Please Help on pricing vs. quality

[mamadi]

Hello All - Thank you for being involved in this great forum - I''m a new member

I''m shopping to a 3.5 to 4.0 carat round diamond. I''ve looked online and have a few possibilities offered through some contacts in the San Francisco area. Here is one diamond that I''m considering - need help to see if it is OK or not (given the price) - oh, it''s for an engagement ring!

EGL Cert. (not good, right?)
3.60 Carat
ROund Brilliant
9.94x9.84x6.05 mm
Total Depth: 61.2%
Table: 60%
Crown Height: 13%
Pavilion Depth: 45%
Girdle: med fac
Polish: good to vg
symm: exc
culet: none
grain: Very Slight
Color: G
Flour: None
"Premium Cut"

Price: $28,500

My concern is that the crown height is too low. I just know enough to at least be concerned!

 

[JulieN]

It is not that the crown is too shallow; rather, it is that the pavilion is too deep.

 

[JulieN]

On pricing vs. quality: it's inversely related.

You left out the clarity grade, which is important in determining price.

 

[Mara]

Date: 5/20/2006 5:38:52 PM
Author:mamadi
Hello All - Thank you for being involved in this great forum - I''m a new member

I''m shopping to a 3.5 to 4.0 carat round diamond. I''ve looked online and have a few possibilities offered through some contacts in the San Francisco area. Here is one diamond that I''m considering - need help to see if it is OK or not (given the price) - oh, it''s for an engagement ring!

EGL Cert. (not good, right?)
3.60 Carat
ROund Brilliant
9.94x9.84x6.05 mm
Total Depth: 61.2%
Table: 60%
Crown Height: 13%
Pavilion Depth: 45%
Girdle: med fac
Polish: good to vg
symm: exc
culet: none
grain: Very Slight
Color: G
Flour: None
''Premium Cut''

Price: $28,500

My concern is that the crown height is too low. I just know enough to at least be concerned!

well there''s multiple things that concern me here..you mention pricing vs quality. are you looking for a well-cut stone? or just a stone that fits your budget?

EGL stones are cheaper which may fit your budget but they are notoriously looser on grading than some of the other labs. if you do get an EGL stone, get it independently appraised while still in your return period to ensure that it''s really what you bought.

What''s a premium cut? I don''t like the numbers on this stone and wouldn''t consider it a premium stone. Alos, Polish and Symmetry could be better...I am not a fan of G or VG on ring stones.

Anyway, the price is very good for a 3.6c G (whats the clarity??) but the cut probably isn''t that fabulous, so the stone may disappoint you in terms of how it PERFORMS aka sparkle, scintillation, fire, brilliance. So if you just want a big near colorless stone, then this would fit that bill. But I would spend more and get a better cut quality stone OR get a smaller stone for the same $$. I love size more than most girls, but I wouldn''t compromise on cut quality to get it.

Good luck!

 

[JulieN]

If you''re looking for other options, I think these are worth checking out (some have PS discounts, so ask...none cost more than 32K)

http://www.icestore.com/search/diamond_inventory_detail.asp?ID=35156 61.1, 57, 34.5, 41, med blue flour that would help the J color

An AGS0 (but new or old, I cannot say) http://www.engagementringsdirect.com/search.php?src=6347906

Needs a Sarin scan and IdealScope picture (no angle info): http://www.jamesallen.com/diamond.asp?cid=131&item=140294&aff_id=ps621

A new AGS0 http://www.bluenile.com/diamonds_details.asp?pid=LD00912148

A K (with med blue flour,) needs Sarin and IS http://www.whiteflash.com/diamonds/diamond_Details.aspx?itemcode=7498425 (26.5K iwth PS dicount)

EGL, Sarin and IS needed http://www.whiteflash.com/diamonds/diamond_Details.aspx?itemcode=10082808

And of course, ask about eye-cleanliness.

 

[mamadi]

Thank you for the inputs so far.

Sorry the clarity is SI2.

I''m rather flexible with my budget (obviously with some limitations) and do not want to get a diamond that would disappoint when it comes to fire and scintillation. The Holloway Cut Advisor gave it a rather bad TVP of 6.9. I rather spend a little more and get a good sized diamond (3.5 -4.0 C) that is a G or H and SI2 or better (as long as it''s clean to the eye). Again I''m not an expert by any means, but I know that given my requirements, there is still a very wide range of diamonds that can be purchased. I''m not looking for "the perfect stone" but one that will look substantial and also be brilliant on my wife''s finger.

I will definitely look at the links provided...thanks.

As far as the particular diamond that I''ve explainded in this thread, I guess the concensus is a no?

 

[mamadi]

SI2...

I have the following guidelines: 3.5 - 4.0 c G or better Si2 or better and the best cut I can get (I just don''t want a dead diamond) Hoping to keep it under $35k!

Am I dreaming???? Can I get a good cut given the other criteria for this price? A lot of sites that have diamonds within this pricing don''t give the angles or % (crown & pavilion) so no way to to tell how good the cut is!

 

[JulieN]

35K is a healthy budget. SI2 at this size is unlikely to be eye-clean.

 

[mamadi]

Date: 5/20/2006 11:14:57 PM
Author: JulieN
35K is a healthy budget. SI2 at this size is unlikely to be eye-clean.

Thank you for that input. Maybe I should be looking at SI1 or even VS2...the price will then go out of range!

 

[Diam100]

Well realize some of us (myself included) are Ideal Cut Junkies. If you want a brilliant stone, at that size & in your price range somethings gotta give. Have you looked at stones in person that are S12 or SI1 in that size range yet or at least around 3ct? I found some SI1''s were clean & alot were not. I think when you go down to S12 in that size the percentage of eye clean stones are going to be rare to find. However, I don''t want to discourage you for all I know an SI2 inclusion may not bother you. Diamond buying is very personal regarding color, clarity etc.

Hope you find it and best of luck..

 

[jaz464]

Date: 5/20/2006 6:24:05 PM
Author: JulieN
On pricing vs. quality: it's inversely related.

You left out the clarity grade, which is important in determining price.

What do you mean by that? Price and quality are directly related in diamonds (the majority of the time). The higher the quality, the higher the price, and vice versa.

 

[JulieN]

Riiiiiiight.