Newbie ready to to buy the Diamond

[Mr.MojoRisin]

Okay, so everyone has been extremely helpful and I really appreciate it. I''m ready to choose a stone and I welcome everyone''s opinion and suggestions...

I''m looking at this one...it''s going to run me about $6400, which is in my budget...

Price: $6,406.00
Report: GIA
Shape: Princess
Carat: 1.04
Color: E
Clarity: VVS1
Depth: 68.3
Table: 61
Girdle: MD
Polish: Very Good
Symmetry: Very Good
Culet: None
Fluorescence: No
Measurements: 5.91-5.86X4.00
Length/Width: 1.01

Would anyone suggest tweaking my criteria a bit? I''ve learned from all of you that CUT is the most important feature (very good and ideal - is there a big difference?)...Should I come down a bit with my Color and Clarity criteria? I appreciate your suggestions; please forgive my lack of experience.

Thanks in advance!
-Mojo

ps. I''m not concerned with size, my girlfriend has small fingers and anything over 1.05 carrots looks kind of funny on her hand.

 

[blueroses]

I''m not an expert, esp. not on princesses, so I''m just giving Mr. Mojo a bump here.

I''d check out how much that Tacori setting runs and then see if you need to go up/down in budget--you will probably be fine. You could come down on clarity--no need to spend extra $$ for VVS when you won''t see the difference if you go down to VS. Anyone want to weigh in on the diffs between ideal and very good? I will say that I''ve read that it''s a good idea to have ex/ex for symmetry and polish with fancies, for what that''s worth. If you and your gf are color sensitive, then that E will be gorgeous, but if not, you could come down to a G and look for an even better cut? The L-W ratio looks pretty good to me--not perfect, but very close.

I''m SUCH a layperson here, so anyone else w/ thoughts, go for it!

 

[Mr.MojoRisin]

Blueroses, what would a helpless man like me do without you and Belle!!

I was hoping you would say that...we''re not the kind of couple that needs the best of the best, heck I still buy sneakers at Walmart. So it was refreshing to hear your suggestion of coming down on the VVS and maybe even coming down on color.

(I do however think my gf deserves the BEST..)

So, does anyone else agree that maybe I could cut back a little on my criteria and still buy my sweatheart a beautiful diamond?

Thank-you everyone!

 

[Hest88]

1) You can certain cut down on color and clarity. After all, what''s important is what you can *see* and if you can''t see a color difference even when you got down to H or VS2 (or even S1I) then why pay for it?

2) The table and depth are promising, but without more data it''s impossible to tell if it will look good.

It''s really sweet to see how much care you''re putting into this!

 

[Mr.MojoRisin]

Thank-you! She means the world to me and this is something I want to make absolutely certain, I do right. I''m trying to do enough due dilligence needed in a short amount of time. This website is amazing, I''m glad I stumbled upon it...

After Hest88 made a good point, I drove to the local jeweler to look at the difference, and I''m starting to think about keeping an E and maybe moving down to a VS1.

The depth (68.3) of the stone I was happy with, but should I be concerned with the table (61)?

Any other last minute suggestions before I commit and purchase?

 

[blueroses]

So the stone you''re considering you''ve seen in person? Your eye is going to be more important, ultimately, than the numbers b/c you can''t always rely on the specs--the bottom line is how you feel when you see it and what it represents for you two!! You could even go down to a VS2, for what that''s worth, but a VS1 E sounds gawgous

Keep us posted! Also keep in mind that if those color/clarity items you went to see in person were seen in a RB that may be different than if you saw them in a princess (did you see princesses?)

GOOD LUCK!!

 

[belle]

hey mojo! it''s good to know that you''ve been to your jeweler to compare diamonds, that is the best way to go about finding something that you will *love*.
i would add a couple more suggestions...if you are happy with an "e" color stone, make sure you also look at some that are "f", most people can''t tell the difference between the two, and you will save a little more $$.
also, definitely consider vs2 clarity, and even si1....if you''re lucky, you may hit the jackpot with an si2. don''t rule anything out!! you can save much $$ by dropping clarity. compare as many diamonds as possible.....if you can''t see a difference, don''t pay the difference!
best of luck!!

 

[Sashabella]

I think taking it down in clarity is a good idea. You won''t be able to see the difference between a VVS1, VS1 and even an eye-clean SI1.

I am very colour sensitive so I would be hesistant about taking down the colour. If you plan to take down the colour, I wouldn''t go below an F.

DF purchased a stone graded as F. The minute I saw it, I knew it had been misgraded and was a higher level. It turned out to be an E. If you are at all colour sensitive, sacrifice clarity before colour.

 

[Mr.MojoRisin]

**UPDATE** (thanks everyone, I''m extremely grateful!)

I just got back from looking at more stones (this is exhausting, lol!) and I never thought I''d ever use the term "color sensitive" but, you all were right! I never thought I''d say it, but I''m color sensitive!

Unless someone is looking at her diamond with a loop, nobody would ever see that little black dot that differed in the clarity. I''m definitely stuck on table and depth now. (should I be...?) I''m now focused on finding a princess cut being between: table: 75%-82% and depth: 68%-74.3% Color E; and less concerned about clarity...(I''m considering SI1+)...Any thoughts?

 

[valeria101]

Date: 3/25/2005 10

3:15 PM
Author: Mr.MojoRisin


I'm now focused on finding a princess cut being between: table: 75%-82% and depth: 68%-74.3%

Why that FLAT and DEEP

Those are prtty darn unusual numbers to target. Where do they come from

By all accounts I know, cut quality is about durability, size and brilliance

As far as I know, 80% table is flat enough to leave almost no crown height and make the borders easy to chip, depth over 70 does reduce spread (= surface face up, visible size) and the numbers have really nothing to do with brilliance. I must be missing some details, sure that. Besides, a diamond adds up all these details - it may not mean much to just guess "on the average" what each spec means regardless of others.

On a brighter note... You do have those stones at hand. It should be possible to tell if they are bright enough relative to what princess cuts can be at their best, and if they are large enough for their weight.

Leaving aside an obvious "very/extremely thin" girdle note on the lab report that does hint at "brittleness" as far as I know. Perhaps the AGA charts could help refine cut quality critique - if you choose to take a look over those (see gemappraisers.com).

Hope some of this helps.