Opinions on this diamond

injenue

O.G.
Feb 17, 2008
516
27
Hi guys,

:smile:

i'm hoping the diamond experts here could give me some advices/opinions

i was given the GIA inscription no of a stone from HW... it is a micropave setting *love* and i guess i would like to know if you think this is a good diamond or not because there's no HW salons in australia and i'm at the moment relying on email communications to try and obtain as much info as possible.

the stats of the stone is:

Modified Cushion
1.26 carat
6.05 x 6.05 x 4.14
F color
VVS2

Depth 68.4
Table 61
Girdle thin to slightly thick, faceted
Culet none

Polish Excellent
Symmetry Very Good
Fluoresence None

the screenshot of GIA didn tell me what the cut grade is, however, I did some research on the proportion and seems like it's not ideal for a cushion?

Please help!
 
Well, there's no real ideal proportions for a cushion. Have you see the stone in person? That's really honestly the only way to purchase a cushion and know you're going to like that patterning. This is not a shape that is easily "graded" and is EXTREMELY subjective. GIA does not grade cut on a fancy, none of them really truly do. They're trying to build a system but that's a cut that is SO varied.

Frankly though...if this is from HW...I would go on a limb and say it's pretty amazing. If you want a non-branded cushion, contact Good Old Gold or Engagement Rings Direct in the US. They will help you find a well cut cushion that you can see photos and videos and tests on, esp GOG. Mark at ERD is excellent with cushions and can make a setting very similar to the HW.
 
Hello! I can't speak a lot about diamond specs, but I recently bought an engagement ring from HW sight unseen. Yes, my DBF and I dropped the cash without even looking at the diamond we were purchasing. We live in California and went to the salon, but due to my DBF work schedule and the fact our specific ring was coming from the Hawaii salon, we didn't want to drive back and forth repeatedly (arrival, sizing, picking up sizing, etc) and got the ring shipped to our house.

Per our experience, it seems HW understands a lot of their customers don't live near a salon and since each salon has such a small inventory, a lot of their rings have to be culled from other cities. Therefore they deal with out of town buyers and shipping a lot. The sales lady we worked with was amazing and took a lot of pictures for us as soon as it arrived from Hawaii, shipped it priority overnight to us and insured it for the full ring amount. If they lost the ring, they'd get the exact one custom made for us for free. But she says they've never lost a ring before. She called us the second the package was confirmed delivered and included a return label (also insured) to send back to them if I didn't like it. The long and short of this story is that HW legendary service will bend over backwards for you, and they have a no questions asked return policy if you don't like it, and they pay for return priority overnight insured shipping.

HW diamonds are GORGEOUS and I loved my ring soooooooo much, the diamond is breathtaking in real life. All fears i had about hating my ring were banished as soon as i saw it! I'm sure your cushion cut will be outstanding and lovely in the way the specs can't convey. HW only chooses the best :smile:

So maybe consider purchasing the ring and trying it on at home. It's no extra cost (I'd assume so even shipping to Australia they'll swallow the shipping fees) and just make sure they include a return label for the event you don't like the diamond.

Oh and if you need a HW sales lady that does this often and is tried and true (but I'm sure most salons do and are), the person I worked with in the Beverly Hills salon is AMAZING. She took such great care of us and my DBF and I are both half in love with her. My poor guy was so nervous about the buying, let alone shipping but she held our hand every step of the way, took copious pictures, called us with every update, tracked the ring's every movement to the minute, called me the second it arrived to see how I liked it and just in general made us feel comfortable and confident this expensive piece of jewelry was safe even floating in the shipping route. She was accommodating without being overbearing or pushy and was so patient and knowledgable. If you'd like a referral, I'd love to send you her way :smile:

Good luck!
 
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I agree. I'm not an expert with diamonds so I won't be able to give you much advice on that aspect. However, my e-ring is also from HW and custom made with an EC in the micropave setting. I was able to view the EC beforehand, but I was not able to see the final product until it was completed. DH and I were a bit worried as to how it would look but it turned out to be gorgeous. I'm certain that HW will not sell something below standards and that you should feel rest assured that the ring will be fabulous.

