I need some help. Is this a good deal?

[Gypsy]

Ok so im confused. There is the 1.5c diamond from goodoldgold is almost $10k and its a vs1 color I. Thats not even a good color.

Yet on here http://www.northamericandiamondbrokers.com/Search-Diamonds there are several 2carat diamonds for that price and they have a better color with just a slightly less clarity. So a full 1/2carat bigger with better color for the same price. And they negotiate price. Also GIA cert. So how is this place not the best deal?

because you don't know anything about the cut which is the most important factor in determining how sparkly the diamond is.

also, there is nothing wrong with I color.

Or anything else about diamonds. At all.

Those diamonds might be cheap, but they aren't good values.

That Said, GOG is one of the more highly priced vendors because they have higher overhead, a real store, and provide you with the most information possible to lower your risk with ASET images, images of the real diamond, videos and all kinds of things that take TIME, and therefore money.

AGAIN, if you want inexpensive but good Value, CALL ID JEWELRY, talk to YEKUTIEL and tell him PRICESCOPE SENT YOU FOR A GREAT PRINCESS CUT.


Would you buy a car without a test drive and without ANY understanding of what a car is, what makes one good and another bad, without understanding ANYTHING AT ALL about a car except that you sit in it? No. You wouldn't. Same thing applies. Treat buying a diamond like buying a car and you will get a better experience. The amount of information you know about diamonds is the equivalent of knowing what a car is, and that you sit in it. Is that enough information to spend 13K on? NO, of course not. So why are you gonna do that with a diamond. Also, with a car would you ignore the advice of car enthusiasts who are knowledgeable and think YOU know better just because you pull up some google search with a place that claims chear prices? NO, you wouldn't. So why are you doing it with diamonds?

 

[built240]

Well im def going to be doing more research. I planned this about 6months out so I gave myself a lot of room. As far as cut, I had no idea about the cut having to do with sparkle. I thought cut meant princess,round,etc... I didnt know there could be different cuts on a princess stone.

I guess the bottom line is we are both pretty young and i'd rather go with quantity over quality. I know that sounds bad but neither of us care too much about the how fine the diamond is. Looks are most important. So at least im being honest looking for something big and blingy.

 

[slg47]

Well im def going to be doing more research. I planned this about 6months out so I gave myself a lot of room. As far as cut, I had no idea about the cut having to do with sparkle. I thought cut meant princess,round,etc... I didnt know there could be different cuts on a princess stone.

I guess the bottom line is we are both pretty young and i'd rather go with quantity over quality. I know that sounds bad but neither of us care too much about the how fine the diamond is. Looks are most important. So at least im being honest looking for something big and blingy.

but...if you say looks are more important...the amount of sparkle...how good the diamond looks...is going to be determined by the cut quality. plus, a 1.7 carat in a halo is very large!!

 

[sonnyjane]

Well im def going to be doing more research. I planned this about 6months out so I gave myself a lot of room. As far as cut, I had no idea about the cut having to do with sparkle. I thought cut meant princess,round,etc... I didnt know there could be different cuts on a princess stone.

I guess the bottom line is we are both pretty young and i'd rather go with quantity over quality. I know that sounds bad but neither of us care too much about the how fine the diamond is. Looks are most important. So at least im being honest looking for something big and blingy.

but...if you say looks are more important...the amount of sparkle...how good the diamond looks...is going to be determined by the cut quality. plus, a 1.7 carat in a halo is very large!!

I agree with slg. While you say "Looks are most important", what you mean is "size is most important", because if looks were most important, you would want a smaller stone that performed better. As a woman, I'd be more proud to show off a smaller stone that looked bright, clean, and sparkly than a larger stone that looked dull, lifeless, or had inclusions.

 

[SweetAsscher]

A good quality cut will also help your diamond face up whiter and brighter bcuz of good light return. And a higher quality cut diamond will sparkle more and therefore look as large or larger than a poorly cut diamond. My round is only 1.64cts but bcuz of the light return it looks as big as my aunts 2ct bcuz the cut is better on mine. With hers the edges didn't reflect the light so it made her diamond look smaller.

 

[Gypsy]

Being young is not an excuse. Being young just means you have a lot to learn. It's not an excuse to be lazy when you are spending significant and adult amounts of money on a VERY adult thing: marriage. And since you don't know what research and value are this is, frankly, the time you start learning. Take this as an opportunity to learn skills that you will need all your life. Namely, how to do research and to understand value in order to make an educated decision on large financial purchases. AFTER you do your research and understand diamond enough to make an educated choice if you still think a poorly cut 2 carat stone is a better VALUE than a 1.7 carat stone with great cut... then, fine. But until such time that you can make a educated choice, you have no business making any choice at all with that kind of money, AND on something so important.

