1 carat, I/VS1 versus 1.25, I/I1-I2 (eye-clean) HELP !!

[zoerogers]

Hi guys, I am new here. I am very frustrated between 2 rings.

One, i saw at Sam''s Club, $2998, princess cut, 1 carat, I color, VS1

the other one i saw at Zales''s outlet (a little bit different from Zale''s store) $3259 (after 20% off). round brillant, I color, I1-I2 but it is VERY eye-clean

I don''t know the cut information, but those 2 rings are pretty.and i don''t have any pictures of those 2 rings.

I am struggling which one I should choose, I really need someone''s opinions, My husband and I are both don''t know which one to choose. Of course, my husband asks me to get the one I like. I just want to hear other''s thought. I know the information I wrote here is not enough, but please can anyone just tell me what you think.

My struggles are - that princess cut ring for VS1 quality, I may hardly find it for $3000 in the future, but i think it is less sparkle because it is a princess cut . Also it is smaller because it is only 1 carat and because of the cut.

for the round cut ring, well, it is a round brillant cut, it sparkles a lot, and surprisingly, for I1-I2 , no major inclusions, not even an obvious crack or white spots on top, (i saw some little cracks on the side but it doesn''t matter to me), and it is much bigger than the princess cut because of the carat weight and also because of the cut, but my major concern is that is it worth it to buy an over 3000 dollars ring for I1-I2 quallity and the future value, will the princess cut value more than the round cut ring because of the clarity?

but after all, i like both rings equally, so i am really concerned the future value of those 2, I1-2 quality of the round holds me back even it appears to be eye clean to untrained eyes, by the way , both are certified by IGI
I know I do not have much information, butplease please help, i just need to hear from someone else, just throw your ideas and thoughts to me. We have no one else to ask...

Thank you

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Why is furture value an issue? You''ll usually lose money reselling a ring unless you buy from a source with a trade-in policy. Not many people here would recommend either of those stones. You would benefit by learning about diamond quality before buying. I wouldn''t consider I1 or 2 clarity. It would not be eye-clean..that is why it is an I. I suspect you just don''t know what to look for. Cracks near the edge are very dangerous and can result in chips, etc.

So I''d recommend you take some time and read about diamonds under knowledge on this site, or go to the Good Old Gold site which has excellent pictures of color, clarity, and cut, etc. to help you make a better choice and get a more beautiful diamond than either of these!

 

[mrssalvo]

Hi zoerogers and welcome to Pricescope

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I would pass on both of the stones. You should stick to GIA and AGS certs. you can do a search here in IGI and see what comes up

Also, CUT is the most important "C" this is the one we NEED to know about. The color and clarity are personal and you might able to find a very good deal being willing to go down to and I1 if the incusions don't bother you, but you still should be looking for an ideal cut stone. It will help mask color and clarity in rounds. Princess stones are another breed altogether and show both color and clarity easily. If your wanting sparkle, stick with a round. I'd suggest reading the tutortial here and the one on Goodoldgold's website for some basic education. would you be willing to work with a pricescope vendor and purchase something online? You have a nice budget and we can help you find a killer stone.

 

[ephemery1]

Hi Zoe, I am not an expert on round brilliants (though there are many on here!) but just thought I''d start the ball rolling for you. You mentioned "future value"... one thing I learned during my diamond search was that there is really no such thing as "investing" when it comes to diamonds. Most people will never receive the full value of their diamond in trade or resale, unless you buy from a vendor who has an active trade-up policy. It depends on factors such as cut and certificate (AGS and GIA are typically considered best, IGI would not do you much good in the resale world), but I believe it would be lucky to get even half of a diamond''s listed value even in the best circumstances. Just the nature of the business.

As for the diamonds you mentioned, you may want to do a bit of reading on here in regards to how "cut" can affect a diamond''s beauty. Most diamonds from places like Zales are NOT the highest-quality cuts, regardless of their color/clarity/size, so will not appear as sparkly and beautiful even if their other specs are good! You will learn very quickly that cut is widely considered the most influential characteristic in a diamond, and often the one most ignored by mall (aka "maul")-type stores. Have you thought about making your purchase from one of the Pricescope vendors? For the most part, they offer a much different caliber of diamonds, and you can feel very assured that you are getting the absolute best stone for your money.

Keep on looking, and good luck!

 

[atroop711]

Hi Zoe

Honestly I wouldn''t get either. I would take your budget and call GOG or Whiteflash (or any other highly regarded vendor). I dealt with Whiteflash and it was a great experience. Call them up, give them your budget and let them know what is important to you (color, size of stone, cut of stone, ect).

I have a H, SI2 stone which is eye clean and a great cut but I wouldn''t go as low as an I1 orI2. You can go on their web sites (or even here) and put in the values that want andthen you can see what stones are available.

Good Luck with your search!
Annette