iheartkeylargo
Rough_Rock
- Joined
- Apr 20, 2015
- Messages
- 3
We are looking for a GIA certified oval diamond slightly under a carat for under $5000. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
My boyfriend and I began our search for a diamond fairly uneducated. I knew the 4 Cs, and that's about it. I looked at the mall stores like Zales, Kay, and Jared, but they didn't have much in loose fancy shapes. At first I was looking at pears, but then we decided we prefer an oval. I started doing some more research to find the most beautiful oval at the best price, and realized that I will not find a diamond of the quality I'm looking for in those kind of stores.
So I started looking at some local stores that refer to themselves as diamond "wholesalers," and they do have some more ovals, but now I'm not sure if that is the best way to go. I've heard about the importance of seeing the Ideal Scope and ASET image of the diamond, but I don't think that's available locally, and it seems complicated to buy those and take them into the store (I'm not sure I could use them properly anyway). I'm wondering if we should consider looking online for a diamond with a retailer who has these images available? Are these Ideal Scope/ASET images better than seeing a diamond in person, where we would have the ability to look at it also in natural light? I do like seeing the magnified rotating images on James Allen, especially for picking out the pretty ovals vs the ones with prominent bow ties, and checking out the inclusions. That was harder to discern in the store.
Also, if we buy locally, they have a lifetime guarantee that they will buyback in cash the full price paid at any time. That seems to be the advantage to buying locally (along with the fact that we can see the diamond in person). Is that important?
We are looking for a diamond within these specifications, with as many in the "excellent" category as possible, and with priority at the items at the top of the list. We want maximum sparkle with minimal bowtie.
Table %
54% – 58% Excellent
50% – 62% Very Good
Depth %
62% – 66% Excellent
60% – 68% Very Good
Girdle
Very Thin – Slightly Thick
Color
D, E, F, G
L/W Ratio 1.45 – 1.55
Clarity
FL - VVS2 Excellent
VS1 - VS2 Very Good
Flourescence
none - faint
Symmetry
Excellent - Good
Polish
Excellent - Good
My boyfriend and I began our search for a diamond fairly uneducated. I knew the 4 Cs, and that's about it. I looked at the mall stores like Zales, Kay, and Jared, but they didn't have much in loose fancy shapes. At first I was looking at pears, but then we decided we prefer an oval. I started doing some more research to find the most beautiful oval at the best price, and realized that I will not find a diamond of the quality I'm looking for in those kind of stores.
So I started looking at some local stores that refer to themselves as diamond "wholesalers," and they do have some more ovals, but now I'm not sure if that is the best way to go. I've heard about the importance of seeing the Ideal Scope and ASET image of the diamond, but I don't think that's available locally, and it seems complicated to buy those and take them into the store (I'm not sure I could use them properly anyway). I'm wondering if we should consider looking online for a diamond with a retailer who has these images available? Are these Ideal Scope/ASET images better than seeing a diamond in person, where we would have the ability to look at it also in natural light? I do like seeing the magnified rotating images on James Allen, especially for picking out the pretty ovals vs the ones with prominent bow ties, and checking out the inclusions. That was harder to discern in the store.
Also, if we buy locally, they have a lifetime guarantee that they will buyback in cash the full price paid at any time. That seems to be the advantage to buying locally (along with the fact that we can see the diamond in person). Is that important?
We are looking for a diamond within these specifications, with as many in the "excellent" category as possible, and with priority at the items at the top of the list. We want maximum sparkle with minimal bowtie.
Table %
54% – 58% Excellent
50% – 62% Very Good
Depth %
62% – 66% Excellent
60% – 68% Very Good
Girdle
Very Thin – Slightly Thick
Color
D, E, F, G
L/W Ratio 1.45 – 1.55
Clarity
FL - VVS2 Excellent
VS1 - VS2 Very Good
Flourescence
none - faint
Symmetry
Excellent - Good
Polish
Excellent - Good