H vs. I for 2 ct RB, which would you pick?

[mrs-b]

Po -

Chase up IDJ - lots of things slip through the cracks when it's a quote; quotes seem to go to the bottom of the 'to do' list. This is understandable; there's only so many hours in the day, and they're going to service the people who've already given them money first. As a result, though, you'll need to call them back. Keep chasing!

Re the family friend - how good is their prong work? Do you have a close up photo of your ring with your original stone? Also - just be aware - to fit in a larger stone, most of the time the new stone will sit higher, as there isn't room for it to be inserted as low as the smaller diamond. If low profile is what you're looking for, this might be a problem for you. The alternative is to shave down the inside of the prongs to make room for the larger stone, but this is normally not the way it's done. Normally it's a case of re-tipping the prongs and setting the stone up higher. You're talking about an increase of 1.2 - 2mm, depending on which stone you get, and most ring settings just don't have that kind of flexibility, without the stone sitting very oddly high. Generally, .5mm is a stretch. 2mm wouldn't be feasible, I would have thought, unless your current stone really isn't big enough for the setting.

Got a photo you can post?

By the way - with that amount of blingage in the setting, I'd say screw the inclusions and get the 2.64 stone. How noticeable can inclusions POSSIBLY be with that much wattage pouring from your finger?! If size is what you want, even some small visible inclusions wouldn't bother me. At the very worst, you're talking about tiny dots or marks you can see from 10" away on close inspection. That simply wouldn't bother me if set in the middle of so much sparkle. I doubt (and this is a personal thing, granted) I'd even notice.

 

[po720]

Po -

Chase up IDJ - lots of things slip through the cracks when it's a quote; quotes seem to go to the bottom of the 'to do' list. This is understandable; there's only so many hours in the day, and they're going to service the people who've already given them money first. As a result, though, you'll need to call them back. Keep chasing!

Re the family friend - how good is their prong work? Do you have a close up photo of your ring with your original stone? Also - just be aware - to fit in a larger stone, most of the time the new stone will sit higher, as there isn't room for it to be inserted as low as the smaller diamond. If low profile is what you're looking for, this might be a problem for you. The alternative is to shave down the inside of the prongs to make room for the larger stone, but this is normally not the way it's done. Normally it's a case of re-tipping the prongs and setting the stone up higher. You're talking about an increase of 1.2 - 2mm, depending on which stone you get, and most ring settings just don't have that kind of flexibility, without the stone sitting very oddly high. Generally, .5mm is a stretch. 2mm wouldn't be feasible, I would have thought, unless your current stone really isn't big enough for the setting.

Got a photo you can post?

By the way - with that amount of blingage in the setting, I'd say screw the inclusions and get the 2.64 stone. How noticeable can inclusions POSSIBLY be with that much wattage pouring from your finger?! If size is what you want, even some small visible inclusions wouldn't bother me. At the very worst, you're talking about tiny dots or marks you can see from 10" away on close inspection. That simply wouldn't bother me if set in the middle of so much sparkle. I doubt (and this is a personal thing, granted) I'd even notice.

Just got off the phone with Yekutiel He was such a pleasure to speak with, wow... he was very honest and let me know the price in diamonds has dropped, so BN would actually be giving me $1200 more for my 1.36 than he could get and I would be better off going through them to get the 2.05. I quickly tried to squeeze in asking about the larger stones and he said no, forget the others, get that one...lol

I called BN to followup and the 2.64 was sold in real time agh! i thought it was reserved for me but someone bought it literally as I was reserving it the 2.4 was confirmed as not eye clean but the 2.3 is 100% eye clean and waiting on pictures. so we are down to http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-details/LD04065319 vs. http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-details/LD07370379

I will ask the jeweler about all of the details regarding it being higher - i am so ignorant on the setting process , i feel like my brain is going to explode with how much I've learned over the past few weeks alone...Worst case scenario, I can bring to IDJ to set and pay them, right?

Gosh, I am kicking myself over that 2.64...

Here is a close up of the setting:

 

[mrs-b]

Po -

Speaking completely objectively, get somebody else to set your new diamond in your setting; those prongs are very lumpy.

And BUMMER re the 2.64! I think both remaining diamonds sound great, though. Be aware, a blown up photo of the SI2 will definitely show inclusions - but this isn't how it will look in real life.

Both stones look great on paper, and I'm glad you've narrowed it down to 2 H's; I's can be iffy.

