Professionals advice needed...which C to compromise on?

[moncherie477]

Hi all

I'm new to this forum but have researched diamonds over the past year but am still very much an amateur. I have a special occasion next year and have wanted to buy myself a cushion cut diamond loose and have it set in a halo (platinum). I am now also wary that i will have been with my SO for long enough next year that the question may be coming in the next couple of years and it may be best to hold off.

I have exceptionally high standards and although I have nowhere near a Kim Kardashian budget, I want to buy something that is quality but also know I need to compromise somewhere on one of the C's but which one - I have no idea. I need help!

I would love something between 2-2.4ct but weight is not the biggie for me - if I could find a 1.8ct with the face of a 2ct I would be thrilled. I have seen a few diamonds on here with I colours and I think they look grey/cream/yellow so would like a good colour/clarity to avoid this. Cut - I know very little about. The main theme: I would like as big a diamond I could get but will compromise on weight for a better quality and would love to find a diamond with the appearance of a 2+ even if the weight was under. Budget (diamond and setting) approx $15-$18k. If this is out of the question I would go up a few k but really don't want to have to.

What C is best to compromise on when trying to acheive quality and optical appearance on a budget?

Also I'm from the UK. We did a walk of NY diamond district about 6 weeks ago and it's put my partner off buying there massively and he wants to buy in Hatton Garden. I have read on here that really there is no value/quality ethical dealers in Hatton Garden and the choice is much better in the US. I will push for NY as long as I can but need to avoid shady shop fronts and likely the diamond district.

Can the professionals round up there top 3 places to buy loose and top 3 setters in the US (my fave is Steven Kirsch but I just don't know whether I have the budget).

Thank you!!!

 

[spon88]

Hi,

I'm also from the UK and went through very similar issues to you. We visited the jewellery quarter in Birmingham but just felt pressured. So I arrived here and started to do some research as well as get very useful advice. Using the new knowledge I went back to the UK vendors and asked them for more specific information - particularly cut quality and light performance. None of them were willing to discuss HCA figues or provide Idealscope, ASET images etc. So at that stage I decided to purchase from the US.

Of course you don't have to go the same route as me but I decided to pay a little bit more for one of the branded diamonds and narrowed my search down to a couple of suppliers. Their top cuts are typically guaranteed "eye clean" and have very good light performance i.e. pretty much guaranteed sparkles.

Over the last couple of months I've purchased two rings - one from Whiteflash (their 'ACA' cut) and one from Brian Gavin Diamonds ("Signature" cut). Both were very good indeed and we are very pleased with the product and the service. Sadly streets ahead of our UK guys - at least the ones I tried! There are other vendors who do similar top-end cuts but I found them either too expensive for essentially the same product or less responsive than the two guys I chose. But of course do your own research as we all have preferences.

In terms of quality, the clear 'C' not to compromise on is Cut. There is plenty of guidance on here about what makes a good cut and some of the pros will help you better than me. Suffice to say that the vendors I mentioned above have top-end cuts for their branded stones.

You can also compromise on colour and clarity depending on your own preferences. For example you can get an eye-clean SI1 clarity diamond and save a lot of cash. You will see the inclusions under a loup but should not with normal viewing if the stone is selected carefully. I tend to push up into the VS1/VS2 range but again this is my preference.

Colour is another area where you need to do your research. Unless you are super colour sensitive, a well-cut G or H diamond will face up nice and white and no-one will know unless you compare to a D,E,F directly alongside. So you can save a lot by dropping a few colour grades too. I purchased G and H colour - I don't have video of the G but here's some of the H we recently received from Brian Gavin Diamonds. The last thing I think when looking at this stone is "yellow" - but personal preference again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuc_8WcVt3c

So my experience has been that you can purchase better stones at better prices and with better service on-line from the USA, than you can in the UK.

If you do go for it, check out www.transferwise.com for transferring your cash. They saved me hundreds versus using the daft rates my bank wanted.

Thanks

 

[telephone89]

You'll likely get the most bang for your buck looking at an H si1. You could always take a look at some I's - there might be some high I's in there (less tint), but no guarantees. Is your budget in USD or GPB?

 

[ChristineRose]

The diamond district is not a great place to buy a diamond. The real dealers are upstairs and not talking to the public. The street level stores are traps for tourists. I hear they especially like Brits.

Anyhow, you can compromise on any of the C's except cut and certificate.

