Opinions on ring

[Will from FL]

Ok, for those of you who read the earlier post, I'll be returning that store ring. I believe I have a setting picked out.. it's this ring:
http://www.nicerings.com/a_product_info.php?products_id=2227&cPath=23

I'm talking with the people at James Allen because they appear to be reputable.. they may duplicate that ring for me.. hopefully at a lower cost and I'm not really interested in the matching band.. at least, not at this time. If they don't do it then can any one tell me if this nicerings.com is a reputable dealer? I called them on the phone and had to go through a automated menu only to speak to a presumably Indian woman with a bad accent who had a hard time figuring out that my name was William and not Wayne

Now, I have James Allen looking for a diamond... but, I have a few questions I was hoping I could get your opinions on:
1. is a .7 - .8 carat diamond too small? I don't want it being lost in the ring.. after seeing a .56 carat diamond in the mall I'm thinking probably not but I'd like to hear from you ladies what you'd consider small.
2. Will a smaller but better cut diamond look better and perhaps bigger than a larger diamond of lesser quality cut?
3. Where's the balance between cut and size. Should I look at only "ideal cut" diamonds? Is there a noticeable drop from there to the "very good" rocks?
4. What exactly constitutes an ideal cut in a Princess cut stone? I've been trying to keep the table less than 75 and the depth greater than the table. Is this correct thinking?
5. I think a blue/florescent diamond would be nice and it comes with a noticeable drop in price.. but they seem to be hard to find. What's so undesireable about a slight to medium florescence? Would the florescence compensate for an H stone? Or should I go no lower than a G?

I called James Allen about this stone this afternoon.. I think it was PERFECT.. unfortunately it sold yesterday

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamond.asp?cid=131&item=633144&scsize=1024

They do still have this one though. To bad it's 5 points smaller, and SI1 instead of a VS2 and isn't florescent.
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamond.asp?cid=131&item=633142

edit: there's also this one.. but the table is remarkably small at only 57%.. I don't know if that's a good or bad thing.
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamond.asp?cid=131&item=633140

BTW, you gals (and guys) have been extremely helpful thus far.. I definitely owe you a big thanks. I don't know if I'll be happy or sad when I finally get this ring buying fiasco over with. I will say this.. I can't wait to propose... on top of a mountain (we'll be out west skiing for her birthday), fresh air, great view, sun setting, family and friends all around.. this outta be good!

 

[Joeys Minx]

"2. Will a smaller but better cut diamond look better and perhaps bigger than a larger diamond of lesser quality cut?"

From what I gather from reading here the answer is yes. I am also wondering about nicerings.com I found an awesome diamond special that looks too good to be true.

http://www.nicerings.com/a_diamond_info.php?products_id=608055&select_id=1&id_step=2

0.71-Carat Round Diamond
Carat: 0.71
Cut: Ideal
Color: I
Clarity: SI1
Certification: EGL
Price: $1,650.00

I am not sure if the EGL is the bad Israel one or the USA one though.

 

[Will from FL]

From what I''ve read I''d stay away from EGL especially.. keep it to AGS or GIA.. that''s what I''m doing. Since you''ve got the benefit of a girl who likes a round diamond you can run the specs through one of these cut analysis programs listed here on the site. Frankly though, even the mall people say stay away from J in a white gold setting so if you''ve got an I you might be pushing your luck especially if you go with the EGL rating. Same goes for the SI1.. it could be an I1 for all you know.

So, anyone have any info on princess cuts? I''d really like to know what to look for...

 

[Garysax]

Date: 1/21/2006 2:28:12 AM
Author: Will from FL
From what I''ve read I''d stay away from EGL especially.. keep it to AGS or GIA.. that''s what I''m doing. Since you''ve got the benefit of a girl who likes a round diamond you can run the specs through one of these cut analysis programs listed here on the site. Frankly though, even the mall people say stay away from J in a white gold setting so if you''ve got an I you might be pushing your luck especially if you go with the EGL rating. Same goes for the SI1.. it could be an I1 for all you know.


So, anyone have any info on princess cuts? I''d really like to know what to look for...

Supposedly you never know with EGL. You might stumble one that is as advertised and then it''s a great deal. Or you might get one where the color and clarity are incredibly misrepresented. I know I don''t have time and patience for that process.

As for princess cuts, you might look at GOG''s tutorial on princesses and the AGS classifications of princess cut. But, as I found very recently in a thread around here, with fancy shapes you never know until you get the diamond how it''s going to perform.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I was originally looking for G color, but I did decide to go with H after everyone said it would face up white. If it were me, I''d go for an H a little larger. (I happen to like VS clarity, but that''s just me). I also was looking only at Ideal Cut until a stone came among that was considered premum cut but close to Ideal. I haven''t received it yet, but I felt that it was a great value and no one I know could possibly tell the difference. What I did was take the AGS cut grades for AGS 0 and AGS 1 and made sure my premuim cut was very, very close to the Ideal numbers. Realistically, a well cut premium stone is still among the best diamonds. See a post by Rod yesterday about how he has received compliments on his diamond.

I''d also suggest getting the matching wedding band since it would be hard to find one that would look that good. James Allen is great and two of my other top choices are from them.

 

[Lorelei]

Will welcome to PS

a .7+ diamond is a great size and isn''t considered small IMO, you will notice an increase in size from .56. Bear in mind that a true Ideal Cut diamond can look larger than a not so great cut diamond for it''s carat weight, many lesser cuts hide weight in the girdle and depth etc. I would recommend shooting for the best cut quality you can find, the cut is what makes a diamond beautiful above all else, and I think a difference in optical performance is noticeable.

Flouresence provokes many different opinions, it may be considered undesirable in a D colour, but many will actively seek it in their diamonds. IMO there isn''t anything bad with flouresence, especially faint to med and I prefer my diamonds to have it, it can be an advantage in lower colours as it can help them face up whiter, but an H is a safe choice to me , with or without it. You will pay a premium for a D or E colour, F G or H - even I with some fluoresence can be a fab choice, but colour sensitivity varies and in an I Princess you might detect a hint of colour from the side.

An SI1 or SI2 can be an excellent choice if the vendor says it is eyeclean and it is to you, many diamonds in this clarity range are perfectly clean, or with a tiny inclusion which can take some searching for, so again this can be a good way to go. Regarding cut quality in the Princess, check out the tutorials and advice on the shape at the top of the page, but above all rely on your own eyes as to what is beautiful to you. The numbers give you a place to start. EGL USA isn''t a bad certification, but they can be considered to be not as strict as GIA, however if you find a beautiful accurately graded EGL USA diamond, you will find the price tag lower too. Whichever you pick, get an independant appraisal done within the return period to verify. I would stay away from EGL Israel, Europe and Antwerp certs as it is said they are not as accurate as EGL USA. Hope this helps and good luck!