BTW, forgive me if I'm wrong, but I heard that HW sells regular cushions as well as modified cushions so you may want to see which type you like better or better yet, have the SA send you pics of rings for you to see since you can't see it in person.

Hope that helps!
 
Well, there's no real ideal proportions for a cushion. Have you see the stone in person? That's really honestly the only way to purchase a cushion and know you're going to like that patterning. This is not a shape that is easily "graded" and is EXTREMELY subjective. GIA does not grade cut on a fancy, none of them really truly do. They're trying to build a system but that's a cut that is SO varied.

Frankly though...if this is from HW...I would go on a limb and say it's pretty amazing. If you want a non-branded cushion, contact Good Old Gold or Engagement Rings Direct in the US. They will help you find a well cut cushion that you can see photos and videos and tests on, esp GOG. Mark at ERD is excellent with cushions and can make a setting very similar to the HW.

thanks for your reply ame i was really hoping for your comment :smile:
i spent the whole last night watching the goodoldgold youtube videos, and they seem to view the modified cushion a lot less than the cushion brilliant... so although we're leaning on taking the ring being offered... there's also some doubt on how it'll look... apparently modified cushion has a 'crushed ice' look which from the video doesnt sparkle as 'nicely'... which now is really dampering my excitment... as the ring being offered has the specs i like and within our budget... and i thought that could be it!

to see the rings in person will involve us flying out of the country... the closest being 5 hours away and also costly... which is why we're hoping to be able to get as much info as we can before making that trip... as we won't be able to go back and forth if what they have are not what we're looking for...because it's out of the country and our schedules and the costs :/ ...

would photos be able to tell me the facets of the cushion?
 
Hello! I can't speak a lot about diamond specs, but I recently bought an engagement ring from HW sight unseen. Yes, my DBF and I dropped the cash without even looking at the diamond we were purchasing. We live in California and went to the salon, but due to my DBF work schedule and the fact our specific ring was coming from the Hawaii salon, we didn't want to drive back and forth repeatedly (arrival, sizing, picking up sizing, etc) and got the ring shipped to our house.

Per our experience, it seems HW understands a lot of their customers don't live near a salon and since each salon has such a small inventory, a lot of their rings have to be culled from other cities. Therefore they deal with out of town buyers and shipping a lot. The sales lady we worked with was amazing and took a lot of pictures for us as soon as it arrived from Hawaii, shipped it priority overnight to us and insured it for the full ring amount. If they lost the ring, they'd get the exact one custom made for us for free. But she says they've never lost a ring before. She called us the second the package was confirmed delivered and included a return label (also insured) to send back to them if I didn't like it. The long and short of this story is that HW legendary service will bend over backwards for you, and they have a no questions asked return policy if you don't like it, and they pay for return priority overnight insured shipping.

HW diamonds are GORGEOUS and I loved my ring soooooooo much, the diamond is breathtaking in real life. All fears i had about hating my ring were banished as soon as i saw it! I'm sure your cushion cut will be outstanding and lovely in the way the specs can't convey. HW only chooses the best :smile:

So maybe consider purchasing the ring and trying it on at home. It's no extra cost (I'd assume so even shipping to Australia they'll swallow the shipping fees) and just make sure they include a return label for the event you don't like the diamond.

Oh and if you need a HW sales lady that does this often and is tried and true (but I'm sure most salons do and are), the person I worked with in the Beverly Hills salon is AMAZING. She took such great care of us and my DBF and I are both half in love with her. My poor guy was so nervous about the buying, let alone shipping but she held our hand every step of the way, took copious pictures, called us with every update, tracked the ring's every movement to the minute, called me the second it arrived to see how I liked it and just in general made us feel comfortable and confident this expensive piece of jewelry was safe even floating in the shipping route. She was accommodating without being overbearing or pushy and was so patient and knowledgable. If you'd like a referral, I'd love to send you her way :smile:

Good luck!

tehkatt i read your thread on your engagement ring it is gorgeous indeed!... thanks for your suggestions! My boyfriend is leaning towards actually flying out to pick up the ring as the to have it send here there'll be hefty tax bill :P more than enough for a trip for 2! ... but i'll be sure to email around the salons to see if any stores carry rings within our budget and meet the specs... and see if a transfer is possible or what arrangements are offered... i did some studies last night and is having doubt about the modifed cushion brilliant stone... and would def need your help if it's Beverly Hill salon...
 
