Did I get hosed? Please help while I'm in return window!

[jillianfl]

I'm new to this and love all that I read in pricescope forums, so lucky this place exists (wish I found it sooner!!) I'm worried I pulled the trigger too early, purchased a 2.52 carat cushion GIA diamond, L faint brown color Si1 for $6,939 ($2753 per carat)... Also is the one listed below a better deal, should I switch? Which would you go with price/ value wise? (ignoring your personal tastes about it

(Yes I was fine with the faint brown don't judge please I know it's not everyone's taste around here so here are the specs for it, really wondering if I got hosed in price for it, I'm thinking I may have?:

GIA
Cushion modified brilliant
2.52 Carat
L faint brown
8.49x7.27x4.87 mm
Si1
Super Ideal cut (I know cuts are subjective on non rounds since they aren't listed on grading report, but that's what it was listed on the website, though this site seems to "up" fancy cuts by one grade so this would prob be considered Ideal cut instead)
Total depth: 67%
Table size: 55%
Girdle: Slightly thick to very thick
Faceted
Culet: none
Polish: Exc
Symm: VG
Fluor: Medium Blue

Also here is the next one, is $8,287 ($3749 per carat) a good deal for a Round 2.21 L faint brown? Which is the better deal?? I'm so confused plenty of help from the wide knowledge of pricescopers would be so appreciated, especially those in the trade!! I would really appreciate it, as it's down to these 2 stones and I have one and would have to return it if I go for the other! I'm cheap so the better value deal is the one I want b/c either are fine with me looks wise

2.21 carat Round Brilliant
L color faint brown
Cut: Very Good
Length: 8.26
Width: 8.30
Depth: 5.20
L/W Ratio: 1.00

Proportions:
Depth: 62.8%
Table: 60%
Crown Angle: 34.5°
Crown Height: 13.5%
Pavilion Angle: 42.0°
Pavilion Depth: 45.0%
Star Length: 50%
Lower Half: 80%
Girdle: Thin to Slightly Thick, Faceted (4.5%)
Culet: None
Girdle: Thin - Slightly Thick
Carat Weight: 2.21
Polish: Very Good
Symmetry: Excellent
Fluorescence: Strong Blue

Thanks again!!!

 

[iota15]

Can we see pictures of the one you do have?

You really have no preference whatsoever? If not, why not just pick the cheaper one (the cushion). I don't know what the Rap says about its price. Might be harder to determine since it has that light brown modifier. But the cushion, having crossed that 2.5 threshold, seems well priced.

It also very difficult to compare without seeing the cushion (or even the round). Maybe one looks like a dog and that's reflected in its price. I don't trust most websites view of "ideal or super ideal cuts". One could also be more light brown than the other - in a way that you might not find attractive.

No judgement on the brown though. There was a beautiful light brown on these boards some years ago. It had this pinky/brown/peach thing going for it that looked really beautiful.

 

[Gypsy]

Need pictures of the actual stones. I'm sorry. Cushions can only be judged according to light return and facetings. The numbers tell us nothing much.

There is no ideal cut cushion without an AGS0 certificate and any site that labels cushions like that is probably not a very good one. I'm sorry to say.

 

[Gypsy]

The round brilliant is poorly cut. I'd not consider that at all.

Do you just want to tell us what you want and what you budget is?

 

[jillianfl]

Thank you for the info, yes, I will post pics of the one I do have in a few minutes... It does look much nicer in person than the online pic that I received received of it, the warm tint looks great to me (I want to set it in rose gold)... I am kind of wishing it took up more finger real estate, my first ring has a large halo so it does a good job of appearing bigger than it is, that ring is a 1.15 princess cut in a 1 tcw setting. The face size of the princess is pretty decent, even though the 2.5 is bigger I was thinking it would be more but I guess not, and that was before I knew rounds cover more... Maybe if this round isn't worth it I will keep dreaming of something like a really big old european cut (which I had never heard of or seen before pricescope but now I realize I love!! Completely unaffordable now though Maybe for a 10 or 15 year haha... Or maybe just in my dreams...

It says very good cut on it which I don't mind when I see them pictured (but very good is the lowest I'd go, I do prefer above that but I only can tell which I prefer when they are compared side by side), but you think it is more of a poor cut then? Would it do any big flashes do you think or would it be pretty dull? The cushion does no big flashes but it does lots of little sparkles- like glittery which I appreciate, too, in a different way.

But my budget for this one is less than $10,000, the less the better (I can tell pricescopers what the budget is, but I never tell the jewelry sites when they ask because then I fear they know how to get more money out of you like a car salesman!/ would find you something in your price range but it wouldn't be good value) That's why this forum is so great to get opinions on! Budget is like over $7,000 but less than $10k, and I am only looking for GIA's, EGL's seem too much of a gamble to me and I wouldn't know if I got a good one or not. But it would have to be really extraordinary for me to weasel 10k on it, husband is already pissed that I am spending the tax return on it :p He is no fun haha... I say it's a better investment than golf clubs, at least jewelry can be passed down through generations! Online buying I feel is the only way to maximize value, but of course there are drawbacks like you can't see it in person first and I am not a pricescope pro so I don't know too much about it all so that is not in my favor either, but I have been trying to learn quick!