With every large purchase you make, diamond, car, home, wedding, honeymoon, child seats and cribs... you name it you will have to learn what the most important things are to know, and how to make an educated decision on what things you can safely sacrifice and what things you shouldn't compromise on. With every important purchase you will have to use these skills. Frankly it's grossly irresponsible to spend thousands on ANYTHING without solid research, consideration and thought.

If my fiance told me he was too 'young' to be responsible about spending thousands of dollars, I would say... that's nice, why on earth do you think you are mature enough to marry me?

Buying a ring is a right of passage. It says, I'm mature enough to ask this woman to marry me. Young has nothing to do with mature. And you sound too immature or lazy for marriage in your last post. Buying a ring is nothing compared to how hard LIFE itself is. Put on your big boy pants it's time to learn fiscal responsibility. If you can't focus long enough to buy a ring, you have no business getting married.

 

[armywife13]

From reading the thread, it looks like everyone had told you why clarity enhanced and poorly cut diamonds are a waste of your money. Yet you are still saying that you prefer quantity over quality, so it appears that you are just wanting someone to tell you "yes, buy that CE poorly cut diamond ring" to make yourself feel secure in the purchase. Unfortunately for you, no one here is going to tell you that because it is a WASTE OF MONEY. I am not sure why that is not evident after everything that has been said or if you are just not wanting to accept it. I hope that you do change your mind and take everyone's advice that has been given on this thread. There are ways to get the same look of the ring you originally posted about, in your budget and have a beautiful ring of much better quality.

 

[Mayk]

I love the "diamond warriors" on this forum. You have done a great job taking time to help someone you don't know to hopefully not make a STUPID decision with a lot of money.... After his last post I am not sure you can help. At some point when someone has been told....CE is bad, bad cut equally bad and they still want a "big" awful diamond for the sake of size... It's a lost cause.

Hey..go ahead give your money away to somebody selling an awful diamond. The people here who have "no" vested interest tried to help you....goofball.

 

[blueroses]

.....i'd rather go with quantity over quality. I know that sounds bad but neither of us care too much about the how fine the diamond is. Looks are most important. So at least im being honest looking for something big and blingy.

Well, that's the thing. If LOOKS are indeed the most important, then you *should* care about cut and how "fine" the diamond is. Cut is what determines how "blingy" something looks. You can find a a sweet spot with the 4 C's and figure out what works for you so that you can still get bang for your buck and get as big as you can for your budget...but a well-cut smaller stone is almost always going to face up bigger than a poorly cut stone of heavier carat weight.

but it sounds like you've already been told that

Good luck in your search.

 

[distracts]

I guess the bottom line is we are both pretty young and i'd rather go with quantity over quality. I know that sounds bad but neither of us care too much about the how fine the diamond is. Looks are most important. So at least im being honest looking for something big and blingy.

Yeah, if looks are most important, definitely go for quality over quantity. Only if SIZE is the most important should you go for quantity over quality. But princess cuts in particular are prone to being butt-ugly when they're not cut perfectly, and having big yucky dead spots and just reflecting light kind of horribly. Dude, you are spending 10 grand on this thing - you want it to look PERFECT. Since rings generally have shortish return policies and are really, really hard to resell, this is NOT something you want to get buyer's remorse about. The size is most noticeable from far away, but the sparkle and beauty of the stone are what you and your girlfriend are going to be seeing every single day, and will really be more noticeable to you.

With your budget you could probably get a decent 1.3-1.5 ct princess in the setting kind your girlfriend desires, that looks fantastic, and is only, at most, half a millimeter less across than a not-so-good 2 ct stone. If you look at the size difference between them, you will see that it's not all that big. It's noticeable, yes, but she'll still have a big diamond, and if you get that halo setting, it'll look even bigger.

I do also caution you that if you ARE getting a dead-looking princess, DO NOT get a halo setting, or really anything with tiny melee diamonds, because their tiny pinpricks of sparkle will make the vast dullness/glassiness of the princess that much more obvious. In real life I have seen way, way too many examples of this.

