Finally decided on a diamond - please comment!

[Loengard]

Dear all,

I finally think I made a choice. I already ran this diamond past you guys, and the conclusion was that the cut was not super-deal, but approached the FIC range.

These are the specs:
- EGL Europe cert.
- 1.47c
- round brilliant cut
- 7.23x7,17x4.15
- polish: very good
- finish: very good
- depth: 63,1%
- table: 59%
- crown: 15%
- pavilion: 43%
- clarity: VS 1
- colour: G
- fluor.: nil

As I understand it, if you run this through the cut advisor, you get a very good. However, if you adapt the 43% pavilion to 42%, it falls inside the FIC parameters. Would this not mean that it is an ''almost ideal cut'', or am I dreaming?

The price for the diamond is 6.190 EUR (something like 6.300 USD I think). For me it is most convenient that the store (patini.com) is in Europe. In the US it''s easier to get a good deal, but with the customs rights, you pay more than in a retail jeweller.

What do you all think? Will this look nice in a four prong Tiffany design (18k white gold or platinum), or is a six prong better?

Thank you for all your comments!
Peter

 

[valeria101]

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On 5/8/2004 5:29:57 AM Loengard wrote:



As I understand it, if you run this through the cut advisor, you get a very good. [...] Would this not mean that it is an 'almost ideal cut', or am I dreaming?

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Who knows what "ideal cut" is? Each seller and lab seems to have another definition !

Since we are talking HCA here, "Ideal" would simply mean "score less than 2" or an "Excellent" designation overall. In this sense, the stone is "near ideal" I suppose...

If you would dig throughout PS, you will find quite a few threads where H&A stons got blasted for one hart notch a tenth of a milimeter off ! For the respective time, place and criteria "near ideal" would be a H&A pattern that shown imperfections at 10X regardless of HCA, AGS grade and optics.

I wish there was an Iscope picture of this stone (or you would have used the tool to view the stone and tell the story

), but it is not a bad choice by the numbers either.

And... this is just about the most tempting price I saw in a while

What gives? Is 6300 the price per carat?

 

[Paul-Antwerp]

Peter,

Please have them check the measurements of the stone.

You indicate a depth of 4.15 mm with a diameter of 7.17 to 7.23 mm.

This gives a total depth of 57.6% (4.15 divide by 7.20), while you indicate 63.1%.

Also, if the latter % is correct, you have 15% crown and 43% pavilion, in total 58%, leaving 5.1% for the girdle (63.1 - 5. Rather thick, I should say. Girdle thickness should also be on the cert.

Finally, you get a diameter of a 1.35 Ct.

To be complete, 6190 EUR is about 7400 USD right now.

I do not want to bash this stone. It might be good for you. Just please check well before you decide.

Live long,

Paul

 

[Loengard]

Hi Paul,

Thanks for you comments. I made two slight mistakes in my description. The measurements are not 4.15mm, but 4.55 mm.
Also the fluorescence is not nil, but slight.

Concerning the girdle, it is medium. Does this have a big influence?
Thank you all,
Peter

 

[Loengard]

And I keep making mistakes: the crown is 16, not 15%.
Sorry about that, too excited about the diamond

Peter

 

[Paul-Antwerp]

That makes, if we do a Diamcalc on this, the crown angle is about 38.0° and the pavilion angle about 40.7°.

This last angle is very good, but a crown angle of 38° brings you in the AGS-5-range, quite far from ideal.

HCA-score would then be 3.6 with 1 VG and 3 G, but you should keep in mind that HCA-score is based on a valley-girdle of 1.2%, while yours is about 2.2%.

Price is definitely not bad, provided colour and clarity are correct, but you are far from any ideal-cut.

It all depends, if weight is most important to you, and if you do not care about the exactness of colour or clarity, and if light performance of the stone is not that important, then this is the stone for you.

These last things are up to you to decide.

Live long,

Paul

 

[Loengard]

Actually the girdle is medium faceted.
Is it a good or a bad thing that the girdle is faceted? What are the consequences of this?

Any other comments on the diamond specs?
Peter

 

[Loengard]

OK, thanks for the comments. The choice is basically down to two diamonds.

THe first one being the one described above.
The second one being an ideal cut, made by a pricescope regular and very nice and professional person indeed, G VS2 1.2 at 6950 euro.

The second one is therefore smaller and more expensive, but has an ideal cut.
Forgetting what would be the best, what would most of you buy (i.e. what is the best price / quality)?

Thanks so much for all your help. Sorry for bothering you so much, but I'm a very uncertain consumer, so many factors to grasp.
thank you Peter

 

[hoorray]

Sight unseen, and with no more specs than the 2nd being ideal cut, I would buy the second one. To me, big and blah is not interesting. Smaller and full of life is more appealing (and 1.2 isn't small IMO.)

However, if you have seen the first diamond in different types of light, and it sparkles and makes you happy, go for it.

 

[valeria101]

I don't think the ideal would look that much smaller although the weight is less.

It is a safer bet by far...