Looks small for 2.53 ct?

[MilesHound]

Am I dreaming or does this seem to face up small for a 2.53 ct stone? I rec'd it the other day and can't get over how small it looks to me... maybe I just have a warped sense of reality since I don't spend much time looking at diamonds. It's a size 6.5 which fits my pinkie finger nice and snug (2nd picture). I realize cushions tend to look a bit smaller, but I was expecting more visual impact than this...

Way off base?

 

[distracts]

Judging from your other post, it's 8x7, so that's appropriately sized for its weight. Gemstones are little things. Now it looks to me like there is light leakage around the edges. Light leakage will make it darker, which the eye often interprets as smaller. Did you get an ASET to confirm light performance? It could also be that your eye prefers a different type of sparkle (I don't like that particular kind of sparkle that comes from that kind of cushion, or the kind that comes from a radiant or princess cut, and my eye just skips right over it, whereas something with bigger/bolder flashes really catches my attention, but some people are exactly opposite). Or that you just don't have enough experience with gems to eyeball carat size.

 

[JulieN]

Maybe you should go with a round or an ideal cut cushion. 2.5 cts should be big enough for most anybody, so I can only guess you are looking for higher performance.

 

[SB621]

carat weight doesn't mean much. It could be cut deep meaning all the carat weight is in the back end so it would face up small. Though most cushions face up small for that matter. It would help if you posted the lxwxd in mm.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Yep, ideal cut rounds will have more visual impact at 2.5 cts. Change the setting to a halo and it will make it look much bigger.

 

[MilesHound]

carat weight doesn't mean much. It could be cut deep meaning all the carat weight is in the back end so it would face up small. Though most cushions face up small for that matter. It would help if you posted the lxwxd in mm.

The dimensions are 8.12 x 7.23 x 4.96 mm

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Just for a size comparison, this 2.5 ct. ideal cut round is 8.8mm (price is higher because of VS1 clarity).

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/11576/

2.38 cts is 8.5mm

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/10828/

 

[CharmyPoo]

Keep in mind that rounds aren also more expensive. For the same price, you can get a bigger cushion.

 

[Laila619]

It does look a little small to me honestly. I think it's because of the lackluster light performance. Can you exchange it?

 

[tyty333]

It does look a little small to me honestly. I think it's because of the lackluster light performance. Can you exchange it?

I have to agree. I think better light preformance would make it look more its size. If it were me, I would be sending it back.
Did you get an aset image?

It looks very leaky around the edge which draws my eye to the center only.

 

[Niel]

carat weight doesn't mean much. It could be cut deep meaning all the carat weight is in the back end so it would face up small. Though most cushions face up small for that matter. It would help if you posted the lxwxd in mm.

The dimensions are 8.12 x 7.23 x 4.96 mm

Yes the dimensions are smaller than a round. But rounds will be more expensive.

stones that face up larger, generally, are ovals, pears, and marquise.


Stones like yours are deeper, so the face up smaller which is why you're feeling this way.

 

[fanofhardrock]

I don't think it looks small for its size nor per se.

It looks like a rather lovely ring! Are you happy with the ring itself?

 

[MilesHound]

I'm not un-happy per se, I just don't really know if I should be happy. I'm underwhelmed, but I never look at diamonds, so I don't know if that's just because I'm surprised something so small could possibly cost $24k or because it's truly underwhelming.

I was not able to secure ASET images because in order to order it in time to be able to return it and get another one in time for a Dec 23 proposal (which I'd need in hand Dec 20 since I leave DC the morning of the 21st for Alabama) I needed to order it. However, I'm now faced with the same situation really, and the original merchant (Blue Nile) probably can't get me anything else in hand by Dec 23.

I have this on hold:
http://www.ritani.com/diamonds/cushion-diamond-2-71-Carat-G-color-GIA-certified/D-MMP7WB

I've got no real preference for an F over a G, but in the cushions I saw I did much prefer G to H. Can anyone tell anything about the light performance of that one? I believe Ritani could get that to me by Dec 23 in Alabama.

Anyone else able to suggest a vendor that would be able to do quick work with a stone I could verify the light performance of? Very much appreciate all help.

Budget is a fairly tight $25k all in (I'm not gonna moan about 25,7 or something, but I'm not really willing to go up to 27-28+).

 

[JulieN]

You have to figure out what you want. The cushion you bought, we told you was leaky when you posted a picture. The Ritani cushion is leaky, too. But if you want F/G 2.5+ cts, most likely you are going to mostly have choices of the leaky crushed ice kind. One, the supply of cushions has a lot of leaky crushed ice, it is just harder to find good modern cushions. Two, the good ones cost more.

