Find your diamond
Find your jewelry
shape
carat
color
clarity

Let's play help an indecisive 30 year old!!!

Status
Not open for further replies. Please create a new topic or request for this thread to be opened.
C

Chicago8484

Rough_Rock
Joined
Aug 4, 2014
Messages
11
Hey guys and girls,

I have been using PS for the past few months to help do some research here and there as I fired up my engagement stone hunt...it has gone well and I know exactly the stone cut I (she) would love, but I am in turmoil over pulling the final trigger on a stone! I went into my search with a focus on SIZE and basically figuring if it looked good from across the room, then it was the stone for us! I really want something she can show off and feel sexy in....the bigger the better....is 1.5 big enough? I don't know and I can't get over trying to get to 2 carats....

My budget is ideally $10K-$13K (maybe $14K if it was amazing), I quickly saw that getting at or above 2 carats in a higher end C's stone was going to be too much financially.... ....so I am stuck with the age old balancing act of quality vs. quantity.

Anyways, I have decided to get the stone from James Allen due to their great selection and good reviews I have read....and here are the final 3 I have...hoping those who know more than myself can suggest which stone is the bees knees of these finalists?!! Any help is greatly appreciated! My eyes are burned out and frankly at this point I may just be imagining stuff!!!

Stone 1: 1.83 Carat I-VS1 Cushion

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.83-carat-i-color-vs1-clarity-sku-323321


Stone 2: 1.51 Carat E-VVS2 Cushion

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.51-carat-e-color-vvs2-clarity-sku-305692


Stone 3: 2.02 Carat G-SI2 Cushion (might be too deep)

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/2.02-carat-g-color-si2-clarity-sku-276192
 
I know you've looked at a ton of stones, and I'm not trying to make your life difficult, but consider these too options -


This one is larger (surface area) than the 2ct stone you posted:

1.7ct, H, VS1
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/12062/

Ask them to make a video with that stone and some other cushions in that price range. They have access to some great cushions.


Here's another nice one, if you like the hearts + arrows cushion:
1.524ct, I, VS1
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.524-i-vs1-cushion-diamond-ags-104068042004

There's currently a 7% discount on this stone, which makes it a killer value.
 
Compare cushions by spread (dimensions) not by weight.
 
Okay so:

Numbers on a lab report are largely meaningless when it comes to choosing a cushion. Other than checking the girdle, the facet pattern, and the inclusions ... A GIA lab report lists nothing you need.

The entire purpose of faceting a diamond is to reflect light.
How well or how poorly a diamond does this determines how beautiful it is.
How well a diamond performs is determined by the angles and cutting. This is why we say cut is king. With fancies though (anything other than a round brilliant), that is a little complicated. But no other factor: not color, not clarity has as much of an impact on the appearance of a diamond as its cut.

Outside of an AGS graded 0 light performance diamond, there really is no other way to determine if you have a good cushion is to see images of the stones, and then you need is a way to check actual light performance of your actual stone.

That's what an ASET image does. http://www.highperformancediamonds.com/index.php?page=education-performance Please read.
And ASET shows you how and wear your diamond is reflecting light, how well it is going at it, and where you are losing light return That is why you won't see us recommending vendors like Blue Nile, as they do not provide images or ASET images for their diamonds. James Allen and Good Old Gold do this. So do Brian Gavin and Whiteflash and High Performance Diamonds.
 
 
At other vendors:

I HIGHLY recommend the GOG cushion Rocky picked for you. If customer service and reputation are important for you, then you pretty much can't beat GOG.

At B2C. They don't have the same reputation as JA or BGD. And I personally would buy a diamond from them, and get it set locally. But their prices are great, the post ASET images AND... they have great cushion selection. So I do think its worth it, since you are trying to get the largest stone for your budget you can, to include their selection so you know your options are.

http://www.b2cjewels.com/dd-4636460-1.80-carat-Cushion-diamond-I-color-VS2-clarity.aspx :love: And this is a BIG stone (spread, not weight)
http://www.b2cjewels.com/dd-5307431-1.90-carat-Cushion-diamond-H-color-SI1-clarity.aspx
http://www.b2cjewels.com/dd-5307477-1.90-carat-Cushion-diamond-G-color-SI1-clarity.aspx
http://www.b2cjewels.com/dd-5157070-1.78-carat-Cushion-diamond-G-color-SI1-clarity.aspx
 
Thank you guys for the advice!!! I guess I have been somewhat narrow minded in sticking with JA just out of comfort....

The real scenario is I am obsessed with the 2nd stone I posted because all stats aside I just cant stop looking at it, appears to be a perfect firecracker...but I just don't know if I have been tainted by the up close viewing ability of JA and if my dollar can stretch a lot further to get me closer to 50 SQ mm surface area vs the 40-41 SQ MM I am getting in that stone, I would likely choose the larger area....I will check out the stones you listed, maybe something will catch my eye...much appreciated for the help and any additional input is great!!!
 
Gypsy|1407215591|3726271 said:
http://www.b2cjewels.com/dd-4636460-1.80-carat-Cushion-diamond-I-color-VS2-clarity.aspx :love: And this is a BIG stone (spread, not weight)
Click to expand...

