Opinion on a stone

[loudnslow]

New to the site, but have been looking around for a stone / researching for some time now.

Here''s one I''ve found and am interested in. It''s only SI2, but looks very good by the picture.
Opinions?

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-SI2-Premium-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1088620.asp

Thanks.

 

[stryeyes102]

Hi!
Welcome to pricescope..

Im a newbie, but the table seems abit big to me. Other then that its beautiful.

Def wait for another person to chime in though, as i am still learning..

 

[loudnslow]

Yeah, the table is on the large side judging by the cut gradings on this site and others. Personally I think that it looks better with the bigger table, giving it a more open face. But that''s just me looking at the picture
Thanks.

 

[loudnslow]

I''d appreciate any suggestions too. I''m looking for a princess, in a 1ct range, and I''d prefer to stay around 3k.

 

[Splinter]

The table is a little big, but not hugely so. Have a look at this thread for more info on Princess cut ideals.

Princess cut thread

I know zero about Princess cuts, so I''d say wait around for one of the regular posters to weigh in...

 

[loudnslow]

Thanks for the links. A lot of good info.

Here''s another diamond that looks pretty good to me. It has AGS000, but BN is calling it a "Very Good" cut. Any idea why? It is also available from Engagement Rings Direct. I read some good responses about the owner, so I guess I''ll give him a call on Monday.
http://www.bluenile.com/diamonds_details.asp?__fun_frm=i&track=btntext_viewselect&elem=img&pid=LD00369343&filter_id=0

 

[peter_hanson]

Do you want to use the diamond for a ring or pendant?

If you want to use it for a ring I advise you to buy a diamond with a better clarity and color.
If you like to use it for a pendant si2 is suitable. (Always ask if the diamond is really eye clean)

Also notice that a princess cut shows more color than a round cut. H color could look already slightly yellow.

The blue nile diamond is I color. That will look slightly yellow for sure!!

With 3k I would buy a 0.75ct princess with E color and VS1 clarity. The color is ice white and vs1 is good enough for a ring.

(http://www.whiteflash.com/princess/Princess-cut-diamond-528540.htm)

 

[monarch64]

Date: 4/5/2008 5:52:25 AM
Author: peter_hanson

Do you want to use the diamond for a ring or pendant?

If you want to use it for a ring I advise you to buy a diamond with a better clarity and color.
If you like to use it for a pendant si2 is suitable. (Always ask if the diamond is really eye clean)

Also notice that a princess cut shows more color than a round cut. H color could look already slightly yellow.


The blue nile diamond is I color. That will look slightly yellow for sure!!

With 3k I would buy a 0.75ct princess with E color and VS1 clarity. The color is ice white and vs1 is good enough for a ring.

(http://www.whiteflash.com/princess/Princess-cut-diamond-528540.htm)

careful now, Peter, with regard to color and cut and H-I-J looking yellow.

Loudnslow, plenty of other PSr''s will likely chime in and give you valuable opinions on the stones you''re thinking about purchasing. Not to worry.

 

[peter_hanson]

Thanks monarch, maybe my opinion was short-sighted.

But be aware that a diamond is a real investment. My opinion is that I color is a bad investment when you search for a nice white princess diamond.
Princess cut diamonds show color really fast. A princess diamond with I color is for sure slightly yellow (warm).

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 4/5/2008 7:58:26 AM
Author: peter_hanson
Thanks monarch, maybe my opinion was short-sighted.

But be aware that a diamond is a real investment. My opinion is that I color is a bad investment when you search for a nice white princess diamond.
Princess cut diamonds show color really fast. A princess diamond with I color is for sure slightly yellow (warm).

Peter, maybe to you a Princess may look a tad warm ( assuming top tier lab graded), but to some an I is perfectly fine in this shape. Individual colour perception and preference varies, it is always best if the buyer can actually see for themselves where their tolerances lie. I wanted to clarify, so that anyone reading who might be trying to make an informed decision, understands that colour perception is down to many factors, cut quality, size of the diamond, colour sensitivity etc.

Unfortunately, diamonds are not a good financial investment if I understand you correctly, you can be lucky to recoup 30 to 50% of what you pay if you try to resell.

