Which diamond is better?

[Marissa Ayon]

I'm having a hard time trying to pick out a cushion diamond for a halo ring that does not have visible inclusions to the naked eye within my price range. Preferably, I would like a diamond above 1.20 Carat, but what really matters to me most is the cut, color, and clarity. I want the diamond to display fiery, I don't want a diamond that's dull, so can anyone help me pick a good diamond? I'll link the ones that I have in mind.
https://www.jamesallen.com/mobile/l...cut/1.20-carat-f-color-if-clarity-sku-2756619

https://www.jamesallen.com/mobile/l...ut/1.30-carat-d-color-vs2-clarity-sku-3124365

https://www.jamesallen.com/mobile/l...ut/1.31-carat-e-color-vs2-clarity-sku-3124939

 

[OoohShiny]

What is your price range?

You are right to focus on cut as the main priority - that is what gives the stone its 'life'. I believe that you should buy cushions on spread rather than weight, though, as it's possible to get shallower stones that face up larger.

As I understand it, taller crowns will give more fire. You may wish to look at the August Vintage line that Good Old Gold stocks (and can cut to order).

Colour-wise, many on here will advocate stones down to an I or a J - tints of colour are not 'bad' and won't effect the performance of a stone, it is just personal preference as to what you like. One could argue that D and E are a waste of money as they are virtually indistinguishable from an F or a G or an H when on the finger, as you don't (usually!) wear a suite of diamonds across the colour range, so there is no comparison next to it.

Of those above, the F IF lacks defined facets under the table so suffers from 'mush'; the D VS2 has better definition but is very dark when viewed head-on (either due to obstruction, which might be okay, or leakage, which isn't okay); and the E VS2 hasn't got a particularly defined facet pattern under the table but I quite like the effect it creates.

I think it is also good to get IS and ASET images of cushions? I may be wrong, though.

 

[OoohShiny]

It is a struggle to find nice cushions, plus there is so much choice of cut design!

GOG has very little in-stock inventory, Brian Gavin doesn't appear to have anything in-house over about a carat, Whiteflash don't appear to have much...

I'm drawn to these, but I have little experience so would recommend waiting for others' input. (Where is @Gypsy these days? )

https://enchanteddiamonds.com/diamonds/view/C130-059489646?
https://enchanteddiamonds.com/diamonds/view/C170-303690623? (Not sure about how dark it might be face on)
https://enchanteddiamonds.com/diamonds/view/C154-8638254Z3? (not particularly defined facets but appears bright)

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.20-carat-d-color-vs1-clarity-sku-2611007 (Not very defined under the table but bright and sparkly)

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.02-carat-g-color-vs2-clarity-sku-1923807 / https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.02-carat-g-color-vs2-clarity-sku-1944255 (Don't see many of these half-and-half 8-facet stones - they have the bottom half from a MRB but the top half of a cushion)

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.23-carat-f-color-vs2-clarity-sku-1016298 (Might be interesting - quite a tall crown + chunky facets = strong fire and coloured flashes, I think)
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.21-carat-f-color-vs2-clarity-sku-2684081 (Quite a high crown but slight mush under the table - not unattractive IMO, though)
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.21-carat-g-color-vs2-clarity-sku-3126229 (Lower crown but chunky facets. Maybe a touch dark/leaky head-on)

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.21-carat-h-color-vvs2-clarity-sku-2664769 (Quite a low crown height / large table but well-defined facets)
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.36-carat-f-color-vs1-clarity-sku-3082685 (Same comments again)
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.40-carat-h-color-vs1-clarity-sku-3032432 (Very low crown and large table but bright, looks like lots of scintillation, and I like the faceting, even if not very symmetrical)
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.41-carat-h-color-vs1-clarity-sku-2780518 (Ditto above comments)
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.21-carat-g-color-vvs2-clarity-sku-3021728
(Same comments again)
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.30-carat-f-color-vs2-clarity-sku-3057875 (and again)
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.21-carat-g-color-vs2-clarity-sku-3134467 (and again, but maybe a little leakage head-on)

 

[tyty333]

I only like one of the stones you picked Marissa.
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.30-carat-d-color-vs2-clarity-sku-3124365

Here are a few that I like (Oh_shiny may have already posted these...I didnt double check)
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.20-carat-d-color-vs2-clarity-sku-3005347
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.30-carat-f-color-si1-clarity-sku-3036107 have to ask if its eye-clean
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.20-carat-f-color-vs2-clarity-sku-2606808 not great, but no bad

A nice one at Blue Nile (hold shift key down when click on link)
https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-details/LD08676405

 

[Snowdrop13]

I'm drawn to these, but I have little experience so would recommend waiting for others' input. (Where is @Gypsy these days? )

Gypsy became a trade member and had to stop posting in the way that she had done with all her fantastic advice! She pops in occasionally now as LaylaR.

