Need help choosing the best (ST)one

[klipschman]

Hi
I''m a newbie and trying to get the best diamond for e-ring both visually and also on the paper. Curently I have narrowed down my selections to these 3:
1. 0.57ct, AGS 000, F, VS1, Flourescent: negl. culet: pointed
61.6% depth
56% table
34.4 crown angle
40.7 pavilion angle
HCA score: 1 excellent, except very good spread
$2405

2. 0.53ct, AGS 000, F, VS1, Flourescent: negl. culet: v. small
60.1 % depth
55% table
33.9 crown angle
40.8 pavilion angle
HCA score: 0.8 excellent
$2238

3. 0.56, AGS 000, F, VS2, Flourescent: negl. culet: pointed
61.5% depth
56% table
34.8% crown angle
40.8% pavilion angle
HCA score: 1.4 excellent, except very good spread
$2144

Lookinf for something brilliant, sparking and firey. I would appreciate any good recommendation. Thanks!!

 

[strmrdr]

numbers all look good,
Do you have ideal-scope images? or h&a images?

 

[klipschman]

woooww

Thanks for an extremely quick response. Hmmmm unfortunately don''t have any of those.

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 11/25/2005 10:07:05 PM
Author: klipschman
woooww


Thanks for an extremely quick response. Hmmmm unfortunately don''t have any of those.

see if you can get them.
By the numbers I like the first 2 slighly better but some others will like the 3rd better its really a toss up without more info.

 

[strmrdr]

If you looking for options this one is 2217 with the PS discount and is a super-ideal with all the data. Its also bigger.
http://www.whiteflash.com/diamonds/diamond_Details.aspx?itemcode=AGS-5507805#

 

[strmrdr]

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamond.asp?cid=131&item=315257

not in the same cut class as the ACA but its $2060

 

[Kaleigh]

Klip,
I like the first 2 you posted and love the one Storm posted from WF. I like everything about that stone. I also like that it's a tad bigger, can't go wrong with any of them. The third one as Storm said we need more info on, good luck.

 

[klipschman]

Actually I found more infos on the three diamonds, this is the first one (0.57ct)

 

[klipschman]

the second one (0.53ct)

 

[klipschman]

the last one (0.56ct). I am also wondering whether these GCAL certificates and ligh analysis are somehow comparable to H&A and/ or idealscope?

Thanks again

 

[klipschman]

Anybody ever heard about GCAL and the light analysis, they use? Is it comparable to H&A ?

 

[JohnQuixote]

Date: 11/27/2005 9:05:14 AM
Author: klipschman
Anybody ever heard about GCAL and the light analysis, they use? Is it comparable to H&A ?

Hi Klipschman - Any chance Klipsch is a reference to the hi-fi audio speakers? If not it's a cool name.


GCAL is the “Gem Certification & Appraisal Lab.” When I last heard, they guarantee the color and clarity grades on their reports as not being more than one grade lower than GIA.

Light analysis and H&A analysis are not always linked. There are diamonds without H&A precision that have top light performance, and some diamonds with nice H&A don’t have top performance.

The optical brilliance analysis on the GCAL document is a light performance measure and represents blue as ‘leakage.’ I am not familiar with their metric, but if blue = leakage as observed in reflector metrics such as ideal-scope and ASET these three don’t have much observable difference between them. The first one has more even (and to my eye, favorable) distribution, but all three are judged EX in their metric.

As for optical symmetry, I am not sure what GCAL is looking for/evaluating (perhaps someone more familiar with GCAL will comment). The enlarged photomicrographs on the bottom left of the reports show internal characteristics and, to me, are a preferable view of optical symmetry than the larger OSA photo. Of course, major labs don’t grade H&A so there are not official standards to reference. Here is a thread with further info on Hearts & Arrows.

As H&A become popular more factories try to produce them and standards decline. I have seen diamonds with what I would call an ‘average-plus’ level of optical symmetry sold commercially as “Hearts and Arrows” diamonds. Others who hold to high standards would not sell such diamonds as H&A. It's hard to comment, as the standards vary depending on who is setting them.

Overall, on the GCAL report those are useful views, and not in any way negative if the diamonds are not being specifically advertised as "H&A” diamonds.

 

[strmrdr]

GCAL uses there own system and scopes.
One of the vendors here uses them for some fancy cuts.
The have a good reputation.
Between those 3 you have pretty much another tie based on the info presented.
I think there is enough info there to say all 3 are nice diamonds.

Im not sure how the optical symmetry of EX will translate into h&a terms.