Ok, I''m not getting anywhere...still lost

[ShoppingForARing]

I saw this on the tutorial:

"Both gems are the same diameter and could be cut from the rough diamond. The well cut diamond on the left weighs 0.84ct and the dull drab stone weighs 1.00ct. Because it is a carat it will sell for more."

the well cut diamond looked so much better but they were both the same size but DIFFERENT carats..I want to be able to get a large SIZE on a 1.1 carat at a larger size but with a nice cut...how do i make sure i get this???


when looking at specs, where do i look for to compare to a higher carat weight to get the same size...is this the measurements part??

 

[ShoppingForARing]

and....

can someone explain a scenario involving the following and how it would affect me and what i should ask for:

"The magic weights are 1/2ct, 3/4ct, 90 points, 1ct, 1.5ct, 2ct etc. ‘Under-sizes'' are diamonds that weigh just below a magic weight; they can be a bargain, but there are a lot less to choose from."

 

[helios_haze]

Welcome ShoppingForARing! I was in the same position as you a few weeks ago. I will offer some advice based on my personal experience and learning through PS.

The CUT quality is the primary determinant for visual performance. The following specs are recommended (though differing opinions have these numbers +/- a little)

Table: 54-57%
Depth: 60-62%
Crown: 34-35%
Pavilion: 40.6-41%

I set the filter based on table, depth and then looked for the certificate for the crown, pavilion angles. Then I ran the HCA (https://www.pricescope.com/cutadviser.asp). I found that the market prices out pretty well. That is, all other parameters comparable, a (Smaller, better cut stone) prices comparably to a (Larger, not so well cut stone). Use the following to find well cut stone.
https://www.pricescope.com/sift.aspx
Also, use the main PS diamond search engine to compare prices of the same stone across different vendors.

I stuck with an AGS 1A stone (0.4 rating on the HCA) based on the following chart:
http://diamonds.pricescope.com/round.asp
That said, it is possible to find a beautiful stone even if is not a 1A - you just have to do the due diligence.

I also went with a smaller stone/non magic number stone (1.88 ct) and I think I got a fair price. I chose an EGL USA stone AFTER visually inspecting the stone. While many would have you believe that this is a dangerous option, due-diligence is again the key. The stone is worn, not the certificate - so if you can find a pretty, well-cut stone and can accept that the color/clarity is probably a grade or two lower than stated, you should be fine.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

 

[jstarfireb]

Date: 8/5/2008 4:47:47 PM
Author: ShoppingForARing
"Both gems are the same diameter and could be cut from the rough diamond. The well cut diamond on the left weighs 0.84ct and the dull drab stone weighs 1.00ct. Because it is a carat it will sell for more."

This is the magic of an ideal cut stone. Ideal cuts will reflect light from all parts of the diamond, making it appear bigger (because of less light leakage around the edge of the stone). Ideal proportions also mean the stone is not cut too deep or not hiding too much carat weight in the girdle, so the actual dimensions are larger than some poorly cut stones.

The words "ideal cut" are actually thrown around a bit, and many stones that claim to be ideal cut aren''t actually cut that well. A very easy way to get an ideal cut stone is to stick with stones graded by AGS that have a grade of "0" for light performance. Several of the PS vendors specialize in these (Whiteflash, Good Old Gold, and some others). You don''t need to limit yourself to these stones, though; you can get a beautiful non-AGS graded stone with a tiny bit more legwork.

The HCA is a great tool for weeding out bad performers. You''re looking for a score between 0 and 2 (but as long as it''s there, the exact number doesn''t matter). Keep in mind that the "spread" component on the HCA is very strict, so don''t be discouraged if a stone you like has "very good" spread instead of excellent.

Author: ShoppingForARing
''The magic weights are 1/2ct, 3/4ct, 90 points, 1ct, 1.5ct, 2ct etc. ‘Under-sizes'' are diamonds that weigh just below a magic weight; they can be a bargain, but there are a lot less to choose from.''

That''s correct; there is a price premium that comes with each commonly desired carat weight jump. A 0.97ct stone will be a better deal than a 1.00 simply because the latter meets the 1ct mark, so it will be marked up. But few of these stones are available because most cutters make a point of reaching a particular size mark. Very few cutters will cut stones for light performance rather than size, but Whiteflash does this with their ACA stones.

 

[NeverEndingUpgrade]

Date: 8/5/2008 4:43:55 PM
Author:ShoppingForARing
I saw this on the tutorial:

''Both gems are the same diameter and could be cut from the rough diamond. The well cut diamond on the left weighs 0.84ct and the dull drab stone weighs 1.00ct. Because it is a carat it will sell for more.''

the well cut diamond looked so much better but they were both the same size but DIFFERENT carats..I want to be able to get a large SIZE on a 1.1 carat at a larger size but with a nice cut...how do i make sure i get this???


when looking at specs, where do i look for to compare to a higher carat weight to get the same size...is this the measurements part??

The only way that I know of that you can get this is to start talking directly to diamond vendors (Jonathan at GoodOldGold, Todd at NiceIce and anyone at Whiteflash) and tell them that you want a diamond that faces up large for its carat weight, while still getting a nice cut. As far as I know, ideal cut rounds are always going to fall within certain parameters, but one of the vendors might find you one with a larger table or something like that makes the diamond look larger.

The 1 ct. diamond that you refer to above is probably a too-deep cut. It is cut to have more carat weight while sacrificing cut quality, since the higher carat weight means a higher price. The other possibility is that is has a very thick girdle. These diamonds carry too much weight in the girdle, also sacrificing cut quality.

Try to stick with Ideal cuts or at least excellent or very good. Continue comparing what''s on the above sites to see what Ideal cuts are running price wise. I don''t know what your budget is or what kind of color/clarity you are looking at, but you can get an Ideal cut round down to an I color or even J and still get something that faces up white.

Here''s an example of a 1.1 ct. at GoodOldGold. http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/4574/ It measures 6.46mm. Is this what you are looking for?

 

[NeverEndingUpgrade]

Shopping, I looked at some of your others posts, and I have to ask if you have looked at several of the online vendors that we have talked about? Buying an Ideal cut round diamond is really not that challenging given all the great vendors on here. Any of the Whiteflash "A Cut Above" diamonds is a no-brainer, as is anything on GoodOldGold.com. What I''m trying to say is, it is great to educate yourself, but it sounds like you are driving yourself crazy with details that you can trust to the pros.

Start browsing GoodOldGold and Whiteflash, and you can see that all their Ideal cut diamonds (ACA for WF) all have pretty much the same parameters in crown and pavilion angles, etc. You won''t be seeing any measurements that are out of the ordinary from these guys. And you can be sure you are getting a fabulous diamond without having to have a degree from the GIA.