Help with Radiant cut/proportions

[helen matthews]

I’m considering purchasing a second hand radiant engagement ring that comes with a GIA report. I like the size and the color/clarity but am worried that the diamond won’t sparkle due to its large table size. I will see the ring in person later this week but wondering if it’s not even worth considering. Anyone know much about radiants?

 

[Rockdiamond]

It's totally impossible to recommend a Radiant Cut based on stats.
In general, 75% is a large table, but I would not immediately eliminate the stone based solely on that.

In general- buying a ring from a consumer, as opposed to a store, carries more risk- so the price should be quite a bit less than what it would cost to buy it from an established retail seller.

 

[tyty333]

What is the date on the GIA report? If its not recent then you may need to have it recertified to make sure there has been no
damage. If it is recent you'll want to at least have it appraised to make sure there is no damage.

Appraisers Archive

If you're looking for a trustworthy jeweler then you've found the right place. We have compiled a comprehensive lists of jewelers all over the world.

www.pricescope.com

 

[helen matthews]

The report is from early to mid 2000s. I’ll have to check again. It’s through RealReal and is inspected by GIA trained gemologists for damage, chips, etc.
I was just wondering if the the table is too large in relation to the depth. But seems like it’s not so straight forward?

 

[tyty333]

No, the table/depth issue is not straight forward. We'd really need to see some up-close images of the stone. I'm not fond of
huge tables because of the glare they can put off in the right light...but YMMV.

 

[helen matthews]

No, the table/depth issue is not straight forward. We'd really need to see some up-close images of the stone. I'm not fond of
huge tables because of the glare they can put off in the right light...but YMMV.

 

[tyty333]

The other problem with a large table is it usually has a flat crown.

Have you seen the stone in person?

 

[helen matthews]

Not yet. I will tomorrow. How does it look in the pics? It seems nice to me but I don’t know much about radiants.

 

[helen matthews]

I did get a video and the crown may be flat. Hard to tell exactly. Not sure how to attach a video here

 

[tyty333]

I think you have to upload it somewhere like youtube and then provide a link to it.

I'm really picky about my radiants. I only like certain faceting patterns and this is not one that I'm fond of.
You need to make sure the areas in red are reflecting light well (turning on/off). If they are see-through then they
are leakage (like if you can see your skin below those facets). This stone in general looks "mushy" to me which
means it will not have very good light return. A radiant cut like this should have lots of little twinkles so thats what
you need to look for.



Do you really want a radiant or is this one you found that you thought was a good deal?

 

[helen matthews]

I do like radiants (though I prefer elongated cushions) but I also have to stay within a budget. So I guess yes to both.

 

[helen matthews]

I do like radiants (though I prefer elongated cushions) but I also have to stay within a budget. So I guess yes to both.

 

[helen matthews]

 

[tyty333]

That video pretty much shows the setting and is not an up close video of the stone itself so it's not very helpful
as far as evaluating the stone.

Did you get to see the stone yet? What are your thoughts?

 

[Rockdiamond]

I can't comment on stones being sold by another seller ( or ours for that matter
IN general, I agree with @tyty333
I love to see tons of little sparkles- and limited, or no dark areas.
It is true that elongated stones are more difficult to achieve the even sort of sparkle we are speaking of......

 

[helen matthews]

I saw this in person and loved the proportions and how white it faced up. I honestly can’t tell with sparkle. But here are pics and videos.

 

[helen matthews]

 

[helen matthews]

 

[tyty333]

I'm not seeing a lot of twinkles but the lighting (and camera) can really affect what you see. Were you able to see it in various lighting
situations?

All I can say from looking at the videos is it looks rather static to me. Not a whole lot going on. Unfortunately, as I said,
this can be affected by the lighting and the camera. On the other hand, there are a lot of Not great radiants out there and this
might be one of them.

Can I ask how much they are asking? We can also show you what you can get for your budget. It may not be as big but it may
be more sparkly.

 

[helen matthews]

They are asking 9k for 1.72 H vs2. I’m open to others, but like the ratio to be between 1:21 to 1:25. Would love any help. Thanks!

 

[helen matthews]

I also love elongated cushions and can go up to 11,500

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Small bowtie

 

[helen matthews]

Small bowtie

So it won’t have good light performance?

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

So it won’t have good light performance?

I did'nt say that - you are getting lots of help. But no one seemed to point out there is a small bowtie in some of the images.
if it flashes on and off quickly when rocked it is great.
If it is persistent, that is bad.

 

[tyty333]

Let us look around today and see what we can find. I would rather you have a stone that sparkles more. $9k/$11.5k is a pretty
good budget but may be tight for that size.

I'm off to look around....will look for cushions also. Hopefully, I'll get some help from other PSers too!

 

[tyty333]

Well, here are a few I found

Cushions - there arent a lot of nice elongated cushions out there

1.51-Carat Cushion Cut Diamond | Blue Nile

www.bluenile.com

(the above has a few clouds but I dont think they would be visible...would need to ask)

1.64-Carat Cushion Cut Diamond | Blue Nile

www.bluenile.com

Radiant

1.70-Carat Radiant Cut Diamond | Blue Nile

www.bluenile.com

1.50 carat (ct) GIA Radiant Loose Diamond I Color VS1 Clarity Excellent Cut

www.b2cjewels.com

 

[helen matthews]

Well, here are a few I found

Cushions - there arent a lot of nice elongated cushions out there

1.51-Carat Cushion Cut Diamond | Blue Nile

www.bluenile.com

(the above has a few clouds but I dont think they would be visible...would need to ask)

1.64-Carat Cushion Cut Diamond | Blue Nile

www.bluenile.com

Radiant

1.70-Carat Radiant Cut Diamond | Blue Nile

www.bluenile.com

1.50 carat (ct) GIA Radiant Loose Diamond I Color VS1 Clarity Excellent Cut

www.b2cjewels.com

I love the 1.5 cushion but feel it’s a bit on the small side. Maybe I’m better off waiting due to the supply issue?

 

[tyty333]

That's your call. Not to be a debbie downer, but I'll say it anyway, diamond prices look like they are heading up. There may be a bigger
inventory to select from though. Just want you to be fully educated for whatever decision you do make.

Here is a link to the diamond price chart

Diamond Price Chart for round diamonds: Prices Update Monthly | PriceScope

Find out Diamonds Prices for Round Cut Diamonds with average and lowest per-carat prices taken from all the (1,000,000+) stones listed here with major 15 vendors.

www.pricescope.com

I'll keep my eyes open for something bigger and post what I can find.

 

[tyty333]

This one is going to have a little bit of darkness through the center. Its more of the crushed ice look.

1.50-Carat Cushion Cut Diamond | Blue Nile

www.bluenile.com

 

[helen matthews]

This one is going to have a little bit of darkness through the center. Its more of the crushed ice look.

1.50-Carat Cushion Cut Diamond | Blue Nile

www.bluenile.com

I don’t like the strong fluorescence.
What do you think about this one:

Buy Diamonds Online

America’s #1 source of unbiased advice for diamond engagement rings. Rare Carat compares over a million diamonds at trusted retailers to save you money.

www.rarecarat.com