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Looking for advice on a Princess cut

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zooropean

Rough_Rock
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May 3, 2008
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Hey everyone,

I have come onto this site here and there to learn more about the "art" of buying a diamond.

My gf and I have spent some time looking at diamonds and rings here in Chicago (so far on Jewelers Row). In terms of what she is looking for:

Princess
D-F in color. She saw an E she really like but then saw a D and she loved it-but the price was higher.
Ideal cut.
SI1-VS2 clarity

I have talked to a guy who has an E 1.06 carat SI1 Princess that my gf did see and she likes. However, I thought I had seen with a Princess you could go into the G-H range and it will still look good.

Basically, she wants the diamond to still sparkle in the dark.

After look at diamonds from various local people here and online, I am feeling a bit overwhelmed and really want the best deal for my budger ($6000, but can go higher for the right stone).

Help!

Thank you!
 
Hello Zooropean and welcome to PS!
hopefully those with more knowledge of princess will tune in, but I do know that if you're happy to buy online or over the phone than your best bet is the ACA or A Cut Aboce princesses at Whiteflash. http://www.whiteflash.com/diamonds/default.aspx

Good Old Gold also sells hand picked princess of a very high standard. http://www.goodoldgold.com/
You can search here and find alot of positivity about these vendors.

The other thing I would suggest is considering whether you *really* need a D colour. Most people will not be able to tell the difference between a D or a F/G when the stone is very well cut. You could consider this to save some money or get a larger stone
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Good luck!
 
Thanks for the reply!

So I should stick to an Ideal cut? I wouldn''t mind going larger on the stone of course if I can keep that sparkle.

As for buying online, I don''t think I would be opposed to it at all. I read some of the testimonials and it seems WF and GOG are the preferred online retailers.
 
Date: 5/3/2008 1:04:40 PM
Author:zooropean
Hey everyone,

I have come onto this site here and there to learn more about the 'art' of buying a diamond.

My gf and I have spent some time looking at diamonds and rings here in Chicago (so far on Jewelers Row). In terms of what she is looking for:

Princess
D-F in color. She saw an E she really like but then saw a D and she loved it-but the price was higher.
Ideal cut.
SI1-VS2 clarity

I have talked to a guy who has an E 1.06 carat SI1 Princess that my gf did see and she likes. However, I thought I had seen with a Princess you could go into the G-H range and it will still look good.

Basically, she wants the diamond to still sparkle in the dark.

After look at diamonds from various local people here and online, I am feeling a bit overwhelmed and really want the best deal for my budger ($6000, but can go higher for the right stone).

Help!

Thank you!
Click to expand...
Welcome!

I agree with AJ, best approach to buy a Princess is to work with vendors such as Whiteflash or Good old Gold and also www.winkjones.com , to name some of the excellent vendors here. These vendors carry in house diamonds and often the AGS0 cut grade Princess which have been given the coveted AGS0 grade for light performance / sparkle. Cut is the key factor which gives a diamond it's beauty. Princess cuts can't be evaluated for cut quality in the same way as a round by the numbers, so an expert vendor who can assist you is so useful to help make finding a beautiful Princess easier.

Indeed you can drop the colour to F G or H if the cut is good and it should still face up very white. Clarity, VS to a verified eyeclean SI1 and even SI2 can be an excellent choice to maximise the budget.

Also don't go by labels such as Ideal Cut, these terms are often used loosely and in no way guarantee you a well cut diamond.
 
Ok so then my next question is how can I tell if the cut is good without relying on something being called ideal? :)
 
Date: 5/3/2008 1:40:21 PM
Author: zooropean
Ok so then my next question is how can I tell if the cut is good without relying on something being called ideal? :)
Click to expand...
The best way is to choose among AGS0 cut grade Princess, and or stick with a vendor who has the diamonds in house, who has done the cut analysis for you. There are various technologies out there which vendors use ( these are subject to preference) such as ASET, BrillianceScope, Idealscope ( better for round diamonds) and others which can analyze cut quality and performance. An expert vendor can be your eyes and advise you on the best diamond for your purposes.

Also there are various charts available which give suggested proportions for a Princess, but bear in mind these numbers are a guide only, and don't give a whole picture as to how a Princess may look or sparkle.

Here is some info on how cut can be judged in the Princess, which may be helpful. Sorry it is a lot of reading, but skim through it and see which links may be useful to you.

http://diamonds.pricescope.com/

http://www.goodoldgold.com/content.php?c=55

http://www.goodoldgold.com/Technologies/ReflectorTechnologies/

http://www.goodoldgold.com/Technologies/BrillianceScope/BrillianceScopeStrengths/

http://www.goodoldgold.com/ShapeTutorials/ShapeTips1/

http://www.goodoldgold.com/4Cs/

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/why-we-prefer-aset-to-ideal-scope-with-fancy-shapes.73949/
 
A well cut diamond will not show as much body colour = a well cut princess stone will still look very white in the G and H range. However, if she wants "icy white", then E and F are your choices. It''s difficult to tell D/E/F apart from one another when they are set.

If you want to stick to a local jeweler, I suggest getting only diamonds with an AGS lab cert and only those with AGS0 ratings. Those stones have already been tested and passed the ASET. Otherwise, I recommend getting your own ASET to check out the stone, but that entails learning how to read the colours. If you are not adverse to buying online, then your options have broadened significantly. My favourite choices for online purchasing for princess cut stones are www.winkjones.com who sells Infinity diamonds, www.goodoldgold.com with hand picked princess cuts and www.whiteflash.com who carries their own branded ACA princess cuts.
 
I also wanted to add regarding your first post where you said " Basically, she wants the diamond to still sparkle in the dark" that in case you meant it literally and are very new to diamonds , that diamonds don''t sparkle all the time. They will sparkle in different ways in differing lights ( which is a good part of the fascination!), you may notice more coloured light at times if the lighting conditions are conducive ( fire), more out and out brilliance in other lights, sometimes a mix of both and scintillation - but in other lighting, diamonds can go into '' rest mode'' and not sparkle or do very much, but they should still look attractive! Also Princess shapes may perform differently to round diamonds, still sparkle if well cut, but they have a different personality.

I just wanted to mention that in case diamonds are completely new, so you have an idea of what to expect. That is why cut quality is so important, so that your diamond will be bright and sparkly.
 
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