Morrell Flame, GOG diamond, Atlas appraisal Pt. 2 The DIAMOND - CUT NUTS ATTACK!!!

[Quash]

After a long journey in trying to find my girlfriend an engagement ring, I was led to a Mark Morrell Flame setting, and a diamond from GOG (Good Old Gold), which I sent to Dave Atlas at AGA for appraisal. Chris DiCamillo did the appraisal and was a total professional, patient with my questions and very helpful. I detailed my journey here, as a little case study in a consumer starting out with absolutely no knowledge in diamonds to having just enough to be dangerous:
Pt. 1 - The Quest

Pt. 3 will detail the final product Mark sends me, complete with pics, as I know people like to see pics on this forum.

In this episode, Pt. 2, I'm interested in using this thread to see what cut experts/nuts/fanatics and others think about the diamond I purchased. A little case study in cut, perhaps, that others may find of use in their purchase. I do not have buyer's remorse and don't need to be reassured and be told it's a great diamond, so feel free to take your gloves off and lay your thoughts on the line. And if you can back it up with research/stats, the more detail the better for all of us.

How did I do? Would you have made a different choice for the same amount of money?

Here's what I bought from GOG:
.97 G SI1 AGS0
$5285

GOG Diamond Specs (Sarin, Helium, Gemex, imagery, etc.)
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/3040/


HCA Results: (Garry Holloway's Cut Advisor Tool)
I noticed that if I pump in the diamond specs to the HCA, there is a variance between the GOG Helium, GOG Sarin, AGS Cert and AGA Cert from Dave Atlas' company:
AGS: 1.1 ex/ex/ex/vg; AGA: 1.4 ex/vg/vg/vg; GOG's Helium: 1.1 ex/ex/ex/vg; GOG's Sarin: 1.4 ex/vg/vg/vg

What are people's thoughts about this and what's the real difference between a 1.1 and 1.4?


AGS Report Specs: (I've added AGA's appraisal/cert figures and GOG's Helium numbers where they differ).
Report #: 000832309 (AGSL Reports Verification)
Round Brilliant
6.41x6.42x.3.91mm (AGA: 6.40x6.41x3.91; Helium: 6.411x6.417x3.91
weight: .973 (Helium: .9741)
cut grade: AGS Ideal 0 (Light Performance: 0; Proportion: 0; Finish: 0; Polish: Ideal: S; Symmetry: Ideal)
Colour Grade: AGS 1.5 (G)
Clarity: AGS 5 (SI1)
Fluorescence: Negligible
Table: 56.1% (AGA: 55.6%; Helium: 55.79%)
Crown Angle: 34.0 (AGA: 34.1; Helium: 34.02)
Crown Height: 14.9% (AGA: 14.9%; Helium: 14.93%)
Girdle: 1.1% - 3.2% (AGA: Slightly thin to slightly thin bruted girdle)
Pavillion Angle: 40.9 (AGA: 41; Helium: 40.97)
Pavillion Depth: 43.3% (AGA: 43.2%; Helium: 43.29%)
Star Length: 56%
Lower Girdle Length: 77%
Total Depth: 61.1% (AGA: 61%; Helium: 61.1%)
Culet: Pointed (Helium: .3


Additional Dave Atlas/AGA data:
AGA Cut: 1A (seems to be 1A in every category when I ran it on Dave's diy old cut grade tool with the AGS, AGA and Helium #s):
AGA Cut Grade Tool


Light Behaviour: Excellent +
Durability-Finish-Size: 0

I have become interested in light performance, regardless of cut. Meaning, I recognize cut can be a good predictor of light performance but not necessarily, so I had Chris at Dave Atlas' AGA run Imagem numbers. A little over the top? Maybe, but it was the one way to get an independent appraisal of actual light performance rather than predictive light performance based on numbers. Plus, I have to get some fun out of this process, since my girlfriend gets the actual diamond, in the end.

Imagem Measures:
Brilliance: EX / 185 (Gemex: Very High)
Sparkle: EX / 104 (Gemex: High)
Intensity: EX / 366 (Gemex: Very High)

So, what do you think?

 

[JulieN]

congrats, d00der.

 

[oldminer]

I am thrilled AGA turned out so much in close proximity to AGSL and to Helium measures, both of which were compared for the data we also collect. These tiny amounts of difference such as hundredths of a mm or a tenth of a percent of an angle really matter when you use the data to predict light behvior, but when you directly measure light performance, the physical size or angles are not nearly as important. I think when I compiled the 1A range for cut class grading, I pretty much hit the mark for using relatively simple number collection to screen for a most positive result in beauty. 1A is a very tight target.

What we find is that many other varieties of cut configuration also have beauty and high light performance outside of the 1A zone, but parameters are only going to be a fair predictor of a beautiful outcome. So many nuances are left out when cut grading is based simply on measurement of physical size and angles.

Its really difficult to go wrong when you buy a superbly cut diamond. We are always pleased to see consumers learning how to get a truly beautiful diamond.

 

[strmrdr]

Congrates!!
You really did your homework!
There isn't much of anything left to say about the diamond.
You got more info than pretty much anyone would have between AGS, Jon, and Dave's evaluations.
Not that it matters a lot but its a diamond I would have bought cut wise.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

AS far as the HCA goes, it is a screener. There is no significance to a 1.1 versus a 1.4. Most people try to get a stone that scores under 2, and yours does in all cases!

I think you made a great choice of stone and setting, and I look forward to pt. 3!!!

 

[NewEnglandLady]

I''m so sorry to get all mushy on you, but everytime I see one of these posts where the man has obviously put so much work into getting the perfect stone, the perfect setting, has done hundreds of hours of research and has gone through the painstaking process of creating a ring he knows his gf will love...well, it just makes me swoon!

The ring is absolutely perfect, the stone you chose is amazing and I have absolutely no doubt she will love it and love YOU for putting so much work into it!

The fact that you already have the proposal worked out and have done all of this without her knowing is a bonus!! JOB WELL DONE! I can''t wait for Part 4 of this well-organized saga--HAND SHOTS!

 

[Quash]

Given NewEnglandLady just popped this thread back to the top in RockyTalk, I''ll take the opportunity to update you. If any of you are interested in seeing Mark''s pics of the Flame engagement ring he has made for my girlfriend (size 5.25) and newly added pics of the engagement ring with the matching wedding band Mark just completed, you''ll find them here:

Part 3 - The Pics