Is this a good stone at a good price?

[Demelza]

Hi,

This is my first time posting here. I am in the market for an emerald cut diamond somewhere in the 1-1.5 carat range. It's so much more difficult to assess an emerald cut diamond than it is a round brilliant. I need all the help I can get. I came across this one on Whiteflash. The price seems excellent! Is it too good to be true? Any thoughts? Thanks a lot!!!

http://www.whiteflash.com/emerald/Emerald-cut-diamond-564227.htm#

 

[diamondsman]

The stone seems to be very nicely cut from the measurments, as it has a rtio of 1.49:1 which is nice in emerald cut.
It would be on the long side which is what most people like,but it really all depends on your preferences.

As far as price is concerened it is not bad, but I suggest you search a little more and compare before you make your decision.

 

[valeria101]

The AGA standards would be the only reference I know available for evaluating the cut of an EC. Personally, I believe that your own taste is the best guide for these. I like the reasonable depth of your stone, the well balanced choice of color and clarity and, of course, the price. What I may have doubts about is the large table: some like this look, but it is arguably a good promise for the stone to look transparent rather than fiery. One rule of thumb often mentioned around here is that the table% should be less than the depth%.

The price is among the lowest around, but not a complete knock-out. Look at this contender, for example. With a 1.37 LxW ratio is not as slender as your choice though... This example is just meant to show that there are alternatives in the same price range for the color and clarity you have chosen.

Your choice? It is a good stone and it is very hard to tell what is the best of an EC as long as light return is not a concern. I do like VG symmetry in these: the "good" grade is looser for fancy cuts than for rounds, and occasionally a step cut stone would show exactly what this means.

 

[Giangi]

Usually I prefer emeralds with depths greater than the table, but that doesn't mean it could be quite attractive. I would make sure via Sarin or OGI that its crown height is >11%. I would ask for an idealscope image too.

 

[Demelza]

Thanks guys. This is all very helpful. I'm kind of lost when it comes to emerald cuts. I think I tend to like a ratio of at least 1:45:1. Otherwise it seems like they loose their elegant rectangle shape. If there is such a thing, does anyone know the "ideal" ranges for depth and table for emerald cuts? I've seen some stones where there is a HUGE difference between the table and depth percentages. Is this necessarily a bad thing? Thanks again for the advice. I love to learn about this stuff.

 

[valeria101]

It really depends on what is good and what is bad for YOU. Surely you have seen These tables before... And despite the bad reputation as non-fiery cuts, ECs can achieve high light return, so you would be perfectly entytles to demand such performance. Usually a table samller than depth and rather higher table than most cut stones display are considered desirable (AGA standards do summarise the guidelines used in the industry). Light return is another story... the only step cuts with knowm light return I know of are either squares (at niceice, for example) or on the GoodOldGold site.

Aside or despite these criteria, really, it is up to you. After all, color, clarity, LxW ratio and symmetry plus table and depth already say a lot about the look of the stone. You may want to consider your choice of these factors fully (for ex. wether a large table is or not appealing to you, or wether good symmetry is good enough) and go for it.

 

[Demelza]

What do you guys think about this diamond? It doesn't score really well on the white light return. What exactly does that mean in terms of performance? What do you think about the price? Thanks!! http://www.goodoldgold.com/emerald_1_08ct_f_vs1.htm

 

[caratgirl]

Personal opinion? If this was a lower color (H-J) I would be more concerned. But with this cut, it looks like you are getting a high white color plus some rainbow colors, which are pretty rare amongst emerald cuts. Why don't you e-mail or call Jonathan and ask him? He will definitely give you the scoop on it.

 

[ilh]

Look at the chart at
gemappraisers. Note that the cut percents there don't guarantee performance measured by the light tests at goodoldgold.com.