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Teach the Teacher: Diamond Help

E

E5400

Rough_Rock
Joined
May 20, 2012
Messages
3
I knew nothing about diamonds. I have read through many guides now and while I feel like I sort of know the basics, I still don't trust myself. I am not looking for redirects or to be told to search, I am just looking for someone who knows a lot about diamonds to give me some basic advice. I am a teacher so I am not looking to buy the worlds largest diamond or spend 3 months salary so my diamond search will not be nearly as sexy as some others.

I am looking to get a princess cut diamond for an engagement ring. The plan is to look somewhere around the .45-.55 carat range. I dont care about how it looks under a microscope or to Dr. Diamond McDiamondmasters bare eyes, just as long as the layman eye cant see anything wrong with it. My goal is to have it set in a solitaire (sorry if that's not the correct term) ring with the promise that further down the road we could take the quality diamond and put it in a more exciting setting (or pair it with some more diamonds). I don't want to spend more than $800 on the diamond itself.

Again, I have done plenty or reading, but there are so many little different factors that I don't understand that I would rather someone else tell me their OPINION on which of these diamonds below SEEMS like the best deal and the best diamond (or if any of them are a good deal, maybe I picked terrible ones on the first place). Thank you in advance for helping me! If not, I would probably end up at Zales getting screwed over.

Diamond 1 (B2CJEWELS)
carat: .47
cut: Very Good
color: E
clarity: VSI
lab: GIA
depth: 72.6
table: 69
polish: excellent
symmetry: good
girdle: tn-stk
cutlet: none
Fluorescence : none
Ratio : 1.13
Measurements : 4.74x4.18x3.00
PRICE: $671.47

Diamond 2 (B2CJEWELS)
carat: .46
cut: excellent
color: E
clarity: SI1
lab: GIA
depth: 73.5
table: 71
polish: very good
symmetry:very good
girdle: tk
cutlet: none
Fluorescence : none
Ratio : 1.04
Measurements : 4.34x4.17x3.07
PRICE: $693.65

Diamond 3 (B2CJEWELS)
carat: .46
cut: very good
color: F
clarity: SI2
lab: GIA
depth: 68.2
table: 83
polish: good
symmetry: good
girdle: VTN-XTK
cutlet: none
Fluorescence : none
Ratio : 1.02
Measurements : 4.45x4.37x2.98
PRICE: $586.77

Diamond 4 (B2CJEWELS)
carat: .49
cut: excellent
color: G
clarity: SI2
lab: GIA
depth: 68.9
table: 72
polish: good
symmetry: good
girdle: STK-TK
cutlet: none
Fluorescence : none
Ratio : 1.02
Measurements : 4.37x4.30x2.96
PRICE: $648.19

Diamond 5 (White Flash)
carat: .45
cut: excellent
color: J
clarity: VS1
lab: GIA
depth: 73.9
table: 74
polish: very good
symmetry: very good
girdle: Slightly Thick-Extr. Thick
cutlet: none
Fluorescence : faint
Ratio :
Measurements : 4.20x4.18x3.09
PRICE: $703

Diamond 6 (B2CJEWELS)
carat: .46
cut: very good
color: F
clarity: VS2
lab: GIA
depth: 73.9
table: 74
polish: very good
symmetry: very good
girdle: VTN-XTK
cutlet: none
Fluorescence : none
Ratio : 1.02
Measurements : 4.19x4.09x3.04
PRICE: $754.41

Diamond 7 (B2CJEWELS)
carat: .46
cut: excellent
color: G
clarity: VS1
lab: GIA
depth: 73
table: 72
polish: excellent
symmetry: very good
girdle: STK-TK
cutlet: none
Fluorescence : none
Ratio : 1.04
Measurements : 4.33x4.16x3.04
PRICE: $783.7

Diamond 8 (B2CJEWELS)
carat: .52
cut: very good
color: G
clarity: VS1
lab: GIA
depth: 75.8
table: 80
polish: good
symmetry: good
girdle:
cutlet: none
Fluorescence : none
Ratio : 1.02
Measurements : 4.46x4.38x3.32
PRICE: $816.14

Diamond 9 (B2CJEWELS)
carat: .54
cut: very good
color: E
clarity: SI2
lab: GIA
depth: 71.4
table: 83
polish: good
symmetry: good
girdle: VTN-XTK
cutlet: none
Fluorescence : none
Ratio : 1.01
Measurements : 4.57x4.51x3.22
PRICE: $773.86

Diamond 10 (B2CJEWELS)
carat: .55
cut: excellent
color: G
clarity: SI2
lab: GIA
depth: 74.3
table: 73
polish: excellent
symmetry: good
girdle: TK
cutlet: none
Fluorescence : none
Ratio : 1.01
Measurements : 4.55x4.49x3.34
PRICE: $777.17
 
Unfortunately you cant tell much from the numbers on a princess cut. We really need images and an aset helps to see if there
Is leakage. I know you dont want to be redirected but you should really look at someone who has pictures and asets like
James Allen, goodoldgold or Whiteflash.
 
