Determining cut quality of cushion-cut diamond

[danielm]

[This is my first post on pricescope.com]

I''m in the market for an engagement ring and I''ve found some very useful information on pricescope.com, in particular the importance of cut quality in diamond selection.

I''m looking for a high quality 2.0-2.5 carat cushion cut diamond on-line, and my question is exactly how can I determine the cut quality? I''ve been looking on various sites, including Mondera, Blue Nile and Whiteflash. Mondera for example lists "Cut quality" of some of the diamonds as "Ideal", but their sales representative I talked with had no idea how they determined that. Is their rating reliable? Beyond symmetry and polish, how can I get an idea of the actual cut quality?

Also, what are people''s thoughts on relative value of these two diamonds:

A) 2.34 carat, G color, VVS2, "Ideal" cut, Excellent polish, Excellent symmetry

B) 2.16 carat, D color, VS2, "Ideal" cut, Excellent polish, Excellent symmetry, 15% more expensive

By the way, I''m planning to get the ring made by Maytal Hoftman (www.maytalhannah.com) with a rose-gold and pink diamond halo surround and platinum band. Thanks to pricescope members for informing me of Maytal''s work!

Regards,
Daniel

 

[Lorelei]

Welcome!

You really can't evaluate a cushion with the numbers so well and it is best to stick to a vendor who knows his stuff, either has the diamonds in house so he can advise you, or can call them in to weed them out for you . I would suggest you contact Mark at Engagement Rings Direct and let him be your eyes!

Labels such as Ideal Cut really can't be applied to cushions, as yet there are no predictable proportions that can be used to say a cushion will be a great performer. Also as the diamonds aren't in house, there is no way of knowing how they look, it would be a case of ordering the diamond and seeing if you like it, not a goiod way to go about it in my opinion. Have a look here at www.engagementringsdirect.com as Mark is considered to be the cushion expert( with good reason, he has awesome taste in cushions) and see what he can do for you before pulling the trigger on anything. He is also great to work with and has many happy clients here proudly sporting their cushions!

Also click here for further help on faceting patterns for cushions etc.

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 8/2/2007 10:28:40 AM
Author: Lorelei
Welcome!


You really can''t evaluate a cushion with the numbers so well and it is best to stick to a vendor who knows his stuff, either has the diamonds in house so he can advise you, or can call them in to weed them out for you . I would suggest you contact Mark at Engagement Rings Direct and let him be your eyes!


Labels such as Ideal Cut really can''t be applied to cushions, as yet there are no predictable proportions that can be used to say a cushion will be a great performer.

Agree with everything!!! And really, Mark is THE MAN for cushions around here. You can just trust him to pick out a few winners, no headaches involved.

 

[chrono]

If you want a cushion, give Mark a call.

That said, there many "looks" of cushions to pick from. There is the antique cushion, crushed ice cushion, modern cushion, square H&A cushion, and the list goes on. There''s also the ratio to consider, a square cushion or rectangular shape that can affect the faceting look.

 

[decodelighted]

Hey ... welcome! I just wanted to say you plan sounds SUPER YUMMY! And the size -- faint!

Re: cushion cut quality ... I agree with the other ladies. Geez it sounds like a Mark T. cult but I know what they''re saying. He''s a SHORTCUT to a great cushion. There are plenty of wonderful cushions out there but not very many people know a lot about them or speak OUR language ... Mark would know what WE refer to as a "crushed ice" cushion or a "chunky monkey". Joe Blow Jeweler would look at you like you were CRAZEEE! Even if he had a case of fine cushions (which he probably wouldn''t because they''re hard to choose).

Some folks have determined GENERAL guidelines for nice-ish Cushions (and Asschers really) but those shapes haven''t been popular ENOUGH yet .. and are so VARIED as to styles (cushions) that there isn''t a way to GRADE for "cut quality" yet. Some vendors try ... obviously Blue Nile thinks theirs are "Ideal" but when it''s being rated by the place selling them .. who knows.

What''s great about Mark is that he''s in the Diamond District -- he can walk around & see what''s on the market asap ... pre-select from many vendors & give you choices that are ALL "ideal-ish" ... then YOU can be the one to decide which look you like best. His prices are about the lowest you''ll find too ... at least on new stones.

If you don''t wanna use Mark ... getting photos from vendors can help us ID the different types of looks & you can get a sense of what you think she''ll like.

Good luck!

 

[danielm]

Hi -
Thanks for the advice - and so quickly! Must admit I didn''t realize there were such a variety of cushion styles. I have contacted Mark and he is putting together a list of his recommendations to discuss on Monday. Looking forward to seeing what he comes up with!
Will keep you posted - likely I''ll appreciate some more advice.
Regards,
Daniel

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 8/2/2007 3:20:54 PM
Author: danielm
Hi -
Thanks for the advice - and so quickly! Must admit I didn''t realize there were such a variety of cushion styles. I have contacted Mark and he is putting together a list of his recommendations to discuss on Monday. Looking forward to seeing what he comes up with!
Will keep you posted - likely I''ll appreciate some more advice.
Regards,
Daniel

Excellent news - Mark won''t steer you wrong!! Look forward to hearing about what he finds for you

 

[Stone Hunter]

WOW very exciting I can''t wait to see what he comes up with for you. I just love cushions.

 

[danielm]

Actually, just thought of another question!

If I do buy a diamond through Mark, would you suggest getting him to send it to independent appraiser, then on to Maytal, or just direct to Maytal?
I like the idea of getting the appraisal, but am a little bit squeezed for time. [Have a surprise trip planned mid-September to Italy/Switzerland and want the ring then!]

Also could you recommend any appraisers who could turn around an appraisal quickly - eg same day?

Regards,
Daniel

 

[Lorelei]

What area are you in Daniel?

If you check out this link here https://www.pricescope.com/appr_list.aspx it has a map and you just enter your area and it will bring up a list of appraisers for you. I would say with buying from a vendor such as Mark, that the appraisal isn't strictly necessary, but it can be a good thing to do and help the individual comfort level. What I am trying to say is, you can be confident you are getting what you pay for with Mark, but the appraisal can be very useful for insurance purposes etc - also an appraisal is often included in the sale, you could check with Mark if he provides one.

 

[danielm]

Actually I''m living in London UK these days, though visit New York for a few days every month for work.

So I''m going to need to do everything by remote control, though am hoping to get finished ring delivered to me in NY on one of my trips.

If I want the diamond and then the ring appraised, would I need to organize:
- diamond seller to appraiser
- appraiser to ring maker
- ring maker back to appraiser
- appraiser to me... ?

A little complicated, but doable!

Regards,
Dan