Newbie in need of guidance...

[chemguy]

Folks-

I have the opportunity to buy a Lazare Kaplan (AGS 000) .97c J SI1.

The price I''ve been quoted is $4471.

The table is 57%, but I can''t remember the rest of the specs. Girdle is medium faceted. No fluorescence.

First, is the price in the ballpark? I''ve put a refundable down payment on the stone, so if it isn''t, I can back out no prob. (Or haggle a little more - either way)

Second, is the J color going to be an issue with a Pt mounting? The stone''s coloration is visible from the side loose. Will the yellow be less visible after its mounted?

I would be willing to sacrifice size to pick the color up to G/H range.

Thanks so much for any help or guidance you can provide!

-Matt

 

[niceice]

J's a bit warm in platinum for our personal taste, but that is the concept to consider, your personal taste... Some people like J color stones in platinum and some people prefer less color. The color will be more noticeable once the stone is set in platinum.

 

[Magnum]

Can't disagree with anything Robin and Todd said. Some things to add, though, to hopefully help a little. Another thing to consider about color is that the lower you go down the color scale, the wider the range for each color is. So, while there won't be too much difference between two f color stones, there will be more difference between a "good" j and a "bad" j. So, some J's face up whiter than others. The other thing is the setting the stone is going into. Like you said, the color is more noticeable from the bottom and the sides, so if the setting doesn't show a lot of the bottom of the stone you can get away with a lower color stone because it will appear whiter from the top than it does the bottom. If you're set on platinum, that's fine, but I'll just throw out the suggestion that white gold is a a little less white than platinum and will make the color of the stone a little less noticeable than platinum.

 

[Magnum]

As far as the price, it's a little expensive for a J SI1. Here are a few stones that are excellent cut, at least SI1, better color, and pretty much the same size, if not a little bigger in one case, for all around the same price, give or take a couple hundred dollars.


Whiteflash 1.05 H SI1 Expert Selection $4617

NICEICE 0.91 I VS1 $4060

Goodoldgold 0.92 F SI1 $4,931

 

[aljdewey]

Magnum - WOW - nice find on the 1.05 H, SI. That's a VERY good price for that stone!

 

[fire&ice]

Lazare Kaplan stones command a premium. They are beautiful & have a certain cache. You will probably be able to go to a better color for the price. But, you will have to sacrifice the LK name.

Good luck. I have seen J's set in platinum that face up plenty white. Only your eyes can be the judge.