Have specs on Princess Cut. Need Opinions.

[csdpdx]

I went ring hunting yesterday with my lady. We stepped into Bailey Banks & Biddle and she fell in love with one of the rings within. Before I drop $6900 on this special ring, I want to know my options and how good/bad of a deal am I looking at.

The following is the specifications for the diamond itself.

Princess Cut
.98 Carat
Color: G
Quality: VS1
Culet: None
Fluorescence: None
Symmetry: Good
Polish: Very Good
Depth: 72.7%
Table: 68%
Girdle: Thin to Very Thin
Facets: 162
GIA Certified: #12803579

The dealers tell me this ring is part of their Lineage Collection. What really sold my lady on this ring is the band and setting. From what I understand this setting is exclusive to this store. The band is in platinum and the setting... well it is hard to describe. The setting arches up on two sides and has a platform with tiny diamonds encrusted all the way around the base (.12 carats). A picture might help...

http://www.bbbjewelers.com/occasion09.aspx

They want to charge me $6900 for this ring. However, I''ve done some searching at pricescope and I''m seeing that a loose diamond with similar specifications runs for about $4600 to $5600.

So now I have a multitude of questions.
1. Would it be worth it to buy a loose diamond and try to find/make a copy of the style we saw?
2. In your experience would BB&B set a loose stone into their brand of setting? My guess is no.
3. How much would it cost for a similar platinum band/setting? Price range?
4. How difficult would it be to have a copy made or found?

If anyone has an answer to any of the questions above... please please let me know

csdpdx

PS. What does having a Thin to Very Thin Girdle mean?

 

[Rhino]

On the diamond...




You're off to a good start on the numbers. 72.x depth with a 68 table, however this is not conclusive if you're looking for opinions regarding how brilliant or not this stone is. Crown angles/height and pavilion angles/depth also need to be known and the actual measurements. Ie. is this square or rectangular? The "very thin" girdle raises a red flag. If the "very thin" portion is limited to a very small area of the girdle which perhaps can be protected by a prong this may not be a bad thing. If the "very thin" portion of the girdle takes up alot of the perimeter around the diamond then you may want to pass as this will make the diamond very succeptible to chipping. I'm not sure how much the setting is you're looking at so can't say whehter the value for the diamond is good or not. There are enough green flags to consider pursuing it but there are some red flags as well which means you definetely want to make sure of things before taking the plunge.

 

[Rhino]

Regarding the diamond...




You are basically off to a good start concerning the numbers (although limited). A 72.7% depth with a 68% is a good start but this is not conclusive if you're looking for an idea of how brilliant this stone might be. A knowledge of the crown angles/height & pavilion angles/depth must be acquired via a Sarin or OGI measuring device.




The "very thin" girdle is the object that raises a red flag in this stone but it may not be severe enough to disqualify the diamond right away. If the "very thin" portion of the girdle is minimal and takes up a very small portion of the diamond which can perhaps be covered by a prong and protected, then I would not let that disqualify the stone. If however the "very thin" portion of the girdle takes up a lot of area around the circumference of the diamond then you have a diamond that could be very succeptible to chipping which would disqualify it from a purchase.




So, in short, there are features about this diamond that may make it worth pursuing. There are some green flags surrounding this diamond yet there are also some red flags too which means you don't purchase until you get it checked out more thoroughly.




Insofar as value is concerned don't expect a mall store like BB&B to sell or match internet pricing. You are also paying for "in store" service and convenience. There are B&M's that sell at competitive prices via the net but most mall stores do not insofar as I know.




My .02c

 

[Rhino]

Regarding the diamond...




You are basically off to a good start concerning the numbers (although limited). A 72.7% depth with a 68% is a good start but this is not conclusive if you're looking for an idea of how brilliant this stone might be. A knowledge of the crown angles/height & pavilion angles/depth must be acquired via a Sarin or OGI measuring device.




The "very thin" girdle is the object that raises a red flag in this stone but it may not be severe enough to disqualify the diamond right away. If the "very thin" portion of the girdle is minimal and takes up a very small portion of the diamond which can perhaps be covered by a prong and protected, then I would not let that disqualify the stone. If however the "very thin" portion of the girdle takes up a lot of area around the circumference of the diamond then you have a diamond that could be very succeptible to chipping which would disqualify it from a purchase.




So, in short, there are features about this diamond that may make it worth pursuing. There are some green flags surrounding this diamond yet there are also some red flags too which means you don't purchase until you get it checked out more thoroughly.




Insofar as value is concerned don't expect a mall store like BB&B to sell or match internet pricing. You are also paying for "in store" service and convenience. There are B&M's that sell at competitive prices via the net but most mall stores do not insofar as I know.




My .02c

 

[Rhino]

jeesh... I got a message from the server that I was disconnected... so I see my first response went through... and 2x on the 2nd. Sorry for the repetitive post.

 

[csdpdx]

Thanks for the information Rhino.

I'll be requesting a fax of the complete specifications for this diamond tomorrow morning. I'll post them when I get them. I really wish I had a good picture of ring.

By the way, I found a nearly exact match (.07 ct bigger) for the diamond I'm looking at.
http://www.mondera.com/diamonds/product.asp?partno=454081

This diamond is being offered around $4,600. So is a platinum setting really worth $2,300? I know no one can answer that without seeing the setting, but that seems kind of high for just a setting/band. Maybe it would be worth paying BB&B instead... since I would have to go through the trouble of ordering a diamond and paying someone to set it for me.

Last question for now. The BB&B store told me this diamond I was looking at had 162 facets and was specially cut for them. They said that princess diamonds typically have fewer facets. Are they blowing smoke up you know where? Is more facets truely a good thing?

Thanks!

csdpdx

 

[moremoremore]

BBB is a giant rip off. A well cut diamond is a well cut diamond, no matter where it's from. ALso, what is their trade in policy? That is very expensive for .98 and I'd pass...especially with SO many beauties out there!