Help! Table too big? too shallow?

[worried fiance]

I was told I was getting a deal on this diamond at $3500, but it didnt seem particularly sparkly and I''m wondering if the cut is simply too out of whack...here are the stats

.90 carats, round brilliant
6.35-6.38 X 3.65 mm

depth: 57.3
table: 66 (!)
girdle: thin to medium
cutlet: none
Finish
polish: good
symmetry: good

Clarity: SI1
Color: F
Flouresncence: medium blue


Is this worth $3500? What about that depth to table proportion? I am very inexperienced with diamonds...

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 3/12/2007 10:56:55 AM
Author:worried fiance
I was told I was getting a deal on this diamond at $3500, but it didnt seem particularly sparkly and I''m wondering if the cut is simply too out of whack...here are the stats

.90 carats, round brilliant
6.35-6.38 X 3.65 mm

depth: 57.3
table: 66 (!)
girdle: thin to medium
cutlet: none
Finish
polish: good
symmetry: good

Clarity: SI1
Color: F
Flouresncence: medium blue


Is this worth $3500? What about that depth to table proportion? I am very inexperienced with diamonds...

it is best to come with crown/pav angles but I can tell you right now I''d run far far from this diamond!!! I bet it looks big for its size but I bet it just sits there too lazy to sparkle.

 

[Lorelei]

Welcome to PS

Are you still within the return period? We really need the crown and pavillion angles to tell more, but the table and depth seem too shallow and large respectively. However if you love this diamond, then that is truly what matters! If you don''t and can return it, read the tutorial on cut, then we would be pleased to help you find another. Does this diamond have a GIA report?

 

[worried fiance]

I didn''t buy it yet! I feel bad though because a kindly old family friend who is in the business got it for me. i think he was going for something that would look "big," but I''d rather have something a bit sparklier.

 

[belle]

Date: 3/12/2007 10:56:55 AM
Author:worried fiance

I was told I was getting a deal on this diamond at $3500

a bad deal maybe!

Date: 3/12/2007 10:56:55 AM
Author:worried fiance

it didnt seem particularly sparkly

even worse

Date: 3/12/2007 10:56:55 AM
Author:worried fiance

I''m wondering if the cut is simply too out of whack

YES

Date: 3/12/2007 10:56:55 AM
Author:worried fiance

.90 carats, round brilliant
6.35-6.38 X 3.65 mm

depth: 57.3
table: 66 (!)
girdle: thin to medium
cutlet: none
Finish
polish: good
symmetry: good

Clarity: SI1
Color: F
Flouresncence: medium blue

yikes!

and what lab graded this thing?

Date: 3/12/2007 10:56:55 AM
Author:worried fiance

Is this worth $3500?

nooooo. you can do much better for $3500
use the ''pricescope your diamond'' search at the top of this page

Date: 3/12/2007 10:56:55 AM
Author:worried fiance
What about that depth to table proportion? I am very inexperienced with diamonds...

the depth is shallow and the table is huge....not a good start for a nice diamond.

if you want to learn about diamonds, you have come to the right place.

there is a ''knowledge'' section at the very top of this page and a very handy search feature that you can use to find old posts. there isn''t much we haven''t discussed around here!

 

[worried fiance]

Yes, he gave me a photocopy of the GIA gradig report. I dont see anythi here about crown/pavillion angles. I just didnt get a whole lot of "wow" factor from it...it looks like a good size, but, I haven''t seen a lot of diamonds and I was expecting more sparkle...though it wasn''t in a setting, which I know could help.

My budget is between $4000-$5000; If YOU ladies had this kind of budget, would you go smaller and more sparkly?

 

[neatfreak]

I hate to say this, but RUN don''t walk away. The people that most often seem to get screwed on here are buying from "family friends" or a "friend of a friend" who is in the business. Then they are told that they are getting a screaming deal on something and end up with a crappy stone.

Since you said it didn''t sparkle when you saw it, that says something! If you saw it in a jewelery store that is the one place that almost all stones will look like they''re on fire due to special lighting, so if it didn''t even look impressive in there, forget about it!

The GOOD news is that you have found your way to PS. These ladies and men here are some of the most knowledgeable around and if you run searches for your topic there are many many awesome tutorials on diamond buying that will ensure you won''t get ripped off.

Do yourself a favor, read all the tutorials available on here about diamonds, price some stones with perfect specs online, THEN go back to your family friend and see what he can do. If he''s really a good family friend he should be able to find you something that doesn''t look like glass and is a good price. Otherwise I would go elsewhere even if he is a family friend.

Best of luck!!!

 

[worried fiance]

Thanks for all of your help! I definitely will pass on this one.

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 3/12/2007 11:10:48 AM
Author: worried fiance
Yes, he gave me a photocopy of the GIA gradig report. I dont see anythi here about crown/pavillion angles. I just didnt get a whole lot of ''wow'' factor from it...it looks like a good size, but, I haven''t seen a lot of diamonds and I was expecting more sparkle...though it wasn''t in a setting, which I know could help.


