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I want a Cushion!

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MrMonkey

Rough_Rock
Joined
Apr 24, 2012
Messages
17
I'm a newbie, though I've spent about a month on PS looking and learning! You guys are really great!

I'm looking for a cushion (or maybe a radiant) and currently in the process of browsing online inventory. I'm trying to stay away from any 'branded' cut as I feel I could get a bigger diamond in my price range. I found these 3 cushions that are on the TOP of my price range... Can someone educate me on why there is a 1k price diff between these GIA 1.51 G VS1 stones? No ASET for these though.

more expensive:
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS1-Ideal-Cut-Cushion-Diamond-1279759.asp

less expensive:
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS1-Ideal-Cut-Cushion-Diamond-1381125.asp

Also found this one, with a very good cut and price in the middle of those two:
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS1-Very%20Good-Cut-Cushion-Diamond-1481769.asp

I'll also throw in this 1.80 Radiant which is about the same price. To me, it looks like the non-AVC cushions I'm looking at (especially in a halo setting).
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS2-Very%20Good-Cut-Radiant-Diamond-1376067.asp

I live in the NYC area so my next stop would be ERD, IDJ, and JA as per everyone's suggestions.

Thanks in advance for your replies.
 
Hmm.

Here are my thoughts.

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS1-Ideal-Cut-Cushion-Diamond-1279759.asp I like this one the best of those you've chosen. The table is bigger than I'd like though, but if the crown height is good it might balance out. I am afraid this one was cut for weight a bit but an ASET might be warranted.

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS1-Ideal-Cut-Cushion-Diamond-1381125.asp Not really a fan of the faceting. But that's a personal thing. Might be worth a look if you like the faceting.

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS1-Very%20Good-Cut-Cushion-Diamond-1481769.asp Over deep so the spread is compromised, so it's signifcantly smaller in measurement than the others which isn't something I'd be excited about paying for-- but that's why it's price is lower. Nice small table though. Probably good crown height. I'm afraid those center pavilion facets might be mushy though.

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS2-Very%20Good-Cut-Radiant-Diamond-1376067.asp Pretty nice radiant. That table is a on the big side but if the crown height is good (I prefer over 14%) it might be worth pursuing. It IS deep, but since the carat weight is higher the spread is still more than the others. So this one will look the biggest IF it's a bright stone.

I'll look to see what else is available.

ETA: Okay I see the problem. Not a lot available because of your specs. Hmm. I'm not thrilled with any of your choices. Did she SAY she wants a radiant? If she wants one... that's the best one to pursue in my opinion.
 
Thanks Gypsy, I can always count on you for a detailed response!

I agree with your comments on each diamond. The faceted issue, I don't know. I love the way chunky facets look, but I also think these aren't that bad. Doesn't have a crushed ice look so I'm OK with that.

The radiant is nice (and big), but slightly on the rectangle side with the 1.12 ratio... I was hoping for more of a square.

I like the cushion you suggested, but I'm really trying to stay away from the S1/S2 categories. I'd rather move down to G and go up in clarity. Every visible inclusion is a big deal to me, especially in the middle. I know it would bother me (and her) all the time.

She doesn't know what she wants herself, so she left it up to me to decide (from the times we spoke about rings)... However, I'm doing this solo so it's going to be a huge surprise!
 
MrMonkey|1335330519|3180060 said:
Thanks Gypsy, I can always count on you for a detailed response!

I agree with your comments on each diamond. The faceted issue, I don't know. I love the way chunky facets look, but I also think these aren't that bad. Doesn't have a crushed ice look so I'm OK with that.

The radiant is nice (and big), but slightly on the rectangle side with the 1.12 ratio... I was hoping for more of a square.

I like the cushion you suggested, but I'm really trying to stay away from the S1/S2 categories. I'd rather move down to G and go up in clarity. Every visible inclusion is a big deal to me, especially in the middle. I know it would bother me (and her) all the time.

She doesn't know what she wants herself, so she left it up to me to decide (from the times we spoke about rings)... However, I'm doing this solo so it's going to be a huge surprise!
Click to expand...


Okay. But here are my thoughts. If it's NOT an visible inclusion why not give it a shot. I really doubt that one is going to be visible. At G VS there is nothing else available than what you've already chosen.

Isn't it at least worth a call to JA to ask them how visible that inclusion is? I think it's going to be a much better performer than everything but that radiant.
 
