Requesting your Opinions, please

[j0nny55]

Hello!

Exciting and scary time here! I've put a deposit down on a stone (see GIA evaluation in link below, please). I'm wondering if this is a good stone? It is a princess, and the inclusions (the most prevalent being a 'cavity' near one corner, which you can't see . . . at least I couldn't with the loop!) I'm looking for opinions on what a good price for this stone would be, if it is a 'good' stone. I'm mostly worried about the girdle being 'thin to very thick'. Though the depth and table seem good (there isn't much 'weight' lost in the depth of the diamond), I've read that weight can be lost (and light) with a thick girdle. I didn't see (nor do I remember looking at) the girdle...or any problem there. The jeweler insists this is a great stone (of course!) and that I'm getting a good deal (again, of course). I've researched for a year or more, and have looked at at least a dozen stones and this one seems like the best for the dollar. I've got a deposit down, but can still change my mind if folk recommend that this isn't as great a deal as I think. Oh, and it will be set in a platinum knife-edge solitaire setting.

I'll reply later with what the asking price is so you can give your opinions first without being prejudiced Also, might be a bit before I can respond, can't have the lady finding out about the surprise early!


https://myapps.gia.edu/ReportCheckPortal/getReportData.do?&reportno=2115249968&weight=2.02

PS also it is a 3 Chevron stone, not a 4...should I look for 4? Thanks!

 

[Christina...]

It will be extremely difficult to give you an opinion of the stone based on the GIA report alone, we would need a lot more information. Can you get an ASET image? Also I noticed that the report is dated 2009, I would want to have an independent appraiser evaluate the stone to make sure that the report still accurate describes the stone. It's poosible that this stone was an upgrade and that another person wore it for a couple years, I'd want to make sure that there wasn't any chips, cracks or durability risks.

If you decide to purchase this stone, do you have a return period? Is there an upgrade policy? As to how much would I think a stone like this would cost..I don't know, if it's an ideal cut, I'd guess 16k, if it's a good cut 13k? Its just too hard to even guess based only on it being a 2ct G SI1, the cut has so much to do with the value. If you don't mind sharing your budget, we could help you find a gorgeous stone!

Oh, one more thing, the table looks large on this stone, I personal like a smaller table and would look for something with a table between 62-68. The depth however, like you said looks good. I would also want to know just how much of the girdle is extremely thick, ct weight can hide in the girdle as well.

EDIT: oops, I see that you already posted your concerns with the girdle, I thought that it was extremely thick on the report, but I was wrong, you are probably ok with the girdle as is. I'd double check with a PSer with more experience with princess cuts though.

 

[j0nny55]

I"m sorry I don't have a picture to help support my request for opinions Unfortunately the jeweler doesn't have a cool system like Jared Allen or Blue Nile with pictures of the stones on line. I wanted to purchase a stone on line, but after I learned so much about the variability of princess cuts in their appearance, I figured I needed to see stones in person. (Since there is no real agreed upon 'stats' for a princess, at least in the same regard as with rounds!)

Great advice about the re-appraisal. Is an ASET image something I can request, perhaps? I never considered the stone could be a trade in! Interesting.

There is a 25 day full refund return period, but I'd rather not make the purchase until I'm 100% sure it is the right stone. . . since I don't think I'll be popping the question for a couple of months yet. The upgrade policy is pretty nice, full value of the original purchase price towards a new stone, and it doesn't have to be 'double the original price' to upgrade. (I know some places do that, ugh!)

Good guess! The price for the stone + platinum solitaire knife-edge band would be 13.5k Though since it is a princess stone, there's not official cut grade, but the jeweler grades it as 'excellent'. My budget is 15k with band included.

Is there some way to 'rate' how much of a girdle is thick vs thin? Or is it just an eye gauge?

And thank you so much for your time and knowledge!

jon

 

[Gypsy]

There actually are agreed upon stats for princesses and you can get a stone with ideal light performance if you stick with an AGS 0 princess.

Without and ASET we can't tell you much. http://www.lexusindia.in/products/gb-aset-scope.aspx This has a very good series of images for Princess stones. If you want to buy in person, buy an ASET and learn to read what it tells you to evaluate the stone's performance. Other than that... stick to AGS 0 princesses.

Also, it is not smart to buy a ring and then wait for the return period to expire before you propose. Either propose in the window or wait to buy and get a 30 day return policy.