SI1s and occasionally even SI2s can be found that are eye-clean. Sometimes even diamonds in the I range can be mounted so that the inclusions are barely visible. This requires a great deal of looking around, and may require working with a dealer that can look at stones for you, or a dealer that is willing to have a lot of stones shipped in for you. That usually means dealers that have more substantial markups.

Diamond prices jump at key points. For instance, the difference between .8 and 9. carats will be small compared to the difference between .9 and 1 carat. Also, the .9 carat is more likely to be better cut, as the cutters use tricks to tease that last .5 carats out so that it can be rounded up to 1 carat. The size difference is very small, and not something that can be seen unless you compare stones side by side.

Diamonds are graded face down on white cards under controlled lights. Under real conditions, most people start seeing tint around the H range. The tint is most visible from the side, so if you mount your stone so that you can't see the side, that helps. Also, a well cut diamond will return a lot of white light at the top, so that cancels the face-up color as well. Many people actually like diamonds in the K-M range--they refer to them as "romantic," "antique," or "candlelit," which is a way of saying visibly tinted but attractive. It's also possible to go all the way down into the truly yellow range and have a beautiful stone, but not what people think of as a classic engagement ring. S diamonds are the cheapest. Finally, if you mount a diamond in yellow gold, it will look whiter.

 

[Diamond_Hawk]

MONCHERIE477,

You are getting great advice here. I have found that some people like graphic representations and information to supplement the narrative form of advice (such as above).

Follow this link:

https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/diamond-cut

for reasons why the cut of the diamond holds such importance.

Then if that gets you pumped up to know more - read this article:

https://www.pricescope.com/journal/laboratory_cut_grades_what_report_doesn’t_show

Best!

 

[lambskin]

Of the 4 Cs I would not comprise on cut and color. Clarity flaws can be well hidden if cut well. I would compromise on carat. I would rather have a smaller stone if it was cut well and it was colorless (D, E, F) rather than a bigger stone that was cut poorly and looked off color.

 

[moncherie477]

When you say a branded diamond - what do you mean? Are you referring to the likes of Tiffanys, Cartier etc.

Thank you!

 

[moncherie477]

Thank you so much for all of your advice. This is beyond helpful and I had no idea the cut was so important. My budget is in USD - I was hoping to spend approx $10-12k on the diamond and $4-5k on the Setting. Is this feasible for a good quality 1.8ct to 2ct halo do you think?

If anyone else has recommendations or advice I'm really eager to here your thoughts. I have heard of Good Old Gold, Whiteflash, ERD, James Allan etc but just have no clue who is really best to go to. I want to find someone that understands what I want and actually wants to help me find it - not pull the wool over my eyes and push me to buy something I don't want.

In terms of Cut, should I only be looking at Ideal/Excellent?

 

[spon88]

Hi,

"Branded" might not be the most appropriate term but I was referring to the likes of the Brian Gavin "Signature" and Whiteflash "A Cut Above" ranges.

These stones are pre-selected to conform to a high level of cut and performance, so a tighter sub-set of the top specification AGS and GIA certifications. Buying remotely, this gave me more confidence that I was purchasing something much better than good, albeit at a premium.

These guys (and others here to be fair) can provide something equally as good if not better than Tiffany for much less.

If you trawl through the inventories of lots of suppliers, you can find bargains which may not be true "Hearts and Arrows" cuts but will still perform. These stones may be a little cheaper than the "branded" versions mentioned above but, like anything, the real good stuff is quite rare and gets snapped up very quickly. It can be done though!

Thanks

 

[spon88]

Thank you so much for all of your advice. This is beyond helpful and I had no idea the cut was so important. My budget is in USD - I was hoping to spend approx $10-12k on the diamond and $4-5k on the Setting. Is this feasible for a good quality 1.8ct to 2ct halo do you think?

If anyone else has recommendations or advice I'm really eager to here your thoughts. I have heard of Good Old Gold, Whiteflash, ERD, James Allan etc but just have no clue who is really best to go to. I want to find someone that understands what I want and actually wants to help me find it - not pull the wool over my eyes and push me to buy something I don't want.

In terms of Cut, should I only be looking at Ideal/Excellent?

I'm no expert here but I think a high quality centre stone of that weight will cost more than $12k unless you start dropping down the colour/clarity scale. You would likely pick up something very nice at the 1.25 carat mark but remember to factor in import tax (22% I think it was). To give an idea, I paid in the region of £13.5k (pounds) for a 1.5 ct H VS1 with a top end cut. This was inclusive of a 4 prong platinum setting and import tax.

