Guidance

[Newbie_2]

Hi,

I am shopping for a e-ring on the internet and I''m wondering about these two diamonds that I found...

1) 0.71 ct H VVS2 A Cut Above H&A
. Shape: A Cut Above H&A
. Carat: 0.710
. Depth %: 61.4
. Table %: 55
. Crown Angle: 34.9
. Crown %: 15.7
. Star : 52.3
. Pavilion Angle: 40.7
. Pavilion %: 42.9
. Lower Girdle %: 76.8
. Girdle: Thin to Medium Faceted
. Measurements: 5.74-5.78X3.53
. Light Performance: 0
. Polish: Ideal
. Symmetry: Ideal
. Culet: Pointed
. Fluorescence: Negligible

2) 0.737 ct E VVS2 A Cut Above Princess
. Shape: A Cut Above Princess
. Carat: 0.735
. Depth %: 75.3
. Table %: 70.5
. Crown Angle: 44.2
. Crown %: 13.1
. Pavilion Angle: 39.6
. Pavilion %: 59
. Girdle: Thin to Medium
. Measurements: 4.90-4.80X3.61
. Light Performance: 0
. Polish: Ideal
. Symmetry: Ideal
. Culet: Pointed
. Fluorescence: Negligible

They are almost the same price. I am not sure whether I should sacrifice the colour grading to get a H&A or I should go for the Princess cut diamond.

I think my girlfriend don''t really have a special preference for either shape. Which one do you think is a better choice for a simple Solitair e-ring (aesthetically or value for money) ? I know I am not comparing apple to apple here but would welcome your opinion... Much appreciated

 

[Lorelei]

Hi and welcome

I am not well up on Princess shapes, but suffice to say, an ACA princess will be stunning so no worries and the round is definitely going to be incredible! I am wondering about your choice of clarity, unless you want VVS for purity reasons, you can drop this considerably and still have a very clean diamond if you wish.

Personally I would choose the round as a safe choice unless your GF has expressed a preference for the Princess - but it seems she hasn't.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I would surely choose the round as it it timeless and classic and will always be in style. I also like good clarity, but I will tell you that you generally cannot see inclusions with a 10x loupe in a VS1. So if you want a very clean diamond, you can look at VS1''s unless she is just expecting a VVS stone.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Here are a G VS1 and F VS1 for a few hundred dollars more. They are a little larger since there weren''t any right at the same size as the H stone. Be sure you ask for the wire/Pricescope discount which will take 5% off the price of an ACA.

http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-191620.htm

http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-347689.htm

But my diamond earrings are H color ACA''s and they are beautiful.

 

[Independent Gal]

I''m colour sensitive, but I''d still take the G round over the princess for the reason of timelessness. I like a nice princesss cut, but I just wonder if it will look dated in a few years. You''re picking something that has to be ''in fashion'' for the rest of your lives! So that''s why an antique, an EC, an oval or an RB seem the best options to me.

Can you drop in clarity? Or is this a cultural matter of having the stone be ''mind clean'' (as we say).

 

[Newbie_2]

Hi,

Thanks for all the valuable input. Actually I am trying to keep to a budget of $3500, which is part of the reason of my previous two choices. I am willing to get a VS rather than VVS as long as it is ''eye clean''

I found another H&A stone at James Allen website
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/F-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-964480.asp?b=16&a=12&c=77&cid=131

Looks good to me and it is still within my budget, but how does a H&A (Signature Series) @ James Allen compare to ACA @ Whiteflash? It''s got limited information on their website apart from the AGS cert.

Another question that comes to my mind is regarding the setting. I really like the Legato sleek line design @ Whiteflash. If I do go with this stone @ James Allen, is it possible for them to send it to Whiteflash and get them to set it in the Legato sleek line setting? Is it worth the trouble? What are the potential complications if I do this (perhaps no single party is responsible if anything goes wrong)?

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I''d strongly encourage you to get the diamond and setting from the same vendor. When you add the extra shipping, setting fee, and hassle of figuring out who will cover the diamond, it is just not worth it to me.

Is the $3500 for the whole ring or just the diamond? That WF G VS1 diamond would be about $3600 with the discount.

The James Allen diamonds looks good. It wouldn''t fall into ACA, I don''t think, but it would likely fit in the WF Expert Selection category. If you go in that direction, I''d choose a JA setting so that they are covering the diamond while being set. You usually have to pay a setting fee in addition to the setting if you have another vendor set the diamond.

Here are a couple (H VS1, G VS2) that will be under $3500 (remember to subtract 5% off the prices). These are a nice size, too.:

http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-191610.htm

http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-283286.htm