Help interpreting JA True Hearts AGS, ASET/Stats for 1ct Princess Cut?

[KeepStepping]

Hi PSers,

Just learning about all of the different cut quality factors, etc that make a stone have sparkle and presence. The center stone in my engagement ring was damaged and we’d like to replace it with something nicer and be better informed. I have read more about ideal proportions and different cuts and evaluation methods for round stones, so I was wondering if someone could help me with pointers to look for in a princess cut? (This or another squared shape are the only that will fit in my setting, which is sentimental).

I found this at JA and these are the only stats I have on it so far. AGS, ASET - no GIA certificate. It isn’t a substantial stone in comparison to many here, just around 1ct. If you see something wrong with these stats, have alternative suggestions or pointers for me I would really appreciate it. Budget we would like to stay at 8,000 or under. I read on another thread that for an ASET white, black and greens were potential negatives in a stone and we like to see a lot of red? I have a lot of trouble interpreting these and finding “ideal” proportions.

 

[sledge]

Maybe this will help...

 

[yssie]

@SailingGem let me ask you this:

In general, as you rock the stone back and forth,
1. Would you prefer a diamond that shows off tons of glittery twinkle or one that throws off slower, bigger "rolling" flashes of light?
2. Do you prefer more white or coloured light return?
No "wrong" answers here.

The stone you've found is just fine, objectively. However, it's a 1ct 4-chevron princess - it will err strongly toward "glittery white twinkle" in most lighting environments (the exception being spotlighting); that personality may or may not suit well, depending on your (subjective) answers to the above two questions.

 

[sledge]

By chance, is this an insured claim? I only ask because we might be able to find you a stone that is bigger or better specs for the same money, or similar specs for less money than $8k if you're paying out of pocket.

Two very popular vendors for super cut is WF and BGD. Below are some options from both. WF has what the call the A Cut Above (ACA) which is a super ideal stone. All the BGD stones are part of the Signature collection which are also super ideals. In short, super ideals = best cut and full of fire. Guaranteed performers.

FYI, if you think you might ever upgrade in size, etc. then WF has a great upgrade policy (spend $1 more and get full credit for original stone). BGD policy is good too, but not quite as generous (spend $1 more and upgrade 2 of 3 criteria: carat, color or clarity and get full credit for original stone).

There are other quality vendors to consider also. These are just two of my favorites. I'm sure others will chime in with other suggestions soon.

Gorgeous @ $7,850 wire price - 1.206ct G VVS2
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut-loose-diamond-3997085.htm

Slightly over budget @ $8,177 wire price - 1.115ct E VS1
https://www.briangavindiamonds.com/...1.115-e-vs1-princess-diamond-ags-104083669001

Just under budget @ $7,955 wire price - 1.085ct E VS1
https://www.briangavindiamonds.com/...1.085-e-vs1-princess-diamond-ags-104083669003

Significantly under budget @ $6,475 wire price - 1.03ct G VS2
https://www.briangavindiamonds.com/...1.030-g-vs2-princess-diamond-ags-104081723001

Same specs as JA stone @ $7,566 wire price - 1.034ct G VVS1
https://www.briangavindiamonds.com/....034-g-vvs1-princess-diamond-ags-104047876019

Here are some more WF ACA princess cuts to look at:
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/compare.aspx?idnos=3967302,3997087,3954434,3729316

 

[KeepStepping]

Just a few quick responses because I want to take a look at these new linked stones (I get scared someone will snatch them up):

This will be paid for entirely out of pocket. So we are not limited to certain specs or companies to work with, and help maximizing our budget with a great stone or finding some savings would be really, really wonderful.

We will be upgrading the stone in the future for certain, so @sledge that upgrade policy information was amazing! We are OK with going slightly above 8000 if that yields a better option (around 8600-8700), but cannot do more right now.

Thank you for the ASET photos! That does help! I’ll have to look at a few YouTube videos to decide if “white flashes” or rolling color is what I prefer. I know I have a specific look that appeals to me but I’m not sure what that would be called between those two descriptions.

I so much appreciate the help. I was absolutely heartbroken about my ring.

 

[sledge]

No worries, glad I could pay it forward.

By the way, I am sorry about your loss. I know emotionally that can be quite disturbing. I had a friend that bought his girl a 2ct princess cut w/ Vatche designer band. She lost it and it was a huge deal between them until he finally got it replaced, almost 2 years later.

One thing I might suggest is taking out an insurance policy. Many people don't realize that their homeowner or renters policy insurance actually includes a jewelry clause. If you guys haven't explored this yet, you should. It will probably be for a smaller amount than you actually paid. I think State Farm's policy is around $5k for instance. Now I'm with USAA and it's all different. Regardless, if you can get any money from them it is worth your effort.

FYI, unless you get a supplemental policy for more coverage you are capped at their standard limits. Also this also applies to guns if you or your guy is into them. Because of my past and the fact I just enjoy shooting I have a small arsenal so I keep a separate policy. Anyhow, my point is you might have some cash coming your way if you haven't already explored this option. Also, on the future ring I would encourage you to take out a separate policy through someone like Jeweler's Mutual or similar. While none of us want to be in this situation, sometimes it happens and for most people it can be very expensive to drop $8,000+ on a new ring.

