Find your diamond
Find your jewelry
shape
carat
color
clarity

Need help finding perfect princess stone

Status
Not open for further replies. Please create a new topic or request for this thread to be opened.
P

prettyprincess

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jul 6, 2009
Messages
17
Hello,

I stumbled upon this forum while searching for princess cut stones in my price range. I recently lost my engagement ring and have been given a budget from the insurance company to purchase a new ring. We''re also putting in a little bit of our own to get to the carat size we want since we were thinking about upgrading in a year or so. Can you please educate me on princess stones as I had a beautiful round cut before and I know princesses are a whole different animal. But I love them and I''ve always wanted one. My budget for the stone is $3K and I''d like to get to the 1 carat range if possible but I''d like it to be cut really well and don''t want it to show any yellow. Any suggestions on where I can start? I''ve looked at whiteflash but they don''t have much for my budget.

If you can help, that would be awesome. Thank you.
 
Would you consider an 0.85 pointer that is AGS certified Ideal Cut?

You may be able to find a beautiful princess cut that will have so much fire and brilliance that
is very well may face up like a carat.

Stay away from really large tables if you can.
 
I think I spoke too soon when I said I was looking for a 1 carat for my price range. After looking at goodoldgold and whiteflash, it looks like I will only be able to get something in the .7-.8 range, which is fine because I don''t want to compromise quality for size.

I just watched the video on goodoldgold''s site with the princess stone comparisons side by side and now I''m frightended to look elsewhere. I guess numbers and pictures won''t tell me everything I need to know about a stone? I really want a stone similar to the one goodoldgold showed but I guess in a smaller range (within my budget)...
 
prettyprincess, depending on how low in color you are willing to go, 1ct might be possible. Here are a couple from James Allen that look like they have possibilities. I or J will still face up very white if well cut. If you wait a bit, jstar will probably be around and she is very good at picking good princesses from pictures. James Allen will provide Ideascope images for up to three stones, and that would help us see how well the diamonds would perform.

Anyhow, take a look at these and see what you think.

1.01 I SI1
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1240771.asp

1.05ct J VS1
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/J-VS2-Premium-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1199217.asp
 
Date: 7/6/2009 5:52:50 PM
Author: jet2ks
prettyprincess, depending on how low in color you are willing to go, 1ct might be possible. Here are a couple from James Allen that look like they have possibilities. I or J will still face up very white if well cut. If you wait a bit, jstar will probably be around and she is very good at picking good princesses from pictures. James Allen will provide Ideascope images for up to three stones, and that would help us see how well the diamonds would perform.

Anyhow, take a look at these and see what you think.

1.01 I SI1
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1240771.asp

1.05ct J VS1
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/J-VS2-Premium-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1199217.asp
Click to expand...
Thanks for the recommendations. I''m starting to obsess. And after watching the goodoldgold video, I feel like I want that sparkler. The video compared 2 signature ideal cut stones, one was theirs and the other was from a competitor''s. And their stone sparkled like mad! I will call them tomorrow, but what are the right questions I can ask other vendors so I know the stone will sparkle like mad as well?

Any advice?
 
I think the point of the video is that just buying what a company calls a "Signature Ideal" princess is not enough to assure you of a great diamond. That is why we ask for IS or ASET images, as well as photos, and don''t just take a vendors description at face value. As soon as the video started, it was apparent that the "Brand X" diamond had too large of a table and was not well cut, despite the label.

No arguments that GOG''s Signature princesses are great diamonds, but so are WF ACA''s and Infinity. It is also possible to find a similar performing diamond from other vendors--it just might take a little more hunting and some experience. It is possible that the two JA stones I linked are going to be top performers, and also possible they will fall just a little short. An IS image would tell a lot more.

Don''t worry, we will find you a great stone!
 
Date: 7/6/2009 6:19:08 PM
Author: jet2ks
I think the point of the video is that just buying what a company calls a ''Signature Ideal'' princess is not enough to assure you of a great diamond. That is why we ask for IS or ASET images, as well as photos, and don''t just take a vendors description at face value. As soon as the video started, it was apparent that the ''Brand X'' diamond had too large of a table and was not well cut, despite the label.


No arguments that GOG''s Signature princesses are great diamonds, but so are WF ACA''s and Infinity. It is also possible to find a similar performing diamond from other vendors--it just might take a little more hunting and some experience. It is possible that the two JA stones I linked are going to be top performers, and also possible they will fall just a little short. An IS image would tell a lot more.


Don''t worry, we will find you a great stone!
Click to expand...