It would really not hurt to call ID Jewelry and speak to Yekutiel (Yuketiel?? Which is the right spelling??) and see what he can do for you. I have seen him get people AMAZING rings before on budgets much, much smaller than yours. If you tell him you are a pricescoper and want pricescope standards, he will definitely make sure it is EXTRA amazingly beautiful. He is in the New York diamond district and has access to a bunch of stones, and, importantly, understands what good stones look like.

Here are some helpful videos:

On diamond color:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9V_Ng2-8OmE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcmSj8dOLRI

On princess cut:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIs8AkaQURM&list=UUEV7slr-i-VduBBnfv9MxhA&index=113&feature=plcp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udiyTPMamjo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxJkQFYqtAY&list=UUEV7slr-i-VduBBnfv9MxhA&index=58&feature=plcp

Some size examples:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMDqRNg4FTY&list=UUEV7slr-i-VduBBnfv9MxhA&index=211&feature=plcp

If you still absolutely want to go with size at the expense of quality, this is probably not the best forum to get help. I do think if you watch the videos you can get an idea for how a well-cut princess should perform, and hopefully at the very least you will take that knowledge with you to the jeweler. I also hope you show your girlfriend the videos and communicate to her what your budget will cover, and see what she prefers to do. She is the one who will be wearing the ring and looking at it all the time, after all.

I hesitate to post this because it's the ring of someone I know, but this is the sort of big dead blob we're afraid you'll end up with:

It barely sparkles at all. I've seen it in person and it's actually worse. Fortunately the owner of the ring doesn't know any better and so thinks it's beautiful, but I guarantee that for the same budget they could have had something way, way more lively, and likely at a similar size.

 

[CharmyPoo]

I didn't read it all but if you really want a deal .. try second hand?

 

[farmer gal]

Being young is not an excuse. Being young just means you have a lot to learn. It's not an excuse to be lazy when you are spending significant and adult amounts of money on a VERY adult thing: marriage. And since you don't know what research and value are this is, frankly, the time you start learning. Take this as an opportunity to learn skills that you will need all your life. Namely, how to do research and to understand value in order to make an educated decision on large financial purchases. AFTER you do your research and understand diamond enough to make an educated choice if you still think a poorly cut 2 carat stone is a better VALUE than a 1.7 carat stone with great cut... then, fine. But until such time that you can make a educated choice, you have no business making any choice at all with that kind of money, AND on something so important.

With every large purchase you make, diamond, car, home, wedding, honeymoon, child seats and cribs... you name it you will have to learn what the most important things are to know, and how to make an educated decision on what things you can safely sacrifice and what things you shouldn't compromise on. With every important purchase you will have to use these skills. Frankly it's grossly irresponsible to spend thousands on ANYTHING without solid research, consideration and thought.

If my fiance told me he was too 'young' to be responsible about spending thousands of dollars, I would say... that's nice, why on earth do you think you are mature enough to marry me?

Buying a ring is a right of passage. It says, I'm mature enough to ask this woman to marry me. Young has nothing to do with mature. And you sound too immature or lazy for marriage in your last post. Buying a ring is nothing compared to how hard LIFE itself is. Put on your big boy pants it's time to learn fiscal responsibility. If you can't focus long enough to buy a ring, you have no business getting married.

I completely agree with Gypsy here. This is a very immature response. I have said twice as I think others have called ID show them the ring you are interested in and see what they can do for you. This ring will be a hunk of junk and you don't seem to care. Diamonds are all about sparkle so why not go a little down in carat size which will still be large and get a diamond that actually sparkles. I have actually heard people joke about other peoples lifeless large diamonds and I guess if that's what you want to give your fiance as a token of your love then so be it. If you are that immature that you want to throw that much money away because you want what you want and you want it now then you have no business getting married. Good luck to you because I don't think you really came here to listen in the first place.

 

[whitewave]

Getting bck to basics, WHY do you want a large quantity over quality ring?

1) you want other people to notice it

2) you want other people to think a certain way about you

3) your girlfriend is a size queen

4) you want to know you gave her a large ring



Yet, for any reason I can think of, as soon as people Look at the ring, the are going to think "oh poor girl with a crap diamond".

The thing is.... The bigger the poor quality ring, the more noticeable the crap diamond is.

I have seen women with 2 carat cloud diamonds. I think, "such a shame she has a bad diamond she has to wear to not offend her husband". I have seen women with 1 carat cloudy and yellow diamonds, and I think "eek, I would rather have a nice band instead of that ring."


