11K Budget. Diamond Advice

[diamondseeker2006]

You know what? A lot of us ask here before making other purchases! We find that most of the people who stick around here are researchers by nature and like good quality, and we can get lots of good recommendations for other things here! There's a Hangout forum and Family,Home, and Health where other things are discussed. We've talked about mattresses, towels, pots and pans, furniture, etc.! But I am sure there are plenty of other good forums on many topics!

When you call ID Jewelry, the first thing you need to mention is that you are from PS. They know we have expectations for well cut stones and they will make sure Yekutiel helps you with the diamond. You can make an appt. and they can call in stones for you. They have an idealscope which is helpful. Many people have had great luck with settings there, too.

Buying a diamond can be dangerous business because there are a lot of people out there with poor stones they want to sell, and some with good stones still charge way too much. There are good vendors for those who want to get a great stone but who can't get the specs they need in an ACA or other hearts and arrows top ideal cut. ID Jewelry is one that has great prices and can still get you a nicely cut stone.

 

[Gypsy]

When you call ID Jewelry, the first thing you need to mention is that you are from PS.

DS is on the ball today man.This is an especially important point.

Yeah, we all ask for advice. You may not see it as quite a few of us have become friends off the boards, but we all double and triple check our purchases with one another-- even after 6 years on here. You are doing GREAT! No worries.

 

[hopesolo82]

Hi 06pvc, will this diamond be for you or another person? If it's for you, great, but if it's for another person, have you gotten any feedback from them regarding a warmer color like a K? Just checking

Regarding the 2 most recent stones you found, if you HAD to pick one of these, I would personally prefer the SI1 stone as the SI2 stone has a brown fuzzy area near the center of the stone. Brown fuzzy area might be noticeable in real life...

good idea.

 

[06pvc]

I went to see diamonds in person. All of the great advice I have gotten here definitly was right! My conclusions. The difference between 1.8 ct and 2ct is almost indistinguishable.

Furthermore, I feel like a lot of the 2ct within my budget where simply deeper stones. Pricing diamonds it also seems like this 0.2 consession in carat opens me up to a whole world of options. The person I talked to said when she shops for diamonds she tries to find I1 bargins.. I would be happy to go down to I1 if there was no obvious inclusions, but this is probably impractical. With that said, I think SI2/eye clean is where I need to look.

Color: I must be very color insensitive, but when presented with I,J,K,L stones I could not (maybe barely) see the difference. Only with an L. With that said the sales person put the stone into pave setting with lower colorded stones, and the contrast was just unbelievable. I think it did get me a little worried that maybe I was just seeing what I wanted to see earlier with the I,J,K,L comparison. Furthermore, as I am planning on getting a Pave/Halo, I think it really placed importance on needing to get the Pave/Halo custom made so the stones in the pave match the stones. With all that said.

I got some initial advice that if I was looking at eternitydiamonds for settings that they also have good diamond prices. Dropping my size requirement down to 1.7-1.85. Ive found many many I or J (they only stock I/J but can call in K), diamonds that are Ex/Ex/Ex, with HCA <2 within my budget (including one H&A). EternityDiamond will not provide prictures or IS images, but they do say they can have there inhouse gemologist examine the stones for eye cleaness with an IS scope for light leakage.

So my question is would an Ex/Ex/Ex, HCA < 2, and their assurance it was examined for light leakage with an IS be sufficient. Furthermore, if I purchase I diamond and have it appriased, if it is already set do I lose the ability to have an IS or other light leakage analysis by an appraiser?

On a related note, I am planning on going to see Yekutiel per everyones advice. However he has said that they can't change the color diamonds in there settings, which are G. With a J (or I) stone how much of a problem would this be? Thanks a lot of all the help. Paul

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Paul, one problem with looking at stones in jewelry stores is that it does make it hard to tell anything about color in that lighting. So I am not surprised!

I really recommend that you go through Yekutiel at IDJ to get the diamond because he does have an idealscope and can make sure you are getting a good stone. I think his prices are hard to beat as well. As long as you stick with I color, I think stock halo settings are fine. I like a little bit of contrast in color but not a huge amount. I am glad you are going below 2 carats to get a better quality stone!!!