 

[po720]

Here is a picture of the hsi2 2.3

 

[po720]

More updates, family friend says he can get me the BN price for my ring and their Gia stones that are on mls for ~800 less... I'm kind of torn if this is one of those "too good to be true" moments?? Especially after what yekutiel just told me about the running value of my 1.36 being $1200 less than BN was offering :/ He did mention the BN price for the 2.05 being too high and that he could get it for less but considering how much less he could give for my stone he said to just go through BN. Why would family friend lie about that kind of thing? Would they mark it up on the other end to make up for the hit on the sale of 1.36? Do you think they are going to try to pitch less appealing/valuable stones to replace the 2.05? I hate this feeling of not knowing if I'm being taken for a ride

 

[Queenie60]

More updates, family friend says he can get me the BN price for my ring and their Gia stones that are on mls for ~800 less... I'm kind of torn if this is one of those "too good to be true" moments?? Especially after what yekutiel just told me about the running value of my 1.36 being $1200 less than BN was offering :/ He did mention the BN price for the 2.05 being too high and that he could get it for less but considering how much less he could give for my stone he said to just go through BN. Why would family friend lie about that kind of thing? Would they mark it up on the other end to make up for the hit on the sale of 1.36? Do you think they are going to try to pitch less appealing/valuable stones to replace the 2.05? I hate this feeling of not knowing if I'm being taken for a ride

I would hesitate to use a "family friend" - they tend to take advantage of "family friends." Sorry to say - maybe you should just stick with BlueNile. Personally, I would pass on the family friend to eliminate any problems that would be difficult to resolve. It's just not worth it. Good luck

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Here is the full picture of the 2.4 Isi1 from BN, should know in a day or so if the larger ones are eye clean:

If that is a natural on the table of the stone, it is absolutely one to rule out!

(Ok, just saw your last post where BN said it is not eyeclean anyway.)

Yes, stick with BN. It is very possible your diamond is worth less today than what you paid if you bought it in the last 4 years, especially. So it is a very good time to trade it in with full value for what you paid! BN prices are not high.

 

[mrs-b]

Po -

The 2.05 and the 2.3 both sound like great stones (though that photo isn't worth the paper it's printed on!)

To be honest with you, I would stick with the 2.05. Its stats are better and its clarity is better also. It's also considerably cheaper while still being a big step up in size - 50% increase. That's a big jump.

I'd steer away from the family friend; I've rarely seen that go well, and I've seen it go badly many, many times. Also - a lot of jewelers don't necessarily know a lot about diamonds (most, in my experience), so I'd be very wary as to whether your friend would even know what to look for in a really well cut stone.

So all that to say, I'd take the 2.05 H SI1 and stay well within budget with a great stone which is a totally different size to the one you currently have. Trade in will be painless and then you can take it from there.

Keep in mind - a 2.05ct diamond is a big diamond. I'm not sure what size your finger is, but I have sizeable fingers, and your diamond will look almost identical to the one in the photo I shared with you earlier in this thread. And - if you really want size - I'd think about selling your setting and going with a halo; you'd be unlikely to be able to make out any difference between the 2.05 and the 2.3 at that stage. A stone that good also deserves a stellar (custom) setting, so buy the 2.05, save 2.5k, sell your setting, then get yourself to Victor Canera and buy an Emilya setting for your gorgeous new stone. Then sit back and wait for the oohs and ahhhs!

https://www.victorcanera.com/rings/engagement/the-emilya-halo-solitaire

 

[po720]

I would hesitate to use a "family friend" - they tend to take advantage of "family friends." Sorry to say - maybe you should just stick with BlueNile. Personally, I would pass on the family friend to eliminate any problems that would be difficult to resolve. It's just not worth it. Good luck

This is what I was worried about Queenie I went to them to take the stone out of the setting and was going to send it straight back to BN but they offered to look into what they could get for me. My mom has known the guy for 35+ years and his son and I are the same age and went to college together so I have so many memories from such a young age of him making personal pieces (90's nameplates anyone? ) for us and being very straight if we could find something better outside than what he had for the price, etc. I'm probably being sentimental and naive but I guess in the back of my mind I figured, "what is the worst that could happen? If he can't get me what I want for better or comparable prices then I am still free to send back to BN." The biggest risk is in losing my 2.05 with the potential upside being I get it from him for cheaper. Ugh I'm a mix of loyal and naively optimistic and prudent. Can you tell I'm a libra with a capricorn moon? LOL

So my pro/con is kind of like, if he can give me the same price for my stone and actually get his hands on the replacement I want (the 2.05 or 2.3) to show me in person and even match/beat the specs/price of the BN stones then it's a better deal net net, not only $$ wise, but bc I don't have to worry about sending it back, etc.

