Engagement Ring - Local/Online? - Cut Advisor???

[Viste]

I am starting my search for an engagement ring and so far, this site has been a great help.

I want to stay in the $3k range, give or take. I have decided that cut is going to be my most important criteria, since the most important thing for me is how it will look to the naked eye.
Local jewelers have been giving me prices of approx. $3k for an ideal cut .6 carat or so, I color, and Si1 clarity. I am finding larger, clearer, and better colored diamonds online for much less.

Here is one I am looking at online:

Carat weight: 0.76
Cut: Ideal
Color: H
Clarity: VS2
Depth %: 61.8%
Table %: 56%
Symmetry: Ideal
Polish: Ideal
Girdle: Thin to slightly thick
Culet: None
Fluorescence: Negligible
Measurements: 5.84x5.89x3.62 mm

The accompanied AGSL report gives the following angles/dimensions:
Weight: .764
Table: 56%
Depth:61.8%
Faceted: 1.2-2.4%
Crown:15.2%, 35.1 deg
Pavillion:42.8%, 42.9 deg
Cutlet: "Pointed"
Cut: AGS Ideal 0
Polish: Ideal
Symmetry: Ideal
Proportions: Ideal
Color: AGS 2.0
Clarity: AGS 4
Measurements: 5.84x5.89x3.62 mm

-----

Sorry about the length, but I wanted to be thurough; I have seen too many second requests on this site for angles, etc.

Anyway, when I put the dimensions into the cut advisor, the angles give a reading of 2.2, the percentages yield a .7. Why is there such a large discrepancy between these two values?

Price: $3071

Also, is this a good/bad buy in anyone''s opinion??? This is my first major purchase and I want to do it right the first time. Any help is greatly appreciated. I am thinking of calling and asking for Sarin values to double check what the report says?

Thanks in advance...

 

[Lanee]

Bump, I feel for this guy, he got no one's attention.

 

[pqcollectibles]

Although the crown angle is not within the chart parameters (34.3-34.7 degrees), the rest of the cut info meets Class 1A, American Ideal cut parameters. Using the Price Scope Price Stats for American Class 1A, the range on this diamond runs from $2268.60 on the low end to $2640.24 as an average among PS vendors.

Hope that helps.

 

[Mara]

[/quote]

Anyway--that diamond you found online sounds good, 2.2 scoring is not bad, but I found some that you may also want to check out. I used the CUT QUALITY search on the homepage of Pricescope, it culls out stones using HCA scores of excellent (now keep in mind this is a smaller range of stones to start with than the regular Pscope search because only a handful of vendors actually post the angles that the HCA uses for this exercise)...so basically half of your work is already done. Many of these vendors hand-pick their stones and/or they are superideal.


Angles work better than % on the HCA because angles are more accurate and %'s are usually a range of numbers so the HCA gives you a possible 'range' score. There sometimes can be a huge difference as you noted. The angles are the correct scoring.

Bottom line is that for your $3k you can get a H&A AGS0 or superideal stone in the .70-.80c range with G/H color and VS/SI clarity. Much better than your offline options eh?!!

Okay get ready the list is long. I also went out to SuperbCert and GoodOldGold's site...SC has superideal amazing stones that many people rave about, and GOG hand picks their H&A's, check out their amazing Bscope results.


For any of these vendors and stones below, there should be closeups of the stone, certificate information, some have bscope, HCA results, some have idealscope images, hearts and arrows images, closeups of the inclusions (always fun), mathematical ray path reports, etc etc. Much more fun than other online vendors who only give you the GIA report and make you contact them for more info!! Enjoy.


http://www.niceice.com/certcopies/ags0003770504/index.htm

.74c H VS2 AGS 0 1.8HCA $2825


http://www.whiteflash.com/acut/diamond_details.asp?ItemCode=365077

.76 H SI1 AGS0 H&A A Cut Above SuperIdeal 1.2 HCA $2805 (Pscope pricing, ask for it)


http://www.niceice.com/certcopies/gia12408855/index.htm

.78 H SI1 AGS 0 H&A 1.5 HCA $2895


http://www.whiteflash.com/acut/diamond_details.asp?ItemCode=365074

.74 H VS2 AGS0 H&A SuperIdeal ACA 1.3 HCA $3027 (Pscope pricing)


http://www.whiteflash.com/acut/diamond_details.asp?ItemCode=462039

.78 H VS2 AGS0 H&A SuperIdeal ACA 1.8HCA $3190 (Psocpe pricing)


http://www.whiteflash.com/acut/diamond_details.asp?ItemCode=2481

.74 F SI1 AGS0 H&A ACA 1.2 HCA $3322 (Pscope pricing)


http://www.superbcert.com/products/index.cfm?Product_ID=354&Product_Subcategory_ID=2&Product_Category_ID=3&Product_Group_ID=1

.73 F SI1 SuperbCert AGS 0 H&A SuperIdeal $3021


http://www.superbcert.com/products/index.cfm?Product_ID=335&Product_Subcategory_ID=2&Product_Category_ID=3&Product_Group_ID=1

.76c G SI1 SuperbCert AGS0 H&A SuperIdeal $2960


http://www.superbcert.com/products/index.cfm?Product_ID=410&Product_Subcategory_ID=2&Product_Category_ID=3&Product_Group_ID=1

.73 G VS2 SuperbCert AGS0 H&A SuperIdeal $3153


http://www.goodoldgold.com/0_75ct_h_vs2_h&a.htm

.75c H VS2 AGS0 H&A $3287


http://www.goodoldgold.com/0_73ct_g_si1_h&a.htm

.73 G SI1 AGS0 H&A $2965


http://www.goodoldgold.com/0_71ct_h_si1_h&a.htm

.71 H SI1 AGS0 H&A $2849


Also wanted to point out that SuperbCert had like 5 other stones that would have fit in your parameters, I just chose a few to post. GOG also has some other stones too, some a little more pricey but beautiful...and WhiteFlash had a few more also, but I just chose a few there too. So you have TONS to choose from, all excellently cut, with excellent HCA scoring, cheaper than your offline B&M I SI .60c stone.

Look at previous posts for a certain vendor if you want to read about their reputation and/or information. We get tons of people posting on stones they have bought on the above vendors, so there should be no lack of information for your research!!

 

[pqcollectibles]

Oh Mara! You posted the diamond (.78, H VS2, ACA from White Flash) that Lesley and I talked about. I would have loved to had that one as hubby is a clarity fanatic, but I woulda gone over my budget.

I chose a .766 ct, H SI1, A Cut Above from White Flash that is GORGEOUS! That put me within $150 of what I planned to spend locally before taxes for an OK cut diamond. Taxes would have added more than the $150 difference, so I really came out ahead. I got a fantastic cut diamond that looks like a million bucks and stayed within my budget!

The folks on Price Scope are absolutely correct. CUT is KING!!! Mara has given you some very good leads on great diamonds that will perform beautifully.

Good Luck in your search, Viste!

 

[Viste]

Thanks a lot for the info...
I am a novice and in the first chapter of my quest for the perfect ring for my perfect girl... I just wanted to know what everyone thought; I think I'll continue on with my search.

Thanks again...