The guys here might get you close but I don't think you'll get super quality at that sort of size for that budget. I don't really know what a halo setting costs but is there any leeway there to boost your main stone?

 

[JoshuaNiamehr]

You'll likely get the most bang for your buck looking at an H si1. You could always take a look at some I's - there might be some high I's in there (less tint), but no guarantees. Is your budget in USD or GPB?

+1 for this, Im seeing great deals in eye clean SI1's and in the G-H category. Even VS2s are being priced aggressively.

Its been an awful season for the wholesale side of the industry and diamonds are trading at a ~10 year low:

 

[moncherie477]

My total budget is $18k and I thought a halo setting would be around $4k though could be wrong. im willing to go to an H in colour and would go to SI1 if needed but cut would have to be excellent. I'd also go lower in weight to 1.7 for a better cut over weight and colour. It might be a case of waiting until the dollar to GBP is better and saving a bit extra cash to boost the centre stone quality. import tax - did you order from a distance or go over to collect?

Thank you!

 

[Rockdiamond]

Thank you so much for all of your advice. This is beyond helpful and I had no idea the cut was so important. My budget is in USD - I was hoping to spend approx $10-12k on the diamond and $4-5k on the Setting. Is this feasible for a good quality 1.8ct to 2ct halo do you think?

If anyone else has recommendations or advice I'm really eager to here your thoughts. I have heard of Good Old Gold, Whiteflash, ERD, James Allan etc but just have no clue who is really best to go to. I want to find someone that understands what I want and actually wants to help me find it - not pull the wool over my eyes and push me to buy something I don't want.

In terms of Cut, should I only be looking at Ideal/Excellent?

HI moncherie477,
My take on this is a bit different.
Of course cut is important- yet using a simple mantra like "Cut is king" is more misleading than helpful.
The reason is that great cut, to a large extent, is in the eye of the beholder- particularity if you're looking at cushion diamonds.
Your question highlights why simplifying this to the extent it has been is not at all helpful.
What is an "Excellent" cushion cut?
The truth is, there is not gemologically acceptable answer to that question.
GIA does not grade the cut quality of cushion diamonds.
Please don't make the mistake of confusing "Polish" and "Symmetry" ratings with a cut grade.
So there is no accepted cut grade for cushions, yet many of the sites selling diamonds grade the cut of cushions they are selling- sometimes even numerically....yet in almost all cases the person assigning that grade has never even laid eyes on the diamond.
Step one is to throw dealer assigned cut grades into the trash.

Step two, and this is crucial, is for you to hopefully look at a bunch of different cushions to see what YOU love.
There's many flavors- both in the light performance ( how they sparkle) as well as overall shape. A cushion can be square or rectangular.

By all means use this forum to "vet" selections- remembering that any advice given is akin to a person recommending a restaurant. You may love it, but not necessarily if your taste buds are different.

Best of luck!!

 

[spon88]

Ahh - that'll teach me to read more accurately. Sorry I initially scanned this on my 'phone. I missed "cushion cut" - apologies; all of my thoughts relate to "round" cuts - apologies. You may well get closer to what you need there but I'll let others with more experience guide you. However if you need a steer on import tax and transferring cash cost-effectively, I can share what worked for me. I purchased remotely on both occasions.

Thanks

 

[ChristineRose]

If you buy a GIA excellent you are guaranteed that at least someone thought it was excellent. However it does not necessarily get the absolute maximum light performance. The GIA found that many people actually preferred less than "ideal" stones and made their standards quite broad. Many of them are cut to just barely hit the standards for excellent as well.

Diamonds that are not judged to be excellent can still be very attractive, sometimes because the cutters have used certain tricks like adjusting the minor facets to compensate for the deficiencies in the major facets, and sometimes because something can still be lovely even if it doesn't have optimal white light return. There are other considerations like dispersion (colored light scattering like a prism) symmetry, scintillation (the patterns of changing light and dark as the stone moves), the size of the flashes, and how a diamond looks in indirect lighting. The problem with these is that to get a good idea of how your stone will look you need to look at a lot of stones, preferably in person. This means you need a good jeweler you trust who's willing to discuss it with you and bring in a lot of stones for you to look at.

This forum is biased towards Internet buying, but there are good reasons for that. You can often get much better values, and if you stick with the most conventional definitions of well cut, you will get an attractive stone and you will know how it will perform. If you go for the dealers that specialize in super ideal cuts, you will also get a pair of expert eyes to walk you through it.

