THE BEST DIAMOND? AURIAS/RAND/OTHER?

[6180128]

Hello All,

I''ve been reading many topics on this site and found it to be very informative, so I throw the question out there in need of serious help.

I''ve been researching several months now looking for the best "BRAND" diamond. The jewllers I have spoken to believe either the above diamonds to be the best.

I am looking for a
D/IF/Princess cut/1-1.1 carat

This is a serious investment and I want to be sure I''m getting my monies worth.

Each the above diamonds have been quoted $30,000+
Money is not the issue here, I just want the BEST.

A true romantic you might say.

Thanking you in advance.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

I would not use best and princess cut in the same paragraph.

Have you compared well cut rounds and princess cuts of the same size side by side?

Few who do ever buy a princess.
I would recomend you consider the new breed like Regent and Queen of Hearts etc.

Ask you retailer for them - they are newish on the market, but available.

 

[6180128]

The reason it's a princess cut is because of the setting she chose.

Which diamond companies out there have a reputable name, known for high quality.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

As I said ask your retailer to get you a regent or QoH

 

[Mara]

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On 8/14/2003 8:44

3 AM 6180128 wrote:


I am looking for a
D/IF/Princess cut/1-1.1 carat

This is a serious investment and I want to be sure I'm getting my monies worth.

Each the above diamonds have been quoted $30,000+
Money is not the issue here, I just want the BEST.

A true romantic you might say.
----------------

Hee Hee I have to laugh...sorry. Another person who equates tons of money with the 'best' or being 'romantic'. You want the best? Get her a round cut stone with superior light return and some great numbers.

I think it's hilarious you are going to spend $30k on a 1c princess cut stone.

I used to think princess stones were pretty...until I realized that they look smaller than the ctw because of the cut and that the cuts were so darn horrible. Even branded well cut princesses don't return as much light as well-cut rounds do. So your 1c princess looks smaller than 1c round stone will look because of the shape of the stone. Check the diameters.

Also, not to burst your bubble about buying the best, but an IF diamond still has flaws/inclusions in it. They just aren't really that visible under 10x mag. If you want something that can't be seen under 10x mag for the most part, get a VS1. You probably won't even pick ou tthe inclusion with your eye under 10x mag any more than you would a VVS or an IF. I have seen some very clean VS1's...then again I'm not a layman..so my eyes don't pick up much of anything at all. I am sure yours are the same unless you took a few courses on how to spot inclusions under a microscope. Most of the world has not take those courses.

The D color is a little bit more variable, maybe you like colorless. What about an E or F? Still colorless. Much cheaper. But some people CAN see differences in color even between D-F so that's a little different...I can't really say TOO much about that.

But for clarity, please don't waste your money on IF. Get a VS1 or if you HAVE to feel as though you have some sort of great quality claim, get a VVS2. Then it's 'nearly flawless' but you didn't overpay *too much* for something that again...can't be seen.

Lastly...if your beloved has her heart set on a princess or a square cut...look at the Regents, QoH as CutNut suggested and also view the Hearts on Fire Dream Cut...it is essentially a princess cut but with slightly rounded corners instead of the sharp. I saw the HOF and they are very very beautiful in person. Pretty good light return too. With $30k you can get a really nice HOF! Bigger than a 1c too. HOF still have huge markup though. 40%.

Hmm if I had $30k? Well I know you didn't ask...but I would get something like a 2.5-3c excellently cut round brilliance G VS stone. I can guarantee you that a stone like that would get more eyeballs and oohs and aaahs than a 1c D IF princess with mediocre light return. Did you want the best as PERCEIVED by others (e.g sparkle and size for the most part...human nature!) or the best as perceived by you...which no one else knows about. You don't walk around saying...'Hey this is my 1c D IF princess cut diamond that I WAY overpaid for.' Or do you?

My two cents....wow that big piece of cake from a coworkers' going away party must be sugar rushing to my head....I sound a little bitchy!!!

Whatever you choose, good luck.