I agree. I'm not an expert with diamonds so I won't be able to give you much advice on that aspect. However, my e-ring is also from HW and custom made with an EC in the micropave setting. I was able to view the EC beforehand, but I was not able to see the final product until it was completed. DH and I were a bit worried as to how it would look but it turned out to be gorgeous. I'm certain that HW will not sell something below standards and that you should feel rest assured that the ring will be fabulous.

BTW, forgive me if I'm wrong, but I heard that HW sells regular cushions as well as modified cushions so you may want to see which type you like better or better yet, have the SA send you pics of rings for you to see since you can't see it in person.

Hope that helps!

marialc i've also studied your photos a lot at the very beginning when i was trying to decide on a style i like... i'm very drawn to the halo micropave style however have never seen the HW micropave in person... so i was really trying to gauge how the ring looks like from all angles from you pictures :P and your ring is amazing!

In our mind we are believers that it being a HW will be above standards and we can trust the quality and looks... i guess just being a typical consumer (and an asian one!) that we wanna make sure it's the best we could get :P

i'll try to ask for some pictures to see how the ring looks like... hopefully the photos are good enough quality to tell us something!
 
tehkatt i read your thread on your engagement ring it is gorgeous indeed!... thanks for your suggestions! My boyfriend is leaning towards actually flying out to pick up the ring as the to have it send here there'll be hefty tax bill :P more than enough for a trip for 2! ... but i'll be sure to email around the salons to see if any stores carry rings within our budget and meet the specs... and see if a transfer is possible or what arrangements are offered... i did some studies last night and is having doubt about the modifed cushion brilliant stone... and would def need your help if it's Beverly Hill salon...

Thank you so much! We love it and my boyfriend was sooo nervous when we began this whole process, and Harry Winston Beverly Hills was simply wonderful start to finish. A much better experience than Tiffany's and Cartier. We actually had a very strict budget and didn't think HW was a realistic option for what I wanted, but our sales lady was so lovely in finding as many rings as she could with our specs and price range. She was actually the one who found my ring (Emerald Cut Tryst), we didn't even know this style existed since it's mostly a Japanese market ring and wasn't profiled on the HW website. She was searching rings for us, it popped up and she though "This would be perfect for Kat!" And it was hahaha

So actually I'd encourage you to just find one person to work through because they can help you locate any HW ring around the world a lot faster. They can request the ring for you, get pictures, ship it to you, and in general accommodate the entire process. They're also great sounding boards!

Also don't know if this is an option but Hawaii has a HW salon and the sales tax there (I believe) is 4%. That's where our ring originated. And you can get a trip to Hawaii out of it :graucho:
 
marialc i've also studied your photos a lot at the very beginning when i was trying to decide on a style i like... i'm very drawn to the halo micropave style however have never seen the HW micropave in person... so i was really trying to gauge how the ring looks like from all angles from you pictures :P and your ring is amazing!

In our mind we are believers that it being a HW will be above standards and we can trust the quality and looks... i guess just being a typical consumer (and an asian one!) that we wanna make sure it's the best we could get :P

i'll try to ask for some pictures to see how the ring looks like... hopefully the photos are good enough quality to tell us something!