ETA: All this pretty much applies to cushions as well, except that there is no GIA excellent or AGS 000 to fall back on. There are precision cut cushions sold by dealers like Brian Gavin and Good Old Gold. Buy one of those, or be prepared to sort through a lot of stones.

 

[Rockdiamond]

If you buy a GIA excellent you are guaranteed that at least someone thought it was excellent. However it does not necessarily get the absolute maximum light performance. The GIA found that many people actually preferred less than "ideal" stones and made their standards quite broad. Many of them are cut to just barely hit the standards for excellent as well.

Diamonds that are not judged to be excellent can still be very attractive, sometimes because the cutters have used certain tricks like adjusting the minor facets to compensate for the deficiencies in the major facets, and sometimes because something can still be lovely even if it doesn't have optimal white light return. There are other considerations like dispersion (colored light scattering like a prism) symmetry, scintillation (the patterns of changing light and dark as the stone moves), the size of the flashes, and how a diamond looks in indirect lighting. The problem with these is that to get a good idea of how your stone will look you need to look at a lot of stones, preferably in person. This means you need a good jeweler you trust who's willing to discuss it with you and bring in a lot of stones for you to look at.

This forum is biased towards Internet buying, but there are good reasons for that. You can often get much better values, and if you stick with the most conventional definitions of well cut, you will get an attractive stone and you will know how it will perform. If you go for the dealers that specialize in super ideal cuts, you will also get a pair of expert eyes to walk you through it.

Christine- the point I was making is that GIA does not grade the cut of cushion diamonds. SO there's no such thing as a GIA EX cut grade cushion diamond.

 

[moncherie477]

Thanks for all of your replies. The information is so overwhelming and trying to take as much as I can from all of you so thank you.

Question: people have mentioned Brian Gavin Signature collection, Whiteflash "a cut above" and Good Old Gold's "August vintage cushion." Are these just rings produced by these jewellers that they get rough and then cut themselves? I'm confused as to what the difference between them and then the normal cushions are with "excellent" cut are. (Or are they just excellent per the websites, and not excellent per the GIA?)

I spoke to someone from GOG today and I am out budgeted of their August Vintage Collection (AVC). They have said I have enough budget for a non- AVC but just struggling to understand whether I'm better holding out to try and get one of these "branded" diamonds when I have the budget. Or is there nothing wrong with purchasing a normal cushion?

Sorry for all of the questions - unsure what is my best foot forward!

 

[Rockdiamond]

moncherie477- here's a bit more perspective:
There are sellers that either select, and purchase hand picked diamonds on the market, or have cutters cut specific stones for them.
This is a lot different than a site that just assigns a cut grade to a diamond they've never seen.
An expert looking at a given diamond can definitely say a diamond has an excellent cut based on their opinion but it's still not a "GIA EX"
AGSL does grade cushion diamonds for light performance. Some of the branded cushions are cut to achieve this grade....but....you still may prefer a non branded diamond for it's own special type of light performance.
So getting a branded stone is not a guarantee you're going to love it- or that it's a better choice for you.

There's nothing "wrong" with buying a normal cushion any more than it's wrong to buy red shoes. It's all about what pleases your eyes.

 

[dk168]

I am not an expert, just a regular consumer who have frequent PS long enough to pick up a few tips and advices.

1. Everyone has a different level/preference of "mind clean", in that for some, they cannot have colours below E; while others will not consider clarity below VS1; etc. etc... My advice would be to find one's "mind clean" and stick with it. For me personally, If I were to buy a MRB now, I would consider colours in H/I range and clarity SI1 as long as it is eye clean.

2. Do not compromise on cut, as it is the cut that makes a diamond sparkle. Therefore, get the best cut one can afford.

3. Some people are more colour-sensitive to others. I cannot tell the difference between 1 colour grade, however, I can tell the difference between an E and a G/H.

To re-cap, my own personal preferences will be the best cut I can afford, colour in H/I range (better if it is an EC), clarity SI1 as long as it is eye clean (better if it is an EC), and the largest carat weight I can afford.

Good luck with your search.

DK

 

[oner1]

I would compromise on clarity and go down to SI2 if it's just 1 inclusion, even if it's not eye clean. A black carbon spot may not be good (lends itself to a dark-looking diamond), but most wisps, crystals, knots, and even feathers can usually not be spotted from more than 10-12" away. Often times they can't even be spotted because of the lighting. It's really just a birthmark and nobody can really tell unless they're scrutinizing your diamond.