 

[Gypsy]

I agree with DS and just want to add that I have an F asscher in a halo and F melee in my halo. Just by virtue of having the melee stones be so small and being a different cut from my center they can, in some light, actually look whiter (a lot whiter) than my center stone. The way large diamonds and small ones reflect light is very different so in some lighting conditions my center stone looks whiter than my halo and in some lighting conditions it looks darker. It's kind of the nature of the beast. lower colors in melee aren't going to make that huge a difference in what you see because it's a matter of light return rather than color. When I had single cut melee in my halo, which has fewer facets and larger flashes of light, the color of my halo to my center stone was much closer and stayed more constant in various lighting conditions.

It's kind of the nature of the beast. You can go to ID and buy a center and if you don't find a setting you love you can always buy one from eternity. You don't have to buy the stone and setting in the same place.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Excellent point about the halo stones, Gypsy. They will appear different due to size. Tiny halo stones are there for sparkle, Paul. It isn't the same as a three stone ring where larger stones are next to the center. In that case, I would have to have the same color. But really, in my rings with tiny stones (melee), I have no clue what color they are! You'll be fine anyway if you stick to I color and maybe J. But J is the color that I start to see the tint, so that is why I am more sure of I color.

 

[06pvc]

All great news .

Got in touch with Yekutile this morning. We had a productive talk.

I showed him the following diamond that I had shown here awhile back.
http://www.bluenile.com/round-diamond-1-carat-very-good-cut-j-color-si2-clarity_LD02336485

He said he will call that in, and then use that as a basis of comparison for the other stonse he will show me (going to meet with him hopefully next monday). Very happy I called him and sorry I didn't do this earlier.

 

[Gypsy]

All great news .

Got in touch with Yekutile this morning. We had a productive talk.

I showed him the following diamond that I had shown here awhile back.
http://www.bluenile.com/round-diamond-1-carat-very-good-cut-j-color-si2-clarity_LD02336485

He said he will call that in, and then use that as a basis of comparison for the other stonse he will show me (going to meet with him hopefully next monday). Very happy I called him and sorry I didn't do this earlier.

He's awesome. Your in good hands.

I'd love to hear about your experience there afterward.

 

[06pvc]

Yekutile got this stone in:
http://www.bluenile.com/round-diamond-1-carat-very-good-cut-j-color-si2-clarity_LD02336485

As well as a large K that was too good to be true, Chalky.

Says it looks very fiery, and very white (no issue with the melle contrast). There is an inclusion but it can be covered up with the prong. Going to see it on Monday. Anyway, if the light performance is good, why did it only get a very good cut grade? Is this beacuse the polish is very good, and in AGS cut grade you can only be as good as your wrote grade?

Otherwise he is showing me I's and K's as well, so I can get an idea of what I am giving up. Hopefully I like one them.

Will let you know. Hopefully I will have some IS scopes to post so you guys can help me pick.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

That diamond has potential. It definitely can't get ideal for cut when it has vg for polish. I normally try to stick wtih ideal or excellent for polish on an AGS stone, but if the price is right, it could be worth considering. I am not seeing a light performance grade, so all we have to go by are the measuremetns of the stone. Look very carefullly at the incusions to make sure it is eyeclean from the top and sides.

 

[06pvc]

Got a chance to go to ID Jewlery to meet with Yekutiel today.

Here is the IS of the diamond I posted earlier.
http://oi44.tinypic.com/241nk8l.jpg

Here is a picture of it 2 different settings.
Halo: http://oi41.tinypic.com/r1zsp5.jpg
Pave/6prong: http://oi42.tinypic.com/25iuflc.jpg

Yekutiel felt the stone was closer to a K then a J, but the Fluorescence made it look whiter. I was happy with the color.
He thought it was H&A, showed me through the viewer. This is not that important to me.
He thought it was well cut. Although I would like your opinion from the IS image.

His critism was that if it was more like a J then a K, a 1.85K (8mm) at 10.5K isn't GREAT pricing. He felt I could do better.

Anyway. I look forward to hearing what you think. And how the IS scope looks.

 

[Dreamer_D]

I posted the about the following diamond earlier (see below). Here is the IS picture:
http://oi42.tinypic.com/28st4p4.jpg

I should have a few more IS coming on some other diamonds. Thanks for all the help.

Unrelated to the setting search. I recently got sent pictures of this diamond.
https://myapps.gia.edu/ReportCheckPortal/getReportData.do?&reportno=2105560044&weight=2.00

I gets a 1.6 HCA score but only a Good by the GIA cut. It is also 2K lower then most of the other diamonds I have looked at which would give me a larger setting budget.

