Emerald Cut: Next Step?

[rjc]

This is my first diamond purchase, and I''m nervous. I''ve been searching for an emerald cut diamond and I''m looking at this one:

GIA certified

0.85 F VS1
Price: $3000
Measurements: 6.9 x 4.61 x 3 mm
l/w ratio: 1.5
Depth: 65.1 %
Table: 66 %
Girdle: M-TK
Culet: N
Polish: VG
Symmetry: VG
Fluorescence: none

I think the measurements look great. What should my next step be?

Here are my questions:

1. The Crown Height % doesn''t appear on the GIA report. Is there a way to find this out?

2. The jeweler is willing to send the diamond to an appraiser near me so that I can see it in person before I buy it. What other information should I ask for from the diamond seller before I have the stone sent to my appraiser?

3. Will my appraiser be able to do a Sarin or Idealscope on the stone? Is this important? Or is the GIA report enough?

I''m glad that I''ll see this stone in person, but all diamonds look pretty much the same to me. Any advice is appreciated. Many thanks.

 

[Gypsy]

Personally, I wouldn''t pay for the $$ for an appraiser WITHOUT an ideal scope and sarin from your vendor. Yes, in a fancy cut they are important if you are buying from an online source.

Sarin will give you crown height. Ideal Scope will give you information on how well the diamond is cut and how it returns light.

 

[strmrdr]

I agree at least a regular picture or an IS image or preferably an ASET image is needed before spending the money having it sent to an appraiser.
For Crown height a discription while looking at the stone is better than nothing.

 

[rjc]

Great, thanks for the tips.

I will ask the vendor for idealscope and sarin or ASET. I will report back to see if you experts can help me understand what I''m seeing.

 

[Gypsy]

And pics of the stone. One good one from straight down at the table view. One from the side so that we can see the crown height.

 

[justsomeguy]

Hi,

I''ve been struggling to find an EC too. You can see my post here in case it provides any information that helps you (although most of my specific questions remain unanswered): https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/choosing-emerald-diamond-confused-please-help-me.67460/.

As far crown height, I''ve been struggling with this as well as it often isn''t provided. Most people here stress the great importance of crown height for an EC (and I can see why this is important), however no one has answered my questions as to how exactly crown height is calculated for an EC. The best info I could find is that the formula is height from girdle to table/overall width (as opposed to diameter which is used for rounds). If this formula is correct, I don''t understand how a person could ever "see" if a stone has a good crown height. For your stone, viewing from the side, the difference between a poor crown height of 8% and a good crown height of 12% would be only a difference of .18 mm from girdle to table. When pressed, no on here has been able to tell me what the formula is or exactly how they can "see" good crown height--all I get is subjective measures. Again, maybe I''m wrong or misinformed, but I haven''t gotten any answers to these questions.

The more I learn about ECs, the more I think you just have to throw all this out the window and go with what a vendor you think you trust recommends and what looks OK to you.

 

[rjc]

I asked some questions about the stone''s crown height %, but I haven''t gotten the information from the vendor. He doesn''t have the diamond -- it''s a virtual listing -- so I may pay for the appraisal instead. Of course, that kind of commits me to buying it... so I may have to go back and make sure I can get pictures and other information first, and then the appraisal process will be more of a formality.

The vendor did ask the dealer who has the diamond to inspect it and he said that it was gorgeous. I think it probably is, but I''m still nervous about paying to have it appraised before seeing pictures or getting more information than I have above.

Should I absolutely insist on pictures and/or ASET or Idealscope information? Are those really useful for a fancy cut, or do I just need to see the diamond in person?

I''m absolutely in the dark about all this, so all of your advice is all very helpful.

@Justsomeguy: under magnification, I think you can probably see the crown height pretty easily. But in any case, I don''t want to be the one looking to see if my diamond has a good crown height %. I don''t have that kind of expertise, and neither do you.

