Cushion Cut Advice from JA

[jasko]

Hey guys. First post here, long time lurker. I'm about to pull my hair out and go crazy with trying to find the right diamond. Anyway, my girl has always said she wants a cushion cut / halo. So I went ahead and did that. I recently bought this diamond from JamesAllen:

http://www.jamesallen.com/?a_aid=dm...cut/1.00-carat-F-color-SI2-clarity-sku-160291 (I plan on returning)

I put that inside a 14k white gold pave halo and received it about a week ago. I thought this would look great, however upon getting it, the diamond just looks small. I've compared it to other 1ct diamonds in Zales and such and it still just looks small. Overall, I'm not wow'd by it. I'm trying to stay within JA's 60 day return window here to get the right diamond with a return/exchange.

Right now I have numbers 1-4 below as "possibilities", but would love to hear your advice for me!

What I would like: Cushion Cut, lowest color H, at least 1ct, as clear as I can get, with a budget of $3,900. I'm also looking for a diamond that appears larger perhaps with larger dimensions.

I went ahead and put another diamond on hold here thinking this may be nicer:

1.) http://www.jamesallen.com/?a_aid=dm...-cut/1.01-carat-G-color-VS2-clarity-sku-25932 - I then emailed TruthAboutDiamonds desperately seeking advice. I received an email back from Michael Fried and he told me that the diamond I purchased as well as the one I have on hold - #1 - are not cut well. He recommended me numbers 2 and 3 below.

What do you guys think of these:

2.) http://www.jamesallen.com/?a_aid=dm...-cut/1.01-carat-H-color-VS1-clarity-sku-56893

3.) http://www.jamesallen.com/?a_aid=dm...-cut/1.01-carat-G-color-VS1-clarity-sku-25881

This is one that one of the chat reps from JA recommended:

4.) http://www.jamesallen.com/?a_aid=dm...-cut/1.01-carat-H-color-VS1-clarity-sku-56892


Granted, some of those are IGI certified, which of course has me leary as well. Ugh. Please someone put me out of my misery!!

 

[tyty333]

Michael Fried gave you good advice. The cut on the one you bought and the other one you have on hold are not good. The
girdle on the first stone that you bought is carrying a lot of weight. I wish you would have talked to us first. We could have
saved you a lot of time.

Out of the ones you have left #2 would be my favorite.

#1 - bad cut ...BIG bow-tie
#3 - faceting pattern is not that nice.
#4 - is ok but I like number 2 better.

I'll go take a look and see if there are any that I think are worth looking into.

 

[jasko]

Thanks for the quick reply. Trust me, I'm kicking myself for not creating a login and posting myself. I thought after reading a bunch of threads that I would get a good grasp on what to order. This proved to be a fail on all proportions.

For what it's worth, Michael Fried JUST emailed me back. He said that he made a mistake in the recommendation he sent me and is now recommending this one:

5.) http://www.jamesallen.com/?a_aid=dm...cut/1.00-carat-H-color-VS2-clarity-sku-202565

Add that to the mix!

 

[JulieN]

The last one is nice.

 

[JulieN]

I think you can do a little better though.

These are a teensy bit smaller (a couple of tenths of millimeters, at most!) but I think they look better.

http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/0.90-carat-H-color-SI1-clarity-sku-119407
http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/0.90-carat-G-color-VVS2-clarity-sku-196777
http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/0.90-carat-H-color-SI1-clarity-sku-36730
http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/0.90-carat-D-color-SI2-clarity-sku-35774
http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/0.86-carat-E-color-SI1-clarity-sku-173233
http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/0.87-carat-G-color-VS2-clarity-sku-145640

This one is nice if you like smaller sparkles, great spread.
http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/0.85-carat-G-color-VVS1-clarity-sku-198499

 

[bluu76]

Here is another for you to ponder...I think it faces up bigger than its weight, not sure about the inclusions though.

http://www.jamesallen.com/?a_aid=dm...-cut/1.01-carat-F-color-SI2-clarity-sku-97629