You aren't getting a steal, you are paying what you should be paying. Comps for G SI stones are about 1250. You can get a nice platinum knife edge for a 1000 or under. But you are getting a LOT less information to make an informed decision about the stone. A different vendor would be able to provide you with an ASET image and save you the trouble of buying one. Still, buying one is a small price to pay to evaluate a 13K purchase for light performance. I wouldn't spend that kind of money without all the information I can get.

 

[Christina...]

Your jeweler will be able to tell you more about the girdle. When GIA evaluates the stone they will tell you, for example, that the girdle is medium-extremely thick, they don't however tell what percentage is medium, so it may be a very tiny portion is extremely thick. If that was the case it would mean that there wasn't a lot of hidden weight, so I wouldn't dismiss the stone all together just based on the girdle measurement. I think that a lot of princess cuts have thick girdles. You also dont want it to be too thin, with the sharp corners you would be much more prone to chipping and cracking.

I believe that both GIA and AGS are currently or will soon be grading princess shapes on their cut. That was another reason that I asked about the date of the report. I'll take a look and see if they are currently doing this. I'm not a princess cut expert, so I'm hoping that someone else will weigh in with their thoughts as well. I will say though that I wouldn't buy a fancy cut stone without an ASET image. You can buy one online, and they are easy to learn to use. It's the best way to be able to predict light performance. Most PSer will agree.



I found this video about the difference in performance between a 2 chevron and a 3 chevron. Good Old GOld has some fantastic videos that you may want to take a look at, they are super helpful and informative.

I love a knife edge solitaire with a diamond eternity wedding ring! There is something so classic, timeless and elegant about them. And with a 2 ct stone! Lucky girl!!

 

[Christina...]

oops I forgot the link, I have 4 NCAA games on right now! totally distracted!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nneVwREmtgY

I'm glad that gypsy chimed in, and agree with everything that she said! I know that it's scary to buy online because you can't see the stone until the purchase, but you still get the same return period and with all the additional information that you need to make a good informed decision. There are many reputable PS vendors all with PSers that have used them personally and would highly recommend them. If your interested we could just show you a couple great stones and you could take it from there. If not get the ASET, it's the best thing you could do for yourself!

 

[j0nny55]

Thank you Gypsy, and Christina!

I had no idea there was such a thing as an ASET scope. For $50 I think it is a very valuable investment. Also, if you don't mind more questions. . .what is an AGS 0? does that indicate the clarity grade or color grade or the star length perhaps? And what do you mean by 'comp'? The sales person's commission? Thank you both very much. . . I thought I knew enough to make this purchase, but heck, there's so much more to know so thank you for imparting that information!

jon

edit: Aww, thank you Christina! I feel I'm the lucky guy! I've been saving for many years so I figure that she deserves every ounce of quality I can squeeze out of this purchase. And thank you for the videos, too! Now, finding a way to look at them in secret is the challenge! (our computers are very close to eachother! haha). I'm also lucky, too, that experienced folk like you and Gypsy are nice enough to educate the uninitiated like myself

Thank you again!

edit again: ahaha she caught me "What are you posting about? is that a forum? what forum!" arrrg lol Evidence living together before marriage is sometimes a pain!

Edit 7: I'd love to see stones you have to share if you have some handy!

 

[Amys Bling]

Comp as in compatible pricing. Use the PS diamond search tool to see how this stone is priced. Comparably to other vendors .

 

[Christina...]

I'm having a horrible time posting lately! Ok I just found three stones for you but my computer ate them up, lets see if I can find them again!

Ok, I really like this one, it's looks very bright, but of course you will want to get an ASET of the stone. It's around $15k with your PS discount and they have a knife edge solitaire for $450, or so that you could set it in. I'm not sure if 13.5 was you max budget or not but I thought this one was worth a look.

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1411222.asp

I love this one, but it's graded J and many PS will suggest that you keep the color around H or better because princess cuts tend to hold color in their corners. That being said, it will really depend on how color sensitive you are. Te same recommendation was made to me when I bought my I colored asscher, and the only time that I can see body color is when I look through the pavillion, the rest of the time it faces up very white. Having a ideal cut stone will also make the stone face up whiter than a poorly cut stone. You will have to determine how color sensitive you or your fianance are to decide if this is an option for you.

