Finial thoughts before I pull the trigger on Bluenile

[dmsvan]

I am looking for a high quality 1 Ct + Diamond, Round, Ideal cut on Classic Four Claw Platinum Engagement Ring. ( Looking on Bluenile this will cost me around 8,000 USD with F VS1.

My girlfriend indicated that she wanted a 1 CT "Tiffany Cut" (no bigger) - so I have been trying to maximize quality without going over 10K. (i'll have to pay tax as well)

Looking on other sites there doesn’t seem to be anyone else who can provide me with this price. Am I missing something? What other factors should I be looking at? Lurking on this site has helped a lot; however, there is quite a lot of info....


Here was the link I was looking at http://www.bluenile.com/ca/build-your-own-ring/diamond-details/LD04554012

 

[alpackie]

I'm no expert, but I would suggest asking for pictures before buying. That way you can inspect it to make sure the VS1 is actually eye-clean.

 

[AprilBaby]

Final thought: check WF or Brian Gavin before you pull the trigger.

 

[krisjon]

Not the best cut. Scores a 3.9 on the HCA.
You can do better and need more information before making such an important purchase.

 

[Gypsy]

I'm no expert, but I would suggest asking for pictures before buying. That way you can inspect it to make sure the VS1 is actually eye-clean.

A GIA or AGS VS1 will always be eyeclean. You don't have to ask.

You only need to ask at VS2 and lower.

As for the stone from Blue Nile. It's on the Steep Deep side.

Please read the below and run the stone through the HCA (explained below). I have a feeling it will not score well. In which case you need to keep looking.

If you want to shop at Blue Nile, that's your choice. Stick to the Signature LIne and run the stones through the HCA. And read the below (so you understand what the HCA is).

The entire purpose of faceting a diamond is to reflect light.
How well or how poorly a diamond does this determines how beautiful it is.
How well a diamond performs is determined by the angles and cutting. This is why we say cut is king.
No other factor: not color, not clarity has as much of an impact on the appearance of a diamond as its cut. An ideal H will out white a poorly cut F. And GIA Ex is not enough. And you must stick to GIA and AGS only. EGL is a bad option: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/egl-certification-are-any-of-them-ok.142863/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/egl-certification-are-any-of-them-ok.142863/[/URL]
So how to we ensure that we have the right angles and cutting to get the light performance we want?
https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/diamond-cut
Well one method is to start with a GIA Ex, and then apply the HCA to it. YOU DO NOT USE HCA for AGS0 stones.
https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/holloway-cut-advisor
The HCA is a rejection tool. Not a selection tool. It uses 4 data points to make a rudimentary call on how the diamond may perform.
If the diamond passes then you know that you are in the right zone in terms of angles for light performance. Under 2 is a pass. Under 2.5-2.1 is a maybe. 2.6 and over is a no. No score 2 and under is better than any other.
Is that enough? Not really.
So what you need is a way to check actual light performance of your actual stone.
That's what an idealscope image does. https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/firescope-idealscope
It shows you how and wear your diamond is reflecting light, how well it is going at it, and where you are losing light return. That is why you won't see us recommending Blue Nile, as they do not provide idealscope images for their diamonds. BGD, James Allen, GOG, HPD, ERD and WF do.

The Idealscope is the 'selection tool'. Not the HCA.
So yes, with a GIA stone you need the idealscope images. Or you can buy an idealscope yourself and take it in to the jeweler you are working with to check the stones yourself. Or if you have a good return policy (full refund minimum 7 days) then you can buy the idealscope, buy the stone, and do it at home.


Now if you want to skip all that... stick to AGS0 stones and then all you have to do is pick color and clarity and you know you have a great performing diamond. Because AGS has already done the checking for you. That's why they trade at a

 

[krisjon]

Here's a better stone already on Whiteflash that's $8355 and in your budget. You just need to drop a color and clarity grade, which I think you should be open to in your case:

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3063732.htm#

This stone is pretty much guaranteed to be beautiful and sparkling - especially if your lady wants a "Tiffany cut." It has the cut proportions, images and other info to prove it. Everything you look for to make a smart purchase.

 

[dmsvan]

This was a great help.

Okay – I guess what I was missing is that within the best cut on the GIA certificate (Excellent) there is a wind range of performance and might be better to drop color to G and VS2 to get this. (Assuming eye clean and you can tolerate the imperfection)

I still don’t like the idea of dropping the color – but I can really see what you’re talking about. It’s hard to go with BN without that information.

 

[alpackie]

A GIA or AGS VS1 will always be eyeclean. You don't have to ask.

I started off searching only lab-created diamonds from BrilliantEarth and read on their site that a VS1 is "Difficult to see inclusions under 10x magnification. Typically cannot see inclusions with the naked eye," and always erred on the side of caution, especially seeing the amount of inclusions listed in their VS1 certificated stones. Seems though that they use IGI as a grading lab.

 

[Gypsy]

A GIA or AGS VS1 will always be eyeclean. You don't have to ask.

I started off searching only lab-created diamonds from BrilliantEarth and read on their site that a VS1 is "Difficult to see inclusions under 10x magnification. Typically cannot see inclusions with the naked eye," and always erred on the side of caution, especially seeing the amount of inclusions listed in their VS1 certificated stones. Seems though that they use IGI as a grading lab.

Yeah, well, that doesn't surprise me given the source. VS1 with GIA or AGS will always be eyeclean. I have a GIA VS1 and can't find my inclusions with a loupe. Never have been able to. And my stone is a step cut, which show inclusions much more readily than brilliant cuts.


If you started at Brilliant earth, just... flush all that knowledge down the pipes. Start over up at the knowledge tab here. You'll be much better off.

Stick to the vendors we recommend here. There's a lot of great information posted so just soak it all in. And let us know if you need help by starting a thread.

 

[alpackie]

If you started at Brilliant earth, just... flush all that knowledge down the pipes. Start over up at the knowledge tab here. You'll be much better off.

Stick to the vendors we recommend here. There's a lot of great information posted so just soak it all in. And let us know if you need help by starting a thread.

Yea, it's really difficult to unlearn things from my brain, particularly the sticker shock I got after seeing GIA and AGS rated diamonds that had "comparable" specs to those IGI ones I was eyeing before.

You all have been amazing to us newbies! I can't wait to spam my thread this weekend with potential diamond links!

 

[krisjon]

This was a great help.

Okay – I guess what I was missing is that within the best cut on the GIA certificate (Excellent) there is a wind range of performance and might be better to drop color to G and VS2 to get this. (Assuming eye clean and you can tolerate the imperfection)

I still don’t like the idea of dropping the color – but I can really see what you’re talking about. It’s hard to go with BN without that information.

Yes. GIA Excellent is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get! Some a great. Some are not. That's why you have to pay particular attention to cut proportions and angles (per Gypsy's post).

As far as dropping a color, just know that a truly ideal cut G color will show whiter and brighter than a less than ideal cut F.
You'll read it on here time and time again, cut is king.
My fiance's e-ring is a H, VS1 and it's spectacular because it's extremely well cut.

 

[dmsvan]

Would this one be a better option?

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3186646.htm

What is the advantage of A CUT ABOVE® compared to Expert Selection?

 

[krisjon]

That's a beautiful stone.

ACAs are the top of the line. A super ideal, Hearts and Arrows cut. Whiteflash's best and pretty much among the top 1% of all diamonds cut. They're a slam dunk.

Expert Selection is just one small step down, but they're an amazing choice, too. There's usually some small deviation in optical symmetry or something else that keeps it from making the ACA grade.

Either way, both of these WF categories are something you can rest easy about in terms of picking great stones.