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1ct Round-Opinion on stone & dim.? Thin Band setting?

cjfung10

Rough_Rock
Joined
Sep 7, 2016
Messages
7
Hey guys,

I’ve been a long time lurker and want to say thanks for all the great information. You guys made it so much easier throughout this process of educating myself about diamonds.

Anyways, I’m looking for 1ct round stone, preferably GIA or AGS certified. My minimum requirements are the following: high VS2, H color, and nothing but ideal/excellent cut. I’m hoping to spend less than 6K on the stone.

In regards to the setting, she's hoping to get a thin ring with "pave" or "prong set" diamonds on the both sides of the center stone, 4 prong that is set as low as possible. She wants to get a band that can sit flush against the engagement ring. What would be the thinnest band you guys would advise on for the setting? 1.5mm too thin? I'm thinking 1.8mm so it's a bit more secure. (Attached are some pictures).

I do have a couple questions:

I’ve heard that for a 1ct stone, the ideal diameter is 6.5mm. Is this true? Given that all other dimensions/measurements fall into the “excellent” category for a GIA certified cut grade? Could there be merit in looking for a stone that has a smaller diameter?

Finally, what are your opinions on this stone? I’ve been quoted $5,650+tax

GIA Certified
Measurements: 6.5-6.53x3.98mm
Ct: 1.03
Color: H
Clarity: VS2
Polish. Ex
Symmetry: Ex
Flu: Faint
61.1% depth, 57% table, 34° crown angle, 40.8° pavilion angle
(Attached is part of the GIA cert)

Thanks in advance!
Chris
:)

first_da.png

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d6e652e7-b911-4979-a2a4-a4a8eddb7f36.png
 

flyingpig

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Nov 7, 2015
Messages
2,975
What would be the thinnest band you guys would advise on for the setting? 1.5mm too thin? I'm thinking 1.8mm so it's a bit more secure. (Attached are some pictures).

Minimum 1.8mm. 2.0mm or thicker is recommended for durability issues for pave setting


I’ve heard that for a 1ct stone, the ideal diameter is 6.5mm. Is this true? Given that all other dimensions/measurements fall into the “excellent” category for a GIA certified cut grade? Could there be merit in looking for a stone that has a smaller diameter?

Short answer, No, there is no merit in this case. 6.5mm is good. High 6.4x mm is also acceptable. The bigger the diameter, the better, as long as there is no compromise in cut.

Finally, what are your opinions on this stone? I’ve been quoted $5,650+tax
Very reasonable price (assuming none/faint/med fluo). All numbers are good

Try to get an actual photo AND an idealscope/ASET image to check for any leakage.
If there is med+ fluo, ask vendor if there is negative effects (cloudiness, milkyness) from fluo
 

cjfung10

Rough_Rock
Joined
Sep 7, 2016
Messages
7
flyingpig|1473276995|4074123 said:
What would be the thinnest band you guys would advise on for the setting? 1.5mm too thin? I'm thinking 1.8mm so it's a bit more secure. (Attached are some pictures).
Minimum 1.8mm. 2.0mm or thicker is recommended for durability issues for pave setting
I’ve heard that for a 1ct stone, the ideal diameter is 6.5mm. Is this true? Given that all other dimensions/measurements fall into the “excellent” category for a GIA certified cut grade? Could there be merit in looking for a stone that has a smaller diameter?

Short answer, No, there is no merit in this case. 6.5mm is good. High 6.4x mm is also acceptable. The bigger the diameter, the better, as long as there is no compromise in cut.
Finally, what are your opinions on this stone? I’ve been quoted $5,650+tax
Very reasonable price (assuming none/faint/med fluo). All numbers are good
Try to get an actual photo AND an idealscope/ASET image to check for any leakage.
If there is med+ fluo, ask vendor if there is negative effects (cloudiness, milkyness) from fluo

Thanks for those answers. The GIA cert mentions faint fluo so I'm hoping it will have negligible affect on cloudiness/milkiness .

I've also requested the jeweler to provide idealscope images and he'll be producing them when the diamond is in his shop. (I'm currently shopping through a B&M family business where he's searching through his database for a stone in my specs/budget. I'm not exactly sure how jeweler's/wholesalers work and their business model but price-wise, the stone he quoted me seems right on par with what I'm seeing at online shops)

If anyone else has any opinions, I'm all ears.

Thanks again,
Chris
 

flyingpig

Ideal_Rock
Premium
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Nov 7, 2015
Messages
2,975
(I'm currently shopping through a B&M family business where he's searching through his database for a stone in my specs/budget.

sounds like you have found a good B&M vendor to work with, which is rather uncommon. good job.
keep us updated of your progress
 

cjfung10

Rough_Rock
Joined
Sep 7, 2016
Messages
7
So the B&M vendor vetted the stone and thought that it wasn't a true H and "didn't mean his standards" so he returned it. Is this typical? I didn't have a chance to look at it however.

