Advise on Argyle Diamonds

[Sasori]

Hi Guys,
I''ve proposed and given my e-ring 3 months back.
I''m still here..
Colourless Diamond.
Colored Stones.
And now... Champagne Diamond!!!
Haha.. all thanks to you guys and a wonderful website call Pricescope, I have an addiction.

Advice sought.
1) VS clarity, Cut grade of AGA 1B specs @ approx $800-1200 per ct
or
2) SI3 clarity, Cut grade of AGA 2B specs @ approx $500? (Seller guarantee eye clean)
Can a SI3 really be eye-clean? the flaws are: a feather@ table side and grains at pavillion side.
From the pic given, I can''t seems to locate the flaws. So a C5-6 stones being of a darker richer shade is more forgiving when comes to clarity?

I''ll say that option one is obviously safer. But I''m tempted on option 2 as the price per ct is at least 40% savings but fear getting a stone with an eye-sore feather.

 

[Sasori]

Anyone? I''m still undecided..

 

[valeria101]

There are two things that come to mind... #1: inclusions are much less glaring in a stone of darker color, so if you want a piece that's called "SI3" it's always worth seeing at least. #2: those cut grades are meant for colorless stones - once there is color, the cut grading has to take into account a hoard of different matters. I guess AGA grades make sense for durability and spread, but beyond that color makes light return mean different things, IMO.

What "champagne" are you after ? (color, shape) ?

Looking at the price per carat posted these would be 1 carat or so, right ?

Anyway, you may want to click on THIS

You say C5... but greenish and orange brown definitely do not look the same (link to examples). If you have the time and inclination, these stones are chosen just like good wine - tere's vintage and vintge, the nice and not so nice. If you have about $200 to waste, there are small samples to be found. Like this one below:

(source)

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

I would add to that sage advice - a lot of so called champagne diamonds are cold greenish brown russian goods and it is hard to tell in a single stone case - but when you see a parcel of a few thousand stones it smacks you in the eye.

SI1 is rare in true argyle diamonds - higher than that is very very rare.
I would not consider buying fancy colors unseen or without a high level of traust and returnability.
Even an appraiser may not be much help to you other than with clarity etc.
The normal rules of cut brightness still aplly since we are not usually discussing very pale stones cut to look darker.

 

[Sasori]

Hi guys,
Thanks for your reply.

Knew that I can depend on Ana for some constructive advice!
I''m actually looking at round brilliant cut, rich orangey brown color, (definitely no greenish hue, yucky..)
Correct, its around a 1 ct price.

Attach is the pic of the 500+ stone. Its too dark to pin point the flaws

I think I''ve to redefine, I''m looking at fancy browns, not really true Argyle diamonds.
Garry, can the HCA be use on such colored stones?

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Yes it can.
That looks Russian in the photo - cold grayish brown.
That would fail HCA - steep crown and OK pavilion.
Ideal-scope workssssssssssssssssssssssssok too with browns

 

[valeria101]

If you do find round browns with enough numbers to plug into the HCA... why not!

Those greenish or graish browns attain really rock bottom prices, but for a reason... as Garry says. (LINK)


I bet there will be no lab report, even if there is I find the wording really puzzling and imprecise (you know, "yellowish-brown", and "greenish-orage-brown" or what not). It takes a serious amount of imagination to relate those names to an image, since I didn't have the joy to shift through a ton of brown diamonds.

Well... this (below) looks orange to me.
Anyone's guess how close this picture is to the respective object, but diamonds the color of tarnished gold certainly exist and make a fine breed, IMO. You may find them called "saffron" or "dark yellow" as long as there is no lab report in sight.

 

[Sasori]

Okie, will forget that piece and continue my search for a good nice fancy stone.
I sought advice again when a perceived nice stone appears.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Lab reports will be rare for these diamonds.
They can be costly and most dealers will never bother

 

[Sasori]

I''ve seen a few being sold online with lab reports, but the descriptions are as Ana said,puzzling. I''ve seen greenish yellow, orangey yellow, yellowish orange, orangey brown and greenish orange.

I just find these brownish color very intriguing. It could be the terms, cognac and champagne that make them delicious to me.

 

[valeria101]

Hey!... had no idea Whiteflash deals with these fancies, and ever how

Wrote the post mostly to help lower jaw back into position.

Click here if you don't believe me