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Q&A: Help Finding a Cushion or Emerald Cut Diamond With a $8k – $11k Budget

By Mike Fried,

Hello.

I intend to buy a solitaire ring, most likely with a cushion cut diamond.

I will send a selection of diamonds in the next step and would appreciate your input.

Feel free to link to the options you’re looking at and I’ll gladly give you my opinion on them.

It looks like that my wife is more up to a emerald cut – what I had not expected.

What are your recommendations in terms of depth and table? Is there anything else I have to pay attention to?

There are a couple of rules when buying an emerald cut stone (www.diamonds.pro/education/emerald-cut/):

1) The presence of dark areas is called the black windowing effect (caused by the cut). A nice emerald cut diamond shouldn’t have a significant black windowing effect.

2) The depth and table shouldn’t ideally exceed 74%.

3) Emeralds tend to show their inclusions more than for example rounds. It’s very important to make sure your diamond is eye-clean. Occasionally, you can even find a SI1/VS2 eye-clean emerald, but most of the times you end up with VS1+ diamond only because there was nothing lower that would look good.

4) The crown shouldn’t be flat. It would negatively affect the light refraction.

5) The diamond should have pointed culet (AGS) / none culet (GIA). Emeralds don’t have their own official cut scale given by GIA. Some companies use their own internal grades, but we don’t put any stock in those. We just use our own guidelines and strict parameters to find the best stones possible. Therefore, I wouldn’t pay attention to the cut grades you see at all.

Do you want me to send over some suggestions?

I just had a look at Blue Nile. What’s you view on this one:
Blue Nile LD15394092? I think 1.5ct is nice.

These are the alternatives: Blue Nile LD14231928, Blue Nile LD15521293, Blue Nile LD13500115

I absolutely love the Blue Nile LD14231928 and Blue Nile LD13500115. They are perfect in every single detail. The other two diamonds are nice too, but they seem to show some darker faceting.

I also found these alternatives:
Blue Nile LD15233217
Blue Nile LD15395736

Thanks for your input which is highly appreciated.

I will go for the Blue Nile LD13500115.

The Blue Nile LD13500115 is an excellent choice, go for it.

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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
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  • Free prong tightening, repolishing, rhodium plating and cleaning every 6 months
  • Provide insurance appraisal
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