Big diamond limited budget

[FutureBride]

My boyfriend recently told me that he was shopping for a ring. He wants to do this by himself but of course I feel a need to make sure that he gets the best deal. He wants to please me but at the same time does not want to spend a lot of money. I know I want a princess cut that is at least 1.6 carat. My boyfriend only wants to spend about 6-7k. I have been on the net for the last 4 months with him trying to learn everything about the 4c's. I feel overwhelmed and am still very confused about the table/depth percentages for the princess cut. I am also trying to convince him to purchase my ring on the net so he can save money. I also know you can save sales tax too, I live in Long Island NY where tax is 8.25% However he is very skeptical. The three sites that I visit the most are Ashford, Blue Nile Diamond.com and Mondera. Anyway I have a few questions.
(1) What is the best depth/table percentage for the princess
(2) I know that I wont be able to get the best ring for the price he wants to pay, so since I don't want to give up size and I know cut is the most important, do you think I could get a decent ring for 6-7k by sacrificing color (get H-I) and clarity (get SI1-2)?
(3) If 6-7k is unrealistic for the size I want without giving up too much quality, what is a more realistic cost?

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

As I read this thread I found a few things to add, but Leonid and Barry covered all bases.
Print this all and give it to your boy freind. Insist he have the diamond delivered to Dave Atlas who you will find at the Gem Appraiser link. Dave is the worlds leading expert on the subject and for a 60th of what you are paying, you will be very secure.

 

[barry]

As a general rule, Table/Depth should
not exceed the mid 70's.Get a Sarin or MegaScope report.
Crown height % should be at least 8%.In the final analysis, really, you will
have to eyeball the diamond as
there is tremendous variability that
can yield a beautiful princess cut.Barry www.superbcert.com ------------------
barry

 

[pricescope]

Hi FutureBride,As Barry said, better to keep table and total depth within 75%. Look at the David Atlas charts: www.gemappraisers.com/chrt4.htm Please keep in mind that table and depth alone don't guarantee a good cut. One should know at least crown and pavilion angles or examine and compare stones alive. Getting H-I color and SI1-2 clarity is not giving up too much quality especially if the size is the most important feature for you. These princess cut diamonds are currently listed in the internet:1.60-H-SI2-68.6%-73%-GIA-6.83x6.50x4.46 - $6166
1.76-H-SI1-75.3%-70%-EGL- $6507
1.62-H-SI1-72.9%-75%-GIA-6.75X6.39X4.66 - $7188Note that second stone has EGL lab report.What's interesting that 1.2 carat round diamond with the same diameter as 1.6 carat princess would cost much less while definitely be more brilliant and sparkly:1.22-H-SI2-61.4%-58%-GIA-6.86x6.91x4.23 - $4517or within the same budged you can get 1.49 round that will look larger than 1.6 princess:1.49-H-SI2-61.9%-59%-GIA-7.28-7.33X4.52 - $6699I know it's a matter of personal preference but you have to realize that princess cut retain more weight while not as brilliant as round. When the carat weight jumps over 1.5 price per carat changes dramatically.

 

[FutureBride]

I didn't know that about the princess cut, but it explains why my friends 1.4 diamond looks so small to me. So basically from what you were saying, in order for my ring to look about the same size AS A 1.5 I need a bigger princess cut, which means more money. What size princess would be equivalent to at least a 1.5 carat?Thanks for the list you sent, how do I find these diamonds on the net and can you recommend a particular jeweler that would be honest and give me a good deal?Thanks so much for your help.

 

[pricescope]

Check the following link for the list of the vendors we are comfortable to recommend:
www.pricescope.com/isitsafe.asp#recommend Btw, Jonathan at GoodOldGold is in Long Island.

 

[pricescope]

1.5 carat diamond has about 7.4 mm in diameter. Princess with the same length size should be about 2 carat.However, that won't be exact comparison. To get the same area (43 sq. mm) you'd need a square with the side length of 6.56 mm. I.e. about 1.7 carat.