Q: Dear Ira, I was wondering if you could give me your thoughts on the following Asscher Cut Diamonds from Bluenile:

http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-search?filter_id=0&track=head#diamonds_pid=LD01788438

http://www.bluenile.com/asscher-cut-diamond-1-carat-very-good-cut-f-color-si2-clarity_LD00439308

I am looking for the best Asscher Cut for less than $8,000 US. I would like a color grade of D-G I would like the best clarity possible and am very open to SI2 as long as it is eye clean and the inclusions are not too bad. Simply put, I would like the biggest bang for my buck. Please advise me. This has been very stressful for me and I have been to many brick & mortar jewelers in Southern California (where I am from) that have trying to persuade me to buy their diamonds. Thanks in advance!! Budget Anything else you might feel is relevant

A: Thanks for writing. Buying a diamond can most definitely be a very stressful experience. Especially going door to door in B&M jewelry stores and getting haggled by annoying salespeople whom you never know if you can trust or not.

I would be very hesitant to recommend buying an SI asscher cut from BN. The reason is simply that the large majority of SI1 and especially SI2 Asscher and Emerald cuts are NOT eye clean.

Take a look at the pic on this stone, and it’s a VS2!!

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Asscher-Diamond-1295751.asp?a_aid=dmnd1357

So you see, you need to be REALLY careful with Emerald Cuts and Asscher Cuts because they really show off their inclusions strongly.

I really like this stone, but it’s an H Color (which, btw, I think is totally fine to get in an asscher cut):

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Asscher-Diamond-1304654.asp?a_aid=dmnd1357 – it’s 100% eye clean and a really really nice cut.

Here’s another one, but a bit on the expensive side:

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/E-VS1-Ideal-Cut-Asscher-Diamond-1294903.asp?a_aid=dmnd1357

One more, a G color. Well under your budget, and a little smaller than you were hoping to get, but has a favorable depth that makes it look bigger than it is:

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS1-Ideal-Cut-Asscher-Diamond-1244863.asp?a_aid=dmnd1357

Have a look at these and let me know what you think!

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