anyone can give me advice on what to look for when buying a princess cut diamond. What measurements are good (eg. table %, depth %, length/width ratio)? I have done some research and heard it is important to have the pavilion and crown angles however most certifications do not have this information. What do you do when the angle information is not available?

I also saw at http://diamonds.pricescope.com/fnc1.asp the ranges for the measurements but I'm still confused as to what criteria would make a diamond a good princess cut diamond. I also heard that the table should be less than the depth, is that true as well?

Desperate for help,
Diana
Welcome!

There aren't any ideal measurements such as depth, table etc for Princess, however it is true that generally the table should be less than the depth. The best way is to buy GIA Princess which have been hand selected from a trusted vendor, with all the info and images provided in order to choose, or look at AGS0 cut grade Princess - but with these images are also very useful in order to make sure the diamond is what you actually want.

The images needed are in particular ASET, detailed photos and Idealscope, this link explains how they work and why they are important.

http://www.highperformancediamonds.com/index.php?page=education-performance

I hope this helps!
 

JasonFaber

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jan 24, 2009
Messages
74
I also agree on what everyone is saying, as buying an AGS0 cut grade is an almost garanteed bet. Also, many AGS certified diamonds do have Aset images of the diamond as well, along with the angles and %s. But, if your budget cannot handle the additional 30-80% increase in price from an AGS cut, then I would recommend the following.....



Just a great starting point as to how some people look for brilliant princess cut diamonds that cannot recieve Aset Images or that is AGS certified;
(doesn''t apply to all princess cut diamonds, but a higher percentage of good cuts do)

- TABLE = A premium (1A) princess cut diamond should have the table at 68% or smaller (69%-70% can look great too)
- DEPTH = Most great cuts usually have the depth at a higher % then the table (a lot of times around 72-75%)
- Girdle = a Girdle with a large variance (Vthin - Vthick) is usually looked down upon, unlike one that is perfectly even (strait: thin, medium, or slightly thick).
Although it doesn''t always effect the diamonds brilliance/fire.
- Clarity = Unless you are picky, choosing a diamond that is SI1-SI2 isn''t necessarily a bad thing as long as it is eye clean, and it makes a diamond more affordable.
- L/W Ratio = Princess cuts are supposed to be square, so having a diamond with a L/W ratio of 1.1 or higher will make the diamond look rectangle.



I was not able to afford an AGS princess cut diamond, so I bought myself an Aset-scope kit, selected a great "potential" diamond on Pricescope (based on what little information GIA certificates gives), and ended up getting a great diamond. And even if I was disappointed in the diamond that I had purchased, I could have used the full 30 day return/exchange policy that most GOOD retailers have and selected a different one.





Specs;

Carat Weight: 0.91
Measurments: 5.31x5.22x3.84
Color: H
Clarity: VVS2
Depth: 73.6%
Table: 69%
Girdle: Thick
Price: $3300










Aset Close Image1 (center).JPG
 

jstarfireb

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Mar 24, 2007
Messages
6,232
Mmmmm, Jason, I never get tired of looking at your princess and its great ASET.

Northstar - the advice others have given you is great; I don''t have much more to add, just to echo that you really can''t go by numbers alone to find a great princess. Are you open to buying online? You can save a lot of cash and get a killer stone that way. If you are, just give us your budget and desired size, color, and clarity, and we can get your search started.

For example, if you have a $5000 budget, I''d look into one of these two diamonds (you would have to verify that they''re eye-clean).

My princess came from Whiteflash...they don''t have too much stock right now, although I''ve been eyeing this yummy looking X-factor (a princess with cut corners). Great price too!
 

northstar1808

Rough_Rock
Joined
Apr 7, 2009
Messages
2
Thanks so much for all of your informative comments. I don''t know what my budget is because my boyfriend is the one who will be buying the diamond
1.gif
. We are just doing a lot of research before we go and look at loose diamonds. I know he is open to looking for a diamond online. So I will pass on this information to him and when he finds a few diamonds online he will post them. Thanks so much again for everyone''s help.
 

Rockdiamond

Ideal_Rock
Trade
Joined
Jan 7, 2009
Messages
9,711
I agree with everyone who;s saying not to buy blind- you really need to look at some stones to see what you like.
I do not put a lot of stock into any of the formulas that you may find online.

One thing which has not been mentioned is that the AGS0 princess cuts are pretty deep.
Clearly a lot of folks like the look- but many non AGS0 princess cuts which are also well cut have a larger appearance for their weight- this is important to many shoppers.
 

jstarfireb

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Mar 24, 2007
Messages
6,232
Status
Not open for further replies. Please create a new topic or request for this thread to be opened.
Be a part of the community Get 3 HCA Results
Top