are h&a worth the price?

[i_like_tiffany_please_dont_hate_me]

I am wondering if, in general, it is worth paying the extra for a h&a over a standard ideal cut, especially when you are on a tight budget. is the difference really that noticeable? is the difference worth the price?

for example, I had a quick check on WF for 1 carat, G, vs2 diamond with no or negligible flouresence, in both h&a and regular ideal cut, the h&a was around $7700 whereas a standard ideal cut averaged around $6400

obviously that is limited information to go on, but if the difference is $1300 that is a pretty considerable figure. so I am just wondering, in general, is it worth it?

would it be better to get the standard ideal, and spend the $1300 on a bigger diamond / wedding / honeymoon / promise ring / misc?

 

[lmurden]

a 1 carat ideal G/VS2 will be stunning! Use the money elsewhere!

I asked the same question from the vendor that I was buying from and the rep said that chances are I wouldn''t be able to tell the difference and if I did it would be slight.

 

[valeria101]

Did you see this page on H&A theory ? Jonathan says H&A by itself is not "ideal" enough !!!!

LINK (see down the page)

 

[Mara]

depends...does the standard ideal display some form of H&A. what are the angles? idealscope image showing light return? it depends on more than just H&A and ideal terminology for me.

 

[hoorray]

You really didn''t have the right answer for me. I do believe that cut is king, but it is more than H&A. It is the "tight" ideal specs, or what some people call super ideal. You want a stone whose dimensions work together to really have life. The generic ideal definition is not enough to guarantee a great stone. Cut makes a big difference, but it is not just one set of specs or great H&A. It''s the whole cut and how it all works together.

 

[moremoremore]

I''m still not convinced that a H&A is ALWAYS better looking to your eyes than a reg ol'' ideal cut LOL
I do like to see some arrows and great light return....Jennifer''s stone is a perfect example. It''s not a h&A...but you can clearly see nicely formed arrows in her pix. The stone is stunning. My girlfriend also has an ideal cut that is not a H&A. I can clearly see some arrows. It is clearly the most stunning thing I have ever seen in my life....except for my stone of course LOL

 

[chrono]

There''s no box for me to check. Personally, I''ll buy for the optical performance, meaning, it has to fit within certain tight parameters. If it happens to have a H&A pattern, that''s a bonus. It doesn''t have to have perfect hearts and arrows. So, in a sense, I do not purposely search for a stone with a H&A pattern.

 

[i_like_tiffany_please_dont_hate_me]

thankyou for all your replies so far, I am still very undecided, especially as I may be buying it online. luckily, I have plenty of time to decide, as I won''t be able to afford the ring for about 10 months lol

 

[i_like_tiffany_please_dont_hate_me]

lol, I had hoped this poll would push me in one direction of another, but it is Saturday, 12:30 GMT there are 39 votes, 15 for H&A, 10 for 50/50 and 14 for standard ideal... lol