Is .66 too small for the average girl?

[Xcellent]

Have you seen this diamond? G, VS2 and almost hitting the .8 ct. mark in budget. A good in-between option?

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2794541.htm

Hmm, this stone is starting to look mighty budget friendly without compromising on color or clarity.
It seems as though the large table is priced in negatively even though it's an ACA.
Anyone else have experience or opinions around table size?

This has been very helpful, I think I'll stick with H or better. One observation is that some people (i.e. me) have poor color vision, so it is tough to judge color. For this reason I've got to rely on the letter grade to tell the truth. Hopefully she has poor color vision too .

 

[Laila619]

Have you seen this diamond? G, VS2 and almost hitting the .8 ct. mark in budget. A good in-between option?

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2794541.htm

Hmm, this stone is starting to look mighty budget friendly without compromising on color or clarity.
It seems as though the large table is priced in negatively even though it's an ACA.
Anyone else have experience or opinions around table size?

This has been very helpful, I think I'll stick with H or better. One observation is that some people (i.e. me) have poor color vision, so it is tough to judge color. For this reason I've got to rely on the letter grade to tell the truth. Hopefully she has poor color vision too .

This is what you get when you enter that stone's numbers into the HCA:

Light Return - Very Good
Fire - Excellent
Scintillation - Very Good
Spread or diameter for weight - Very Good

It's still a good stone (especially compared to your typical cut in a mall store), but it doesn't score three excellents like you would expect or want to see for an ACA, because of that table (plug in a table of 56 and you get three excellents). As long as you don't mind, then it could be a good option, especially if the price is right! It all boils down to personal preferences and how picky about cut you are.

 

[E B]

Interesting. The HCA chart puts it outside of AGS Ideal range, and yet it is an AGS Ideal. It's got a nice spread and yet listed as a VG, and what the HCA deems excellent- fire- is what is supposed to be diminished with a larger table, right?

What's up?

 

[yssie]

That ACA is picture perfect - I'd buy it in a heartbeat, if I was in the market

Interesting. The HCA chart puts it outside of AGS Ideal range, and yet it is an AGS Ideal. It's got a nice spread and yet listed as a VG, and what the HCA deems excellent- fire- is what is supposed to be diminished with a larger table, right?

What's up?

AGSL Platinum DQD report cut grade isn't strictly proportions-based like GIA or the AGSL Gold report - 3D ray tracing simulation ultimately determines cut grade, so stones can have numbers outside the 0 box on the charts and still earn the 0 cut grade.

 

[TC1987]

Some random thoughts:

My ring size is 5-5.25 and I also have short fingers. 20 years ago, I'd have thought that .66ct was decent. But .83 (like 6mm) would be the better choice, I'd say now. .75ct is the most typical first engagement ring (as opposed to upgrades) in my area, and I live outside of Pittsburgh. Go with the .8 or .85 range is what I recommend.

H is plenty white in a 1ct or less ct size diamond. "I" is where most people start to see color, and the tint might be noticeable from the side.

I used to prefer large tables like 58% - 0% and brilliance, but my tastes gradually swung around to like higher crowns, tables in the 55% - 56% range, and fire.

 

[Dancing Fire]

U.S. avg E-ring is J SI2 .71 ct ...

 

[Gypsy]

U.S. avg E-ring is J SI2 .71 ct ...

Based on absolutely nothing but the way DF feels today. For anyone not accustomed to DF's posts on this subject.

 

[MissStepcut]

What is considered average also depends where you live.
If you live in Manhattan NYC or parts of Los Angeles one carat is pretty small.

If you live in parts of the midwest, 3/4 of a carat may be considered by some to be so large as to be vulgar.

I don't know where in the midwest this would be true these days. I grew up in highly conservative northwest Iowa and most of my high school class has .5-1.0 carat center stones.

 

[justginger]

I agree, MissStepcut. I grew up in a small Missouri town and average is probably 3/4-1 carat. It's turned into 'keeping up with the Joneses' - small engagement rings are no longer the norm in rural America, among the younger age groups.

 

[TRIALnERROR]

You have lots of great options in your budget. Here are just a few (and GOG can make videos to compare them and show you if they are eye clean or not. I've gotten an SI1 and an SI2 from them and both were 100% eye clean-even looking RIGHT at the stone super close up)


.8 G VS2
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/9351/

Here is an .75 F VS2 in budget
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/8410/

.8 E SI2
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/9424/

.8 G SI1
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/9329/

I would even look at I in color (I'll link you to a color comparison video done by Jon at GOG)

.9 I VS2
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/9122/


And videos of some of their completed rings
http://www.goodoldgold.com/Settingvideos/Tacori_Settings/gog_ring_videos/

One color comparison video (there are a lot more on his channel)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eWHUs77BD0&feature=plcp

With regard to the color comparison video, the diamond on the left appears more "brilliant" to me. Would you attribute that to the better clarity (VS1 vs. SI1) or the fact that the stone on the left is a Tolkowsky cut?

 

[diamondseeker2006]

With regard to the color comparison video, the diamond on the left appears more "brilliant" to me. Would you attribute that to the better clarity (VS1 vs. SI1) or the fact that the stone on the left is a Tolkowsky cut?

I doubt seriously you'd see any difference in real life other than the F may look whiter than the H. They are both top cut quality H&A stones with ideal light performance.