Ok, here are some links I of diamonds on those sites which work with real pics. Since these sites seem to cost a little more is there a huge difference in size appearance between .45 carats and .4? I know these are pretty small to begin with but I am trying not to go into debt over this. It also doesn't help that I am in a small town so there isn't much choice here locally. Or with my smaller budget should I honestly be looking for a chain jewelry store ring without a large center stone? Like I said before, I'm a teacher so I have no visions of grandeur and understand that I am never going to make enough to afford an amazingly large diamond.

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-VS2-Very%20Good-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1487877.asp
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-VS1-Very%20Good-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1487150.asp
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-VS2-Very%20Good-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1487158.asp
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-VS2-Very%20Good-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1487157.asp
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-VS2-Very%20Good-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1487875.asp
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-VVS2-Good-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1450605.asp
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/E-SI2-Good-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1442875.asp
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-VVS2-Good-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1450605.asp
 
Could anyone give me an estimated price on how much it would be to buy the diamond and setting separately and have a local jeweler put it all together?
 
^it really depends on what you get. it could be inexpensive or really expensive.
 
While you might be able to buy a setting cheaper locally, it is always best to let the diamond seller set the stone because they will take responsibility if the diamond chips while being set. I would be especially concerned about this with corners of princess cut diamonds.

When you do your search, click Ideal cut, and the better cut stones will show up. With I VS2, you can actually get .5 cts., which would be nice since princess cuts do face up small.

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1478823.asp ($808 with pricescope/wire payment discounts)

Not seeing many great ones there. I'll look and see if I see others.
 
Why would you want to do that? It's best to have the setting sent to the Jeweler that you bought the stone from, or the stone to the seller you bought the setting from. Getting a third party involved is asking for trouble.

As for Princesses. You would be best off looking at WF, BGD or GOG since they already have ASETs of their princesses posted and that will tell you what you need to know about the performance of the diamond and the performance is what you want to buy for with princesses.

Here is how to read an ASET image (and what one is): http://www.lexusindia.in/products/gb-aset-scope.aspx Please study this cafefully. There are examples of what a good ASET and a bad one look like.
 
Okay, I think you may do better on the secondary market. There are high quality brands like Hearts on Fire that have special excellent cut square stones that you can get a good deal with a setting included. All you'd have to do is have it sized if it is the wrong size. But I think you'll get more for your money. If they say "best offer", you know that they will take LESS than the list price.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hearts-on-Fire-18K-Dream-Diamond-Ring-47-Carat-/290714465940?pt=US_Fine_Rings&hash=item43afeeb694#ht_1579wt_1154 (NEW)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-HEARTS-ON-FIRE-SEDUCTION-SOLITAIRE-0-47ct-DIAMOND-ENGAGEMENT-RING-4700-/120914635998?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c2712ecde#ht_1656wt_922 (NEW)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hearts-on-Fire-Diamond-Solitaire-in-White-Gold-setting-/170844471943?pt=Diamond_Solitaire_with_Accents&hash=item27c71fc287#ht_500wt_1169 (NEW)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HEARTS-ON-FIRE-70-CARAT-DREAM-CUT-DIAMOND-ENGAGEMENT-RING-PLATINUM-18k-NEW-/330717241073?pt=US_Wedding_Bands_with_Diamonds_Gemstones&hash=item4d00489ef1#ht_1563wt_922 (NEW)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hearts-on-Fire-18K-White-Gold-Diamond-Dream-Solitaire-Ring-/190609276219?pt=US_Fine_Rings&hash=item2c6132bd3b#ht_3074wt_1154

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HEARTS-ON-FIRE-46-CARAT-DIAMOND-ENGAGEMENT-IN-PLATINUM-18-K-WHITE-GOLD-NEW-/330631534954?pt=US_Wedding_Bands_with_Diamonds_Gemstones&hash=item4cfb2cd96a#ht_1375wt_922
 
diamondseeker2006|1337554087|3199915 said:
Okay, I think you may do better on the secondary market. There are high quality brands like Hearts on Fire that have special excellent cut square stones that you can get a good deal with a setting included. All you'd have to do is have it sized if it is the wrong size. But I think you'll get more for your money. If they say "best offer", you know that they will take LESS than the list price.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hearts-on-Fire-18K-Dream-Diamond-Ring-47-Carat-/290714465940?pt=US_Fine_Rings&hash=item43afeeb694#ht_1579wt_1154 (NEW)
Click to expand...

DEFINITELY. I'd make an offer on this for 1500 and see if they accept.
 
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