Since you guys are considering a future upgrade, I think I would really take a hard look at WF. As much as I love BGD (where I bought my own stone) and think their cut quality is superb, I think for upgrading later WF is a better option. Both are generous, but you are already looking at higher colors and clarity so upgrading 2 of the 3 characteristics may be difficult without spending a bunch more money. It really pains me to say that as I have the utmost respect for Lesley and the BGD crew.

Anyhow, if you would consider dropping to an H color I found a few more stones for you to consider. Gets you slightly bigger and within (or under) budget.

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut-loose-diamond-3967296.htm
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut-loose-diamond-3967305.htm

Keep in mind when comparing carat weight, you should also be cognizant of the stone dimensions. Carat weight is calculated by taking L x W x D. The length (L) and width (W) is something that is easily visible to us and measured in the horizontal plane. The depth (D) is not unless you have a unique setting that somehow showcases it. My point is that some of the weight is distributed in that vertical plane (depth) and essentially you are paying for a chunk of the diamond that you can't really see. So when you are searching I would encourage you to pay attention to the L and W dimensions more so than carat weight. Although I bought a round, my stone was well cut and it was 0.867ct but sized up larger than some 0.90+ carat stones I was considering.

Also, it normally takes about 0.20mm difference for the naked eye to discern a difference in size. Below are some screen captures I took using the DIMENSIONS of the two stones above. The weights are also reported for clarity, but using specific dimensions of the specific stones you are comparing is the more reliable method to compare sizes. Note I am on my laptop with 4k resolution so the screen size, etc. used on the site may be off from yours. If you prefer to use the website directly, here is a link (although the admins normally remove these as they don't like outside links -- Google "diamond database and it should be the first hit with diamb as the address).

https://www.diamdb.com/compare/1.43ct-princess-6.12x6.25x4.64-vs-1.29ct-princess-5.95x6.08x4.43/

 

[sledge]

Oh yeah, FYI, in case you haven't seen it yet -- JA's upgrade policy is that you must spend 2x the original amount and then they will provide you full credit on the original purchase.

 

[tyty333]

If you plan on upgrading Whiteflash has the best upgrade policy. AGS is just as good (if not better) as GIA. Relating to what Yssie brought up. If you
look on the GIA/AGS report at the back side of the stone, the number of chevrons dictates how big/small the facets will be. The more chevrons, the
more facets (smaller twinkle). Less chevrons, bigger facets, bigger flashes. The stone you posted has 4 chevrons...smaller flashes.


FYI
2 chevron
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut-loose-diamond-3997085.htm
3 chevron
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut-loose-diamond-3967294.htm
4 chevron
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut/1.09-carat-j-color-vs1-clarity-sku-3680810

 

[sledge]

If you plan on upgrading Whiteflash has the best upgrade policy. AGS is just as good (if not better) as GIA. Relating to what Yssie brought up. If you
look on the GIA/AGS report at the back side of the stone, the number of chevrons dictates how big/small the facets will be. The more chevrons, the
more facets (smaller twinkle). Less chevrons, bigger facets, bigger flashes. The stone you posted has 4 chevrons...smaller flashes.


FYI
2 chevron
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut-loose-diamond-3997085.htm
3 chevron
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut-loose-diamond-3967294.htm
4 chevron
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut/1.09-carat-j-color-vs1-clarity-sku-3680810

Great info! Thank you for sharing!!

I also found this to go with it, which kind of explains/confirms it's a subjective matter about which is best. What I found interesting is how they linked the "ideal number" of chevrons might be related to size in some people's opinions.

Oddly enough I was going back trying to find a 4 chevron example on WF so you'd have a good comparison with similar backgrounds, lighting, etc. and I had a difficult time. Kind of running out of time so I gave up.

I noticed that most WF princess cuts are 2 chevrons. Most BGD princess cuts are 3 chevrons. I was looking at those two mainly because I like how they do their videos with the dark backgrounds.

How Many Chevrons Are Optimal?
It is almost impossible for us to objectively determine what is beautiful and what is not. Some people might prefer the chunkier, less faceted look while others might want to go with a sea of tiny, sparkling facets. Now, even though there is a distinct subjective aspect to this question, we can still draw a relationship between the weight of the stone and the optimal number of chevrons.

The relationship is quite simple. For a stone under weighing less than a carat, two or three chevrons are usually enough, four might still be acceptable. As the size of the stone increases, the number of chevrons should also increase in order to emphasize the brilliance of the diamond. On the other hand, if you have a small stone and a huge amount of facets (0.50 carats with 5 chevrons), the resultant look will be a splintery and chaotic scintillation pattern.

With that, it leads us to the most important point. Chevrons tell us nothing about how bright or sparkly a diamond is since it only provides information about the personality of the cutting style. You need to rely on tangible data and visual methods of assessment if you want to handpick the most beautiful diamond possible. And that’s what I am going to show you next…