Asscher Questions!

[aTuWitty]

Howdy all! Though I've just signed up, I've been a bit of a lurker for the last year and some looking for diamond info, so I've been in and out here. However, the time has finally come for me to pick up a ring and a stone. I've found a setting, but I'm currently looking for a stone. The jeweler from whom I am buying the setting showed me two asschers, one really nice and the other pretty hideous (visible inclusions, badly cut, etc), but both were in a ridiculous price range. I'm looking for between 2000 and 2700 or so. Because of this, and the fact that every other storefront jeweler has tried to charge me twice what I'm looking to pay, I've decided to buy from an online retailer (Blue Nile is my choice at the moment, but that's not set in stone).

Currently, I'm looking at these two stones. (copy paste to go directly to the diamond cert page)

http://img.bluenile.com/is/image/certs/?src={/2044/GCAL200270098_zoom.jpeg}&fmt=jpg
and
http://img.bluenile.com/is/image/certs/?src={/2044/GCAL200260012_zoom.jpeg}&fmt=jpg

For some reason, the second jumps out at me. It seems a bit more of a modern asscher look with its bigger corners, but I'm concerned about how it will look in person, since it seems so very dark in comparison with the other stone. I'm a huge fan of the octavia asscher (though I can't afford one), which may be why I like the shape of the second. Can anyone give me any insight into how these stones would compare head to head? I've been searching for a long time, but nobody ever has asschers, so I've seen maybe 10 of them in person. Also, is Blue Nile a good online source for loose diamonds, or would y'all recommend another place?

Thank you so much! I'm very open to suggestions and critiques on anything I've posted.
-Doug

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 3/5/2010 3:05:12 PM
Author:aTuWitty
Howdy all! Though I've just signed up, I've been a bit of a lurker for the last year and some looking for diamond info, so I've been in and out here. However, the time has finally come for me to pick up a ring and a stone. I've found a setting, but I'm currently looking for a stone. The jeweler from whom I am buying the setting showed me two asschers, one really nice and the other pretty hideous (visible inclusions, badly cut, etc), but both were in a ridiculous price range. I'm looking for between 2000 and 2700 or so. Because of this, and the fact that every other storefront jeweler has tried to charge me twice what I'm looking to pay, I've decided to buy from an online retailer (Blue Nile is my choice at the moment, but that's not set in stone).

Currently, I'm looking at these two stones.

http://img.bluenile.com/is/image/certs/?src={/2044/GCAL200270098_zoom.jpeg}&fmt=jpg
and
http://img.bluenile.com/is/image/certs/?src={/2044/GCAL200260012_zoom.jpeg}&fmt=jpg

For some reason, the second jumps out at me. It seems a bit more of a modern asscher look with its bigger corners, but I'm concerned about how it will look in person, since it seems so very dark in comparison with the other stone. I'm a huge fan of the octavia asscher (though I can't afford one), which may be why I like the shape of the first. Can anyone give me any insight into how these stones would compare head to head? I've been searching for a long time, but nobody ever has asschers, so I've seen maybe 10 of them in person. Also, is Blue Nile a good online source for loose diamonds, or would y'all recommend another place?

Thank you so much! I'm very open to suggestions and critiques on anything I've posted.
-Doug

Hi Doug and welcome!

Personally, I would work with a vendor that can supply images such as ASET and clear, detailed photographs. Asschers can't be chosen by the basic numbers. Also useful is a Sarin report in order to get the crown height.

Blue Nile are an excellent company but they won't supply images which are essential for these shapes apart from those photos on those reports, personally I don't find them very useful for evaluation.

Vendors which supply the above and that have a good rep for Asschers are;

www.goodoldgold.com

www.whiteflash.com

www.jamesallen.com

When choosing an asscher, here are a few basic guidelines, although these can vary for antique style asschers or different proportion configurations.

Depth - 70% or less
Table - 65% or less
Crown height - 10% or greater

Then the rest comes down to pictures in order to study the light return and patterning.

Also I would keep clarity to VS2 and above as SI1 clarity in step cuts may not be eyeclean.

Some suggestions;

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-IF-Ideal-Cut-Asscher-Diamond-1132167.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/D-VS1-Ideal-Cut-Asscher-Diamond-1203551.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/J-VVS2-Ideal-Cut-Asscher-Diamond-1203584.asp

 

[kenny]

Have you see this one?

Click

 

[Dreamer_D]

For an asscher you really need to work with a trusted vendor who can be your "eyes" to help pick a winner for you, and who will provide you with images and other information to help you assess cut quality from afar. The vendors already recommended are all great.

 

[aTuWitty]

Thanks, guys! I''m really liking this James Allen website. In fact, this one in particular caught my eye. I''m not really sold on buying it, but I''m wondering if it''s the high depth that has put it at such a low price? I wouldn''t think that the I color would knock a .91 carat VVS1 stone down this far... Also, what visible differences would a stone with this depth have from one with a depth closer to what you''ve recommended?

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-VVS1-Premium-Cut-Asscher-Diamond-1265102.asp

By the way, dreamer, beautiful (mini longhair?) dachshunds in your pic, I have 2 mini longhairs myself and I love them to bits!

Thanks!

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 3/6/2010 5:19:04 AM
Author: aTuWitty
Thanks, guys! I'm really liking this James Allen website. In fact, this one in particular caught my eye. I'm not really sold on buying it, but I'm wondering if it's the high depth that has put it at such a low price? I wouldn't think that the I color would knock a .91 carat VVS1 stone down this far... Also, what visible differences would a stone with this depth have from one with a depth closer to what you've recommended?

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-VVS1-Premium-Cut-Asscher-Diamond-1265102.asp

By the way, dreamer, beautiful (mini longhair?) dachshunds in your pic, I have 2 mini longhairs myself and I love them to bits!

Thanks!

Lets see...

I saw that one earlier, the patterning looks good but its a bit dark in the photo, request an ASET image then we can get a better idea, also ask if they can get the crown height too.