So what you say doesn't make sense-- there is no reason to buy a hunk of junk because it is large. All that says about you is that you don't know how to buy diamonds and that you are trying to portray a lifestyle you clearly don't have.

Sorry to be harsh... But you really need to think this through...

 

[ChrisES]

Well now you know, Built240: there is cut quality as well as cut type.

As for quantity over quality, as several people have told you, there are some large UGLY stones out there, and I promise you don't want one of them. That said, people on this forum are very very dedicated to cut quality, and there may be a happy medium for you where you give up some quality for size.

But as everyone has been saying, you need to make an informed decision. You are talking about spending fifteen thousand dollars on a single purchase. As you say, you're young. If you buy something lousy you might have to replace it later and spend that money again....or you could invest the extra money, save it for retirement, have your dream honeymoon...whatever else that kind of money buys.

I would suggest that you should start by reading all of the pages linked here: https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/

Then you should look through the rest of pricescope for more information.

Then you should go to several retail jewelers, both mall stores and high-end stores like Tiffany, and see a bunch of stones in person so you can understand what different quality levels actually look like.

Then you will begin to understand diamond shopping. As you said, you have plenty of time. Enjoy the process!

 

[built240]

Ok guys maybe I came off wrong in my last post. First off I have no interest in the CE diamond. I literally just learned about it and am shocked they even are able to be sold without disclosing it. The guy kinda "hinted" it really quickly over the phone with me.

Im still learning about all this. Maybe 2c is too much for the 'look" i prefer. The most important is how it looks. What i basically meant was i dont really care what the color "rating" is or the clarity "rating" is, as long as the ring "looks" amazing. So yes, size is important but if I cant get a 2c center stone that "looks" amazing then i'd much rather go smaller. Less than 1.5 is too small though. With this economy im shocked that I wouldnt be able to find much larger but if a 1.7ish with a much better cut is going to look 10x better than a 2c with worse cut then i'll def go with the 1.7

I have a family friend who's a jeweler who's looking for me. I'll post up what he finds to see if you all think its a good deal. But I would definitely not just purchase a ring from some internet site or online jeweler without getting your advice first. Much appreciated. Thanks

 

[Clairitek]

I am encouraged by your post and I think you're beginning to understand the ins and outs of choosing a nice diamond. I hope you find something that satisfies your desire for size but is also eye catching in sparkle and performance.

 

[distracts]

I do highly recommend the youtube videos I linked to. Watching them was the first time I began to really understand what made a diamond beautiful, because I could suddenly see it with my own eyes. I think if you'll look at them, you'll quickly start to be able to pick out on your own which stones are duds and which are gorgeous, and then be much better equipped to look at the ones your jeweler finds for you.

 

[Gypsy]

Like Claire, I am encouraged by your post.

Here's my best advice. Since you will be working with a local jeweler and with stones you will be viewing in person:

Buy a Handheld ASET viewer. http://www.americangemsociety.org/newhandheldaset.htm It will show you how the diamond performs when you view a stone through it.

Here are the links that will help you understand what the tool shows you: (read, watch these in order)

http://www.lexusindia.in/products/gb-aset-scope.aspx (MOST HELPFUL LINK)

http://www.lexusindia.in/products/images/GB/princess_cut.png (REFERENCE PICS)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpFv0c0fuqQ (What you can expect to see when you are viewing in person)

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/sercs-final-list-of-princess-cut-stones-with-aset-images.169968/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/sercs-final-list-of-princess-cut-stones-with-aset-images.169968/[/URL] (Another poster
s princess shopping journey with ASETS)

http://www.americangemsociety.org/aset-reg-tools

This is the biggest 'shortcut' I can offer you.

 

[built240]

Ok so here's a question. You basically have the 4c's to grade your diamond. But it seems like the "cut" is not talked about as much. Or maybe it is but its confused as the "shape" like how i confused it. I always thought cut just meant "princess" or "round",etc... but then I see thats not the case. The cut has names as well like brilliant cut, table cut, point cut,etc... I never really see this advertised as much. So that must be why i see a 1.5c like some of you posted thats maybe an SI with a I color for $9k and i'll see the same thing thats maybe a vs1 color G for the same price. I didnt take into consideration the lower clarity and color diamond must have had a much better "cut" if its priced the same as the higher clarity/color diamond.

