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Which ACA H&A???

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srgone

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dawei213
If I were in your shoes and knowing what I know now, I would go with the SI1. AGS is very tough with their grading and if they say it is an SI1, there's a pretty good chance that thats what it is. I bought a ACA 1.15 H SI1 that the wonderful Denise at WF recommended. I later had it verified by a local world known expert and they called it a VS2. You would not be able to distinguish the two different color grades, so I wouldn't even worry about it.
Put the extra cash towards the setting. This is from my experience. Either way, it will be the most brilliant stone you will find for the money. Good luck
Sergio
 

aljdewey

Ideal_Rock
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On 12/3/2003 7:51:11 PM canadiangrrl wrote:





Mara, I don't have a problem with people that have an actual interest in diamonds asking. A woman from who works in the bank that I use asked me about my stone last week - she's in the market for an e-ring, and has a genuine interest in diamonds and their beauty (I referred her to this site, natch.)
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But I think a lot of 'oooh, how big is it?' questions have little to do with the specs of the diamond, and more to do with, 'I wonder how much he paid?' and that kind of thing.
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Precisely. If MARA asked me how big my stone was, I'd know why she was asking....because she's genuinely interested in diamonds.



If some others I know asked that question, what they're really asking is "how much did it cost?".....and that's very tacky.
 

Mara

Super_Ideal_Rock
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The problem here ladies is that YOU know I'm asking because I love sparkly baubles --but if I were to ask a random person their stone size...they'd think I was curious about the $$.




When in reality, the $$ doesn't matter; they probably overpaid because they bought offline and didn't have Pscope to assist them.
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knowverylittle

Rough_Rock
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Nov 5, 2003
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>>Mr. CG had not yet consumed sufficient quantities of Guinness
A sensible man, good drink that. 'We can put food in fridge' is a good line when someone not in your field asks how much you make, but I may use the Rent-Boy line from now on... ROFL!
 

pqcollectibles

Ideal_Rock
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3,441
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On 12/3/2003 7:11:12 PM aljdewey wrote:




On 12/3/2003 7:05:14 PM canadiangrrl wrote:


Was at a cocktail party with Mr. CG in the DC area, making inane cocktail chatter, and someone asked what I do for a living. I told her, and she immediately said, 'Oh! How much do you make?'
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HA! Suggested replies for that scenario:


1. 'How much do YOU make?'


2. 'None of your DAMN business.'


3. 'GOD comes to me when he needs to borrow a twenty!'


4. 'Enough so that if I wanted a face-lift, I could at least afford a better one than you got.'


or my personal favorite........


5. 'THANK GOD......I *finally* make more than I did when I was a call girl!' LMAO!
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HeeeHeee!

Where I grew up the answer to #2 would be "Nunya!"
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CG, Mr PQ imbibes in Guinness from time to time as well!
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I can't explain what Mr. PQ does for a living to people. He's some kinda high tech "pump jockey" in Pharmaceutical Research. Mr PQ's favorite job description is "Turtle Herder!"
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dawei213

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 2, 2003
Messages
41
Thanks for the inputs and opinions all! They are all invaluable.

I've actually narrowed it down to 2 diamonds, one from Whiteflash and one from Superbcert.

The Superbcert one: 0.91 H&A J VVS2 at $3544 TIC at 1.5
The Whiteflash one: 1.051 ACA H&A J VS2 at $4620 TIC at 1.2

I went to a local jeweler just to see the difference and size between a .9 and 1 carat, and well, it's almost impossible to tell (to me at least). I guess it's just a number game which really gets the girls... "How big is it? 1 carat??? oh wow!" vs "How big is it? zero point nine one? Oh that's pretty big..." Know what I'm saying?

I also talked to Leslie (very helpful), and she told me that the J color is near colorless as well and can't see a hint of yellow at all. Judging from her reputation from this forum and the amount of people she has made happy, I guess I would need to trust her judgment.

Shoot, I still have to do some research about the ring. I guess that's important as well.
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knowverylittle

Rough_Rock
Joined
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>>.9 and 1 carat, and well, it's almost impossible to tell
Sounds likely but other factors like table/depth % and girdle thickness affect how big the radius is. I'll bet a .9 carat can look bigger than a 1 carat if the cuts are widely different.

Make sure you see a J before buying, many on this board seem happy with lower colors. Personally I would drop to a SI1 and get a G/H color OR drop the branded H&A requirement (I expect slapping for saying that!).

Usual disclaimer: I know very little and am just repeating information learned from the web over the past few months.
 

Caratz

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Jun 4, 2002
Messages
222
Have you thought about making an offer on Sergio's 1.14 H SI1 A Cut Above? He said he paid $6000, but now I guess he is thinking about selling it back to the vendor for $4500.
 

stephcola

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Oct 3, 2003
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116
I agree with "knowverylittle" on the color and clarity part. I also know very little - more than I did four months ago, but certainly not like the experts. I will say everyone views color differently in diamonds. I first purchased an (I) with med. flourescence and was still able to see the yellow tint. I also purchased a better cut (I) without flour. and as much as I loved the stone, I still saw yellow. Mind you, I wear glasses and my vision is not the best...but I still saw the tint. In order to get the size I wanted, I did purchase an eyeclean SI1 in an (H) color. I think this is white enough.I f I had more cash - I think I would have gone to even higher. I know what they say about better cut diamonds looking whiter but that was not my case. You need to make sure that it really looks white because what if your "intended" has my type of vision!!!!!