I think you''re right that looking at the actual stones is important with ECs. If you''re happy with your local jeweler, you should buy from them and don''t worry about the specifications too much. Otherwise, I am sure that you can find a very good diamond online -- but if I were you, I would simply contact WhiteFlash or another vendor and say "I need the best EC that is X carats" and have them give you some options. At some point you will have to trust someone else''s judgment about the stone, and I think WhiteFlash could do a good job. Don''t be discouraged -- there are lots of good diamonds out there. If you find a vendor who can offer you three diamonds that are superbly cut and brilliant, they will ALL probably be great. But finding someone you trust is definitely the hardest part.

 

[justsomeguy]

I guess I would press for pictures and ASET or Idealscope information if I were you, before going through the trouble of an appraisal or committing to buying--like you this is my first diamond purchase and I''m nervous and cautious. This information certainly can''t hurt, and if you post this info on this forum I think you''ll get a lot more help and opinions.

I definitely agree that finding a vendor you trust is the hardest part. I''m completely in the dark about all of this too. I completely agree that I don''t have the expertise to evaluate crown height by sight. But I''d really like to know how crown height is calculated for an EC, as I''m thinking the only way to really know is take it to a very experienced appraiser or better yet get a Sarin report or similar.

By the way, I think the specs for your diamond look very good and give it a high probablility that it is a quality cut and beautiful diamond. The specs are very similar to the EC I''m considering, and I think it''s very nice. Of course to be honest most ECs with similar specs look exactly the same to me.

I do find it interesting that we''re sort of in the same boat--I really don''t see much of a difference between buying an EC from a local jeweler or online (except that the prices will almost always be better online). I''ve gone to several local jewelers, and they all have few, if any ECs in stock. The ones they do have are pretty poor by the standards of this forum (and even I am starting to identify poor ECs with way too large tables and/or bad proportions). So they offer to call in some ECs. If I don''t specify what I''m looking for, they call in more of the same poor choices. Now why don''t I think their ECs are as wonderful as they think they are? How do I get more info like crown height, scope images, etc when they don''t normally do this or think it is important? So I''m on my own and realizing that it''s important to find someone I trust and who treats me fairly. Or, go the online route. Do a Pricescope search for ECs, and look at the results from WhiteFlash or GOG. I''m sure they''re very good and trustworthy vendors, but Hmmmmm--they stock very few ECs and what they have aren''t very good ECs by the standards of this forum. So now I''m down to working with the online vendor to bring in better stones and trying to somehow get enough information from them to make a good choice, and having to find an online vendor that I can trust.

Anyway, I wish you well in your search and hope you find the perfect EC.

 

[shminbabe]

okay, here is my take having just done the search and bought an EC.

i found my stone at a local b & m and am happy with it. however, had i not found it there, i would not have worked with a local store b/c they just don''t give the kind of information you want in looking for an EC. they do not have sarin reports, or other images. i fell in love with my stone and i don''t have any regrets. in fact, i don''t have lots of the stats on it that you are being advised to look for at this stage! so unless you happen to see a stone you really love, i''d call whiteflash or ERD (or both) and tell them what you want. they will look for it for you and won''t bring you something that isn''t within your parameters.

your vendor''s dealer said a certain stone was ''gorgeous''? of course the dealer''s gonna say that! that''s why you need a trusted sales person acting in your stead. bob at whiteflash called in a stone for me and rejected it. it looked good ''on paper'' but was underwhelming in person. he did not try to encourage me to get it, etc. he did not charge me for the ''call in'' b/c it did not meet his standards. now, the jeweler i bought my stone from only had the GIA report and there was no way he was going to get a sarin report for me. he thought it was gorgeous, and i thought it was gorgeous and in the end, i just went for it. but if that one stone had not been there, i''m sure i''d be the owner today of a stone purchased from either whiteflash or ERD. i wouldn''t trust any local jeweler, quite frankly, to get me exactly what i want. heck, even with the local jeweler i bought the ring from - - i''ve asked a number of times about a different setting for my stone and he has NOT gotten back to me on it. i''ve asked several questions that he''s never answered. it does not inspire confidence for future major purchases. that''s why i asked whiteflash to make my new wedding band that i''ll wear with the EC. it should be here next week. so, i''d encourage you to find one of the pricescope vendors that you can connect with, and take your EC searches to them. the ONLY reason i bought my stone from the local store was b/c of the stone itself. it sold itself to me; my jeweler did not.

good luck and let us know what you find along the way.