Diamond shapes: answers from a diamond dealer

That's a tough question to answer, because the aesthetics of shapes are so personal. I would think that oval or cushion will be the closest vibe to round, If you're OK with a less curvy stone, check out radiants as well.

There are lots of jewelers in your area - go look at some stones! You may not want to buy there (friends don't let friends pay retail!), but at least you'll see what you like and don't like.

I have posted extensively about this stuff. Check my post history!

This is an interesting question! It's a bit of a moving target. Other than round, all shapes are priced off the same "blue book," but as market trends shift there can be relatively larger discounts on one shape or another.

Right now ovals are very popular so its hard to find a bargain there. You might od better with princess or cushion. The cheapest shape these days is probably marquise, but it can be very challenging to find one that's well cut (the vast majority of MQ are cut poorly).

I can tell from the facet pattern in the plot. For some patterns, I can't say for sure, but for this one, I know it 100% - it's crushed ice. Crushed ice is generally considered less desirable/valuable than a geometric ("cushion brilliant") pattern... But if YOU love this stone, who cares? At the end of the day, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If you love it, you love it! Just make sure you're not paying the "cushion brilliant price" for a crushed ice stone.

Sorry to hear you had a tough time. This is a common issue with JA's supply chain. Remember, they don't actually own any diamonds. They list inventory on behalf of actual dealers. So, most likely, when you bought the oval, they called the dealer to ship it to them, only to discover it was out on consignment in some retail store somewhere. So it had to be shipped back to the dealer, then to JA, then to you. Thus the delay.

Congratulations! Start by asking yourself these questions:

1. What kind of center stone do I want? Diamond, or something nontraditional?

1. What shape of stone do I want? Round? Oval? Princess? Something else?

1. What color metal do I want for my ring? White gold? Yellow? Rose? Platinum?

1. Do I want a relatively simple ring (solitaire, etc.), or something elaborate (lots of small diamonds, halos, ornate engraving, etc.)?

These are the basic questions I ask my clients at the outset. With this information I can start to give meaningful guidance.

I hope this helps!

There are many different facet patterns for the so called "fancy shapes," and there are several for princess specifically. You may notice that GIA doesn't call it "princess" at all - they call it square modified brilliant. The key is in the word "modified." Once they say that word, it lets you know this isn't a standard defined cut, so different numbers of facets, as well as different facet sizes and shapes, are to be expected.

TL;DR don't worry about it. It's fine.

It's really a question of what you and she feel is comfortable. You are correct that at typical round 3ct is only about 1mm bigger in diameter than a 2ct. It doesn't sound like much, but it does look significantly different. If you can, look at a 2 and a 3 side by side and you'll see.

I'm happy to help you figure out pricing, etc. if you like. I work with stones in this range all the time. I actually have a gorgeous 2.70ct in stock right now - might be just the thing!

Certainly, princess cuts are nice stones, but they are neither more nor less inherently nice than other shapes. That's really more a matter of personal preference than anything else. However, as far as optics are concerned, round brilliant still offers the best overall light return. Unfortunately, it's also the most expensive shape (all else being equal).

There is also a potential practical problem with princess cuts (depending on the setting). The corners of the stone are naturally delicate, and prone to chipping, so if the person wearing it tends to be tough on their jewelry, I wouldn't recommend princess cuts.

As for where to get the ring, where are you located?