On another note, I've looked at several diamonds under a 10x loupe and I can't help but think that I'm splitting hairs over something so small. And the price differential even between a good VS2 and a bad VS2...

I've been offered this for ~6500. Looks to be a 2.5 on HCA. I'm just not sure how I feel about the inclusions at the center of the stone.
http://www.gia.edu/report-check?reportno=6222049188

Still on the search!

Chris
 

cjfung10

Rough_Rock
Joined
Sep 7, 2016
Messages
7
Any opinion on this stone? My B&M jeweler recommended this stone for me. ~$5900+tax. Price-wise this is exactly how much I want to spend, but realized if I want to go VS2, I'd pay ~10% higher. Is it worth it? Or is this stone

GIA Certified
Measurements: 6.53-6.56x3.97mm
Ct: 1.03
Color: H
Clarity: SI1
Polish. Ex
Symmetry: Ex
Flu: None
60.6% depth, 58% table, 34.0° crown angle, 41.0° pavilion angle
(Attached is GIA cert)

Thanks in advance!
Chris
 

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soxfan

Ideal_Rock
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Joined
Jun 20, 2013
Messages
4,814
Shelby_Buchroeders|1474319985|4078527 said:
I would advise at least 2MM but at the lowest a 1.8MM as well. A 1.0ct measured 6.5MM exactly. You could easily find a .90-.95ct that spreads like a 1ct without hitting the price jump that occurs at 1.0ct. An excellent and very good cut grade are indiscernible to most people. Even a spready, good cut grade would be something personally I'd look at. There's a 1.03 G/I1 Triple X for $4780 (GIA certified).

As far as if the VS price jump is worth it, I'd say no. The education leans so heavily towards a higher clarity grade which locks you into extortionately higher rarity and price jumps (not necessarily beauty). The extra rarity pricing you pay to go from an eye clean SI2 to an eye clean VS1 is wildly unnecessary in my opinion. How many people wear a loupe necklace so that they can gauge the clarity on your diamond?

Let me know if I can help, and best of luck!

The OP set criteria of nothing but ideal/excellent cut and you are telling him he should look at good cuts? :???:
 

lovedogs

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jul 31, 2014
Messages
18,023
soxfan|1474394877|4078907 said:
Shelby_Buchroeders|1474319985|4078527 said:
I would advise at least 2MM but at the lowest a 1.8MM as well. A 1.0ct measured 6.5MM exactly. You could easily find a .90-.95ct that spreads like a 1ct without hitting the price jump that occurs at 1.0ct. An excellent and very good cut grade are indiscernible to most people. Even a spready, good cut grade would be something personally I'd look at. There's a 1.03 G/I1 Triple X for $4780 (GIA certified).

As far as if the VS price jump is worth it, I'd say no. The education leans so heavily towards a higher clarity grade which locks you into extortionately higher rarity and price jumps (not necessarily beauty). The extra rarity pricing you pay to go from an eye clean SI2 to an eye clean VS1 is wildly unnecessary in my opinion. How many people wear a loupe necklace so that they can gauge the clarity on your diamond?

Let me know if I can help, and best of luck!

The OP set criteria of nothing but ideal/excellent cut and you are telling him he should look at good cuts? :???:

I'm sorry, but this is particularly bad advice, especially from someone who is supposedly in the trade. Not to mention that you cannot comment on specific stones when you are in the trade.
 

rockysalamander

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
May 20, 2016
Messages
5,105
I'm not a pro, so wait for others to chime in, but these two ACA from Whiteflash look really good.

1.137 ct I VS2 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond
Price$7,191
Wire Price*$6,976
AGS-104079102014
Depth % 61.8
Table % 57.3
Crown Angle 34.9
Star 54.0
Pavilion Angle 40.7
Crown % 14.9
Lower Girdle % 77.0
Measurements 6.65x6.69x4.12 mm

1.00 ct I VS2 Expert Selection Round Cut Loose Diamond
Price$5,975
Wire Price*$5,796
GIA-7206620883
Depth % 62.2
Table % 58.0
Crown Angle 36.5
Star 50.0
Pavilion Angle 40.6
Crown % 15.5
Lower Girdle % 75.0
Measurements 6.34x6.39x3.96 mm

Setting ($1295) http://www.whiteflash.com/engagement-rings/diamond-settings/legato-sleek-line-pave-diamond-engagement-ring-422.htm
 

yssie

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Aug 14, 2009
Messages
27,242
http://www.gia.edu/report-check?reportno=6222049188 has report-perfect proportions.
The fantastic thing about buying in-person is that you can see it in-person - take advantage of that! Go in, play with it for a bit, let your eyes decide re. inclusions.

Great that your jeweller is taking care of you and pre-vetting stones - that's exactly the sort of service you're paying him for.