That is why vendors with trade up policies are so popular. But if you mean a diamond is a sizeable and important purchase , and you should use your hard earned cash wisely, then I completely agree!

LoudnSlow, I would ask the good folks at JA to look at this diamond for you, it looks nice and indeed clean by the pic, but they will be able to advise if it is suitable for your purposes, and if it is eyeclean.

 

[peter_hanson]

Yes, that is exactly what I mean! Because my opinion is that a princess cut shows color easy, a I color could be a bad investment when you search for a real nice white diamond. A important purchase could turn into a disappointment.

Good luck Loudnslow!

 

[monarch64]

Date: 4/5/2008 8:08:14 AM
Author: Lorelei

Date: 4/5/2008 7:58:26 AM
Author: peter_hanson
Thanks monarch, maybe my opinion was short-sighted.

But be aware that a diamond is a real investment. My opinion is that I color is a bad investment when you search for a nice white princess diamond.
Princess cut diamonds show color really fast. A princess diamond with I color is for sure slightly yellow (warm).

Peter, maybe to you a Princess may look a tad warm ( assuming top tier lab graded), but to some an I is perfectly fine in this shape. Individual colour perception and preference varies, it is always best if the buyer can actually see for themselves where their tolerances lie. I wanted to clarify, so that anyone reading who might be trying to make an informed decision, understands that colour perception is down to many factors, cut quality, size of the diamond, colour sensitivity etc.

Unfortunately, diamonds are not a good financial investment if I understand you correctly, you can be lucky to recoup 30 to 50% of what you pay if you try to resell.

That is why vendors with trade up policies are so popular. But if you mean a diamond is a sizeable and important purchase , and you should use your hard earned cash wisely, then I completely agree!

LoudnSlow, I would ask the good folks at JA to look at this diamond for you, it looks nice and indeed clean by the pic, but they will be able to advise if it is suitable for your purposes, and if it is eyeclean.

Thank you, Lorelei, your eloquence is much appreciated...I could not have stated it better.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 4/5/2008 8:25:09 AM
Author: monarch64
Thank you, Lorelei, your eloquence is much appreciated...I could not have stated it better.

Isn''t she good??!

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 4/5/2008 8:37:46 AM
Author: Ellen

Date: 4/5/2008 8:25:09 AM
Author: monarch64
Thank you, Lorelei, your eloquence is much appreciated...I could not have stated it better.

Isn't she good??!

How very kind....* curtseys graciously*....

 

[loudnslow]

Thanks for the feedback.

The more I''ve been reading, the more I''m leaning towards a close to ideal cut and lower size. I now think the 1st diamond I posted may not perform as well in part because the table is somewhat big.

In terms of color, well, when I looked at diamonds at a local jeweler, G looked very white to me and I don''t think ''I'' will be bad. But then again, this was a couple of months ago. I''m going to make another visit tomorrow, but this time armed with more knowledge and having a better idea what to look for.
And yes, it is for a ring.

 

[Dreamer_D]

When you go to look at stones to get a feel for your color preferences, be sure to look at AGS and GIA graded stones so that you get a good feel for what the colors "actually" are... some labs are more lenient and will grade a stone an "I" when AGS or GIA may have graded it much lower.

DD

 

[loudnslow]

I looked at a couple of AGS000 diamonds today comparing F to H color both in SI1 and I really couldn''t tell a difference. I''m going to give ERD a call tomorrow, so if you guys have any comments about that VS2/I/0.91 (BN) link please let me know now. Thanks.

 

[arjunajane]

Just a note on colour - as was mentioned by Lorelei and the other girls earlier, it really is a subjective, stone by stone thing. You sound like you''re leaning toward the conclusion that you''re not that colour sensitive so therefore I would encourage you to look at H and I stones to gain more bang for your buck.
Peter, its a general consensus I believe that H/I/J colour stones are only in the "slightly tinted" range of colour, and therefore it would probably be quite incorrect to automatically assume they will all "look yellow", princess or no. One look around at all the fabulous stones in this colour range on PS can quickly debunk this theory!