Thank you! If you need more pics of any angles, just let me know. I can upload some for you. The setting is really beautiful from every angle. It's so delicate and the craftsmanship is superb! But you'll have to decide on the cushion on whether you like the "crushed ice" look or not. BTW, if your BF purchases it in HK, I believe there is no sales tax because DH and I stopped by at the Peninsula on our vacation to do some e-ring shopping. :smile:
 
Thank you! If you need more pics of any angles, just let me know. I can upload some for you. The setting is really beautiful from every angle. It's so delicate and the craftsmanship is superb! But you'll have to decide on the cushion on whether you like the "crushed ice" look or not. BTW, if your BF purchases it in HK, I believe there is no sales tax because DH and I stopped by at the Peninsula on our vacation to do some e-ring shopping. :smile:

i got a friend of mine to check with the Peninsula store with regards to availability and prices... it would be great if he buys it from there... meaning i get a trip back home :biggrin: what they currently have are a lot bigger centre which are way over our budget :/ if the one in singapore falls through i may ask for more details from the HK store :smile:
 
Thank you! If you need more pics of any angles, just let me know. I can upload some for you. The setting is really beautiful from every angle. It's so delicate and the craftsmanship is superb! But you'll have to decide on the cushion on whether you like the "crushed ice" look or not. BTW, if your BF purchases it in HK, I believe there is no sales tax because DH and I stopped by at the Peninsula on our vacation to do some e-ring shopping. :smile:

i just went through the threads you posted and have to say your ring is truely gorgeous! i've never really liked EC but after seeing your pics and tehkatt tryst i'm really starting to like it more and more.. so elegant and classic!
 
i got a friend of mine to check with the Peninsula store with regards to availability and prices... it would be great if he buys it from there... meaning i get a trip back home :biggrin: what they currently have are a lot bigger centre which are way over our budget :/ if the one in singapore falls through i may ask for more details from the HK store :smile:

I'm from HK too. :biggrin: Is there any way they can ship rings from other locations? When we went to look, I believe the SA searched inventory worldwide because she mentioned the same ring that we were looking at at the Beverly Hills location. A trip back home would be so nice!
 
i just went through the threads you posted and have to say your ring is truely gorgeous! i've never really liked EC but after seeing your pics and tehkatt tryst i'm really starting to like it more and more.. so elegant and classic!

You are too kind. :hugs: The SA told me that HW is known for EC's. You may already know thi, but the HW logo has the shape of an EC. ;)
 
Thank you so much! We love it and my boyfriend was sooo nervous when we began this whole process, and Harry Winston Beverly Hills was simply wonderful start to finish. A much better experience than Tiffany's and Cartier. We actually had a very strict budget and didn't think HW was a realistic option for what I wanted, but our sales lady was so lovely in finding as many rings as she could with our specs and price range. She was actually the one who found my ring (Emerald Cut Tryst), we didn't even know this style existed since it's mostly a Japanese market ring and wasn't profiled on the HW website. She was searching rings for us, it popped up and she though "This would be perfect for Kat!" And it was hahaha

So actually I'd encourage you to just find one person to work through because they can help you locate any HW ring around the world a lot faster. They can request the ring for you, get pictures, ship it to you, and in general accommodate the entire process. They're also great sounding boards!

Also don't know if this is an option but Hawaii has a HW salon and the sales tax there (I believe) is 4%. That's where our ring originated. And you can get a trip to Hawaii out of it :graucho:

i didnt know this gorgeous style existed until i saw your thread!
there's a lady that i have email communication with in the singapore salon, she's been very quick on responses so far and i just emailed her for some pictures of the micropave. apart from the micropave i also inquired about the classic winston and solitaire...just waiting for pictures of those as well...

if we buy from singapore we can claim tax at the airport... i'm not in the states so to get the ring want send in will cop a big tax bill... enough to go up a notch in color and clarity i think...we're trying (very hard) to keep within our budget :biggrin::P

i'm not sure if i should be asking her to start searching for rings elsewhere yet because we arent able to set a date to go over yet... due to my boyfriend's work schedules... we've had to cancel a couple of holidays already due to that... i don't want to have the sales lady fussing around for a ring for us when we can't give her a confirmed date...

sigh... it's dillemma :/