 

[aljdewey]

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On 8/14/2003 8:44

3 AM 6180128 wrote:

I am looking for a D/IF/Princess cut/1-1.1 carat

Money is not the issue here, I just want the BEST.

----------------

YOO-HOOOOOOOO........Fire & Ice.........we got a live one for you here.

 

[aljdewey]

In all seriousness, though, it's important to note what he said......his girlfriend *wants* a princess cut. (I think I read that correctly......if not, my bad. Disregard what I'm about to say.)

I know we all get enthusiastic to a fault about "educating" people that a RB diamond is the best thing on the planet, but the reality is that not everyone wants the same thing. Before I found this place, I was thinking that I really wanted a square-type stone because I wanted something different from the run-of-the-mill diamond.

I have since decided that I'd rather get an RB to get all the performance I think I diamond should have, and I'll instead choose to get a setting that is unique.

But for some of these guys, their signif others wants princess cut. F&I pointed out in another thread that her well-meaning hubby wanted to get her the "best" he could and bought an F, SI diamond, but she would have rather had a more substantial, lesser color/clarity diamond. I think it's the same thing......it's easy for us to tell these guys that they should get a RB because it's the best performer, but if his gf has her heart set on a princess, then he should give that serious weight in his decision.

Edited to add: OK, I went back to reread 618's comment which was "princess is the choice because of the setting she picked".

618: Did she pick the setting because she wants a princess stone or because she likes a setting which is geared to hold a princess stone right now? If she doesn't specifically wants a princess stone......if you are choosing princess only because the setting she picked has a head for a princess stone, you can simply change the head so it will take a round in most cases.

 

[Mara]

Al--I possibly could agree except that note where I said that I used to want a princess cut until I learned more about them. These poor girls don't have a chance to learn more, half the time they don't even know that they are going to get a proposal or a ring!! So therefore I feel it is in THEIR best interest for ME to educate their potential fiance on the differences.

In the end these guys can get whatever they darn well please. Get a big ole marquis if that is what you like (btw I like some fancies as well). But I think alot of people don't realize there ARE huge performance differences between the fancies and the rounds. So on one hand you have mediocre light return looks-small princess stone, and on the other hand you have the same ctw but looks bigger round with excellent light return round. Tossup? No way!

Plus out of all the stones, the princesses are almost the worst looking stones. Get a pear or a marquis, they have a certain type of beautiful sparkle that is reminscent of the round. Princess? It's like a big dark square hole. Oops did I just say that?

Maybe I should start calling myself a 'The round brilliant performance crusader'

Hee Hee.

Definitely a sugar high.

 

[aljdewey]

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On 8/14/2003 6:11:12 PM Mara wrote:

Al--I possibly could agree except that note where I said that I used to want a princess cut until I learned more about them.

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Yup, Mara.....and note above where I said that I TOO used to want other than a RB......in fact, mine was waaaaaaaaaaaay worse than yours......I actually wanted a RADIANT. (choke, choke sputter). Like you, I too learned more and decided that I could still get different without sacrificing performance.

What I was getting at is that you and I changed our *own* minds because WE actually did the research. We convinced ourselves that we'd rather get RB than princess/radiant. But that's a whoooooooole bunch different than expecting a guy to explain why his purchase was better than what she really wants.

Can you imagine F&I's hubby going home and saying "I know you really wanted this, but I thought this was better than what you wanted, so I chose this instead". Can you imagine Greg saying to you "Hey, I know you wanted this, but I found out that THIS is better even though it's way smaller than what you want." And don't even get me started on how astounded (and maybe disappointed) I'd be if my BF didn't consider my preferences in his decision-making process.

Like F&I said before, it should be about what *she* wants as well .....(I think it should be about what they both want, but if there is a discrepancy, I think the woman's should trump......she'll be the one wearing it.)

However, I think there IS a window of opportunity here.....we need to get these guys to get their GFs on here so we can go right to the source and educate THEM why the RB rules! LOLOLOL

(um........I think your sugar high is contagious!)

