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Help me hunt for a round diamond, 10K

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Relleum

Rough_Rock
Joined
Oct 20, 2010
Messages
10
I am looking for a nice rock, and in a hurry! Here's how far I've gotten so far:
Budget: 10K (+/- 1500)
Carats: 1.38 to 1.49. My primary motivation is to get as close to 1.5c yet avoid the price hike according to rapaport
Color: G/H, with I considered
Clarity: VS2, with a clean SI1 considered
Cut, Polish, Symmetry: Triple X

My goal is to find a diamond that has top of the line fire and sparkle. So as long as it is near colorless and the inclusions arent really visible to the naked eye, then I'm really open.
Here is a good example of what I mean:
http://vimeo.com/5081590
In this video, you see the third diamond is an SI1, and you have a range of F-H in color. These all look amazing compared to the poorly cut fourth stone. I want something like the first three!

The best diamond that I feel meets my criteria so far:
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1330249.asp?b=16&a=12&c=77&cid=131

Unfortunately, it isnt available.

Also, what is the most up-to-date consensus on the online retailers? Who has the best policies and is most trustworthy? So far I like WhiteFlash and James Allen, and I've heard negative things about the limitations in policies for Blue Nile. In the end, I would like them to be a pricescope participant.

I'm open to hearing your thoughts!
 

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Stone-cold11

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Sep 9, 2008
Messages
14,069
These 4 looks good, should be under your max budget with PS discount and wire-transfer discount.

You will have to ask JA if these are eye-clean, no way to tell from just the inclusion map and loupe images, and request an idealscope image for them if interested. JA allows for 3 idealscope images per customer.

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1332425.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1326336.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1326225.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1330355.asp

EDT:
One more that looks good.
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamond/diamond-detail/?product_id=AGS-1040397620025
 
dreamer_dachsie

dreamer_dachsie

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Dec 16, 2007
Messages
24,364
Stone-cold11 said:
These 4 looks good, should be under your max budget with PS discount and wire-transfer discount.

You will have to ask JA if these are eye-clean, no way to tell from just the inclusion map and loupe images, and request an idealscope image for them if interested. JA allows for 3 idealscope images per customer.

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1332425.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1326336.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1326225.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1330355.asp

EDT:
One more that looks good.
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamond/diamond-detail/?product_id=AGS-1040397620025
Click to expand...

Great find Stone! I like them all, but would pick the biggest for myself :Up_to_something:
 
R

Relleum

Rough_Rock
Joined
Oct 20, 2010
Messages
10
Wow stone-cold, thank you so much for these finds. So could you describe to me how you differentiated the one i linked to from the ones you recommended? What is difference in the stats that is important, and what should i be looking for in the photos?

Thanks again.
 
R

Relleum

Rough_Rock
Joined
Oct 20, 2010
Messages
10
Here are two stones from a reputable offline dealer that I am strongly considering:

1.35ct I SI1 X X X - $7300 - GIA **edited by moderator. please upload photos to forum**

1.40 I VS1 VG X X - $8200 - GIA **edited by moderator. please upload photos to forum**

I plugged the numbers for both into the pricescope hca tool, and the 1.4 did really well, scoring an excellent 1.9. The 1.35 got a score of 3.8.

Based on the numbers, which do you think is the better diamond, and more importantly, the better deal?


Thanks!
 
S

Stone-cold11

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Sep 9, 2008
Messages
14,069
http://www2.gia.edu/reportcheck/ind...tVerification&reportno=2125694098&weight=1.35
http://www2.gia.edu/reportcheck/ind...tVerification&reportno=1126280119&weight=1.40

idealscope image?

From the numbers, both have trade-offs, not what I consider as deals.

1.35c probably have leakage issue, unless GIA rounding off numbers in the detrimental direction. Idealscope will tell more.

1.4c has a thick in the girdle variation, hidden weight, as shown in the face-up dimension, it has a smaller diameter than the 1.35c, you are paying for the weight you cannot see.
 
R

Relleum

Rough_Rock
Joined
Oct 20, 2010
Messages
10
Stone-cold,

Could you explain to me the difference between the 1.4 you recommended a few days ago:

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1330355.asp

And the 1.4 i just posted? I see that the james allen gets an HCA score of 1.3, but for 2k more is that one considered a better deal?

BTW i really appreciate your help. You obviously know your diamonds.

EDIT: i just saw you edited your post to include more details. I see your points now.
 
R

Relleum

Rough_Rock
Joined
Oct 20, 2010
Messages
10
Stone-cold,

What do you think of my preconceived notion that I should seek a diamond slightly below 1.49c in order to avoid the higher price bracket of 1.5 - 1.99c based on rapaport? Is that something I should care about?