I think color can be spotted from farther away.

 

[kenny]

Which C to compromise on?
Carat.

Buying a smaller diamond makes everything else better.

 

[Rockdiamond]

oner1- fwiw- I totally agree about SI2 for my own personal diamonds.

In the interest of clarity grading education:
A black crystal is not inherently worse than a white crystal, or feather.
IN SI clarity diamonds, if there's a single clarity characteristic, and it's a black carbon spot, it might be in a place that makes it easy to see- but it might also be in a place where it's totally hidden.
In such a case, the black carbon spot would have no visible effect on light performance.

There are times a white crystal is more visible to the naked eye.

The fun thing about grading clarity in diamonds is that after looking at gazillions of stones, when you think you've seen everything, you see an imperfection that's different from all the others.
In terms of clarity, no two SI diamonds are alike, kinda like snowflakes.
Each needs to be judged on it's own.

 

[Diamond_Hawk]

Moncherie477,

If you have not yet gleaned all the information you might need regarding your search - there is a lot of it thrown at you here, I will try to sum-up:

1 - there is no GIA cut grade for a cushion diamond. Any cut grade you see is given by the seller.
2 - the numbers on a cushion cut on the lab report cannot define the cut grade, nor predict light performance.
3 - YOUR TASTE is paramount when evaluating any fancy-shaped diamond, but evaluate the diamond with a solid knowledge-base.
4 - Be patient. Start finding cushions to look at - you will, hopefully, begin to find similarities in the diamonds that you like - perhaps an I looks as good as a G to you, perhaps the proportions at a particular ratio are most appealing, perhaps the depth to table relationship gives a look that you enjoy - there are many options, try to determine what you really like and begin writing them down - you will notice trends.
5 - If you want to have light performance images, get them - many vendors offer these on any shaped diamond.
6 - This might be the hardest - don't stress and ENJOY the process.

Best,

 

[Gypsy]

Okay. Well we can help you. Start here. [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/cushion-101-my-experience-in-making-a-harry-winston-halo.183473/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/cushion-101-my-experience-in-making-a-harry-winston-halo.183473/[/URL] Decide what type faceting appeals to you (if you can pick a first, second, and third favorite). First step in deciding this this: antique or modern cushion? From there you need to decide what faceting plot appeals to you. But first start with deciding if you prefer modern faceting or antique faceting in cushions. It will affect which vendors we recommend you work with.



There are a ton of faceting options with cushions.

Also you need to decide on what SIZE (NOT WEIGHT) stone you want. We need to know what dimensions you want to hit, and what shape (square, slightly rectangular, or rectangular) you want. So we need MEASUREMENTS and shape you want.

Then please read these two threads, IN DETAIL, and in order.They should explain quite a bit about cushion 'hunting' for you:

First this one (study the information and follow the links I post)
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/new-and-looking-for-help-choosing-cushion-cut-diamond-to-oz.205195/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/new-and-looking-for-help-choosing-cushion-cut-diamond-to-oz.205195/[/URL]
And then this one:
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/help-need-opinions-about-this-cushion-cut-diamond-pics.206771/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/help-need-opinions-about-this-cushion-cut-diamond-pics.206771/[/URL]

 

[Paul-Antwerp]

You'll likely get the most bang for your buck looking at an H si1. You could always take a look at some I's - there might be some high I's in there (less tint), but no guarantees. Is your budget in USD or GPB?

+1 for this, Im seeing great deals in eye clean SI1's and in the G-H category. Even VS2s are being priced aggressively.

Its been an awful season for the wholesale side of the industry and diamonds are trading at a ~10 year low:

Hey Joshua,

I am wondering where that chart comes from, and which validity it has. Could you enlighten us?

It looks impressive at first sight, but going more into detail, I am not impressed.

Live long,

 

[spon88]

Hi,

There is some very useful information here but I understand it can be quite difficult to distill it out. Also overwhelming for new users. I'm relatively new myself and as mentioned earlier, based in the UK too.

I like the advice in one of the posts which suggests finding your acceptable range of cut/colour/clarity/carat. For me it's G/H and VS2 but you can go lower as others have said. Cut and light performance are the key things for me - so I would not push up the carat weight and compromise there. I don't personally agree with the post which talks about "different" light performance and how some 'lesser' stones may be acceptable to some - for me, you need to know that the stone is going to perform as well as possible in lots of different light conditions. So try to get the light performance images (ASET etc) and the experienced guys on here will help you interpret them.