Yes I would normally go with the cheaper one, but if the more expensive one is a better value- like you get more/ better diamond for your money then that is the one I'd want. I really am looking for which one is the most value for the price, then I will feel better about it, and I know they are of course not apples to apples So that's why I am so thankful for all of your help because you guys know/ can judge better than I! Yes I know it is a great price for a 2.5 but with the brown modifier I was wondering how much that changes things/ would bring the price down. I don't know if I said but the round one also is a faint brown modifier, too! Pics to come soon thank you for helping!

 

[30yearsofdiamonds]

A little advice on an L-Faint brown color vs. an L color;

The L color will be based on yellowness as opposed to the L-Faint brown being brownness. For most people yellow is easier to see at this level then the brown will be, so face up the L-Faint brown will look better, so don't worry about the faint brown.

The price on cushion is good, no worry there.

The round is strong blue UV vs. medium for the cushion, that would favor the cushion also.

 

[ericad]

I can't speak to the stones you are considering, but I will say that if you are open to lower colored top brown stones, and dream of an old cut, then I think you can get an 8mm+ old cut within your budget if you're patient. I just sold a 2.49ct OMC within your budget, for example (EGL M color), gorgeous stone. And with old cuts, don't discount EGL stones, since that's the most common lab used for antique diamonds. Choose an old cut vendor who you trust to help you with your search.

Don't settle.

Good luck!

 

[jillianfl]

That is making me feel better then... I personally love fluoresence and won't buy a stone without it, and I was thinking that I would like the strong better but good to know value wise that the medium is better (I didn't know if it raised the value in the lower colored stones, but maybe 'strong' is not as good to have as medium) I personally like it, but I think it's great that the diamonds I like are cheaper because they have it I know, I just have weird tastes haha... Wow I wish you had sold that OMC to me haha! Good to know about EGL being used for antiques more, I know I would like an M for sure after seeing this L, I am kind of liking the color a lot! But would an EGL "M" really be a GIA "M" or would it be much darker? Although I would probably like it anyway... This L looks really whiter to me on a sunny day, but darker in some indoor lights, but it is not to dark to me, just tinted, but I think that M would be my max of how low I would go, but on a different cut I'm sure colors look totally different. I wish I was in the trade, this is a fascinating field for sure!

(I already have a G, so I was liking the idea of doing something totally different, and warm so it will look good in rose gold, hopefully making it look pinkish, which it kind of seems that way already in some lights- like a brown with pinkish tone, maybe it's my wishful eyes I am not as big of a fan of the yellow tinted ones (anything under J/K), so for me it was either whitish or warm, however I have seen beautiful yellow ones, in yellow gold with graduated color halos and that would look awesome too, I don't think yellow gold looks so great on me though, but I would do it if I had something that looked like one of those...I feel like you can get more creative with the faintly tinted stones, but the warm/ faint brown is better for my budget so I am happy that I am happy with that color!

Glad you don't think the $$ was too much for the cushion, I just was thinking it could be better b/c of the faint brown but you all would know better than I... pics to come...

 

[jillianfl]

 

[jillianfl]

Sorry all I have to use is camera phone which never comes out good, and I couldn't take her outside because it is cloudy and pouring rain today! But hope these pics can help!

 

[MMtwo]

I like the warm diamonds like you. I think it looks very nice, especially for the price. This is not an expert opinion by any means....I'm a grasshopper.

 

[jillianfl]

Thank you, I am so new to this too that's why it's so hard But I definitely have realized that I do like the warmer, and I like their price point much better

 

[jillianfl]

I apparently cannot get a photo to the round I was considering! It was originally shown on Lumera diamonds site, but I got a better price on it from somewhere else (but they said they were unable to access a photo for it)...

Here's the chat from me asking to see a photo of the stone from Lumera:
"No, we are not able. We realize photos are very popular for evaluating diamonds. But they are also completely unreliable. Someone might ask for a photo of this diamond to review color, which would be impossible to do. Instead Lumera uses consultants to review diamonds."

I replied with, " Ok thank you then, people do rely on photos when buying online, a consultant is absolutely great to have to interpret photos, but I couldn't ever buy without photo thank you. (and i know the photos of these under microscope arent flattering, but one is still needed)"

Has anyone had online vendors refuse to provide photos? Is this practice normal? I definitely didn't like that, but I don't know if that's normal, even when pics weren't posted of stones I was looking at before I never had anyone say they wouldn't provide me with one, I was always able to get one when I asked for one...

 

[Andelain]

I apparently cannot get a photo to the round I was considering! It was originally shown on Lumera diamonds site, but I got a better price on it from somewhere else (but they said they were unable to access a photo for it)...

Here's the chat from me asking to see a photo of the stone from Lumera:
"No, we are not able. We realize photos are very popular for evaluating diamonds. But they are also completely unreliable. Someone might ask for a photo of this diamond to review color, which would be impossible to do. Instead Lumera uses consultants to review diamonds."

I replied with, " Ok thank you then, people do rely on photos when buying online, a consultant is absolutely great to have to interpret photos, but I couldn't ever buy without photo thank you. (and i know the photos of these under microscope arent flattering, but one is still needed)"

Has anyone had online vendors refuse to provide photos? Is this practice normal? I definitely didn't like that, but I don't know if that's normal, even when pics weren't posted of stones I was looking at before I never had anyone say they wouldn't provide me with one, I was always able to get one when I asked for one...

I've been refused before, even by vendors who sometimes get pics on request. I just reply with a short but polite "Thank you for your time, have a nice day", and go elsewhere.