Getting started... Suggestions for NYC vendors? Looking for Radiant stone/settings

[mooz]

Hi everyone! My now-boyfriend and I are getting started in looking around/doing research for engagement rings, and I stumbled on this wonderful forum and wanted to source this very knowledgeable crowd for advice specific to us - I've done quite a bit of rummaging through the forum these past couple of weeks and feel a bit overwhelmed with all of the information! Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

After visiting a handful of stores I am fairly certain I would like a radiant center stone with trapezoid side stones, something like the setting found here (but doesn't have to be that exactly): https://www.laurenbjewelry.com/lepozzi-radiant-cut-diamond-platinum-engagement-ring.html (but in yellow gold). I am a bit concerned about going to Lauren B for that exact setting since their settings do not seem to be very highly regarded on here, and I definitely want something is solid as well as beautiful. However, if people have additional/new/positive information on the company, I'd love to hear it!

I also know from this forum that radiants are very difficult to judge without seeing in person, or at least a video, so it's important to us to go to a trustworthy vendor that is knowledgeable in these fancy cuts.

I believe our total max budget is $17k, and we are hoping for a center stone near 2 carats (or at least looks around that size). Not super picky on color/clarity etc. - as long as the diamond is eye-clean and looks shiny and bright, I'll be more than happy. We are located in NYC.

Any recommendations on where we should go for the diamond(s) and/or (custom?) settings would be wonderful. Thank you again in advance!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I'd recommend looking on James Allen because they have videos on all the stones on their site. Just know that radiants may not have the light return of some other stones, because well cut ones aren't exactly plentiful. I just did a quick search and didn't see a one at 2 cts that I could recommend.

Finding the diamond is the first step and then we could talk about settings. That is partly dependent on where you find the diamond. ID Jewelry in NYC is good for diamonds.

 

[Alexiszoe]

Another vendor is Diamonds by Lauren - I have been perusing their site for years and the owner, @Rockdiamond , seem to have an eye for picking gorgeous radiants. They are also based in the NYC diamond district so, similar to ID Jewelry, can call in and look for diamonds for you easily.

 

[tyty333]

What sort of ratio are you looking for? The one in your link looks to be long. Is that the look or will squarish work also?

*Its easier to find a square radiant with good light return than a rectangular one.

 

[Queenie60]

I would suggest you reach out to Yekutiel at ID Jewelry. He could help you to find a lovely stone. Good luck and let us know what you decide. Exciting times!!!

 

[Rockdiamond]

Hi Mooz
How exciting!!
Your budget will certainly allow a lovely ring.
I would advise against considering any Pre-made settings.
When matching a radiant and traps the exact size and shape of the sides are crucial. So the selection must be done when the stones are loose.

Also- I agree that, in general, a square will have a better chance at being well cut, but it's not a hard fast rule. Although they are rare rectangular radiants can be extremely well cut and beautiful.
Good luck in your search!

 

[mooz]

Thank you all for your replies! To answer your question @tyty333, either rectangle or square would work well, no strong preference.

Is there anything in particular we should be on the lookout for, when viewing radiants in person, to determine whether or not a radiant is "well cut"?

 

[Rockdiamond]

Is there anything in particular we should be on the lookout for, when viewing radiants in person, to determine whether or not a radiant is "well cut"?

Great question- albeit tough to pin down an answer which will work for everyone.
IMO, a radiant should have an even sparkle- bottomless pit of tiny flashes.
When you go in this direction, the stone will not have a lot of contrast- rather a uniform brightness.
Another flavor is where the cutter is going after a stone that has light performance similar to an ideal cut round.
In that case, you'll have a lot of contrast ( think Heart and Arrows pattern)- brighter individual flashes- but a totally different personality compared to the first type of radiant.
Does that make sense?

 

[mooz]

Thanks David! That does make a lot of sense. Are there any "warning signs" to be aware of when viewing a radiant in person, that would indicate that it is not well-cut? I know that the bow-tie effect is one of them - is there anything else we should be cautious about?