Yes, stick with BN. It is very possible your diamond is worth less today than what you paid if you bought it in the last 4 years, especially. So it is a very good time to trade it in with full value for what you paid! BN prices are not high.

We got it in 2012 so exactly 4 years thank you for the well wishes diamondseeker, I'm probably going to end up with BN. Yekutiel told me they are still overpriced but getting that price match was worth what I would "overpay" for the 2.05, i.e. if I had gotten the 2.05 in 2012 I would have paid 22k vs. 17k today

 

[po720]

Po -

The 2.05 and the 2.3 both sound like great stones (though that photo isn't worth the paper it's printed on!)

To be honest with you, I would stick with the 2.05. Its stats are better and its clarity is better also. It's also considerably cheaper while still being a big step up in size - 50% increase. That's a big jump.

I'd steer away from the family friend; I've rarely seen that go well, and I've seen it go badly many, many times. Also - a lot of jewelers don't necessarily know a lot about diamonds (most, in my experience), so I'd be very wary as to whether your friend would even know what to look for in a really well cut stone.

So all that to say, I'd take the 2.05 H SI1 and stay well within budget with a great stone which is a totally different size to the one you currently have. Trade in will be painless and then you can take it from there.

Keep in mind - a 2.05ct diamond is a big diamond. I'm not sure what size your finger is, but I have sizeable fingers, and your diamond will look almost identical to the one in the photo I shared with you earlier in this thread. And - if you really want size - I'd think about selling your setting and going with a halo; you'd be unlikely to be able to make out any difference between the 2.05 and the 2.3 at that stage. A stone that good also deserves a stellar (custom) setting, so buy the 2.05, save 2.5k, sell your setting, then get yourself to Victor Canera and buy an Emilya setting for your gorgeous new stone. Then sit back and wait for the oohs and ahhhs!

https://www.victorcanera.com/rings/engagement/the-emilya-halo-solitaire

Your 2.05 looks ahhhhhmazing so I know for sure it will be a step up and between the color and stats and clarity, I don't think I will find better for the price either... I am still waiting on BN to get me pics to make sure it's a winner... they said the 2.3 was 100% eye clean but that picture was ridiculous so I'm a little weary of that one.

btw mrs blop I totally forgot to tell you Yekutiel said the same thing about blue nile stones and gia india!!! So family friend was not lying about that!!! I was so surprised he mentioned it and when I told him I had heard it before he said it was true...Still can't wrap my head around SO MANY stones being over-graded..

Thank you again for so much thoughtful insight, between your pictures for reference and personal experience and knowledge, without you (and everyone else that took the time and effort to comment) I would never have known not to get that original 2.07! Thank you all so much. I can see now why people have entire threads devoted to their upgrade "projects!" This is no small task and requires a whole team of expertise!

 

[po720]

The HG 2.05 with the amazing stats has a blue mark on the table

I want to move forward with this one since the consensus here is it's the best cut/color/clarity combo for price and BN has a 30 day return policy so I can't really lose, right?

Would anyone recommend any additional steps to check the stone after purchase? Should I still bring it to someone like Yekutiel to check out? I'm wondering if its worth getting an ideal/ASET scope to check the stone since BN didn't provide the IS/ASET images?

FYI for PSer's in NY, you have the option of FREE returns at the BN store in Roosevelt Field!! Save you a little extra on the shipping/insurance if for any reason you're not happy with your purchase or sending in an old stone for upgrading

 

[diamondseeker2006]

What in the world is that blue mark?! Ask!

Just FYI I was also told that multiple vendors who do a lot of virtual listings have a lot of lower priced stones from India and that they use inferior rough. I have no idea what that really means, but I'd be cautious.

 

[po720]

What in the world is that blue mark?! Ask!

Just FYI I was also told that multiple vendors who do a lot of virtual listings have a lot of lower priced stones from India and that they use inferior rough. I have no idea what that really means, but I'd be cautious.

