Good deal on ring?

[mke_man]

Just visited Ethan Lord in Chicago on Thursday and had a fantastic experience. I went to Tiffany''s first and was rather disappointed in 1) Service and 2) the quality of the ring for the price.

So this is what I have picked out:

-Custom Platinum band based on the Lucida, with a few changes that I''m making (CAD drawings coming)
$700
-Diamond:
GIA cert. Cushion Modified Brilliant
6.70 x 6.62 x 4.29 mm
1.50 carat
Color E
Clarity SI1
Polish: Excellent
Symmetry: Very Good
Fluorescence: None

Table: 58%
Depth: 64.8%

Price: 11,500

Total: 12,200

It was a beautiful diamond, and the clarity is really not an issue. I looked at it under 10x and had difficulty finding any inclusions. I also am definitely willing to pay the extra to get the E color, as it just makes it shine.
My question: Is it a good value? Or should I hold out for a better clarity or color?

 

[neatfreak]

The clarity and color are fine, you just want to make sure it''s a well cut cushion because there is a real difference in light return between a poorly cut stone and a nice one. Did you get any pictures of the stone? And did you see many cushions or just this one?

 

[mke_man]

Looked at quite a few cushions and the light return on this one seemed excellent. I will get pictures taken professionally when they finish the ring. Is it worth asking them to do it before I buy it?

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 11/1/2008 4:35:05 PM
Author: mke_man
Looked at quite a few cushions and the light return on this one seemed excellent. I will get pictures taken professionally when they finish the ring. Is it worth asking them to do it before I buy it?

Yes and they dont need to be professional. Just an extreme close up. It allows you to see the facet pattern, which is good,and you can show it to us and we can help you know if it is a good one or not!

Is it chucky or crushed glass facets? Just curious. Cushions are THE hardest to find nice examples, and if you only looked at them in the store, under store lights, and if you only looked at one type, then you maaaaay want to look around more just to know you are really getting what you want. Good old gold has some nice videos of cushions that will show you some of the different types of cuts that are out there (there are a LOT of different types, both old-world and modern) and it is nice to compare them. http://www.goodoldgold.com/Diamond_Videos/ the videos are here about half way down.

Also, here is a comparable color/clarity combo with a really nice cut, there is a video too, same price as you are considering--less if you use bank wire to pay... so check this out it may be a good comparison. There is a video of this one too. http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/4877/