Marquis Advice

[spankpank]

I am very new to diamond shopping, but just found a Marquis through Mondera D/VVS1/0.91 carat Depth: 61.5% Table: 59% Measurements: 9.440x5.250x3.21 Price: $5,809

This is probably a nicer diamond than I need. I don''t feel the need for perfection, but want something nice. I think color is my most important factor, but for the seemingly great quality of this diamond, it seemed like a great price. Am I right?

Like I said I''m very new. Any advice for what to look for that''s important in a marquis or other advice for novice diamond shoppers???

 

[Giangi]

I'm gonna be a pain and ask you why D/VVS 1 and not E/SI 1 or even H/VS 2?

With fancy shapes, I suggest you to ask ideal scope images and possibly a brilliancescope report.
The stone you selected has nice depth and table; it's too fat for my tastes, by the way. Try to look for 2.00:1 (if you like a thin and elegant shape)... Yours at 1.80:1 will look a bit ''fat''.

As for proportions... No huge table or overly high depth. No extremely thin or ext.thick girdle; a little portion of girdle may be pretty thick near the points... This is tolered and as long as it's a small part, it doesn't affect the stone's size. But it's really hard to judge without seeing...

Be sure to ask how pronounced is the bowtie effect.

 

[spankpank]

Thanks for the advice, as for D/VVS1 I just aimed for the best of everything to see what price I was looking at. How did you figure it was 1.80:1??? Like I said I'm very new...

 

[Kay]

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On 9/25/2003 3:57:07 PM spankpank wrote:

Thanks for the advice, as for D/VVS1 I just aimed for the best of everything to see what price I was looking at. How did you figure it was 1.80:1??? Like I said I'm very new...----------------

1.80:1 is the length to width ratio, which is determined by dividing 9.44 by 5.25. Generally, the closer you can get to 2.00:1, the better the perimeter shape of the stone looks. This is largely a matter of personal preference. Marquise diamonds are trickier to buy than rounds because of this extra factor -- I spent 3 months looking for a marquise in my color & clarity range that had excellent depth and table %s plus the length-width ratio I wanted. A 1.80:1 ratio may be "chubby" in the middle. I suggest you go to local stores just to look at marquise shaped stones to see whether you prefer 2.00:1 or slightly skinnier (over 2.0) or fatter (under 2.0). Ask to see the certificates for the shapes you find most pleasing and take notes of the measurements so you can determine what range of length-width ratio you prefer, then use that information in your online shopping. My stone is 1.88:1, and I would not have wanted it to be any fatter than that. I suggest you read the whole pricescope tutorial, including the fancy cut grades charts at the end of the advanced tutorial. I agree with Giangi that D/VVS1 is not necessary. I think E/ VS2 or SI1 (as long as eye-clean, i.e., no inclusions visible w/o magnification) is perfect. Color was very important to me because that is a visble factor, but I did not want to pay extra for a rarer clarity as long as the inclusions cannot be seen with the naked eye, so I bought a D/SI1. D and E are virtually indistinguishable & D is more expensive, so I looked for an E, but this particular stone met all my cut requirements so I was willing to pay the small premium for the D to end the search. My stone came from Whiteflash -- I worked with Bob Hoskins (Dimonbob on this forum), who answered all my questions on multiple stones over several weeks and called to let me know when he saw new stones listed that might meet my needs. The diamond I bought was listed on several websites, but Whiteflash had the best price that was not just a "drop-ship" price (i.e., no service). Good luck with your search.