6 replies to this topic

[HeavySoul]

I've been shopping for a radiant cut stone just under half a carat. I'm considering the following stone:

Carat weight: 0.45
Cut: Very Good
Color: E
Clarity: VS1
Depth%: 69.1
Table%: 70.0
Girdle: Medium to Slightly Thick
Culet: None
Flourescence: None
Measurements: 4.75 x 4.17 x 2.88
Cert: GIA
Price $900

It seems like a good price but I'm concerned about the 70% table size and 69.1% depth. Do those mean anything in a radiant cut?

Thanks in advance, HS

[davidelevi]

Short answer is "no". There are lots of other things that will make a radiant cut look attractive (or not), and none of these is on a grading report. Seeing the stone is the only solution, unfortunately (and the particular vendor you are considering never sees the stones; they are a pure drop-shipper, so you are on your own, although they have a generous return period, so the only thing you are really "spending" is the shipping costs back and forth).

If I may ask a question - why did you pick this one out of hundreds of possible stones? What are you looking for?

[LaurieH]

Also, it should be noted that GIA does not assign cut grades for anything besides round diamonds. The "very good" cut is simply the sellers opinion, often based on looking at the numbers and them falling within specs for what GIA considers ideal %ages, etc, for that particular shape. I just don't want you to have the two confused.

[HeavySoul]

Davide, I chose that stone because honestly I've found only a few available options in that size, quality and value - local b&m want twice as much and from online sellers as you said I can't see the stone until it gets shipped to me. My fiancee is super active and has very small fingers so she is insistent on a smaller form factor in her ring. She's experimented with the rings of her friends - in and out of gloves, etc. and has set a hard limit on size. There are lots of larger radiant cut stones but not that many below a half carat.

Laurie, that's good info. Thanks. I did not know that.

Another question, I've read that most people end up preferring the look of a stone with faint fluorescence as it ends up looking more white. Others say that's a lower quality stone and you should disregard. If a stone has some fluorescence, is that something I should hold as a ruleout? Are we back to needing to see it to tell?

PS- Davide - also thanks to you.

Edited by HeavySoul, 19 June 2011 - 11:58 AM.

[LaurieH]

Fluorescence simply means the diamond will glow under black light. Most diamonds, if they fluoresce, do so in blue or yellow. If you have a diamond that is in the Near Colorless category or below, and you want a whiter appearance, a medium-to strong (or very strong) blue fluor *can* help cancel out some of the apparent yellowness of the diamond (blue cancelling yellow, b/c of their complementary nature) and make it appear whiter. Now that said, this is only true if 1--the fluorescence is strong enough to make a difference *at all* and 2--that the fluroescence doesn't interfere with the UV in daylight, and give the diamond a hazy/milky/greasy appearance in daylight. If it does that, then YES, it detracts from its value. It is not considered--as a rule--to be an *attractive* feature, as far as pricing goes, so sometimes you'll see diamonds that display this characteristic at a lower price. Personally, I think it's neat, b/c there aren't many gemstones at all that fluoresce and then not all diamonds DO. It's also useful sometimes as an identifier.

That said...note that I said it can be somewhat beneficial, appearancewise, if you're talking about a diamond in the NEAR COLORLESS category or LOWER. If you're talking about a COLORLESS (D-F range) you do not especially want ANY fluorescence, b/c the diamond already shows white, that fluor tends to appear hazier. Now, I've seen D-F diamonds that have had either slight to medium fluor and it made NO impact, whatsoever, on the appearance. But, sight-unseen, buying online, you need to make sure that if it displays more than slight blue or yellow, that you have someone you're dealing with (and presumably trust) lay their eyes on it and make sure it has no impact.

So E VS1, no fluor = just fine!

[davidelevi]

HeavySoul, on 19 June 2011 - 11:58 AM, said:

Davide, I chose that stone because honestly I've found only a few available options in that size, quality and value - local b&m want twice as much and from online sellers as you said I can't see the stone until it gets shipped to me. My fiancee is super active and has very small fingers so she is insistent on a smaller form factor in her ring. She's experimented with the rings of her friends - in and out of gloves, etc. and has set a hard limit on size. There are lots of larger radiant cut stones but not that many below a half carat.

What I was trying to say is:

1. The problem is not so much that you don't get to see the stone until it's shipped - it is that some vendors never see the stone themselves. This is less of a problem with rounds, where there is more info available and less variability in the cut; with fancy shapes, it's a lot tougher, and I would at least consider vendors that have the ability and willingness to inspect and take photos of the stone. Bear in mind that most stones are available to most sellers; the majority of stock the retailers show as available does not belong to or even physically reside with them but with their suppliers. So, before you decide this is "the right stone", try to find "the right vendor". Give a few people a call, ask them whether they could line up 4 or 5 diamonds, take a few photos, shoot a video... and help you with choosing.

2. Value is a complex thing. My contention is that at the moment you don't really know if that diamond is "good value" or not, because you have no idea what it looks like. We all agree it's white, contains no visible inclusions and it's below 0.50 ct. So far so good. Does it look good? Don't know - and in my mind this dominates all the previous positive attributes.

Quote

Laurie, that's good info. Thanks. I did not know that.

Another question, I've read that most people end up preferring the look of a stone with faint fluorescence as it ends up looking more white. Others say that's a lower quality stone and you should disregard. If a stone has some fluorescence, is that something I should hold as a ruleout? Are we back to needing to see it to tell?

PS- Davide - also thanks to you.

This may help - it's a study GIA did a few years ago on the effects of fluorescence http://lgdl.gia.edu/...7_fluoresce.pdf

Basically - except in very rare cases, it's a non issue. Those rare cases are immediately identifiable because they look hazy when exposed to natural sunlight, so as long as you have a good return period you are OK. On the other hand, it results in a discount price, so for me it's a plus, regardless of the stone's colour.

[HeavySoul]

Thanks very much for your help. I'll update as I make decisions.

HS