Need info and help deciding please!

[DetroitNurse]

I found a nice GIA diamond that was brought in for me at a local store/wholesaler. I''ll list the stats on the stones below. Long story short: I had seen 3 or 4 stones, liked this the best, pretty much in the range I was willing to pay ($10,000), but decided to go to a local office building that houses many jewelers and look around to convince myself this stone was "the one." I found another stone, beautiful to the eye, very white (a D-color), bigger and $350.00 less money, BUT.....not GIA. It had a cert I never heard of and would like to know if anyone here has. It is called "HRD" (Hoge Raad voor Diamant or Diamond High Council, Antwerp, Belgium). Please let me know what your opinion is of these stones and also that grading lab.

Stone #1:
2006 GIA report, 1.58 carat, E SI2, triple excellent (cut, polish & symmetry), 7.44-7.47 x 4.62 mm, TBL-56%, CA-35.0 degrees, ST-55%, TD-62%, PA-40.8 degrees, LH-75%, girdle med.-STK, F (what does the F stand for?), med blue fluorescence, no culet.

Stone #2:
2007 HRD cert., 1.68 carat, D ("exceptional white"), SI2, Proportions: "very good", Finish Grade: "good", Fluorescence medium, 7.55-7.59 x 4.68 mm, girdle-medium 4% faceted, culet pointed, table width 58%, cr height 15.5%, pav. depth 42.5%.

On Stone #2, there is one rather large defect (I don''t know what it is called, e.g. feather, crystal, etc.), very near one of the very outside facets, which concerns me if it were to be bumped and cleave. Of courser the jeweler is adament this would never happen. This is a brilliantly white stone. Is it possible it has been treated somehow? The cert at the top states, "The stone in accordance with the above mentioned number has been identified as a natural diamond and has the following description:" The jeweler said he would be willing to send the stone to GIA to be certed, but I would have to pay for it...

What do you think? About the labs? About the price? About the stones? Any advice? I would like to make a purchase this Saturday.

Thank you for all your help in advance!

 

[JohnQuixote]

Date: 11/21/2007 10:50:58 AM
Author:DetroitNurse
I found a nice GIA diamond that was brought in for me at a local store/wholesaler. I'll list the stats on the stones below. Long story short: I had seen 3 or 4 stones, liked this the best, pretty much in the range I was willing to pay ($10,000), but decided to go to a local office building that houses many jewelers and look around to convince myself this stone was 'the one.' I found another stone, beautiful to the eye, very white (a D-color), bigger and $350.00 less money, BUT.....not GIA. It had a cert I never heard of and would like to know if anyone here has. It is called 'HRD' (Hoge Raad voor Diamant or Diamond High Council, Antwerp, Belgium). Please let me know what your opinion is of these stones and also that grading lab.

Stone #1:
2006 GIA report, 1.58 carat, E SI2, triple excellent (cut, polish & symmetry), 7.44-7.47 x 4.62 mm, TBL-56%, CA-35.0 degrees, ST-55%, TD-62%, PA-40.8 degrees, LH-75%, girdle med.-STK, F (what does the F stand for?), med blue fluorescence, no culet.

Stone #2:
2007 HRD cert., 1.68 carat, D ('exceptional white'), SI2, Proportions: 'very good', Finish Grade: 'good', Fluorescence medium, 7.55-7.59 x 4.68 mm, girdle-medium 4% faceted, culet pointed, table width 58%, cr height 15.5%, pav. depth 42.5%.

On Stone #2, there is one rather large defect (I don't know what it is called, e.g. feather, crystal, etc.), very near one of the very outside facets, which concerns me if it were to be bumped and cleave. Of courser the jeweler is adament this would never happen. This is a brilliantly white stone. Is it possible it has been treated somehow? The cert at the top states, 'The stone in accordance with the above mentioned number has been identified as a natural diamond and has the following description:' The jeweler said he would be willing to send the stone to GIA to be certed, but I would have to pay for it...

What do you think? About the labs? About the price? About the stones? Any advice? I would like to make a purchase this Saturday.

Thank you for all your help in advance!

Hi DN.

HRD is highly regarded in Europe. They don't have quite the reputation the GIA or AGS have for strictness but are a reputable lab.

By the numbers stone #1 sounds great. We would need an ideal-scope or ASET image to discuss its performance or optical symmetry in meaningful terms but if you have a chance to see it your eyes will tell the story.

Stone #2 is going to have a pavilion shallower than we would recommend. Though it does work ok with the high crown it may be darker in circumstances where you're looking at it closely. It would be nice to know minor facet averages (stars/lower halves). The HRD would disclose treatments so that is not a concern but if there is a significant feather in the SI2 you may want to have it looked at by a professional you trust (whether that is the seller or an independent appraiser). The advice your jeweler gave you is typically sound however; diamonds endured extremes of heat and pressure during the sawing, girdling and polishing process which they will never see again in daily wear.

The size difference will likely be negligible when mounted. From the information given I would predict #1 as the better option, but would reiterate that there are more unknowns than knowns.

 

[DetroitNurse]

Hi John,

Thank you for taking the time to reply. One of the things I keep reading is to go first with a jeweler you trust. The jeweler selling the GIA stone is trustworthy to me because several of my acquaintances have used him and had an excellent experience. I have researched HRD this week and they seem to enjoy a good reputation in other parts of the world, but I think I feel more comfortable with GIA.You echoed what another forum gemologist said. I think I have made up my mind to go with the GIA stone.

Thanks again for helping me!!