Princess Showdown

[omega]

Whilst my search for a beautiful princess is over, my search for a beautiful princess-cut diamond continues apace. I've spotted 3 potential contenders that fit my desired parameters for size, colour, clarity and price. The all-important issue of light performance is something I'm less certain of, however, and it's here especially that some guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Here are the details of the three stones. All are AGS certified and received AGS Ideal 0 ratings for Light Performance, Proportion Factors and Finish (Polish & Symmetry).

Stone 1
Carat: 0.540
Colour: E
Clarity: VS2
Depth %: 72.1
Table %: 71.3
Crown Angle: 40.6
Crown %: 11.5
Pavilion Angle: 39.4
Pavilion %: 57.7
Girdle: Thin to Medium
Measurements: 4.47-4.44X3.20
Light Performance: 0
Polish: Ideal
Symmetry: Ideal
Culet: Pointed
Fluorescence: Negligible
Price: $1779

Stone 2

Carat: 0.563
Colour: E
Clarity: VS2
Depth %: 74.6
Table %: 68.5
Crown Angle: 43
Crown %: 12.9
Pavilion Angle: 39.2
Pavilion %: 57.4
Girdle: Thin to Slightly Thick
Measurements: 4.43-4.42X3.30
Light Performance: 0
Polish: Ideal
Symmetry: Ideal
Culet: Pointed
Fluorescence: Negligible
Price: $1844

Stone 3

Carat: 0.551
Colour: E
Clarity: VS1
Depth %: 74.6
Table %: 69.3
Crown Angle: 42.9
Crown %: 13.1
Pavilion Angle: 39.6
Pavilion %: 58.2
Girdle: Thin to Medium
Measurements: 4.45-4.41X3.29
Light Performance: 0
Polish: Ideal
Symmetry: Ideal
Culet: Pointed
Fluorescence: Negligible
Price: $1975

Here are 40x magnification and ASET shots of each of the stones, cobbled together with my extremely limited paintshop skills

 

[omega]

Links with larger, clearer pics and AGS certificates for each of the stones can be found here:

Stone 1
Stone 2
Stone 3

I've studied some ASET reference charts, but comparisons between images can be difficult, especially as some online vendors seem to post very dark, very small images. That said, the ASET image of Stone 3 seems to show a fair bit of light leakage. Am I right, or completely off the mark?

In the learned opinion of those knowledgeable souls who inhabit this board, are these stones worth considering, or should I continue the search? Price is not really a deciding factor with the ones I've posted above, but if anybody has suggestions for superior stones, I'd love to hear them. Thanks again, everybody.

 

[Lorelei]

Hi Omega!

Well you have picked three cracking stones! At this level, it has to come down to personal preference with these cut qualities, colour and clarity. If you are unsure, you could ask one of the experts at WF to discuss each diamond with you to help you make the best choice - but really you can''t go wrong with any of these!

Unless you specifically wanted an E colour, you could drop to maybe F or G and increase the size a bit depending on whats available, but this is purely a suggestion if you wanted to go a bit larger.

 

[Oaty]

In the last week I''ve learned the hard way that a consumer CANNOT rely on IS and ASET images alone-- the stones you''re considering must be seen next to each other. When I had to re-select a stone I relied almost completely on a similar ASET image to the original stone and the visual differences between the two are astounding.

For more info take a look at my thread in this area of the forum:
pics of AGS 0 princess w/dark center-- advice appreciated

 

[omega]

Lorelei: Thanks for the excellent suggestion - I''ll be sure to email the folks at WF and see if one of their experts can help me decide. As far as colour goes, I''d prefer to stick in E territory, though I do appreciate the advice. Out of curiosity, which of the stones I posted would you choose?

 

[omega]

Oaty: I read with your thread - you make a very good point about using ASET images as sole selection criteria, but not being an expert on angles and percentages, the ASET images are pretty much all I have to go on. That''s why I''m seeking advice here on PS. Seeing the stones side-by-side would be ideal, but living in Australia makes that impossible unless I buy 3 and return 2 - a scary prospect.

 

[omega]

Apologies for the multiple posts - the mobile phone I''m using to browse imposes a character limit I''d be eternally grateful if some of the experts on here (Garry H et al) could chime in with their interpretations/advice...