radiant...did I overspend?

[radiantfan]

Hi All,

This is a very informative site, so glad I found it! I have two q''s I could use help on, if anyone can advise...

First...Just bought a 1.26 radiant, F, SI1, 74% table with 69.9% depth for $6300 off what is arguably the most reputable, highly regarded loose-diamonds-for-much-less-website out there. I thought I got a good deal (several $K less than at the local jeweler for same stone).

However, according to the Accredited Gem Appraiser site, this stone is no great shakes and comes in at a 3A overall rating (aka Average Domestic Cut). So I go to the pricescope chart and plug all this in and it looks like the AVERAGE price for said stone should be more like $5300.

Never mind the lowest price!

Did I just get robbed? Any advice welcome, as I can still send the stone back.

Another note: the very helpful fellow from the site said that based on their criteria this was a very good cut with very good polish and symmetry on a great stone, and he had no knowledge of this AGA grading scale.

Second...just saw the miropave setting of my dreams from a high end designer--it is unique and features quite a bit of micropave on the prongs in particular. I am told by a local jeweler that he has a guy who can replicate it exactly using CAD and making up a computer generated mold, etc., and save several hundred dollars. How likely is it to be decent? What would you expect the difference to be in the designer price vs. the knockoff? Is this even worth considering...pros/cons?

As you can guess, budget and value are big concerns but I don''t want to sacrifice quality. Perhaps I should have just gotten a nice round stone that would have been so much more subjectively evaluated price-wise!

Thank you and best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!

 

[Kaleigh]

I'm not a radiant expert by any means, so I'll let those that are advise you.

As far as replicating a designer setting that is micro pave, PLEASE be wary of just going to anyone. It is a tedious setting to make and takes a master craftsman to do it WELL.

I highly recommend Leon Mege, he is truly one of the best at doing pave. Here is his website, www.artofplatinum.com He takes 4-6 weeks to make a ring, but it's so worth it and I have found that his prices are quite reasonable. He is making a ring for me right now, and went to him because of his stellar reputation on here. He has been a pleasure to work with as well. HTH, good luck!!!

Please let us know what you decide to do with the radiant.

And welcome to PS

 

[coda72]

I would probably send the radiant back because it does seem too pricey for what you got. I like depths in the mid 60''s and tables about the same.

Here are a few that look promising by the numbers. You definitely have to see radiants to judge them best, so I would have the vendor call them in and let you know how they look:

http://www.abazias.com/database/NewDiamondInfo.asp?stock=31828390&flag=ps

http://www.uniondiamond.com/diamonds/diamonds.php?item_id=AA270182&search_type_id=2&action_type_id=2&network_id=0cf05810a0f83094f6e9972ef21cdd34#

http://www.abazias.com/database/NewDiamondInfo.asp?stock=32756278&flag=ps

Also, I didn''t know if you wanted a square or a rectangular one. The first one is a square, the second one is more rectangular. The third one is kind of in between the first two. Mine is like this, and to me it looks more square, but some people would think this is more rectangular.

 

[justjulia]

Tough call. I don''t prefer flour, so that is a factor for me. Also, I''ve seen supposedly great cuts that show that typical dark circle ("mass") in the middle syndrome that radiants can have. Mine doesn''t. I''d have to see it, or get the vendor to describe it in detail for me.

 

[radiantfan]

Julia,
Thanks for the info. Do radiants typically have a dark mass in the middle? There is so much to learn and look out for in this cut, apparently.

 

[Ann]

Date: 11/22/2006 10:36:16 AM
Author: radiantfan
Julia,
Thanks for the info. Do radiants typically have a dark mass in the middle? There is so much to learn and look out for in this cut, apparently.

I looked at radiants for some time. I never could find one that did not exhibit the dreaded "coke bottle" rings/mass in the center. There is a thread some where here on PS discussing it. If I recall, 1 or 2 diamond vendors chimed in with their thoughts. I even looked at branded radiants and could not get away from the dark mass/circles. I think it has something to do with the depth or lack of in the stone.
Maybe the dark mass look is more noticeable in a rectangular radiant than a sqaure one. I was only looking for rectangular stones.

Also radiants will show color, so I never went lower than a G when having stones called in. Even then I could see a tinge of color from the side. But that''s just me.

I always wanted to see a Starburst radiant, but never could find one that was not a yellow diamond. It seems the Starburst cut really emphasizes the color and brings it to the top.

 

[justjulia]

Date: 11/22/2006 10:36:16 AM
Author: radiantfan
Julia,
Thanks for the info. Do radiants typically have a dark mass in the middle? There is so much to learn and look out for in this cut, apparently.

From what I've seen, they do. I wish I knew enough to tell you why. There was a post by Old Miner, I believe, not long ago that helped me understand more about it. I have an H, and honestly, I don't see much color, top or side. I've owned quite a few rocks of different shapes and level of cuts, most all having GIA certs. This one was not even certed, from the same source though-and I knew it was reputable-and I just went with my eyes. I know people want to know specs, especially when ordering sight unseen. But, from what I can tell from what people have written, a reputable online dealer will tell you over the phone or whatever what a particular stone looks like. Fancy cuts are interesting and subjective.
I had fun this morning:

 

[RADIANTMAN]

Hi Radiantfan,

Unlike round diamonds, which have black circles around the culet due to a characteristic the AGS has dubbed "obfuscation," a well cut radiant should not have any concentrations of black.

The brilliance of a radiant is circular in nature (as opposed to the black and white lines characteristic of a princess cut), but the reflected circles should be white. A well cut radiant has minimal black reflections around the culet - less, in fact, than any other cut that I''m familiar with.

Unfortunately, there is no way, other than seeing the diamond live, to tell whether a radiant has the dreaded black circle characteristic of many poorly cut radiants. Even a photo won''t tell you, because most photos you see hide the circle by focusing on the table rather than into the diamond.

While the specs are not ideal, if the diamond that you''ve found looks beautiful to you, then don''t worry about the #''s. The price is fair and you shouldn''t make yourself nuts. If you don''t love the stone, you might want to check out some better makes, but expect to pay more - not less.

 

[radiantfan]

Thanks so much. I will let you know on Monday, when the stone is expected to arrive--unless I can catch them in time and get Saturday delivery. Have a great holiday.

 

[LdyNghtWng]

Concerning the mounting, if it is just a matter of a few hundred dollars, and the mounting is exactly what you want, I would stick to the designer. I''ve had a lot of custom work done over the years, and the slightest change in a design can throw the whole piece off. Good jewelry designers earn their keep because they do consistent quality work. If the difference in price is more than 50%, the I guess I''d start comparison shopping.

On the other hand, if I wanted to modify the design anyway, then I would shop around pricewise from the start.