3.01 F or 3.40 H? Help!

[juliejem]

Hello all!

In the next few days I am deciding between two stones for my engagement ring, which my fiancé is letting me choose. Both are beautiful stones, and I could be happy with both which is why I need your help! It will be set in a simple platinum band.

A. 3.01 carat round triple X excellent cut F color SI1
B. 3.40 carat round triple X excellent cut H color SI1

Though both are in budget, stone A is $8K more expensive than B.

Both are face up white and very sparkly. Neither my fiancé not I could not tell any color difference by naked eye, though our jeweler can and my mom swears she can see the slightest yellow from the H (she could not see it though until she was told...)

However, my mom is very biased towards the F stone, as she says she is all about quality.

I always thought I wanted a bigger diamond, as I like the look of a huge stone on a simple band, so I was slightly leaning to the H, but the jeweler and my mom so want me to choose the F, which confuses me.

There is a visible difference in size between A and B. No, the 3.4 is not too big.

Does the color grade matter so much that I should sacrifice almost half a carat? How much should I really be valuing a flawless diamond color? Which would you choose?

These are the final two stones, so note we are not considering new options. Thank you!

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

I'm a bang for my buck kind of girl and as long as the stone is well cut I would save the 8k and put that towards a fabulous eternity ring for a wedding band! That said, I would love to see the full GIA (I hope) or AGS reports on both stones so the cuts can be evaluated (the most important C).

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Yes, please list all the specs for us because GIA excellent is a broad range and many of them we would not recommend. List table, depth, crown angle, pavilion angle, and diameter measurements. Or give us the link to the GIA reports.

 

[juliejem]

Thanks for your suggestions! I don't have those specs unfortunately, but I do remember reviewing them and the proportions were similar for the stones I think. For what it's worth, the 3.01 has a tighter, more condensed and crisp looking sparkle, whereas the 3.40 sparkles bigger, if that makes sense. That might be because of the size difference, not sure.

 

[vintageinjune]

Assuming both stones have fairly equal (and actually excellent) performance, I'd save the $8k and go for the slightly larger stone that's cheaper! With a really well cut stone, it'll sparkle so much you'll hardly notice the slight warmth except for a few situations, and who says H is lower "quality" than F? That's like saying green is better quality color than red, true for some, not true for others.

It'll be on your finger your entire life, so get what you love! I second posting up the rest of the specs though, so the more knowledgeable people here can help you determine which stone would give better performance. Good luck with your ring!

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

Get copies of the reports or get the exact numbers that DS listed, the tiniest differences can be a big deal in evaluating the cut quality of a RB. It's worth a phone call.

 

[LLJsmom]

F. But I love higher colors. With whatever you are spending, I wouldn't worry about saving $8k. But I would look at the specs. Why can't you get a copy of the GIA reports?m and did you see the stone in different areas of lighting? In a dark unlit area?

 

[juliejem]

Thanks. I can get the reports. I've seen them a few times but I never thought to take photos of them. It's holiday weekend so I won't get them now.

 

[Rockinruby]

Thanks. I can get the reports. I've seen them a few times but I never thought to take photos of them. It's holiday weekend so I won't get them now.

I would wait and see which has the better proportions, etc. Post the info here and the very helpful PS community will be able to quickly tell you which one is the best performer. Ultimately you should get what you love!

 

[Gypsy]

Neither. We need more information on the cut. GIA Ex is too broad.

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. With round diamonds even a GIA triple Excellent is not enough. And you must stick to GIA and AGS only (HPD in Europe is good as well). 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?
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 generally, though you can. In general, AGS0 trumps HCA though as one examines the actual stone and the other does not.
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.
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,BE, 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. Some AGS0's are better than others though, so pay attention to any ASET or IS provided.

In general with rounds, you will want a table 60% or less. A depth between 59 and 62.4. Crown angle 33.5-36. Pavilion Angle: 40.6-41 (there is a little give on this). And the crown and pavilion angles must be complimentary which is what the HCA checks for you.

 

[cinnamonstick]

Thanks. I can get the reports. I've seen them a few times but I never thought to take photos of them. It's holiday weekend so I won't get them now.

I would wait and see which has the better proportions, etc. Post the info here and the very helpful PS community will be able to quickly tell you which one is the best performer. Ultimately you should get what you love!

Agree, and agree. Assuming all equal in cut (and they may not be)....I would get the H for the larger size. I am 100% happy with H, but a very personal choice here (as you can read in all the replies) lol!


Get the GIAs You may be surprised! Don't k know, jeweler wants to make a higher priced sale? But of course, your mom still is liking the F.

Well, side by side F vs H will show some slight varience (H warmth). May never have a H beside a F again to see the sight warmth emphasized as such by being directly side/ side.

All up to what your eye likes! Post the GIAs before any final purchase! You will be so glad you did! Cut rules! I can personally aware by this as a 43yo who just discovered what I was missing with average cuts! Lol

Congrats and GL!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

If the cuts were truly equal, I would certainly go for the H if size was important to me! Nothing whatsoever is wrong with H color. We have members here with top cut quality diamonds over 4 cts that are H and I color and some probably lower than that. But seriously, the GIA Excellent cut range is broad and it is very possible that one of the stones is better cut than the other even though it may be very hard to tell in jeweler's lighting. So we'll be watching for you to post the GIA reports! Then we can give you more meaningful advice rather than just choosing between size and color.