Need Help on Loose Diamond....

[bmac78]

Hi thanks for reading.... I am another clueless guy looking for a ring for his g/f. We have been looking a little bit and have decided to buy a loose diamond and get the ring built.

i found a diamond online that is EGL certified and seems to be a good price... but really have no idea how to tell by looking at dimensions etc... i know GIA certification is preferred... but it seems peoplein here can tell by dimesnions etc if this looks legit or not?

I admit I am pretty lost when itcomes to this stuff... and am scared that i am one of those people where a little bit ofknowledge may be dangerous...lol.

This is the diamond in question:
http://www.diamondswest.com/detail.php?id=27951772

Shape: Princess
Carat Weight: 1.50
Colour: E
Clarity: VS2
Measurements: 6.68x5.94x4.50
Depth: 75.8%
Table Width: 74.00
Girdle Thickness: -
Polish: Very Good
Symmetry: Very Good
Culet: N
Fluorescence: None
Cut:
Certificate: EGL
Our Price (CAD): $7686.57

Now it all looks good... but I want some opinions before I spend that kind of money....

I compare this to something like :
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Good-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1119563.asp

And for the price i think the first siamond is better value? I would much prefer the E color... and do want the VS1 or 2 clarity.

Please help... anything is appreciated since i''m a little overwhelmed right now... information overload and i feel like... maybe the first diamond is too good to be true?

Also if you can also answer if a round diamond of the same carat, clarity and cut would on average cost the same/more/less than a princess cut... it would help me out...

Thanks in advance... I apologize for the length of my first message... but i wanted to be as detailed as possible.

 

[whatmeworry]

Hi Bmac, welcome.

A couple of comments.
1. The diamond you are looking at is not very square. 6.68/5.94 = 1.12. You really want a length to width ratio of 1.05 or less for squares. The closer to 1.0 the better.
2. Although you think you are getting a good deal, EGL (particularly EGL-Israel) is softer on grading than GIA. So the E/VS2 you are looking at could very well be an H/SI2 and it may not be a good value.
3. Typically a round brilliant will cost more than a princess of the same carat/color/clarity. And the round brilliant will also face up larger.

I''d look around a little more but if you are still interested in that diamond, get a second opinion from an appraiser and make sure that you have a good return policy with the merchant if it turns out you don''t like the diamond.

Good luck!