Diamond only 0.4ct would it matter if the clarity is I1?

[shane84]

Hi , I've the option to buy a certified engagement ring second hand from a reputable seller for £450

it's a round brilliant cut, colour H, Carot size 0.4ctbut the clarity is only I1.

It seems a really good deal especially as I'm on such a tight budget. I'm hoping because the diamond is under 1/2ct the I1 wouldn't matter so much

the cert is from the EGL

 

[Johannes89]

hey, it would be very helpful to get some more information such as the certificate to be able to help you.
But generaly most I1s arent eye clean and since its an EGL cert its probably not even a real I1 but more like an I2 so i wouldnt go for it.
Then again if the price is the most important thing then well .... but generally i wouldnt advice yo to go for it since its an EGL I1.
As i said additional information is required tho.

 

[shane84]

Thanks for the quick reply

TBH this is the first diamond close to 1/2 ct within my budget. I also love the fact it's platinum but I take on board what you're saying.

Realistically I think I'm going to have to drop to a 1/4ct and white gold, but this one is just so tempting because it seems such a great deal!

What other info would be useful?

 

[Johannes89]

well, it is definately cheap especially if its platinum, so i cant argue that^^
then again im not an expert but im pretty sure the stone isnt a nice one by any means.
As i said the certificate would be a great start to give us useful information. i guess the cert number would also be enough so we can look it up online ( that at least works with gia certs i havent tried with EGL but i guess that works too)

 

[shane84]

it's about 700USD, I'll see if i can get a pic of the cert up

 

[Johannes89]

hey,
just to clarify rly quickly in case u got me wrong.

i didnt mean to call this a bad deal in general, it might even be a good deal money wise cosidering its 2nd hand.
Then again without any additional information its impossible to figure its worth.
But what i am almost certain about is that the stone isnt good looking based on the clarity grade of the EGL cert.
its not impossible that it looks nice tho.

 

[Niel]

Well, can you see the inclusions? Do they bother you?

 

[shane84]

it's an online seller so unfortunately can see

 

[Niel]

Oh I thought you already bought it.

 

[Sunstorm]

Ok, normally I would say no primarily because of the EGL certificate and not because it is an I1. There are good I1s though that are not easily found. In this case as it has been suggested it may even be an I2 since it is ELG graded. I missed what the color grade was, will look or if you have not posted it please do. My concern is that this is a very heavily included stone and the light return is greatly impaired, sorry but based on the one photo you have provided that appears to be the case. I see a big cloudy, fish eye looking area, the entire table looks like that. Now, that said, the stone could simply be dirty being that it is second hand. It may only need a good cleaning but who knows? Bigger problem is that having not seen the report we have no idea how vulnerable this stone is, how the inclusions affect its integrity besides the light return and you do not want to end up with a badly chipped diamond, is there any chance it is already chipped, have you asked? In short, I would probably pass being that this is also an online vendor and you cannot even see this piece before buying. Consider buying from a reputable even online vendor second hand but better quality and definitely try to pick a recommended vendor as then you know you are in the right hands and told the truth about the piece. You could go with a smaller stone that is halo-d, a cluster, etc. This sounds like a good deal but is it really? I tend to be very cautious that no deal is really a deal, you pay what the item is worth. Of course deals can come around but they are rare. If you decide to consider this ring ask for many more photos, closeups, the report, etc.

 

[shane84]

Thank you for the detailed reply!

The colour is H, but i think taking your advice I'll probably give this one a miss. It was the platinum that really made me want to go for this but in reality i think it's a risk not worth taking

 

[shane84]

Ok new option but this one comes with a cert I've never heard of great lake?









It doesn't have as nice a cut as the one above but otherwise seems to be a better diamond

 

[Niel]

Do you want us to look around see what else is available?

 

[Sunstorm]

Yes, OP, have the others like Niel help you, they can most likely find some great options for you, reputable vendors and/or nice products at a good value There is no such thing as an SI3, it is an I1 and I would not trust this lab. Tell us what your specs are, budget and I am sure many will gladly help you out here, that is your best option and happy you came here as the wonderful folks can recommend you great options and assist you in making sure that you will not end up being ripped off.

 

[motownmama]

I know you took a pass, but while others are looking can you ask for more and closer-up pictures of the first online stone. The price does seem good for platinum......

 

[marymm]

Not sure what your budget is, but as a possible option coming in at $867, here's a 0.36ct H-SI1 round brilliant with medium blue fluorescence from Blue Nile priced at $607 - it scores 1.8 Excellent on the HCA tool (https://www.pricescope.com/tools/hca) and is a 1A diamond per the AGA Cut Class tool (https://www.pricescope.com/tools/AGA_NAJA_Cut_Class_Grader) - it is a SI1 and the listed inclusion is a crystal, so if interested, be sure to ask Blue Nile what color the crystal is (clear, white, or dark) and whether the diamond is eyeclean.

http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-details/LD05011838

And Blue Nile has a number of inexpensive 14kt WG solitaire settings, but I really like this split shank version which is $260 -
http://www.bluenile.com/build-your-...g-14k-white-gold_48351?elem=img&track=product

I will echo the other posters who say that poor clarity is not your friend when it comes to diamonds - a smaller well-cut diamond will outperform a larger, poor-clarity diamond every time - BUT if size is your highest priority, over performance and clarity, you will get a different answer.

 

[shane84]

Thank you very much,

That looks a brilliant site! I'll just have to check if i would be liable for import duty as i'd be ordering from outside the country. But thankls again that's a great lead

 

[Niel]

Thank you very much,

That looks a brilliant site! I'll just have to check if i would be liable for import duty as i'd be ordering from outside the country. But thankls again that's a great lead

Are you in the uk?

 

[shane84]

yes norrthern ireland

 

[marymm]

fyi: Blue Nile has a uk website - http://www.bluenile.com/uk/

 

[mrs-b]

Shane - does it have to be platinum? There's this, which seems to be a very good deal, and the seller will ship internationally:

http://www.loupetroop.com/listings/rings-natural-diamond-center/~5-mm-oec-antique-yellow-gold-ring

or this:

http://www.loupetroop.com/listings/rings-natural-diamond-center/on-sale-14k-transitional-cut-diamond-ring

not sure if this is still for sale, but it's a very pretty ring and a great price:

http://www.loupetroop.com/listings/rings-natural-diamond-center/marquise-and-baguette-diamond-ring

this was listed some time ago, but it doesn't have a sold sign on it, and it's a VERY pretty ring, if you like vintage. NB it has a small sapphire on each side of the diamond:

http://www.loupetroop.com/listings/rings-natural-diamond-center/vintage-18k-oec-and-sapphire-ring-~4-dot-5-mm-diamond-and-lovely-filigree

ETA The third ring I listed has a .52ct center stone, and the first stone would be around 1/2 ct also, given its diameter.

 

[Sunstorm]

Ooh, those OECs look really nice, I loved the first one in YG and the last ring with the sapphires is very pretty as well. Actually going vintage is always a good idea when trying to work with a tighter budget and in my opinion these vintage cuts are beautiful.

 

[Snowdrop13]

Oh, and it looks like the prices on Blue Nile UK now include VAT, so much easier to work out the cost! There seem to be lots of diamonds around the 0.3ct size for you to choose from, and a couple of classic 14k gold settings. The section with "recently sold rings" is excellent for getting an idea of diamond sizes and seeing what you can get for your budget. Good luck with the search!