suggestions on where to buy very small diamonds

[joekorth]

Hi there -
I''m new to this forum, and am looking forward to exploring and learning here. I am a student jeweler, and am working on a project of two matching 18K gold rings, each flush set with 25 diamonds. I am at the stage of getting ready to purchase the diamonds, and am interested in any suggestions on where the best place to purchase from may be. The diamonds I am looking for would be 1 or 2 points (1.3-1.7mm), color D-H, and clarity Vs1 or better. I got some quotes from a place named K Jewelers which seem very good. Here are their quotes:

(1.3mm .01ct IF D-F color $10.00/ea)
(1.5mm .015ct VVS/VS F-G color $13.50/ea)
(1.5mm .015ct IF D-F color $16.00/ea)
(1.7mm .02ct VVS/VS F-G color $18.00/ea)
(1.7mm .02ct IF D-F color $21.00/ea)


Obviously, if money were not an object, i would go with the .02ct IF stones. Money, however, is an object. For my budget those are a bit high. the others are all good options. Is it worth spending an extra $125 to go from VVS/VS quality stones to IF stones fo size 1.5mm? Am i going to find any better prices than this? Any feedback would be appreciated.


Sincerely,
Joe Korth

 

[strmrdr]

Prices dont look to bad.
Id check with wink and diamondexpert to see if they can help you at a better price.
No its not worth the added cost and Id drop down to si clarity to save a few bucks if money is an issue.
In stones that small your not going to see the inclusions.

 

[Regular Guy]

Joe,

Jim at Dirt Cheap Diamonds:

http://www.dirtcheapdiamonds.com/

I think invites querries about diamonds, and for at least somewhat smaller sizes; not sure if that's his specific area, but you may want to try.

 

[valeria101]

Gee... do you think greades matter all that much for something that small? Clarity would so VS1 is one good bottom threshold, but coor? I'd rather have these cut decently (as opposed to rough chips). Besides, the seller makes the grading, so... who knows what these are? All these considered, the usual practice is to buy the finished piece and let the jeweler source the melee and manage the cost

It is much easier to judge the finished piece when all little stones come together to sparkle - like this, it is the jeweler's job to make sure the effect if as good as it gets, not yours

If you do opt to buy the accent stones separately, than you should judge what their final look on the piece of jewelry will be - and this does not sound simpel to me - especially since the setting work is as important as the quality of the materials here...

Just a thought, of course.

 

[diamondsbylauren]

----------------
On 8/10/2004 1:09:24 AM joekorth wrote:

Hi there -
I'm new to this forum, and am looking forward to exploring and learning here. I am a student jeweler, and am working on a project of two matching 18K gold rings, each flush set with 25 diamonds. I am at the stage of getting ready to purchase the diamonds, and am interested in any suggestions on where the best place to purchase from may be. The diamonds I am looking for would be 1 or 2 points (1.3-1.7mm), color D-H, and clarity Vs1 or better. I got some quotes from a place named K Jewelers which seem very good. Here are their quotes:

(1.3mm .01ct IF D-F color $10.00/ea)
(1.5mm .015ct VVS/VS F-G color $13.50/ea)
(1.5mm .015ct IF D-F color $16.00/ea)
(1.7mm .02ct VVS/VS F-G color $18.00/ea)
(1.7mm .02ct IF D-F color $21.00/ea)


Obviously, if money were not an object, i would go with the .02ct IF stones. Money, however, is an object. For my budget those are a bit high. the others are all good options. Is it worth spending an extra $125 to go from VVS/VS quality stones to IF stones fo size 1.5mm? Am i going to find any better prices than this? Any feedback would be appreciated.


Sincerely,
Joe Korth----------------

Hi Joe,
The interesting thing to me is that someone is claiming to sell Interanlly Flawless .02 diamonds.
Are there GIA reports to back up such a claim?
I started sorting .01 diamonds way back in 1976- in all this time, I've never seen a .01 or .02 diamond with a GIA report to prove it's IF.
Therefore, I question how someone would claim to differentiate between a VVS and an IF in these sizes.
In my experience, grading on .02 diamonds is done in larger groupings- such as IF- VS1 ( clean)
VS2-SI2 ( slightly imperfect)
SI3-I1- imperfect with a good look- and so on.
Same with colors- In the smaller sizes cutters group D-F as colorless, G-H high commmecial white, and I-J as comercial white.

The prices you've been quoted ( $900-$1100) are on the high side for .01-.02 stones. Unless of course they've all got GIA's to prove flawlessness.

I find that in the smaller sizes the cut and color are what makes the look.
If you are producing a piece of jewelry that calls for exact sizes, a properly sized SI1 looks much better than a VVS which is off sized.

Good luck in your endevours!

 

[rocks]

i agree with diamonds by lauren. melee of that size just isn't graded that closely with respect to clarity, and the cut is far more important. diamonds of that size in the e to g range do not show color.

pricing on stones of that size is always high...they are a bit of a nuisance. they aren't generally bought by the peice, but rather in bulk, by weight. would it be possible for your teacher to source the goods for you, or could you possilby coordinate with your classmates to purchase in better volume?

just a thought. good luck.

 

[diamondsbylauren]

----------------
On 8/10/2004 2:28:01 PM rocks wrote:


pricing on stones of that size is always high...they are a bit of a nuisance. they aren't generally bought by the peice, but rather in bulk, by weight. would it be possible for your teacher to source the goods for you, or could you possilby coordinate with your classmates to purchase in better volume?

just a thought. good luck.

----------------

No question, it's a pain in the butt working with "stars" ( an in house term for stones of .015 and below)

Yet, in terms of price- the break comes at stone below .08- stones of .07 and smaller ( the ones that fall thru the 11 plate on a sieve) are less expensive- this goes for the "stars" as well.
Generally speaking the categories of price, starting with the least expensive
.0001- .07
.08-.17 ( known also as "plus 11")
.18-.22 ( fifths)
.23-.28 ( quarters)
.29-.36 ( thirds)

Each size gets progressively more expensive.

Stones of these sizes can be bought in single units, or in thousand carat lots.
If the lot is tightly assorted, it won't cost all that much more per carat than buying a few stones.