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HELP with 2.5 carat ring

W

WIDSMI

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 26, 2009
Messages
24
I need some help with this ring... It''s a 2.51 I VS2 EGL... Band SES 1.25 Carat cushion total... This price is 10,500 for the diamond and 3,300 for the band.... Is this a good price? Haven''t seen the stone is person.. I will go this weekend but this is the pic they sent me.... The store is a very well know local store...been here for 30yrs....

Thanks!!

what12.jpg
 
That looks like a princess cut to me, no? ETA - ooops, the band has cushions, not the center is what you were saying I think.

What's the big black patterning in the middle? Do you have the certification on the stone? Can you get it appraised independently before purchasing?
 
The center stone is a princess..... band is Plat-- side stones are VS1 or better ((( came directly from SES )))

what123.jpg
 
He has a EGL certification (( haven''t seen it )) and a appraisal.... I too was curious about the black pattern--- wasnt sure if it was the photo or if it was supposed to look like that....I HAVE NEVER PURCHASED A DIAMOND
 
The appraisal was in-house... not sure if I can have it done at a different location.... He told me this was a great price and I really dont want to offend him and that is why im asking someone else who knows a lot more then me.....
 
I know nothing about princess cuts - but don't worry there are folks on here that do and will chime in to help you out for sure. Have you browsed any of the vendors that are used commonly by folks here? Whiteflash, Good old Gold, Brian Gavin? There is no mistaking that you will absolutely get more for your money by purchasing from one of those online vendors. You will also have a trade up policy and top notch customer service.

In general, seeing big black spots in a diamond is not a good thing...but just photographs are hard to go by.

Also, do some searches for "princess" and you'll be able to check out more pics of them to start getting an idea of what they should look like.

Good luck!!
 
Is it me or does the diamond look a little Yellowish... It may be from the photo and the cushion the diamond is sitting in...
 
Date: 4/27/2010 8:44:00 PM
Author: WIDSMI
The appraisal was in-house... not sure if I can have it done at a different location.... He told me this was a great price and I really dont want to offend him and that is why im asking someone else who knows a lot more then me.....
Click to expand...

Never fall for that. There is no such thing as a "great price" on a diamond being sold by a jewelry store. Of course he''ll tell you that.

For sure wait for some responses here, people are extremely helpful. If you want to post your budget and any other details about what you are looking for - people will help you find your ideal ring too. Are you in a rush?
 
Date: 4/27/2010 8:47:01 PM
Author: WIDSMI
Is it me or does the diamond look a little Yellowish... It may be from the photo and the cushion the diamond is sitting in...
Click to expand...

Yes, in the pic. But, the lighting in the pic isn''t that great. I really don''t like the black spots though - that would worry me.

I would want it appraised independently before purchasing. If he won''t allow that - move on.
 
yes, what exactly are you looking for in a ring? size?

you shouldn''t feel pressured to buy...you should definitely do some research first and see what the options are.

if you browse some on PS you will find that EGL does not grade as high as GIA or AGS so an EGL I color may be a GIA/AGS K/L color...but it depends on what is most important to you.

good old gold has some great videos comparing different cut qualities in princess cuts if that''s what you are looking for-that might help you see the difference between different princess cut stones
 
price range is around 10,500 or less ... 2.5 or larger Princess cut.... Not in a hurry
 
Im looking for a 2.5 carat... not 1.5.... also, the band in the pic is allready purchased.....now im trying to decide on a diamond
 
it may be difficult to find a 2.5 carat diamond in your price range. do you know what color and clarity you are looking for?

here is a video comparing princess cuts showing the difference that cut can make. if you want to go for an ideal cut diamond then you will have to get a smaller one to stay within budget.

video comparing princess cuts
 
Date: 4/27/2010 9:02:51 PM
Author: WIDSMI
price range is around 10,500 or less ... 2.5 or larger Princess cut.... Not in a hurry
Click to expand...