 

[HappyNewLife]

If you're not familiar with the crushed ice look, I'd do a quick Google and determine whether you like that look. I personally don't and would ask a vendor to make sure the diamond doesn't have that pattern.

GL! I can't wait to see some pics! IMO we don't see enough radiants here!

 

[MollyMalone]

If you're not familiar with the crushed ice look, I'd do a quick Google and determine whether you like that look. I personally don't and would ask a vendor to make sure the diamond doesn't have that pattern.

GL! I can't wait to see some pics! IMO we don't see enough radiants here!

Well, I myself wouldn't rely on Internet pics to be the determinant. Besides the fact that pics are just static, 2-dimensional snapshots (and even videos aren't akin to seeing stones with your own eyes), there are many variations on a theme. Generally speaking, I'm not a big fan of the so-called "crushed ice look," but there are lots of stones with different "personalities" within that broad category & I've seen some that appealed to me in real life. Conversely, I really like step/emerald cuts in general, but I've encountered a number in real life I wouldn't want.

Fortunately, @mooz , you're able to give yourselves the opportunity to view a number of stones in hand -- such up close and personal experiences are an especially huge plus when shopping for a fancy shape or old cut diamond. So I'm hoping you find it great fun! If you'd like a restaurant recommendation, Akdeniz, on W. 46th Street just in from 5th Ave., is pleasant & has moderately-priced, tasty fare

http://akdeniz46.com

P.S. You might consider also making an appointment at David S. Diamonds. I have no first-hand experience there, but they've been in business for years; all their diamonds have GIA reports; positive shopping experiences reported here and on, e.g., Yelp (seemingly none of the "used car salesman" tactics that are regrettably a hallmark of many vendors in the NYC Diamond District); David So (the David S. in the name) developed and patented the Solasfera cut; the web site, and reviews, bespeak of a dealer who fosters customer appreciation of light performance-cut quality.
https://davidsdiamonds.com
https://www.yelp.com/biz/david-s-diamonds-new-york-3?sort_by=date_desc

 

[Rockdiamond]

Thanks David! That does make a lot of sense. Are there any "warning signs" to be aware of when viewing a radiant in person, that would indicate that it is not well-cut? I know that the bow-tie effect is one of them - is there anything else we should be cautious about?

I like Molly's explanation of the term "crushed ice"...the words are not all that helpful to shoppers.
I did the google search for crushed ice.... I didn't see any diamonds, but I felt like having a cocktail
Seriously- it's very difficult to describe some of these aspects with words. "Crushed ice" if you think about it, it's a bottomless pit of sparkle- like a bucket of crushed ice. So in the best of cases, I relate crushed ice to thousands of tiny sparkles- so many that the eye ( or camera) can't focus on any specific area- so it looks bottomless.
If it's slushy and mushy it's not shiny or sparkly.
But the truth is, much of this stuff is perception- and very personal.
Take any subjective item- food. One person thinks it's way too spicy, another thinks that same very dish is too bland.

There've been many new variations on the radiant cut theme that borrow a more traditional facet pattern- like grafting the facets of a round onto a radiant.
Without a doubt, the contrast is easier to photograph on stones cut more like a round brilliant- and the contrast looks better on tools like ASET.
But only you will be able to determine what you love most. Although round diamonds are far and away the most popular, some people hate them.
Hopefully, you'll pick a dealer who is knowledgeable and transparent- in other words, one that allows you to develop your own like or distaste for a given style without injecting their own taste into it.

 

[rockysalamander]

Since you are open to square stones, have you considered a super-ideal princess cut?
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut-loose-diamond-3891971.htm
https://www.briangavindiamonds.com/...1.774-h-vs2-princess-diamond-ags-104085570001

In general, in my experience, radiants show more color than some other shapes, but can hide inclusion like a round (which is pretty good when not directly on the table).