OP, if you're wanting big AND nice, I'd go for the one Gypsy found... :)) :love:
 
I do not think your number two will perform better than the big 1.8 I posted that msop remarked.on. That stone is going to be a real firecracker and it is huge. For your budget it is a great value.
 
Gypsy and MSOP, I think you guys are right...I just hit jewlers row to see if I felt comfortable with a 1.5 carat and I just find it too small for a cushion...felt far better with a 1.7-1.9 range despite having to drop down in quality, and 2 looked outright huge.....

Gypsy, that is a GREAT stone you found, I am going to look into it further, thanks for bringing it to my attention!!!
 
:-)
I think it's a great stone. And it is also very budget friendly for you. I personally don't love B2C's settings. So it may be worth your time to buy the stone loose. And get it set locally. Or we can help you find a setting at a different vendor.

:-)

What kind of setting did you have in mind?
 
Gypsy, I am DEFINITELY getting the loose stone and getting it set locally, that way should anything go wrong I can just stop in the jewlers shop and have them fix it up....

I will be going doing a a solitaire setting in a thin vintage style white gold setting...she's a size 5, so hoping her smaller hand and the thinner band will make the stone pop even more...I could really notice a difference today between a 1.51 and 1.73, so think this one should be great...
 
The shank of the ring should not be thinner than 2mm. FYI. It's not safe to go thinner. And if you can afford it go for platinum.

Okay?

Also you have to insure the stone before having it set somewhere. We can help you figure that out after you've bought the stone.

Where are you located? Which jewelers row?
 
Try to get something like one of these (they can all be made for a cushion):

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/engagement-rings/legera-platinum-5863p
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/la-fleur-platinum-5936p
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/queen-dinah-solitaire-platinum-5694p
http://www.dimendscaasi.com/settings/settings-14kt-white-gold-Solitaire-set-diamond-engagement-rings-lorien
http://www.dimendscaasi.com/settings/settings-platinum-Solitaire-set-diamond-engagement-rings-alessandra

Make sure the profile of the ring allows a flush fit, or close fit STRAIGHT band. Most people don't like curved or v bands and want straight wedding bands.
Stone should be set N/S to be most flattering on the hand.

A good idea might be to find out if there is a Vatche dealer near you and go in there.
They would be able to get you these styles, and they are high quality and will look great with a nice big cushion (they can make these for a cushion):
http://www.whiteflash.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/caroline-solitaire-engagement-ring-for-princess-cut-diamonds-by-vatche-253.htm
http://www.whiteflash.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/bliss-solitaire-engagement-ring-by-vatche-1647.htm

There are settings out there thinner than 2mm. Many of them. I would not recommend buying them. 1.8-2mm if it has a taper. But the thin part should be supported by a cathedral and the bottom the the ring should be 2mm.
 
Also if you are going to take the stone in to a local jeweler. Be prepared: most jewelers are very threatened by online sales and will bad mouth all stones bought online, tell you that you got ripped off, tell you that online jewelers swap stones, tell you all kinds of tales. Anything to make you insecure about your diamond in order to get you to return it and buy from them.

Hopefully you'll not get one of these people, but they are out there, and I want to warn you.

Oh. And put that 1.8 on hold NOW. IMMEDIATELY (no cost, no obligation). We have LOTS of lurkers and stones get stolen out from under posters very often.
 
Gypsy|1407277890|3726785 said:
The shank of the ring should not be thinner than 2mm. FYI. It's not safe to go thinner. And if you can afford it go for platinum.

Okay?

Also you have to insure the stone before having it set somewhere. We can help you figure that out after you've bought the stone.

Where are you located? Which jewelers row?
Click to expand...


Thank you for the 2mm advice, I will check out the setting you posted for some references....I was just debating the platinum v. white gold situation and if it saves money over the long haul I can def pony up the extra $500 for platinum....

I work in the loop so only takes me about 10 minutes to walk over to Jeweler's Row on Wabash, but I was going to check reviews or talk to friends about where to get the ring set at. Ya, I figured anywhere I take the stone will likely try to push something of their own on me, but I can care less about that. All I care about is how the stone looks....
 
That's a pretty nice suggestion and I would snap that up. As a 30 year old Chicagoan who just sought out advice on this board, I wish I could have convinced my girlfriend to like a cushion as much as an asscher so I could have lurked and snapped this one up right from under you. :)
 
Chicago8484|1407280184|3726812 said:
Gypsy|1407277890|3726785 said:
The shank of the ring should not be thinner than 2mm. FYI. It's not safe to go thinner. And if you can afford it go for platinum.

Okay?

Also you have to insure the stone before having it set somewhere. We can help you figure that out after you've bought the stone.

Where are you located? Which jewelers row?
Click to expand...


Thank you for the 2mm advice, I will check out the setting you posted for some references....I was just debating the platinum v. white gold situation and if it saves money over the long haul I can def pony up the extra $500 for platinum....