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/J-VS1-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1363259.asp

AGS0 is the cut grade that AGS gives ideal cut stones. They evaluate for light performance as well. So, Gypsy was suggesting that if your are purchasing a princess cut that by going with AGS0 it would be pretty much ensured that you were getting a beautiful well cut stone. However, I've currently having trouble finding any AGS stones that fall within your critieria. I know that they are out there, so I'll dig a bit deeper for you and I'm sure that others will offer opinions and choices for you as well!

EDIT I just did a pricescope search of all the vendors inventory and JA is coming up with a few promising AGS0 stones, one in particular looked really good for you it's an H SI1 2.01 for $13680. However I can't find it in their inventory on their website. There many more listed so I would definitely do a search using PS search. I'll look again soon but SU is playing (it's the only thing that will tear me away from the forum other than sleep! ) , but I'll be back to check in a bit for you

 

[Amys Bling]

AGS0 stones re a safe bet

 

[j0nny55]

This is awesome, thank you! I'll check these out late tonight when she's asleep I contacted the place that I have the diamond on hold and they do have an ASET scope and I've set an appointment for Monday morning to check it out. I'll see about getting an image digitized so I can share. In the meantime, I'll be checking these other stones out. Thank you again so much for your help! There is such an unbelievable amount of variable to this process. . .the more I learn, the less I know! haha

ty!

jon

 

[Amys Bling]

some information for you so you go in ready

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

 

[Christina...]

Thats terrific news! We will feel a lot better giving you an opinion on the stone when we see the ASET images. I don't see anything that makes me believe that its a bad stone, but like we said, based on the limited info it's just impossible to give you a recommendation.

I love how excited your are! We see so very many people get discourage with the overwhelming amount of information, and it can often get very confusing, it's nice to see that you are keeping yourself open to suggestions and insight. It's supposed to be a very happy and exciting time, and yes, a bit scary too. But you are on the right track and I'm convinced that because of it, you will make the best possible decision for YOU and your GF! That you are both happy in the end is whats important!

I meant to ask before, is princess cut the only shape that you are interested in? I'm also assuming that you want to keep the weight up around 2 ct? I'm wondering if you had considered that princess cuts face up smaller than many other cuts, so a 2ct princess will face up the same as 1.25 RB (round) for example. Just something to think about if a large looking stone was a priority.

 

[j0nny55]

Hi! I hope SU won (Is that Syracuse University? Used to know folk who went there, Dinosaur Barbecue, mmm!) Those are absolutely lovely stones! If things don't check out on Monday, I'll most likely cancel the deposit and start over. Not afraid to do that, I have a bit of time I think. And thank you for the encouraging words. . . typically I find it is better to stay up-beat in the face of adversity. . .though so far it has been a lot easier having the help of you folk! Also, I have to keep telling myself this is a huge decision and I shouldn't let the sales people's feelings sway me at all. I want to be nice, but I do not want to sacrifice!

She has her heart set on a Princess....she was very specific (hooray! and boo, I suppose haha): Princess cut, solitaire knife-edge, and no yellow gold. I tried to explain that the rounds are a bit easier to 'grade' and that they appear bigger....but, a girl who's got her mind set is just one of those things, haha So that is where I am! I'd love to stay at 2carats, give or take. . .and I'm going to be straight up: it is probably more for me than her. . . I have the feeling she'd be happy with just about anything that is sparkly, but it would fill me with a bit of vain pride to gift her with something 2carats. As long as it isn't junk. I saw a 3.0 stone that was in my price range but...I'm sure you can imagine how grim it looked because of that! (Could see the inclusions from 2 feet away!) I think her grandma would also be very impressed, too lol

So yeah, with the princess we're already fighting an uphill battle with the size of the stone, which is another reason I'm looking to keep as much weight out of the bottom as possible.

Thanks Amy, for that link, I've bookmarked it on my phone for reference! I wonder how crazy the sales people get with folk having this kind of information at their fingertips?

Oh! Another quick question. . . how can I prepare to digitize the ASET image? I'm not sure...Oh, and I might as well give the name of the seller, it is Solomon Brothers in Atlanta. I've read some folks here have bought diamonds from them, mixed reviews. They have a nice upgrade policy. Anyway, I'm not sure they have the means to snap a .jpg of the stone. I hope they do, for as big a retailer as they are they should have that technology!

Thanks again and enjoy your evenings

jon

 

[Christina...]