But if you want VS... how about this one.

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/F-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Cushion-Diamond-1351843.asp I like it very much for it's faceting plot. Nice table, crown height is likely to be good. It's only slightly smaller than that SI stone on one side. Price is in budget. And I actually like open culets so... win/win/win.

I've now looked at all the 1.4 and up F-G-H stones at VS for you at JA and that's pretty much the lot of them worth looking at.
 
I'm looking through that loop on JA for the F VS you posted and that little dot in the table is driving me crazy! You're definitely right about "eye-clean". I guess you never know until you see the stone yourself in normal light with your own eyes... then judge if its clean enough for your tastes.

Do you have any "ideal dimensions" for cushions or radiants? there's so much info on RBs, but not enough on the fancy shapes. I know it's all about how you feel about a particular stone, but it would be nice to have some guidelines to follow.

I saw many posts about "good experiences" at the previously mentioned vendors. Does anyone have any bad stories? Places that I should stay away from?
 
MrMonkey|1335331878|3180071 said:
I'm looking through that loop on JA for the F VS you posted and that little dot in the table is driving me crazy! You're definitely right about "eye-clean". I guess you never know until you see the stone yourself in normal light with your own eyes... then judge if its clean enough for your tastes.

Do you have any "ideal dimensions" for cushions or radiants? there's so much info on RBs, but not enough on the fancy shapes. I know it's all about how you feel about a particular stone, but it would be nice to have some guidelines to follow.

I saw many posts about "good experiences" at the previously mentioned vendors. Does anyone have any bad stories? Places that I should stay away from?
Click to expand...


Ideal dimensions are really hard with all fancies but cushions and radiants are especially difficult because there are so many different faceting patterns and the faceting patterns dictate their dimensions. Some faceting patterns can be cut shallower and some need to be cut deep to get performance. A lot of radiants on the market are over 70 depth and the same with some cushion facet patterns but those will have spread compromised. But that's not always a horrible thing if the performance is good.

My person feeling on cushions is-- table in the low sixties or lower. Crown height over 11% but preferably over 14%. Depth below 70 but with a discount over 70 might be okay if the trade off is performance. Other than that a lot depends on the picture of the stone and then the ASET.

Since she doesn't have a preference and you DID say that you wanted to maximize your budget would you consider an oval? Here's why I suggest them. 1) they face up large for their carat weight so you will get a much larger stone visually for the same price and carat weight 2) they are very flattering with their elongated shape on many different hands and 3) they are easy to find lovely affordable settings for and 4) they are more unique and less common.


Vendors. That's stickier. A lot depends on what you want.

Some of the best vendors with fancies will charge you more than JA because they do the screening and choosing for you, using their eyes and their expertise, and provide you with a lot of information up front. But they will not just charge you more for the stone, they might charge you a small fee for the shipping to get the diamonds in. That said, many of them have REALLY good eyes with fancies.

Every vendor in the world, and that includes Tiffany, has dropped the ball slightly in some way. The top vendors who are recommended often on here: BGD, GOG, HPD, WF, JA, ERD... they all have a reputation for being customer service oriented and when there IS the occasional challenge hey will fix it promptly when it is brought to their attention.

Of those I would say ERD and GOG have a reputation for beautiful fancies. And I've seen some gorgeous fancies from BGD and WF as well. JA is a different animal from all those because they have a different business model. They don't chose for you, they post mass inventory then you chose.

What vendor is right for you just depends on what you expect from your vendor.

I have personally worked with BGD, HPD and ID Jewelry and Pearlmans. And I would work with ANY of them again. But I have talked to and gotten to know the vendors I listed above at some level and they all have good people working for them.
 
Just to give you a little food for thought. Here are some really nice ovals with potential just to show you what you could get for your budget. And I will also post a few pics of ovals in settings so you can see how lovely they can be.

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/D-VS1-Very%20Good-Cut-Oval-Diamond-1464221.asp D VS1 the measurements are 8.3 by 5.8 (that's compared to 7x 6.3 of the radiant)
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-VS2-Very%20Good-Cut-Oval-Diamond-1486009.asp I VS2 measurements are 9.7 x 6.6

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Oval split shank Fortekitty.jpg

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Gypsy|1335333344|3180082 said:
MrMonkey|1335331878|3180071 said:
I'm looking through that loop on JA for the F VS you posted and that little dot in the table is driving me crazy! You're definitely right about "eye-clean". I guess you never know until you see the stone yourself in normal light with your own eyes... then judge if its clean enough for your tastes.

