Diamond Choices - Please Help

Date: 11/23/2007 1:48:13 PM
Author:jmill130

Questions:

1. If cut is most important what is next, clarity or color?

It depends on personal beliefs, taste and perception.  Most people cannot detect the difference in a color grade or two.  Others are very color sensitive.  Some prefer the icy white of a colorless diamond while others prefer the warmth of a well-cut near-colorless stone.  Regarding clarity, anything above SI (when graded by a strict lab) is likely to appear completely clean to the naked eye face-up.  In fact, there are many such 'eye-clean' SI stones but you have to do some research to select there.  Again here, some people are more sensitive than others:  A young person with eagle eyes might even detect inclusions in a VS2 stone - whereas some older and less perceptive folks may not see anything even in a good number of SI and even I1 stones.  Most people fall in-between.  A preference for high color and clarity may also be a cultural thing.  We have many clients in Asia who stay with VVS+ and colorless grades as a 'mind clean' thing.  I would also say that cut perception varies in people.  Most people will love any firecracker of a diamond - some people will be able to detect more of quality A versus quality B (color in the fire, size of chromatic flares, balance of qualities, etc), but much of that is nuance once you have a great performing diamond.

2. Are there any good sites that have side my side closeups so your eyes can compare all the differences(then each individual could decided what factors are important to them and they their eyes see as 'clean' . Buying over the internet is difficult because you are soley basing your decision on the facts presented by the website and or gem lab. If i could compare diamonds side by side and get a better looking diamond that has a lower rating then i would. The internet is where the deals are at but you cant easily physically see multiple stones at once...

The only way to make decisive color, clarity and performance comparisons is live.  If you've ever shopped for a digital camera and photographed the same person with a Canon, a Sony and a Pentax you know that three photos of the same person in the same environment can look much different than each other.  Photos and videos are useful for getting overall impressions but not for subtle decision making.  The human eye also "sees" things differently than the camera does, even before different manufacturers, backgrounds, lighting, etc. come into play.

3. What is the best site with a good return policy, anyone know WF return policy?? I couldnt find it in the FAQ section..

I think you'll find all of the PS sellers have good examination/return periods.  Here are our policies.

4. Is there a 'very' noticeable difference between an ideal cut and excellent? How much more fire does one have over the other going to produce?? If all other variables are equal, what is everyones opinion?? Can the majority of people really see this difference?

If we're talking round brilliants the diamond's grade depends on the lab's system of measure.  AGS Ideal is a top cut grade and the majority of these combinations are optimal performers.  The GIA Excellent cut grade is much less strict, but many diamonds that earn GIA EX could also be AGS Ideal if sent to AGS.  To the heart of your question - yes there are visible differences within the top grades.  Sometimes they are equally attractive and just matters of taste, but there are stones at the borders of the top cut grades which we may have less desirable qualities.  For example, the steep/deep end of GIA EX allows some combos that should be avoided.  There are other examples - if you have specific candidates you can post them here and the PS enthusiasts and pros will comment.

5. Why is it that the selection of rings just under 2ct(1.98-1.99) is slim? Are diamond companies not releasing as many of these or trying not to cut them in this range??

Commercially important weights drive decision-making with mass manufacture.  Rough planning is very sophisticated, down to the last decimal.  The majority of 2.00 and 2.01 carat diamonds you'll ever find were finished just as planned.  Demand drives these decisions too.  Demand for 'superideal' top cut rounds is not as high as it is for commercial makes.  Therefore you will find well-cut diamonds just under commercially important weights (1.00, 1.50, 2.00 etc) in short supply.  Why?  Because a piece of rough that would finish as a 1.97 ct superduper Tolkowksy H&A stone will often be sent to a commercial cutting floor where it will finish as a 2.00 carat diamond of somewhat lesser precision.  That allows the manufacturer to 'save' the critical 2.00 ct mark that brings the best price in many markets. 

That is not to say that 2.00 and 2.01 ct diamonds are all of this ilk - as mentioned, cutters plan these things with great sophistication.  A 2.00 carat super-ducky H&A toppo boffo diamond also finished up exactly as planned.

6. How long does it take searching and looking to find a what you want? How long are most buyers spending on these sites searching and comparing??

For larger sizes it can take longer.  Large rough is becoming increasingly rare.  It is nearly impossible to find premium cut stones 3ct+ these days.  It also depends on how detail-oriented you are as a buyer.  Believe me, the more layers of this you strip away the more reveal themselves.