Advice on this stone? (Princess Cut)

[KTBee]

Hi All,

First off, I have been thoroughly informed and entertained by the knowledge and wit of the posters here. Now, I'd like to solicit some of the same for my own edification.

I'm in the market for a princess cut stone and would like to know what you think of the following...I should begin by saying that I've seen this stone in person and really like it. But, as this is the biggest purchase of my life so far, I'm sure you can understand my reluctance to jump in. So here are the specs:

GIA Square Modified Brilliant

5.97x5.85x4.37
Dep: 74.7
Tab: 78
Grd: Slightly Thick
Cul: None
Pol: Excellent
Sym: Very Good
Flr: None
Color: D
Clarity: VVS2
Price: $7,080

So the only thing that causes hesitation is the table of 78%. I know that it's pretty high. The diamond itself looked great, but to be perfectly honest, I think most I've seen in this general range have been nice. And also, i don't know how much my eyes are being swayed by the stats.

So anyways, I'd like to hear what you think of this stone and whether my hesitation is warranted. Any thoughs?

 

[JayTee]

I have a friend who is looking for princess cut stones, so I will try to provide some points based on all things I've heard while shopping with him.

It sounds like you have your eye on an excellent stone from a color and clarity perspective. D VVS2 is top-notch and you would be paying a lot more to get any higher clarity. As for the table, looking at AGA Princess Cut Chart seems to indicate that the table places it in a 3A class, which might be lower than you're looking for, since all your other parameters are in the 1A/1B class on the AGA charts.

You didn't mention what size the stone was.

Hope that helps.

 

[KTBee]

Thanks a bunch JayTee. I forgot - the size of this stone is 1.25 carats. Would anyone else like to chime in to help a newbie?

 

[Richard Sherwood]

Hi K.T. Wide tables with correspondingly low crown height tables are pretty much the "norm" for princess cuts. The table is a bit wide, in the 3A Cut Class category as J.T. pointed out, but it just narrowly slips in (the 3A table category ranges from 77.1 to 82.0%.

With a wide table, low crown princess cut you'll get a lot of white light brilliance and less dispersed colors leaping off the bezel facets after they've been "bent" into the rainbow spectrum. But white light brilliance seems to be the princess cut's trademark.

The price is excellent. If the stone "talks to you", and you gotta have it, I wouldn't let either the table size or the price stop you.

I always advise everyone to buy contingent upon right-of-return after having the diamond checked out by an independent appraiser. It's a reasonable request, which most reasonable sellers will go along with.

Rich, GG
Sarasota Gemological Laboratory