first online buying

[online diamond noob]

Howdy all, thanks for helping my new diamond hunting obsession; its set in quite fine

).
I know I’m going to list you all a diamond to critique and possibly best (I just hope mine is good) I think I found one heck of a deal price wise;

Princess cut Blue Nile ideal
carat .94
colour H
clarity SI1
measurements 5.52 x 5.53 x 3.68
length/width ratio 1.00
overall depth 66.5% ((66.6 on GCAL
crown height 8.5%
table 72%
girdle thin-medium
polish/symmetry EX/EX
culet/flour none/none

GIA and GCAL reports May 5th and 10th respectively

price 4,120$

What do you all think? --

-=brian=-

 

[online diamond noob]

Only thing I was a tad concerned about is that PS's ideal princess cut page displayes that this is barely a 1B stone as thier listed table is 62-68% as well as the crown height is listed at 9-12% for ideal cuts.

I understand that with fancy shapes it is a matter of how it performs in person. -- just nervouse I suppose.

)

 

[researcher]

You hit it on the nail when you said "I understand that with fancy shapes it is a matter of how it performs in person". It really is true, although there are certain specs that can definitely help you to narrow your search as you seem to be aware.

One thing you should know is that Dave is in the process of changing the AGA charts from 9% to 10% for diamonds in the 1A category. That being said, your crown height is fairly low. I also do not like the fact that the table is so much bigger than the depth; you want it to be the other way around.

Other than those things (which can have a significant influence on the stones performance, this diamond looks good. If I were in your shoes I would probably keep looking, but it's up to you. Hopefully someone like moremoremore, valeria101, oldminer, niceice, or rhino will respond--they all know a lot more than me

 

[online diamond noob]

Yeah I know what you mean by the table being larger than the depth. That was one of my main concerns when I talked to the Blue Niles sales rep. She did mention that in order for it to be classified as an ideal/signature cut it had to go through several opinions. Also is this chart (which may be outdated):

Our ideal princess-cut diamond features a crown height greater than 8%. This almost doubles the industry standard for crown height, allowing the diamond to capture and return more light.

Though this could all be plain marketing tactics. I have heard no bad opinions of people purchasing from Blue Nile. And only great remarks coming from those who purchased a signature/ideal.

 

[researcher]

They may be telling the truth, but just because their stones are better than average doesn't mean there are even better stones out there. Also, people have different opinions about what is beautiful in a stone, especially when it comes to fancies. After doing some research by going to B&M stores, I discovered that there really wasn't enough fire in stones with a crown less than 10% for me. I also discovered that I didn't like the look of stones with tables that were larger than the depth. To get an idea of how the depth and table size comes into play, check out: www.drostes.com/princess-depth.html.

The other thing to remember about people who give feedback is they are usually either very satisfied or very unsatisfied. Because the vendor has the choice of posting the feedback, they most likely only post the good feedback. Also, people who purchased from Blue Nile may or may not know about other vendors or have had the knowledge to choose an ideal cut diamond on their own. I'm in no way knocking BN, but I think you can probably find a stone with better proportions that will blow the one you found away.

 

[Hest88]

I would really look for a princess with a crown greater than 10%. Also, like Researcher, I'd prefer a stone with a table smaller than the depth. Larger tables give too much of a glassy effect for my taste.

 

[online diamond noob]

Ok another couple hours of searching and I think I have defiantly found one better. This one is from Dirt Cheap, which I hear rave reviews of from this board.

Princess cut signature
carat 1.03
color G
clarity VS2
measurements 5.57 x 5.48 x 4.06
length/width ratio 1.016
overall depth 74.1%
crown height 9.9%
table 73%
girdle thin-very thick
polish/symmetry G/G
culet/flour none/none

This one is just an extra 600$, but I'd get G instead of H; VS2 instead of SI1; less polish/symmetry (both G instead of EX); a significantly more girdle spread to very thick; but it is better numbers for depth/table ratio and just barely hits that new 10% crown height mark....

what would you say just based on the did gets?

oh yeah... this one has an online picture...Ill attatch the GIA for the inclusion map

-=brian=-

 

[researcher]

Where are you getting the crown height info from (GIA stones usually don't have it)? Also, it must be a typo when you wrote "crown height 89.9%". Was that supposed to be 9.9%? I think you're on the right track, but you can still do better. I don't like the thin-very thick girdle (too much variation and probably very fragile corners). What about a stone like these:

www.dirtcheapdiamonds.com/diamond_detail.cfm?did=2390448&ref=PS622

www.whiteflash.com/diamonds/diamond_Details.aspx?itemcode=2455732

 

[online diamond noob]

Yes lol... sorry for the typo... crown height was listed as 9.9 for the second diamond I listed.
Those two suggestions sound great as well; I was searching however for an (ideal/signature) stone, however with the stats on your two may make them excellent as well. now I’m getting really confused... one on the way for tomorrow, one on reserve if tomorrow's is a bust, and still 10,000 more to look at

-=brian=-

 

[researcher]

You know what's funny? I found in my search that some of the "ideal" stones weren't as ideal as the stones I found on my own. As I think I mentioned before, choosing the "right" diamond is really a matter of personal taste. Going by numbers alone, stones like those I sent you appear to have a better chance of being good performers....

Then again, trust the experts. Just keep in mind that the diamonds in the signature series etc. are stones owned/cut by that company while stones listed on PS etc. are often "list" stones. The point is "list" stones may not even be considered as signature cuts or expert selection. So, don't rule anything out!

Some of the best vendors I worked with include Denise from Whiteflash, Jonathan from Good Old Gold, and Robin and Todd from Nice Ice. They all went above and beyond to help me find the perfect stone (and I did

).

Good luck with your search--as daunting as it is!

 

[online diamond noob]

Well, I just got the Blue Nile stone in.
All I can say is that thier signature ideal cuts are amazeing!
such perfict symmetry, super brilliant stone.

unfortunately from the side view I could see 2 extreemly easy to spot inclusions which was a real heart stabber. From the top view though.. it appears flawless. But one more downfall got me. It being an H colour, even with the superb cut made it face a bit too yellow in many lighting conditions that I just couldnt look past.

So, regretfully, I must send this little gem packing back to its home on the other side of the country

... the search continues