Need specifications to give my BF - Radiant

[amylock]

So my boyfriend of over 3 years and I are finally SERIOUSLY talking marriage, to the point where he has asked me for guidelines for a ring. His parameters are that he wants t to be huge - as in 3+ carats for the center stone (that is NOT my requirement). He wants me to write it down so he can keep it in his wallet. I am hoping he goes through a broker - we have looked at stuff on bluenile, but I think brokers may be less expensive????????

As this will be an expensive purchase and I''d rather he not sacrifice quality for size, I want to be sure I give him guidelines that will ensure this is a pretty stone regardless of the size.

Here is what I am thinking

Radiant - a little more rectangular than square. Not really super-rectangular.

I am thinking cut is the MOST important aspect of this. I have looked on blue nile, and it appears that Very Good is the highest level?

Depth I know is also very important- 60-65% being ideal?

Color next - anything H or above I''d imagine will be nice looking. If he could snag an F-G, I think the value would be great. How should we treat fluorescence?

Clarity - VS2 or better? These are eye-clean, so I don''t see the importance here of a VVS really...

Does this sound appropriate? DO I have the priorities in correct order?


MANY thanks.

Amy

 

[Skippy123]

I would go with a reputable Pricescope vendor, I can't answer your questions on the radiant numbers but this information maybe helpful http://diamonds.pricescope.com/fnc2.asp and this thread https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/square-radiants.60814/ and the link Dani refers to.

The Pricescope vendors have return policy's where you have time to inspect the diamond and then return it if you are not happy. I think with radiants you need to see pictures of the stone and ASET images. You are safe with a VS2.

 

[cara]

OK, no one has bitten. I''ll bite. I''m not a radiant expert, or even a diamond expert.

First off, go look at some radiants. Most jewelers probably woln''t have a large selection of 3 ct + radiants lying around, so you might look at smaller radiants to get a feel for the cut (and firm up what aspect ratio you prefer), and other large stones to get a feel for how things scale up.

Figure out what your requirements are for color and clarity. Big stones show more color, fancies show more color, and there are large price jumps to go up in color at that size range. Long way of saying, figure out what you want so that your bf doesn''t overspend or put his money towards something else (size) when you would prefer a more pricy color in a smaller stone.

Ditto with clarity. Most people go with "eyeclean" which can be had in some (but not all) SIs, but some people have eagle eyes and really want VS (to be sure they see nothing) or VVS (to be really really sure.) And same as color, sometimes larger stones and fancy cuts show inclusions more readily so be sure to look at some larger stones before deciding you are fine with J/SI2.

For example, I have a ~1.1 ct H/SI round. Under close inspection or certain light, I can see some inclusions and would probably prefer VS. But the color doesn''t bother me. Other people would change the color in a heartbeat but are OK with SI cause they can''t see anything normally or don''t care.

Also try on rings. Make sure you like 3ct +!! Its your ring! (Blasphemy I know, but I thought 3 was too big for me at the time of shopping.) If you don''t, have a talk with the bf. Maybe go for an extra blingy setting or some sidestones if you actually do want a smaller center stone. If you like the 3 ct, well then count your blessings.

Then advise your bf to work with a vendor (online or b&m) and have them bring in several radiants to compare. Cut is key, but is difficult to judge based soley on a lab report for the fancies and you will need pictures or eyeballs to evaluate. Eyeballs could be his or of a trusted vendor if you choose an online establishment. You might even send your bf here for som diamond education!

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 7/20/2008 10:24:57 PM
Author:amylock


So my boyfriend of over 3 years and I are finally SERIOUSLY talking marriage, to the point where he has asked me for guidelines for a ring. His parameters are that he wants t to be huge - as in 3+ carats for the center stone (that is NOT my requirement). He wants me to write it down so he can keep it in his wallet. I am hoping he goes through a broker - we have looked at stuff on bluenile, but I think brokers may be less expensive????????

As this will be an expensive purchase and I'd rather he not sacrifice quality for size, I want to be sure I give him guidelines that will ensure this is a pretty stone regardless of the size.

Here is what I am thinking

Radiant - a little more rectangular than square. Not really super-rectangular. That can be a matter of personal preference.

I am thinking cut is the MOST important aspect of this. I have looked on blue nile, and it appears that Very Good is the highest level? Don't go by vendor applied labels such as Very Good, Premium Cut etc, especially with radiants, it is no guarantee of a well cut stone.

Depth I know is also very important- 60-65% being ideal? Please use any numbers for radiants as a guide only as these shapes cannot be properly evaluated in this way, they need to be seen, preferably in person or if not with photographs. An expert vendor who can be your eyes is so useful in cases like these, one who has in house diamonds who can be your eyes! It can be best to choose in this way with the help of your vendor, photos if online and aids such as ASET images which are very useful for evaluating these shapes.

Color next - anything H or above I'd imagine will be nice looking. If he could snag an F-G, I think the value would be great. How should we treat fluorescence? H and better is a good range for a radiant, especially for the size diamond your BF is considering, fluorescence could be a positive addition, it has many fans here, very rarely, strong blue can make a diamond look cloudy in some lights, but this is very unusual, plus your vendor can advise on a particular diamond.

Clarity - VS2 or better? These are eye-clean, so I don't see the importance here of a VVS really... VS and even some SI clarity can be a good choice if verified eyeclean.

Does this sound appropriate? DO I have the priorities in correct order? Definitely sounds like you are on the right track, but above all with radiants, go with what YOU or your BF find beautiful.


MANY thanks.

Amy

 

[amylock]

Thank you all so much for your help! I am considering having him look at more rectangular Princesses too - if he sees something more "shiny" or pleasing in that shape, I''d rather he feel comfortable with it. I would llike SOME of this to be a surprise!

Amy