 

[Dancing Fire]

I have a family friend who's a jeweler who's looking for me. I'll post up what he finds to see if you all think its a good deal. But I would definitely not just purchase a ring from some internet site or online jeweler without getting your advice first. Much appreciated. Thanks

look out baby here we go again ...another one of those family friend who's in the diamond business..

 

[slg47]

yes so cut quality of princess cuts is not graded by GIA. That is why we recommend the ASET. AGS grades the cut quality of princess cuts so an AGS0 (AGS ideal cut) is a good bet.

 

[Gypsy]

To use the car analogy again ... the 4 C's are very basic. Do you want a round or a princess is the same as asking if you want a truck or a sedan. D color or J... red or black paint? Carat weight is just compact or full size car. Clarity is like quality: do you want a commuter car that is good for 99%you of folks like a civic or do you want economy over eveeything like a yugo or do you want something with a little more.

And just like cars... all that is just the minimum you need to know. None of the above tells you how good the gas mileage is or how the car performs or how reliable it is. For THAT you need to look under the hood AND how to understand what the information to get once you aee there. That's the same as diamonds.

You need to learn that stuff.

 

[Christina...]

To use the car analogy again ... the 4 C's are very basic. Do you want a round or a princess is the same as asking if you want a truck or a sedan. D color or J... red or black paint? Carat weight is just compact or full size car. Clarity is like quality: do you want a commuter car that is good for 99%you of folks like a civic or do you want economy over eveeything like a yugo or do you want something with a little more.

And just like cars... all that is just the minimum you need to know. None of the above tells you how good the gas mileage is or how the car performs or how reliable it is. For THAT you need to look under the hood AND how to understand what the information to get once you aee there. That's the same as diamonds.

You need to learn that stuff.

Great analogy Gypsy! And great job to all you ladies and gents for getting the OP heading in the right direction! . I'm finally starting to believe there may be a beautiful diamond in this couples future.

 

[rubybeth]

yes so cut quality of princess cuts is not graded by GIA. That is why we recommend the ASET. AGS grades the cut quality of princess cuts so an AGS0 (AGS ideal cut) is a good bet.

Unless the family friend/jeweler knows about cut quality (and can reliably guide you), please-please-please do NOT commit to buying with him/her. Those of us that have been around Pricescope for a while have read some horror/sad stories about people who bought diamonds from a family friend and who ultimately were very disappointed that they didn't shop around more.

ETA: bring back anything they find for you to the experts here before buying.

 

[Gypsy]

Thank you Christina.

Built. The term "cut" is used in misleading and confusing way. I know that. Let me explain to you the best I can.

There is a difference between shape (sedan or truck), faceting (different exterior design features-- BODY design of the car: what do the hood, the tail lights, the truck, and the rims) and Cut quality (performance-- what's under the hood). All are components of diamonds.

To break this one concept down for you:

Shape is exactly what is sounds like. Square, Round, Oval, Marquise, Heart. You learned this in kindergarten.

Next is Faceting. There are different TYPES of faceting within each shape. FACETING refers to the PATTERN ARRANGEMENT of the cut of the facets and the different appearances achieved with different faceting. So with a SQUARE -- you can have a square emerald or square step faceting (asscher, carre cut, square baguette), a square brilliant (princess), or a square modified brilliant (Cushion of some sort I think). With a round you can have a round brilliant, an old european brilliant, and also you can have any of the many patented extra facet round faceting structure.

THEN-- you get to cut... that's Cut QUALITY--- so within that shape and faceting pattern: how well did the cutter who cut the diamond arrange the facets and angles, and what is the result of that cutting quality on light return and on visual patterning.

When people learn the four C's -- and OFTEN when they teach them-- they often think that CUT= a combination of shape and faceting. So they think a Round Brilliant or a Princess are CUTS. They aren't. Both those terms more accurately refer to the shape and the faceting. When you are talking about CUT on THIS BOARD and among diamond enthusiasts you are talking about CUT QUALITY.

Under cut quality there is a host of terminology for the anatomy-- the different parts-- of a diamond. So the table, the pavilion, the girdle, the culet to name a few.

So the four C's to getting a beautiful diamond are:
Clarity, Carat, Color and MOST IMPORTANT -- CUT quality. The shape of the diamond is just what I said-- the difference between a truck and a sedan. One is not "better" than the other. A princess is just as "good' as a round brilliant. It's a matter of preference.

So next time you see IDEAL CUT on this board, you know we are talking about the optimal arrangement of facets to achieve the best performance possible.

When you say you want a princess you are saying you want a square shape with brilliant faceting.

