Asscher cut diamond: is I color okay?

[ksreynolds74]

Hello all...this board has been extremely helpful thus far...

I am looking at buying a 1.5-1.75 ct asscher cut diamond...I can get a larger stone in VVS1 clarity with I color....is this stone okay in size and cut to go with an I?

I''ve been told table isn''t really important, but to keep the depth 65%-70% max...any more suggestions?

 

[Giangi]

Personally, I'd go with a VS 1/G-H color. The face up would be much better than an I for what concerns color, and clarity should be eye-clean. But if you find a great stone that is I/VVS 1, go for it! It should be white enough for a white gold or platinum setting.
Yes, table is very important. I like them as small as possible. 49-60% looks the very best. But you can go a bit up and down. It depends on what you're looking for. Do you want it to look like a Royal Asscher? If so, small table, higher depth and high crown. The depth... I'd advise you to stay above 65%. Crown at least 12% if you want it to look like a RA.
If you want a simple square emerald, you'll find out that most have a 70%++ table and a low (8-9%) crown.

 

[valeria101]

Oups, the previous post apeared while I was writing mine...

Your stone will probably be: hopefully a good cut, best clarity, acceptable color. It may be that step cuts (like emerald and asscher) show inclusions best, but why on earth get a VVS1 and go so low in color? Ok, I just wanted to make sure you know what premium you are paying for that clarity grade. If you do, than all is fine. But a G, VS1 or even VS2 will be cheaper (or bigger), just as clean (to the viewer or layperson handling 10X loupe, at least if not the 40X microscope) and visibly whiter.

If these comments DO NOT make sense to you (and to some they will not, I know), then your choice is a good one. Just do not pair an I color with some D-E sides, and it will be white all day, at least in that size. For me, even a 5 times biger stone will still scream WHITE if I color, but this is much, much more debatable than wether a 1-2 ct I looks white. This is all I know... It seems that you are going for a top stone, and Pricescope is a good place to start.

As for the table... It seems that you are buying a 'square emerald'. This may not be a problem, but it is a matter of choice. The older Asscher cuts (from whom today's square emerald get their marketing pitch) had smaller tables (50% or lower) and huge depth (80% is an example). Obviously, such a cut makes the stone look small for the weight and was slashed off the shelf a long time ago. Now there is a branded 'Royal asscher cut' made by the same producer which came up with the Asscher in the first place. The new version looks different from the old, but it legitimally carry the 'Asscher' name according to the respective pattent. All other stones are Asscher in name, step cut squares without the pedigree but with a great look nevertheless.