Dear Ira, I was wondering if you could give me your thoughts on the following Asscher Cut Diamonds from Bluenile:
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.
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!!
https://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):
https://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:
https://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:
https://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!
Thank you Ira for the quick response. When I talked to someone on the phone from Blue Nile, they had their Gemologist look at them. The 1.5C was eye clean according to them, while the 1.42 was not eye clean but the inclusions were white. The person on the phone said that while the 1.42C could present a great value due to this. I am hesitant but it does appear to be a great value for what seems to be a nice diamond. Do you have an opinion on buying SI1 and SI2 Asscher Cuts from Blue Nile that are said to be “eye-clean”?
I know you favor James Allen because of their pictures and it’s funny that you suggested the 1.53C because I was attracted to that diamond as well.
Also, I went to a B&M store yesterday and they attacked the Blue Nile diamonds I linked you basically questioning why a diamond that seems to be of such great value (the 1.42C) was still available even though the GIA report was done in 2006. It seems to me like a credible question. In your opinion, does that give consumers a hint of whether a diamond is a great deal or not if it’s still available long after the GIA report? Or can GIA reports be updated to reflect a more recent date?
Sorry for the long email but it seems as though that as I read more about diamonds and especially this Asscher cuts, I come up with more questions than answers. BTW: your website has been absolutely helpful. If not for it, this email would probably be twice as long.
The problem with the gemologists at BN is that they’re not really looking at the diamonds. BN doesn’t own any diamonds. They work with major wholesalers all over the world and just list their diamonds “virtually.” So when someone like you calls, they make a phone call to the vendor that owns the diamond in question and ask the owner their opinion of the diamond. The problem with that is the guy who owns the diamond is incredibly biased. Their stone is in competition with hundreds of others on BN, and they want THEIR stone to sell.
JA on the other hand only works with vendors within walking distance to their NY office. When someone like you calls JA, they go and get the stone and see it for themselves. The difference is clear – JA doesn’t care if you buy a stone that’s owned from their vendor X or vendor Y, they just want you to buy a stone from them that you’re going to be happy with. So it’s totally in their interest to be completely honest with you.
As far as the old cert goes, it’s the kind of thing that CAN be a bad sign, but certainly doesn’t necessarily mean it is. It could be a stone that the vendor bought off the street from a divorce or broken engagement.
And yes, GIA reports can definitely be updated. All you have to do is throw away the old cert and send the stone in again for certification. The only downside to this is that GIA certs are very expensive. I think about $100 per carat.
What we love about them:
- No questions asked returns within 30 days of shipment. James Allen will send you a paid shipping label to return the ring.
- Lifetime Warranty
- Free International Shipping
- Free prong tightening, repolishing, rhodium plating and cleaning every 6 months
- Provide insurance appraisals
- One free resizing within 60 days of purchase
- Free ring inscriptions
- Best-in-class high quality imagery of all diamonds in stock
- 24/7 Customer Service
- Best-in-class packaging
What we love about them:
- No questions asked returns within 30 days of shipment. Blue Nile will send you a paid shipping label to return the ring.
- Lifetime Warranty
- Free Shipping
- Free prong tightening, repolishing, rhodium plating and cleaning every 6 months
- Provide insurance appraisal
- One free resizing within the first year of purchase
- High quality images of about half of their diamonds
- 24/7 Customer Service
- 100% credit towards future upgrades (must be at least double in value)
- Best in class fulfillment
Still afraid of getting ripped off?
Before you buy a diamond, get personal buying advice from industry veterans. We'll help you get the best diamond for the money.
Ask your diamond purchase question here
DISCLAIMER: We don't use your email for marketing. Period.
