Which would you pick

[livewyr25]

Hi guys, been lurking for a while but finally ready to post.

still shopping but curious as to Which stone would you guys would pick.

H SI2 (eye clean) with excellent cut

or

J VS2 with excellent cut.

I know the J is obviously on the yellow side, but the guy is swearing bc of the cut and clarity it doesn't look like a J.

Curious to what your opinions are. Both are roughly the same price.

 

[Diamond_Hawk]

H SI2 (eye clean) with excellent cut

or

J VS2 with excellent cut.

There are far more factors involved than just the color and clarity grading before anyone would likely offer an opinion.

First, most obvious, question is - are they both graded by the same lab and if so, which one.

Second question - assuming we are talking about MRB's - excellent cut has a wide range of parameters - can you give us more numbers and, perhaps, an ASET or IS .

Third question - can you link the report numbers (assuming GIA) so we can get more detail on the grading report.

 

[Gypsy]

excellent cut is not a given. Just because a lab report form GIA says it is excellent doesn't mean it is. GIA Ex is too broad.

Please read the below and study the links:

The entire purpose of faceting a diamond is to reflect light.
How well or how poorly a diamond does this determines how beautiful it is.
How well a diamond performs is determined by the angles and cutting. This is why we say cut is king.
No other factor: not color, not clarity has as much of an impact on the appearance of a diamond as its cut. An ideal H will out white a poorly cut F. And GIA Ex is not enough. And you must stick to GIA and AGS only. EGL is a bad option: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/egl-certification-are-any-of-them-ok.142863/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/egl-certification-are-any-of-them-ok.142863/[/URL]
So how to we ensure that we have the right angles and cutting to get the light performance we want?
https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/diamond-cut
Well one method is to start with a GIA Ex, and then apply the HCA to it. YOU DO NOT USE HCA for AGS0 stones.
https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/holloway-cut-advisor
The HCA is a rejection tool. Not a selection tool. It uses 4 data points to make a rudimentary call on how the diamond may perform.
If the diamond passes then you know that you are in the right zone in terms of angles for light performance. Under 2 is a pass. Under 2.5-2.1 is a maybe. 2.6 and over is a no. No score 2 and under is better than any other.
Is that enough? Not really.
So what you need is a way to check actual light performance of your actual stone.
That's what an idealscope image does. https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/firescope-idealscope
It shows you how and wear your diamond is reflecting light, how well it is going at it, and where you are losing light return. That is why you won't see us recommending Blue Nile, as they do not provide idealscope images for their diamonds. BGD, James Allen, GOG, HPD, ERD and WF do.

The Idealscope is the 'selection tool'. Not the HCA.
So yes, with a GIA stone you need the idealscope images. Or you can buy an idealscope yourself and take it in to the jeweler you are working with to check the stones yourself. Or if you have a good return policy (full refund minimum 7 days) then you can buy the idealscope, buy the stone, and do it at home.


Now if you want to skip all that... stick to AGS0 stones and then all you have to do is pick color and clarity and you know you have a great performing diamond. Because AGS has already done the checking for you. That's why they trade at a premium.

 

[luvdajules]

Hi OP, you got 2 really good posts with great questions, I'd also say the type and placement of inclusions are important to consider. Please add more info. to those two stones, would love to know more...

 

[WinkHPD]

Most importantly,

Does the vendor offering these diamonds have an excellent return policy?

You will not know if YOU like the diamond until you see it with YOUR eyes.

Wink

 

[Andelain]

I'm going to answer based on the hypothesis that both diamonds are the same size, graded by the same lab, the same shape, equal in cut quality, and the H really is eye-clean;

I'm color sensitive, and would choose the H.

YMMV.

 

[AprilBaby]

Me too.

 

[livewyr25]

All great knowledge. Thank you for the input. I guess my question is, with everything being equal. Which would you guys rather have. An H that is a Si2 or a J that is a VS2. I know for some clarity is a huge deal. but if it looks "eye clean" its not "mind clean".

I have seen the H and it looks great. But i also have no idea what I am looking at. I just see a sparkly stone lol

I was able to get the GIA number for the J stone 1169131546.

 

[luvdajules]

the J stone has an HCA of 1.8, so that's good. If the H/Si2 looks the same and is eye clean, then go for the H. However, you should take both stones around in different lighting conditions to make sure the cut quality is the same. Cup your hands around them to see in low light, for instance. Can you get IS or aset of these stones? Jewelry stores are notorious for having fancy lighting systems to make badly cut stones sparkle. make sure you have a return period for full money back and get stone appraised by reputable appraiser within that return period.