I''m finally gonna do it...

[kerrycap]

Hi everybody. I''ve been lurking around for a few months and am going to buy an engagement ring this month.

I am looking for a princess cut in the 1.5 carat area. It seems like everyone agrees to accept nothing less than a very good cut.

What do folks think of these?

diamond 1
very good cut
1.52 carats
color H
VS1
depth 73.3
table 74
cutlet none
$8011

diamond 2
ideal cut
1.55 carats
color H
VS2
depth 68.9
table 69
cutlet very small
$10,694

Both are GIA certified

Thanks in advance. I''m really new at this. ANY advice would be great.

kerry

 

[Lorelei]

Welcome Kerry!

Well it is difficult to judge fancy shapes such as Princess without detailed photos and ASET images, also many stones are what are known as ' virtual', they are listed by many vendors who would have to call the diamond in on request. This is why it is so useful to be able to work with a vendor who has in house inventory stones with all the cut analysis done for you. It is indeed cut which gives a diamond its beauty, but as to very good cut, premium cut etc, these terms don't always mean a lot and are no guarantee of a well cut and lovely stone. If you want to make it easier to get a well cut stone, then AGS0 cut grade Princess can be a safer bet as these have the coveted Ideal AGS cut grade, alternatively there can be lovely GIA graded Princess but it can be more work finding the better cut stones out of these, that is again why a trusted vendor who can be your eyes is so helpful.

If you are particularly interested in either of these, ask the vendor if they can supply photos and ASET, that will give us a better idea.

 

[lovinsparkles]

I don''t know too much about princess cuts, but www.jamesallen.com looks like it has tons of princess cuts, ideal cut, in that size range, and that website is nice because you can see pictures of the actual stone.

 

[kerrycap]

Diamond #2 (from bluenile) has this GCAL report

http://www.bluenile.com/princess-cut-diamond-1-carat-signature-ideal-cut-h-color-vs2-clarity_LD01224307?div_coll=&div_exp=&cert_icon=gcal_small

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 11/11/2008 12:12:20 PM
Author: kerrycap
Diamond #2 (from bluenile) has this GCAL report

http://www.bluenile.com/princess-cut-diamond-1-carat-signature-ideal-cut-h-color-vs2-clarity_LD01224307?div_coll=&div_exp=&cert_icon=gcal_small

It might be a nice stone, but it is so hard to tell with only that small indistinct photo. They do have a 30 day return policy if you wanted to go for this one, but personally I would consider looking at some vendors like LS suggested that have in house stones and all the info you need before deciding.

As well as James Allen check out

www.winkjones.com

www.goodoldgold.com

www.niceice.com

www.whiteflash.com

 

[rainydaze]

may i suggest http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/4784/

looking at the gemex report (and clicking on it down below, where it animates the diamond for you) it looks like a killer stone!

 

[kerrycap]

That is an impressive looking stone. I found this one which seems to be similar:

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1050354.asp

How do folks think these compare?

 

[stone-cold11]

Date: 11/11/2008 3:10:11 PM
Author: kerrycap
That is an impressive looking stone. I found this one which seems to be similar:

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1050354.asp

How do folks think these compare?

Problem with this JA stone is that it is not cut graded. The only lab that grades princess cut is AGS, so unless there are other supporting evidence, such as ASET/IS pics or you can see it yourself in real life, it is safest to stay with AGS graded princess cut.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 11/11/2008 3:10:11 PM
Author: kerrycap
That is an impressive looking stone. I found this one which seems to be similar:

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1050354.asp

How do folks think these compare?

Cut grading isn't necessarily an issue as GIA do not grade fancy shapes for this, it may be what we call a nice make of stone - if you want to pursue this one ask JA for an Idealscope image ( ASET is preferable but not provided from JA) and some more photos. The diamond that RD linked looks very nice and well worth consideration.