Which would you choose: a 1 carat of great quality, or 2 carat of ok quality?

I would focus on cut quality and wouldn''t compromise on that.  Next, I would view some stones in person and see how color sensitive you and how much you need a "mind clean" stone.  My personal sweet spot is H/SI, but many here love love their J/SI stones.  I don''t see any reason to go higher than VS2 if you want more size, since you are paying for a difference you can''t see. 

If it''s a ring, definitely the 1 ct of great quality, without a doubt. If it''s a pendant, I''d give the 2 a bit more consideration.

Date: 4/7/2009 2:41:55 AM
Author:soycoffee
Hi there,


Just out of curiosity, which would you choose if these were more or less the same price?


1) 1 carat of great quality (GHI, VS1, great cut) or ...

2) 2 carat of ok quality (JKL, SI2, pretty good cut)


Would it make a difference to you if it was an antique cut vs. a modern brilliant?


Assume both have good sparkle and fire...they are both ''lively.'' Though, 1 may be more so.


EDIT to add: also, it is for a ring for someone with small fingers (size 4ish)

hi soycoffee :)

in all seriousness, if those were my parameters, i''d probably be looking for something around 1.5, G, SI1, and great cut. i''d be trying for the best of both worlds i think. and 1.5ct on a size 4 finger is a very nice sized stone indeed in my opinion!

It would depend on the cut of each for me to include the old cut.  As I love the warmer colour grades I could easily take a JKL colour.

Well, you can't truly compare the choices made in angles and the precision cutting of round brilliants head to head with old cuts and grade them on the same scale. Generally, I'd rather have 1 ct quality than 2 ct ok. But I think it's important to compare apples to apples and not apple to oranges. Bottom line, I'd have to know more about the two theoretical or real stones being compared to say anything. Also, there are subjective factors. SI2 might be "pretty good" or "ok" quality to me but J wouldn't phase me and I wouldn't consider all the higher colors to be higher quality. A lot of it is subjective.

On the ring size you mention I think the 1ct stone with much better quality - it will look amazing.  as for antique versus modern I think that comes down to personal taste and the setting you''re planning to put it in - ie antique or modern

For me personally, for an engagement ring, I would prefer the very best cut I could find, in a high colour, and SI1 clarity (eyeclean from all viewing angles)

Then, I would consider size. If you buy from the right place, you can always upgrade if you want to years down the track. *shrugs*

I don't live in a the kind of place where big diamonds are normal or expected, anyway, 1 carat diamonds are plenty big around here.

I'd rather know it was the best quality I could afford, and I would be concerned about the tendency for colour to become more pronounced as the size increases. I like to view my diamond from the side, not just from face up.

But to each their own. Mentioning that both stones are very responsive makes me feel more interested in the larger stone.

If the larger stone is the antique cut, that is also interesting, colour being more 'expected' in an antique stone...

It's hard to compare if one is an old cut. Old cuts and modern round brilliants have a completely different look, and both can be stunning. That said, I would choose neither. There are WAAAY too many diamonds out there to pick from either a 1 ct or a 2. To me personally, quality means more about the craftsmanship of a diamond and less about the color and clarity, as long as it's eye clean. I have both an H VS2 diamond and an M SI1. They are both very WELL-MADE diamonds, and I consider them both "high quality" because they are both very beautiful. I would personally never pay for as high as a G color, because my H borderline I is nothing but completely icy white to my eyes, and I wouldn't pay for more than VS2, because with VS2 you're already guaranteed an eye clean diamond and why bother putting more money into clarity? I would also never buy a "pretty good cut" 2 ct, because I'd take the size down just a little and pay for the ideal cut. I'd have no problem with lower colors and an eye-clean SI2 though.

Most size 4 fingers don''t need a 2 carat diamond as a first engagement ring.  I suppose a few do. ;)

I''d suggest buying a finely cut diamond to maximize sparkle and beauty, but look at the H range and SI1 as a way to make an apples to apples comparison of what your budget will allow.  You might find you''ll get quaite a bit larger than 1.00ct and sort of "do it all" with a well sized, very nice diamond with graeat cutting.  It would not be a poor choice for most people.  You could employ the same strategy for G/SI1, or I/VS2 or any other single color/clarity combination to help you seen how the budget fits.  Just another way of shopping with some semblance of an orderly search which you can understand right away.

Wow, thanks for all the great responses!

I really am just asking this as a figurative question to see where people stand on the size vs. quality issue. I already have a great 1 carat stone picked out for myself. But, I just got to thinking about what really matters to people! And, I can''t say that I am surprised by the responses.

Personally, I really can''t compromise with cut. I''m into the antique cuts, and I wish the cut grading was more uniform. They vary so much. But, I guess that is what makes them so much fun! I don''t care about color, and clarity really depends on what the flaws are. But, the stone I have picked for myself is a VS1. I would have gone lower, but, this one just ended up being that!

This is an interesting topic, I sure know a lot of people that would choose the 2 carat any day. I guess this is a more discriminating crowd....

I personally have nothing against I1s or warmth. It''s not that I would want to have the biggest rock around, but rather that I think too much is made of "eye clean" stones. What''s the big deal about a pinpoint black inclusion or a little feather anyway?

I''d probably go middle ground. 1.5 of excellent cut, with color J or greater, and any clarity as long as it was eyeclean. But I wouldn''t compromise on the cut personally.

I''d pick the 2 carat except for the "pretty good cut" part.  I''d handpick a super well cut, lower color, eye-clean but lower clarity stone to get the most bang for my buck.  My studs and pendant are K SIs, and I would be very happy with the right larger J or K, SI1 or SI2 stone.  I like yellow gold so I can get away with a few color grades lower, IMO.  Against your skin and the yellow metal it''s really hard for people to pick up on color, and it doesn''t bother me.