Diamond seeker, that blue mark was supposedly a reflection of the flash or something but in any case, the stone was sold in real time before I got my GIA papers back for my original stone (BN charges $250 for a replacement cert vs. 79 directly from GIA). So I finally got my cert back and ready to pull the trigger on one of the following two:

http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-details/LD07320117 vs http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-details/LD07422465

They are very similar in price and specs. What do you guys think?

Mrsblop, would you lean towards one over the other?

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I'd take the GIA I color over the other. But SI1's in stones this large are risky, so one could be more clean than the other. The color could vary as well. I honestly would go for VS2 clarity in a stone that size and go just a little smaller. It's too hard to have regrets with BN because of their trade in policy.

 

[po720]

I'd take the GIA I color over the other. But SI1's in stones this large are risky, so one could be more clean than the other. The color could vary as well. I honestly would go for VS2 clarity in a stone that size and go just a little smaller. It's too hard to have regrets with BN because of their trade in policy.

diamondseeker, what are you thoughts on gia vs. ags on clarity rating? I was combing through the pricescope threads on color/clarity gradings between the two and the overall consensus was that gia may be a hair stricter on color (i believe they referred to it as 1/10th for color) but that ags was noticeably stricter on clarity (3 to 4/10th's for clarity and cut) so that if you had the same rated stone between ags and gia that the ags stone was worth 10% more just based off of the clarity/cut advantage alone - I'm super paraphrasing but if you can recall the thread or were one of the posters I am loosely quoting, apologies for any mistakes above. Both stones were confirmed eye clean and honestly I'm still kind of mourning the loss of the 2.64 mrs. blop and ac turned me onto (http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-details/LD07380366) so i've been looking for other ways to come up with the extra to make up for the larger size (i.e. throwing my studs into the upgrade bin to make up for the cost). I know people say there are a million stones out there but in the past few weeks since I posted, i've seen some real winners come and go and with every loss I feel like I am going back and getting a lesser graded stone for more money

 

[ac117]

Po, don't be discouraged and try not to rush! You want to love the stone you choose, not settle for what's in inventory right now. That AGS stone just has way too many inclusions for me to believe it's "eye clean" and it also says additional clouds not shown.

However....*this* stone has very similar proportions, super clean at VS1 clarity (!), and just a hair shy of 9mm (!!!) for only $300 more!
http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-details/LD07243414

But if you don't like the stone above, I agree with DS - go for a bit smaller, safer stone like this one http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-details/LD07243331.. Or wait you can stalk inventory until more are added. Remember, you were looking at 2cts at the beginning of this thread, so 2.2 is even more than what you initially bargained for!

 

[po720]

AC, I feel like I just read a post from my Fairy Godmother, that made me feel so much better. Thank you so much.... I cannot believe the stones you found (!!!!!!!!), I just called and reserved them before the lurkers snatch any and waiting for pictures !!! thank you for the renewed hope and pick me up, you are truly a gem

 

[ac117]

AC, I feel like I just read a post from my Fairy Godmother, that made me feel so much better. Thank you so much.... I cannot believe the stones you found (!!!!!!!!), I just called and reserved them before the lurkers snatch any and waiting for pictures !!! thank you for the renewed hope and pick me up, you are truly a gem

Aww, you're so sweet! Just here to help! I'm glad you so this so quickly and I truly do hope one of these stones works out for you!

 

[po720]

Just to get an idea of the size difference from the current stone... I definitely don't see myself getting DSS with these

 

[msop04]

po, I've been following this thread for some time now, and I just wanted to say that I'm so happy for you! It always thrills me when someone ends up getting a much nicer and LARGER diamond that they ever thought possible! PS is awesome!

 

[ac117]

Haha DSS is funny...just don't say never! I got used to my upgrade after about 2 weeks, so while a lot of people find it 'huge', I just find it 'normal' now!

 

[po720]

msop, thank you so so much... honestly, i felt a little weird talking about the upgrade to anyone (my husband and mom have gotten the bare bones version of what I'm looking for and even with that they obviously want to move on lol..) PS is the ONLY place I can actually talk/read to my heart's content about all the tiny details and feel at home. Even if this is a somewhat temporary journey, thank you so much to everyone in this community for making newbies like me feel so welcome. This is a special place

 

[msop04]

Just to get an idea of the size difference from the current stone... I definitely don't see myself getting DSS with these

Holy CRAP!!! That's a M-A-J-O-R upgrade, po!! AAAHHHHHHH!!!! I'm so excited for you!