It looks like you have a couple of ways forward - work with the guys who have offered to help you unearth a decent stone from the various inventories available and then try to validate the options with as much information as you can get hold off (certificates, images etc). Or accept a smaller stone and go with one of the pre-selected stones from the likes of Brian Gavin, Whiteflash, GOG etc. These guys have most of the data you need already, albeit you pay a little more for it.

Good luck!

 

[Sphene]

I see you inquired another user regarding an oval that would be a good choice as an oval will face up way bigger than a cushion

 

[moncherie477]

Gypsy - thank you! The last thing I want to do is get ripped off by a jeweller and your advise and information will hopefully prevent this!

From the first link you sent across - I know for certain I absolutely dont like square hearts and arrow. It doesnt appeal to me at all as it isn't what I think of when I think of a traditional cushion. Of the modern cushion - I like the 8 main. My favourite pictures on the first link is the branded antique cut cushions (but understand they are probably out of my price range). Crushed ice I didnt like as it looked a bit grey.

I am not a fan of the long rectangle shape. I like the square with rounded edges shape but nowhere near as square as the Hearts and Arrow Square - dislike!

In terms of SIZE (not weight): without sounding too simple, as large a face as I can afford (without compromising on cut and light performance). I had no idea cushions should be compared by size and not weight - so thanks for this. I always loved the look of a 2-3 carat but I obviously love those dimensions more. How do I determine the exact dimensions I want - will I only get this by viewing diamonds in the flesh?

I read both threads you provided - I like the shape of the diamond where you have said: "This is what you want to see an an ASET" - I think it was maybe a VC cushion.

I want it to be set in a Steven Kirsch halo setting and would ideally only like to go to H in colour (in order for it to look as white as the micropave). I would take a VS1 if it was eye clean.

Am I making any sense?? haha

 

[oldminer]

With my own experience and tastes in diamonds I would suggest finding a diamond with a diamond trade accepted definition of "Excellent Cut" by adjusting the carat weight to fit what you are able to spend in G color, inert to UV, and VS2 clarity. Any deviation from this will be some sort of compromise. Better color will cost more but not really be visible. Lower color will become more visible quickly. Better clarity will not look at all better. Lower clarity increases the odds of visible flaws, but you have a little wiggle room downward. UV fluorescence of negligible or slight won't much matter, but they are invisible compromises which will lead to larger issues as you accept any further increasing levels of a UV reaction. My method maximizes what I'd say is a "no compromise appearance" of a diamond and begins the process with a smart set of compromises where weight dictates adjusts the choice. Better or worse quality characteristics will make important compromises on color, clarity, UV reaction which you will not necessarily see, but you will be making them in the hidden quality and overall appearance of the stone. To me, a G color, VS2 looks pretty much the same when being worn as a D-IF. However at any given price. the G-VS2 will surely be far larger and that is no compromise, but a large benefit, in my point of view.

Cut grading mostly pertains to round and princess cut diamonds. There are a few branded exceptions. Measuring relative light return and performance for any shape can be done, but without any real accepted reference to a system which has taken hold in the trade or with labs. Cushion shapes are somewhat the most difficult stones to cut grade. There are so many variations and shapes. Without accepted norms and data, the selection of a cushion is far more subjective. In truth, I believe the subjectivity factor is not a bad thing as it allows you to pick what you like so long as you search enough to understand the beauty of your selection.

When I see Whiteflash's Expert Selection versus their ACA, my own reaction is that most customers could not appreciate any of the nearly nominal differences. However, that is not the way many shoppers see the difference. Just because I think it does not mean my opinion is valid for others, but it is an opinion based on a long time looking at diamonds as a business.

 

[moncherie477]

Gypsy - read my post back and it doesn't read well. I'm not great with words and am confused what style of cushion I like is actually called so here are a few I seen that I liked:

http://www.jamesallen.com/mobile/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.50-carat-h-color-vs1-clarity-sku-681595

http://www.jamesallen.com/mobile/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.51-carat-g-color-vs2-clarity-sku-719673

http://www.jamesallen.com/mobile/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.70-carat-h-color-vs1-clarity-sku-636198

In terms of the facet and shape, this is what I like. Obviously I have no idea whether I've picked a load of rubbish or good cut, well performing diamonds!