Solomon brothers is a PS vendor, and they have a HUGE inventory!! I've never been to one of their BMs before, but I'm sure I would be like a kid in a candy store! I also didn't take a look at their virtual inventory but if you like them, feel comfortable with them and would like to use them as your vendor, then I'm sure that we could find a gorgeous stone through them. I sort of feel two ways about it, if a BM store has been very helpful and has called in stones for me to see and taken a lot of time helping me, educating me, and can come reasonable close to another online vendors price, then I feel that I should purchase through them. There is something to be said about having a reputable jeweler in your neighborhood. They are great for inspected your prongs, simple cleanings, re plating of the ring, sizing etc. It's also nice to have a relationship with someone local if you need future repairs or for purchases. We always recomend that people have a local jeweler preferably with an excellent benchperson, so your ring never needs to be sent out if repair needs arise. However, cash is king and if I can find the same or comparable stone online for a significant amount less money, well then, I'm going in that direction.

I also think that your lucky that you gf knows exactly what she wants in an e-ring. It certainly takes some pressure off from you. Brian Gavin has a really cool cut called the quatex which is a princess cut with clipped corners like an asscher or emerald cut. It's very cool and would be unlikely that she (or her friends) would have seen anything like it, and it has amazing light performance as well. Your safe bet would be to stay with the traditional princess, but if you wanted an element of surprise, this might be a really great option. I did see a couple in your price range, but you would be losing a bit of carat weight to get into one because they are a branded cut they are more expensive and I certainly understand the desire to keep the weight up!

Jewelers aren't always thrilled when customers come in armed with tons of information. Some often give inaccurate or misleading information, so when someone comes in armed with knowledge they are caught off guard. So, knowing your stuff is going to put you ahead of the game, you will be able to see through spiel and be better able to make an informed decision. I am surprised that since they have ASET available and that you have spent time considering this stone that they hadn't already offered to take images for you. I hope it's not a warning sign that the stone is a poor performer. Have you found an oppurtunity to read about ASET imaging, and look at pictures of what a good ASET for a princess looks like? If not I'll pull up some images for you in the morning. You will want to know what a good image looks like before your appointment on Monday otherwise it's pointless. I'm not completely sure how to get the ASET image so that you can post it here. My only images have come from online vendors. It's possible you can use the lens of your camera as your eye and just take the picture that way, the upload it to your PC and post it here. You may want to start a new thread here in RT and ask this question specifically. I'm not sure that it has come up and it would be interesting to here what others have to say.

It's super late here now, but I'll look through Solomons virtual inventory in the morning for you, if we find something it would be helpful for you to have it with you on Monday in case your current choice doesn't work out.

Yes SU is Syracuse and yes they did win!! My uncle coached there years and years ago, and well, I've been a fan for a long long time! My husband teases me because I forget all about diamonds during March madness, he says that the only reason I ever chose my stone was because the tournament was starting and I had to make a decision before tip off.

EDIT: Ok so it's super late here, and I was thinking Pearlmans when I saying Solomon. so not the HUGE inventory I was thinking but I did do a quick search and found this...

http://www.solomonbrothers.com/DiamondComparison.aspx

it still isn't the best I think we can do but its with the same vendor and it might be worth calling in. I'll take a longer look again in the morning.

 

[Gypsy]

Welcome Jonny,

Most PS vendors (not Solomon Brothers) will be able to take an ASET image for you of the stones you are considering. It is a very valuable tool. I think if you go with a PS vendor you will be fine buying online. But if you are going to look in person 50 bucks is a great investment for peace of mind.

Good luck. Christina has you in good hands.

 

[Amys Bling]

Good luck

 

[Christina...]

Thanks Amy and Gypsy!

I found these for you...

This one is from solomon as well, it's H SI1, which is a sweet spot for many people because it represents a great value. As always you need an ASET and you need to ask if it's eye clean. It's also just a teeny tiny bit off square 1.06. GIA determines square as measuring .99-1.05, so this falls just outside. My asscher is also 1.06 but it's still very square and is always mistaken for a princess cut. There is a shape calculater here on pricescope and it will show what shape the stone will be based on its measurements.
https://www.pricescope.com/tools/aga-diamond-shape-selector

solomon brothers
http://www.solomonbrothers.com/DiamondComparison.aspx

Brian Gavin

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.750-i-vs1-princess-diamond-gia-32529756

This one has gorgeous proportions, as does the one above, but this one may be slightly outside your budget but I had to show you

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/2.020-g-vs1-princess-diamond-gia-29651993

Whiteflash

This one may be a bit smaller and bit out of your target budget too, but it's a beautiful stone and it also has a picture of how a good ASET should look.

