Help me find a Princess diamond please

[Boondax]

Hello all,

I am very new to the scene. I am ready to tie the knot, and I am in the market for an engagement ring. I''ve read about buying diamonds from reputable stores that are not a chain store for the best value, so I started researching about diamonds. Man, did I open up a can of worms! There is so much detail in researching for a diamond.

I am a picky person and for some reason, I always try to get the best numbers when I don''t really need it. So I turn to this forum for help.

Basically, I want a very brilliant princess cut diamond at around 1.05 ct. To my understanding, in order to get the most brilliance, the cut is very important. I don''t know if I need to be looking for the best color (D-F) and clarity (VVS1-VS1) at 1.05 ct. I was hoping I could get "nontextbook" answer from you guys.

Here are the requirements:
-Princess Cut with great brilliance
-around 1.05ct
-My budget is around $4-5,000.00

Please suggest! Thanks for help

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 12/20/2008 12:42:25 PM
Author:Boondax
Hello all,

I am very new to the scene. I am ready to tie the knot, and I am in the market for an engagement ring. I've read about buying diamonds from reputable stores that are not a chain store for the best value, so I started researching about diamonds. Man, did I open up a can of worms! There is so much detail in researching for a diamond.

I am a picky person and for some reason, I always try to get the best numbers when I don't really need it. So I turn to this forum for help.

Basically, I want a very brilliant princess cut diamond at around 1.05 ct. To my understanding, in order to get the most brilliance, the cut is very important. I don't know if I need to be looking for the best color (D-F) and clarity (VVS1-VS1) at 1.05 ct. I was hoping I could get 'nontextbook' answer from you guys.

Here are the requirements:
-Princess Cut with great brilliance
-around 1.05ct
-My budget is around $4-5,000.00

Please suggest! Thanks for help

Welcome!

You are right that the cut is very important, it is this which gives a diamond its beauty. Colour and clarity are a personal preference, with a Princess you could consider F to H colour ( GIA or AGS graded) and VS1/ VS2 or a verified eyeclean SI1 ( graded as before) and if the cut is great you will have a very clean and white beautiful diamond.

If you want " excellence " on paper also for the cut, then consider AGS0 cut grade Princess, some of the PS vendors sell these and some as branded cuts.

Check out these vendors to see what they have, these vendors also have an excellent rep here.

www.winkjones.com sells Cut By Infinity Princess

www.whiteflash.com

www.goodoldgold.com

www.niceice.com

Start with these guys and work from there. They are all experts and can advise you every step of the way, plus they provide all the info you could need to pick a superbly cut Princess such as photos, ASET and Idealscope images.

You can also find a well cut GIA graded Princess, but as yet GIA do not grade these shapes for cut, however a trusted vendor such as the ones above could certainly find you a GIA Princess with great cut quality.

Some examples -

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/5179/

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/4839/

 

[Ellen]

Hi Boon,

I think you might need to lower color and clarity a bit to get that size. But, in a well cut stone, that is easy to do and still have it appear very white. As long as it''s eyeclean, you would be ok with an SI1, many are. And VS2 is amost always assuredly eyeclean.

Also, it will be extremely limiting to look for a 1.05, I''d open that up a bit too.

Here''s a few. Bankwire is discount.


http://goodoldgold.com/diamond/5179/


http://goodoldgold.com/diamond/4810/


http://goodoldgold.com/diamond/5005/

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 12/20/2008 1:10:30 PM
Author: Ellen
Hi Boon,

I think you might need to lower color and clarity a bit to get that size. But, in a well cut stone, that is easy to do and still have it appear very white. As long as it''s eyeclean, you would be ok with an SI1, many are. And VS2 is amost always assuredly eyeclean.

Also, it will be extremely limiting to look for a 1.05, I''d open that up a bit too.

Here''s a few. Bankwire is discount.


http://goodoldgold.com/diamond/5179/


http://goodoldgold.com/diamond/4810/


http://goodoldgold.com/diamond/5005/

I agree, Boon you didn''t mean your diamond has to be 1.05 exactly did you? I took it that you didn''t but it is best to clarify so we know how best to help you.

 

[Boondax]

Yeah, the 1.05 is NOT set in stone (no pun intended). I'm really looking for anything in the 1.00-1.09 range give or take a little on both ends.

As long as the diamond is eyeclean and looks colorless or near colorless, I think I'll be happy.

What do you guys think about the one Ellen posted?

http://goodoldgold.com/diamond/4810/

Will it not look colorless with the I color grade? I think I can see the yellow already in the picture, but I'm not sure if that's just the light they are using.



Also this one has an AGS Ideal "light performance" but it's graded by GIA. Is this the equivalent to AGS0?

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/4839/

 

[Ellen]

Date: 12/20/2008 1:24:21 PM
Author: Boondax
Yeah, the 1.05 is NOT set in stone (no pun intended). I''m really looking for anything in the 1.00-1.09 range give or take a little on both ends.

As long as the diamond is eyeclean and looks colorless or near colorless, I think I''ll be happy.

What do you guys think about the one Ellen posted?

http://goodoldgold.com/diamond/4810/

Will it not look colorless with the I color grade? I think I can see the yellow already in the picture, but I''m not sure if that''s just the light they are using.



Also this one has an AGS Ideal ''light performance'' but it''s graded by GIA. Is this the equivalent to AGS0?

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/4839/

Yes, and I saw that one, but it doesn''t have as much red in the ASET as the others. You want as much red as you can get, followed by green, then blue. The others just looked better in that respect.

As for the I, I think it''s just picking up things around it (which they will) in the pic. If you wanted, have Jon do a comparison video of the two, that might help! And he will give you an honest verbal assessment too.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 12/20/2008 1:32:25 PM
Author: Ellen

Date: 12/20/2008 1:24:21 PM
Author: Boondax
Yeah, the 1.05 is NOT set in stone (no pun intended). I''m really looking for anything in the 1.00-1.09 range give or take a little on both ends.

As long as the diamond is eyeclean and looks colorless or near colorless, I think I''ll be happy.

What do you guys think about the one Ellen posted?

http://goodoldgold.com/diamond/4810/

Will it not look colorless with the I color grade? I think I can see the yellow already in the picture, but I''m not sure if that''s just the light they are using.



Also this one has an AGS Ideal ''light performance'' but it''s graded by GIA. Is this the equivalent to AGS0?

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/4839/

Yes, and I saw that one, but it doesn''t have as much red in the ASET as the others. You want as much red as you can get, followed by green, then blue. The others just looked better in that respect.

As for the I, I think it''s just picking up things around it (which they will) in the pic. If you wanted, have Jon do a comparison video of the two, that might help! And he will give you an honest verbal assessment too.

Ditto

 

[Boondax]

What do you guys think about this ring setting? I like it, but I don''t know if my taste is in the right place.

http://www.dimendscaasi.com/includes/zoom.asp?prod=1B1B

I''m going to have whiteflash quote me a custom design for a princess cut primary diamond

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 12/20/2008 2:48:55 PM
Author: Boondax
What do you guys think about this ring setting? I like it, but I don''t know if my taste is in the right place.

http://www.dimendscaasi.com/includes/zoom.asp?prod=1B1B

I''m going to have whiteflash quote me a custom design for a princess cut primary diamond

Its a nice setting but custom can be an excellent way to go, so see what WF can come up with for you.