Thanks for your help! I will contact Jamesallen in the morning for the images and will post them for your opinion.

I also found some stones on exceldiamond''s website. Do you recommend using them?

I appreciate your help! I''m so excited!
 
Great advice from jet there! You''re too kind! I think the first princess (I/SI1) is a really good option. The second is harder to judge from the picture, but it looks like there may be some more leakage under the table than I prefer. Still worth a look though.

Like jet said, "signature" stones (even relatively lower-priced ones like GOG, WF ACA, and Infinity) come with a price premium. With your budget I would suggest hunting at James Allen; it''s more hit-or-miss, but they have a larger selection without the brand-name premium. Of course stones like WF ACA are much less expensive than some other brands (Tiffany, HOF, Jared Peerless, etc.). But with a $3000 budget and a desire for 1 ct, JA is a great place to look. Likewise, I think you''re realistically looking at I/SI1 to stay in budget. That is not a problem, as I color stones still face up very white. My princess is an I (ACA from Whiteflash), and it''s difficult to tell that it''s not colorless face-up. If you can find one with medium to strong blue fluorescence, it will look even whiter.

The best tool for evaluating princess cut quality is the ASET, but IS is also helpful. Here''s a great tutorial on how to interpret ASET and IS images. James Allen can provide an IS image for up to 3 diamonds that you put on hold, but unfortunately no ASET. I would certainly check out at least the first one that jet suggested, and the second also has potential (just harder to say a definite yes or no from the photo). Ask for an IS and verify with JA that the stone is eye-clean to your standards.

Now, if you prefer the pedigree of a branded stone, you could certainly go smaller in carat size. Just keep in mind that princesses face up smaller than rounds, so a smaller one may be too small for your tastes, especially coming from the perspective of a previous round owner.

This looks like the largest ACA that WF has in your price range. This Expert Selection also looks fab and is close to the price of the ACA and higher color, but smaller.
 
Excel Diamonds is a very good vendor. I would recommend contacting Judah, who occasionally posts on PS. He can help you narrow down the selections based on your preferences and budget and then provide pics and ASET for the finalists.

jstar, I''m still trying to figure out the second diamond, too. I''m debating whether it is leakage or the photo setup, as overall, the diamond looks pretty well cut.
 
Can we tell from the cert if the diamond is good? For example, I''ve attached an EGL cert. How does it look?

81Fsi1.jpg
 
Numbers will only get you so far with a princess, it really takes good photos and IS or ASET if you are unable to examine the diamond in person.

For the cert you posted, all I can say is that there are no red flags, so it may be worthy of further examination. EGL tends to be more lenient in their grading, so although they list it as an F SI1, GIA or AGS could easily grade the same stone as an H SI2. Not really a problem, as long as you know you aren''t comparing apples to apples.
 
Thank you over and over again. I feel so much better that you guys are helping me find a stone.

I guess I still have alot to learn about the table and depth for princess cuts. I am looking on excel''s website and came across a few stones that looked okay. Please give me your opinions on them?

http://www.exceldiamonds.com/Loose_Princess_Cut_Diamond-144/Loose_Princess_Cut_0.94_Carat_H_Color_SI2_Clarity_diamond-287899.html

http://www.exceldiamonds.com/Loose_Princess_Cut_Diamond-144/Loose_Princess_Cut_1.01_Carat_I_Color_SI2_Clarity_diamond-340794.html

http://www.exceldiamonds.com/Loose_Princess_Cut_Diamond-144/Loose_Princess_Cut_1.02_Carat_I_Color_VS2_Clarity_diamond-335161.html

http://www.exceldiamonds.com/Loose_Princess_Cut_Diamond-144/Loose_Princess_Cut_1.16_Carat_I_Color_SI2_Clarity_diamond-352716.html

http://www.exceldiamonds.com/Loose_Princess_Cut_Diamond-144/Loose_Princess_Cut_1.04_Carat_I_Color_SI1_Clarity_diamond-352705.html

http://www.exceldiamonds.com/Loose_Princess_Cut_Diamond-144/Loose_Princess_Cut_0.9_Carat_I_Color_VVS1_Clarity_diamond-344851.html

http://www.exceldiamonds.com/Loose_Princess_Cut_Diamond-144/Loose_Princess_Cut_1.02_Carat_I_Color_VS2_Clarity_diamond-354554.html

http://www.exceldiamonds.com/Loose_Princess_Cut_Diamond-144/Loose_Princess_Cut_0.95_Carat_H_Color_VS1_Clarity_diamond-237636.html

Thanks again...
 