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut-loose-diamond-2650809.htm

This one also looks like it could be gorgeous. They will call the stone in for you and evaluate it and take ASET images. They have amazing CS!


,http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut-loose-diamond-2723758.htm

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut-loose-diamond-2606355.htm

I'm sort of excited about this one, it's within your budget and it's 2ct, fantastic color, you would have to have it evaluated to see if it was eye clean. and ASET

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut-loose-diamond-2708009.htm

When you've had a chance to look at these and determine what you like or don't like about the selection, then we can go from there and make further selections. Take a look at the ASETs given for the couple that have them, and that will give you an idea of what it should look like for tomorrow. All of the above vendors have knife edge solitaires so any of them could set the ring of her dreams.

 

[j0nny55]

Wow, thank you so much for all the research! Truth be told, once I found Brian Gavin, I thought that was where I was going for sure! I even downloaded their app. . .but couldn't ever find a stone that fit what I was looking for! You've found some super stuff! I'll try to respond in an organized manner lol

OK first! Through the generous help of the folks on this board I've been able to find these two sites to give me an idea of what to look for as far as ASET images go:

http://www.ideal-scope.com/1.using_reference_chart_ASET.asp
http://www.lexusindia.in/products/gb-aset-scope.aspx

Red good, white bad, Blue in patterns good, green is so-so. I'll do my best to capture an image using my iphone (you'd think there would be an App for that, eh? hah!)

So! Of the myriad choices you so kindly researched I think I like these the best:


http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.750-i-vs1-princess-diamond-gia-32529756

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut-loose-diamond-2650809.htm

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut-loose-diamond-2708009.htm

I eliminated those on Whiteflash that wouldn't be covered by their upgrade policy (virtual selection - do they ever 'upgrade' them after evaluation?). I can stretch the budget a bit (I don't think I'll like 1 or 2k stand between us and the perfect ring!) I think I like the 1.723 the best though the crown seems a bit high?

So, here's another question (I'm just full of them, eh?) Are the prices on the website negotiable? I know B&M stores you can negotiate. . .which I tried to do with SB. They'll be angry if I change my mind for sure...but eh, this isn't about them! How do places like BG and WF handle 'mostly cash, some financing' transactions? Wondering if I can expect the cash discount or nah. If you get the setting from them, do they factor that in, etc? I'm still hoping I found a real 'diamond in the rough' (haha!) with the stone I've seen in person, but chances are if it was really that spectacular someone else would've snatched it up since 2009.

I'm happy SU won! I hope they go deep into the brackets this year I saw a couple of games when I was hanging out in the area, was always a good time!

Thanks again everyone!

jon

 

[Amys Bling]

I think the cash wire discount is for the full amount- but ask and see what they say. Depending on how much cash you have upfront could you get the stone in cash and get the wire discount and then do the setting as a separate transaction?

 

[Christina...]

This is another one from James Allen, its an SI2 and the inclusion is a knot which is quite uncommon, it's essentially another diamond that has grown on the surface or just under the surface of the larger diamond. It makes it difficult for the cutter to polish the stone because the growth pattern of the know can differ significantly, although this particular stone has a very good polish grade so it's unlikely a problem. You would also want to check to see if there are any durability risk with the feathers being so close to the girdle, and it goes without saying now that you want an ASET, so I just won't say it anymore!

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut-loose-diamond-2708009.htm

This one needs to be evaluated for eye clarity.

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1384325.asp


James Allen AGS0 Looks very clean for an SI2

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/E-SI2-Premium-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1409727.asp?b=16&a=12&c=77&cid=131

Anther AGS0 gorgeous!

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/J-VVS2-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1433102.asp?b=16&a=12&c=77&cid=131

 

[Christina...]

I really liked the one from BGD too, but unfortunately when I went in to look at their upgrade policy it doesn't include the upgrade policy.

I do like the whiteflash stones a lot, if I had to chose one I would go with the 2ct. I think that once the stone is evaluated that they could decide to offer you the lifetime upgrade program, it would certainly be worth inquiring about before dismissing it, it truly is a pretty pretty stone! Some of the ones that I posted from JA just now with the AGS0 cut grade are gorgeous as well, and as Amy and Gypsy both said, it really eliminates a lot of work on your part, and is great when shopping online where you can't phyisically see the stone. There was another one that I was super interested in showing you, but it is no longer available.