 

[jasko]

JulieN: Thank you so much for your time and recommendations. I haven't seen any .9 carot diamonds in person vs. a 1.0.... is there a noticible difference? Also, I looked at all the ones you posted and they're all very nice. Keeping in mind I'm looking for one that's going to look the biggest, yet still be nice, so ideally this one http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/0.90-carat-G-color-VVS2-clarity-sku-196777 has my attention due to it's measurements. I forgot to mention, but I think I'd prefer one with a rectangular cut vs a square. The dimensions of that one are 6.10*5.55*3.44. Do you think that will look bigger than what I currently have (the one I'm returning is 5.62*5.03*3.80). I'm asking because I don't know if carot weight factors into that or not (1ct vs .9ct).

 

[JulieN]

Oh, I see, I thought you wanted square. You can sometimes get more spread out of rectangular.

You should look for something that averages at least 5.5 sides to make an appreciable difference from the one you have now. You'll also be upgrading the cut at the same time, so that's going to make a big difference in the look.

You also said she wants a halo, so don't worry too much about the size, focus on good cut. Did she want lots of pinfire, broad flash, or kind of a mix?

 

[jasko]

Did she want lots of pinfire, broad flash, or kind of a mix?

lol, your guess is as good as mine. We haven't gone into that much depth about what she wants. I think she's at the point that she just wants me to get things moving and ask haha

 

[jasko]

Oh, I see, I thought you wanted square. You can sometimes get more spread out of rectangular.

You should look for something that averages at least 5.5 sides to make an appreciable difference from the one you have now. You'll also be upgrading the cut at the same time, so that's going to make a big difference in the look.

You also said she wants a halo, so don't worry too much about the size, focus on good cut. Did she want lots of pinfire, broad flash, or kind of a mix?

 

[JulieN]

I'm not sure how much you value size over cut, but here are some bigger ones... not necessarily the best cut, but likely to be better than what you have now.

I like this one: http://www.jamesallen.com/?a_aid=dmnd1357&chan=x?a_aid=dmnd1357&chan=x#!/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/0.90-carat-D-color-SI2-clarity-sku-35774
http://www.jamesallen.com/?a_aid=dmnd1357&chan=x?a_aid=dmnd1357&chan=x#!/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/0.91-carat-F-color-SI2-clarity-sku-196612
http://www.jamesallen.com/?a_aid=dmnd1357&chan=x?a_aid=dmnd1357&chan=x#!/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/0.90-carat-H-color-SI1-clarity-sku-174678
http://www.jamesallen.com/?a_aid=dmnd1357&chan=x?a_aid=dmnd1357&chan=x#!/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.02-carat-G-color-SI2-clarity-sku-97697
http://www.jamesallen.com/?a_aid=dmnd1357&chan=x?a_aid=dmnd1357&chan=x#!/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.00-carat-D-color-SI1-clarity-sku-178092

Also that F SI2 linked above by bluu.

I think that's enough...

 

[jasko]

THANK YOU for all your help guys.

I'm leaning heavily towards:

http://www.jamesallen.com/?a_aid=dmnd1357&chan=x?a_aid=dmnd1357&chan=x#!/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/0.91-carat-F-color-SI2-clarity-sku-196612

The one you linked me, JulieN.

Final thoughts on it before I pull the trigger again? I'm choosing it because of the measurements. It's 6+ mm L. I believe it will look larger than the one I have now. I'm willing to sacrifice the weight for size.

I was told that even though this is only .9CT, due to the measurements, it's actually bigger than some 1CT diamonds.

What do you think?

