Two Carat Cushion Cut Diamond Engagement Ring
Hey Danny, I’m in the market for a cushion cut diamond engagement ring and was reading about the new Brian Gavin Cushion cut diamond with hearts and arrows pattern on a diamond forum. It sounds like a pretty amazing looking diamond, and I’m sure that my soon-to-be fiancé would love it! I know that she’d really like something around two carats, in F-G color, based on some conversations which we’ve had on the subject, but I really don’t want to spend that kind of money… what do you recommend? – Clint T.
Diamond carat weight and pricing:
I don’t know whether you’re aware of it or not Clint, but there is a price increase in the Price Per Carat (PPC) of diamonds between the 1.99 – 2.00 carat marks, and thus you can save a considerable amount of money if you can find a diamond which appeals to you that weighs a little less than two carats.
For instance, while this 2.065 carat, G-color, VS-1 clarity, Brian Gavin Signature Cushion cut diamond might be exactly what your girlfriend has in mind, at $33,829.00 it might be more than you want to spend at this moment in time. However this 1.846 carat, H-color, VVS-1 clarity, Brian Gavin Signature Cushion cut diamond is only $20,186.00 and the difference in size is not that noticeable.
Forget about the concept of diamond carat weight for a moment, and consider the outside dimensions of the two diamonds… the 2.065 carat diamond measures 8.63 x 7.13 x 5.20 mm. Now for all of this to make sense, you need to understand how Brian Gavin Signature Cushion cut diamonds are measured, the first measurement of 8.63 mm, represents the longest tip-to-tip measurement across the top surface of the diamond; the second measurement of 7.13 mm, represents the shortest edge-to-edge measurement across the top of the diamond; and the last measurement of 5.20 mm, is the distance between the top of the table facet, down through the diamond to the bottom point which is known as the culet.
The 1.846 carat diamond measures 8.17 x 6.97 x 4.99 mm, so the difference between the tip-to-tip measurements across the surface of the two diamonds is less than half a millimeter, it’s not something which you’re going to notice from across the dinner table, but is something which you would probably notice if you were comparing the two diamonds directly, side-by-side.
Slight Differences in Diamond Color:
While you’re girlfriend might have indicated that her preference is a diamond which is F-color or G-color, the reality is that it is extremely difficult to discern the differences of a color grade or two from a top-down perspective, especially with diamonds cut to this level of optical symmetry and ideal proportions, because they display a superior volume of light return and a higher degree of sparkle than diamonds of lesser diamond cut quality.
Thus an H-color diamond is not really a stretch from an F or G color diamond, and enables you to save quite a bit of money. But if the color of the diamond is truly a concern, consider this 1.760 carat, G-color, VS-2 clarity, Brian Gavin Signature Cushion cut diamond, which measures 8.19 x 6.74 x 4.97 mm, here again the difference in outside diameter between this and the two carat diamond referenced above is slight and thus it is certainly worthy of consideration.