But I do think that we have some really fantastic choices now. James Allen will do three ASET images for you, so if you like any of the selections, you can send them an email and ask for the stone to be evaluated and images taken, the gemologist will also give you an honest opinion of the three stones and that will further narrow down your selections. I think we are on a roll now!

 

[Christina...]

I forgot to answer your question about the fianancing. I think Amy made a great suggestion, if you can purchase the stone in cash, and then do a seperate transaction for the setting then that may work. I don't think that most online vendors will negotiate either. I know that James Allen doesn't and I'm assuming that the others don't either. I did contact an online vendor (not a PS vendor but one used very often here) a couple weeks ago and told him my budget and he emailed me back a suggestion and told me that it was slightly higher than I wanted to spend but if I was interested he could try to work something out with the person who held the stone. I'd mention that the stone may be slightly outside of your budget and ask if they can offer some sort of discount. It NEVER hurts to ask, and you will certainly NOT be the first person to have asked.

Is it possible to do a cash withdrawal from a credit card and then pay the cash price? You will need to be sure that your card doesn't charge you more for doing this than you would save, but it might be worth looking into as well. Be sure to ask for you PriceScope discount, all the vendors we have looked at offer one, whiteflash is also giving 75.00 off your first purchase and sometimes you will get an additional 10% off the setting with a diamond purchase. It all adds up for sure! The wire discount saves an additional 1.5% with most vendors too.

 

[Christina...]

Hey Jonny, I was just checking in before I took off and was looking at some of the stones I had selected and OOPS! I linked you the wrong JA stone above. The 2.02 is NOT an AGS0!! The 2.04 is and it's a very pretty stone. I also wanted to wish you luck today. I'll check back in this evening to see how you felt about the stones ASET image.

 

[j0nny55]

Hi again, Christina, Amy, Gypsy & friends! I just got back from visiting SB again and I think they really took care of me. I have a couple of Idealscope images, a couple of images of the stone itself from the top, and a couple more from the side. I also snapped some high quality pics of the GIA inclusions grid/image.

The Jeweler said that the girdle is thick along part of one side of the stone, the rest is medium for the most part and the thin part is not on the corners. I looked at it through the idealscope, and it seemed pretty nice to me. . . but I am untrained! So, here are all the relevant images for your review (Thank you!). Should I make another thread for this, I think that was mentioned earlier.

I really wanted to put the images directly into this post, but. . . the multiple methods I tried all failed. I tried to upload/attach them but got 'image is invalid'...no reason why!

Here are the images of the GIA cert:
http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/3232/topbk.jpg
http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/5499/bottomwm.jpg
http://img827.imageshack.us/img827/6626/keyaq.jpg


Here's a glamour pose for the stone (pre-steam cleaning):
http://img545.imageshack.us/img545/374/image007ir.jpg
http://img846.imageshack.us/img846/79/image006cg.jpg

Here's some side shots showing the girdle:
http://img535.imageshack.us/img535/2089/image002kv.jpg
http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/664/image001mh.jpg


Finally, the Idealscope images:
http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/1240/idealscope3.jpg
http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/6051/idealscope2.jpg
http://img825.imageshack.us/img825/1662/idealscope1.jpg

These don't look to be as great as the ones I see on other sites (the quality of the images I mean) so it is tough to compare. Looks like there might be some leakage on the sides. I wish there was an ASET but I couldn't get a scope over the weekend.

So! That is a lot more information than I had my first day here, huh? It is a 3 chevron stone, which I like much more than a 2, and though the 4 stones are nice, I think the goldi-locks 'in the middle' is nice to go with. All thoughts and comments are very appreciated! Also, I'll make a separate post, too, if you agree. . . I don't want to spam the boards though so I'll wait for a green-light on that

 

[Christina...]

The pics of the stone are gorgeous! The inclusions are well placed, the table is clean, and as I thought there isn't any problems with the girdle. So those are all very encouraging things!!

EDIT: the images look alright, it looks like the stone is bright left to right, but when you asess it top to bottom, the bottom has a bit more leakage. This isn't a big deal on it's own, it's possible it's how the picture was taken. It can get tricky. How did you feel about the stone this time?

