SI1-2 clarity with F clour OR VS1-2 clarity with I colour?

Date: 2/5/2008 7:11:33 AM
Author:the-oneil
Hi all

If you are buying stud solitair earrings with 1.0ct in total (0.5ct each ear); which would you prefer to have (price being irrelevant).
Earrings with a VS1 VS2 clarity with a colour J
OR
Earrings with a SI1 - SI2 clarity with higher colour grade of E or F

Please let me know what would you go for in terms of visual impact.

The Cut is the same (Ideal / excellent); with the same Polish, Symmetry and Fluorescence at None.

Hi again!

I will always choose the best cut I can get, this is what makes a diamond beautiful, but you obviously are aware of this with your choices in the other thread!

It is a personal preference thing, but personally I would shoot for the lowest clarity if eyeclean and a more middleground of colour, such as G to J,  but this might not suit you best.  My opinion of visual impact would be top cut, clean SI clarity and E to F colour, especially I would personally always go for lower clarity with earrings as they aren't viewed in the same way as ring stones.

Which way are you leaning?  If this helps, you have some nice choices as far as I can see!

Thanks Lorelei

I was under the impression that clarity is more important than color (For the naked eye) but I maybe wrong. It is a dilemma for me, to go for a VS1 J   or   SI2  F

All other things being the same.

Date: 2/5/2008 9:38:09 AM
Author: the-oneil
Thanks Lorelei

I was under the impression that clarity is more important than color (For the naked eye) but I maybe wrong. It is a dilemma for me, to go for a VS1 J or SI2 F

All other things being the same.

I disagree.  I can see the difference between an F and a G from 10 feet away.  I sure can''t see inclusions from an SI1 vs a VS2 from 10 feet away. 

I just bought diamond studs that were F SI1 and F SI2...   After cut, I''d rather spend my money on size and color than something you need a loupe to see...

Date: 2/5/2008 9:38:09 AM
Author: the-oneil
Thanks Lorelei

I was under the impression that clarity is more important than color (For the naked eye) but I maybe wrong. It is a dilemma for me, to go for a VS1 J or SI2 F

All other things being the same.

It depends on what you value more.  For me, if an SI clarity fits my definition of eyeclean ( no inclusions readily visible face up at close range, but my nearsighted vision is deteriorating!!) then I will choose that in preference to a higher clarity, as I don't want to pay for what my eyes can't see - which to me in that size diamond and for what I want it for, would be VS.  Colour however may be visible according to individual perception and preference, so I would rather have a higher colour and lower eyeclean clarity if these were my choices.

There are some who believe a higher clarity is desirable for purity purposes, or just plain preference, it depends on what group you fall into.  Maybe a nice middleground for the studs could be G or H colour and SI1 to VS2 clarity, if you could find some with an excellent cut in budget.

But it really is all about preference, also see Sna's post and how she made her decision, no decision is wrong!

Sna77
Could you really tell the diff. between F & G

I could not tell the diff between an E and H, no matter how hard I tried

Date: 2/5/2008 1:10:16 PM
Author: the-oneil
Sna77
Could you really tell the diff. between F & G

I could not tell the diff between an E and H, no matter how hard I tried

definitely.  Especially if they are next to each other.  My FI''s engagment ring is an E color, so I wanted to make sure they matched too.  =)

Hi,

I asked myself that exact question back in June and decided to go with the F SI1s, but ended up paying more than I would have for I or J VS2s.  For me it was worth doing so because I rarely buy jewelry. 

The Fs are AMAZINGLY bright and light and sparkle like crazy.  They're H&A and are entirely eye clean.  I was able to see close up, magnified shots of the stones and idealscope images and was confident the inclusions would be nearly impossible to find.

If I did decide to go down in color, it would have been worth waiting for excellent I SI1 stones since for earrings, they would be the perfect clarity.