An Oval on a budget

[MiamiCane]

Hello everyone, I am kind of new to the diamond world but I think I have a fairly good idea of what I want. I am looking for an oval diamond that would look great set east and west. Here is a summary of what I am looking for...

Total Budget = $4,300 (just for the stone)

Oval cut...( I want to make sure it shines!)
minimal bowtie
1.1-1.25 ct
F-I color
SI1 clarity

The problem is, this only gets me to a certain point. I don''t know enough about the other stuff (pavilion angles, table, depth, etc.) to make sure I have the right diamond. The other thing I know is that I don''t want the ratio to be too large, hopefully under 1.33.

Does anyone have any recommendations on diamonds that fit this profile? I have been looking online all day and I can''t get a grasp for everything outside of the weight, color and clarity. Any help you all can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Ciao

 

[Gypsy]

No worries! Here you go:

Try to shoot or a 1 A cut.
Also I would not go below very good/ very good for polish and symmetry... unless everything else was just right and I saw the stone in person-- or a reputable vendor who was actually looking at the stone told me all was well.

As for vendors: I would use either Engagement Rings Direct's Mark Turnowski or Goog Old Gold -- Tim or Jonathan for an oval.

I would stick to one vendor and work with them. Ovals are very tricky to shop for and with either of these two vendors you will be in good hands.

I would just drop them a note that says something like:

Hi Mark or Tim,
I'm a pricescope member looking for an oval diamond for an engagement ring and it was recommended I get in touch with you. I am looking for an oval diamond around 1.1 -1.25 carats, F-I in color -- eyeclean in clarity with no bowtie and a length to width ratio between 1.25-1.33 (for example). Can you help me find the right diamond for this ring? My budget is $ 4300 for a diamond and I obviously want the best cut, brightest oval I can get for the money (VG polish and symmetry please).

Thanks,

YOUR NAME.

 

[CBurby]

So then would this would this be a good stone? I would like to see it in person, but I just want to know what you think..

1.12ct Oval
H Color
SI Clarity
Depth 61%
Table 58%
Polish/Symmetery: Very Good/Good
Girdle: Thin-Thick
Culet: None
Ratio : 1.31
Fluorescence: None

 

[CBurby]

Sorry for bothering you under someone else''s post. I just saw you guys were talking about ovals, and thats exactly what I am getting!

 

[CBurby]

By the way MiamiCane, you are in great hands with Gypsy taking care of you. She has taught me everything I know about ovals. I am so close to getting mine now and I couldnt have done it without her.

 

[MiamiCane]

I am not sure if you are asking me or Gypsy, but I don't know too much. Just looking at Gypsy's chart that she posted, it looks like that is a pretty nice stone you found CBurbs. How about you find me one just like it?

That chart is great Gypsy, I will make sure to refer to it when looking at ovals. Thanks so much!

 

[Gypsy]

Date: 7/11/2006 8:27:59 PM
Author: CBurby
So then would this would this be a good stone? I would like to see it in person, but I just want to know what you think..

1.12ct Oval
H Color
SI Clarity
Depth 61%
Table 58%
Polish/Symmetery: Very Good/Good
Girdle: Thin-Thick
Culet: None
Ratio : 1.31
Fluorescence: None

Hey Christian... that's the Quest diamond right? Looks really good. Only quibble is the symmetry but it's a relatively small quible with ovals-- especially after you've seen it and liked it. Have you seen it in person yet? I saw the pics you posted, they were nice. Also... is Quest setting it for you? ETA: Just saw that you haven't seen it in person yet. Numbers and pics look good though... I say go for it and see it in person-- either have it sent to you unmounted or go in if you are close to Quest.

Maimi Cane... Mark T actually found another very nice oval for Christian too... he might still have it or have access to it. What happened with that one Christian?

 

[tnycoval]

Hey there,

My first post that I feel I can contribute a little something too....
I too have been looking into ovals for the past few months. It'' s been really tough trying to figure out measurements that equate to a decent looking stone, especially considering all the info out there is mainly for rounds. I plan on posting an in depth account of my oval experiences soon enough. Through the arduous search so far, most ovals I have seen are cut pretty deep 64% and above. This is going off the standard diamond database, barring select, in stock stones other retailers may have on hand. I am also on a modest budget similar to yours, and found it difficult to find a stone I was all around happy with. there was always an imbalance that was off the scales. The last stone I had purchased, but ultimately returned was a great cut in my opinion, it sparkled with fire like MAD, but was J color. I thought J would be acceptable, but after spending a few days with it, my fiancee and I decided it was too borderline in color to be acceptable to us. I think it is true that ovals definitely show color more than rounds. Though color is a widely subjective issue, I personally would try to stick with H and above for ovals. As far as some of your other points, I think 1.33 and above is good for an oval, I tended not to be too crazy about "chuncky" ovals that are squat and closer to rounds, and they look a little bit like misshapen rounds. Below are the specs of the last oval I was going to go with:

Brilliant Oval
VS2 (super clean under loupe, a few twinning wisps, looked like an IF to my untrained eyes)
J color
1.32c
W-6.07mm x L-8.65mm x D-3.70mm
L/W ratio 1.43
Good for both Polish & Symmetry
Depth% - 61%
Girdle% - 4.3% (pretty thick, but spread on stone was still good)
Tabe% - 53%
CrownAngle- 34.2 (average)
Crown Ht%.- 16.1%
PavilAngle- 39 (average)
PavilDepth- 41% (high)
Roughly $4.5K

This was one of the best stones I found as far as straight measurements go (it rated about a 1b on the aga cut chart Gypsy posted), I have yet to find a 1a within the my criteria and budget. I can safely say this stone had tremendous depth and fire, which I absolutely loved, unfortunately the J color was the deal breaker. The light return was also not the best on this stone, but for me, the fire made it up. Don''t be too intimidated by the whole numbers thing, it''s not so bad once you learn it. It porbably took about a month of solid research before I came to a reasonable understanding of how the numbers work and interact together. The number study has to go hand in hand with viewing diamonds so you can eqate those numbers to something tangible. Remember that my examples are merely a guide based on my own experiences and preference, the key is to see as many stones as possible. In the beginning, seeing a stone will probably not do much as well, because you need to have a good range of reference to know what you are seeing. I thought the first stone I saw was amazing. It wasn''t until I saw 6 or 7 more, and spent a day or two with them at home under different lighting conditions that I realized the first stone was not so great. I think it was important for me to learn how all the numbers work so I can associate a certain look in diamonds that have a certain number set. This helped in my future searches.
Hope this helps a little.
T

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 7/15/2006 3:46:27 PM
Author: tnycoval
Hey there,

My first post that I feel I can contribute a little something too....
I too have been looking into ovals for the past few months. It'' s been really tough trying to figure out measurements that equate to a decent looking stone, especially considering all the info out there is mainly for rounds. I plan on posting an in depth account of my oval experiences soon enough.

Please do! I think research on other cuts is very NEEDED and if the pros aren''t going to focus on it (they seem to be busy with the rounds), then we need to.

One of the things I''ve been tossing in my head on longer ratio cuts is that the ideal depth from the long side isn''t necessarily the ideal depth from the short side. The crown angles should be the same for both (correct me if I''m wrong), but the pavillion angles will be different since it comes to a point. If you focus on a depth for one I think you''re more inclined to get a bow tie... I don''t know if an average should be ideal or if finding the right angle for one length or the other is more preferred. I''ve heard you only get the stats on the "short" side, but with bowtie being such an issue with ovals, maybe the angles for the "long" side need to be considered more?