 

[nottospec]

I am sorry you are disappointed

Absolutely return it and propose with some costume jewelry and let her choose her diamond and setting in the New Year. 25k is a healthy budget for an e-ring! If it was me, I would LOVE to go shopping with that budget, with my man, to choose a ring that makes my heart sing, rather than settle on something very underwhelming because there were time constraints!

Good luck with the proposal

 

[JulieN]

http://www.b2cjewels.com/dd-4324331-2.01-carat-Cushion-diamond-G-color-VS1-Clarity.aspx?sku=4324331&utm_source=pricescope.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=pricescope.com

Put it in a temp setting for the proposal, plenty left over for a very nice halo setting afterward.

 

[Dreamer_D]

I think you can do better but you need to clarify your priorities. Cut quality is what makes a diamond look with the goal of having something eye catching and impressive.

 

[distracts]

I have this on hold:
http://www.ritani.com/diamonds/cushion-diamond-2-71-Carat-G-color-GIA-certified/D-MMP7WB

Honestly that stone is pretty fug imo. If you want something that is going to have a bigger impact, you need to focus on cut quality, because that is what will give you edge to edge brightness and sparkle. The one you bought does not have edge to edge brightness which is why it looks small for its size. Buying a different stone with the same problem isn't going to fix the problem.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

In my opinion, Good Old Gold sources the best modern cushions. If you had started a little earlier, they could probably have found you one. If you call them today or tomorrow, it is still possible it could be done by your deadline, at least in a temp setting although they might have what you want in stock. They don't have your size and color in stock but may be able to get it from the cutters of their nicest cushions.

Example of a nice modern cushions:

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/11573/ (just FYI, it is around $15,200)

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/11443/

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/11371/

 

[distracts]

Some to consider:

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/11252/
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/2.06-carat-g-color-vs2-clarity-sku-228889
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/2.07-carat-g-color-vvs2-clarity-sku-164180
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/2.22-carat-h-color-vs1-clarity-sku-135898
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/2.41-carat-f-color-si2-clarity-sku-239177 (my fave, though probably not eyeclean)
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/radiant-cut/2.16-carat-e-color-vs1-clarity-sku-223495

You'd need to get ASETs on the James Allen ones to confirm performance, but these all look to me like they'll be much brighter/sparklier than the ones you're looking at.

And don't worry about getting it by the date - propose with a picture of what you bought and explain that you bought one that would be here in time but weren't wowed by it so started over, but couldn't wait to propose. Trust me, it'll be fine!

 

[MilesHound]

How's this look?

www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/2.55-carat-h-color-si1-clarity-sku-226516

 

[Niel]

How's this look?

www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/2.55-carat-h-color-si1-clarity-sku-226516

Look at the mm size of that stone.

Also I don't love the performance or color in that particular stone.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

How's this look?

www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/2.55-carat-h-color-si1-clarity-sku-226516

You don't have time to deal with James Allen if you want to have a diamond before Christmas. It can take them 2-3 days just to get the ASET images to you. Good old Gold is your best bet because they are in NY and can get stones quickly and do the ASET and video quickly.

Niel is correct about that stone facing up really small, too.

 

[pyramid]

Been watching certain posts for weeks/months now. A 2.5ct diamond is clearly a lot of money. Il just find it a bit unfair that certain biased pricescopers can influence newbies to buy from their preferred dealers. I mean it is a lot of money. I realise that people are loyal to who they got good service from, I bought a diamond from whiteflash and although I am very happy with my purchase, I don't go around recommending them to people all the time in order to sway sales their way. I mean I am not on commission or anything.
This is going on all the time now, and it has really turned me off Pricescope. I also happen to like Good Old Gold and would buy from them if they had what I wanted, infact I hope to get a Brellia sometime from them.

Do other posters really think that it is fair, or is it just like recommending a shop to your friends. Thing is there are far more people on here and big dollar amounts. I don't see the same person all the time recommending whiteflash or other posters on nearly every post. Maybe if I do that I will get a discount though.

Just getting a bit fed up with it, everytime I read thinking oh it will be good old gold recommendation again and honestly it is almost
100% of time.

I love my vendor but not this much, I mean I paid them a lot of money, they didn't hand it to me free.

 

[distracts]

Pyramid,

I have only ever bought diamonds secondhand, so I haven't purchased from ANY of the diamond vendors I recommend. My links are always based on who has the site that is easiest for me to navigate and provides the information I am searching for. Most diamond sites online have just the stats, no images, most vendors don't even have ASETs, etc. OP linked to Ritani but they only have actual images of a handful of their diamonds. GOG actually has good pictures of the diamond along with ASET imagery posted, JA has those nice high quality videos, etc. Other vendors I would mainly recommend for rounds.

There are also not many vendors I'd trust to pick a well cut diamond. I have seen WAY too many jewelers irl who showed me this "beautifully cut diamond" that was imo a total dog to believe in anyone who doesn't already have a long track record of picking things that my eyes like.