Do you have any "ideal dimensions" for cushions or radiants? there's so much info on RBs, but not enough on the fancy shapes. I know it's all about how you feel about a particular stone, but it would be nice to have some guidelines to follow.

I saw many posts about "good experiences" at the previously mentioned vendors. Does anyone have any bad stories? Places that I should stay away from?
Click to expand...


Ideal dimensions are really hard with all fancies but cushions and radiants are especially difficult because there are so many different faceting patterns and the faceting patterns dictate their dimensions. Some faceting patterns can be cut shallower and some need to be cut deep to get performance. A lot of radiants on the market are over 70 depth and the same with some cushion facet patterns but those will have spread compromised. But that's not always a horrible thing if the performance is good.

My person feeling on cushions is-- table in the low sixties or lower. Crown height over 11% but preferably over 14%. Depth below 70 but with a discount over 70 might be okay if the trade off is performance. Other than that a lot depends on the picture of the stone and then the ASET.

Since she doesn't have a preference and you DID say that you wanted to maximize your budget would you consider an oval? Here's why I suggest them. 1) they face up large for their carat weight so you will get a much larger stone visually for the same price and carat weight 2) they are very flattering with their elongated shape on many different hands and 3) they are easy to find lovely affordable settings for and 4) they are more unique and less common.


Vendors. That's stickier. A lot depends on what you want.

Some of the best vendors with fancies will charge you more than JA because they do the screening and choosing for you, using their eyes and their expertise, and provide you with a lot of information up front. But they will not just charge you more for the stone, they might charge you a small fee for the shipping to get the diamonds in. That said, many of them have REALLY good eyes with fancies.

Every vendor in the world, and that includes Tiffany, has dropped the ball slightly in some way. The top vendors who are recommended often on here: BGD, GOG, HPD, WF, JA, ERD... they all have a reputation for being customer service oriented and when there IS the occasional challenge hey will fix it promptly when it is brought to their attention.

Of those I would say ERD and GOG have a reputation for beautiful fancies. And I've seen some gorgeous fancies from BGD and WF as well. JA is a different animal from all those because they have a different business model. They don't chose for you, they post mass inventory then you chose.

What vendor is right for you just depends on what you expect from your vendor.

I have personally worked with BGD, HPD and ID Jewelry and Pearlmans. And I would work with ANY of them again. But I have talked to and gotten to know the vendors I listed above at some level and they all have good people working for them.
Click to expand...

Thank you! I'll keep those measurements in mind when searching. I agree with you about the table, I like it to be smaller as well.

I do want to maximize budget, but ovals are not for me. I can see that you get a bigger size for the price but I'm not a fan of ovals at all!

Yes, ERD, GOG, JA, and ID are on the top of my list... sorry for being a noob, but who are HPD and BGD?? thanks again
 
Kristalulu, thanks for the suggestions. Although these diamonds look beautiful, I don't know about the H and I color. I wasn't looking for that "warm" color. However, I think I would need to see the two stones (F and H color) side by side to see if there's a notable difference.

I agree with Gypsy, that's a great stone with the specs I was looking for... gonna mark it down for reference!

Gypsy|1335399346|3180941 said:
kristalulu|1335379675|3180513 said:
Chunky cushions:
http://www.engagementringsdirect.com/1.50-carat-f-vs2-a-cut-beyond-cushion-cut-diamond-gid-85474.html
Click to expand...

This one is perfect. High color and clarity that the OP wants. In budget. Exactly 1.5 ct and the measurements are great for the carat weight so it doesn't look small. The faceting is chunky but not overly so. It's got a great ASET and it's square. Good choice krista.
Click to expand...
 
If you like the cut beyond antique cushions better, then be patient and wait for 'the one' :mrgreen: If you talk directly with ERD, I'm sure they will contact you when it arrives...
 
I wanted to post this as a possibility for you.

