Need a little help from my friends

[dmart41]

Hi guys, I was recently looking at buying a 2ct diamond and the only diamonds in my price range that are well cut are SI J''s . My Girlfriend is not a fan of J''s...so I think we are going to be looking to sacrifice size for Clarity and Cut. So now I am on the hunt for a 1.5 - 1.7 carat diamond SI G or H . I want to spend around 8k-11k. If you guys could point me in the right direction or provide some input I would appreciate it.
Thanks,
Dj

 

[MissAva]

1.541 H/SI2 $9207 7.50-7.52x4.57
/images/site/d_lostF.jpg/images/site/d_lost.jpg

 

[MissAva]

This one from Good Old Gold could be nice as well, though it does not have a link just yet.
1.698 H SI2
60.4%
55%
34.6°
40.7°
1.0-1.3
id
id
no
7.78-7.79*4.7
AGS
$10801

 

[valeria101]

There seem to be non-J options.

H-SI1 for example


On this search:

Round shape, 1.45–1.8 cts, G–H color, VS2–SI2 clarity, 58–62% depth, 53–60% table, AGS certified

I got a dozen of diamonds under 11k. These are not 'in house', but with AGS reports sellers could ask for the numbers for you. Not all these are AGS0.

For example, this (1.7 H-SI1, 9k).

 

[dmart41]

Thanks for the selections. What is the difference between AGS and AGSO? Also, once I purchase a diamond through an online vendor do I have it sent to an independent appraiser first? The whole idea of not seeing the diamond before I buy it concerns me. What is the best way to handle this?
Thanks,
DJ

 

[plg_cp]

Hey dmart,

AGS 0 (zero, not the letter O) refers to the Cut grade assigned by AGS. Zero is the best grade they award, followed by 1, 2, 3, etc.. On older reports (prior to roughly summer 2005) the factors they looked at for the Cut grade were Polish, Symmetry and Proportions, all of which must receive "Ideal" to get AGS0 grade. You may also see people refer to this as AGS000 or triple zero.

After summer 2005 the new AGS reports consider Light Performance, Proportion Factors, and Finish (Polish & Symmetry) for the Cut grade. Again, these must all be "Ideal" to get the zero rating.

Hope that helps.

Mark

 

[dmart41]

Thanks Mark, that makes more sense. How important is it to have an AGS0 vs a 1?

 

[RockDoc]

Date: 12/4/2005 1:31:13 AM
Author: dmart41
Thanks Mark, that makes more sense. How important is it to have an AGS0 vs a 1?

Depends on WHY it was graded a 1 instead of a 0.

If you do find one, ask the seller.

Most cutters however, will make whatever corrections the stone requires to get the zero grade if this is possible.

Rockdoc

 

[valeria101]

Date: 12/4/2005 1:31:13 AM
Author: dmart41
Thanks Mark, that makes more sense. How important is it to have an AGS0 vs a 1?

Having the lab report in front helps explain what did it. Since the AGS grading tried to joggle so many factors, it is hard (for me) to believe that the cut between top grades is not to some degree an ''executive decision''.

The good part about these AGS reports is that they give quite a bit more information on cut than GIA reports do. And the color and clarity grades are reliable.



About how to make an online purchase less ''virtual''...

You can definitely have the diamond sent to you loose for inspection before it is set (and this is the time when you could have a third opinion on it). However, some find that discussing details with the seller is all that is needed. Whether you have the finished ring or the loose stone sent to you, there is always some guarantee of quality and a return policy. This is not unlike what local jewelers do - they would not allow you to peek over the bench guy''s shoulder while making the ring either.


If you foll low some purchase stories down on the ''Show me the ring'' forum there is a number of slightly different versions of this.


Best of luck !