Q&A: Looking for an Asscher Cut Diamond for under $2500

Dear Diamond Pro,

I have been researching on the internet about buying a diamond ring and I have found your site very useful and informative. I read about how you make money off referrals and decided that I would like to give back to you given that you educated me.

My girlfriend and I have already discussed what sort of rings that she likes some years back but has no idea that I am planning to propose. She loves the spiral tension ring style. I found exactly what sort of ring she would like in the James Allan collection.

https://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/tension/14k-white-gold-spiral-tension-set-engagement-ring-item-197?a_aid=dmnd1357
https://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/tension/14k-white-gold-spiral-solitaire-engagement-ring-item-1880?a_aid=dmnd1357

This led me to a slight problem as her favourite diamond style was an Asscher cut which was not supported with this ring style. I contacted James Allen who informed me that I could get one of the above styles with the Asscher cut (the more expensive one) which makes sense as it does not have a metal container for the stone.

I only have a modest budget of around 3000 – 3500 dollars for the ring+diamond so with 1500 dollars used on the ring, I know that the diamond will not be large. I have had a look at the Asscher cut stones they have on offer, filtered for a very good cut, but it leaves me with quite a few options. As you mentioned in your article, asscher cuts with a depth < 65% seem rather rare and I cannot find any that have both depth… 

 Thank you very much for getting back to me.

My message to yourselves seems to have got partially cutoff. I had some example diamonds that I had selected and some other questions. I am not sure if there is an unwritten word count on your contact form?

I think the diamond that you selected is really nice. From what I have read the colour is the least important of the 4 C’s which is the attribute that your diamond is lacking in. However, I hadn’t actually noticed it before because I had not been looking for diamonds in the ‘I’ color category before. I had read (from other sites and your own) that this was slightly too yellow for an Asscher (square) cut??

I very much like that you had selected a 0.7 carat diamond with no obvious flaws. The diamonds that I had looked at were mostly in the range of 0.5-0.6 carats. My other couple of questions were:

Do you think that the ring design will complement a non ‘Brilliant’ cut? Or perhaps might a princess or radiant cut be better?
Is a 0.5-0.6 carat diamond too small for the ring design (and/or in general)? The 0.7 diamond is breaking my budget (slightly).
When viewed directly from above, part of it seems very black. Is that normal for an Asscher? I have seen this in other diamonds.
What is better to be low, depth or table?
Some of the other diamonds that I had been looking at were

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/asscher-cut/0.60-carat-e-color-vvs1-clarity-sku-217820?a_aid=dmnd1357
– I could see some potential marks on the top.

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/asscher-cut/0.53-carat-d-color-vvs1-clarity-sku-158116?a_aid=dmnd1357
– Small table but quite expensive for the carat size.

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/asscher-cut/0.57-carat-f-color-vs1-clarity-sku-52428?a_aid=dmnd1357
– nice small depth but quite a large table.

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/asscher-cut/0.50-carat-g-color-vvs1-clarity-sku-216832?a_aid=dmnd1357
– my go-to choice for the smaller carat diamond as it was quite a bit cheaper.
I also found another ring design that was similar but I guess this is just my preference…
https://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/tension/14k-white-gold-contoured-twist-tension-set-engagement-ring-item-808?a_aid=dmnd1357

 First off I would like to thank you again for your correspondence and advice.

I do have to apologise though. I managed to surreptitiously get the ring size for my girlfriend this weekend. I then went to order the ring only to find that the two larger diamonds I was going to buy (that you helped me with) are no longer available. 🙁

I was hoping that you would cast your experienced eye over a few different diamonds (or suggest a different one) that I have looked at. I won’t make the same mistake twice and I am ready to order a ring now. To remind you I am after an Asscher cut diamond in the price range of $1500 – $2500.

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/asscher-cut/0.61-carat-h-color-vvs2-clarity-sku-224991?a_aid=dmnd1357
– Nice depth but perhaps a cloud on the left (and strangely cheap).

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/asscher-cut/0.71-carat-h-color-vs1-clarity-sku-22656?a_aid=dmnd1357
– Top end of my price range with a few flecks on the left too

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/asscher-cut/0.70-carat-g-color-if-clarity-sku-229738?a_aid=dmnd1357
– Very good cut but quite a large depth and faint fluorescence

 I decided to go for it and bought the diamond below in the tension ring that I was talking about. I told the sales assistant that I got my advice for you and that I knew you got some kind of finding fee. I am informing you because I am not sure if you have to do anything.

Thanks again for your advice on this. I just hope she says ‘yes’ now. 🙂