I know a J color represents a good way to get a larger stone but you really should drop that VVs2 thing. A (J) in yellow gold will look better than in platinum but .....As a point of reference, the lowest color TIffany sells is an (I).


After all the research I have done and threads here on ps I have read, color seems to start showing in (I's). Please be careful. Your intended may be color sensitive and will really see the tint. Just my opinion.




I never thought I was so color sensitive but I have learned I am. I am also the person that walks into a room and levels the pictures/photos on the wall - noones are ever straight!!! But that's me. Hope this helps from another perspective. Remember - I am not an expert. But......I have looked at dozens of stones and for me...(H) was the lowest I would go. Good luck whatever you do!
 

aljdewey

Ideal_Rock
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9,170
Having been looking myself in the same range as Dawei, I can tell you that there precious few branded diamonds available in the "sweet spot" range. I suspect that Dawei would like to go H, SI1 but can't find a branded diamond in a size range that fits his budget. Am I right, Dawei?




I was looking for a G/H, SI1 combo, and I can tell you that with many of these vendors, there are few stones available with just the perfect specs.




I found that diamonds in my color range had very inflated clarities (VVS, VS1), and if I dropped to SI1 clarity, the colors were inflated (D, E, F).




It's much easier said than done to come up with the perfect combination.




In this budget range, Dawei, I'd also consider expanding your search to include SI2.....some are REALLY eyeclean, and if you can talk to the vendor on the phone about them, you might be able to expand your choices a bit.
 

dawei213

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 2, 2003
Messages
41
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On 12/4/2003 11:10:13 AM aljdewey wrote:


Having been looking myself in the same range as Dawei, I can tell you that there precious few branded diamonds available in the 'sweet spot' range. I suspect that Dawei would like to go H, SI1 but can't find a branded diamond in a size range that fits his budget. Am I right, Dawei?

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Bingo!!! We have a winner!
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That's what I'm hoping to find but it has proved to be a lot harder and yes, the color and clarity are usually either both on one end of the specturm or opposite ends. Hard to find one in the middle.

Stephcola: I'm also worried about the color or any hint of it. I did ask both Judah (superbcert) and Lesley (whiteflash) about the color and they both said it's near colorless. Reading a lot of previous older post on the two, they seem to be two trustworthy individuals, but of course I would like to see it myself before I make that final plunge. I'll probably get it send to Dave Atlas in philly for the apprasial (though finding time will be hard for me. I'm 1 1/2 hours away
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.

Oh yeah...btw, my gf's hand is small and slim. A .9 to 1 ct will probably look big on her hand. That's always a plus
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knowverylittle

Rough_Rock
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98
aljdewey: Did you buy already? Was it an engagement stone?

Try finding a branded H&A 1 carat in D color VS2 too! As soon as you decide on a branded H&A I think one has to flexible on other specs. This could mean either paying more for something you do not value or moving down the scale elsewhere. I have not ruled out non-branded Ideal cuts - this gives a huge range to choose from.
 

dawei213

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Dec 2, 2003
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Haha, no not yet. I only mention my gf's hand is small is because one of my co-worker's wife, she has a small and slim hand as well and she has a .84 ct diamond. On her, it looks pretty big so i'd imagine a .9 to 1 ct will look pretty big on my gf's hand as well.

I've also looked at non-ideal cuts and non H&A, however after seeing the H&A and knowing what type of cut and diamond it is, I don't know if i can bring myself to go lower (even if it cost less). Thanks for the suggestion!
 

Mara

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
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Caratz has a good idea....snrgone is trying to sell his new ACA Whiteflash stone and ring....you could possibly get a good deal on that. I think it's something like 1.14c ...you may want to PM him and discuss.




Good luck!
 

strmrdr

Super_Ideal_Rock
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not to rain on the parade but before you consider buying that diamond from him read this thread:
click here
 

Caratz

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Jun 4, 2002
Messages
222
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On 12/4/2003 1:05:34 PM strmrdr wrote:

not to rain on the parade but before you consider buying that diamond from him read this thread:
click here----------------


I agree with you strmrdr. I lost my sympathy when I saw that auction and saw the shill bid "to get things started". It's unethical and against ebay's rules. And yet the stone seems to be exactly what dawei213 is looking for, and if he can pick it up at a 24% discount, it just might be worth it to him . . .
 

Mara

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Oct 30, 2002
Messages
31,003
the stone itself is an ACA and appears to be quite lovely. regardless of any other issues.....this may be a good deal for dawei should he be interested in getting a superideal stone with larger carat weight, at a great discount.
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wish i could buy it...darn!
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