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James Allen OVAL diamond pics...opinions needed!

H

Heidibrooke

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Sep 16, 2013
Messages
284
I have an ideal round coming, for comparison. Here are the specs on this oval:
G
IF
0.94
Pol: EX Sym: EX
Depth:66.0
Table:56.0
7.95*5.17*3.10
girdle: med-thick
flo: faint
GIA CERT

Please comment about this diamond, please. I'm having trouble deciding. I want a lot of sparkle. Thanks!! Two more pics in post 2 and 3.

share5.jpg
 
Another pic

share4.jpg
 
and one more pic from a distance, this is just a tension setting, haven't decided on a setting yet.

share6.jpg
 
I feel like based off the pics I should be a really special stone. Can't imagine there's a bow tie. And doesn't look like it has dead "mushy" zones. Do you like it. Looks great on the hand.
 
I think that is one spectacular looking oval!! :love: :appl:

Please put a hold on it asap so it doesn't get swooped up by a lurker....
 
I don't know much about ovals, but I agree with Yenny- It looks fab in the pictures! I don't really see a bowtie in it.

I absolutely love ovals in halos, or on pave bands....How were you thinking of setting it if you keep it?

You said you were concerned about lots of sparkle. A well cut round is going to be the best bet if sparkle is your absolute main concern. The oval you trade for spread, I think, but I don't know how oval sparkle compares to RB sparkle. Hopefully someone can say who knows.

That said, I think a halo or pave band would up the sparkle factor for you. (I'm thinkin' Blake Lively style....)
 
I agree with everyone! (and I was scared to post because I'm not an expert :oops: ) But I would slap a halo around that beauty!!!!!!!! :love:
 
bastetcat|1379553427|3523262 said:
I don't know much about ovals, but I agree with Yenny- It looks fab in the pictures! I don't really see a bowtie in it.

I absolutely love ovals in halos, or on pave bands....How were you thinking of setting it if you keep it?

You said you were concerned about sparkle. A round cut is going to be the best bet if sparkle is your absolute main concern. The oval you trade for spread, I think, but I don't know how oval sparkle compares to RB sparkle. Hopefully someone can say who knows.

That said, I think a halo or pave band would up the sparkle factor for you. (I'm thinkin' Blake Lively style....)
Click to expand...

I agree, like i said based on pics alone, looks really special. it just wont sparkle like a round, but the trade of is spread and a uniqueness factor. As rounds just are less common. Could be made even LESS common by setting it sideways.

I agree i love an oval in a halo, classic HW style, but my favorite of all is an oval three stone. it can be done in such stunning and unique ways. Like a 3 stone with oval sides, or bullets, or half moons, oh my!

I understand your dilemma. I had to have a round because i needed sparkle! BUT, I ended up buying a RHR with a fancy cut because I just needed that extra bit of spread and uniqueness. Like i said, there are trade offs in every cut.
ring_1f_061208.jpg
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glint_0.jpg
 
You might check with Yekutiel at ID Jewelry to see what kind of settings are available. The do some real bang up claw prongs and he has a few budget friendly halo settings and probably good pricing on pave ones also....

here's a halo for an oval, but they also have some pave and baguette side ones for under $1K, I think:

http://idjewelryonline.com/product_info.php?cPath=42_132&products_id=66103
 
Looks like a really nice oval!
 
@Niel, your oval just might be the prettiest I've ever seen! Does it sparkle way less than your round?
 
I really like it but I'm used to a deeper stone. My princess cut (lost it-this is the replacement) was 1.21 and quite a bit deeper. As for dead, mushy areas, how do those look? I'm seeing some "windows" for lack of a better word when I turn it certain ways. They almost look like step cuts, but not quite. Maybe that's typical of an oval cut? I'm just not sure.
 
Heidibrooke|1379556406|3523302 said:
@Niel, your oval just might be the prettiest I've ever seen! Does it sparkle way less than your round?
Click to expand...


oh if ONLY it was my oval :((


they are just ones ive found on pricescope. My story goes like this. I picked out a pear. I loved the shape but the cut just wasnt good enough. It wasnt the best pear either, not near as good a cut as your oval....

I sold it and I bought a round, because i was like, "im just going to get the best performing thing i can afford"

Now i have a 5 stone round and i really do love it. I have no regrets about that. the thing is, i still really longed for something more original. So I bought a marquise. Much better cut than my pear. And a good performer in its own right, it just does not perform like a round would.

So basically I can see why someone would want either. I wanted both... its much cheaper to decide BEFORE you buy, so i think its good that you are having both sent im and comparing in your own home and your own time.