I have to tell you, that I would ABSOLUTELY make an offer on this one if the setting works for you. That ring retails for 30k. Seriously, no joke. And Daniel K's workmanship is the best I've ever seen. And I have seen a LOT of pave and settings. That setting is so incredibly gorgeous and well made and delicate and just... out of this world. Pearlman's pics do NOT do justice to it. Another poster was looking at that ring and while it didn't work out for them, they did say that the price is pretty drastically negotiable. For that ring and that stone (and that stone faces up at the SAME SIZE as many 2 carat cushions) I would at LEAST make a phone call and ask if they would accept an offer of 14k . I would be willing to bet you would be able to negotiate that with them. You would get a stone and an incredible setting for UNDER your stone budget. And also-- there is NO WAY you would get a halo setting of that quality under 5k, and honestly under 7k with all that detail. So it's a STEAL.

Seriously? What can a phone call hurt? Ask for Julian, he's a doll to work with.

http://www.pearlmansjewelers.com/jewelry-specials/estate-jewelry/rings/128PO1/32/
 
Thanks Kristalulu, I need to talk with them ASAP!

Gypsy, I'm not too crazy about the setting... too much "pave", too much going on. I wanted a halo, but not that type. Also, the SI2 on the center stone is something to be weary of as well. Thanks for the suggestion though.
 
MrMonkey|1335929477|3185393 said:
Thanks Kristalulu, I need to talk with them ASAP!

Gypsy, I'm not too crazy about the setting... too much "pave", too much going on. I wanted a halo, but not that type. Also, the SI2 on the center stone is something to be weary of as well. Thanks for the suggestion though.
Click to expand...

That SI2 is completely eyeclean no reason to be wary of that one. The setting is a matter of personal taste.

I just wanted to post the possibility for you.

How is your hunt going. I REALLY adore taht F stone from ERD krista posted for you. I don't think it's gonna get any better than that. ERD also does beautiful halos and has BOTH a CAD and CAST bench for them and a hand forged. So they can really make you a gorgeous halo.
 
MrMonkey|1335543438|3182248 said:
Kristalulu, thanks for the suggestions. Although these diamonds look beautiful, I don't know about the H and I color. I wasn't looking for that "warm" color. However, I think I would need to see the two stones (F and H color) side by side to see if there's a notable difference.

I agree with Gypsy, that's a great stone with the specs I was looking for... gonna mark it down for reference!

Gypsy|1335399346|3180941 said:
kristalulu|1335379675|3180513 said:
Chunky cushions:
http://www.engagementringsdirect.com/1.50-carat-f-vs2-a-cut-beyond-cushion-cut-diamond-gid-85474.html
Click to expand...

This one is perfect. High color and clarity that the OP wants. In budget. Exactly 1.5 ct and the measurements are great for the carat weight so it doesn't look small. The faceting is chunky but not overly so. It's got a great ASET and it's square. Good choice krista.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

H & I colors are still in the colorless range. they are NOT "warm". They are white just not icy white like a D/E. D-I are all in the colorless range but the higher the color the more rare the stone. You pay more for rarity not beauty. There are many very high color stones that are ugly diamonds.

I suggest you Watch the educational videos on color on GOG. Sorry, but I had to laugh at calling an H color "warm". And J's face up very white as well. Once you can see them in person you might be surprised. An H or I color you will get a bigger face up stone and it will be nice and white as well if it GIA or AGS graded ...and IF it is a superior cut and well performing diamond can be a prettier diamond than a poorer cut D-G.

Good luck with your cushion hunt.
 
Gypsy|1335928382|3185372 said:
I wanted to post this as a possibility for you.

I have to tell you, that I would ABSOLUTELY make an offer on this one if the setting works for you. That ring retails for 30k. Seriously, no joke. And Daniel K's workmanship is the best I've ever seen. And I have seen a LOT of pave and settings. That setting is so incredibly gorgeous and well made and delicate and just... out of this world. Pearlman's pics do NOT do justice to it. Another poster was looking at that ring and while it didn't work out for them, they did say that the price is pretty drastically negotiable. For that ring and that stone (and that stone faces up at the SAME SIZE as many 2 carat cushions) I would at LEAST make a phone call and ask if they would accept an offer of 14k . I would be willing to bet you would be able to negotiate that with them. You would get a stone and an incredible setting for UNDER your stone budget. And also-- there is NO WAY you would get a halo setting of that quality under 5k, and honestly under 7k with all that detail. So it's a STEAL.

Seriously? What can a phone call hurt? Ask for Julian, he's a doll to work with.

http://www.pearlmansjewelers.com/jewelry-specials/estate-jewelry/rings/128PO1/32/
Click to expand...

Soon you are going to sell that ring to some very smart buyer...LOL.
 
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