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Help on a 2.9-3.1 carat Cushion on a $30k budget

R

RyanK

Rough_Rock
Joined
Sep 3, 2014
Messages
12
I went ring shopping with my future fiance last weekend and she really liked the cushion cut diamonds that we saw. Now that I have an idea of what kind of diamond I'm looking for I need some help deciding on one. My budget is right around $30k+/- all-in, so i'd ideally like to find a diamond that's less than $27k knowing the setting and band will cost ~$4-5k in addition to the diamond. I've done some research on the different cushion cuts, cushion brilliant vs modified brilliant, and know about the different facet configurations and the looks they create (crushed ice vs. X factor).

Here are some of the options I've seen so far. I'd be appreciative if anyone has any guidance on cut, color, and clarity, and any recommendations in addition to the diamonds below that I'm currently looking at. Obviously I'd like to stay as close to 3 carats as possible, but would consider looking at diamonds down to 2.5 carats if they were better options within my budget.

We saw this diamond in-store at Soloman Brothers. 2.9 carat (F/SI2, modified brilliant, X-factor), ~$24k. This issue with this I'm having is the clarity and table %. http://www.solomonbrothers.com/DiamondDetail.aspx?sku=IC171003&affiliate=9318613A-AD0C-4530-A456-0409DFEFB8DE&utm_source=PriceScope

Solomon Brothers is bringing in this diamond on Friday for us to compare, 3.02 carat (F/SI1, modified brilliant, crushed ice), ~27k. This is more rectangular, so I have to see if my girlfriend likes that look vs. the more square shape. Obviously less inclusions on this than the one above and seems to be a better cut, but we'd like to see the difference in facet configuration (x-factor vs crushed ice) in person. http://www.solomonbrothers.com/DiamondDetail.aspx?sku=7759Y646&affiliate=9318613A-AD0C-4530-A456-0409DFEFB8DE&utm_source=PriceScope
 
 
Thanks Missy, these look like a helpful start.
 
Unless you post pics, no one will be able to give you advice.
 
Are you set on purchasing at Solomon Brothers?
 
I'm not set on buying from any one place.
 
JulieN|1409758072|3744038 said:
Unless you post pics, no one will be able to give you advice.
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Why do I need to post pics to get advice/recommendations? I know I posted links to two diamonds I had seen in person, but I'm mainly looking for some general direction/guidance and maybe some recommendations from diamonds on sites/retailers I hadn't thought of.
 
RyanK|1409759468|3744064 said:
JulieN|1409758072|3744038 said:
Unless you post pics, no one will be able to give you advice.
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Why do I need to post pics to get advice/recommendations? I know I posted links to two diamonds I had seen in person, but I'm mainly looking for some general direction/guidance and maybe some recommendations from diamonds on sites/retailers I hadn't thought of.
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In any case, here's a pic of the 2.9 carat diamond we looked at in the store.unnamed_19.jpg
 
SI2 - ?? is that eye clean?
 
Tekate|1409760270|3744076 said:
SI2 - ?? is that eye clean?
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We're going to look at it more closely (under a microscope at 10x and then without the microscope) next week, but I didn't notice any inclusions with the naked eye the first run through.
 
Call Engagement Rings Direct or Good Old Gold.

Cushions have to be bought based on light performance and faceting.

The entire purpose of faceting a diamond is to reflect light.
How well or how poorly a diamond does this determines how beautiful it is.
How well a diamond performs is determined by the angles and cutting. This is why we say cut is king. With fancies though (anything other than a round brilliant), that is a little complicated. But no other factor: not color, not clarity has as much of an impact on the appearance of a diamond as its cut.

There really is no other way to determine if you have a good cushions is to see images of the stones, and then you need is a way to check actual light performance of your actual stone.

That's what an ASET image does. http://www.highperformancediamonds.com/index.php?page=education-performance Please read.
And ASET shows you how and wear your diamond is reflecting light, how well it is going at it, and where you are losing light return That is why you won't see us recommending vendors like Blue Nile, as they do not provide images or ASET images for their diamonds. James Allen and Good Old Gold do this. So do Brian Gavin and Whiteflash and High Performance Diamonds.

Or you can get an AGS0 cushions, but those are rare, and usually branded. . GIA does not grade their cushions for performance. Only AGS does. And any lab other than GIA or AGS is not worth considering at all.
 
Gypsy|1409770006|3744176 said:
Also please be advises. Well cut stones cost more than poorly cut ones. Your budget of 30k is low for a 3 carat that is cut to a quality that will be lively and beautiful. You are looking at an H-I color stone or a J color stone with your budget. With Si1 clarity. And in the 3 carat range the picking are slim so SI1 is going to be hard to find. and VS is going to cost 40k.
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What about something like this that I'm seeing on James Allen? I'll see if I can get the ASET for this stone.

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/2.55-carat-e-color-vs2-clarity-sku-307223
 
RyanK|1409770310|3744180 said:
Gypsy|1409770006|3744176 said:
Also please be advises. Well cut stones cost more than poorly cut ones. Your budget of 30k is low for a 3 carat that is cut to a quality that will be lively and beautiful. You are looking at an H-I color stone or a J color stone with your budget. With Si1 clarity. And in the 3 carat range the picking are slim so SI1 is going to be hard to find. and VS is going to cost 40k.
Click to expand...



What about something like this that I'm seeing on James Allen? I'll see if I can get the ASET for this stone.

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/2.55-carat-e-color-vs2-clarity-sku-307223
Click to expand...