Agree that it might be hard to find a good diamond at that size in that price point. There are probably some poorly cut ones near it, but you don''t want to sacrifice quality for size.

Are you certain she wants a princess cut? There are other shapes that look larger ct/ct than princess if size is your priority...
 
This is from a vendor of this site..... What is wrong with this diamond.. and it''s in my price range...

Cash Price $8,945
Credit Price: $9,128
Shape: Princess
Carat Weight: 2.62
Color: I
Clarity: Vs2
Cut Grade: Excellent
Table %: 73.00
Depth %: 69.90
Girdle: Medium
Polish: Very Good
Symmetry: Very Good
Fluorescence: None
Measurements: 7.91-7.62x5.33
Length/Width ratio: 1.04
 
I'm not loving the center stone from the picture. The setting is kind of intriguing/pleasing to me with the princess but I'm no expert on setting quality. Do you know who made the setting?

Were I you, I would start reading up about diamonds under the knowledge tab above. EGL is known to be a bit 'soft' on grading - meaning that what is graded I/VS2 by EGL might be graded lower by another lab. This can also make EGL diamonds *appear* to be a deal - but really you have to compare apples to apples. For example, I can't find a GIA-graded 2.5 ct I/VS princess for $10000 on the pricescope search but I don't think this is because your jeweler is giving you some ridiculous deal on price. This particular diamond would probably be graded lower by GIA and is priced accordingly. Also this diamond is unlikely to be rockstar cut. Cut determines how much bright and sparkly the diamond appears, and is often the least well quantified of the four c's even though it is so important for determining how the diamond looks. If after researching and learning about diamonds you decide that this is the princess you want, then by all means purchase it (or a similar one that you find later.) For some people, size and budget are their top considerations and they don't mind compromising on cut quality or color/clarity. But don't choose that particular compromise now from a less-educated position just because this vendor is pressuring you.

For reference, the only lab that grades the cut quality of princesses is AGS. The vendors will then send their best-cut princesses to AGS to get an excellent cut grade, and send the lesser-cut stones elsewhere so that they don't have a 'bad' or mediocre cut grade on their lab report. And many vendors will claim verbally that they only have ideal cut stones but its can be a meaningless phrase sometimes. Many of the pricescope vendors will have additional tools and images available to both help them evaluate the cut and allow you to evaluate the cut quality before purchase, at least to an extent.

Just for reference, here is a dandy

2.15 ct I/SI stone that is a branded princess cut by Whiteflash. It is lighter (less weight at 2.15 ct) and more expensive ($13,100) than the stone your jeweler is offering. But it is superfine cut and might not actually be that much smaller faceup, depending on the dimensions of the stone you are considering. So it might appear nearly the same size and be more sparkly. Also, the actual color might be better than the stone you are considering, if EGL has graded your diamond a bit soft. So... food for thought.
 
I honestly don't think you can find a well cut and eye clean 2.5 ct princess for your price even if you go way down in the color spectrum. That princess is
emotion-41.gif
to me.

Is it EGL-USA? I actually doubt it based on the price. Don't be surprised if that diamond is actually a L and a SI2 or even I1.
 
the band and setting is from SES Creations
 
Date: 4/27/2010 9:35:27 PM
Author: WIDSMI
This is from a vendor of this site..... What is wrong with this diamond.. and it''s in my price range...


Cash Price $8,945

Credit Price: $9,128

Shape: Princess

Carat Weight: 2.62

Color: I

Clarity: Vs2

Cut Grade: Excellent

Table %: 73.00

Depth %: 69.90

Girdle: Medium

Polish: Very Good

Symmetry: Very Good

Fluorescence: None

Measurements: 7.91-7.62x5.33

Length/Width ratio: 1.04
Click to expand...

Do you have a link to a picture of it?

Here is another sort of in your range:

from Whiteflash
 
There isn''t a photo.. but the have the EGL report for the diamond...

What do you think about this diamond?
 
I agree with Charmypoo.
 
So you think I need to get it appraised before I buy it from a outside source?
 
