Radiant or Princess

[SYR]

I have a princess cut that I am not too happy with. I have always wanted a setting with a trillion on each side. I think for some reason that looks better with a radiant cut. My question is which cut is worth more. Is the princess worth more because it is more desireable or does it really matter. I guess what I am trying to find out is are all diamonds of the same quality equal or would a princess of the same quality be worth more. I am trying to decide if I should trade my princess in for a radiant or keep the one I have.

The princess I have is not an ideal cut. It also has an EGL from Antwerp. Everywhere I have taken it I have been told it isnt a great stone. My jeweler had said I could trade it in at anytime for a new one and he would give me the purchase price. Now that I want to do it he is making it difficult telling me he cant find a radiant with a GIA certificate. I think he is just being difficult. Am I better off going to a new jeweler. He has given me a price of 23K for a 2.63 carat radiant cut G color SI1 with table 62 and depth 68 ratio 1:31. It is an original radiant cut if that matters. Am I being had a second time?

 

[researcher]

The cut is really up to you. My princess is SPECTACULAR if I do say so myself, but there are lots of duds out there. I''m really not sure about radiants. However, my advice is to go for the cut that appeals to you most. Have you seen two well cut stones, one princess and one radiant, side by side? Radiants don''t really have a center, and tend to look like shattered glass. I don''t like that look as much as the princess which is why I chose the stone I did. But, TONS of people do like the shattered glass look. It''s really up to you!

 

[oldminer]

2.51ct G SI1 72.6% 62% GIA sl thk-thick no gd gd no 8.35x6.98x5.07 $17136*OThe above is about all I could find similar on Pricescope. It is less money.....However, it is not the horse trade that you are working with, so really your deal might be a fair one.

Radiants do have more scintillation than pricess cuts, in general. I personally like the greater pattern effect seen in a well cut princess,but everyone has their own feelings in this regard. On an individual basis, there are both good and bad princess and radiant cuts, so generalizing really is not important. One needs to see an individual diamond to know if it is the right one for them.

 

[valeria101]

Any ideas why Blue Nile calls that one "fair" cut ? All that is known about it (GIA stats) sound nice to me

Unless Blue Nile knws allot more about these stones (and they do not advertise such merit) this sounds arbitrary.

If there is any difference between a stone like the one at BN and the branded, remains to be seen. For 23k you should be able to obtain a reasonable range of alternatives to choose from, IMO.

Indeed...

A little serach for radiants F-H, VS1-SI1, 2.6-3.1, table up to 66, depth up to 70 yielded about 20 stones showing that you can definitely go a grade higher or up to 3 carats for at most 23k. There are several pieces with "very good" and "excellent" symmetry - which is not bad at all for a non-round.

I couldn't possibly list all of those, but the search is easy, and obtaining the certificate for any is one e-mail away. You can probably have more information about each stone before inspecting it in person (during return policy) depending on which seller you may choose.

In the whole mix, one 3ct G SI1 and one 2.63ct G VS2 caught my attention. The G/VS2 has very close specs (68% depth, 65% table). Both are close to the quote you were offered. F/SI and H/VS1 also turned up on the respective search. Worth give it a try, IMO.

Hope this helps

 

[SYR]

Is a princess worth more per carat then a radiant. I like to think of my diamond as a great investment. Therefore I dont want to buy a diamond that will lose value like a car after I buy it. Which diamond out of the two would be a better investment?

 

[valeria101]

Date: 11/8/2004 128:51 AM
Author: SYR
Is a princess worth more per carat then a radiant. I like to think of my diamond as a great investment. Therefore I dont want to buy a diamond that will lose value like a car after I buy it. Which diamond out of the two would be a better investment?

Well... none.

How are you planning to ever liquidate such investment? Just a Q - disregard if you are sure of your ability to resell for a profit. A quick look at private diamond sales does not look encouraging to me, but...

 

[icelady]

SYR,

There have been other threads on the subject of reselling a diamond. Diamonds are NOT investments in the sense that you will turn a profit by reselling them. You may want to so a search on this subject. Also, I believe somewhere on this site there is information on how to resell a diamond that may be helpful.

You have also posted these same questions and started several new threads, but have not answered my questions in your original thread. It is a lot easier for everyone, and you will get a better conversation going, if you stick to one post and thread.

Good luck.

 

[SYR]

I am not trying to sell my diamond to turn a profit but I would like to think with the money we spend on these diamonds if I ever did need to liquidate the diamond it would be worth at least what I paid for it if not maybe a little more.

 

[oldminer]

SYR: Prepare to take a very substantial LOSS if you need to sell a diamond that you bought even at a very low retail mark-up above dealer cost. You will get money, but you will not come out whole or even close to it. Don't be misled in your expectations.

Even if we have high inflation, a diamond may go up in price, but the relation of liquidation value to retail value will forever be distant.......I am being gentle. I buy unwanted diamonds all the time, for a quick flip resale back into the trade, from distressed dealers, pawn shops and members of the public. None of these people is getting close to what these stones retail for, and not even close to l wholesale, for that matter. Reality is a very large pill to swallow, especially if you are blindsided by it.