Expert help please - deciding on Emerald cut diamonds

[elzny]

Date: 4/8/2009 12:32:29 AM
Author: Siamese Kitty

You''ve got a *gorgeous* ring and rounds have a different type of sparkle due to the difference in the cut. Welcome and good luck with your emerald cut search for your friend!

Thank you so much for your kind words! I love your pear - so feminine and delicate. You don''t see pears very often... Us the "Fancy" lovers!!

At one point I considered doing a round with a fish tail box around it, like in this picture... But in the end I went with square radiant.

 

[aayushk]

I''m somewhat confused and baffled at the idea that you guys think that for a petite girl a 2.50cts. diamond should be a good size? Wow! I have to keep you guys away from my wife I got her a rectangular radiant (1.20cts.)with a custom setting that was a combination of a HW piece and another ring I saw in a Sotheby''s auction catalog. it looks bigger and the setting has seen endless envy.

As for the Emerald Cuts, I would suggest you keep looking, its very unfortunate that there are no specific measurements to declare ideal emerald cuts. the dead center is caused by the pavilion depth and huge table (bottom heavy), and a small table has created a crown angle which refracts light better (more sparkly). You should be looking for 68% to 72% depth. Symmetry is very important because the number of facets and there even layout will decide what makes a good or bad emerald cut.

good luck

 

[chrono]

Between the two, my preference is strongly on the 2.44 over the 2.19. I don''t like that box and overly large table = glassy. However, you mentioned that the 2.44 doesn''t sparkle much so that''s not good either. I''d keep looking.

 

[elzny]

Date: 4/8/2009 11:13:37 PM
Author: Chrono
Between the two, my preference is strongly on the 2.44 over the 2.19. I don''t like that box and overly large table = glassy. However, you mentioned that the 2.44 doesn''t sparkle much so that''s not good either. I''d keep looking.

Thank you! It''s been pretty consistent on PS that everyone says keep looking! I told my friend that - don''t know if he will though...

Love your diamond picture in your profile!! What shape is it? It''s so beautiful!!!

 

[emeraldlover1]

Date: 4/8/2009 6:11:33 PM
Author: aayushk
I''m somewhat confused and baffled at the idea that you guys think that for a petite girl a 2.50cts. diamond should be a good size? Wow! I have to keep you guys away from my wife I got her a rectangular radiant (1.20cts.)with a custom setting that was a combination of a HW piece and another ring I saw in a Sotheby''s auction catalog. it looks bigger and the setting has seen endless envy.

As for the Emerald Cuts, I would suggest you keep looking, its very unfortunate that there are no specific measurements to declare ideal emerald cuts. the dead center is caused by the pavilion depth and huge table (bottom heavy), and a small table has created a crown angle which refracts light better (more sparkly). You should be looking for 68% to 72% depth. Symmetry is very important because the number of facets and there even layout will decide what makes a good or bad emerald cut.

good luck

I think Elzny said that her friend thought that a 2.5 would be good for his potential fiance. Who are we to argue with that? I have a 2.75 and am petite as well as Elzny has a 3ct+ that are perfect for us. I''m sure your wife''s ring is beautiful and loves it! I don''t argue with men that want to get their finace''s a 2.5 because I''m sure that they have thought about that long and hard.

 

[elzny]

Date: 4/9/2009 8:43:17 AM
Author: emeraldlover1

Date: 4/8/2009 6:11:33 PM

Author: aayushk

I think Elzny said that her friend thought that a 2.5 would be good for his potential fiance. Who are we to argue with that? I have a 2.75 and am petite as well as Elzny has a 3ct+ that are perfect for us. I''m sure your wife''s ring is beautiful and loves it! I don''t argue with men that want to get their finace''s a 2.5 because I''m sure that they have thought about that long and hard.

My friend started with a 2-ct, but with a budget of $20K & after unable to distinguish G/H/I unless putting them side by side, he realized that he could be more open to color & go up in size. Although Aayushk got a 1.25 for his wife, notice that he said the setting makes it look much bigger & draws much envy - so effectively, he wanted his wife to have the "illusion" of having a bigger diamond & be envied by others. I have a friend who has a 1.4-ct princess cut in an antique halo setting that makes it looks the same size as my 3-ct from afar. I have not met a girl who does not want a bigger or at least bigger-looking diamond ring. Before I got my ring, upon seeing a girlfriend''s 3-ct ring, I felt it was TOO BIG!! But she told me, "NEVER too big, NEVER too big"! I totally agree now because of DSS!!

