need price advice on generic asscher

[asscherfreaknyc]

My husband and I are shopping for a generic asscher in NYC''s diamond district. We found one we love: 3.34 ct, J color, VVS2 clarity. Set in platinum with 1 baguette on each side. I fell in love with it, but I''m not sure what I should be looking for (other than feeling like "wow, I love this ring!) Any help would be appreciated. It''s a GIA certified stone and the price is $21,000. TIA for any help/advice foe a diamond newbie!

 

[valeria101]

If the setting is aout 5K, than the price is fine. Actually, from a B&M is not bad at all: I doubt you could go much lower than that, unless you get a more realistic clarity grade (say VS). That VVS is overkill, even in a relatively unforgiving step cut.

 

[asscherfreaknyc]

Thanks for replying. So, would you go for better color and, say, VS1 or VS2? I don't really want to go too much smaller. The setting is not 5K, I'd say more like $2K. Do you think I'd do better buying online? If so, any site recommendations? Thanks again.

 

[valeria101]

BR>----------------
On 12/14/2003 6:17:10 PM asscherfreaknyc wrote:

So, would you go for better color and, say, VS1 or VS2? I don't really want to go too much smaller. The setting is not 5K, I'd say more like $2K. Do you think I'd do better buying online? If so, any site recommendations?

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Prices online are better and this has nothing to do with the merchandise: you are likely to get much more information about the stone you want to purchase from an online business. Sellers such as Niceice, GoodoldGold, Whiteflash, DirtCheapDiamonds (and a few more I can't remember now, but a search through Pricescope may turn out) are regularly recommended here. Actually, you are very likely to get in touch with a few of their former customers on pricescope.[/quote]

About clarity: I would have no trouble going for a VS2, and considering an SI1 under the condition that I get to inspect it and make sure it is eye clean. Actually, with all the sellers mentioned (and most online sellers actually) you will get a return period, so this is clearly feasible. These being said, you may need to contact sellers first and order what you need if they don't have the item in stock: but the price difference may be well worth it. Also, this may be a non-branded stone, but this is no excuse for a poor cut. While there is alot of theoretizing about what exactly a great cut means for a round brilliant (and this is light return) fancy cuts have their own industry standards (a more detailed explanation is posted under "fancy cuts" on the first page here, the rules for emerald cuts apply to these square version). There is no premium for these stones, but I find such standards a good guide for what to look for: maybe you really like stones with a huge table, for example, but it is better to know in advance that you should not pay a premium for such a cut which is regarded as far from ideal.


It may help for you to run a search on the engine of PS (front page) and see what your options may be within that (huge) range of choices. While the result may not be perfect, it is a good start. Price Scope works best after one gets to post a few options: usually, you will get feedback about the seller and the stone easily afterwards.

Hope this helps!

Color... I like those tinted diamonds (below M) but most people don't. A step cut (any Emerald or asscher or baguette) will show off color and clarity better for what they are, since this cuts have substantially less light return ("sparkle") than a round brilliant. Most buyers feal that I is the lowest 'white" grade (this is why it is so popular as the white, commercial grade) and, as the word goes on Pricescope, G is the last thing that can be easily mistaken for a "high white (D-F)" color. All this is strictly personal, if you feal strongly about that J color, than you should not get it. After all, what you are looking at is quite a size to start with and there is room to go down. I do not known the specs of your original stone: if it was really deep (75% or over) than the depth of the cut would have made it look relatively smaller than a more average 60% deep stone or so. This is just to say that the cut parameters influence size (diameter) within a certain weight range. If the J color lookes right to you, than why not? In my view, if there is no D-F in sight, that J is still going to appear as a colorless object. If color is a problem: I is safe and H even safer, I guess... A recent post shown a D and an I color side by side: the difference in color demonstrated there should be slightly worse that what a D and an I color in your cut will look like face up: a J would be somewhat more tinted that that I.

 

[valeria101]

This are just three such diamonds, selected to show that a substantial variance in weight can be compensated for by the depth of the cut: despite 0.3 cts difference, the first two stones are about the same size and the third with an average weight, is bigger than both. Of course, the look of a shallower stone is somewhat different, but this does have no negative connotation. In fact, either too deep and too shallow stones may loose sparkle and appear darkish (some peopel say "watery") because they fail to reflect light over their central area (one example).

 

[valeria101]

Here are some more examples... from the same source (the search on he first page here). Given the difference in size that the cut makes, I would rather decide on a lower limit in size (in mm: say 8?) and search better colors betwenn 2 and 3 cts. If the resulting sizes and prices are not at all satisfactory, than, at least you will know this is not an option.

One more thing... You said you were quite impressed with that ring: well, of course, but this is the best way for any vendor to sell low-quality diamonds: taking advantage that most buyers do not go around inspecting a dozen stones and, after all, most damonds will look better than most trinckets out there! Shopping online (even if only "screen shopping"

) is a great source of information to start with

Hope this helps!