great 1ct princess, finally?

[tommygunn04]

So, after looking around for months and months, getting really frustrated time and time again, I seem to have found something I''m very pleased with! It''s funny how it worked out though...I was looking at GIA stones only, but with the setting I wanted it was obvious that it would be impossible to stay in my price range without sacrificing quality of cut. I was looking for a 1.00 ct G/H SI1 with very good proportions (cut class 1A to 2A), and just kept hitting walls, because I really wanted to buy locally to get a good warranty, local service, etc. Blue Nile and other online retailers were VERY tempting at times, but in the end here''s what I found through a local chain:

1.00ct princess
F color
SI2 clarity
5.48 x 5.41 x 3.95
Depth 73%
Table 74%
Crown 9%
Pavilion Depth 61%
Girdle medium, polished
Polish G
Symmetry G
Fluorescene NONE

By my calculations it''s a class 1B, although I''m not sure I''m using the chart correctly. It''s a really beautiful stone! I think it''s just as brilliant and fiery as the Leo, Ilana, and all those other patented, extra-faceted, PRICEY modified princess cuts I''ve seen.

What do you think would be a reasonable price for this stone?

 

[Rank Amateur]

What do I think?

I think that's a left-handed guitar.

 

[tommygunn04]

UPDATE:

So, I Unfortunately didn't find this forum until after I purchased the diamond last night. Now, come to find out, it looks like I got an EGL-Israel cert!

It's a 10-digit cert number starting with 23, containing no letters. So, needless to say, I'm a bit worried given popular opinion around here regarding EGL-Israel! The thing is though, looking at the stone I'm convinced it's a much better cut than anything I've seen, and the price was certainly better than the GIA stones. Personally, I think it looks more like a G or H in color, but that's about what I wanted anyway. What concerns me though is the SI2 clarity...when I scoped the stone there's a big honkin imperfection that might be visible outside the high-beams of the jewelry store. I know I'm being a pain, but I don't want the woman of my dreams looking down to see a glaring imperfection. I'm also a little nervous about having just spent thousands of dollars, and hoping I didn't get ripped off, especially since I spent sooooo much time researching this stuff!

 

[tommygunn04]

The stone also isn't laser inscribed, so I'm having the guy send it out for that, and to get a GIA cert as well to see if it's really an I1 or something. Out of all the jewelers I've talked to, for some reason I really really trust this guy, and I can't quite put my finger on it. Most of the salespeople I talked to were just snakes out to trick customers at every turn!

Anyway, in the end we worked out a package deal, including a setting they're custom making for me based on a ridiculously overpriced setting we saw at our local BB&B store (if the picture doesn't imbed properly here you can look at the pic here: http://www.foreverjewelers.com/store/ProductDetails.asp?ProductID=R0035). They're matching the 8 sidestones, total weight of .5ct, to the center stone's color/clarity.

What do you think is a reasonable price for the whole package, including 7% sales tax? (fingers crossed that I didn't get ripped off...I just want the best for her that I can possibly afford!)

 

[valeria101]

----------------
On 12/19/2003 5:01:45 PM tommygunn04 wrote:




What do you think would be a reasonable price for this stone?----------------

About 2.7 to 3k would be right: if F is not G and SI2 is not I1, that is. I don't know wether the respective branch of EGL is that unreliable. All reports have some degree of bias, and one does not have to be particularly lucky to get different grades for it's stone from any lab at two different times. All top labs have been 'tested' for this by one trickster or another and failed the consistency test. The modification of just one grade (color OR clarity) upon re-grading would not move the price from this interval, if both go wrong or any gets modified more than one position, than the above numbers make much less sense. That does sound like a nice stone, and I surely hope no ring-receiving girl would firstly take time to fish specs in the depth of that stone. Well, unless you are going to present your ring to a jewelry professional (someone posting on PS did just that and, surprise - surprise, survived to post the story!). Best of luck!

The whole ring should end up very attractive, and hopefully, at about 1/2 the price of the stone.

None of these includes any tax or such. Hopefully, I am not to far below your actual expense...

 

[Giangi]

I truly hope that everything works out for you... EGL Israel hasn't a good reputation due to their reknown inconsistency. But there are some exceptions!

You said it looks like an H to you... Was it a bit yellow? Did you see the inclusion after you purchased the stone?

 

[strmrdr]

In my opinion you would be better off having it appraised by an independat appraiser than having it recerted by gia.
With the right appraiser they could tell you far more about the diamond for less cost.

 

[tommygunn04]

Thanks for the feedback everyone! No Giangi, I didn't see the inclusion when I looked at it in the store, but under the scope it was ridiculously obvious. It's not dark in color, so I couldn't see it with the naked eye, but I was worried that under different lighting (since stores typically have really bright lights) it might be visible. The stone is just so brilliant that I think the returned light hides the inclusion! And no, I didn't think it looked colorless, but also not very obviously yellow either...basically, I don't think it's a D-F, and is probably a G or H.

Anyway...drumroll...I got the whole thing for $5000, including tax. I thought it was a great deal since I figured even if the stone was only worth around $3k, I haven't been able to find a similar setting for under $1800. On top of that, if I buy it online I don't get a warranty, and this store has an especially awesome warranty!

 

[tommygunn04]

Well, after about 5 weeks, I FINALLY got the ring! The diamond is even more amazing in the setting than it was by itself! My fiancee has gotten an overwhelming number of outrageous complements too, all along the lines of, "I've never seen a diamond sparkle like that," or "that must have cost a fortune." It's just unbelievable...princess cuts aren't supposed to be this brilliant! I had trouble getting a great picture of it though, so here's the best one I could get. I think it goes to show that the "unofficial" AGA cut grades really do make for a gorgeous diamond!