Help please re purchase of a 2ct intense yellow round.

[2carrotplus]

Hi there, I am looking at purchasing a GIA 2.00 ct round VS1 with VG polish/G sym. The question is: The diamond has a 63% table and 61.9% depth. The colour is described as even. But I notice the crown angle is very slightly over 40 degrees. I realise on a colourless diamond this would obviously be of concern, but on an intense yellow I don't know whether I should be concerned with this or not. Does anyone have any observations please, that would assist me with any decisions. The stone is intended to be set into a ring for my wife - and be a possible investment opportunity for the future further down the line. Thank you.

 

[Niel]

I'm fairly certain color diamonds aren't cut for performance like white ones are. I think that just comes with the territory

 

[bcavitt]

The stone is intended to be set into a ring for my wife - and be a possible investment opportunity for the future further down the line

Don't buy it as an investment, buy it for what it is, a beautiful natural fancy intense yellow diamond!

That being said, natural fancy colored diamonds are cut for color, not for anything else. If it would happened to be an excellent cut diamond, that would be a plus, but the price would probably reflect that. If you like the color and are happy with the price, buy it! Otherwise, you may be waiting a long time for the right stone and will probably pay dearly for it.

Bryan Cavitt
Images Jewelers, Inc.

 

[kenny]

Hi there, I am looking at purchasing a GIA 2.00 ct round VS1 with VG polish/G sym. The question is: The diamond has a 63% table and 61.9% depth. The colour is described as even. But I notice the crown angle is very slightly over 40 degrees. I realise on a colourless diamond this would obviously be of concern, but on an intense yellow I don't know whether I should be concerned with this or not. Does anyone have any observations please, that would assist me with any decisions. The stone is intended to be set into a ring for my wife - and be a possible investment opportunity for the future further down the line. Thank you.

I'll bite.
Forget the investment thing.
You and I buy at retail prices but must sell at wholesale prices.
You know what they say about the value of a new car one second after you drive it off the lot...

So much for the investment angle, unless you hold onto it for many years.
BTW if you have X dollars and want an FCD that will increase in value more than other FCDs a 2 ct Yellow round VS1 may not do as well as other specs.
A 25 carat flawless Fancy Vivid Pink might appreciate well.

Next ...
I am an FCD collector. [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/fancy-colored-diamond-collection.159746/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/fancy-colored-diamond-collection.159746/[/URL]
I also have a few white diamonds that are superbly cut, an Octavia Asscher, a Whiteflash ACA round, and a Solasfera round.
So I'm intimately involved in the whole FCD vs. cut thing.

FCD material is so expensive that cutters cut to maximize color and weight, not light performance.
Rarely the shape of the rough will inadvertently result in the cutting for color and weight also end up helping light performance.
I bought 20 FCDs and returned 8, often for light performance issues.
That said I also have a few with wonderful light performance, and a few with horrific light performance but sublime color.

Adding good light performance to your list of requirements for any FCD will make your FCD safari more difficult and time consuming, and you will annoy sellers ... but at least you are looking at yellow, one of the most abundant and least expensive colors.

Table and depth are not enough to evaluate cut, though anything much under 57% or so depth may have windowing.
You need to know where they put the girdle in the side view, high, low, or just right.
That is revealed in crown and pavilion angles, but GIA does not provide those angles in FCD reports, so try to get a side view pic from the vendor and avoid girdles place too high or low.
How will you know?
Since you are looking at round yellows, compare the side view to that of a well-know well-cut rounds like a Hearts on Fire, a Whiteflash ACA, a BrianGavin Signature cut or a Crafted by Infinity.

Good luck.

 

[kenny]

I'm fairly certain color diamonds aren't cut for performance like white ones are. I think that just comes with the territory

True, but with great patience you may eventually find one.
I found a few.

 

[Niel]

I'm fairly certain color diamonds aren't cut for performance like white ones are. I think that just comes with the territory

True, but with great patience you may eventually find one.
I found a few.

How much patience would you need to get a round excellent cut in that ct and color? Aren't they usually not cut in round shapes? I feel like its would already take a lot of patience just to find this one. But Ive never looked into it.

 

[Niel]

Also is this the round he had with the strong yellow fluor????

 

[kenny]

I'm fairly certain color diamonds aren't cut for performance like white ones are. I think that just comes with the territory

True, but with great patience you may eventually find one.
I found a few.

How much patience would you need to get a round excellent cut in that ct and color? Aren't they usually not cut in round shapes? I feel like its would already take a lot of patience just to find this one. But Ive never looked into it.

One possibility is just buy a round that's too deep, but with the girdle near the right spot in the side view, and have soemone like Brian Gavin or Yorum (who posts as "DiaGem") recut it for light performance.

Note: be aware that since you are removing colored material GIA may give it a lower color grade after the recut.
IOW although it will have much better light performance it may have weaker color and may therefor be worth less money since in the FCD world few care about light performance.

If anyone's noticed my goal is to change that.

 

[Niel]

also I bet if its close to 2ct it was probably cut that way to hit the 2ct mark. Might be worth less $ if it gets recut and dings it under 2ct

 

[kenny]

also I bet if its close to 2ct it was probably cut that way to hit the 2ct mark. Might be worth less $ if it gets recut and dings it under 2ct

Definitely.
Everything that makes for good cut goes against economics of FCDs.

Best color, max weight, excellent light performance rarely come together in one FCD.
But when it happens the sellers are smart, they are going to charge you for the magic.

Somehow it all came together in my 0.26 ct Fancy Intense Green OEC round, but price was the victim.
Which is why the mortuary staff will have to cut out of my greedy fingers.