Agree on the 2mm min for a pave band.
Don't agree with the recommendation to consider starting your search again with a PS vendor when you seem to have found an excellent B&M.
 

cjfung10

Rough_Rock
Joined
Sep 7, 2016
Messages
7
I appreciate the advice guys. I'm a huge fan of being able to see the stone in person before purchasing. I also like the fact that if I have any issues with the ring that I could take it in, not to mention they'll be creating the ring I/my fiance really want. I'll probably go with a 1.8mm band. I've realized that paying >6.5K on a stone may not be in the budget right now so I may have to scratch G/H VS2s.

All that to say, I may have narrowed it down to 3 stones so far.Can anyone tell me why I should choose one over the other? I don't really understand why Option 1 scores so poorly on HCA but Option 2 and 3 scores so highly. Are the prices reasonable?

Option 1 ~$5700, H SI1, 1.08, HCA: 4.6
http://www.gia.edu/report-check?reportno=6231521132

Option 2 ~$5700, I VS2, 1.01, HCA: 1.2
http://www.gia.edu/report-check?reportno=7238061704

Option 3 ~$5900 H, SI1, 1.03, HCA: 1.4
http://www.gia.edu/report-check?reportno=2236055685

Thanks so much,
Chris
 

kb1gra

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jul 6, 2012
Messages
1,118
Option 1 scores so poorly because it's too deep and too steep in the pavilion angle. It's also got a pretty big table. None of these are really features you want for optimal light return. Since you have other similarly priced options, I'd ditch it without further consideration.
 

cjfung10

Rough_Rock
Joined
Sep 7, 2016
Messages
7
kb1gra|1474585774|4079715 said:
Option 1 scores so poorly because it's too deep and too steep in the pavilion angle. It's also got a pretty big table. None of these are really features you want for optimal light return. Since you have other similarly priced options, I'd ditch it without further consideration.
Ok great. Thanks for the input. What's curious to me is how does that score an "excellent" in cut via GIA...

I'm having a hard decision in seeing whether I can get "better" stones for approximately the same costs...

So out of 2 and 3, how would one go about deciding one over the other?
 

kb1gra

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jul 6, 2012
Messages
1,118
cjfung10|1474591858|4079736 said:
kb1gra|1474585774|4079715 said:
Option 1 scores so poorly because it's too deep and too steep in the pavilion angle. It's also got a pretty big table. None of these are really features you want for optimal light return. Since you have other similarly priced options, I'd ditch it without further consideration.
Ok great. Thanks for the input. What's curious to me is how does that score an "excellent" in cut via GIA...

I'm having a hard decision in seeing whether I can get "better" stones for approximately the same costs...

So out of 2 and 3, how would one go about deciding one over the other?

If your dealer will bring them both in without you buying them, bring both in and decide with your own eyes which you prefer.

If your dealer wants you to buy based solely on paper and won't return whatever you buy if it's not to your liking, I'd give this guy a pass.

If I were picking one for myself, I would take the higher color.

If I were purchasing for myself, I would bypass all of these entirely and get this rare gem, G color, CBI, that JUST misses the 1ct mark. Higher color, visually identical size, and the inclusions are all twinning wisps which is the best SI2 you're gonna get.

http://highperformancediamonds.com/shop/g/HPD8249/?shop=yes

But whether that's something you're willing to entertain is a separate question.
 

mcosme

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Sep 9, 2012
Messages
384
If your jeweler is going to bring the stones in, I would recommend bringing a handheld ASET with you.

If you are willing to entertain buying online, that Crafted by Infinity stone posted will be exceptional (the best performing stone you can possibly get) and it's a great price and G colour. :love:
http://highperformancediamonds.com/shop/g/HPD8249/?shop=yes
 

Gypsy

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Aug 8, 2005
Messages
40,225
If you are shopping for rounds you don't have to pay for the ASET scope. An idealscope, the beginner scope is cheaper and sufficient for your purposes.
 

cjfung10

Rough_Rock
Joined
Sep 7, 2016
Messages
7
Thank you guys so much for all the help. I was seriously considering going through a PS dealer but after much deliberation, I wanted to create a relationship with a local B&M jeweler. I also wanted to see the diamond in person without obligation. I was debating between 2 local jewelers (1 had option 2 and the other had option 3 from above).

I decided to go with Option 3:
1.03 ct
H, SI1
Cut/Polish/Sym: Ex/Ex/Ex
fluor: None
Dims: 6.53mmx6.56mmx3.97mm

I opted to go for the higher color and from the limited diamonds I've seen, it's a pretty clean SI1. Attached is the ASET of the diamond and the GIA clarity plot.

I hope I made a good decision!

Now it's time to design the band...I'll keep you guys posted!

Chris

img_0126.jpg

2236055685.png
 

mcosme

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Sep 9, 2012
Messages
384
Respect your choice! Actually with most PS dealers there is no commitment too, you can certainly preview the stone and return it if you don't like it, no questions asked.

I'm sure the diamond and ring will be beautiful, please show us the final product :angel:
 
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