If people would like to buy from other places, sure, but I'm not going to bother recommending from anywhere where I don't personally enjoy browsing the site.

If you don't like the recommendations you see, recommend from other vendors. Don't complain about it, DO SOMETHING about it.

OP, take a look at these videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfnhPchwg-c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VEg0-XaedU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7_k9OvHRzI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6Ymz9lIoZ4

They should help you pinpoint what you aren't liking about your current stone, which will help you know what to look for in your new one.

 

[smilligan]

Pyramid,

I have only ever bought diamonds secondhand, so I haven't purchased from ANY of the diamond vendors I recommend. My links are always based on who has the site that is easiest for me to navigate and provides the information I am searching for. Most diamond sites online have just the stats, no images, most vendors don't even have ASETs, etc. OP linked to Ritani but they only have actual images of a handful of their diamonds. GOG actually has good pictures of the diamond along with ASET imagery posted, JA has those nice high quality videos, etc. Other vendors I would mainly recommend for rounds.

There are also not many vendors I'd trust to pick a well cut diamond. I have seen WAY too many jewelers irl who showed me this "beautifully cut diamond" that was imo a total dog to believe in anyone who doesn't already have a long track record of picking things that my eyes like.

If people would like to buy from other places, sure, but I'm not going to bother recommending from anywhere where I don't personally enjoy browsing the site.

If you don't like the recommendations you see, recommend from other vendors. Don't complain about it, DO SOMETHING about it.

OP, take a look at these videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfnhPchwg-c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VEg0-XaedU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7_k9OvHRzI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6Ymz9lIoZ4

They should help you pinpoint what you aren't liking about your current stone, which will help you know what to look for in your new one.

I agree. I've been seeing posts regarding "vendor promoting" for a while now, and it's starting to get a little ridiculous. It's completely natural for people to recommend places that they trust/feel comfortable with. Distracts is absolutely right. Most of the recommendations given are for vendors that provide loads of information, have a great track record, and great policies. The prices are usually competitive, but different vendors have different pricing. Still, I haven't seen one vendor recommended exclusively while others are left out. Pretty much all of the PS vendors get recommended on a regular basis. I guess what it comes down to is how you feel, personally. If you were the OP, would you be happy with that diamond? Or would you want the chance to find something better for your money? People come here for a reason, Pyramid. They are newbies (like me) and they want some help/advice. To be frank, I'm kind of confused by your post. You are basically saying that there isn't enough competition being promoted, but you aren't providing any yourself. If you know of any other reputable vendors, PLEASE list them. I, and most others, would love to have more options to choose from.

ETA: I hope that didn't come across as disrespectful, because that certainly wasn't my intent.

 

[JulieN]

I don't mean to be didactical, but you keep posting cushions with the same problem as the first one. A few posters have gone out of their way to find suitable stones for you that are well cut that you can get before your deadline.

I know you really want a 2.5 ct, but honestly the difference between a good 2 ct and the not so good 2.5 cts you are posting is only maybe about 10% in size. It is much more important to get something well cut that is going to be bright and have that pop and sizzle.

 

[distracts]

I don't mean to be didactical, but you keep posting cushions with the same problem as the first one. A few posters have gone out of their way to find suitable stones for you that are well cut that you can get before your deadline.

I know you really want a 2.5 ct, but honestly the difference between a good 2 ct and the not so good 2.5 cts you are posting is only maybe about 10% in size. It is much more important to get something well cut that is going to be bright and have that pop and sizzle.

To point one, yeeeeep. If you're not going to bother picking a cushion that performs considerably better, you will likely have the same problem, and should just keep the one you have so you can propose when you want.

Most of the two carats I linked are less than half a millimeter smaller across than the stone you purchased. If they have edge to edge brightness, they WILL appear bigger.

 

[Mayk]

As for size.. I saw this one at DBL which I thought was an interesting comparison.

http://www.diamondsbylauren.com/index.php/jewelry/loose-diamond-206-radiant-diamond-gia-hsi1-great-sparkle-r3415

I think this is the toughest cut to find and one people love or don't care for. The crushed ice look I believe can be less popular.
As for posting of popular vendors I think that is an unfair call out. If you search there are NOT many nice radiant cut examples out there with a depth of info. If he was looking for round there would be 15 links from at least four or five vendors...

I have to agree, I don't love the look of the ring and I am no expert. When the original poster said "underwhelmed" I would agree. For $24,000 I would want to be blown away...

 

[Niel]

ok, so i know this is yellow...BUT

Its on sale, in budget, already finished and ready for christmas, has pave like your original ring, looks to be a well cut oval,the faceting pattern you like, has a fancy grade and its a bit squat, so it looks like a mix between a cushion and an oval. Plus its three cts! (9.5x7.5)

http://www.fancydiamonds.net/view_diamonds/8890.htm