Experts - Help! Ready to purchase need advice

[brando5111]

Hi All,

I''ve been lurking for the last couple of weeks as I''m in the market for a diamond. I''m hoping for your help so I make a good decision, as I don''t feel completely confident yet! I am very interested in the Eighternity, but have found that I must go to a dealer in my area and cannot buy off the internet since I''m in California. I don''t have a lot of money to spend - my budget is $2000.00-$2,800, so I don''t know if it''s worth it to even go to this dealer (he won''t reopen until after Jan 3). My most important feature is sparkle/fire, so I am assuming I need to go for the best cut to hopefully obtain this feature I desire. I have purchased a setting that is white gold, so I want to be sure the diamond does not look yellow in the setting, so I believe I cannot go below an H color?

This is where I have some more questions - as I''m just not sure, but could I go below and Ideal cut and still have a "ball of fire"? If so, what should I consider? The stones in my price range have been a bit smaller than I had hoped, I must admit. I was really hoping for at least .80-.90. But so far, not much luck with the parameters I have been using.

To obtain the minimum size I would like (.70), I am including SI1 and SI2 - if they are "eye clean" this is fine with me. I would love to get as much stone as possible without sacrificing sparkle/brilliance.

Your help is greatly appreciated.

Here are a few diamonds I have found, and I''m hoping you can take a look and give me your suggestions and thoughts:

Thanks so very much

Brando

Expert Selection - Whiteflash:
Item Code: GIA-13508192
Price: $2,750.00 View Details
Report: GIA
Shape: Round Ideal Cut
Carat: 0.76
Color: I
Clarity: VS1
Depth: 60.7
Table: 55
Crown Angle: 34.7
Crown %: 15.5
Pavilion Angle: 41.1
Pavilion %: 43.4
Girdle: Thin to Medium
Polish: Excellent
Symmetry: Excellent
Culet: None
Fluorescence: No
Measurements: 5.94-5.96X3.61

Dirt cheap diamonds:
Cash Price: $2,727
Stock Number: 7403446
Shape: Signature Round
Laboratory: AGS
Carat Weight: .788
Color: H
Clarity: SI1
Measurements: 5.90x5.93x3.66
Depth: 61.8%
Table: 56%
Polish: Ideal
Symmetry: Ideal
Culet: Pointed
Girdle: 1.5-2.2
Fluorescence: None
Culet: Pointed
Crown Angle : 34.9°
Crown %: 15.2
Pavillion Angle : 40.6°
Pavillion %: 42.7
Lab Comments: None

Blue Nile:
Price: $2161.00
Stock number: LD00231358
Carat weight: 0.71
Cut: Ideal
Color: I
Clarity: SI1

Depth %: 60.5%
Table %: 56%
Symmetry: Excellent
Polish: Excellent
Girdle: Very thin to medium
Culet: None
Fluorescence: Faint
Measurements: 5.81x5.83x3.52 mm

Blue Nile:
Price: $2524.00
Stock number: LD00271247
Carat weight: 0.75
Cut: Ideal
Color: H
Clarity: SI2

Depth %: 61.7%
Table %: 56%
Symmetry: Ideal
Polish: Ideal
Girdle: Thin to medium
Culet: None
Fluorescence: Negligible
Measurements: 5.83x5.87x3.61 mm

 

[oldminer]

Keeping your budget and size range in mond might make you drift toward the non-ideal, but still nicely cut diamond. Many of those stones exist although not as widely found on the Internet. When people shop for something sight unseen knowing the cut is tops counts a lot in their secure feeling. You might look at the stones you have found and you might well find others not cut quite as well that offer a little more size to you for the money you can spend. there are many non-ideal stones which look very good andf will not cause someone to be ashamed at all.

 

[Regular Guy]

Brando,

Unless I''m off (easliy could be), your pick from DCD suggested seems really cherry...very good, with respect to your relative targets...for:

size
cut
match of color and clarity.

Also, otherwise, seems to me that as Dave shares, you might be able to marginally optimize by, for example, ordering that one up, and walking it around and comparing to options at local stores. Also, checking the "described but not seen diamonds" database, you could experiment with getting a non-ideal, G SI 1 that''s a bit larger, increasing some of the qualities you might be looking for marginally.

But I do like that one you''ve found. Best wishes,