2 Diamonds. Which one is better?

[phantom]

Well, I returned the G, I1 diamond I bought last week with the really thick girdle, thanks to you guys. I propably would never have known. So I''m forever indebted to this message board. Anyway, now I''m looking at 2 new diamonds. Which one is better? Here are the specs.

The first one is $3000
GIA
Shape - Round Brilliant
Meas:6.27-6.31 x 3.85 mm
Weight .92 carat
Depth: 61.2%
Table 60%
Girdle: Thn to Med
Culet: None
Polish: Very Good
Sym: Good
Clarity: SI2
Color: I
Fluor: Faint

the second one is: $3,600
GIA
Round Brilliant
6.57 - 6.66 x 3.99mm
Weight: 1.06 carat
Depth: 60.03%
Table: 57%
Girdle: ETN to THK, F
Culet: None
Polish: Good
Symmetry: Good
Clarity: SI2
Color: I
Fluorescence: Faint

Well, what do you think? I know these guys don''t have the hearts and arrows but I was thinking, how much of a difference do the hearts and arrows really make? I mean if you''re buying an $8000 stone and you want the h&a, then what differnce is another few hundred bucks going to make for the h&a, but if your spending 3k than the h&a isn''t really worth it. Am I wrong in thinking this?

 

[fire&ice]

The second one seems to have an extremely thin girdle, which is not good either.

 

[pqcollectibles]

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On 6/6/2003 1:35:30 PM phantom wrote:

I know these guys don't have the hearts and arrows but I was thinking, how much of a difference do the hearts and arrows really make? I mean if you're buying an $8000 stone and you want the h&a, then what differnce is another few hundred bucks going to make for the h&a, but if your spending 3k than the h&a isn't really worth it. Am I wrong in thinking this?

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Hi Phantom!

Not at all! You are not wrong! You are trying to buy what is right for you, fits your needs, your desires, and your price point. What works for one person is not right for the next!

On paper, some stats on the first one look better. The diameter is more round, only 0.04mm difference as opposed to 0.09 mm difference. Also the girdle is more even. Thin to Medium as opposed to Extremely Thin to Thick. Polish is better, Very Good as opposed to Good.

The proportions, table and depth %'s, are better on the second one. More consistent with an Ideal cut. Doesn't mean the first one is bad, just on paper the second "sounds" better.

You should try to get Sarin info, and copies of the Certs and inclusions plots on both. SI2's can be tricky finding an Eye Clean diamond. One might be graded SI2 due to a feather while the other has a bunch of crystals. Won't know until you ask.

Faint Blue Flour will "whiten" the I color somewhat. That's great!

 

[phantom]

So what you guys are saying is that niether of these look really spectacular, but for the money, I guess these aren't a bad deal. Do you think I might be better off getting something online? I know they don't charge tax online. Right? That's kind of a good way to save some money.

 

[pqcollectibles]

Yeah, you would be able to apply the sales tax $$$ toward buying the diamond.

When you search, look for better symmetry, Very Good to excellent. The facets will have better alignment yielding a better performing diamond. Even girdle is better. You don't want an extremely thin or extremely thick one. Extremely thin can chip and extremely thick is lost diamond weight you pay for and don't see. Slightly thin to medium, or medium. Slightly thin to slightly thick is OK.

If it all seems too much, check out some vendors. Look at their return/refund policies, life-time upgrades, etc. Call several. I talked to several before I purchased. They were all very nice and very helpful. Tell them your price point, what you are trying to accomplish and let them search for you. They know what looks like a good cut on paper. Let them be your eyes for you.