 

[hoorray]

Wow Mara! I think you need to take a deep breath and drink a BIG glass of water to dilute some of that sugar!

 

[Mara]

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On 8/14/2003 6:20:25 PM aljdewey wrote:

Can you imagine Greg saying to you "Hey, I know you wanted this, but I found out that THIS is better even though it's way smaller than what you want." Can't imagine my BF disregarding my preferences, either.

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Actually YES I can imagine Greg saying that to me. In fact he HAS.

He bought me round brilliant 4 prong set diamond stud earrings for Xmas our first year together....when I *really* wanted was round bezel diamond studs. Of course the studs grew on me, but I was bitter for a while that he hadn't gotten me what I had professed to really want. (Nevermind that now I know that bezel may not be the best setting to really let the diamond SHINE the way it was meant to!)

My dear future husband is of the firm mind that the gift is not really about what the recipient wants, but rather what the GIVER wants. It's a funny state of mind and thank goodness it was more prevalent then than it is now. That is why I giggle a little to read some of the posts about 'oh my gosh I can't imagine if he had come home with a marquis instead of what I really wanted--it would show he doesn't care at all about me!' because I have lived that. It wasn't the end of the world. At the time I was disappointed and he was upset with me for what he perceived to be my 'lack of appreciation' for what I had received. But over time I grew to love the studs, realized he'd made a smart decision with the simple and classic setting (which was his reasoning..less trendy than bezel), now we both love the studs, and I have wormed my way back into his diamond-giving graces; and in the end it doesn't really matter anyway...it means nothing in the scheme of things...it's not like by not buying me what I really wanted it means he loves me less. Oh wait...does it? Should he have gotten me Tiffany D FL studs to show his love? Damn.

 

[aljdewey]

That's funny, because I fall squarely in between Greg (it's about what the GIVER wants to give) and Fire & Ice (it's about what she wants......she's the one to wear it.)

For me personally, I guess it's not quite that cut & dried. I'm the type that will go pick a gift for someone as best as I can, but I'm TOTALLY not offended if it's not what someone wants. I don't mind spending the money, but I LOATHE wasting money. Consequently, I'd rather have someone return what I got and pick something they'd more prefer but to USE it or WEAR it or whatever.....anything, but don't try to make me feel good and keep what I got and then stick it in the back of a closet where it is never seen again.

I guess I also consider how important the item is on the grand scale, and/or how important it is to have a SPECIFIC thing. (Example: My mother asked what I wanted for a gift.....told her a set of knives but ONLY if she can find a set with a chef's knife, a bread knife, and a fillet knife. I'm a BIG time cook, so functionality to me is HUGELY important. Otherwise, don't bother with the knives because I don't want her to waste the money. What happens? She buys the knives.......no bread knife, no filet knife. Comes with a lovely pair of kitcher shears, though. I appreciated the thought, but I felt bad that I ended up giving them away.) In that instance, I appreciated the thought, but I'd have rather she got me perfume, jewelry, anything but the knives.

Anypoint, my point is: If it were any piece of jewelry, probably no big deal, but to me, the e-ring is different than other pieces of jewelry. I found this site because BF asked what I'd want for a ring, and I had no idea. He knows I prefer nice jewelry, and I think he would have imagined that I'd want as close to D, IF as possible. Not so.....I want him to get the best value for his money within his budget and be able to get a stone that is proportioned nicely for my finger. I don't want a huge rock necessarily, but the rock Jlim first described (.5, E, VVS) wouldn't be the choice for me when I could get a ring with more presence and no visual sacrifice.

Awful.....the more I learned here, now I reeeeeeeeally know what I want. For months, I've been trying to figure out how to subtly let him know without brashly saying "THIS is what I want." Thank goodness.....he said this weekend "I know it's not horribly romantic, but I'd really like us to pick out your ring together so I know you'll be happy with it." YAY.

At the end of the day, I guess it's about what works best for the two people involved.