I know you found quite a few lovely diamonds earlier in the week, but I feel like I want to stay under 10K for the ring and diamond. With that in mind, could you help me search for a round I VS2 that looks like a good deal?

For some reason James Allen feels like the only site that provides easy access to macro images of the diamonds, or even the idealscope. Where are these on say, WhiteFlash?

EDIT: BrianGavin seems to have a great deal of images available to look at for each diamond.
 
dreamer_dachsie

dreamer_dachsie

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Dec 16, 2007
Messages
24,364
Relleum said:
Stone-cold,

What do you think of my preconceived notion that I should seek a diamond slightly below 1.49c in order to avoid the higher price bracket of 1.5 - 1.99c based on rapaport? Is that something I should care about?
Click to expand...

I think you should decide on your budget, your true budget, and then look for the best value in that amount. Staying below the 1.5ct mark is one way to save some money, but there are very few diamonds cut to that size. Cutters can make a lot more by getting over the 1.5ct mark so they will do that if they can, even if it means cutting a more poorly propotioned stone. It takes more rough to create an ideally proportioned stone, so you can see that if a cutter can to choose between cutting a 1,4ct that is ideal and a 1.5ct that is not, which will they choose? The latter every time. So though you might save money relative to a similar diamond over the 1.5ct mark, it is going to be harder to find such a stone.
 
R

Relleum

Rough_Rock
Joined
Oct 20, 2010
Messages
10
Yea I've come back to that one over and over from PriceScope searches, but the black cloud in the middle really bothers me. I just assumed that it isn't eyeclean because of that.
 
dreamer_dachsie

dreamer_dachsie

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Dec 16, 2007
Messages
24,364
dreamer_dachsie

dreamer_dachsie

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Dec 16, 2007
Messages
24,364
Relleum said:
Yea I've come back to that one over and over from PriceScope searches, but the black cloud in the middle really bothers me. I just assumed that it isn't eyeclean because of that.
Click to expand...

Can't judge eye clean from the magnified photos at all. You have to call and ask to be sure. Did you see the H VS1 I posted?
 
R

Relleum

Rough_Rock
Joined
Oct 20, 2010
Messages
10
I think you should decide on your budget, your true budget, and then look for the best value in that amount. Staying below the 1.5ct mark is one way to save some money, but there are very few diamonds cut to that size. Cutters can make a lot more by getting over the 1.5ct mark so they will do that if they can, even if it means cutting a more poorly propotioned stone. It takes more rough to create an ideally proportioned stone, so you can see that if a cutter can to choose between cutting a 1,4ct that is ideal and a 1.5ct that is not, which will they choose? The latter every time. So though you might save money relative to a similar diamond over the 1.5ct mark, it is going to be harder to find such a stone.
Click to expand...

My true budget is 10K, including solitaire platinum setting. So the diamond budget is precisely $9250. I'm looking for the biggest diamond I can get that is:

I or above in color
SI1 or above in clarity
Cut, Polish, Symmetry all Excellent, although maybe VG on one attribute all else is amazing.
2 or below on HCA score

Does this new set of Qualifications help in the search?
 
dreamer_dachsie

dreamer_dachsie

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Dec 16, 2007
Messages
24,364
Are you really opposed to a J color stone? It is not much different than an I and you will get a much larger rock.

If you want he biggest for your money then you can jump over the 1.5ct mark with some of the stones that SC posted, above.

These are also possiblities:

Looks eye clean, numbers check out and right below the next big price hike at the 1.7ct mark. Ask for an ideal scope if you like it:

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1301514.asp

I like this one though. Huge, numbers check out, you need an ideal scope and to confirm eye clean:

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/J-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1326466.asp
 
R

Relleum

Rough_Rock
Joined
Oct 20, 2010
Messages
10
Stone-cold11 said:
These 2 also looks good. Ask for idealscope image, and if eye-clean for the SI1, if interested.

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-VS1-Premium-Cut-Round-Diamond-1334187.asp
Click to expand...

I really love the size, hca, and price of the 1.45 I-VS1, but the magnified image looks pretty bad. What is that big black spot at the bottom? I thought any VS1 would be eye clean.

And I guess I understand the GIA certificates better than AGS, because I would think that 1.51 SI1 would have a whole bunch of markings indicated on the clarity plot portion of the cert, but I don't see anything. What gives?
 
R

Relleum

Rough_Rock
Joined
Oct 20, 2010
Messages
10
Here is the idealscope:

ADS-8069id.jpg

It looks pretty good!
Needless to say, I ordered the rock. Thank you, stone-cold for all your help. I would have purchased the wrong stone without you!
 
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