Here are a few examples of what appear to be decently cut, but different flavors of radiants.

This is an example of a radiant with crisp facets.
https://www.jamesallen.com/mobile/l...ut/0.72-carat-h-color-vs1-clarity-sku-2135341

These have more of the smaller sparkles, but facets are still discerable.
www.jamesallen.com/mobile/loose-diamonds/radiant-cut/1.40-carat-j-color-si1-clarity-sku-3505559
www.jamesallen.com/mobile/loose-diamonds/radiant-cut/1.81-carat-f-color-vs2-clarity-sku-995436

This is what I think of as 'crushed ice' without implying badly cut.
http://www.jewelsbygrace.com/1-56ct-radiant-cut-diamond-solitaire-gia-j-vs2

Smaller than your goal, but very pretty. DBL seems to have a very good eye for radiants.
http://www.diamondsbylauren.com/ind...ond-138ct-m-si1-radiant-cut-diamond-gia-r7083

This is a useful read about 'crushed ice' and cutting https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/crushed-ice-cushions-bad.148696/

 

[mooz]

Thank you all! This has all been extremely helpful! I look forward to viewing more radiants in person and figuring out if I am more of a "crushed ice" person or a crisp facet one, now that I know what to look for And @rockysalamander, the links were incredibly informative!

What do people think of the below diamond? This one I would have to purchase remotely - unfortunately I would not be able to view it in person before purchasing (vendor is not located where we are). It would fit within our budget, including setting. I do like the larger size, and the vendor has assured us that the inclusions would not be noticeable to the naked eye, but I am worried about purchasing unseen. Sadly they were not able to provide an ASET image. It would be set in yellow gold so I am not too concerned about the I color level but please let me know if you think it would be bothersome/noticeable. I'm thinking it could be a very good deal - am I mistaken?

Lab: GIA
Carat: 2.16
Color: I
Clarity: SI1
Meas.: 8.47*6.71*4.3
Depth: 64.30
Table: 67.00
Fluoresence: None

 

[mooz]

Apologies - here is the video:

 

[Karl_K]

In the pic and video you can see the difference in the look between the top and bottom?
One end would look different than the other.
That would not be considered desirable, you want even light return across the stone in this style of radiant.

 

[mooz]

Oh I see it now, thanks @Karl_K. I am definitely still learning!

As an update, I started doing more research on settings and saw that Victor Canera does a beautiful setting in the style that I was looking: https://www.victorcanera.com/rings/radiant-and-trapezoid-trilogy. We reached out for a quote but were informed that we would need to source the diamond with him too... what do people think of this diamond? https://www.victorcanera.com/diamonds/33mjf0-2.01-h-vs1-radiant

 

[Alexiszoe]

I am no expert on radiant cuts, but having seen a few in person, I am going to echo what others have said earlier - you really have to see them in real life, to decide if you like it. For example, a radiant that didn't look great in photos turned out to be my favorite pick of the bunch when I looked at them at the vendor's office.

Given you are in NYC, being able to drop by the vendor's office to take a look at what they picked for you and decide what moves you is probably the best bet. I would imagine taking a trip to LA to see the radiant is a little...moot given your plethora of choices in NYC.

As for the VC 3 stone ring, it's beautiful, but this style is not uncommon. There are other great vendors with top notch craftsmanship who can produce such a ring and find the right proportions of traps to match. I recall Leon Mege, Diamond by Lauren's uber bench craftsman, and Steven Kirsch (all 3 of them are based on NY) producing some absolutely, stunning rings for PSers here.

 

[mooz]

Thanks @Alexiszoe! You're completely right, I think I got a bit carried away in looking at diamonds online (I can be quite impatient and like things to be done immediately, haha). My boyfriend is contacting vendors for appointments now and I'm going to try and make myself wait And thank you also for the setting vendor recommendations!