 

[po720]

Just to get an idea of the size difference from the current stone... I definitely don't see myself getting DSS with these

Holy CRAP!!! That's a M-A-J-O-R upgrade, po!! AAAHHHHHHH!!!! I'm so excited for you!

msop, thank you!!!

ac, i can't tell my husband that lol!!! did you post throughout your upgrade?? i would love to see pics

 

[ac117]

ac, i can't tell my husband that lol!!! did you post throughout your upgrade?? i would love to see pics

Mine doesn't know either I haven't made a proper thread for her, yet....but there are some photos/backstory on page 14 and 18 of this thread: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/upcoming-idj-visit.221254/page-14']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/upcoming-idj-visit.221254/page-14[/URL]

 

[po720]

Mine doesn't know either I haven't made a proper thread for her, yet....but there are some photos/backstory on page 14 and 18 of this thread: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/upcoming-idj-visit.221254/page-14']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/upcoming-idj-visit.221254/page-14[/URL]

gahhhhhhh it's even more glorious when you see it up close!!!

 

[ac117]

Thank you!

I'm so excited for you and can't wait to see your hand shots!

 

[po720]

Ac, did you feel that you got a fair price from yekutiel for your original stone to use towards the upgrade? When I spoke to him a few weeks back he said I would be getting a better deal through blue Nile bc I bought my original in '12 when prices were higher but when I called back yesterday to inquire about them setting my new stone, the woman on the phone said they would only do the setting if I got the stone through them and she was certain she could find me something better than BN, etc. I called back again this morning to followup and she said they would call me back... If every decent jeweler is going to turn me down for setting the BN stone, I can always go back to the family friend with the lumpy prong job that originally set the 1.36 but I would so much rather go with someone like yekutiel setting such a big upgrade :/ is it worth getting less for old stone/paying more for new one and having him take care of the setting? Or do I worry about who will set it after I secure the huge BN stone?

 

[ac117]

Ac, did you feel that you got a fair price from yekutiel for your original stone to use towards the upgrade? When I spoke to him a few weeks back he said I would be getting a better deal through blue Nile bc I bought my original in '12 when prices were higher but when I called back yesterday to inquire about them setting my new stone, the woman on the phone said they would only do the setting if I got the stone through them and she was certain she could find me something better than BN, etc. I called back again this morning to followup and she said they would call me back... If every decent jeweler is going to turn me down for setting the BN stone, I can always go back to the family friend with the lumpy prong job that originally set the 1.36 but I would so much rather go with someone like yekutiel setting such a big upgrade :/ is it worth getting less for old stone/paying more for new one and having him take care of the setting? Or do I worry about who will set it after I secure the huge BN stone?

Honestly, Yekutiel is very fair. DH wasn't happy when he heard what the trade in value would be, but the way I made him understand the appeal was that Yekutiel always beats everyone's pricing. So even though you're losing out some on the first stone, you'll probably make it up on the new stone because diamond prices are still low now.

I just looked back and saw the price difference is only $1200 between what Yekutiel would give you and what BN would give you. I don't think that's unreasonable at all and I'm confident you'd make that saving up with a new stone + settings. His pricing is super competitive, even on settings, his prongs are DELICIOUS , and it would also be a one stop shop! I personally also love having Yekutiel as my own personal diamond concierge - he knows what PSers want and love and will not stop until you have it. He provides the imaging that you could also post here for reassurance (as you know, it's like pulling teeth just to get a darn image from BN!).

ETA: If you read through the beginning of that IDJ thread, cchloe was also doing an upgrade with them and ended up with a stunning 2.6 I color I believe for an amazing price! (pg 3)...this was the final result...[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/vatche-u-113-with-2-6-ct-and-other-idj-goodies.222503/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/vatche-u-113-with-2-6-ct-and-other-idj-goodies.222503/[/URL]

 

[po720]

Ahhh that is it I have to get the 2.5 or 2.62, the finger coverage on Chloe's is just perfectttt!!

I just got off the phone with him again and he asked me to email him the specs on my old stone again to see what he thinks he can do. I know he does such a beautiful job from all the different pieces I've seen on here. I'm keeping my fingers crossed but worst case scenario he said he would set my new stone in the Gabriel setting for me even if I go through BN so yayyyyyyyy!! No lumpy prongs