Date: 4/27/2010 9:46:16 PM
Author: WIDSMI
So you think I need to get it appraised before I buy it from a outside source?
Click to expand...
I am not a princess expert but purely based on looks ... I would not bother getting it appraised as I wouldn't even consider buying it. Pardon my bluntness.

However, if your gf is totally about size and doesn't care about what the diamond looks like .. then it might be worth considering.
 
so what''s wrong with the 8k diamond I listed above?
 
Date: 4/27/2010 9:49:09 PM
Author: WIDSMI
so what''s wrong with the 8k diamond I listed above?
Click to expand...

I can''t really tell without a picture of it. Round brilliants are shapes that you can more accurately determine quality of based on numbers, but for princess - you need both pictures and numbers.
 
Date: 4/27/2010 9:35:27 PM
Author: WIDSMI
This is from a vendor of this site..... What is wrong with this diamond.. and it's in my price range...


Cash Price $8,945

Credit Price: $9,128

Shape: Princess

Carat Weight: 2.62

Color: I

Clarity: Vs2

Cut Grade: Excellent

Table %: 73.00

Depth %: 69.90

Girdle: Medium

Polish: Very Good

Symmetry: Very Good

Fluorescence: None

Measurements: 7.91-7.62x5.33

Length/Width ratio: 1.04
Click to expand...

For one, those grades are from the EGL-Israel lab. The foreign EGL labs are even laxer than the EGL-US lab, so don't think that this stone is anything like a GIA-graded I/VS stone. Second, I am no expert but the stone seems deep with an overly large table. Maybe the people more knowledgeable about princesses can chime in. You can look up the AGS's old princess cut grading chart here. Frankly, 2.5 ct princess under $10000 is low enough to be really suspicious of BAD cut, not eye-clean, or other big problem. One can get a reasonable and fair price when buying a diamond but crazy deals are almost always not what they seem.

I would not buy such a stone without a rock solid return policy from a vendor you trust to honor it, and I would make sure to send the stone to an independent appraiser for their opinion right away. Also it might help if you can find a jeweler with some nicely cut princesses and some mediocre cut princesses so that you can see if you care about such things. Also to help you evaluate your color sensitivity in these large stones. Some of the EGL I's could really be K's, and many people can see color in K's. Don't know where you are located but that might help you figure out your priorities a little better.
 
If I wanted a well cut princess, I would go with a Whiteflash ACA or a Brian Gavin Signature. Princess cut stones can be pretty lifeless without and excellent cut. I wouldn''t go with EGL ever. Their color and clarity
grades are not as tight as AGS or GIA and I am not even sure if they assign a cut grade.
 
If you buy the princess in the picture above, YES, GET IT APPRAISED and make the final sale conditional on the appraisal (match specs, no integrity problems, natural with no drilling, etc.)! It should not be offensive (unless they're hiding something) and plenty of customers do it around here.

Plus, $10,500 for a 2.6 princess is VERY cheap, especially since it sounds like it's at a Brick and Mortar (B&M) store, which is notoriously more expensive than buying online (sometimes twice as much)... Somehow though, this B&M stone is cheaper than almost all virtual, online stones (I VS2, EGL certed or otherwise), except for the $8000 one you found. This should be a BIG RED FLAG (that $8000 one should have the alarm bells sounding too).

For the $10,500 and $8000 stone you found, you would be lucky if it were Only color grades or clarity grades Lower than what you thought. For all you know, these stones could be laser drilled or clarity enhanced (filled with materials to improve clarity grade), or coated in something to enhance the color. These treatments DRAMATICALLY decrease the value of the stone and can affect the Integrity of the stone (crack, burn, melted fillings, etc.)

In the diamond business, They know more than you - you will not buy something for MUCH less than what it is worth. The question now is what exactly are you buying, for almost half the cost of the upper range for a 2.6 princess. These prices should scare you. You need to investigate. If you decide to buy, have these stones examined by someone Other than the vendors themselves.
 
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