Would you rather be color blinded or clarity blinded?

[Dancing Fire]

which one will save the buyer more $$$? Say for a 2.5ct rb.

 

[motownmama]

me? color blinded

 

[Niel]

which one will save the buyer more $$$? Say for a 2.5ct rb.

Do we live in a world were clarity doesn't effect performance?

 

[Texas Leaguer]

I think there is a comfortable balance that everyone needs to determine for themselves.

Gemological clarity can be compromised to a point without affecting visual performance. That is, the difference between the top 4 or 5 clarity grades cannot be observed by the naked eye and typically have negligible effect on light performance, while similar differences in color can be detected by people with good color acuity. I think where each of us finds the optimal balance is highly individual.

Also, I can tell you from personal experience that it can change. I have had a case of "color creep" over my career in the business. Initially I was squarely in the camp of "why pay for a colorless stone when a near colorless looks white and is much more affordable?". But now when I see a colorless stone it gets my attention and has extra appeal for me, all other qualities being equal.

 

[dk168]

Quite prepared to compromise on clarity, say between a VS2 and SI1, if the latter is eye-clean to me, as I cannot even find the inclusion on my VS1 EC under 30x magnification!!!

As for colour, I would stick to G/H myself, as I can only tell the difference between E and G/H when they are side by side.

Not that I have planned to get a MRB in the future, as I prefer ECs myself, and my mum is giving me her MRB (don't know the spec, however, it looks like a 2ct in size).

DK

 

[ariel144]

1. CUT
2. Color
3. Clarity

When people look at someone's ring they NEVER or rarely see clarity (unless it is glaring black I1- I2 or highly included stone that jumps out to the untrained eye),...the only thing that reaches the eye is the brightness which is affected by the cut combined with the color. I owned a well cut 2.1c radiant that had a white feather (SI2)...and received so many compliments on my ring. The stone was a "great make" nicely cut and faced up large for the weight 8.9 x 6.5mm. It was graded F SI2 EX/EX by EGL European...to the disdain of educated PSr's. But by 2 GIA gemologists it was an H or I color. The facet pattern was distinct and very nice for a radiant cut stone. You had to look long and hard to see the white feather at the corner of the stone.

The smaller the stone the less evident inclusions will be...even the I1's. Just too small to see with the naked eye. I also owned a .5c ungraded stone that was I1 and never knew it cause you just couldn't see it without a loupe.

Lower color well cut stones can make a brighter more appealing stone and outshine/perform an higher color stone every day of the week. I'm basing my opinion on many comparison videos on GOG and threads on these forums where testimonies abound to this fact: I.e a well cut N AVR outperformed a co-workers H MRB (google "N color nervous" thread). Another testimony of an AVC N color owned by someone who was taking GIA classes and not one person in her class could guess the color of her stone because it was an awesome performing stone.

CUT is KING! color and clarity are in reality insignificant. Wish I knew this years ago. The sad fact is that most retailers don't want the general public to know this (or don't even know it themselves) so everyone thinks that the holy grail of diamonds is a D VVS IF and they pay high $$ to get the highest color and clarity their budget will allow. What a shame and a sham.

Educate, educate, educate, but the general public does not know where to begin unless they find this forum and have the time to read and educate themselves before they buy, which takes a rare person. Even when you KNOW this it is very difficult to get away from the perception that high color and clarity make the diamond a better stone. ...in reality it just is not true. Hard to get out of one's mind though...even based on the question...note not even considering the cut at all.

Hope this helps novices out there to somehow face reality of choosing a great stone. Thanks to Pricescope for all it's expert helpers who voluteer their time and educational expertise to educate novices looking for the best stone for their budget. Hope this helps.

 

[HappyNewLife]

I'm already clarity blinded. It works out GREAT because my SI1 looks like an IF to me

I can totally tell if something is tinted or yellow. So, I think I'd rather be clarity blinded!