 

[OoohShiny]

Thanks, Snowdrop, I clearly haven't been paying attention! lol

That news is a shame for us but good for Gypsy/Layla

 

[Marissa Ayon]

It is a struggle to find nice cushions, plus there is so much choice of cut design!

GOG has very little in-stock inventory, Brian Gavin doesn't appear to have anything in-house over about a carat, Whiteflash don't appear to have much...

I'm drawn to these, but I have little experience so would recommend waiting for others' input. (Where is @Gypsy these days? )

https://enchanteddiamonds.com/diamonds/view/C130-059489646?
https://enchanteddiamonds.com/diamonds/view/C170-303690623? (Not sure about how dark it might be face on)
https://enchanteddiamonds.com/diamonds/view/C154-8638254Z3? (not particularly defined facets but appears bright)

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.20-carat-d-color-vs1-clarity-sku-2611007 (Not very defined under the table but bright and sparkly)

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.02-carat-g-color-vs2-clarity-sku-1923807 / https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.02-carat-g-color-vs2-clarity-sku-1944255 (Don't see many of these half-and-half 8-facet stones - they have the bottom half from a MRB but the top half of a cushion)

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.23-carat-f-color-vs2-clarity-sku-1016298 (Might be interesting - quite a tall crown + chunky facets = strong fire and coloured flashes, I think)
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.21-carat-f-color-vs2-clarity-sku-2684081 (Quite a high crown but slight mush under the table - not unattractive IMO, though)
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.21-carat-g-color-vs2-clarity-sku-3126229 (Lower crown but chunky facets. Maybe a touch dark/leaky head-on)

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.21-carat-h-color-vvs2-clarity-sku-2664769 (Quite a low crown height / large table but well-defined facets)
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.36-carat-f-color-vs1-clarity-sku-3082685 (Same comments again)
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.40-carat-h-color-vs1-clarity-sku-3032432 (Very low crown and large table but bright, looks like lots of scintillation, and I like the faceting, even if not very symmetrical)
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.41-carat-h-color-vs1-clarity-sku-2780518 (Ditto above comments)
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.21-carat-g-color-vvs2-clarity-sku-3021728
(Same comments again)
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.30-carat-f-color-vs2-clarity-sku-3057875 (and again)
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.21-carat-g-color-vs2-clarity-sku-3134467 (and again, but maybe a little leakage head-on)

Thank you so much, those were are all beautiful, but they don't have an excellent cut .

What are your opinions on these diamonds?
https://www.jamesallen.com/mobile/l...cut/1.20-carat-f-color-if-clarity-sku-3124958

https://www.jamesallen.com/mobile/l...ut/1.50-carat-h-color-vs1-clarity-sku-3125400

https://www.jamesallen.com/mobile/l...t/1.21-carat-f-color-vvs2-clarity-sku-3125221

Also, does fluorescence really have an impact on a diamond? I originally was going to get a Vera Wang ring that had no fluorescence, so now I'm set on a diamond with no fluorescence.

 

[OoohShiny]

Similar to your earlier selections, all three of those stones are very dark head on - and I can't tell if it's obstruction (where it reflects the dark camera lens in the same way that one can see darker arrows in MRBs when looking down on them from a close distance and creating a shadow) or leakage (where light is escaping out the side of the diamonds rather than being reflected back like it should).

I think they will look dark and smaller than stones with bright light return from edge to edge, and I believe that at least one of them appears to have 'tilt windowing', where tilting the stone makes it completely see-through.

A diamond's sole job is to reflect light back out of the top, to the viewer, so stones should be bright and sparkling - they should not be dark and sucking light in to then only expel it out the sides like it is unwanted.


I am no expert, though, and the expert vendors on the forum are unable to comment on specific stones from other sellers, but I would ask @Rockdiamond to contribute here with some general comments regarding buying using your eyes vs buying just off the 'excellent' ratings from GIA. Some would say his views are controversial sometimes but in this instance I agree with him - I much prefer the stones I picked out because they are brighter and more visually interesting that the stones you have picked, despite the ones I have chosen not all being 'excellent' in the listings.

What appeals to me may not appeal to you, though, as personal taste is exactly that but whatever you like, you need to ensure the performance is good. Once you have made a final selection, ask JA to provide IS and ASETscope images for the stones. You can then post them here for consideration, but be aware that JA will only do three in total, I believe, so we need to get you to the point that you have chosen stones that look like they will perform well.


You will need to search for 'fluorescence' using the search bar at the top of this page and then read some of the threads that come up - it has been covered before in much greater detail than I can relate. In short, it only negatively affects very few stones, and then only usually when it is Strong Blue or Very Strong Blue. Most of the time it merely lifts the stone's colour perhaps a couple of degrees in outdoors light, which is a bonus.

 

[OoohShiny]

Check out http://www.oldworlddiamonds.com/favorite-diamonds.php?PAGE=1&SHAPE=any&SORT=weight for some older cuts that might be of interest.