Good deal or no deal?

[Trosts95]

I was hoping someone can help me evaluate a recent purchase. I was shopping for a loose princess cut diamond. Was looking for .75 - 1.0 carats, at least a G in color, and no less than a VS2 in clarity and hoping to stay below $4000.00. We found a 1.05 carat brilliant cut, F in color, VS2 in clarity, vg/vg in polish/symmetry for $3600.00. We made the purchase and have 30 days to return it. I have concerns with the measurements...5.29x5.21x4.34. This did not mean much to me at the time, but now I''m afraid I;m not getting enough for my money. Will the depth effect the amount of reflection? Detrementally? And, also I am not sure how to come up with the percentages for table and depth etc. as my IGI cert does not list that info. (the stone is also laser inscribed). Was this the deal we thought it was or should we return it and keep shopping?

Thanks ~ Lisa

 

[SeaOats]

Well, let me preface this with the fact that I am not a princess cut expert. But it does seem by your measurements that the diamond is indeed a bit deep and/or has a thicker girdle. I am not a fan of IGI reports, so I am not surprised that they do not provide you with table and depth percentages.

As for price, if you use the "pricescope your diamond" feature on the top of your page, you can see that many diamonds in your range go for a couple hundred dollars over $4,000. Of course, those diamonds are coming with EGL USA, GIA, or AGS reports, which are more reputable than IGI IMO.

If I were you, I would bring the stone to an independent appraiser (under Resources on the top of this page is a list by state) and have them give you their opinions on the cut of the diamond.

However, obviously this diamond looked pretty to you, and with fancy cuts, that is the most important thing. You don't walk around showing everyone how perfect your numbers are on your grading report

.

 

[Trosts95]

Thank you for the reply. I am not so worried about the actual numbers as I am the effect of those numbers on the sparkle and shine. I just want the best that I can afford, ya know. Most of the 1 carat diamonds I find on the search have diameter measurements closer to 6mmx6mm and this one seems to be most similar to 3/4 carat stones. Thanks again.

 

[princessv]

From the measurements it looks like the stone is very deep which would affect the sparkle factor. The IGI certificate definitely drives down the value of the diamond as it is not considered as reputable as other labs like AGS, GIA, GCAL.

 

[Trosts95]

From the sounds of it...it''s return and keep shopping! Thanks for your information.

 

[princessv]

If you want a princess cut with maximum sparkle look for AGS 0 princess cuts you might even be interested in Square H&A both of which you can view at Good Old Gold. This PS vendor comes very highly recommended here although I haven''t had any personal experience with them.

 

[Hansel]

I think you should be asking "Screwed" or "Pay the right price". I am not completely convinced that you can get a "good deal" when you buy diamonds, because somebody out there has to make a living off of it. But that is neither here nor there. That being said I think you should post the %table and %depth, because for you table size that depth might be just fine (I dont know). AGS publishes a document which has that information about what the %depth should be for a given %table. I think for a princess cut the table should be below 72% and above 68% and the depth should be roughly 75%. My diamond is 71% table and 75% depth I think, and that is pretty good. In short, I think you may have payed the right price for that diamond, but it sounded deep. I have read a lot of reviews saying EGL is not worth the risk, but I am not a diamond expert. Contact someone by the name of "researcher" she helped me. Also "belle" was very helpful.

Best of luck,

Nate

PS. I just ordered my setting from DiamondsRight.com for $315 and it was 950 Platinum. Apparently, they are just starting out and are trying to attract business so you might be able to get your setting from them for "cheep like the bugy". I get mine friday and I will let you know how it looks if you are interested.

 

[squarediamondlove]

If you do decide to continue your search for a princess, there is a bit more variety of table and depth % than Hansel''s description, but that is about right. Here is the link for AGA Princess cut grades This should give you a good idea about the specs you want to be looking at.

However, you should never go just on the specs because there are always exceptions to the rule with princess cuts. The AGA chart is not 100% proof at all. I would suggest getting an idealscope since that is one of the most reliable ways to shop for a diamond, more so than the specs to some extent (IMO).

 

[researcher]

You REALLY have a deep stone. That''s not the best sign. If my calculations are right, you''re looking at about 83%! I used to agree that you should not go deeper than 75%, but recent discussions about the pavilion angles has led me to change my beliefs. That being said, high 70''s can be good if, and ONLY if, the diamond is not hiding extra weight. But a stone with your depth? I would return it unless you''re 100% in love with it. For a well cut 1ct princess, the l/w measurements are usually around 5.5-5.8mm. Your stone is OVER 1ct yet is only 5.29x5.21. So, you are paying for weight you don''t see.

The worst part is that the depth WILL impact the brilliance of your stone as there will be a fair amount of light leakage. Remember, cut is the most important factor. You can have the whitest, most clear stone, and it will not come close to the performance of a well cut stone.

Personally, I would not buy a stone with an IGI certificate--especially a princess cut. Remember that with IGI the same stone, graded by GIA or AGS, may be 2-3 grades different. So, your stone, graded by the GIA, might be an I/SI stone. Just something to keep in mind!

 

[Rhapsody]

The stone you bought has a depth of about 83%, which is definitely on the deep side and makes the stone look smaller.

Theres no way to tell if it's a well cut (meaning brilliant and sparkly) stone with the information you have, but it is a smaller looking stone which is reason enough to return it and keep looking.

 

[Trosts95]

I think I will return it and keep looking. There is so much to look at when buying a diamond! How very overwhelming. I thought I had done my research...but it seems that there is still much more to do. Thanks to everyone for sharing their thoughts with me. You have all been very helpful!

Nathan - I would love to hear back from you regarding your setting purchase when you get it. I have to shop for that part too!

Thanks