Need Help! - Emerald Cut Diamond

[AzNWiLL5o4]

Hi,

This is my first post, but I have been browsing through this forum for a long time now. Lots of great information!

I am going to ask my girlfriend of 10 years to marry me soon, and I am getting an engagement ring to pop the question. I want the best for her and want everything possible to be perfect, expectually the ring.

I have been looking around a lot for almost a year now and I think I have finally the perfect one, but I would like to get your opinions on it.

Am I getting a good deal? Is this the ideal specs for an Emerald Cut Diamond? Is this a good combination?

For the ring, I am getting a Jeff Cooper R3100 and the diamond is going to be an Emerald Cut.

I went to a jewelry store that actually has the Jeff Cooper Ring and the asking price are the following:

Jeff Cooper R3100 Platinum: $2800
1.5 Carat Emerald Cut Diamond (GIA Certified): $11,200

Below is the detail specs of the Emerald Cut Diamond from the GIA website:

Emerald Cut

Measurements: 7.15 x 5.56 x 3.91 mm
Carat Weight: 1.50 carat
Color Grade: E
Clarity Grade: VS1

Proportions
Depth: 70.3%
Table: 66%
Girdle: Medium to Slightly Thick
Culet: None

Finish
Polish: Very Good
Symmetry: Very Good
Fluorescence: Faint



Thanks!

 

[AzNWiLL5o4]

Bump... Need the advice...

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 2/5/2010 9:18:08 PM
Author: AzNWiLL5o4
Bump... Need the advice...

Hi azNWill and welcome!

Do you have any images such as ASET or detailed photos of this diamond, plus the crown height please? It can be difficult to get this info from a brick and mortar store, but no harm in asking and at least some photos would help if you could get some. Without images its so hard to say whether this stone is well cut or not as we can't judge the light return or the faceting etc, have you looked at many EC's and if so, does this one stand out?

 

[AzNWiLL5o4]

.

 

[AzNWiLL5o4]

Hi Lorelei,

Thankyou for your response. No unfortunately, I do not have any images such as the ASET or detail photo''s of the diamond as they have a policy as to no pictures taken is allowed. They are very helpful with other stuff as to provide any GIA Certification numbers and all that thought. I have been looking at other EC diamonds, but I do have to say that it kind of all look the same to me. Sorry I am not providing too much information.

I just don''t want to overpay for something I can get for a significantly less money that is all and I would like to make sure that the diamond sparkle to its'' potential. I did notice that the previous one has a clarity of VS1, which was not what I was looking for. I was looking for a clarity of VVS1. I talked to the jewelry store and they gave me another one for the same price.

From what I read, I should look for a ratio of L:W of about 1.5, but what should I look for as far as the depth and table? Is there something I should be looking for besides those things?

Thanks!

Below is the specs:

Emerald Cut

Measurements: 8.34 x 5.48 x 3.63 mm
Carat Weight: 1.55 carat
Color Grade: E
Clarity Grade: VVS1

Proportions:
Depth: 66.2%
Table: 70%
Girdle: Slightly Thick to Thick
Culet: None

Finish:
Polish: Very Good
Symmetry: Very Good
Fluorescence: None
Comments: Surface graining is not shown.

 

[Lestat]

My 2 cents... The numbers you have just show the basic outline of the stone, this can be judged to some degree, but it doesn't tell you how any of the facets are working, so it could be a nice shape by the numbers, color, and clarity, but terrible cut and bad performer. ASET image is needed to judge performance as Lorelei said, and crown height can give an indication of how much fire you will get from this diamond. A photo would be useful to judge the general appearance.

As far as the numbers go, generally a smaller table than depth is preferred. Here's some basic guidelines I copied from one of Lorelei's earlier posts:

depth 70% or below
table 65% or less
crown height 10% or greater
girdle - avoid extremes such as very thin to very thick, look for thin to slightly thick, thin to medium etc if you can.

The problem buying by numbers is that with a fancy cut, numbers aren't everything, so you could be missing out on some great stones just outside these limits.

Is there a specific reason you want VVS clarity? You should be able to find a VS2 that's perfectly eye clean (assuming you're using GIA or AGS lab certificates, not EGL or something else who are known to be lenient with grades), allowing you to spend more of your money on the cut and size of your diamond. Don't assume they're eye clean, get someone to check or check for yourself. Make sure the definition of eye clean meets yours.

Same goes with color, even a G will face up very white when it's set in a ring, color is usually judged upside down on a white background, so when it's in a ring you can probably go a bit lower before you see any tint. Color is all personal preference though, some people are more sensitive than others.

I would be wary of any diamond that seems to be a "great deal" when you're only looking at color, clarity and carat, that likely means that the 4th C is why the diamond is cheap, poor cut.

You could always purchase it from somewhere that has a great return policy, then you could see the diamond in various non-ideal lighting, take your own photos or have photos taken, and if it's a poor performer, return it. Or you could search for a diamond from a place that will give you all the information needed to make a well informed decision and has a good upgrade policy, such as Whiteflash or Good Old Gold for example. Internet vendors also have less overhead, so you'll probably get a better price too.

Good luck in your search!

 

[Lorelei]

Great post Lestat!!!

 

[Lestat]

Thanks Lorelei!