Need a little help, round diamond for proposal ring

[at70sos]

Hi guys, i have been looking for a 0.80 carat D color VS2 round diamond for my proposal ring.
There are 2 gems that caught my eyes particularly, yet i have found it difficult to make my mind (since i am not familiar with diamond), and here I am seeking for your advice:

Stone 1





Stone 2



Much appreciated
AT

 

[tyty333]

I would pass on the second stone. The first stone will tend towards more white light return or brilliance than colored light.
You can read a little more on the link below. It is from Gary Holloway's website. He created the HCA. Most PSers prefer
TIC stones but nothing wrong with a BIC if thats what you like.
http://diamond-cut.com.au/23_bicfic.htm

 

[headlight]

Skip stone # 2... if the HCA is greater than 2 forget it. No need to discuss anything more about it as to why to disregard.

As for stone #1, the crown angle is much lower than what is recommended here by PS parameters but those are very tight and geared toward a “super ideal”, beyond even “ideal” (which can still be a beautiful diamond). However, the HCA gave it not just a good score but a fabulous score, all Excellent, so clearly it appears that the numbers all work together well. However, there is the one caveat about low scores with larger spreads as they are best when viewed a little farther away as in the case of when wearing earrings and pendants versus a ring you will be looking at closer up all the time so this stone should be investigated further.
I know others here will help you look for alternatives, and Mr. Holloway, the developer of the HCA will hopefully comment and advise you on the score with regard to its use in a ring.

 

[lovedogs]

Reject stone 2 bc of the high HCA score.

Edit. What is your budget? If you are open to alternatives we can help you.

 

[at70sos]

Thx for all of your comments, I guess i should ignore the 2nd stone then.

Meanwhile my budget is around $4000 USD, will be thankful if any of you can rise out some alternatives.

Thanks
AT

 

[lovedogs]

Thx for all of your comments, I guess i should ignore the 2nd stone then.

Meanwhile my budget is around $4000 USD, will be thankful if any of you can rise out some alternatives.

Thanks
AT

Is the D color negotiable, or is it for cultural reasons? In under 1ct, D/E/F will look very white.

 

[at70sos]

Is the D color negotiable, or is it for cultural reasons? In under 1ct, D/E/F will look very white.

the D color is negotiable, just that the source i hv been trying to find the best deal out of my budget, while the source i hv been using does not provide much options larger than 0.8 carat.
thats why i went for better color.

 

[lovedogs]

the D color is negotiable, just that the source i hv been trying to find the best deal out of my budget, while the source i hv been using does not provide much options larger than 0.8 carat.
thats why i went for better color.

Sounds like you might not be working with the right person/store. Are you open to the trusted vendors online?

 

[at70sos]

Sounds like you might not be working with the right person/store. Are you open to the trusted vendors online?

For sure, do you hv any suggestions?

 

[at70sos]

The sales person has just provided me with another option

Stone 3

 

[Dancing Fire]

What's #4 ? ..
IMO...#1 crown is too shallow. #2 is a steep/deep cut. #3 is cut too deep at 62.9%.

 

[lovedogs]

The sales person has just provided me with another option

Stone 3

too deep, IMHO.

 

[lovedogs]

any of these will be a better choice, IMHO. Brian gavin signature and blue lines are both outstanding. I assume the ones without pics are recently graded, so I'd email them to ask for pics/details.

Whiteflash is one of the best vendors, and their ACA line is just like brian gavin signature. Their Expert Selection line is also in-house and great--just slightly less strict than ACA, so sometimes a great balance of quality / cost. They also have a $1 upgrade policy, so your GF can always get a larger stone in the future if she wants.

https://www.briangavindiamonds.com/.../0.848-g-si1-round-diamond-ags-c-104105166044
https://www.briangavindiamonds.com/.../0.816-g-si1-round-diamond-ags-c-104105165062

https://www.briangavindiamonds.com/...gs-cbl-104104774010#!prettyPhoto[gallery2]/1/

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4063435.htm
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4094458.htm
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4091528.htm

EDIT. In a stone under 1ct, G will be plenty white for almost everyone, unless your GF is super color sensitive.

 

[headlight]

The sales person has just provided me with another option

Stone 3

My stone has a similar depth so I wouldn’t reject based on that alone, but mine also has Excellent for light return, fire, and scintillation whereas stone #3 does not, so the rest of the measurements are just not a good enough combination to work in spite of the depth. So move on to other options.
D, VS1 is really, really special - I’m sure she will be thrilled!!!

 

[Blurpandasg2014]

The contrast on the stones provided don't seem to be good.