Q&A: Wants a 2ct Princess Cut. Will an SI2 be Eye Clean? Blue Nile vs. James Allen? Many Issues Dealt with Below!
By Ira WeissmanQ: Hi there, LOVE your site – very helpful. I am looking at 2 princess cut stones GIA certified from Blue Nile. 1) 2.01 carat H SI2 Cut VG 2) 2.12 carat I VS2 Cut G These are the same price. My questions: 1) SI2 for a stone of this size – will the flaws be easily visible with the naked eye? 2) I Color on 2.12 carats – will this show any yellow or be clear enough? 3) Is a G cut grade too low? Will it be a poor sparkler? Thank you so much for your help!
A: Hi. Could you please send me the links to the two stones?
Q: Yes here are the links:
Thank you!
A: I would stay away from the “good” cut stone as it’s quite deep.
The other stone is nice, but I would be very hesitant buying an SI2 sight unseen – especially on a princess cut.
That stone is also very cheap which would lead me to believe it’s probably an ugly SI2.
Btw, this is precisely the reason why I recommend people buy from James Allen since they have magnified pictures of their diamonds so you can see the nature of the inclusions.
Here’s an SI1, for example:
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-SI1-Premium-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1249097.asp?a_aid=dmnd1357
It has a small black inclusion in the center of the stone. It’s most likely eye clean anyway, but you can imagine seeing this how an SI2 could be a lot worse.
Here’s what an SI2 could look like:
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/F-SI2-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1288213.asp?a_aid=dmnd1357
This is definitely visible to the naked eye.
Q: You know, I would have never looked at James Allen unless I came upon your site, and the pictures of the stones sure helps when you are not buying a VS2+ and H+ stone.
What are your thoughts on this. The price seems odd to me
Stone #1 is bigger, same color, better clarity, better cut, and yet $1500 cheaper. What am I missing?
1) http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/J-VVS2-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1276867.asp?a_aid=dmnd1357
2) http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/J-VS1-Good-Cut-Princess-Diamond-869519.asp?a_aid=dmnd1357
Thanks again for your help, so very much appreciated! I dont know a thing about diamonds and this is one of the biggest purchases of my life!
……
Have not heard back, but anyway, a quick update. I did but that first ring, the J VVS2 and given the 30 day return policy, feel comfy about it. I would never have checked out James Allen (always just used blue nile) had it not been for your site and your helpful email. Thanks again!
A: I’m sorry I didn’t get back to you. I’m in Israel, so I’m 7 hours ahead of EST.
Firstly, I’m glad you didn’t order the 2nd diamond. It had a very unusually shallow cut that would have made it look dull in real life.
Now, had I been able to answer you in time, I would have suggested you look for an I color diamond at least. A J color princess cut is going to have a very soft warm tint to it. Also, did you order it loose or with a ring? If you’re matching it with yellow gold, then it doesn’t matter at all. But if you’re matching it with white gold, and you think that warmth in the stone’s color will bother you, it might pay to cancel this order and I’ll help you find an I color.
Also, if you bought a ring, you can get 10% off the setting price with the coupon code TAD0611.
Let me know what you think! If you’d like to talk, you can call me at XXX-XXX-XXXX. It’s a local US number, but it rings here in Israel.
Q: Please dont be sorry! I am amazed that you are even replying to a stranger and being so helpful! I just figured that ring was so eye clean and nice looking that I should buy it. In the worst case, I pay $35 to ship it back to James Allen which is a low risk when I am looking to buy something that will cost so much.
You know, I called James Allen and they said that about the 2nd ring too — that the shallow cut would make it look dull. What do you mean by a “shallow cut” — how could you tell?
I did hesitate to order the J one since from your website, it recommended I and up on princess cuts, and I figured it would matter even more given the size. So I ordered it and will wait for it to come to make a decision. I think it arrives next week. I have seen J’s that are pretty darn clean (my friend calls them “borderline I’s”) and others that have that warm tint like you describe. From the picture online it looked pretty clear, especially compared to the 2nd one, so we will see.
Again, I dont know if you can tell James Allen that but you should tell them that I did buy that first ring (shipped to Palo Alto, CA if they want to confirm the order since I used a different email to buy) and I would have never bought from them had I not read your website. You deserve some credit for it. Your website is INCREDIBLY informative and clearly non promotional. The only reason you recommend James Allen is due to the online pictures, which in fact really did matter to me. Will see the ring, and if indeed it makes more sense to get the I color, I will definitely reach out for help.
Thanks Again!
A: I really appreciate the kind words, but it would be wrong for me to let you say those things without correcting you. Take a look at my article here to understand what I’m talking about:
http://www.truthaboutdiamonds.com/truth-about/truthaboutdiamonds-com/
As for the “shallow” question – shallow means that the depth of the stone (the distance from the table to the culet) as a percentage of its width is low. In the case of that stone, the depth is 62.6% which is abnormally low. A diamond needs a certain amount of depth to make sure the light properly reflects back out the top of the stone.
I think you have a good strategy re: the J color. With such a good return policy, it just makes sense. As you said, all you have to lose is $35.
Btw, did you buy this stone with a ring or was it loose? If it’s with a ring, did you use a coupon? If not, call them up right away and tell them you forgot to mention that you have a coupon. You can use TAD0611 to get 10% off the setting. They gave me that coupon to give to my readers.
I look forward to getting your report!
Q: Thanks for the link. But no, what I mean is that you are not recommending who is paying you the most. It is pretty clear that when you recommend James Allen because of the pictures, that is not a joke. As a consumer, I went to the page, and the pictures were core to my decision. I found the prices at Blue Nile better on things like a H VS1 or better round ring where I really don’t need to see the picture to make a decision. But on a J princess cut, pictures are key. And I never knew a site had pictures. I wonder why Blue Nile does not do this? Seems like an easy way to really up the customer experience.
So when you say 62.6% is low, what is the range I should be looking for?
I bought it with a platinum band — I heard about the white gold wearing away and don’t want to deal with that. And I did get the 10% off as well.
A: Well, I’m really glad you found my advice helpful!
Close to 70% is the ideal spot to be. So 73% on the stone you bought is just right!