Date: 4/7/2009 10:54:35 AM
Author: suchende
I personally have nothing against I1s or warmth. It''s not that I would want to have the biggest rock around, but rather that I think too much is made of ''eye clean'' stones. What''s the big deal about a pinpoint black inclusion or a little feather anyway?

It''s not a big deal if it doesn''t bother you. But to many people (me included) I would keep trying to clean it off and be annoyed that I could see it! So for me - I prefer an eyeclean stone.

Date: 4/7/2009 10:57:12 AM
Author: neatfreak

Date: 4/7/2009 10:54:35 AM
Author: suchende
I personally have nothing against I1s or warmth. It''s not that I would want to have the biggest rock around, but rather that I think too much is made of ''eye clean'' stones. What''s the big deal about a pinpoint black inclusion or a little feather anyway?

It''s not a big deal if it doesn''t bother you. But to many people (me included) I would keep trying to clean it off and be annoyed that I could see it! So for me - I prefer an eyeclean stone.

I know people who would find it similarly annoying, but I have a little I1 with a visible tiny black spot... I know where it is, so I wouldn''t bother trying to clean if off, and it sort of reminds me of finding a constellation in the night sky. When I''m thinking hard or stressed, I look for it, tilt the diamond around to play hide-and-seek with the light reflection... *shrug* takes all kinds!

Personally I don''t need the best cut out there. I''d be happy with a very good cut..lots of bling and eye clean. Love the H color. I''m a fan of strong blue Flurou...but I would pick the 2ct for my FLINTSTONE fingers (sz 7.5) IF the other specs are there (like eye clean and at least a very good cut)

When my honey and I picked out my e-ring we decided to go with a smalller diamond that was better quality.  I was shown several different loose stones in our budget range (without being told any size/color/clarity info) and I picked the one that stood out the most to me.  It was a 0.77 ct, F, VS1 round brilliant--the other stones in our budget looked awful to me.   (I wish I could get a good photo of my ring, but I''m still working on that). 

I am probably the only one out of my circle of friends who has less than a 1 carat center stone, but it doesn''t bother me.  I love my ring and everyone who has seen it has told me they''ve never seen anything so sparkly before.  I''d much rather have my smaller ring than some of the larger ones that don''t have the same "fire" to them. 

Choosing the 2 would be the last thing I would do if the cut didn't indicate to me that it was a better diamond. I don't have a color threshold. I wouldn't mind an M. I wish they were easier to find. I like clarity, though. Eye clean SI1 and up, although if I'm being honest I think VS1 would be great. Even I'm willing to admit that's more emotional than rational. Size of a diamond means almost nothing to me. You know, a 1/3 ct round diamond is over 4 mm in diameter. That's more than the width of many rings, which are often 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, and 4 mm.

Cut comes first always! and I will tell you why...... You can have 2 diamond, same color and clarity, one is cut fair and one is cut ideal. Your Ideal cut diamond will look 2 clarity grades higher just because the cut is better,you get more performance for your dollar.It depends on the diamonds grading report. A GIA or AGS SI1 would be eyeclean and quite beautiful. Other grading labs are not as strict so they will give the same diamond a higher clarity grade so their vendors can charge a higher premium. I have a GIA VS2 which is a comfortable spot for me and you don''t need any higher then vs2 to ensure eye clean. Before buying a diamond from a store please check PS vendors. You may be able to find a happy medium at a lower cost.

I would get the 1 carat stone with great quality--it will make the 2 carat OK quality stone disappear when they''re next to each other.

If it''s an ER I''d go for the quality vs. a pendant etc. where I''d be more flexible.

Would a well cut D/VVS 1 carat cost the same as a 2 carat L/SI2 of pretty good cut? I doubt it. But since this is hypothetical and both stones have good sparkle and fire, I would pick the 2 carat IF it is eye-clean and the lower color doesn''t bother her.

For  a ring, I''d pick the G/H VS clarity 1ct. Doesn''t matter to me if it''s an antique or modern.

But it''s not because of cut, it''s because the 2ct color and clarity is much lower than i would want in my e-ring.

My first stone was an I1 and my eyes were constantly drawn to the occlusion.  I love my upgrade. I went for cut first, then VS2 and finally color.  I have a K and love it.  Warmth doesn''t bother me at all but I don''t want to see flaws in my diamond

Date: 4/7/2009 10:56:14 AM
Author: neatfreak
I''d probably go middle ground. 1.5 of excellent cut, with color J or greater, and any clarity as long as it was eyeclean. But I wouldn''t compromise on the cut personally.

Ditto. In fact that''s what my SO and I are starting to look at now.

I wouldn''t compromise on cut either. I would see what the largest, eyeclean stone in a color I liked was, and go with that.

Date: 4/7/2009 10:52:49 AM
Author: soycoffee
Wow, thanks for all the great responses!

I really am just asking this as a figurative question to see where people stand on the size vs. quality issue. I already have a great 1 carat stone picked out for myself. But, I just got to thinking about what really matters to people! And, I can''t say that I am surprised by the responses.

Personally, I really can''t compromise with cut. I''m into the antique cuts, and I wish the cut grading was more uniform. They vary so much. But, I guess that is what makes them so much fun! I don''t care about color, and clarity really depends on what the flaws are. But, the stone I have picked for myself is a VS1. I would have gone lower, but, this one just ended up being that!

This is an interesting topic, I sure know a lot of people that would choose the 2 carat any day. I guess this is a more discriminating crowd....

Exactly right! Go out into the real world and ask... many people will take the two carat, hands down. But most don''t even realize their deeply cut diamonds don''t face up as big anyway.