Ideal Princess cuts, please HELP ME CHOOSE!

[expressre]

I have narrowed it down to these two stones however one of them is slightly smaller in carats but the size is comparable to larger stones. Please let me know your thoughts. The price difference is also pretty significant.

P.S. My GF really wanted a 1.25 but Im trying to get a more quality diamond thas slightly smaller.

AGS-104046966016 1.083 ct G VS2 Super Ideal Princess Cut Diamond Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® selection $7,685.00

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut-loose-diamond-2517150.htm

AGS-104045703002 1.13 ct E VS2 Super Ideal Princess Cut Diamond Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® selection $8,954.00 -

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut-loose-diamond-2540814.htm

 

[yssie]

Between those two I prefer the patterning on the 1.08 G. What does WF say?
I like this ES too http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut-loose-diamond-2287345.htm

Ahh.. I see the size dilemma. Normally I'd be quick to recommend dropping colour/clarity to get her the size she specifically requested, but WF doesn't have anything in that size at all...

This one from JA looks promising, request ASET photo if interested (JA will provide three ASET pics for free)
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/F-VVS2-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1391617.asp

 

[John P]

A notable difference, if the OP is seeking the AGS Ideal standard, is that no independent cut assessment exists for the JA option. An ASET image might provide data to interpret in that regard, but there's no way to know whether it meets AGS0 standards without an AGS report or (alternately) running a scan through AGSLs proprietary grading software - which JA may be doing.

A question for JA or someone in-the-know: That princess cut is advertised with "Ideal proportions." Is that "Ideal" label coming from an independent proportions system like AGA? Are you possibly running them through the AGS PGS? Or is it an in-house system? Thanks.

 

[expressre]

WF has only been able to tell me so far that "Both these diamonds are completely Eye Clean and will face up about a color grade higher than graded because of the beautiful light return." Also commented that the 1.13 would be Icy white.

These are both AGS Ideal diamonds.

Does anyone else have an opinion on these two as I would greatly appreciate it. Should I just drop the "Ideal" cut and go with a bigger diamond or would the jump from a 1.08 to a 1.25 be a very small difference?

Thanks!

 

[Amys Bling]

Tough call, I personally wouldn't drop the cut. At the same time, I think there will be a noticable size difference between the 1.08 and the 1.25, and your gf expressed a size preference for a 1.25.

 

[jstarfireb]

I agree in preferring the facet patterning on the 1.08 G over the 1.13 E. So I'd rule out the E. The ES Yssie mentioned is also nice, but I still prefer the first ACA. It's cheaper and has larger dimensions. If your girlfriend is concerned that it's below 1.25 ct, I'd say that (1) as you found out, it's extremely difficult to find well-cut princesses in that size range, and you wanted her to have a stone that sparkles like crazy, and (2) the 1.08 is larger than most princesses of similar carat weight.

It's true that the JA stone, as John mentioned, doesn't have any paperwork to show whether it meets AGS ideal standards. But it looks good from the pic, and you can get an ASET from JA to compare with your own eyes and post here. It may actually be the best compromise between your desire for light performance and your girlfriends preference for size. Certainly worth looking into.

So for me, the choice would be between the 1.08 G ACA and the JA stone.

Others to consider if you have the budget (they're $11-13k):
http://goodoldgold.com/diamond/8146/
http://goodoldgold.com/diamond/5830/

 

[expressre]

Thanks for your input Jstar! I really like the settings at JA but I have decided that I really want to get an AGS ideal because it makes me feel much more comfortable buying the diamond online knowing it will be beautiful.

What you were saying about the size is exactly what I was looking for and I ould really like to hear opinions of others as well. Im still not 100% confident that I should just go with the 1.08 or get a bigger diamond so I will keep my eyes open for a few more days. It looks like whiteflash is really one of the only online retailers that have AGS in stock.

The ones grom GOG are amazing but the dimensions are similar to the 1.08 size wise. Im just not sure how much that depth difference will make.

 

[slg47]

explanation from JA website on how they rate 'cut'...I am not sure what their 'preferred' ranges for table/depth are

When it comes to diamond cut, things can be a little confusing. Should you only consider Ideal Cuts ? What about Premium Cuts ? Are the Good Cuts good enough? To answer those questions it helps to understand how we categorize diamonds here on the jamesallen.com website.

Ideal Cuts are going to mostly refer to our selection of round diamonds. If a round diamond has depth and table percentages that are within the most preferred ranges, as well as polish and symmetry ratings of either Very Good , Excellent , or Ideal , then there is a very good chance that diamond will be listed in our Ideal category. On any given day there are several thousand round diamonds that are in the Ideal category, so finding plenty of round ideal-cut diamonds is generally not a problem. When it comes to fancy shapes though, (like princess, oval, emerald etc.) there are very few stones that fit into our Ideal category. This is because only a small number of fancy shapes will have both a polish and symmetry rating of Very Good , Excellent or Ideal . For this reason you should definitely include all of the cut grades in your search for any shape other than a round.

Premium Cuts are diamonds that have great proportions (ensuring maximum light return), but may only have polish and symmetry ratings of Good . The diamonds in the Premium category are an excellent value and offer a broader selection of diamonds to choose from, especially in the fancy shapes. Most customers include Ideal and Premium in all of their diamond searches.

Good Cuts are diamonds that may have a depth or table percentage outside of the most preferred ranges, but are still very fine choices for an engagement ring or other piece of fine diamond jewelry. These diamonds, for example, might have a slightly larger table than usual, or be cut a bit deeper than diamonds in our other categories. It's important to remember, however, that these stones are just outside the range - not way out in left field, so rest confident that any diamond from our Good category will also have great brilliance and fire.

 

[expressre]

A "perferred range" is no gurantee and thats why I feel more comfortable with an AGS Cert.