Where to buy a Lucida Cut Diamond online(Not Tiffany)

by pricescope » Dec 19, 2001

Clarification: Do you want Lucida Cut Diamond or Lucida Settings?

Check out these threads:






. Like this one:

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by icebuyer » Aug 13, 2002

have you seen a brilliant round stone in a Lucida setting? Can this be done?

Thanks,

 

by roksinmymind » Aug 13, 2002

I think this site has a knock off using the vatche x-prong setting and a "spring cut" diamond. I don't know how good it is tho. Maybe it will help.

http://www.diamondwholesale.cc/solitaire_xprong_spring.asp

 

by 2bengaged » Aug 24, 2002

The other day my girlfriend saw a Lucere diamond at a local jewelry store and really liked it. She also likes princess cut diamonds and am having a hard time understanding why the Lucere/Lucida diamonds cost so much more than a similar sized princess diamond that has better clarity and color. I know they can charge a premium for having a trademark diamond but is there something special to the cut that I'm missing? I'm from the Milwaukee, WI area and am looking for local dealers that carry Lucere or similar cut diamonds to the Lucida. Can anyone help? I've been through the threads and visited goodoldgold and http://www.cutbygauge.com/lucere.html but I still can't find the answers to my questions. Any insight or experiences would be appreciated.

 

by pricescope » Aug 24, 2002

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I know they can charge a premium for having a trademark diamond but is there something special to the cut that I'm missing?
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2bengaged, this is pretty much it.

On the positive note, they are very nicely cut stones. Garry and I had a chance to see Lucere in Vegas this last June. Garry pulled his ideal-scope and checked several stones. 1/3 of them had a great light return, which is a lot for fancies.

There is much less probability to find a well cut princess. Most of them cut for weight retention. Cutters who cut princess for a beauty ask a higher price for their goods.

 

by fallschurchva » Aug 28, 2002

Well, you are in the same crux that I was in until today.

I started to look into purchasing an engagement ring for my fiance back in May. I came across "pricescope" early on, and this proved to be invaluable advice. I spent many days getting informed on simply what constitutes a good diamond. Secondly, I came across GoodOldGold and from the start I was inclined to purchasing the ring from Jonathon and GoodOldGold.

From the beginning, I, myself, was set on a round cut solitaire set in a "Tiffany-6-Prong" type of setting. Fortunately and UNFORTUNATELY, I decided to take my fiance with me to look at different rings from different retailers in the area. While we were out in Southern Cal, we dropped by a Tiffanys out there and immediately she was sold on the Lucida. She really liked the contemporary and unique yet classic touch of the "Lucida."

A few weeks later in early-July, we went to see the Lucida again at a Tiffanys back here in Tyson's Corner. It was a 0.82ct/E or F/VS2 which retailed at approximately $8.4K or so. At that point, I thought I had to caugh it up and buy from Tiffanys since I thought they were the only ones to sell the Lucida. Fortunately, I did some follow up research and found a number of posts from pricescope on the Lucida and realized I could essentially get a "Lucida-like" by combining a Lucere with the Vatche X-Prong.

I quickly found out, and you will too, that the easy part is nailing down the setting, since the Vatche X-Prong is essentially the Lucida setting. A number of vendors sell it and that was/is not the problem; instead, the problem was/is getting the Lucere.

I took the information from pricescope and the first 2 online retailers I contacted in early-July were GoodOldGold and Whiteflash. Since both my fiance and I are reasonable consumers, we both agreed that the diamond would not have to be "perfect," but just a darn good diamond that any normal person would find beautiful.

I told them my specifications: a 0.75ct to 0.90ct Lucere F/G/H/I and "Eyeclean" SI2 or better. Most importantly, I mentioned that I wanted to get the best cut quality I could for $3.0 to $4.0K. In a few days, Christen from GoodOldGold responded with a Flanders cut. Unfortunately, that was a little out of my price range; more importantly, although the Vatche X-Prong can take a lot of different square cuts (i.e. Flanders, Square Emerald, Spring), my fiance was simply sold on the Lucere and preferred it everything else.

In the meantime, I contacted Whiteflash, and spoke to Ramona, and specified the same parameters. She said she would look into it, and it turns out that Whiteflash no longer carries the Lucere. A few weeks later, Christen followed up with me with a round cut and sent an attachment of a round set in a Vatche X. I thought it was very very nice, but my fiance again was more inclined to the Lucere. Although she would be ok with a round, I knew she had her heart set on the Lucere.

I didn't hear from GoodOldGold for a few weeks thereafter, and eventually a week ago, I emailed CutbyGauge, the "manufacturers" of the Lucere, and they took down my contact information and said a authorized distributor would get hold of me. I found them to be a little "stuffy" and not the most pleasant people to speak with, and most of all, no one ever followed up with me.

I pretty much gave up at this point and was going to settle for a round when Christen and Jonathon from GoodOldGold gave me a call yesterday to inform me that they might have a Lucere that fit my parameters. I checked it out, and it fit the bill--a Lucere 0.81ct G SI2. Best of all, it was in my price range (I'm sorry, but I do not feel comfortable disclosing the exact price). I found Jonathon to be incredibly down to earth and I was very satisfied with our conversation. I told him to give me a day to think about it and this morning I finalized the purchase.

So that's it, after about 2 months or so, I got what I wanted, but I have to tell you that it was an experience. In short, now that Whiteflash no longer carries the Lucere, other than Jonathon at GoodOldGold, I don't know of any other on-line retailers selling the Lucere.

All in all, although I know that I could've gotten a better "bang for the buck" with a round, I'm very happy because I got my fiance what she wanted. I even told her that the Lucere is not the "best-buy-for-the-money." In particular, the light retention from the firescope and light return from the brilliantscope simply don't measure up with most rounds I was looking at. Still, that's what she wanted and at the end of the day, it is her ring.

My advice would be--if you simply have to have the Lucere--is to give yourself a few months or at least 2 and give Jonathon a heads up.

Once I get the ring, I'll try to post it on the forum.

Best of Luck!

Fallschurchva

 

by 2bengaged » Aug 28, 2002

Thank you for sharing your experience. I think you were looking for a diamond similar to what I'm looking for. I want very good color and good clarity but it doesn't have to be huge. I'm looking at the .65 to .85 size. Based on your experiences, am I unrealistic in hoping to find a Lucere or Lucere look alike for $3K that matches these qualities? You mentioned the Spring diamond. Do you know how that stacks up against the Lucere for price and if there are other's besides the Spring and Flanders that have a similar cut? Again, thanks for your help. I've learned alot from this site the last few days!

 

by wndrful » Aug 28, 2002

My two cents:

As it would be for any diamond, not only for lucere. Before making any personal choices, please take it out of the jewelery store and look at it in natural light/office lighting. If it appeals to you, in that light only then go for it. This is how you are going to look at your diamond most of the time. For such a big purchase and that too sitting on your finger for so many years, its worth it.

The reasoning is, things look really different in jewelery store lighting. Especially in Tiffany's where they have spend big bucks for fancy lighting (there is a thread here that you can look up). And remember, you pay for the fancy lighting!

If you are in a mall, just take all three near the door: round brilliant, lucere, princess , let the mall lights fall on them. If you are jewelery store, go near a window/door or go where the jeweler does his work or near the cash register, anywhere away from the display cases and then take a look at the diamonds. You will be surprised at the difference.

Everyone looks handsome/pretty in a dark bar after a few beers. You don't want to regret the next day morning