How do you feel about K-M Graded Diamonds?

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#46
lilmountaingirl said:
Today i was fortunate enough to see the pear i was considering and found a local jeweler with every diamond imaginable! I am passing on the pear. It faces up a nice pale yellow but it has a slight bowtie and i can't deal with it. The next jeweler though had two amazingly perfect stones. Of course, it pushed me to the double my budget range. Geez i feel like goldilocks. But i've definitley found the right fit. The problem? There are two right fits! Ugh! First, a beautiful pale yellow very slightly tinted 2.5 ct M color cushion (Ame was right, i would want an M ~ lol) with the most amazing fire. It is a deep cushion (is this standard for cushions?) but i love the side profile! The second is a "light fancy" yellow 3 ct radiant. So it is a deeper yellow and also has nice fire. The color on the 3 ct is a little more of the yellow i wanted but the fire on the cushion is a little better and it is just such a pretty cut. Is finding the right fit this hard for everyone? Which should i pick?
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OF these two the cushion without a doubt sounds like what you want and I vote for that, everything below that SK said is bang on about depth, etc. As well as preference. I also think when you see a cushion you like the faceting and fire of that's a perfect fit. I am also glad you liked the M in person!

Who graded these stones? Is there a cert?


skphotoimages said:
Cushions usually are deep. But some are deeper than others. The disadvatage here is less finger coverage..a lot of the carat weight is ont the bottom. That being said, I personally would choose a cushion over a radiant anyday of the week. Personal preference though.
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Yes. Same preference.
 
#47
ame said:
Who graded these stones? Is there a cert?
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They both have certs and I believe they are both GIA graded. I know for a fact the cushion is GIA graded and the Radiant could be EGL but i'm pretty sure it is GIA. They both had the same clarity grade - which was lower than i wanted to go but at this point i have to just take it. My husband did say the radiant was actually cleaner though under the loupe. He prefers the color and size of the radiant. Since it is a fancy, you definitely get more even color and more color saturation. It is so yellow it almost looks fancy intense but with more fire if that makes sense. The cushion's cut is only graded as good/good, it is pretty deep. The radiant i believe is very good/very good. The radiant is a higher cost per carat. Do you think that is because of the size, the cut, or because it is fancy?
 
#49
skphotoimages said:
Cushions usually are deep. But some are deeper than others. The disadvatage here is less finger coverage..a lot of the carat weight is ont the bottom. That being said, I personally would choose a cushion over a radiant anyday of the week. Personal preference though.
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The cushion's cut is graded as good/good. It is definitely bottom heavy. It looks about 3/4 carat smaller than it is from the top, but the side profile is so pretty that i felt it made up for it. Do you think good/good means it is too bottom heavy? And you'd still choose it at half a carat smaller and as an M color instead of a fancy color?
 
#50
I personally can't stand the crushed ice look of radiants. I love the big bold facets of cushions. So yes, I would even take a 1 ct cushion over a 3 ct radiant. I also prefer "warm" colors (cream soda, or like a glass of champagne) over the actual yellow diamonds when it comes to a cushion. If I did like radiants than I guess I would pick yellow because I have seen yellow radiants and they are nice if you like that sort of thing. In a pear I would choose yellow but in a round I would choose l-m over yellow. I think different cuts are better suited for different colors.
There is a member on here who actually sells antique cut diamonds on her website. She even mentions how much she loves the side view of her vintage diamonds. In the right setting a botom heavy stone could look really neat.
SO are you set on buying local? There are some vendors out there who deal in vintage cushion cuts and if you prefer the chunky facets, maybe your dream diamond is out there yet. But if you're set on buying local, I understand. I would still personally choose the cushion. Regarding it being rated good/good, 'm wondering if it's an antique cushion with a more recent GIA report. If so, I wouldn't worry in the slightest if it was good/good. If it is a modern cushion, I might keep looking. All depends on how the stone performed in person in ALL lighting. I should clarify that while I do prefer cushions over radiants, I'm mostly speaking of antique/vintage cushions.
 
#52
I like mid to low color stones in certain cuts: cushion, old euros, mine, marquise, oval....they look antique, mellow, warm and often have more sparkle due to the cut. I dont like lower colors in step cut stones
 
#54
You could look for a Y-Z which would still give you a yellow stone but without the step up in price of a light fancy.

What are the depth % of the stones? GIA does not grade cut on a cushion or radiant cert, only finish (symmetry and polish).
 
#55
lilmountaingirl said:
Do you think a cushion GIA SI1 with good/good cut is okay? I actually love how deep it sits, so that doesn't bother me. The radiant is also SI1 but the cut was either VG/VG or Ex/Ex.
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Cushions dont have the same kind of "ideal" standards as rounds, so the "cut quality" on that grading report isn't quite the same. You really should get an ASET before you go back and decide. Then you can see what you think under that.

But if you like this stone a lot, and it sounds like you do, get it! Cushions are extremely subjective.

Are you stuck using this vendor? Because we can point you to at least two online vendors that are excellent with cushions.
 
#56
ame said:
Cushions dont have the same kind of "ideal" standards as rounds, so the "cut quality" on that grading report isn't quite the same. You really should get an ASET before you go back and decide. Then you can see what you think under that.

But if you like this stone a lot, and it sounds like you do, get it! Cushions are extremely subjective.

Are you stuck using this vendor? Because we can point you to at least two online vendors that are excellent with cushions.
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No, i can go anywhere. They were just the best i came across locally. Where should i look online? And thank you for helping me!
 
#57
shiba said:
You could look for a Y-Z which would still give you a yellow stone but without the step up in price of a light fancy.

What are the depth % of the stones? GIA does not grade cut on a cushion or radiant cert, only finish (symmetry and polish).
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It is possible i'm misunderstanding the grading. I can't remember the % but i go back Monday, so what advice can you give me to look at for the %? Y-Z is a good suggestion, too, if i can find one. M is the lowest i have been able to find locally...
 
#58
lilmountaingirl said:
No, i can go anywhere. They were just the best i came across locally. Where should i look online? And thank you for helping me!
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Sure thing! We don't want you to settle just because that's local. If you LOVE that stone, by all means. But if not...don't settle.

These two sites are excellent with cushions and GOG is great with old style, also.
Here are a few:
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/7145/
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/8153/
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/7805/
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/7743/
http://engagementringsdirect.com/DiamondDetails.aspx?Item=182829397

I think Mark T @ERD can get lower colors, he doesn't have lots on his site.

http://engagementringsdirect.com/
http://goodoldgold.com/
 
#60
ame said:
Sure thing! We don't want you to settle just because that's local. If you LOVE that stone, by all means. But if not...don't settle.

These two sites are excellent with cushions and GOG is great with old style, also.
Here are a few:
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/7145/
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/8153/
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/7805/
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/7743/
http://engagementringsdirect.com/DiamondDetails.aspx?Item=182829397

I think Mark T @ERD can get lower colors, he doesn't have lots on his site.

http://engagementringsdirect.com/
http://goodoldgold.com/
Click to expand...

I looked on GOG yesterday for her and wondered what her price range was because he has an awesome 4ct August Vintage right now :-)
 
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