I think if my pear would have been as good a performer as that oval looks like it is, though, i wouldnt have sold it
 
Heidibrooke|1379556701|3523308 said:
I really like it but I'm used to a deeper stone. My princess cut (lost it-this is the replacement) was 1.21 and quite a bit deeper. As for dead, mushy areas, how do those look? I'm seeing some "windows" for lack of a better word when I turn it certain ways. They almost look like step cuts, but not quite. Maybe that's typical of an oval cut? I'm just not sure.
Click to expand...

I know what you mean. how far of an angle do you have to turn the stone to get those? a lot? a little?
 
Heidibrooke|1379556701|3523308 said:
I really like it but I'm used to a deeper stone. My princess cut (lost it-this is the replacement) was 1.21 and quite a bit deeper. As for dead, mushy areas, how do those look? I'm seeing some "windows" for lack of a better word when I turn it certain ways. They almost look like step cuts, but not quite. Maybe that's typical of an oval cut? I'm just not sure.
Click to expand...

Can you get any shots of what you are seeing? Perhaps do you have a link to the JA stone from the website. It should still be up.
 
soxfan|1379553549|3523263 said:
...I would slap a halo around that beauty!!!!!!!! :love:
Click to expand...

"Just slap a halo on it!" ...my solution to everything. :bigsmile: :lol:

But seriously, that is one gorgeous oval! I'd slap a double halo on it!! ;))
 
Heidibrooke|1379557268|3523326 said:
Here is a link to it on the JA website. I can see the "windows" in their 360, and 40x magnified image. Thanks for taking a look!

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/oval-cut/0.94-carat-g-color-if-clarity-sku-236434
Click to expand...

Did you happen to request an ASET image of this before you bought it to see the light return pattern? That would give us a good idea of where leakage might be. Leakage would be equivalent to a "window". I think in colored stones you get windows (places where you can see though and things are not reflected back at you). I wish I knew more about ovals to be more helpful. Hopefully someone who knows fancy's better can comment more with the info you have posted.
 
I can mostly see them in natural light, and to me, they are pretty easy to see. It's like it needs more facets.
 
Heidibrooke|1379557433|3523331 said:
I can mostly see them in natural light, and to me, that are pretty easy to see. It's like it needs more facets.
Click to expand...

I know what you mean i think, like you can see though the diamond to the other side?
 
I didn't, unfortunately. It was already in shipment when I learned JA would do this. I wonder if there is a way I could check it?
 
Yes, exactly!
 
Heidibrooke|1379557562|3523334 said:
I didn't, unfortunately. It was already in shipment when I learned JA would do this. I wonder if there is a way I could check it?
Click to expand...

Yes- you can buy a little ASET scope pretty cheaply. JA luckily has 60 day returns. Did you happen to get an Idealscope of the round you are having sent in? JA will do up to 3. Too bad I wish they were a little more up front on it instead of you having to ask....

There are things called tilt windows, but I don't know how it applies to diamonds....
 
i didnt realize you Bcat and i are all posting at the same time as PS isnt telling me the posts before, so sorry for any double posting.. how much did that stone cost?
 
Yes, I'd say it's the same effect as that stone, but not quite to that extent. I paid $4980.
 
Here's a link to the IS and ASET tools. It gives a quick run down of how it works and link to purchasing options. It's about $100 but that is cheap compared to the multi-thousands on a stone. I have a little IS with lighted dock. It's been very useful and easy to use...

https://www.pricescope.com/tools/ideal-scope

I did a search on tilt windows and some people say you can get a tilt window in a diamond. I have only had rounds, and haven't seen any effects like that but could see how that might happen in a fancy cut. I do not know if that is what you are seeing.
 
I will look into that tool, and worst case, I can still return the diamond. :)
 
Your ring is gorgeous, by the way! Thanks for all the info! I think my oval is a little shallow, which usually makes a prominent bowtie-strange since I don't see one at all. I don't see darkness in the windows of this diamond...it's almost like glass. :(.
 
5k, ok... here are a few more in that range. I would return it. Though i love the facetting i do think its too shallow, and if the windowing bothers you now, it will always. Plus, i dont think it probably performs as well as the facetting seems


http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/oval-cut/1.02-carat-e-color-si2-clarity-sku-196664
(have them get asets for both, make sure they are eye clean )

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/oval-cut/1.13-carat-g-color-vs2-clarity-sku-171378

And I had one thought (forgive me as i am a bit of a MQ fanatic), had you considered a marquise? you had a princess right? so you might enjoy the points of a marquise (similar feel) and the length of it (similar to an oval ) If you havent seen one around a ct on the hand before, i think you might be surprised how flattering and modern they are. not for everyone, no. but if you havent seen a good one on your hand, i genuinely think they are worth a trip to a jewelry store just to see. and it would be easy to get a relatively budget friendly setting that would be very classic.... anywho, thats my marquise spiel ;)

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/marquise-cut/0.90-carat-f-color-vs1-clarity-sku-175491

i mean how fabulous does this look on the hand!

i-kn9cnm6-l.jpg

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