I work in the loop so only takes me about 10 minutes to walk over to Jeweler's Row on Wabash, but I was going to check reviews or talk to friends about where to get the ring set at. Ya, I figured anywhere I take the stone will likely try to push something of their own on me, but I can care less about that. All I care about is how the stone looks....
Click to expand...

I just went through that experience. NY Jewelers was great for inventory but too pushy on sales for me to feel comfortable buying there. I got my stone on James Allen and I'm waiting on the setting for my stone from Dimend Scaasi as I really like the Alessandra.
 
If you are in Chicago, call DImend Scaasi, tell them pricescope referred you and that you were told that they will set pricescoper's stones in their in-house setting and that you are interested in one of these two for you cushion:
http://www.dimendscaasi.com/settings/settings-14kt-white-gold-Solitaire-set-diamond-engagement-rings-lorien
http://www.dimendscaasi.com/settings/settings-platinum-Solitaire-set-diamond-engagement-rings-alessandra


Both of these are top quality and are very well designed. They will allow a flush fit straight band. And they are both strong enough (Alessandra has a taper, but it is supported by the cathedral). And both will look great with the 1.8.

Platinum is a better investment. And it is stronger (gold is harder, but platinum is stronger) . The 1.8 is way under budget for you too, so that lets you get the nicer platinum setting.


http://www.dimendscaasi.com/contact-us Is how you contact them.
 
Hi OP, just wanted to chime that I'm getting my stone set in a setting made by Karat Jewelry on 5 s. Wabash, 2nd floor. Anton is making me CAD/CAM designed Tiffany style 6 prong in platinum. It's very similar but with a few small tweaks to make it my own at a very reasonable cost, $770 (for about a 7-8 gram 950 platinum ring). I just approved the print he made out of wax/plastic and will soon have the finished ring to pop my stone into, yeah!
 
Gypsy, wow have you been amazing with all this help! Just called B2C, having the gemologist take a once over of that stone and get his report back to me...if it's not screaming of yellow I will most likely take it! The price is scaring me a bit, it is very much cheaper than I anticipated getting, but the size and light reflection (per the ASET Review) look fantastic, so we shall see.....

I will absolutely take your recommendation on where to get the stone set, I have been somewhat worried about taking my stone into a random shop but feel more secure if people have used and trust the jewler...

luvdajules, thanks for the info and congrats!!!
 
Get the stone, and live with it for a week. Make sure you see it all kinds of light. They have a great return policy if there is an issue. And we're here to find you something else if it doesn't work out.
 
Hi OP, the price is lower on your cushion b/c of VSF, that lowers it 10-20%, but as long as it doesn't negatively effect the stone, then go for it. I love the MF in mine! Get a black light from amazon to have a little fun.
 
Well it looks like a no go. I got the gemologist report back....the Fluorescence kills the sparkle in this one unfortunately, oh well there's many more out there

According to the diamond partner's gemologist, the diamond is eye-clean, however, the strong blue fluorescence affects the diamond and looks blue to the naked eye. Due to this, the luster of the stone is minimum and exhibits very less fire and brilliance and looks very dull.
Click to expand...
 
Hi guys, so I have really enjoyed the customer service and prices I have come across on B2C Jewels.....here is the final 6 I have narrowed it down to....can anyone who has a moment please alert if I am missing a flaw these may have? I am waiting on gemoligist reviews of each at the moment...ANY HELP IS GREATLY APPRECIATED!

Cushion $10-13k Budget, Size>color.

1.) FAVORITE -1.80 H VVS1 (7.23x6.95) - http://www.b2cjewels.com/dd-4484198-1.80-carat-Cushion-diamond-H-color-VVS1-clarity.aspx
2.) 1.72 G VVS1 (6.90x6.92) - http://www.b2cjewels.com/dd-5044480-1.72-carat-Cushion-diamond-G-color-VVS1-clarity.aspx
3.) 1.80 H VS2 (7.00x6.91) - http://www.b2cjewels.com/dd-5177280-1.80-carat-Cushion-diamond-H-color-VS2-clarity.aspx
4.) 1.52 G VVS2 (7.45x6.52) - http://www.b2cjewels.com/dd-5307470-1.52-carat-Cushion-diamond-G-color-VVS2-clarity.aspx
5.) 1.50 E VS2 (6.95x6.65) - http://www.b2cjewels.com/dd-6173468-1.50-carat-Cushion-diamond-E-color-VS2-clarity.aspx
6.) 1.70 H VS2 (7.13x6.55) - http://www.b2cjewels.com/dd-6177033-1.70-carat-Cushion-diamond-H-color-VS2-clarity.aspx

And also thinking maybe just go with the Brian Gavin that Rocky recommended, based on it being the most reliable cut quality?

1.52 I VS1 Hearts and Arrows (7% discount at the moment)
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.524-i-vs1-cushion-diamond-ags-104068042004
 
Status
Not open for further replies. Please create a new topic or request for this thread to be opened.
GET 3 FREE HCA RESULTS JOIN THE FORUM. ASK FOR HELP
Jewelry Blog
PriceScope-Concierge-Ad
Find prime cuts.
Top