Another newbie to help!

[crazyinlove]

Hi everyone

I''m new here and I''ve been lurking a little today, and have learned a quite a bit. The boyfriend and I have just started looking at rings, and we were playing around online and realized that diamonds seem to be better quality for less, which is always good! From what I''ve tried on, I''m leaning toward a princess cut because I like the squarish shape. We''re hoping to hold our budget for the whole ring to $6000. I''ve been looking around at some random sites, but I found James Allen the most helpful because you can see a picture of the actual diamond.

Budget: less than $5000 for the diamond (I noticed on James Allen, they seem to have a discount for pricescope members, so I''ve been able to increase my budget a little when searching)

Size: Would love something around 1 carat, but would downgrade size a little for quality.

Cut: Ideal (or Excellent... On different websites their cuts seem to be graded slightly differently? I have learned from pricescope that cut is the most important aspect, so I don''t want to compromise on that)

Colour: G lowest (We are looking at a platinum setting, so I don''t want my diamond to look at all yellow, from what I''ve read here I think G would be safe)

Clarity: VS2 lowest (Has to be completely eye clean, with the types of settings we are looking at, you can see the diamond from all angles. I seem to pick up on any tiny inclusion, and I just know it would drive me crazy to be able to see anything. Definitely no black spots lol)

Here are a couple I found on James Allen that seem good to me, but perhaps you could point out anything I am missing, or which one would be the best choice. I don''t know a lot about the different angles and I have no idea what a girdle or culet is. So, if I could even weed out things that would tend not to look good based on the math (or even what you can see so far in the pictures), that would still help narrow the search. Also, are there any general "ideal" specs for a princess cut?

When I look at the pictures, they all look pretty good, but I also don''t really know what I''m looking for lol.

Any help would be very much appreciated, you all seem to know quite a bit more than I do, although I''m trying my best to catch up.

Thank you so much!

------------------------
Diamond 1
Shape: Princess
Lab: GIA
Carat weight: 1.04
Cut: Ideal
Color: G
Clarity: VS2
Certificate: GIA
Depth: 73.6
Table: 70
Polish: Excellent
Symmetry: Excellent
Girdle: Slightly thick to thick
Culet: None
Fluorescence: None
Measurements: 5.79*5.60*4.12
Price: $4,720
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1109938.asp

------------------------
Diamond 2
Shape: Princess
Lab: GIA
Carat weight: 0.96
Cut: Ideal
Color: F
Clarity: VVS1
Certificate: GIA
Depth: 71.7
Table: 66
Polish: Very Good
Symmetry: Very Good
Girdle: Thin
Culet: None
Fluorescence: None
Measurements: 5.59*5.38*3.86
Price: $4,910
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/F-VVS1-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1174694.asp

------------------------
Diamond 3
Shape: Princess
Lab: GIA
Carat weight: 1.01
Cut: Ideal
Color: G
Clarity: VS2
Certificate: GIA
Depth: 73.6
Table: 71
Polish: Excellent
Symmetry: Very Good
Girdle: Medium
Culet: None
Fluorescence: None
Measurements: 5.57*5.45*4.01
Price: $4,300
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1129391.asp

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 6/16/2008 10:35:24 PM
Author:crazyinlove

. I''ve been looking around at some random sites, but I found James Allen the most helpful because you can see a picture of the actual diamond.

Budget: less than $5000 for the diamond (I noticed on James Allen, they seem to have a discount for pricescope members, so I''ve been able to increase my budget a little when searching)

I can''t comment on the stones since I don''t know the Princess cut too well but Whiteflash and Good Old Gold also post pictures of their actual inhouse stones. You will want an Aset of the stones. Welcome to Pricescope.

 

[JulieN]

I like the F VVS the most.

 

[crazyinlove]

Thanks Skippy, I didn''t realize other sites did that too, I will definitely check them out. What does an ASET show by the way?


And Julie, I was sort of leaning that at way as well. What is it that makes you feel that would be the best one? The clarity? The balance of the different aspects?


Thanks!

 

[JulieN]

The pictures are all I care about.

1 looks boring--difficult ot explain. Does not look bright.

3 looks dark.

 

[rickpiwo]

Hey Crazyinlove!
Congrats on ring shopping, it was an amazing time for me and I hope for you as well. To be honest, I am a RB kinda guy, but with the princess cut, I think you could get a little bigger stone in you stayed at VS2 and went to H or even I in color. Go and see some in the stores. I dont think there is a big difference. I am all about the biggest bang for your buck. Also, depending on the stone, an SI1 could be eye clean, you will need to look at it. I bought mine last week at Bluenile....some think they are a little more expensive, but I think they are on line with the rest and have a PHENOMAL return policy.
I think, in my honest opinion, a VVS2 or VS1 is sort of a waste, considering they are both eyeclean. Unless the stone is many carats, I think that you could also get a away with h or i color, but I think you should check around the edges of the stone in a Princess, checking for color there.

I could be wrong, hope not

I wish you the best!

Rick

 

[honey22]

I would check out the AGS Ideal Princesses from Good old Gold or Whiteflash. It sounds like you need to stay in the VS zone for mindclean reasons so that''s ok. You could safely drop to H colour, but if you really want a G, then go for it. You need to be happy in your mind as well!

 

[crazyinlove]

Thanks for the thoughts everyone.

I''m not necessarily "stuck" on a G, I''m just afraid that if I go lower, it might show colour against platinum, which I do NOT want.

Also, you''re right, I don''t think I can go lower than VS2... "mindclean" instead of eyeclean lol, oh well!

I know I can get a larger diamond if I compromise on some things, but I don''t actually like anything bigger on my hand anyway, my ring size is a 4.5, so I think around a carat is enough for me!

I did look at GOG and I found this one. It looks really nice to me in the pics... Thoughts?