 

[Circe]

1. CUT
2. Color
3. Clarity

When people look at someone's ring they NEVER or rarely see clarity (unless it is glaring black I1- I2 or highly included stone that jumps out to the untrained eye),...the only thing that reaches the eye is the brightness which is affected by the cut combined with the color. I owned a well cut 2.1c radiant that had a white feather (SI2)...and received so many compliments on my ring. The stone was a "great make" nicely cut and faced up large for the weight 8.9 x 6.5mm. It was graded F SI2 EX/EX by EGL European...to the disdain of educated PSr's. But by 2 GIA gemologists it was an H or I color. The facet pattern was distinct and very nice for a radiant cut stone. You had to look long and hard to see the white feather at the corner of the stone.

The smaller the stone the less evident inclusions will be...even the I1's. Just too small to see with the naked eye. I also owned a .5c ungraded stone that was I1 and never knew it cause you just couldn't see it without a loupe.

Lower color well cut stones can make a brighter more appealing stone and outshine/perform an higher color stone every day of the week. I'm basing my opinion on many comparison videos on GOG and threads on these forums where testimonies abound to this fact: I.e a well cut N AVR outperformed a co-workers H MRB (google "N color nervous" thread). Another testimony of an AVC N color owned by someone who was taking GIA classes and not one person in her class could guess the color of her stone because it was an awesome performing stone.

CUT is KING! color and clarity are in reality insignificant. Wish I knew this years ago. The sad fact is that most retailers don't want the general public to know this (or don't even know it themselves) so everyone thinks that the holy grail of diamonds is a D VVS IF and they pay high $$ to get the highest color and clarity their budget will allow. What a shame and a sham.

Educate, educate, educate, but the general public does not know where to begin unless they find this forum and have the time to read and educate themselves before they buy, which takes a rare person. Even when you KNOW this it is very difficult to get away from the perception that high color and clarity make the diamond a better stone. ...in reality it just is not true. Hard to get out of one's mind though...even based on the question...note not even considering the cut at all.

Hope this helps novices out there to somehow face reality of choosing a great stone. Thanks to Pricescope for all it's expert helpers who voluteer their time and educational expertise to educate novices looking for the best stone for their budget. Hope this helps.

Great post, Ariel! From the other side of the fence ... I put cut as #1, but carity at #2 (within reason), and color at #3, unless we look at it in the reverse from most people's perspectives ... I LIKE color, and I have really sharp eyes, so while I don't mind if everybody around me is like, "Yup, that's a K" so long as *I* find it pleasing, even if nobody but me would ever see an inclusion, if it was even remotely eye-visible, it would drive me BONKERS. Like, I orient my Cartier 3-stone because one of the VS2 french cuts has a minute crystal: it helps me to be sure I'm stacking it so the engraving won't rub on my stacking bands! Fine in a sidestone, but it would bug me in a solitaire ...

... but as TL & others have said, moderation in all things. My sweet spot is somewhere around J, VS2, but for the right stone with the right cut, I can play with those variables!

 

[pyramid]

which one will save the buyer more $$$? Say for a 2.5ct rb.

I like both, preferably E, F or G and VS1 sometimes VS2. I believe each step of clarity is more $$$ than each step in color. ?

 

[FancyIntense]

Clarity blind please. Even though it bugs me other people can't see it!

 

[LLJsmom]

I think there is a comfortable balance that everyone needs to determine for themselves.

Gemological clarity can be compromised to a point without affecting visual performance. That is, the difference between the top 4 or 5 clarity grades cannot be observed by the naked eye and typically have negligible effect on light performance, while similar differences in color can be detected by people with good color acuity. I think where each of us finds the optimal balance is highly individual.

Also, I can tell you from personal experience that it can change. I have had a case of "color creep" over my career in the business. Initially I was squarely in the camp of "why pay for a colorless stone when a near colorless looks white and is much more affordable?". But now when I see a colorless stone it gets my attention and has extra appeal for me, all other qualities being equal.

So very true for me, Texas Leaguer. I wish I didn't have a preference for a whiter stone. It would save me money. But even as I was shopping for my tennis bracelet, I didn't love the G melee or the SI clarity stones. I had to go up. So I have to balance color, clarity (I have major mind clean issues. I don't care that I can't see the inclusions with my naked eye.) and cut. Given that I want it all, size would probably be what has to give.

To answer the question, is neither an option?

 

[FancyIntense]

I'm guessing going with a lower color on a 2.5 ct. rb would save more money than clarity. Just a guess