Radiant Cuts and Prices

[Nicrez]

Shopping around is sort of useless unless I know what an "excellent" or "ideal" cut is! I have laid my eyes on a lovely 1.89 carat The Radiant Cut stone with G color (I would prefer better), VS1 (I would prefer better), at $11,600. Is there a pricing table for radiant cuts or anything. It''s a LOVELY stone, but what is the proper range for Depth, Table, pavillion angle, table angle, etc...HELP!

Also, is The Radiant Cut (.com) the best place to get a radiant? I NEED a Length to Width ration of under 1.03 (because I like very perfectly square radiants). I am shopping online, but don''t trust not SEEING the diamond.

I have been shopping at the Diamond District in NYC, but want to go in with a good price estimation to not get ripped off...any non-dealers have any good recommendation on a trust worthy DD dealer here who can be helpful and patient? Price range is under $13K, but the stone must be 1.75, 2.0 carat, F color or better, VVS2 or better, Excellent polish, Excellent symmetry, good angle and facet ratios, as well as no culet, no floresence, and a good girdle.

Are thick or thin girdles better? Also, what if it goes from Thin to thick? Why is that? What are they measuring and why is is changing around the stone? Isn''t that very impercisely cut then? HELP! You''re all wonderful, thank you!!!

 

[phoenixgirl]

This is the only stone within the parameters you specified listed on Price Scope right now:

http://www.dirtcheapdiamonds.com/diamond_detail.cfm?did=2016293&ref=PS622

There are a 2.00 D VVS1 and a 2.00 D IF going for $22K and $30K respectively, but they were obviously out of your price range.

It shouldn't be too hard to get information on the stone above. Contact Dirt Cheap Diamonds and see what you can find out.

--
Oops sorry, I didn't notice that this stone is rectangular. I'll keep looking, but maybe that website you listed is the way to go.

--

Ok, here goes: 2.02 F VS1 with 1.01 l/w for $14K (medium blue flourescence)

1.77 F VS2 with 1.01 l/w for $11K

Of course, the vendor can help you determine whether or not the cut is any good.

 

[Nicrez]

Phoenixgirl, Thanks for your help! I am hoping to find something under that $15K price range, with great color, great cut, and great clarity, but not necessarily TOP NOTCH. We still want size, after all...and the man is not Bill Gates... I am doing the leg work to find the details and look at the stone, and he will determine, but I am schooling him as well as myself along the way. If anyone knows of some good diamond resources or books, please let me know! THANKS!

 

[icelady]

Oh Boy! I have just been through this dilema. I just purchased a radiant cut a month ago. I found that all the standards that I looked at were different and many of the experts and others have said that the final analysis depends on what the stone itself looks like to you.

I chose to work with a local gemologist that I had developed a rapport with over the last couple of years. All together I viewed 8 stones at various times, and the one the I picked actually picked me. It was absolutely stunning to my eye!

I could have saved a bit of money buying on the internet! So, if you are not needing to see several stones in person, and are willing to rely on the expertise of the internet vendors (and after reading lots of posts, there are several trustworthy vendors on the above list) I feel certain that you can find the diamond of your dreams!

Before I chose to work locally, I did contact 3 of the above internet vendors. One did not have anything and probably because of the pre Christmas rush, didn't take the time to pursue my requests, but the two others (which were Whiteflash and Dirt Cheap Diamonds) were very accomodating as far as getting all the info I had requested on the few diamonds I was looking at on their sites!

Good luck, I know your diamond is out there!!!

 

[valeria101]

I could not agree more with Icelady - and she obviously has a wealth of fresh hands-on experinece

- that buying diamonds by numbers is tricky. Those are good to slect a few stones for scrutiny but should not be that over-interpreted.

