Looking for opinions on a Princess Cut around 1ct

[fire656]

I found 3 already just to grab a few that seems high quality and was wondering if these are too high quality etc? A friend said I do not need vvs1 for example. I have dated my girlfriend for 8 years and now we are both working full time and she deserves something good. She only wants a 1ct approx because she is a petite girl and something larger looks too gaudy.

http://www.brilliantearth.com/rings/cyorings/view_diamond/705163/?sid=
http://www.brilliantearth.com/rings/cyorings/view_diamond/690722/?sid=
http://www.brilliantearth.com/rings/cyorings/view_diamond/661922/?sid=

What do you think of my picks and / or what would you recommend. Any alternative suggestions? Price I can do for the diamond is around these prices. Higher or lower is fine for suggestions as well.

Many thanks!

 

[OoohShiny]

I'm not sure you can get ASET or Idealscope images from Brilliant Earth?

WhiteFlash and Brian Gavin have some lovely princess stones and they are listed with everything you need to evaluate them - check 'em out!

 

[RockyRacoon]

Here are 4 top-notch stones in your price range / size requirements, with AGS 0 confirmed light performance:

1.066ct, F, VS2
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut-loose-diamond-2948343.htm

1.00ct, G, VS1
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/12037/

1.028ct, G, VS2
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut-loose-diamond-2947185.htm

1.082ct, E, VS1
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut-loose-diamond-3189823.htm

Ordering from Brilliant Earth will not provide you with any of the light performance data you need (I have purchased from them before). You are much better off going for an option with confirmed light performance.

Best of luck!

 

[drk14]

I found 3 already just to grab a few that seems high quality and was wondering if these are too high quality etc? A friend said I do not need vvs1 for example. I have dated my girlfriend for 8 years and now we are both working full time and she deserves something good.

Your friend is right, VVS1 is overkill unless you deliberately want a very rare diamond (the higher the clarity, the smaller the number of available diamonds at that clarity grade), or if you're shopping for a very large diamond. In the same way, VVS2 is typically also unnecessary for a 1ct diamond. VS2 diamonds of that size are almost always sufficiently clear that you would never know an imperfection was present unless you examined the diamond carefully with a 10X loupe (and even at that magnification, most of the time blemishes would be minor and difficult to make out). For a better "bargain", many here shop for SI1 or even SI2 diamonds, which have more and/or bigger imperfections ("inclusions") than do diamonds graded VS2 and higher, but are often what we call "eye-clean" (meaning the inclusions cannot be seen by the naked eye under normal viewing conditions). The catch is that some SI1 and SI2 diamonds are not eye-clean (in which case you would notice some blemishes even without magnification). Thus, it takes a bit of extra work to sort out the eye-clean candidates from those that are not eye-clean. If you don't want to bother with that kind of detail, or if you don't want the diamond to have imperfections that can be seen under a magnifying glass, then you should stick to VS2 clarity and higher.

So, you're (presumably) open to clarity grades less than ideal, and you're limiting the diamond weight to around 1ct. However, you want to get something "good" for your gf, so have you thought what aspect of the ring you wold like to splurge on? Do you want to get her an icy white (and rare, and therefore more pricey) D color diamond? Would you want spend even less than $6k on the diamond, but instead get a really special setting?

Are you dead set on using Brilliant Earth? To find the best quality diamond (with regards to "sparkle", pleasing arrangement of facets, and optical clarity), you need to work with a vendor that provides specialized image data (including ASET images, IdealScope images, high-definition photographs, and/or video of the diamond in motion).

 

[fire656]

So, you're (presumably) open to clarity grades less than ideal, and you're limiting the diamond weight to around 1ct. However, you want to get something "good" for your gf, so have you thought what aspect of the ring you wold like to splurge on? Do you want to get her an icy white (and rare, and therefore more pricey) D color diamond? Would you want spend even less than $6k on the diamond, but instead get a really special setting?

Are you dead set on using Brilliant Earth? To find the best quality diamond (with regards to "sparkle", pleasing arrangement of facets, and optical clarity), you need to work with a vendor that provides specialized image data (including ASET images, IdealScope images, high-definition photographs, and/or video of the diamond in motion).

I am open to something less than 6k as well as something other than Brilliant Earth. I just simply went there to check out prices. I looked at Blue Nile and saw similar prices so I wasn't sure if there was really a difference. I think that a Lower clarity would be fine and perhaps the D color would be better. I am not totally sure what the best states for Princess cut are. Perhaps it does make more sense that color is of greater importance.

