HELP!! Many Questions on my E-ring...size,price,color,clarity,value,.etc.

[koolmnbv]

Hi To All,
I have been reading posts throughout pricescope over the last few weeks and I would like to thank everyone in advance for all the help you have all been so far. These past weeks I have been mentally torturing myself with all the many choices and there are no real "pros" in my family and I can completely rule out my fiance on color,size,clarity help. Anyway Me and my fiance got engaged a while back and we wanted to wait and save up for my e-ring until we could afford the one I really wanted. He has given me a budget of $15,000 and I am not allowed to go a penny over but he has given me free reign to pick out whatever I want within that price range. Which I know I can find the perfect ring in that budget. I started out looking for a 3.00 ct. princess cut F or G color vs1-vs2 I wanted it on a very thin shared prong diamond eternity band maybe 2mm-2.5mm wide. I have soon realized I am likely going to have to change or lower something to get a pretty ring. Thanks to everyones help in here I recently ruled out a 2.00 carat I color (that I could clearly see yellow in) SI1 (that I could see inclusions in) with the band that I had wanted but it was going to be exactly 15,000 after tax and everything. I wasn't really crazy for the diamond so I chose not to go with it since then there have been countless others that for 1 reason or another I didn't want for whatever reason I chose.I 100% can see faint traces of yellow in every I color ring I have ever seen so I know I want to stay above I in color,Clarity doesn't bother me it can be I25 for all I care as long as it doesn't look bad to the eye (only under loupe). But Now I think I have found the exact diamond that I want e-band and all but I can't see the diamond in person. But this jeweler has sold probably 10 or 12 diamond e-rings for friends and family that I have seen in person and they are all beautiful stones all the way around and they were exactly as he said they were if they purchased their stones sight unseen. Anyway since he has sold so many diamonds to our "group" he is making me a pretty good deal on a ring that sounds like it's a pretty good deal. $15,500(w.tax)which was a little over budget but he let me if I think this 1 will be it and our search will be over.It is a 3.01 carat princess cut F color but he said it it certified as F but looks like a low F or a very high G to him, but the catch is it is an SI3 . He told me that it is completely eyeclean except for a white inclusion that you can only see if you turn the stone upside down and after it is mounted the white inclusion (feather) will be on the underside behind where a prong will be. He said you can see the inclusion clearly unmounted but after mounting it will be completely eye clean.It is a great cut and all the measurements add up great so I am not worried about any of that at all the cut is absolutely beautiful from the measurements and the pics he has emailed me. He is also setting it in 18k white gold shared prong eternity band made up of 1.25 carats 2.55mm wide. It is definitely the color and size range I am wanting to stay in but the SI3 is really kind of scaring me. Anyway he is sending it to his fiance that happens to own a jewelry store about 2 hours from where I live and he is mounting it in my setting and everything before he sends it to her. He has taken no deposit or payment from me because he knows my family so well and since he is only sending it to his fiance's store and not my own home. And he said if it gets there and I am not happy I can tell him no and he can have his fiance send it back no strings attached. That all sounds great of course and it is definitely worth a look I am just wondering if for one is it a good price? Another when I go to check it out at the fiances store should I bring or have an independant appraiser meet us at the store. Also does anyone know if I keep looking will I find a comparable deal that will be that size for that amount of money. I don't care if there are inclusions under 10x magnification because I won't look at it through that everyday, I just am hoping it really is eyeclean. How uncommon is it to find a SI3 that is eyeclean. Also this diamond would not be eyeclean it would have a visible white feather if it was going to stay a loose diamond.

Ok I am so so sorry for such a long post. I have so much to ask and so much that has been building up about this choice I think I am going to go crazy if I don't figure this out soon and my fiance just keeps telling me he's happy when I'm happy.But that's not helping with these decisions. I really think I like the sound of this diamond if It turns out to be clear enough. Please help !!!

Thanks In Advance For and and all Help!

 

[valeria101]

Since you can see this stone, these doesn't seem to be any reason not to take a look.

You say that at some point in time you rulled out a SI1 graded diamond because of visible inlclusions. I believe there are lots of great diamonds graded SI1 to I1 - not two are alike though and must be seen. All for the better that this particular diamond is right there awaiting your inspection. You should be given the opportunity to see it both loose and in a setting (not set, just placed in it) in various lighting conditions. Bright light obviates both inclusions and a not so great cut, so you should be able to see this stone in low light (a winter day does it nicely).

May I ask what the setting is ? There are lots of such thin pave settings, with prices going from here to eternity with or without much reason.