 

[JulieN]

I suggest that you get JA to do a comparison for you, at least with these two if you are size conscious.
http://www.jamesallen.com/?a_aid=dmnd1357&chan=x?a_aid=dmnd1357&chan=x#!/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/0.90-carat-H-color-SI1-clarity-sku-36730
http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/0.90-carat-D-color-SI2-clarity-sku-35774

I like this one a lot: http://www.jamesallen.com/?a_aid=dmnd1357&chan=x?a_aid=dmnd1357&chan=x#!/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/0.81-carat-E-color-VS2-clarity-sku-35851

 

[isekii]

JulieN: Thank you so much for your time and recommendations. I haven't seen any .9 carot diamonds in person vs. a 1.0.... is there a noticible difference? Also, I looked at all the ones you posted and they're all very nice. Keeping in mind I'm looking for one that's going to look the biggest, yet still be nice, so ideally this one http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/0.90-carat-G-color-VVS2-clarity-sku-196777 has my attention due to it's measurements. I forgot to mention, but I think I'd prefer one with a rectangular cut vs a square. The dimensions of that one are 6.10*5.55*3.44. Do you think that will look bigger than what I currently have (the one I'm returning is 5.62*5.03*3.80). I'm asking because I don't know if carot weight factors into that or not (1ct vs .9ct).

You should really ask her what share she prefers. She's going to be the one wearing the ring.
For example. I liked Round Brillant, but my fiancee liked Cushion. ( I got cushion ).
She preferred square shape in the cushion instead of rectangular shape. ( got squarish shape ).

Also the last stone you posted that was recommended by JA. That had a sweet looking faceting pattern.
Are you getting ASET images for all the stones ?

 

[jasko]

Hm, what is ASET pics?

 

[JulieN]

http://www.whiteflash.com/about-diamonds/diamond-education/about-aset.htm

JA will visually inspect and give you ASETs for 3 diamonds.

 

[jasko]

Oh ok. I just requested the following 3 ASETS through the chat rep at JA. Hopefully I can choose from there.

1.) http://www.jamesallen.com/?a_aid=dm...-cut/0.90-carat-D-color-SI2-clarity-sku-35774

2.) http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/0.90-carat-G-color-VVS2-clarity-sku-196777

3.) http://www.jamesallen.com/?a_aid=dm...cut/0.91-carat-F-color-SI2-clarity-sku-196612

What do you think of those choices for narrowing down to 1?

 

[JulieN]

The G VVS has a strong bowtie, but it is big... up to you.

JA's gemologist will help narrow them down.

 

[jasko]

I didn't realize that. Glad you pointed it out. I'll wait for the results a d then post then here. I'm not quite sure how to read them but I'll try to do research beforehand and decide. Unless another one is suggested, I'm gonna pick from those three.

 

[JulieN]

I don't want to confuse you with too many options, but you can get better cut and bigger diamonds if you go to I color. Going from H --> I color is not a cliff of yellow that you drop off of. If you want to go for it, these are around 6mm average length sides.

http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut//CaratFrom:1.00|CaratTo:10.00|Color:I|PriceFrom:400|PriceTo:4000|TabSelected:3|ps:15||DiamondID:154028,185234,186119,30092

 

[ariel144]

Thanks for the quick reply. Trust me, I'm kicking myself for not creating a login and posting myself. I thought after reading a bunch of threads that I would get a good grasp on what to order. This proved to be a fail on all proportions.

For what it's worth, Michael Fried JUST emailed me back. He said that he made a mistake in the recommendation he sent me and is now recommending this one:

5.) http://www.jamesallen.com/?a_aid=dm...cut/1.00-carat-H-color-VS2-clarity-sku-202565

Add that to the mix!

Of those you posted this 1c H VS2 one is the best. When looking for a cushion you need to pay attention the crispness of the faceting...you don't want any of that grayish mush under the table. Best depth around 65% and table 55% . The more shallow the stone the larger it will face up.