My budget is between $4000-$5000; If YOU ladies had this kind of budget, would you go smaller and more sparkly?

SPARKLE not size is what is going to make the diamond beautiful and get it noticed. Unless she specifically told you that size is a major issue for her, I would go a tad smaller and get a great cut. Cut is the MOST important part of the diamond, and you can safely go down to G or so for color as well as down to an eyeclean SI1 for clarity and still get gorgeous sparkle. Try to only look at ideal cut (different names from different grading places) stones.

I don''t know if you need to go THAT much smaller to get gorgeous sparkle...

Our budget was $5,000 and even though we got a fancy (cushion) we got a gorgeous .81 stone, G VS2, excellent polish and symmetry, ideal cut, that faces up well, for less than $3,000. I wanted a custom setting so we spent the rest of the $ on that, but if you''re ok with a $1,000 stock setting, you can get a beauty for $4,000 or even $3,000 if you go a little smaller.

 

[JohnQuixote]

Date: 3/12/2007 11:10:48 AM
Author: worried fiance

Yes, he gave me a photocopy of the GIA gradig report. I dont see anythi here about crown/pavillion angles. I just didnt get a whole lot of 'wow' factor from it...it looks like a good size, but, I haven't seen a lot of diamonds and I was expecting more sparkle...though it wasn't in a setting, which I know could help.

WF, a diamond with that table size & depth may display a 'fish-eye' effect (see this link) which could explain the lack of sparkle you note. Crown and pavilion angles would reveal more. If you have the report number and carat weight it might be possible to get the missing measurement information via GIA's online report check.

http://www.gia.edu/reportcheck/

 

[worried fiance]

Thanks for the advice. I retried the report but it still doesnt have the crown, pavillion info...is that a standard part of a GIA report?

 

[worried fiance]

BTW, thank you all! I''m so glad I found pricescope! You guys rock.

 

[Lorelei]

With the more recent GIA reports, yes, the crown and pavillion angles will be noted . Now you know the difference cut makes, we can help you find some great contenders if you want, which WILL sparkle more than you ever believed possible!

 

[JohnQuixote]

Date: 3/12/2007 11:33:57 AM
Author: worried fiance
Thanks for the advice. I retried the report but it still doesnt have the crown, pavillion info...is that a standard part of a GIA report?

They did not report those measurements until 2006, but have the information stored in their system on many reports from 2000 on.

RC has experienced glitches though. The other night we were discussing a diamond & RC didn't have CA/PA listed the first time it was tried, but later on it did. Here is the thread. What's the GIA report number?

 

[worried fiance]

10323366

 

[JohnQuixote]

Ok. It was graded in 1998. They don''t have the angles stored for diamonds prior to 1/1/2000. Sorry.

Is this a previously-owned diamond?

 

[JulieN]

Try this: http://www.whiteflash.com/round_ideal_cut/round-ideal-cut-cut-diamond-175732.htm

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 3/12/2007 11:10:48 AM
Author: worried fiance
Yes, he gave me a photocopy of the GIA gradig report. I dont see anythi here about crown/pavillion angles. I just didnt get a whole lot of ''wow'' factor from it...it looks like a good size, but, I haven''t seen a lot of diamonds and I was expecting more sparkle...though it wasn''t in a setting, which I know could help.

My budget is between $4000-$5000; If YOU ladies had this kind of budget, would you go smaller and more sparkly?

I wouldn''t have to go smaller!!!!

 

[Regular Guy]

Date: 3/12/2007 11:27:35 AM
Author: JohnQuixote

Date: 3/12/2007 11:10:48 AM
Author: worried fiance

WF, a diamond with that table size & depth may display a ''fish-eye'' effect (see this link) which could explain the lack of sparkle you note.

Wait...who''s WF...?

 

[hikerchick]

Date: 3/12/2007 5:39:38 PM
Author: Regular Guy

Date: 3/12/2007 11:27:35 AM
Author: JohnQuixote

Date: 3/12/2007 11:10:48 AM
Author: worried fiance

WF, a diamond with that table size & depth may display a ''fish-eye'' effect (see this link) which could explain the lack of sparkle you note.

Wait...who''s WF...?

Worried Fiance

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 3/12/2007 4:24:31 PM
Author: Cehrabehra

Date: 3/12/2007 11:10:48 AM
Author: worried fiance
Yes, he gave me a photocopy of the GIA gradig report. I dont see anythi here about crown/pavillion angles. I just didnt get a whole lot of ''wow'' factor from it...it looks like a good size, but, I haven''t seen a lot of diamonds and I was expecting more sparkle...though it wasn''t in a setting, which I know could help.

My budget is between $4000-$5000; If YOU ladies had this kind of budget, would you go smaller and more sparkly?

I wouldn''t have to go smaller!!!!

http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-232000.htm 4000 bucks, G VS2 ACA superideal cut. There are no compromises in this stone!