Here is the picture. They sent me 2 others if you would like me to post those too.
[url]http://oi40.tinypic.com/28l5fua.jpg[/url]

That looks like an old cut to me, perhaps an early modern brilliant with the open culet. Maybe a transitional. I am not saying it is well cut, but it could be much cooler in person than the photos show. The IS of my old cut is fugly, but the stone is awesome. THe IS indicated light being reflected straight into and out of the stone at 90* and old cuts just don't work that way. Neither here nor there but thought I would point that out.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Got a chance to go to ID Jewlery to meet with Yekutiel today.

Here is the IS of the diamond I posted earlier.
http://oi44.tinypic.com/241nk8l.jpg

Here is a picture of it 2 different settings.
Halo: http://oi41.tinypic.com/r1zsp5.jpg
Pave/6prong: http://oi42.tinypic.com/25iuflc.jpg

Yekutiel felt the stone was closer to a K then a J, but the Fluorescence made it look whiter. I was happy with the color.
He thought it was H&A, showed me through the viewer. This is not that important to me.
He thought it was well cut. Although I would like your opinion from the IS image.

His critism was that if it was more like a J then a K, a 1.85K (8mm) at 10.5K isn't GREAT pricing. He felt I could do better.

Anyway. I look forward to hearing what you think. And how the IS scope looks.

Ideal scope looks good.

NOTE: body color of pave diamonds does not relly matter, they will always look "whiter" than a larger tinted stone and in my expeirence, pave highlights the tint in a stone when seen adjascent. I think you noticed that when you did your color comparison. With nothing white to compare to, a K-L looks very white! Add something white or colorless, BAM you see tint. I preferred not to wear any pave or smaller diamonds near my larger J color stone. But its personal preference.

You can keep looking, let Yuketeil try to find something better if he thinks he can

 

[06pvc]

Talked to Yuketeil and we decided to wait until the end of the month (to fit timeframe of when I was going to propose), and see what else he could find me.

The wrinkle is that I showed my girlfriend the pictures, and she is in love with it. So I think I may move on it.

 

[Gypsy]

If Yekutiel thinks you can do better then wait.

I really like that halo setting, by the way. It's beautiful.

 

[06pvc]

I confluence of factors pushed me towards the J Blue Nile diamond.

Me liking it.
Girlfriend Loving it.
Price Drop on BN listing which made me think there would be a lower probability it would be available down the road, and moving it from marginal deal to good deal.

So I pulled the trigger.

Thanks for all the help in the process, and thanks for steering me to Yekutiel.

 

[Gypsy]

Congratulations! I'd love to see pics! Did you buy from Blue Nile or from Yekutiel?

 

[06pvc]

From Yekutiel. He was able to beat the BN price.

I had posted pictures earlier but here is the whole rundown of pictures.

ASET: http://oi40.tinypic.com/30s8u1j.jpg
IS: http://oi41.tinypic.com/214xv06.jpg
Setting/Diamond: http://oi39.tinypic.com/24v7bjl.jpg (Yekutiel's Hand).

Yekutiel says its heart & arrows close (not to relevant to me but it does look nice).
Arrows: http://oi39.tinypic.com/34snqrp.jpg
Hearts: http://oi41.tinypic.com/e6c6bs.jpg

Stats:
Color: J
Carat: 1.86
Cut: VG
Clarity: SI2
HCA: 1.2
Symmetry: Ex
Polish: VG
Fluorescence: MB (Big plus for me).
Dimensions: 7.99 x 8.02 x 4.80 mm (Also big plus for me)
Depth: 60
Table 58
Crown: 34 Degrees
Pavalian: 40.9 Degrees

The feather in the bottom left passes in the eye clean test and will be covered with a prong.

Feel like I owe every one who has helped me. So will pass on another forum if you ever need help with your retirement savings known as bogleheads http://www.bogleheads.org/forum/index.php

 

[Gypsy]

Thank you for the new forum. I'm sure it will very helpful to many!

So you did pick the halo? I'm sure she's absolutely thrilled with the ring.

And she's your fiance now, right? Not girlfriend anymore? Or are you waiting to propose?

I'm so happy for you. And you are welcome, from us all.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

That is great news!!! The ring is gorgeous! Please come back and post a thread in Show Me the Bling when you get some hand pictures on her hand!

 

[06pvc]

Not my fiance yet. Still have to do that part .

I did choose that halo. It did look beautiful. Many thanks to Yekutiel (and you guys) for helping to pick the right one out.

Will definitely post it in "Show Me the Bling" when its arrives on her finger.

 

[Dreamer_D]

woo hoo! Great buy, good value, I bet it looks awesome.

 

[Amys Bling]

cant wait to see it!!!