2+ carat round - which stone would you choose? :)

[SnowWhiteRun]

Happy Cyber Monday Morning!

Over the weekend, future fi and I refined what we are looking for (we are doing this together) and have narrowed down our search for a 2+ carat round stone (to be set in a VC stunner tbd! )

Specs:
2+ carat round
$18,000 TOP end for stone (setting separate)
excellent or ideal cut (don't need or want H&A)
I/J color (I wanted warmer but f-fi wants it to be more white next to other stones)
VS2-SI eye clean
1.0 proportions (I am OCD and can see any variance from perfect(ish) round)
no florescence

Which would you choose? Most of which were suggested here on another post (THANK YOU!!)
I feel very confused on what to do next to determine the best stone for us.

http://www.jewelsbygrace.com/loose-...opean-cut-diamond-gia-j-si2.html#.VHyZEMXnZHhlooks beautiful but only a "good" cut

https://www.ritani.com/diamonds/round-diamond-2-20-Carat-J-color-GIA-certified/D-3F7VY3

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-dia...t-j-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-40353like noted in another post, it "appears" to have a pinkish hue. I chatted with JA and the lady said it was eye clean

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-dia...arat-j-color-vs2-clarity-ideal-cut-sku-288311does this one appear yellow-ish?

Or, Victor offered to polish one for me - and offered a range of color and clarity. I ADORE his European Rounds but he has none in my budget, color, size handy.

Thoughts? Is there a better one out there? Am I missing something - is there a better J/SI1 around 2.4 carats?

Thanks in advance for ALL of your help and input.
Snow

 

[Gypsy]

The entire purpose of faceting a diamond is to reflect light.
How well or how poorly a diamond does this determines how beautiful it is.
How well a diamond performs is determined by the angles and cutting. This is why we say cut is king.
No other factor: not color, not clarity has as much of an impact on the appearance of a diamond as its cut. An ideal H will out white a poorly cut F. And GIA Ex is not enough. And you must stick to GIA and AGS only. EGL is a bad option: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/egl-certification-are-any-of-them-ok.142863/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/egl-certification-are-any-of-them-ok.142863/[/URL]
So how to we ensure that we have the right angles and cutting to get the light performance we want in a modern round brilliant.
https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/diamond-cut
Well one method is to start with a GIA Ex, and then apply the HCA to it. YOU DO NOT USE HCA for AGS0 stones.
https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/holloway-cut-advisor
The HCA is a rejection tool. Not a selection tool. It uses 4 data points to make a rudimentary call on how the diamond may perform.
If the diamond passes then you know that you are in the right zone in terms of angles for light performance. Under 2 is a pass. Under 2.5-2.1 is a maybe. 2.6 and over is a no. No score 2 and under is better than any other. You also want a crown angle over 34 and a pavillion angle 41 and under.
Is that enough? Not really.
So what you need is a way to check actual light performance of your actual stone.
That's what an idealscope image does. https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/firescope-idealscope
It shows you how and wear your diamond is reflecting light, how well it is going at it, and where you are losing light return. That is why you won't see us recommending Blue Nile, as they do not provide idealscope images for their diamonds. BGD, James Allen, GOG, HPD, ERD and WF do.

The Idealscope is the 'selection tool'. Not the HCA.
So yes, with a GIA stone you need the idealscope images. Or you can buy an idealscope yourself and take it in to the jeweler you are working with to check the stones yourself. Or if you have a good return policy (full refund minimum 7 days) then you can buy the idealscope, buy the stone, and do it at home.


Now if you want to skip all that... stick to AGS0 stones and then all you have to do is pick color and clarity and you know you have a great performing diamond. Because AGS has already done the checking for you. That's why they trade at a premium.

 

[bluelotus]

Hello,
It seems to me that you need to decide what "flavor" you are most interested in. The old cuts may not have the same flash and sparkle as the modern excellent/ideal cuts but they excel in more subtle pastel effects that are equally beautiful.

Jewels by Grace is a popular and trusted vendor and has a constantly changing inventory if you are after an old cut diamond. Remember that the tools with which you evaluate a modern stone are often not relevant when looking at antique stones. Often antique diamonds tend to have unique personalities and will need to be judged individually and in person.

When you get into the bottom end of the near colorless spectrum (J color) you will begin to see a hint of body color (which is not always yellow), especially when viewing from the side. Body color in diamonds can also be brown and grey. Looks to me as if the James Allen stone you mention looks pinkish has a brownish body color (and a higher crown, good for more fire?). I happen to love this color but it tends to be less popular than yellow and is therefor discounted.

You may want to get more information on the James Allen stones (crown and pavilion angles) and run the numbers through the HCA tool to see what numbers it generates and if any of the stones fall into the Tolk Ideal, Brilliant Ideal, or Firey Ideal ranges.

Good luck!

 

[SnowWhiteRun]

Thank you both for your replies. Truly! The more I learn, the more I begin to narrow down what I want - and what is best.

I LOVE vintage/antique cuts - and do not have the same feelings towards the Hearts & Arrows cuts. This has obviously limited my search to a few vendors - Jewels by Grace, VC, and Good Old Gold. Am I missing a vendor who sells Vintage or Old European cuts?

I feel like I can now search more precisely for the perfect (for me) stone.

Old European (~ VC European Round) / August Vintage Round (~ GOG)
Ideal or Excellent cut
~ 2 carat (1.8 - 2.0 would work but prefer >2)
1.0 proportions
I-J color
VS2 or Si1 eye clean
original budget $18,000k (can go up if needed, or down in size)

Needle in a hay stack?

Cheers,
Crystal

 

[bluelotus]

Check out Love Affair Diamonds and Old World Diamonds too for loose old cut diamonds.