How good a job the facet arrangement does to convey an optimal balance between patterning and light return is the diamonds cut GRADE: so, IDEAL, NEAR ideal, Excellent, Very Good-- and then there's good and poor and those are really not very god at all.

Our goal is to make sure you understand what an IDEAL CUT PRINCESS looks like, how to recognize one, and what the benefits are of having an IDEAL CUT versus a poor cut, or a good cut-- or even a very good. And to help you decide which CUT QUALITY you want, and why. And then to give you the knowledge and the tools to hunt down the right diamond for you.

 

[built240]

WOW i bet 99% of people who buy engagement rings know NOTHING about all of this. Im glad I joined this forum. Well im going to let our jeweler know im on this site and let him know i'll be running the diamond through here for advice so he doesnt pull a fast one on me. I had no idea cut was so important. I dont even recall seeing much about cut in appraisal papers on the first diamond ring I got my 1st wife(ex now lol)

 

[sonnyjane]

WOW i bet 99% of people who buy engagement rings know NOTHING about all of this. Im glad I joined this forum. Well im going to let our jeweler know im on this site and let him know i'll be running the diamond through here for advice so he doesnt pull a fast one on me. I had no idea cut was so important. I dont even recall seeing much about cut in appraisal papers on the first diamond ring I got my 1st wife(ex now lol)

That's a good idea. I'm not an expert on these boards, but you've received awesome advice and I would NOT pull the trigger on a stone without getting the stamp of approval here. I will say, however, that you shouldn't expect your "friend of a friend" jeweler to be supportive of that. Don't be surprised if he rolls his eyes and tries to pressure you into making a purchase at a "special price but only if you buy it today". Don't fall for it!!!

 

[Gypsy]

WOW i bet 99% of people who buy engagement rings know NOTHING about all of this. Im glad I joined this forum. Well im going to let our jeweler know im on this site and let him know i'll be running the diamond through here for advice so he doesnt pull a fast one on me. I had no idea cut was so important. I dont even recall seeing much about cut in appraisal papers on the first diamond ring I got my 1st wife(ex now lol)

Sounds like you have a second chance to do everything right this time around.

Also, many appraisers suck. There's no certification or regulation for appraisers. Anyone can style themselves as an appraiser. So it doesn't surprise me that your previous one was not very good. We can recommend a good appraiser for you.

Also, unless your jeweler is really exceptional. They will not like us and won't like you being on here. We know things most jewelers don't want you to know. They LIKE ignorant customers. It means a higher profit margin.

 

[AuntKiki]

I don't normally comment when the experts are talking about choosing diamonds. But I've just gone through 2 expensive upgrades, and had I educated myself first I would have saved alot of time, money and a little bit of heartache. When we decided to upgrade, I wanted BIG. Hey, most girls like big diamonds lol! I had no idea that different carat weights can look completely different amongst different shape stones. Like a 2ct princess looks, and measures across the top of the stone, smaller than a 2ct pear or a 2ct round. So if big is what she loves, a princess may not get you the most bang for your buck.

Color also can look very different between shapes, with I think rounds looking the whitest for their color grade. Pears and princesses, anything with a point, tend to show their color a little bit more than other shapes. An I color princess can look much much different than an I color round! So again, with different shapes you may have different color tolerances that could send your cost up.

After I realized I was not so in love with my ring, I spent hours and hours here on ps, trying to learn as much as possible about diamonds, and about what I personally preferred. It all worked out well in the end, I adore my new ring and am generally obsessed with it hehe. I stare at it all the time, I'm amazed at how a well cut stone performs. It's like the stone itself has a personality, I see something new every day. I really couldn't be happier with it, I feel like I have something really special. I'm sure you want your girlfriend to feel the same way!! But it took some time and research until I found what was perfect for me.

LISTEN to these really smart diamond people, be honest about what is important to you, but take a little bit of time to figure out what IS important. Your girlfriend will end up with an amazing ring!!!! Good luck!!

 

[built240]

So for cut you have Ideal, excellent, very good, good, and fair. So with a princess cut im guessing ideal is the best but is that all i should go with or is 'excellent' a good cut to choose as well? And as far as color someone here said go with nothing lower than an H if its princess cut. Is this something well known with princess cuts? Thanks

btw this is where i got my first ring from. Just the diamond. Maybe I got ripped off. It was a 1c round cut, vs1 color I and ideal cut. I think i paid like $4k
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/search.aspx