 

[Hest88]

This is the week for recycling all our usual arguments, isn't it?

Like aljdewey, I'd be majorly POed if I wanted something for my e-ring and my fiance had the gall and arrogance to assume he knew better what was good for me. What next? "Honey, I know you wanted that Ann Taylor dress, but it was polyester and that print is just going to go out of style next season, so intead I stopped by Saks and got you this classic St. John suit." Grrrr.

Plus, if he could afford the D, IF, why not? His GF will no doubt love telling everything he got her a D, IF to match her flawless self. It doesn't matter what *we* think, only what she'll think.

Anyway, back to the original poster. Actually, none of those are the "best." What's important is the cut of the diamond, which will determine how wonderfully it will sparkle, and when it comes to a princess cut no one really has it down pat yet. What I'd do, if I were you, is check out some of the customer testimonals, find a jeweler you feel comfortable with, and tell him you want a stunning 1 carat D, IF, and have him/her track one down for you.

 

[aljdewey]

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On 8/14/2003 7

7:39 PM Hest88 wrote:
This is the week for recycling all our usual arguments, isn't it?

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Oh my god......I'm laughing so hard I can't breathe!

It MUST be a full moon.....that's the only likely culprit! LOLOLOLOL

 

[Mara]

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On 8/14/2003 7

7:39 PM Hest88 wrote:
This is the week for recycling all our usual arguments, isn't it?

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The board has been slow this week...we have to keep ourselves entertained SOMEHOW.

I pity the poor original poster who comes back looking for responses...hee hee.

 

[aljdewey]

Man, I gotta get a life! No.......a real one!

Tee hee hee

Hey, 618.......WHAT was it you wanted to know?

 

[Mara]

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On 8/14/2003 6:58:12 PM aljdewey wrote:

That's funny, because I fall squarely in between Greg (it's about what the GIVER wants to give) and Fire & Ice (it's about what she wants......she's the one to wear it.)

For me personally, I guess it's not quite that cut & dried. I'm the type that will go pick a gift for someone as best as I can, but I'm TOTALLY not offended if it's not what someone wants. I don't mind spending the money, but I LOATHE wasting money. Consequently, I'd rather have someone return what I got and pick something they'd more prefer but to USE it or WEAR it or whatever.....anything, but don't try to make me feel good and keep what I got and then stick it in the back of a closet where it is never seen again.

I guess I also consider how important the item is on the grand scale, and/or how important it is to have a SPECIFIC thing...
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Ha Ha I buy gifts for people and am always stuck between 'its the thought that counts' and 'i don't want to get something that they don't use'. My practical nature wars with my rarely emotional nature for certain people. There are also people in my life who would rather just get money or a gift cert than a 'i hope they use this' gift. I love those people. Hee Hee. They make it very easy for me.

For me personally..I am all about getting what I asked for *specifically*. Doesn't matter to me if you get me a present, but don't give me something that I didn't ask for. This naturally does not apply with Greg...he does whatever he wants and I'll still love him, the miscreant.

He likes to get me things like stainless steel garbage cans and cookie cutters for gifts. And you wonder why I wanted to be involved with the e-ring purchase?!

But for everyone else...I am definitely not about 'the thought'. I'd rather not get a gift than get something that will sit in the closet. I am a huge fan of asking people what they want for their bday if you don't know...and of REGISTRIES. I wish that there could be birthday registries and the like. 'Oh but that's so rude, expecting people to get you a gift'. Well then don't get me a gift...I really don't care...but if you DO...please use the registry!!! I hate garage sales to sell my unwanted birthday 'its the thought that counts' gifts.

Hee.

 

[aljdewey]

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On 8/14/2003 7:30

7 PM Mara wrote:
I'd rather not get a gift than get something that will sit in the closet. I am a huge fan of asking people what they want for their bday if you don't know...

I hate garage sales to sell my unwanted birthday 'its the thought that counts' gifts. Hee.
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Mara........I think we're RELATED! ha ha ha. Totally on the same page.