There are different standards for all imaginable cuts. Her's one for radiants (WWW ). Not that half a % is going to make a huge difference, but these tables are quite good to let you know what parameters you might want to consider. For example, I would not have even wandered wether the size of the table changes the look of the stone and how, before hearing about this somewhere... There are some parameters for girdle thinckness in there too. Why does it ia variable? - simply because the girdle line "turns corners" and the designs of crown and pavilion facets are not made to fit like a cover on a pot. Actually you may want a thicker girdle on those corners so they do not chip: thin to medium girdle would be best, I guess.

With all these standards, it is really imporatnt to get a good understanding of how do tey relate to the look of the stone. Oh, and this surely applies for color and claruty. What's with the VVS story? If you want perfection on paper, than IF makes sense: if budget and size are of any concern, G-VS is as good as bread and F-VS even better. No one can see any difference between IF and VS2 - anything inbetween needs careful, educated scrutiny under 10X or more to tell grades apart and VVS grades would have to be confirmed by more than one grader. if this is what you want, fine. I just wanted to make sure you knwo what exectly it is you are paying for... after seing how many shopperd turn down these invisible grades after more consideration.

Hope this post is worth the respective 0.2... Best of luck hunting!

 

[kimong]

I gave up looking for radiant cuts as most of what I saw where cut very deep. That is something you have to be wary off. Looking at numbers with radiants (and pretty much all fancies) won't be as easy as rounds, so as Icelady said, looking with the eye is most important.

If you can't and plan to buy from the internet you should insist on get a brillancescope or idealscope report. Either will help you with finding out the bad from the good in terms of light leakage.

In other words, you will go crazy trying to find the perfect radiant just on numbers alone, they are very rare!

 

[elmo]

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On 1/21/2004 3:54:44 PM Nicrez wrote:

the stone must be 1.75, 2.0 carat, F color or better, VVS2 or better, Excellent polish, Excellent symmetry, good angle and facet ratios, as well as no culet, no floresence, and a good girdle.
----------------

Has anyone seen an ex/ex radiant? It takes a fair amount of time to cut ex/ex and I didn't think most folks cut radiants with that in mind. That's not something I'd worry about, and would primarily avoid 'fair'.

 

[Nicrez]

I know that perfect proportions on fancy shapes is almost impossible to find, as GIA and others have not even determined that themselves...But I will follow the guidelines (thanks for the chart!!) I have been recently looking at a Hearts on Fire square diamond, and found only one within the range we are looking for. Anyone know anything about these? Are they worth the premium? They didn't give a price. I am going later today to see some at Michael C. Fina who seems to be a jeweler who carries them, but are they over priced and over trumped? What would be an average price for this stone: Is it good?

Hearts on Fire Dream Square
Carat: 1.952
Color: E
Clarity: VS1 (heeding your advice on lowering the clarity)
Price: ?
Depth: 59.9%
Table: 53%
Polish: 0 (why is it 0?)
Symmetry: 0 (?)
Propor: Pending (on what?)
Floresc: MB (any blue is not good right?)
Measure: 8.36 x 7.14 x 5.01 (not so square, I guess!)
Culet: P (what is P?)
Girdle: MEDSLTK
Certification: AGS (which is more cut stringent, or is GIA, better?)

Thank you guys for the great advice...I know within the next few hundred years i'll find my stone...*sigh*

 

[kimong]

Hmmm... never heard of a HoF square! The only square (rather squarish) cut that I know that has hearts and arrows are regents and then they aren't really angled and square.

Have you ever considered a tycoon cut or spring cut? They are both true squares and have great light return. Though, you won't be able to look at the numbers of these diamonds, they are too new and different to buy without looking, but cause they are branded cuts finding quality cuts are easy. They cost a little less then a H&A round.

 

[Nicrez]

Thanks for the new ides...I just did some research on them...If I am not mistaken, the Spring and Tycoon cuts are modified emeralds? I wanted perfect square, meaning the ratio of it having the closest length to width as possible...but the edges needed to be softened, which is why I chose the Radiant above the Princess...There are so many styles... Anyone have an opinion of which of all these types is the most elegant, classic, and beautifully set in a solitaire (1.75-2.0 carats) and is the best sparkle for the buck?