Can a diamond be too big?!?

[diamondquester]

I''m getting ready to propose! I''ve been looking for a diamond for my SO. She gave me some hints to what she wants, but I still want the details to be a surprise. (We''ve been talking about it a looong time). She''s also mentioned that she doesn''t want me to spend TOO much on it (not sure exactly what that means.) She doesn''t typically wear jewelry, but I think she will treasure the ring (probably any ring) greatly. Though, I still want it to be special.

Anyways, I did some shopping and this is what I found. Her only restrictions were platinum band and princess cut.

I found this:
1.52 F SI1
Crown 14%
Table 68%
Depth 75%

Also very square. I fell in love with this diamond, but it''s a little outside my budget at $9750. Do you think this is a good price? (It''s a local jewelry store) Personally, the number one thing I''m looking for in a diamond is that it is very highly flashy/shiney. (I suppose, fire/brilliance/scintillation are the proper words - thanks to the internet for education!) And this diamond is all that

Also, I got to thinking... maybe a 1.52 is going to be large on her hand? She''s about 5''6 with size 7 1/4 finger. The same store also found a 1.3 ct, but I haven''t seen it yet and don''t have all the details. The only think I know is that is about $1500 cheaper and a H color.

So, what do you guys think? Will 1.52 be a good fit on a size 7 1/4 finger? Or should I save the $1500 and buy a nice LCD TV with it?

 

[neatfreak]

There is almost the exact same thread already posted...but to answer you, I don''t think most people would consider a 1.52 princess too big. But it really depends on your girlfriend!!

 

[diamondquester]

Oh. I didn''t see that there was another topic almost the same as mine! If I could move my post under that one I would!

 

[NewEnglandLady]

1. Have you gone ring shopping with her at all? I''m wondering what "too big" means for her? Everybody has their own threshold.

2. The stone you''re looking at has 75% depth, so I''m guessing it measures about 6.2 or 6.3 millimeters in length and width. On a size 7 finger, that''s about 1/3rd of the surface area of her finger covered by the stone, which I don''t think is too much. Again, it''s completely a personal opinion, but I think that kind of coverage is very common, not ostentatious at all.

3. If you''ve fallen in love with the diamond, then I don''t doubt she''d love it, too.

 

[jstarfireb]

It''s certainly not too big IMHO, but you could go a tad smaller to stay under budget. You could also easily drop the color down to H-I or so and still have a beautifully white stone if it''s ideal cut. I have an I princess that looks like an F because of how well it''s cut.

 

[:)]

What lab did the report on it?

 

[RxTechRN2b]

A diamond can be too big if it covers more than 2/3 of her finger width. But she has a larger finger and I don''t think 1.5 ct in a square will look ostentatious -- squares appear smaller and more understated than rounds. That said, a 1.5 compared to 1.3 ct might not look like $1500 worth of difference, especially if you only get something like 0.3 extra mm''s in diameter. And to me, anything above 1 ct is quite generous -- if you want the TV, a 1.3 ct stone is the way to go! It''s still way above the average size of an e-ring, and any girl would be thrilled with that ct weight.

 

[RxTechRN2b]

If it was me, I''d rather have the smaller stone AND the big screen TV -- just think how good movies will look! I have a bunch of bootleg Carpenter''s filmed live concerts from their tours in Japan, Australia, etc. in the 1970''s that I would LOVE to see on a big screen. I could sit in my lounge chair admiring my huge 1.3 ct diamond (anything bigger than my 0.75 ct diamond is big) while watching the Carpenters nearly life-size at the same time -- I''d think I died and went to heaven!

 

[vespergirl]

Her finger is on the larger side, so a 1.5 ct princess, which faces up smaller than most other shapes anyway, is definitely not going to look too big - it will look just right!

 

[diamondquester]

Thanks everybody for your help. Right now I''m leaning towards getting the 1.5, even if I''m going to have to put a little bit on my credit card - I think it''ll be worth it.

As for the price is concerned, is it usually possible to negotiate the price down a bit at a jewelry store? This store says they don''t have sales (except when they''re trying to get rid of some extra stock) and the price I got is the "sale price."

In any case, do you think the price ($9750) is good for this diamond? Think I can talk it down by $500? Any tips for negotiating?

It is certified by GIA. Also, the symmetry and polish are both "very good". Didn''t get the info on the girdle, but I can get it if its important.

As far as the inclusions go, there is a small cluster of tiny "bubble" looking things at the bottom of the table, but I could only see it through a 10x scope. Also, there is a longish feint "feather"-looking thing right along the outside of the table along one of the sides of the diamond. Again, can''t see it with the naked eye - plus, it''s so shiny that these inclusions are be masked by the reflected light.

After I pick the diamond, I''ll probably be back asking for some tips on how to go about proposing!

 

[jstarfireb]

If I were you, I''d really consider looking at that 1.3 H diamond. You would avoid the price premiums that come with color above F and size above 1.5. Look at both side by side if you can. You might find that their face-up appearance looks similar, or you might see a clear winner (in size and/or sparkle). I''m just concerned about the price, and also consider that platinum bands are running pretty high right now because the cost of precious metals is skyrocketing.

 

[diamondquester]

Yesterday I checked out the 1.3ct H VS1 72% table 74%depth. Also very square. Just under 6mm. (The comparison diamond (1.52ct) is 6.19x6.1 Cert didn''t have a crown height, but was noticeably shorter than the 1.52''s 14%. Polish/symmetry were good. This diamond is GIA certified.

On this return trip to the diamond store, I was a lot less emotional and more objective.

Comparing them both was interesting, and a little challenging. I could definitely tell the color difference apart - but I imagine that''s because they were side by side. The H on its own would probably be fine. However, the table % of the H as well as the short crown is what is making me a bit nervous of this one. This puts it numerically outside of the "ideal cut" range for princesses as described here on PS.

Both were very brilliant. It was easier to see the flash of the table on the 1.3, and kinda hard to see the flash of the table of the 1.52. Both also had good scintillation. It seemed to me that the 1.3 had a little more rapid but smaller flashes, and the 1.5 had a little larger brighter flashes. The actual millimeter size difference of the square was just slightly noticeable... 1/4 mm is actually a pretty small difference. But I''m still leaning towards the 1.52ct.

Back to the 1.52 princess... after looking at the diamond again under the microscope I saw the inclusion again. The first time I was there I saw it, but I didn''t think it was going to be a big deal since I couldn''t see it with my naked eye. But this time, after locating the inclusion, I was able to see it at arm distance at the proper angle, and obviously see it when I took off my glasses and was about 4 inches away. Now *this* is making me a bit nervous of this diamond.

I wonder, do you thing a girl would focus in on a small defect, and then once they know its there, that''s what they will harp on? I''m kinda thinking that having a small little inclusion may give the diamond a little bit of character.

The inclusion looks like a little white "line" that goes from the one of the corners and almost meets the table. I don''t have the exact measurement, but it''s probably 1/2-3/4mm in length.

(Check out the attached file - which is a very bad paintbrush drawing by me...)

Should I be worried about an inclusion such at this? I suppose it will be near where the setting will hold the diamond - maybe that will hide it a bit? The flashes of the fire and brilliance may disguise it a bit too.

Also, I need to correct something I said before. This 1.52 diamond is not GIA certified, but EGL certified. Also, this place has a GIA-certified lab at the store, and they confirm/vouch for their diamonds... but I don''t think they do it in writing. I will definitely get it independently appraised before I buy.

 

[diamondquester]

One more thing I forgot. For the 1.52 princess, the EGL certificate said that the Girdle was "MED POL". Medium polish? Why would you polish the girdle? Is this really what it means?