newbee, need help!

[ineedhelp]

Hello everyone. As you can see I''m new to the seen. I was wondering if you guys can inlight me with your vast knowledge of diamonds. I''m looking to by my fiance a 1.75 to 1.85 round diamond atleast vs2 in clarity for no more than 12000. Couple of questions, what should I be looking for first...Color, Cut, or something else? How important is one or the other? Another question, should I be looking for a different type of cut like the leo diamond or the H&A diamond for a diamond that will really shine. i guess i put quality a little higher than size. I want something that really shines. Thanks for your help.

 

[magna2]

For the budget and the size range that you have set, your best bet would be to buy a diamond that is in the H/I color range. Of the 4 "C"s, "Cut" should be the most important factor. That is, an exceptionally cut diamond (be it an ideal cut or super-ideal H&A), will look much better in terms of light return, sparkle, and fire; as well as making the lower color look much whiter.

Note that the "Leo" cut diamond is a 66 facet diamond as opposed to the 58 facet round brilliant. Some like the looks of the extra facets and some don't - personal preferences. Although the "Leo" supposedly performs better than "conventional" diamonds, the brilliantscope is still not too impressive. And when they compare it to "conventional" diamonds, these "conventional" diamonds are what is normally peddled at the malls. You'll find that majority of "ideal" cut diamonds will out perform the pants off the "Leo".