Terrible cut. Please read all the posts in this thread. Pay special attention to the stuff in red. And click on all the links: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/new-and-looking-for-help-choosing-cushion-cut-diamond-to-oz.205195/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/new-and-looking-for-help-choosing-cushion-cut-diamond-to-oz.205195/[/URL]
 
Gypsy|1409770442|3744183 said:
This is gorgeous: http://www.b2cjewels.com/dd-6233902-3.01-carat-Cushion-diamond-H-color-SI1-clarity.aspx Ask if it is eyeclean. If so, BUY IT. It's spectacular.
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I hope I'm not hijacking this tread...and I am in no way trying to be rude or question your advice Gyspy (you are clearly one of the best stone pickers on here)...I'm just trying to learn. I am looking for a fancy cut diamond (4-5 carat oval, radiant, or emerald for approx 100K) and have been trying to get a grasp on readying ASET images. The ASET of this stone appears to me (from the other posts I've read on here) to not be very good. Can you explain the ASET better to me and explain further why you say this is a spectacular stone. I would LOVE some additional info...again the more I see and read, the more I learn!!

Thanks a million!!
 
IceQueen2014|1409772884|3744214 said:
Gypsy|1409770442|3744183 said:
This is gorgeous: http://www.b2cjewels.com/dd-6233902-3.01-carat-Cushion-diamond-H-color-SI1-clarity.aspx Ask if it is eyeclean. If so, BUY IT. It's spectacular.
Click to expand...

I hope I'm not hijacking this tread...and I am in no way trying to be rude or question your advice Gyspy (you are clearly one of the best stone pickers on here)...I'm just trying to learn. I am looking for a fancy cut diamond (4-5 carat oval, radiant, or emerald for approx 100K) and have been trying to get a grasp on readying ASET images. The ASET of this stone appears to me (from the other posts I've read on here) to not be very good. Can you explain the ASET better to me and explain further why you say this is a spectacular stone. I would LOVE some additional info...again the more I see and read, the more I learn!!

Thanks a million!!
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I think it would be easier for you to explain to me why you think it is not very good. And I'll work with that.
 
Gypsy|1409812432|3744525 said:
RyanK|1409771555|3744203 said:
Gypsy|1409770442|3744183 said:
This is gorgeous: http://www.b2cjewels.com/dd-6233902-3.01-carat-Cushion-diamond-H-color-SI1-clarity.aspx Ask if it is eyeclean. If so, BUY IT. It's spectacular.
Click to expand...

I was live chatting with them and they literally said that diamond just sold to someone else today.
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Yeah. We have lurkers. That happens. Put anything you are interested in on hold immediately.
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I'll try to have my finger trigger ready next time. I have emails into engagement rings direct and good old gold to see what they may have and also have a good friend who's a local jewelry dealer reaching out to his dealer network in the southeast. After reading all of the information you sent I feel like I have a much better grasp of what to look for in a good cushion cut.

I may run some of the options I'm looking at by you, but obviously I'll make sure they're on hold before I post anything that lurkers can grab up. Let me know if you happen to come across anything that I should jump on. Thanks for your help.
 
Gypsy|1409812432|3744525 said:
RyanK|1409771555|3744203 said:
Gypsy|1409770442|3744183 said:
This is gorgeous: http://www.b2cjewels.com/dd-6233902-3.01-carat-Cushion-diamond-H-color-SI1-clarity.aspx Ask if it is eyeclean. If so, BUY IT. It's spectacular.
Click to expand...

I was live chatting with them and they literally said that diamond just sold to someone else today.
Click to expand...

Yeah. We have lurkers. That happens. Put anything you are interested in on hold immediately.
Click to expand...


Gypsy,

I have the following on hold for me, which you previously recommended. It's not quite the 3 ct watermark, but the more I scour the internet for other diamonds the better it looks (especially for the price, $20.2k). From a face-up perspective it has better face-up area than most 3 ct diamonds. It was confirmed eye clean by the gemologist (who also said it had great fire and brilliance - for what it's worth coming from a sales person). Let me know if you agree after taking a second look at this one.

http://www.b2cjewels.com/dd-5307465-2.74-carat-Cushion-diamond-G-color-SI1-clarity.aspx

Thanks,

Ryan
 
I would ask to make sure the strong blue isn't making it hazy, which is rare but does happen occasionally.

Other than that though, as you pointed out its very budget friendly. Has great color and is eyeclean. So it ticks all the boxes there. And the spread, you are correct is the same as many 3 carat stones at 8mm. So... yeah, I'd buy it as long as the strong blue has no negative effect.

How are you planning on having it set?
 
Gypsy|1409865216|3744958 said:
I would ask to make sure the strong blue isn't making it hazy, which is rare but does happen occasionally.

Other than that though, as you pointed out its very budget friendly. Has great color and is eyeclean. So it ticks all the boxes there. And the spread, you are correct is the same as many 3 carat stones at 8mm. So... yeah, I'd buy it as long as the strong blue has no negative effect.

How are you planning on having it set?
Click to expand...


I confirmed with them earlier that there was no milky/hazy effect from the fluorescence, so that box is checked.

Was thinking of having it set locally at Solomon Brothers since my girlfriend found a setting there she really liked (see picture below), and with the budget conscious option on the diamond I'm not as concerned on the cost of the setting. I think something like the link below and the picture is what we're looking for (Platinum, Pave, tapered).

http://www.solomonbrothers.com/Jewelry_122570-1

unnamed_19.jpg
 
That's a perfect setting. Go with the Vatche, though, not a Solomon Brothers in house brand. And get platinum since your budget is now open.
 
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