Also, the setting she always said she likes best is a solitaire and she has small hands and likes small bands. So I feel that it is cheaper than most settings. One I had in mind was: http://www.brilliantearth.com/Budding-Willow-Ring-Platinum-BE113-318524/ because it has a nice simplistic floral design. I tried looking for other floral designs but did not find anything simplistic AND in platinum. If you have any opinions on setting as well I would appreciate it.

Thanks so much for your great response as well.

 

[Rockdiamond]

HI Fire,
Just a few comments for perspective.
Regarding performance, AGSL and princess cuts.
I strongly encourage you to actually look at diamonds to see that you like what is termed "Light Performance" by AGSL.
You will pay a premium for a stone which will appear smaller than a princess cut which was cut for overall beauty, as opposed to "Light Performance" in particular.
If you like the type of look of the AGSL0 stones, by all means, go for it!
But you may not.

Regarding an ASET- you do NOT need an ASET to buy a really well cut princess cut. Full stop, as John Pollard likes to say.
If you learn how to read an ASET it can give you some useful information, but current state of the art in princess cut ASET interpretation is horrible. The charts published regarding Princess cuts and ASET are flat out wrong.

Can you look at any stones in person where you are?

 

[Texas Leaguer]

HI Fire,
Just a few comments for perspective.
Regarding performance, AGSL and princess cuts.
I strongly encourage you to actually look at diamonds to see that you like what is termed "Light Performance" by AGSL.
You will pay a premium for a stone which will appear smaller than a princess cut which was cut for overall beauty, as opposed to "Light Performance" in particular.
If you like the type of look of the AGSL0 stones, by all means, go for it!
But you may not.

Regarding an ASET- you do NOT need an ASET to buy a really well cut princess cut. Full stop, as John Pollard likes to say.
If you learn how to read an ASET it can give you some useful information, but current state of the art in princess cut ASET interpretation is horrible. The charts published regarding Princess cuts and ASET are flat out wrong.

Can you look at any stones in person where you are?

David,
I very rarely will post in a new thread if one of our diamonds has been suggested, out of a both a sense of ethics and respect for the forum rules. However, your comments are so prejudicial that a reply is necessary to set the record straight.

And frankly, invoking John Pollard's name in the way you have done insinuates that he shares your viewpoint. Please do the community a favor and let Mr. Pollard speak for himself.

I have recently published an article available here in the pricescope education section that goes into some detail about the
AGSL light performance system with regard to cut grading of princess cuts.

https://www.pricescope.com/journal/ags-laboratories-diamond-cut-grading-princess-cut

David, I hope you find it helpful in gaining a better understanding of the AGSL grading system. Before throwing around terms like "horrible" and "flat wrong" it would be wise to make sure you understand the topic yourself.

 

[Rockdiamond]

Hi Bryan,
Can you show me a usable ASET chart for Princess cuts?
The ones I've seen are not useful.

In the trade, there is not broad agreement with AGSL Princess Cut grading.
Part of the reason is smaller face up size required to achieve the 0 cut grade.
The OP is being told they need to get "light performance"- I'm encouraging the OP to look at real stones instead of using terminology which favors one type of cut over another.
I never read the term "full stop" till John used it- I never meant to imply that he agreed with anything I wrote.

 

[Texas Leaguer]

Hi Bryan,
Can you show me a usable ASET chart for Princess cuts?
The ones I've seen are not useful.

In the trade, there is not broad agreement with AGSL Princess Cut grading.
Part of the reason is smaller face up size required to achieve the 0 cut grade.
The OP is being told they need to get "light performance"- I'm encouraging the OP to look at real stones instead of using terminology which favors one type of cut over another.
I never read the term "full stop" till John used it- I never meant to imply that he agreed with anything I wrote.

If you actually read the article you will answer some of your questions. There is no point in discussing it with you if you simply reject the idea of a scientific approach to developing consistent and repeatable cut grading methods.

Nobody will disagree that you need to see the diamond in real life. But that point does not add much to the discussion.

 

[Rockdiamond]

Right, I'm arguing against "science"

AGSL grades are based on subjective assessments of objective data.
I'm not arguing against science- rather the interpretation of data. Even if the data is collected systematically, and objectively, the interpretation of that data is NOT scientific data. Its opinion.
When it comes to Princess cuts, and AGSL cut grading there's a lot of disagreement about this interpretation.
This is starkly different than round diamond cut grading assessment.

How would seeing two princess cut diamonds, one AGSL0 cut grade compared to a well cut, spready larger tabled princess cut not be applicable to the OP's question?