Can''t Decide Between Princess and Round/Budget Issue Too?

[mollerd]

Hi - I have been pulling my hair our over the past 1 1/2 months going all over town trying to find the perfect stone. I thought I wanted Princess but the little black specks (bow tie effect) issue really bothers me. I went to Tiffany''s last night to try on their best PC and put that on one hand and a round on the other. There is no comparision as far as brilliance. But I love the square shape. Actually there''s was rectangular modified. I don''t want to give up on princess yet, but my budget for the stone is not a penny over $7500. And I really can''t go below 1.30 6mm x 6mm in size or it looks way too small for me. Does anyone have any ideas for me to help me with this decision. Are any proncesses out there in this size and price range that don;t show those dark areas. I know all/most diamonds have this but it is so much mpre hidden in a round. By the way they have something called a Lucida which is a cross between a PC and a RB. Either way though I cannot afford to buy my rind from Tiffany''s. Their prices are way out of my budget.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[ecf8503]

Good morning Mollerd - I''ll throw my 2 cents in here! As you may know, Princess cuts aren''t the only square shapes out there. The Lucida is a patented Tiffany cut, but the facet patterning is quite similar to the Lucere. There are some gorgeous square shaped stone with remarkable performance out there - my suggestion would be to go to www.goodoldgold.com and look at all the different square shapes Jonathan carries (including Lucere, Square H&A, Jubilee, Regent, Radiant, Princess, Flanders, etc). I''ve worked with them (GOG) before, and they are great - they''ll help you find what you are looking for. There are also some awesome tutorials on their site to help you learn as much as possible. Also, have you checked out Whiteflash and Excel Diamonds sites? The little black spots you are referring to in the Princess are normal - they add contrast. But I''m with you on this one - I don''t like them either! Perhaps the Square H&A from Good Old Gold is the way to go - square shape, but with H&A RB light performance??????

 

[mollerd]

Hi - that sounds great!!! What could I get though for $7500. I really don''t to go below 1.30 - they look way too small for me. If it''s a patented shape wouldn''t it cost more money?

I wish they weren''t so far away. What part of Long Island are they in. Maybe I''ll take a personal day from work and go down there.

Is there anybody in NJ that is just as good. Thank you sou much for all these great ideas.

 

[BrightSpot]

I was just going to suggest the other square cut diamonds from GOG! The cuts ecf8503 are all lovely (lucere, square h&a, jubilee, etc.) & the faceting patterns are more similar to that of a round stone, but they have a squared off shape. (they have cut corners, though, unlike the princess which has pointy corners) GOG does indeed have a great tutorial online about these stones.

You will find, however, that the branded cuts carry a price premium over princess cuts so you may not be able to get quite as large a stone for your budget. Also, some of these stones are cut deep, so their spread (visual size) is less than that of a round. (the same thing is true of princess cuts)

Another option, if you want the largest looking stone for your money, is to buy a round stone & set it so that it looks more square.

ETA: Here's a thread about someone setting a round stone so it looks like it's another shape.

Good luck!

 

[ecf8503]

It sounds to me like you are concerned about size (mm) and light performance more so than a particular shape - am I correct? If you are sold on a Princess faceting pattern, then stay with that, but if you are more interested in getting a larger but well performing stone, then I''d look into all the options. If I were you, I''d call up GOG and talk to Jonathan or Tim. Tell them what your priorities are (budget, mm diameter, light performance, etc ) and let them give you some options. They don''t post prices online for some cuts, so you''d end up calling or e-mailing them eventually anyway. They are really nice, and very helpful. Don''t be afraid to call. Also, they''ll ship a stone to you to look at (as will most vendors) and you can send it back if you don''t like it (I did, and it was no problem).

 

[ecf8503]

Have you considered a radiant? They are very similar faceting to a princess, but with "clipped" corners. Diamonds by Lauren has a few in your size and budget here

 

[mollerd]

Hi - thanks alot! If they ship a stone to me what kind of deposit do I need to put down. Do I have to pay for the whole thing and return it? How does that work.

 

[ecf8503]

Each vendor has their policies posted clearly on their sites. In my case, I put the entire balance on my cc. They ship the stone for free. Since I decided not to keep it, I had to pay to ship it back, and when they received it they credited me what I paid minus their original shipping ($15). It was worth $15 for me to be able to see it in person.

Now the length of time you can keep a stone for "inspection" (i.e. when does it have to be back to them if you aren''t keeping it) varies quite a bit - 7 days for some, 30 days for others, etc.

BTW - have you seen an ideal cut RB in person? I never did until I purchased mine - sight unseen by me - from an online vendor. I am thrilled with it - the "black" on the idealscope is the arrows in a RB, and I love being able to see them. Whereas in a princess, the "black" you mentioned seems more random, and I suspect it may bother you, as you''ve already made mention of it. If you are really going for the biggest, best performing stone for the money, I''d stick with a RB, but mount it in a more square setting as linked to previously, or try octet prongs to give it a little more squareisg appearance (that''s what I did with mine).

I know you have not mentioned color or clarity preferences yet, but just taking a quick peek at a few stones, here''s a few RB''s that look fantastic:
1.07 G SI1
1.04 E SI1
1.07 F SI1

And there are MANY more.... happy hunting!

 

[mollerd]

Hi - for some reason I don;t like the clipped corners. I feel like it should be one or the other. thank you though!