Here is another that is nicely faceted. An I color will still be very white and colorless and look nice in a halo..this one will face up larger than the H and the faceting is nicer IMO:

http://www.jamesallen.com/?a_aid=dmnd1357&chan=x?a_aid=dmnd1357&chan=x#!/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.01-carat-I-color-VVS2-clarity-sku-30239

My favorite for the faceting is this E VS1

http://www.jamesallen.com/?a_aid=dmnd1357&chan=x?a_aid=dmnd1357&chan=x#!/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/0.86-carat-E-color-VS1-clarity-sku-163923

Here are some with nice faceting:

http://www.jamesallen.com/?a_aid=dmnd1357&chan=x?a_aid=dmnd1357&chan=x#!/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut//CaratFrom:0.84|CaratTo:10.00|PriceFrom:400|PriceTo:5160|Sortrice%20asc,%20DefaultOrder|TabSelected:3|advancedParameter:pn|showAdvanced:show|ps:15||DiamondID:191569,183253,163923,198499,30239,184002,59992|PolishSymmetryLabFlourDepthFrom:45.0|DepthTo:67.7|TableFrom:50.0|TableTo:60.8|

You need to pick your top 3 favorites and ask for ASET images of all 3 and then post the ASETS here and we can give you an opinion on which stone will be the best performing stone based on the ASET image.

Hope this helps.

 

[ariel144]

Oh ok. I just requested the following 3 ASETS through the chat rep at JA. Hopefully I can choose from there.

1.) http://www.jamesallen.com/?a_aid=dm...-cut/0.90-carat-D-color-SI2-clarity-sku-35774

2.) http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/0.90-carat-G-color-VVS2-clarity-sku-196777

3.) http://www.jamesallen.com/?a_aid=dm...cut/0.91-carat-F-color-SI2-clarity-sku-196612

What do you think of those choices for narrowing down to 1?

none of these stones would be my choice; the F has very mushy faceting under the table. The other 2 are Ok but I agree the G looks like it has a bow tie effect.

 

[jasko]

Hey guys. Just received this email from Stacy over at JamesAllen:

Good Morning,

Thank you for your interest in JamesAllen.com. I just wanted to touch base with you in regards to the exchange order that you have set up with us. At this point I see that you have purchased 160291, but are now interested in returning the diamond. I see that you've went through several different diamonds options that you paced and then removed from hold, so before we move forward with the gemologist inspection and ASET image request, I just wanted to make sure you're happy with your final three diamond selections.

From the diamonds you've chosen, I do see that two of them will not be eye-clean. Are you ok with this? Both 196612 and 35774 will have visible inclusions that you can see with your naked eye. Also, I really don't love the faceting pattern of 19677. Since this inspection is a one-time only offer, we want to make sure you're choosing diamonds that you're most interested in purchasing. If you'd like some help finding different diamond options, I would be more than happy to work with you on finding something terrific! What is your budget? Do you have any color or clarity preferences?

I’m sure you have plenty of questions, which we would be more than happy to help you with! While I'm personally available Monday-Friday 7am-4pm, our offices are currently available 24-hours a day, 7-days a week!

Have a great day,

Ugh! Now what.

Ariel: Thanks for that link with the advanced search of depth/table. The two diamonds that you linked me were great, however outside of my price range!

The max I can spend is around $3900.

 

[jasko]

After I sent her my requirements / wants, she replied:

I would certainly be glad to help! I did a search for you and found several diamonds that will not only fit your criteria, but ones that I think can truly be a star in the setting you'd like! Since size is a big factor for you, checking out H and I colored options will really help to maximize your budget. Here are the links to the diamonds:

A.) http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.08-carat-I-color-VS2-clarity-sku-187662
B.) http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.02-carat-I-color-VS1-clarity-sku-97704
C.) http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.02-carat-F-color-SI2-clarity-sku-97631
D.) http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.02-carat-E-color-SI1-clarity-sku-191065


Each of the diamonds are going to face up white and be eye-clean for you. We can certainly verify both of these things with the inspection request though Take a look and let me know your thoughts!

For the sake of comments, I've labeled them A-D respectively.

What do you guys think?

 

[JulieN]

No, tell them you want something eye-clean.

You need to figure out what you want. As long as you sacrifice cut quality for size, or as long as you want to keep sticking with these crushed-ice style cushions, the response on PS will be lukewarm.