 

[elzny]

Date: 4/7/2009 2:17:06 PM
Author: strmrdr
The 2.19 is contrasty, it may be a little over contrasty for some people.

The overall light return area is similar to the 2.44 but it is concentrated in the center and you see the dark box.


The 2.44 looks like the very center is dark?

That isn''t a good thing either.


http://journal.pricescope.com/Articles/60/1/Performance-and-the-p3-facets%2c-a-discussion-about-step-cut-diamonds.aspx


Smaller table and high crown is good but it is possible to have a small table and shallow crown which isn''t good but that is rare.

That the 2.19 is more sparky with the large table means something might be up with the 2.44.

If the 2.44 was well cut it would be the opposite.


Im not that impressed with any of the 3 posted.

Thank you so much Karl!! Wow that article involves some intense research effort. Well done! I''m "studying" intensively on all your other publications. What do you think of radiants? I didn''t come across PS until after I got my ring so now I''m a bit nervous about my square radiant...

 

[aayushk]

elzny and emeraldlover,
My gripe is about how girls never say "it''s too big". "it can always be bigger" seems to be the rule of thumb. I''m not arguing about this situation in particular but in general how guys get pressured into spending so much money for a ring. Basically I''m trying to understand how do you ladies decide on the right size? Like how did the guy come up with the budget of $20k? The "rule" has generally been 3 months salary, is that still the case?

Of course I wanted to illusion of bigger, as everyone else would too but its just a matter of drawing the line.

Sorry if i have offended you in any way, that was not my purpose. I just want to know the female perspective in determining the engagement ring budget.

 

[emeraldlover1]

Date: 4/13/2009 2:23:35 PM
Author: aayushk
elzny and emeraldlover,
My gripe is about how girls never say ''it''s too big''. ''it can always be bigger'' seems to be the rule of thumb. I''m not arguing about this situation in particular but in general how guys get pressured into spending so much money for a ring. Basically I''m trying to understand how do you ladies decide on the right size? Like how did the guy come up with the budget of $20k? The ''rule'' has generally been 3 months salary, is that still the case?

Of course I wanted to illusion of bigger, as everyone else would too but its just a matter of drawing the line.

Sorry if i have offended you in any way, that was not my purpose. I just want to know the female perspective in determining the engagement ring budget.

I didn''t take any offense and I''m hoping my response didn''t lead you to think so.

I think what you are asking above is so different for everyone. As far as my situation is concerend my fiance had a budget that he set himself. He also decided on what he wanted me to have. There were many factors that played into that decision. I don''t the salary thing ever came into play.

I know that''s not a very specific answer but I never really asked him how he made the decision on the budget.

 

[elzny]

Date: 4/13/2009 2:23:35 PM
Author: aayushk
elzny and emeraldlover,

My gripe is about how girls never say ''it''s too big''. ''it can always be bigger'' seems to be the rule of thumb. I''m not arguing about this situation in particular but in general how guys get pressured into spending so much money for a ring. Basically I''m trying to understand how do you ladies decide on the right size? Like how did the guy come up with the budget of $20k? The ''rule'' has generally been 3 months salary, is that still the case?


Of course I wanted to illusion of bigger, as everyone else would too but its just a matter of drawing the line.


Sorry if i have offended you in any way, that was not my purpose. I just want to know the female perspective in determining the engagement ring budget.

I wasn''t offended at all. I agree with EM1''s opinion - it''s a very personal decision. Actually I didn''t want a ring to begin with - we did a DeBeer case at business school and we learned that diamonds are such commodities & supply/demand are purely controlled by cartels to jack up the price. But my husband wanted to get me one. I don''t think the salary rule came into play and he certainly wasn''t pressured - cause we were already happily married and I didn''t need a diamond to make me happier. In my friend''s case, he only knew she wants an emerald shape, I don''t know how he came up with the budget, maybe because some of his friends spent around that much for a ring? The gf has the same finger size as me, so I went with him to try the diamonds on to show him how it''ll look like. He thinks 2-2.5ct will look the best in terms of the proportions to the hand. I think maybe that''s how he decided. Also, the gf is a super sweet girl, and her best friend recently got engaged with a 1-ct round with a beautiful setting. So if the old saying of "a girl will want what her girlfriends/sisters got" is true, then I''m sure my friend could''ve got her a 1-ct & she would be happy too. So I think it''s what he thinks that he wants the gf to have.

I didn''t tell him about DSS. I said many times to my husband "it''s too big!! too big!!" when he was about to get me the 3-ct, but it took me only 3 days to get used to it!! Would love to see your wife''s ring if you have a picture.