It is easy to look for price comparisons in the database here: with a dozen sellers participating to it, prices make a rather wide range. Good for comparison, IMO.

A search for F-G color, 2.7-3.2 carats, Si2-I1 clarity gives prices between 15k for a 2.75cts G-SI2 (GIA) to 23k for...3.01 G-SI2 (GIA). BTW, All these stones come at about 8mm square - the last 20 points or so get "lost" in the differences of cut between stones (so 8mm can be 2.8 or 3 cts).

There is a premium for that 3 carat mark, it seems. Just like there is one for GIA certified stones. The one at the jeweler should have an EGL report, because the SI3 clarity grade is only given by EGL. Or it may not be certified at all, which would make it not quite a bargain.

Just my 0.2, of course.

Do you have any info on the proportions of this stone ?

 

[windowshopper]

i dont think i am alone is saying that i would never buy an si3

 

[chrono]

Personally, I would never buy an SI3, especially in a fancy cut because the inclusion(s) will be too obvious to the naked eye. However, I believe there are a few regular long-time posters here who have bought eyeclean I1's (I think

I'm getting too old to remember certain details so I could be wrong). That said, the possibility of getting an eye-clean SI3 is there but it's really doubtful.

 

[moremoremore]

"the white inclusion (feather) will be on the underside behind where a prong will be"

Hmmm. I''m really not sure of the location could increase the chance of chipping or decrease b/c it''s protected by a prong? Or does the prong put extra pressure on the feather? Experts? I wouldn''t do a princess with a feather that''s the main Si3 inclusion that breaks the surface...especially by the girdle. You''ll end up with a chipped stone. You have a nice budget and you want a nice stone but still want size. I''d focus on trying to find a smaller carat weight stone with a really good depth...Also, it''s an EGL cert? No prob there...but you''d have to get it checked out...GIA has no Si3.

 

[treysar]

Wow - what a nice budget - I''m sure you will pick something beautiful!!

Just and FYI - I have a 1 ct si stone, and even though it is eye clean, if I turn the diamond a certain way and look really hard, i can find the inclusion - and it bugs me. ON a 3 ct diamond, inclusions will be easier to see - so be VERY wary of an SI3. Especially under jewlery stoer lighting, when the rock is sparkly clean. I would definately check it out in person, and view it under different lighting.

If it were up to me I would drop in size a bit and go for a better quality stone - (But i have a 1 ct ring, so for me, 2 1/2 is HUGE and more than enough!) It may no be very big to you, and that , I understand.

Also - have you tried on a 3 ct? Did you like the size? A friend of mine has a low quality 3 ct, and it looks like glass ( HUGE GLASS) but not very eye catching, quality wise.

Is it a well cut stone? If it''s very well cut, hopefuly the sparkel will help the eye "lose" the inclusions.

Good luck - and post pics when you decide!

 

[tina242]

