1st Time Diamond Buyers- Help!

[ALittleTipsy]

Hello diamond aficianados! This will be our first big purchase and I''m incredibly nervous about buying online. We have found a couple of diamonds that sparked our interest and I just want some input from people who have more diamond knowledge and experience than I do! Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated!!!

Diamond #1- GIA Certified $5065.20
Carat: 2.68
Shape: Cushion
Cut: n/a
Color: N
Clarity: SI1
Measurements: 8.43-7.53-5.37 mm
Depth: 71.3%
Table: 62%
Polish: Very Good
Symmetry: Very Good
Culet: Very Small
Fluorescence: Faint
Girdle: Very Thin Faceted
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And Diamond #2 GIA Certified $4645.08
Carat: 2.53
Shape: Cushion
Cut: n/a
Color: S
Clarity: SI2
Measurements: 8.22-7.43-5.13 mm
Depth: 69%
Table: 61%
Polish: Very Good
Symmetry: Very Good
Culet: None
Fluorescence: None
Girdle: Medium-Very Thick Faceted
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The attached photo shows the diamonds side by side, with the 2.53 on the left and 2.68 on the right.

 

[stone-cold11]

Not an expert, but the very thin part of the girdle is a red-flag, depending on how extensive and location. Need to double check with the vendor on the durability of the stone during setting, etc.

 

[Ellen]

The photos aren't the best. Is there any way you could get a straight on shot of each, like the one below? And ditto on the very thin girdle. Other than that, there's no real red flags. But better pictures would help to assess how they're cut/how they look.

Also, have you seen cushions in this color range in real life?

 

[Lorelei]

Very thin girdles aren't created equal, if the very thin girdle is not knife edge thin and is overall only borderline very thin it could be no issue at all, check with the vendor or an appraiser to make sure.

You can see these colour grades are distinctly tinted, is that ok with you? Closer photos would also help if you could get them.

 

[icekid]

Date: 7/18/2009 9:07:00 AM
Author: Ellen

Also, have you seen cushions in this color range in real life?

Ditto this, Ellen. There is a lot of love around here for JKL stones and for good reason, but S is likely to show a lot of color.

 

[ALittleTipsy]

Thanks so much for your responses! The thin girdle was a concern of mine as well. And I am definitely wanting a stone with some color- I''m just not a white diamond kind of gal!

Here is another picture of the 2.53

 

[ALittleTipsy]

And here is the 2.68

 

[Lorelei]

Both lovely, from the pics I prefer the first one, which one do you like best?

 

[ALittleTipsy]

Well, I like them both for different reasons. I like the sparkling "crushed ice" look of the 2.53, and it definitely stands out to me in the picture with the two diamonds side by side. But on the other hand, I like that the 2.68 has more of a vintage vibe to it and we''re planning on having a replica art deco setting custom-made, so I think it would be better suited for that look.

So I really haven''t made up my mind quite yet! The only thing I worry about with the 2.53 is that there is a tiny black wisp right in the center of the stone, which I probably would never have noticed had the vendor not pointed it out to me, but of course now that I know it''s there I''m afraid that would be all I see every time I looked at my hand. He said it''s eye clean unless you are really closely inspecting it but that if that little spot makes me nervous to go with the 2.68 because it''s completely eye clean. I am going to call next week about the thin girdle on that one though because that definitely makes me nervous. I don''t want to be constantly worrying that my diamond might chip.

Anyway, the good news is that if we buy either diamond and we don''t absolutely love it in person, we have 15 days to return it with no questions asked. And I''m also planning on taking whichever stone we get to my local jeweler for inspection and appraisal as soon as it''s delivered, just to be safe!

I really appreciate everyone''s input though- all this diamond business can be a little overwhelming!