Cut more important than Color and Clairty ?

[signull]

I''m looking to get a round solitare diamond around a carat.

However to keep the budget within reach I contemplating getting an Ideal cut however with I/J color and SI clarity, as I feel these are aspects that are more noticable under a magnifying glass where by cut and size are the most apparent to the naked eye.

The price range I have been seeing for that sort of a diamond is around $3500 - $4000

If I were to raise my budget, I''d be more tempted to get a 1 1/2 carat stone $5000 - $6000 due to the same reasoning.

If a local independat AGS jeweler (Maryland?) were to offer me similar pricing on the net I''d be more tempted to go there since I''d have the warm and fuzzy of seeing him in person. If I do buy it on it on the net I''d have the stone appraised with in the return period to determine if I want to keep it.

Though I''d be more comforable having a local jeweler set the stone as I''m not sure of what the setting that I have see on the net may look like in reality, as for the diamond it has the cert.

Do my ideas sound about right after having googled around to gain some knowledge on the 4 C''s?

 

[ame]

Cut is without a doubt the MOST important thing. If it''s cut well thecolor shouldn''t be an issue, nor should the clarity.

My stone is an H SI2. You''d never know it without a loupe

 

[pqcollectibles]

CUT is the #1 factor affecting how a diamond is viewed, IMHO.

I did a quick check, PScope home page using the Search by Cut Quality function, 0.9 to 1.05 carats, and there are currently 6 diamonds available with 3 different PScope Vendors that meet your criteria and price point. Shouldn''t be a problem at all for you to get your lady a fabulous ring!!

 

[lostdog]

A well cut stone will also face up with a better apparent color.

If you are sensitive to color, though, you can certainly see J/K from G from E, but it might be a matter of taste more than anything. Some SI2''s are obviously included, even without getting too close. But cut makes a vast difference. And has the most details to consider.

 

[valeria101]

Color and clarity are qualities of the rough material... they make some moderate difference until extreme grades are hit.

It''s cut that makes jewels what they are. No one would know diamonds are brilliant if they are weren''t cut and how they are cut has a huge visual impact. Is there need for proof ? Well, at some point diamonds were appreciated just for their color, clarity and hardness but that was before they could be cut for brilliance. Afterwards virtually noone looked back for more than a century now.

It is not easy to tell where optimizing optics starts splitting hairs... But, with the huge amount of research by the major labs to determine cut grades, it seems reasonably straightforward to decide where to draw a personal line. Well, at least I think it is.

 

[signull]

So it seems I have made the right choice in relation to cut.

What do you guys think of my prefrence to purchasing from an independant B&M AGS delaer,in contrast to the web. (independent: he would be cheaper with out the mall/big store overhead? AGS: I am assured of some quality standards?)

One of the dealers mentioned that if I gave him the specs he could check to see what his cutters had let me know of the pricing, then he''d order 2 to 3 stones and I''d select what I liked. That can be very convenient but I may have to pay more for him being B&M and pay tax too.

The advantage I''d see of purchasing from the net is being able to select from a much larger inventory esp from the likes of bluenile (I trust them since I''ve made small purchases before). That can be cheaper, but I don''t get to see before I buy, and I''d have the inconveniece of returning the stone if it were not appraised to what the listed specs were. As for other net vendors I just haven''t gained their trust yet, Mondera had insufficient variety.

I don''t like the settings at bluenile as the 4 prongs that I have seen seem to be too high, though I did like the low basket setting I saw at the local B&M Jeweller. So only if his price for the stone is much higher an on line vendor, I''d get the stone on line and have him set it. He quoted thin platinum 4 prong $300, thicker platinum 4 prong $600.

What do you guys think?

 

[ame]

Well Id go with something simple now but if she has something other in mind for the setting it might be fun to let her pick it out, maybe for her birthday you can upgrade her setting or something. Mine was to be temporary and I still haven''t gotten anything new. I might raise the head on my ring a little more but thats bout it.

 

[pqcollectibles]

You can seach old threads by Vendor name and read about other''s experiences.

Blue Nile is reputable and will refund your money or exchange for another diamond with no problem. As long as you order the diamond loose that is. Problem is, they only have a 30 day return policy. After that, you cannot upgrade down the road. You might wanna compare other Vendor''s policies and see how they all compare.

To maximize your buying power on the diamond, you can go with a classic gold, solitaire mount for the engagement. That will allow you additional time to save some more money as your gal shops for the setting that she absolutely adores.

Looking at diamond prices, the $5K-$6K range will get you up into the 1.25 carat area for the diamond based on Internet pricing. If you go with a local B&M, you might see a bit higher margins on the diamond and/or setting prices. If you find a local B&M that''s close in pricing, that works well with you, that allows upgrades, etc. down the road, it''s well worth consideration.

 

[diamond_girl]

Yes, cut is most important.

Heads up:

Color is important if you want it white looking. I asked a jeweler about this today and she said that if a diamond''s color is an I and is graded by EGL it is more than likely yellow looking (yellowish tint noticable from h-d) because EGL usually grades up. She said that if it was GIA it would be white looking.