Date: 7/6/2009 7:35:54 PM
Author: jet2ks
Numbers will only get you so far with a princess, it really takes good photos and IS or ASET if you are unable to examine the diamond in person.

For the cert you posted, all I can say is that there are no red flags, so it may be worthy of further examination. EGL tends to be more lenient in their grading, so although they list it as an F SI1, GIA or AGS could easily grade the same stone as an H SI2. Not really a problem, as long as you know you aren''t comparing apples to apples.
Click to expand...
Hi,

It looks like I was writing the same time you posted this. I will ask excel for their images and will go from there. Thank you SO much jet2ks!

I prefer to work with excel as Judah is the one that sold me the ring I lost but I just didn''t know if different vendors specialize in different shape stones.

Thanks again!!
 
Date: 7/6/2009 7:15:59 PM
Author: jet2ks
Excel Diamonds is a very good vendor. I would recommend contacting Judah, who occasionally posts on PS. He can help you narrow down the selections based on your preferences and budget and then provide pics and ASET for the finalists.

jstar, I'm still trying to figure out the second diamond, too. I'm debating whether it is leakage or the photo setup, as overall, the diamond looks pretty well cut.
Click to expand...

Ditto on both counts. Jet, I totally agree about that diamond; it's frustrating how some of the photos on JA are small or blurry or just kinda blah. I wish they were more standardized. PP, if you ask for more info on that stone, be sure to request a better/closer photo as well as the IS.

I think Excel is a little tougher to shop for princesses, because they don't post the photos of each individual stone like JA does, or the ASETs like WF/GOG/HPD do. However, they are capable of providing all the information; you may just have to sift through some lesser cuts first before you find the one. Judah can certainly help guide you in your search.

When you're using a vendor like Excel that doesn't provide photos of every single diamond available, I would narrow the search down by using the AGA cut classes. They're not hard-and-fast rules, but they help to weed out potentially poor performers:
http://www.gemappraisers.com/oldcutgraderules.asp

Finally, keep in mind that EGL can be soft on color and clarity by 1-2 grades. So if you decide you want no less than I/SI2 for example, I would choose EGL certs that grade G/VS2, just to be safe. The G/VS1s could turn out to be "true" G/VS2s, in which case you get a deal (because EGL certed diamonds tend to be cheaper than GIA/AGS). But they could turn out to be H/SI1 or I/SI2. Know what I mean? Also ask Judah to verify that they're eye-clean, and he may also be able to tell you how "true" the color and clarity are for EGL stones.

ETA: Noticed that the links you posted have GIA certs, so disregard the last paragraph if you're not looking at EGL (thought you may have been, based on the one you uploaded).
 
Since you bought your first ring from Judah, I think it would be very fitting to get the second one from him as well. I missed the part in your original post about losing your ring--I''m very sorry that happened. It is nice that the insurance company is letting you pick the diamond instead of buying one that had similar stats to your first.

From the list you posted, I''d probably start by looking at both the 1.02 I VS2''s and the 1.16 I SI2. Then ask Judah if he would have any recommendations for others in the same size and price range.
 
I heard back from Barry today... and he recommended the 1.02 I VS2 stone. Attached are 2 images he sent me from Diamcalc based on the Sarin data along with the GIA report. He will send me the pictures of the actual stone on Monday when Judah is back from vacation.

What do you guys think?

102IVS2.jpg
 
Thanks again for helping me pick a stone. I really appreciate it.
 
Dificult to tell from those computer-generated pics (why is there orange in the ASET?
33.gif
), but it looks nice so far. Hopefully the real pics will be good!
 
Yeah, the computer generated pics assume perfect symmetry of all facets, which never happens. It does earn an Ex in symmetry from GIA, so the actual ASET should be close to the DiamCalc generated one. We'll look for actual pics next week.
 
ya, those images are generated from average numbers, too symmetrical. Diamcalc is capable of generating a good image from a full sarin scan, but I don''t think this is the case here.
 
Date: 7/8/2009 11:30:39 PM
Author: jet2ks
Yeah, the computer generated pics assume perfect symmetry of all facets, which never happens. It does earn an Ex in symmetry from GIA, so the actual ASET should be close to the DiamCalc generated one. We''ll look for actual pics next week.
Click to expand...
Ditto
 
Status
Not open for further replies. Please create a new topic or request for this thread to be opened.
GET 3 FREE HCA RESULTS JOIN THE FORUM. ASK FOR HELP
Jewelry Blog
PriceScope-Concierge-Ad
Find prime cuts.
Top