There is going to be some kind of fault in a 1ct stone for that price. However, I think it would be absolutely great for a pendant, as they don't come under close scrutiny as an ering does.
If you like the appearance face up, I wouldn't bother with an appraisal. I'd just have it put in a pendant and enjoy it!
seahorsegurl - Here''s the deal...If you like it, it''s carbon based and you want to spend the $700, there''s really no way to go wrong here (even very flawed diamonds of that size are almost 3X the price). My fiancee and I decided that our funds could be better spent on more legitimate investments (i.e. those with actual resale value, no offense meant) than diamonds. Plus, I did not want to support the diamond trade...I''d be dishonest if I didn''t admit I really like the sparklies though...and I ALWAYS thought I''d be a two-months-salary girl but things change.
Well, I saw the ring I''m now wearing about a month ago. We bought it off craigslist for $600 (cash in a home depot parking lot . It''s a .75 princess cut 4-prong white gold ring. We took his loupe after responding to the seller and hit the road. You can''t be foolish and we knew a .75 carat VS1 diamond was too good to be true at that price point. But for that price, seriously, I was not rattled. We saw flaws (more like an S2). One in particular is sizable but white, not gray or black. And in daylight the sparkle was impressive (color''s a nice, icy white too) and as far as my untrained eye can tell, it''s clean without the loupe.
I''ve received nothing but ooohs and ahhs from those who''ve seen it and, if they''re being polite, I''m not concerned...
So, my very long response to you is, go for it. I''ll be getting mine appraised soon to see how much of a deal we did get. I''ll let you know what I find out, you do the same please and congrats on a great find!!!
Reader, Circe & Skwash- Would the flaws obvious in the pavillion be less obvious w/ a bezel setting? Bezel settings also protect the store more, correct? Do you think it would be proper to set it so it''s longways (like an emerald) or to try for a diamond setting?
JStar - Thanks for the comment, recutting is something to consider.
JulieN - That''s a HUGE compliment considering some of the fabulous stones I''ve seen on here! A passable, slightly subpar grade by PS standards means it''s phenomenal in real world standards.
Gemgirl - Thanks for the pic, it helps tremendously.
Kes - Congrats on your engagement! Have you started a thread yet about your stellar find? Mine does have a twinge of yellow to it, I''m guessing at a J-L range, but I could be way off. Definitely let us know how your appraisal turns out, and I look forward to seeing your beauty
...
And thanks to everyone else for your nice comments, I''m glad the consensus supports my original thought that this was a pretty good deal.
Well, a I got my ring made into a pendant a few weeks ago. I stopped in with the jeweler today to check on the appraisal for it (she''s been wonderfully trying to track down the original cert for me). So, while GSL wouldn''t release the certificate to her, they did give the information from it to her. It was graded at a J, I1, 1.21 ct. While I certainly wasn''t crazy about it in the ring mounting, I LOVE it as a pendant and am very happy with the purchase. I had tried to get a bezel setting for it, but due to the irregular shape, I would have had to have one custom made. Plus, once I saw what resembeled a flower on the sides of this setting, I knew this was the mounting I wanted since it almost matches the design from my engagement ring mounting. Thanks for letting me share enthusiasm!
You know, I hardly care about the specs on your stone, it looks really gorgeous on you! Anyone who sees it will think you paid tons, tons more! I love that flower motif on the sides, it just makes the whole thing look so romantic. You must be soo pleased
Thanks for updating us and sharing your pics. I was definitely hoping to see what you''d come up with.
A big dead spot in the upper half (a cloud?). I've never heard of a 1 ct diamond for $700. 1 ct diamonds cost more than $700 20 years ago. Ditto to the get it appraised advice. Not much use of us guessing.
Edit: sorry, I was answering the "what does everyone else see?" question from page 1. I should have read the thread. Great pendant. Enjoy.
Thanks everyone! I probably should have bought a lottery ticket that day, since I never seem to get this lucky. The original ring mounting got put to good use as well. My mom liked the original mounting and it also fit her, so when I got the stone set as this pendant, I also bought a blue topaz (glacier ice) to put in the original mounting. I gave it to mom recently as a suprise and she adored it.
Thanks for letting me gush over my purchase, it''s hard to get excited with my friends and coworkers about these things as they''re either having hard times financially or just don''t give a hoot about jewelry. Pricescope is a great community!