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Am I being realistic?

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Samantha Red

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I have come down to two types of stone. Either an oval or cushion.

I have emailed Whiteflash, James Allen and ERD asking if they can source me something in the region of 1.5 carats for $4000. I have stated that I am prepared to sacrifice colour as I have seen some amazingly white J''s on here, if the cut is right. The stone must, however, be eye clean. Do you think they will be able to find something and will a lower colour be more problematic in these fancy shapes?
 

Arcam

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i''d recommend looking at these stones in person. My feeling is that the photos on here really don''t show the color like seeing them in person (especially for determining "whiteness". Also, a J oval or cushion show color much differently than a round brilliant. You may be very comfortable with a J (or even lower), but I think its best to look in person.
 

mrssalvo

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I agree, a fancy is going to show more color and I''ve heard anything lower than an H will normally show the warmth that the lower colors have. cehra is a J cushion color owner but was actually seeking a warm stone, she wanted to go even lower. I do understand trying to maximize the budget and color might be they way to do it. Just be prepared that normally going that low in a fancy you will see color, it''s not going to mask it the same way an ideal cut round will.
 

coda72

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Well to be honest with you, I think you are being unrealistic to want a well-cut diamond of that size for only $4000. I don''t know much about cushions, but you will definitely see some color in a J oval. I have an I colored round, and I can see some color from the side. Maybe an ideal cut round I would still buy a J, but I wouldn''t buy a J colored oval. It would be just too tinted for me. Also, $4000 is a pretty low budget for 1.5 carats. My 1 carat diamond was $4200! Here''s one of the lowest price 1.5 carat ovals I see that looks decent by the numbers, and it''s still over your budget. It''s also a J.

http://www.bluenile.com/diamonds_details.asp?pid=LD00989593
 

FireGoddess

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Date: 2/27/2007 8:15:25 AM
Author: coda72
Well to be honest with you, I think you are being unrealistic to want a well-cut diamond of that size for only $4000.
Absolutely...I paid a heck of a lot more than that for my 1.5 ct pear. A lot more. Granted, it''s not a J or even near-colorless for that matter, but for 4K you are asking the impossible!
 

strmrdr

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personaly id rather have a nmo or above h than a J in those cuts.
J is enough off white that it drives me nuts but not enough to trigger my thats kewl responce.

edit: I wanted to clarify im talking fancies not RB's.
With RB's im kewl with J up to around 1.5-2ct in a well cut stone.
 

decodelighted

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Oh boy ... yes, you''re being unrealistic. VERY unrealistic IMHO. And YES - "J" color will probably be very apparent in either CUSHION or OVAL shaped stones. And I mean AGS/GIA "J" ... EGL will be way, way, way MORE apparent.

Your best bet may be to look for extrememly shallow stones that have a big "face up" bang but less carat weight. You''ll lose out on fire & sparkle but get a bigger look for the $. For instance .. you might find a 1.2 stone that faces up as large as most well-cut 1.5 cts. I still don''t know if a 4K price tag is in the cards though ....

Perhaps you don''t mind tint in your stone ... some cherish the antique cast of especially CUSHION cut stones in antique style settings. It seems more realistic of the period maybe.

I hope you get a chance to look at the stones in person before deciding though - some people end up being more color sensitive than they expect & end up trading in stones almost immediately when they "get real" with themselves.
 

Cehrabehra

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Date: 2/27/2007 7:50:51 AM
Author: mrssalvo
I agree, a fancy is going to show more color and I''ve heard anything lower than an H will normally show the warmth that the lower colors have. cehra is a J cushion color owner but was actually seeking a warm stone, she wanted to go even lower. I do understand trying to maximize the budget and color might be they way to do it. Just be prepared that normally going that low in a fancy you will see color, it''s not going to mask it the same way an ideal cut round will.
yeah and it shows every bit of color.... I love it!!!

my concern is the budget - I really don''t know if you can find it in that size?? I''ll get back to this later LOL I love cushions!!! I came here for an oval and walked away with broad shoulders ;-)
 

Cehrabehra

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Cehrabehra

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Date: 2/27/2007 4:06:14 PM
Author: strmrdr
personaly id rather have a nmo or above h than a J in those cuts.
J is enough off white that it drives me nuts but not enough to trigger my thats kewl responce.

edit: I wanted to clarify im talking fancies not RB''s.
With RB''s im kewl with J up to around 1.5-2ct in a well cut stone.
even though I have a fancy J I still totally agree with you storm LOL I think I''d be happy with an L or M though.... but I''ve embraced my J - it is what it is! LOL I think it also makes a diference to ME if you''re looking at a bright yellow or greenish tint vs a brownish tint. Mine is brownish and I vastly prefer that for the slightly colored... someone called it champagne and i think mine is too white to be true champagne but that''s the range.... I call it ivory or antique white.
 

Samantha Red

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Just a note to say thank you so much everyone for your valued advise. I was thinking the same way and you all have confirmed my fears. My problem is not knowing how colour sensitive I am. My plan is to go to lots of B and M places this weekend, who generally carry the lower colours and have a really good look and see how I feel. No doubt on Monday I will be the looking for half a carat D rb LOL.

Again, thank you so much for putting so much time and effort in, especially Gypsy for those lots of links

You are all very kind
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dianne

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You will be amazed at how much it would help you to look at some diamonds. You can compare differences and you may find that you love a stone that has a different mix of the 4Cs than what you thought you would want. Staying within a budget, and most of us have to do that, will encourage you to get creative with the 4Cs and find a balance that is right for you. You may be surprised that you are drawn to a warmer color stone instead of the icy white colorless ones---which saves you money. You may find that you are ok with an eye-clean SI1 or SI2 so you don''t pay the extra $$ for Flawless when you, with the naked eye, can''t see the difference. Everyone has different preferences for different reasons but I highly suggest that you get a good cut if the performance of the stone is important to you.

Take your time, don''t get discouraged, and ask lots of questions. The folks on Pricescope are fantastic and, as you have already found, they are willing to share experiences and knowledge to help you.

I wish you the best of luck and look forward to seeing the pics of your future perfect diamond!
 

Unearthed

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Date: 2/28/2007 3:00:32 AM
Author: Samantha Red
Just a note to say thank you so much everyone for your valued advise. I was thinking the same way and you all have confirmed my fears. My problem is not knowing how colour sensitive I am. My plan is to go to lots of B and M places this weekend, who generally carry the lower colours and have a really good look and see how I feel. No doubt on Monday I will be the looking for half a carat D rb LOL.

I don''t think that will be the case at all. First off everything in a B&M looks white
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and most likely they won''t have a D to show you. When you look at stones, keep in mind their lighting makes everything look awesome.
 

jaz464

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Date: 2/28/2007 8:59:27 AM
Author: Unearthed
I don't think that will be the case at all. First off everything in a B&M looks white
20.gif
and most likely they won't have a D to show you. When you look at stones, keep in mind their lighting makes everything look awesome.
I must say, I never noticed that. Unless I am in Cartier,Tiffany's or similar, most everything I see in the B & M's looks quite included and tinted.
 

Unearthed

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Really?? They actually use special lighting to make certain colors stand out and filter others away.
 

havernell

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A little trick for getting around the store lighting problem when you look at diamonds:

Place your hand about six to eight inches above the diamond, so you shade it from the main store lighting. This doesn''t totally cut down on the artificial light, but it at least blocks enough of it to let you get a more accurate look at the stone.

Also, if the store has windows, look at the stone right next to the windows to see it in more natural light.

Good luck on your diamond quest, Samantha!
 
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