Experts: Opinions on this James Allen Marquise?

[Smith1942]

Hi, I am wondering if this diamond might have better finger coverage?

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/marquise-cut/0.82-carat-e-color-i1-clarity-sku-56458

 

[Smith1942]

I went to E.B. Horn today, and they re going to get me the cost of the Ritani plan-shank Endless Love setting for a marquise. They are also going to quote me for making a bezel halo themselves.

I addition, I saw a ready-made marquise bezel ring at E.B. Horn. It was 0.85 centre stone, EGL I Si1, but no yellower than my AGS I engagement ring. It was eyeclean. The setting was a halo with thin bezel, and a diamond split-shank halo, 18k white gold It was a very nice ring, $2900 plus 6.25% tax. It was a fatter marquise than I thought I'd like, but it did help with finger coverage. Together with the generous halo (0.25 ctw I think) and the split shank, the centre stone looked to be well over a carat. It was a nice ring at a good price....so, lots of options.

 

[Niel]

Did you get any pics??

 

[motownmama]

I LOVE the setting you pictured. I'd also love to see a similar bezel E/W

 

[Smith1942]

I didn't get any pics. Camera was at home and I have a very basic phone. Oh dear! I'm a technophobe.

Motownmama - James Allen does this setting E/W. I think I'm gonna go N/S if I do this project though.

 

[Smith1942]

ASET Here! Experts: Opinions on this James Allen Marquise?

ASET image is in for the 0.68. It looks good. However, JA did say that they've realised their ASET machine from AGS will show green in areas which should be red for diamonds with tall crown heights or larger carat weights. So they say to give the feedback from the gemologist more weight than the ASET.

The gemologist said:

"...this diamond has great fire, brilliance and scintillation! It doesn't have a full bowtie, giving it a really nice balance of brightness. Its "E" color is icy white and its feather blends very well with its faceting. Its further masked by the diamond's sparkle. Unless you have the skilled eye of a gemologist, you'll view this diamond as eye clean."

I like three settings on the JA website but they aren't listed as available for marquise, so I've asked if any of them can indeed be made for this stone.

Two of those settings are halos for $625 and $700. So potentially I could have this very nice diamond in a plumping halo for about 2k, whereas the E.B. Horn ring was $3100 incl tax.

The setting on the E.B. Horn is more elaborate with the split shank and diamonds along the shank and the splits, although the total carat weight for the halo was only about 0.20 and I can't say the halo diamonds looked very sparkly. But the E.B. Horn diamond was only about 15 points larger and had a noticeable yellow tint (EGL I), at least for someone like me who can see it. Having said that, the whole ring gave superb finger coverage. I think that probably the cut isn't as good as this JA diamond, although when the SA tried it on for me, it looked lovely, and from a distance I couldn't see the tint, only the sparkle. Of course, store lights There's also the possibility that it could look seriously yellow to my eyes outside the store, and that the cut might be revealed as sub-par once out in the real world. But it's a helluva lot of ring for the price - looked like well over a carat, plus nice fat halo.

I don't know what to do!

ETA: I have asked E.B. Horn for a quite for the plain-shank Ritani Endless Love, and a quote for E.B. Horn to make a similar setting themselves, as I could potentially buy the JA diamond and get E.B. Horn to set it.

 

[Niel]

I think you should get it unset from JA to evaluate it. Its a nice size and a good color and eye clean. If you decide to go with JA and let them know within the 60 day return they should send you a box to free ship it back.

Did you talk to pearlmans? I feel like they would be cheaper with a PS discount.

I would not get the egl I. You already talk about your round being too tinted. This cut would concentrate color and its probably if both were gia graded, a lower color

 

[Smith1942]

Thanks Niel! I didn't talk to Pearlman's as the Ritani setting is about $3200 on their website, admittedly with the diaonds on part of the shank, but I still think without the diamonds and a PS discount, it's still going to be quite a lot more than the JA settings. I could ask them though.

I've decided against the E.B. Horn ring. Although I would be initially thrilled to have a ring with so much finger coverage, I think over time, the yellow would bother me. I also wasn't thinking of spending $3100 right now.

JA got back to me about the settings and said that any of the cheaper halos could be made for marquise even though that shape wasn't listed for those settings, and there would be a $150 CAD fee for the $675 - $720 halos, since they are not usually made to fit a marquise, but no CAD fee for the $1500 halo.

I think the choices are:

Buy the stone loose for ease of return if I don't like it, and save up for a better setting
Get the stone set in a $700 halo to add immediate size, with possibility of upgrade in the future
Forget this stone and save up for a bigger one

Hmm.....