At this point, anything you pick will be better than your original, but I only hear you saying how small the first one is, not how dull or unlively it is. I think you need to do what makes you happy instead of what makes a bunch of strangers on an Internet forum happy.

 

[kalima]

I'd suggest considering this one:

http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.01-carat-I-color-VVS2-clarity-sku-179989
If interesting you may want JA to check that its nice and bright under the table and send you an ASET.

Faceup Size The Largest, Medium Size Flashes, Have to check how bright but looks promising

I'd also consider this one:

http://www.engagementringsdirect.co...ut-beyond-cushion-cut-diamond-gid-102943.html

This will have nice big chunky bright flashes

or

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/10043/

H&A top optics like a round but a little smaller faceup than the others


If interesting you may want JA to check that its nice and bright under the table and send you an ASET.

I would say in general the ones you have been considering are all just average and I see no real value in selecting any of them.
I am rather disappointed by the suggestions made by both Diamond Enthusiast and by the JA staff the first batch were really awful.
The second ones are just average or mediocre 4 main modified cushions.

They seem to be sales motivated and really not very selective or discerning.

How much is your budget?

 

[jasko]

My budget is aimed around $3900 for the diamond.

This Stacy lady has been emailing me back and forth all day. We've narrowed it down to these 4. If any of these are good I need to chop it down to 3:

http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.08-carat-I-color-VS2-clarity-sku-187662
http://www.jamesallen.com/?a_aid=dm...cut/1.00-carat-H-color-VS2-clarity-sku-202565
http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/Cushion-cut/0.90-carat-H-color-SI1-clarity-sku-174678
http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.00-carat-D-color-SI1-clarity-sku-178092

JulieN: I hear you. Just getting input from you guys. I'm glad to have you all pull me left right and center than be stuck with what I originally ordered and then what I had pending for my return/exchange!

 

[kalima]

My budget is aimed around $3900 for the diamond.

This Stacy lady has been emailing me back and forth all day. We've narrowed it down to these 4. If any of these are good I need to chop it down to 3:

What criteria are you using with her? I think you need to define your preferences much more clearly.

Do you want a rectangular or more square stone? (Keep in mind you will not get as efficient light return edge to edge with rectangular stones.)

 

[JulieN]

I really dislike the 1.08 I, looks dead.

Replace it with this one, 5.94 mm average side: http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.01-carat-I-color-VS2-clarity-sku-186119

This one Kalima posted is nice, I just wasn't sure if it was rectangular enough for you, 5.84 mm: http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.01-carat-I-color-VVS2-clarity-sku-179989

 

[jasko]

My budget is aimed around $3900 for the diamond.

This Stacy lady has been emailing me back and forth all day. We've narrowed it down to these 4. If any of these are good I need to chop it down to 3:

What criteria are you using with her? The selections have no relation to one another and just don't make sense nor are any of them even half decent. I think you need to define your preferences much more clearly.

Do you want a rectangular or more square stone? (Keep in mind you will not get as efficient light return edge to edge with rectangular stones.)

This is what I gave her:

Color: Something that will look white to the eye. Not yellowish at all. I guess H minimum? (or an I if you think it looks great)

Clarity: As clear as possible. I do not want to be able to see any inclusions with the naked eye.

Weight: .9 - 1.0 (I'd wouldn't mind geting .9 to save some money however see size below)

Size: This is my biggest thing. I want the diamond to look as large as possible and still be sparkly/nice. Ideally I would like the measurements to rang in the high 5MM - low 6MM range for the Length. Width hopefully something 5.5 minimum but I can be flexible on this.

Shape: I'd prefer rectangular than square, but wouldn't rule out square.

Look: I honestly like the Cushion Brilliant (classic) look vs. the modern Cushion Brilliant Modified "crushed ice" look. I am flexible on this though.

Table: I'd like for it to have a medium to larger size table, with everything else looking good.

Budget: $3800 - $3900 (also depending on the PriceScope discount hopefully!)