I'm happy that you had a good visit and feel encouraged. Just one more question, did you also have a chance to evaulate the stone in different lighting environments? This is somewhat difficult to do in the store unless they have special lighting to simulate different lighting environments, but often they will move the stone to different areas of the store, by a window, under flourescent lights, etc. I've had jewelers take the stone outside for me to look at in the sun and shade. You will DEFINITELY need to do it as soon as you get the stone home. Take it to the office, grocery store, gym, outside in the sun, outside on a dark day, under a tree on a sunny day, in the car. This is the only way to get a real idea of the personality of the stone and know how it will perform. You want your stone to be bright from corner to corner, and you don't want to see any darkness under the table.

This is what an ASET for a princess cut with ideal light performance should look like..

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/8908/

I'm interested in hearing what your eyes saw...

 

[Christina...]

I just can't seem to get my thoughts together, When you view the link that I posted to good old gold you will have to view the diamxray image to get an idea of how the stone you looked at today compares to a ideally cut stone like the one posted. The stone in the link is an AGS0 and in the picture you can see how the red extends from side to side and top to bottom. This is why I"m asking what your eyes saw when you viewed the stone with the idealscope (your pics are idealscope, doesn't matter it's fine). It's very difficult to take a pic of the image and I know you did it with your iphone so it's important to know what YOU saw. If the stone isn't bright from corner to corner if will appear lifeless in the areas that are white, thus making your stone look smaller when it's set and on your gf finger. So you can see where it would be silly to pay thousands more for a 2ct stone that will look like a 1.25 when you get it home.

I KNOW how tempting and exciting it is to be in the store talking with the SA, thinking of the big moment, and all the fluffy stuff. The SA is trained to get you feel this way and make a HUGE investment, even if it may not be the right one for you. So, it's super important to be honest with yourself about what you saw and to have something to compare what you saw with.

 

[j0nny55]

Ah, the roller-coaster continues haha I was able to look at it in diffused light by a window, office lighting (under a florescent desk lamp) and the good lighting that all stores have over their cases. I felt the stone looked great, both under the scope and everywhere I looked. I couldn't go out in sunlight because of the store is on the 17th floor of an office building

One factor of note was the surface that the diamond was resting in (the groove) for the ideal scope was for round cuts, and I couldn't get the stone to sit perfectly flat for the picture. The over-all color tone of the scope they had seemed more orange-y and not the deep red I see on other pictures. Is that because of the diamond or the scope, I wonder?

I think what I'll do is ask them to bring in a couple of comparison stones that I'll look at with the scope as well, just to compare. I feel good about how the stone has looked and performed so far where I've seen it, but like I said I haven't tested it out doors. The things I really like about the stone: size, good shape, the color is a grade or two higher than I've seen in similar diamonds (G). .. the inclusions are well hidden for an SI1. . . .

Could I pay to have it AGS certified as well, to get their 'opinion' on it, I wonder?

Thank you again for all your support. Sorry I've been slow in replying, hard to sneak away lately

Oh! One final thought. . . I should be sure of their upgrade policy. . .because, if for some reason she doesn't love the stone after a while, I could always upgrade it!

Danke!

jonny

 

[Christina...]

Ahhh! Yes if the stone wasn't sitting straight it could very much contribute to the less than ideal looking image, so this makes perfect sense to me. I had thought that something was amiss because the pics of the actual stone looks very bright. If you are going to ask them to bring in another stone to compare, perhaps you could ask if they could bring in an AGS0 in your price range. That would be a great comparison and the easiest way for you to see what a top performer looks like and compare it to your current stone for similarities and differences. I actually feel better about the current stone now that I know it was tipped, I can actually see how it was sitting now when I went back and looked. I think you may have a winner. Assuming that you like the larger table, and the IS image is truly a placement issue as I believe than I really cant see anything that should prevent you from moving forward. I know you've been waiting to hear that. Although I don't think it would hurt to see if they have an AGS0 to compare to, I think it could be a real confidence booster if you could see this stone next to one that you KNOW is an ideal performer.

 

[Christina...]

You could send the stone off to AGS after you purchase it, but it really isn't necessary. AGS isn't better than GIA, its just that with AGS having a cut grade for princess cuts it takes out a lot of guess work on your part. Having an AGS0 wont necessarily mean that your GIA is inferior at all, GIA just didn't have a cut grade when the lab graded it.