(Note to all who know me: Pllllleeeeeaaaassssse.......put the salad shooter down. Step AWAY from the salad shooter NICE and SLOW!)

 

[diane5006]

All things having been said re cut and color...

If you are looking for a princess an excellent vendor is Good Old Gold...

They also other squarish (modified square brilliant) cuts that me of interest to you and also work with the setting your GF likes

They have. Flanders, Lucere, Regent, and Queen of Hearts as well as Princess...

If she wants a princess get her a princess...it you plan to involeve her in the process...have her take a peak at good old golds website with you and get an idea what cut she wants...

Best of luck in your search

 

[aljdewey]

I wholeheartedly second the recommendation on Good Old Gold. Jonathan is extremely knowledgable about princess cuts, and he can show you how those compare visually to the other square-type stones mentioned by diane.

Good luck!

 

[Hest88]

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I'd rather not get a gift than get something that will sit in the closet. I am a huge fan of asking people what they want for their bday if you don't know...

I hate garage sales to sell my unwanted birthday 'its the thought that counts' gifts. Hee.
----------------

Oh gosh, me three! But then, if we were pure sentimentalists I couldn't see us getting into the technical minutia of diamonds. We'd just be saying, "Oh, it doesn't matter at all about cut or color or price or anything! As long as it's from your heart then of course she'll love it!"

 

[elmo]

Darned if money is not an issue then why settle for some boring old colorless diamond when she could be oh so trendy and sport some COLOR??? If we're going to be ultra trendy then make it pink or purple, or if traditional is your style then go for intense yellow. Or maybe just maybe take a walk on the wild side and spend that 30k on a fantastic Burmese ruby, with the colorless diamonds playing a much-deserved supporting role only.

Edit: when did Aurias and Rand start doing princess cuts?

 

[Hest88]

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On 8/14/2003 10:29:23 PM elmo wrote:
Edit: when did Aurias and Rand start doing princess cuts?
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I didn't know they had either, but I assumed that since the OP was asking about them they'd started to. Or maybe not?

 

[jenibear]

Hello 6080128!
Good for you that you can throw money around and not care! I am jealous!
I say get her what she wants - even if others disagree. She'll be wearing it, won't she? I like princess cuts and I - dare I say it - am not fond of rounds. I have found an incredible princess cut stone with amazing light return that is superbly cut. Will it be a little smaller than someone else's 1 ct. round? Maybe, but do I care? Not in the least cause I got what I wanted. For me it's not about what others have, but what I want.
Ask your girlfriend what she really wants and cares about before you buy. If it's princess, get her that, if she doesn't care, but wants the most sparkly thing you can find, then maybe a round is your answer. With the unlimited cash you seem to have to can get her the best princess well over a carat or the same in a round.
Another suggestion for you if you want princess is Diamond Brokers of Florida. Ask for Jan. She is amazing. I've also heard good things about SuperbCert - except I haven't seen many D or E color stones on their website.
Best of luck to you and let us know what you decide.
Jenibear.

 

[caratgirl]

Now that I've calmed down sufficiently after LMAO re the salad shooter, how about the quadrillion (TM)? these are supposedly the creme de la creme of princess cuts. Also, DBOF has highly regarded brilliant fire princess stones. Just some other options. However, I think that it may be difficult to find amny to select in the IF category, but no harm in trying. I would also try for VVS1 or VVS2, since they may be more attainable.

 

[jenibear]

I can attest that DBOF's brilliant fire princess stones are excellent. That's where I got the stone I was talking about. Mine is 1.04 cts D VS1 - although the thing looks flawless. The prices are great for the quality and the customer service - from $5,000 to $7,000.
Jenibear.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Just looking through for threads on the Rand diamond.

I saw some the other day - an interesting idea.
They follow the history of the rough diamond to polished.
Cut was OK (just OK) on the goods I saw.

But I wonder what ever happened to the orinial romantic who began this thread?
The poor guy!
Hope he bought a regent, by far the best performing square alternative.