Which diamond?

[Mach1dmb]

I am shopping for an engagement ring and Im stuck between two.

1st- Round cut, 1.19, F, SI1
2nd- Round cut, 2.34, I, I1

They are the same price. The 1.19 is amazing color and clarity to the naked eye. The 2.34 color still looks good, however it does have a very visible cloudy spot when you look closely.

Just want to see the consensus of opinions.

 

[lovedogs]

We can't give you any opinions without more information about what labs certified the stones, what angles each have, etc. Can you post the GIA/AGS reports?

In general, I wouldn't recommend an I1 for an engagement ring stone due to durability concerns (with only a few exceptions).

 

[Mach1dmb]

Ok. They are both GIA/AGS certified. I dont have the other info on hand.

 

[sledge]

I think you are answering your own question. You indicated the 2 carat stone has a very visible cloudy inclusion when you look close. That will affect light performance (sparkle) and that is not what you want.

This isn't uncommon. It's hard to find SI2 or lower stones that are eye clean. Also, with the information you have shared there is a quite a monetary leap jumping from F color to an I color stone. That's a total of 4 grades. Sounds like you are sacrificing color and clarity to get size since your dollars are the same.

Unfortunately without the certificates, we can't really analyze the most important C -- cut. The proportions shown on the certificate will help us determine how well or poorly cut each stone is.

What is your budget? We can likely show you some alternates that will meet your criteria and may even be cheaper than a local B&M store. They will definitely have a good cut as people here value cut as the most important quality of a diamond, and you should too.

 

[lovedogs]

I think you are answering your own question. You indicated the 2 carat stone has a very visible cloudy inclusion when you look close. That will affect light performance (sparkle) and that is not what you want.

This isn't uncommon. It's hard to find SI2 or lower stones that are eye clean. Also, with the information you have shared there is a quite a monetary leap jumping from F color to an I color stone. That's a total of 4 grades. Sounds like you are sacrificing color and clarity to get size since your dollars are the same.

Unfortunately without the certificates, we can't really analyze the most important C -- cut. The proportions shown on the certificate will help us determine how well or poorly cut each stone is.

What is your budget? We can likely show you some alternates that will meet your criteria and may even be cheaper than a local B&M store. They will definitely have a good cut as people here value cut as the most important quality of a diamond, and you should too.

This. Without more info, we really can't help say if either is a good purchase.

 

[ringo865]

Do not sacrifice on cut. And also get a good trade-in/upgrade policy so that someday you could (if you wanted) ultimately end up with a 2ct H VS stone.

Post your budget and specs and wizards will point you to Nirvana.

 

[sledge]

Do not sacrifice on cut. And also get a good trade-in/upgrade policy so that someday you could (if you wanted) ultimately end up with a 2ct H VS stone.

Post your budget and specs and wizards will point you to Nirvana.

Made me LOL for real.

 

[beardog]

I feel like this is a Goldie locks & the 3 bears post.
Post your budget & something in the middle that's just right will be found

 

[OoohShiny]

Post your budget and specs and wizards will point you to Nirvana.

 

[Mach1dmb]

So apparently only the 1.19 on the left is GIA certified. I do not have the cut info. The price they went down to is $7,200. The 2.34 on the right is $8,600. I thought they could reset it on a plain setting to bring the price down but they do not want to. The inclusion in the 2.34 is only visible to me from 2 inches away...it still sparkles nice, just nowhere near thw 1.19.

 

[amoline]

Still an absolute no go on on the first, IMHO, without any report or cut information. A no-go on the second regardless because of the cloudy inclusion.

I'd take a half carat superideal over a 1.1 carat that isn't. And that's not hyperbole.

You really should post your budget, any wiggle room within that budget. Give us any criteria you HAVE to meet (a certain carat weight, etc.) and other criteria that you'd LIKE, and the peeps like @sledge will be all over it. - I mean, really, look at the dude's signature.

 

[lovedogs]

This still is nowhere near enough info.

 

[bmfang]

The jeweller surely can provide you with the GIA report number for the first stone.

 

[sledge]

LOL @amoline. Thank you, I think.

And agree with @lovedogs. You have to give us some real information if you want help. Right now our hands are tied. You mentioned the smaller 1 carat option is GIA certified. Ask them for either the GIA cert number, or get a picture of all the information.

Also, even if the 2 carat isn't GIA certified, you need to understand if there is another certification (AGS, IGI, EGL, HRD, etc). Not just so we can assess the data, but so that you can make an educated decision. You shouldn't be buying anything that you don't fully understand, period.

Trying to piece together information, here is what I've assessed thus far:

• I+ color
• 1.15+ carats
• SI1+ clarity
• $8,600 budget +/-

Based on that very loose criteria here are some stones I found at WF. Keep in mind these are cream of the crop super ideals. They will perform like champs, period. Also come with a killer upgrade program that only requires you spend $1 or more to get full value of your original stone for life. Also, these stones have all information to make an educated decision. WF is a great vendor that is very transparent in their offerings and is based on quality products and excellent customer service.

We may need to adjust down some parameters to include a setting, but it's at least a starting point of sorts.

WF ACA 1.241ct I VS2 @ $8,700 wire
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4060824.htm

WF ACA 1.243ct I VS2 @ $8,715 wire
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4061061.htm

WF ACA 1.223ct H SI1 @ $8,330 wire
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4065512.htm

WF ES 1.218ct I SI1 @ $6,964 wire
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3872128.htm

FYI, WF stocks 3 brands of stones:

1. A Cut Above (ACA) is their top tier super ideal line.
2. Expert Select (ES) are stones that barely misses the stringent ACA requirements and AGS certifed.
3. Premium Select (PS) which is basically an ES but with GIA certification instead of AGS.

The first 3 stones I listed are ACA's. The last one is an ES. When you look at the images you can see it's not as well cut as the ACA but it's very close. If the ACA is a perfect 10, the ES is a 9+. Nice thing is you won't see much visual difference in performance but get all the perks of ACA for less money. It's a good bang for the buck and will be much better than the majority of GIA XXX stones.

 

[sledge]

The jeweller surely can provide you with the GIA report number for the first stone.

My thoughts too. If not, tell them to pound sand and find a different jeweler. I absolutely hate it when vendors (diamond related or not) are not transparent and tries to hide information from you. If they are hiding stuff, it's because it's not good and/or they are trying to pull a fast one.