Diamond_girl

 

[signull]

from what I have seen at bluenile this is how things look, for the specific specs

Shape: Round
Cut: Ideal Cut
Color: I / J
Clarity: SI1 / SI 2
Polish/Symetry: Excellent / Ideal
Girdle: Medium / Slightly Thick.
Cert: GIA / AGSL

0.75 ct: 2500 - 2800 -> $2650
1.00 ct: 4100 - 4300 -> $4200
1.25 ct: 5800 - 6300 -> $6050
1.50 ct: 7200 - 7500 -> $7350

Oh, I need software that can create a graph for me! (if she knew I said this I''ll be sorry!) I havent even decided my budget yet, I''m still trying to find the point where I get the most bang for my buck.

I assumed polish and symetry also affect brilliance so I only looked at Excellent/Ideal, and I didn''t want thin girdle (risk of chipping) or thick girdle (unnecessary weight)

 

[solange]

There are also several other vendors on Pricescope who have excellent reputations--GOG, DirtCheapDiamonds, Whiteflash, Engagement Rings Direct, and a few others.

I bought my ring from Whiteflash and I was very pleased with the service and the price. I wanted something that was hard to find and Lesley at Whiteflash looked for several weeks before she found it. I had emailed her about some more costly stones I thought might do but she told me to wait because she felt she could find something better.

Whiteflash does not drop ship. Every stone is examined by Brian, the cutter. If they do not have it in their inventory, they will send for it and Brian will discuss the stone in detail. If you want it, they will ship it to a reputable independent appraiser of your choice where you can see it before you pay. If you do not want the stone, Whiteflash will arrange to have appraiser ship back to them and you will just pay for the appraisal and shipping charge.

I had the appraiser ship my stone back to Whiteflash for setting. They have an excellent selection of ready made and custom settings.The setting had to be custom made to accommodate the size of the stone. When it was ready, they sent me pictures and I approved. I then paid them and received my ring the next morning by Overnight Federal Express. It was a very easy transaction and I highy recommend them. I am sure you would get excellent service from some of the other mentioned vendors as well.

My stone is I color, AGS0 cut, SI 2. It is 4.10 carats and is completely eye clean from all angles. I think you are going in the right direction with an I or even J very well cut SI stone that is eye clean. Many people seem to feel that polish and symmetry do not have to be excellent and that few can tell the difference between excellent and just good.

 

[lostdog]

Date: 2/11/2005 4:45:27 PM
Author: signull
from what I have seen at bluenile this is how things look, for the specific specs

Oh, I need software that can create a graph for me! (if she knew I said this I'll be sorry!) I havent even decided my budget yet, I'm still trying to find the point where I get the most bang for my buck.

I assumed polish and symetry also affect brilliance so I only looked at Excellent/Ideal, and I didn't want thin girdle (risk of chipping) or thick girdle (unnecessary weight)

Prices will pop to cross certain size thresholds, notably 1 ct. A .95 and 1.02 will be noticably different in price per carat.

Any of the extremes get an extra premium for being the top of the scale. D color and IF obviously.

The best value is to aim for just over eye-clean in clarity. Some SI1's are, some aren't. Eye-clean SI2's are much harder to find, some would say by definition they aren't going to exist. Most VS2's don't look different than a good eye-clean SI1, so don't pay a premium just for that distinction. My opinion is that a two-grade jump in color or clarity is worth a premium, but a one grade jump is very subtle and you probably couldn't tell the difference. These grades are subjective.

Start with the assumption that GIA and AGS will grade about 1 step tougher than EGL and IGI. They will also price higher. So apples to apple comparison across different labs is not a given. Look at the grading study refenced on the PS home page.

AGS is the only on that currently certifies a cut grade, but as you can see from the other threads that issues is about to change.

Don't be afraid of the internet vendors listed above. But if your local guy is willing to work with you so easily, I'd give him a chance, too.

 

[pqcollectibles]

Desirable carat weights, like 0.75 or 1.25, carry a bit of a premium as well. Anything in the 0.9-0.99 range goes quickly as people wanna avoid the price bump of 1 carat but still get the look.

You aren''t going to be able to figure out the rhyme or reason of diamond pricing. It''s an insider thaing. Just figure out your budget and work from there.

I also bought from White Flash. Many people have bought from Good Old Gold, Dirt Cheap Diamonds, Nice Ice, and many other internet Vendors, and been completely satisfied with their purchase. You can check out a list of Vendors by highlighting the Resouces link in the toolbar at the top of the page and then click on Diamond Vendors.

EGL has become lots more consistent and strict in their grading. Any independent appraiser might vary from any Cert by one step on both color and/or clarity. Viisual appearance of diamonds is dependent on the quality of the make, presence or absence of fluorescence, your personal level of color sensitivity, and color present around the diamond. Diamonds are reflectors and they will reflect the color of your shirt, your skin, the ceiling, whatever is around them.