Date: 12/16/2004 4:27:58 AM
Author:koolmnbv

Hi To All,
I have been reading posts throughout pricescope over the last few weeks and I would like to thank everyone in advance for all the help you have all been so far. These past weeks I have been mentally torturing myself with all the many choices and there are no real ''pros'' in my family and I can completely rule out my fiance on color,size,clarity help. Anyway Me and my fiance got engaged a while back and we wanted to wait and save up for my e-ring until we could afford the one I really wanted. He has given me a budget of $15,000 and I am not allowed to go a penny over but he has given me free reign to pick out whatever I want within that price range. Which I know I can find the perfect ring in that budget. I started out looking for a 3.00 ct. princess cut F or G color vs1-vs2 I wanted it on a very thin shared prong diamond eternity band maybe 2mm-2.5mm wide. I have soon realized I am likely going to have to change or lower something to get a pretty ring. Thanks to everyones help in here I recently ruled out a 2.00 carat I color (that I could clearly see yellow in) SI1 (that I could see inclusions in) with the band that I had wanted but it was going to be exactly 15,000 after tax and everything. I wasn''t really crazy for the diamond so I chose not to go with it since then there have been countless others that for 1 reason or another I didn''t want for whatever reason I chose.I 100% can see faint traces of yellow in every I color ring I have ever seen so I know I want to stay above I in color,Clarity doesn''t bother me it can be I25 for all I care as long as it doesn''t look bad to the eye (only under loupe). But Now I think I have found the exact diamond that I want e-band and all but I can''t see the diamond in person. But this jeweler has sold probably 10 or 12 diamond e-rings for friends and family that I have seen in person and they are all beautiful stones all the way around and they were exactly as he said they were if they purchased their stones sight unseen. Anyway since he has sold so many diamonds to our ''group'' he is making me a pretty good deal on a ring that sounds like it''s a pretty good deal. $15,500(w.tax)which was a little over budget but he let me if I think this 1 will be it and our search will be over.It is a 3.01 carat princess cut F color but he said it it certified as F but looks like a low F or a very high G to him, but the catch is it is an SI3 . He told me that it is completely eyeclean except for a white inclusion that you can only see if you turn the stone upside down and after it is mounted the white inclusion (feather) will be on the underside behind where a prong will be. He said you can see the inclusion clearly unmounted but after mounting it will be completely eye clean.It is a great cut and all the measurements add up great so I am not worried about any of that at all the cut is absolutely beautiful from the measurements and the pics he has emailed me. He is also setting it in 18k white gold shared prong eternity band made up of 1.25 carats 2.55mm wide. It is definitely the color and size range I am wanting to stay in but the SI3 is really kind of scaring me. Anyway he is sending it to his fiance that happens to own a jewelry store about 2 hours from where I live and he is mounting it in my setting and everything before he sends it to her. He has taken no deposit or payment from me because he knows my family so well and since he is only sending it to his fiance''s store and not my own home. And he said if it gets there and I am not happy I can tell him no and he can have his fiance send it back no strings attached. That all sounds great of course and it is definitely worth a look I am just wondering if for one is it a good price? Another when I go to check it out at the fiances store should I bring or have an independant appraiser meet us at the store. Also does anyone know if I keep looking will I find a comparable deal that will be that size for that amount of money. I don''t care if there are inclusions under 10x magnification because I won''t look at it through that everyday, I just am hoping it really is eyeclean. How uncommon is it to find a SI3 that is eyeclean. Also this diamond would not be eyeclean it would have a visible white feather if it was going to stay a loose diamond.

Ok I am so so sorry for such a long post. I have so much to ask and so much that has been building up about this choice I think I am going to go crazy if I don''t figure this out soon and my fiance just keeps telling me he''s happy when I''m happy.But that''s not helping with these decisions. I really think I like the sound of this diamond if It turns out to be clear enough. Please help !!!

Thanks In Advance For and and all Help!

First of all, wow, nice budget. I have a new ring that''s SI3, and I''ll tell you right now, there is a very visible black inclusion in it as well as a few others that you can see if you look closely. This ring was appraised at 2945.00, so if you have your kind of a budget, I might look at rings w/ better clarity, b/c it''s not appealing to look at your ring and have your eye go to a flaw. However, your flaw doesn''t sound so bad. In that case, why is it an SI3? Mine must be really bad... And your inclusion is white and feather-like? Mine looks like a big black speck of dirt. Maybe you should grab that ring while you can.............

 

[Maxine]

One of my round earrings is I1, and it has a big feather across it in one area....the only way I have seen it is with the idealscope!!! There is a white line there...no pink.....the earring looks ok...because it is an earring.....and is unlikely to totally crack, because it''s on my ears and shouldn''t get hit hard....(if it does get hit that hard there, the diamond would be the least of my worries!!!).......but I wouldn''t want that kind of thing going on w/a diamond worn as a ring......

 

[IrishEyes]

" I soon realized that I am likely going to have to change or lower something to get a pretty ring.."

I''m sorry, but I couldn''t disagree with you more. There are hundreds of pretty rings under 3 carats.......

 

[NyssaLynne]

Date: 12/16/2004 8:51:31 AM
Author: Chrono
Personally, I would never buy an SI3, especially in a fancy cut because the inclusion(s) will be too obvious to the naked eye. However, I believe there are a few regular long-time posters here who have bought eyeclean I1''s (I think

I''m getting too old to remember certain details so I could be wrong). That said, the possibility of getting an eye-clean SI3 is there but it''s really doubtful.

I''m not a long-time poster but I have a very nice 2.19 carat F, I1 marquise diamond thanks to my research and PS. It has a feather that did not break the surface and was able to be hidden by a prong, and a wispy spot (not sure if it is a feather or a cloud) that is only visible from a very few certain angles. Other than that it is eye-clean.

Go see the diamond and make your decision then. Don''t just disregard it because it is a SI3 or an I1. When I started looking I said I wouldn''t accept anything less than an H color (because I could sometimes see yellow in my H) and nothing less than SI1 in clarity. If I would have stuck to my self-imposed clarity guidelines I could never have purchased the diamond I now have. I would have had to accept a much smaller carat size to get the color and clarity, yet till stay within my budget.