3 carat stone from WHITEFLASH

[Phoenix]

Hello all,

I have been considering this diamond from WF and am about to make my final decision and would appreciate your opinions and any help you can offer:

http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-71343.htm#

I''ve contacted WF and Lesley has assured me the feathers (particularly the one on the girdle) do not affect the durability of the stone, and the crystals are white and not black carbon spots.

I have a few questions:

1) Do you think I should go for it? Those of you who have purchased from WF (Harriet, SLK, and more), are you completely happy? both with the diamonds as well as your experience with them? It appears that they have a stellar reputation but would still like to hear directly from those of you who have dealt with them.

2) Those of you who have upgraded with WF, what has the process been like? Any hassle (eg. in terms of sourcing for a new stone, returning the old one etc.)? I am thinking of upgrading for a whiter and/ or slightly bigger stone in the future, maybe in one year''s time.

3) Those of you who have had your setting done with WF, are you completely happy?

4) Woud the colour I bother me? I know that this is a difficult question to answer as it is very subjective, but am wondering for those of you who have bought (or rejected) an I or J with WF, does the cut ACA really help with the stone face-up and how about if you view it sideways , ie. from the pavilion (which I know no-one really does except the owner of the stone)? Does the tint bother you?

5) I''m thinking of sending the stone to Dave Atlas for an indpendent appraisal. It is best that I do this directly with Dave, right? as then he''d be acting for me, the client. And would it be worth it to pay the extra $100 for him to use the SAS2000 on the stone? (I understand it costs $150 to do a "normal" appraisal and $250 to do it with the SAS2000).

6) On a completely different stone, ie. the one below, would I be better off going for something like this? I''d then get the whiter colour, F and the stone woudl look bigger. But I don''t know very much about the cut of ovals, would this one have a bow-tie effect? (I''ve not asked WF about this yet, but those of you who know a lot about ovals, eg. SKR, woudl appreciate your opinion).

http://www.whiteflash.com/oval/Oval-cut-diamond-100738.htm


All comments and suggestions are welcome.


Thank you.
Lien

 

[Mara]

i''ve done both purchase and upgrade multiple times with WF and been happy each time.

that particular stone looks awesome!!! what a great combo. i''d love it more if it were SI1 but can''t have it all. haha.

i have a 2.32 J SI1 from WF and i adore my stone. a 3c+ is my dream stone!

in terms of cut of the stone, do you like rounds or oval? get what you like. i''m a round girl...though i love asschers and princesses (well cut of course) but i don''t really drool over that many other types of cuts. for my e-ring stone i''m probably always going to be a round girl. i just love how they look.

 

[diamondfan]

Only you can tell when you see it if the color of the round will bother you. The oval, I think you also need to see regarding the bow tie issue. It may be slight or maybe it won''t bother you. Both stones seem nice, again, somethings have to be seen in person to be appreciated...

 

[sluke]

Oh what a stone! I have a Whiteflash ES ideal round and love it. Lesley was super to work with. I like the icy white of my E; however, the I color you listed has a med. blue flourescence which will give it a whiter appearance and also some "personality". I got my stone pre pricescope. If I had to do it again, I would probably go lower in color (as long as the cut was ideal or ACA). I would love to have gotten an I color w/ flourescence!

The oval is pretty but I like rounds. Good luck!

 

[Lorelei]

The round is a great stone, particularly in such a big diamond you possibly will see tint from the side, which is often the case with an I anyway. If you think this might bother you it should be a consideration and a higher colour might be a better fit for you. However that round is kicken, but see what WF says about the F colour oval, it might be a better choice and look even more huge than the round

!

 

[Ellen]

Hi Lien,

First, I have purchased from WF (studs) and upgraded those, no problems. They are a delight to work with, and extremely reputable. No problems there.

Second, that (round) stone looks drop dead gorgeous. If it were me, on a purchase this size, and because of the size of the stone, I would have it looked at independantly, and then sent to you. That way you can actually spend time with it and see for yourself if the color is troublesome.

 

[Phoenix]

Thank you everyone for your replies. They''re all very helpful.

Should I pay the extra for the SAS2000? Would it be worth it?

Also, Lesley has told me another customer of theirs are also considering this stone. Should I just go for it? or should I let this other customer get it? I don''t want WF to lose their sale, particularly since I am hesitating about the colour. At the same time, I''d like to wait for the independent report to come back first, and maybe this is such a beatifully cut stone that the colour wouldn''t bother me. Anyway, who would look at the stone sideways apart from myself? Oh, I am so confused! Help!

 

[Phoenix]

Calling Harriet and SKL (if I remember correctly from your previous posts), what made you decide to keep your stone?

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 1/25/2007 9:47:52 AM
Author: lienTN
Thank you everyone for your replies. They're all very helpful.

Should I pay the extra for the SAS2000? Would it be worth it?

Also, Lesley has told me another customer of theirs are also considering this stone. Should I just go for it? or should I let this other customer get it? I don't want WF to lose their sale, particularly since I am hesitating about the colour. At the same time, I'd like to wait for the independent report to come back first, and maybe this is such a beatifully cut stone that the colour wouldn't bother me. Anyway, who would look at the stone sideways apart from myself? Oh, I am so confused! Help!

Oh gawd!!!

That is a kicker. But for what my opinion is worth, many do worry about the I colour and find that their fear is unfounded, for such a fab diamond and an ACA to boot, I think *I* would risk it, but I love warmer colours and know it would be fine for me....The cut on the round is SUPERB ( kisses fingers - mwah!) Ask them at WF how well they think it faces up or shows it's colour perhaps? I think that as it has fluorescence too I would take a chance....If it is meant to be yours you will get it! How do you feel about the oval now?

Also I don't remember seeing Harriet around recently, but she might see this and chime in!

 

[belle]

Date: 1/25/2007 1:35:32 AM
Author:lienTN

http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-71343.htm#

I've contacted WF and Lesley has assured me the feathers (particularly the one on the girdle) do not affect the durability of the stone, and the crystals are white and not black carbon spots.

beautiful stone lienTN.

Date: 1/25/2007 1:35:32 AM
Author:lienTN

1) Do you think I should go for it? Those of you who have purchased from WF (Harriet, SLK, and more), are you completely happy? both with the diamonds as well as your experience with them? It appears that they have a stellar reputation but would still like to hear directly from those of you who have dealt with them.

personally, i think you should do it. stones in this size are not easy to find, especially well cut ones. it sounds like the inclusions are nice white ones (the best kind!) and not easily seen. i have purchased from wf several times and will continue to do so. they are awesome to work with and i do not hesitate to recommend them.

Date: 1/25/2007 1:35:32 AM
Author:lienTN

2) Those of you who have upgraded with WF, what has the process been like? Any hassle (eg. in terms of sourcing for a new stone, returning the old one etc.)? I am thinking of upgrading for a whiter and/ or slightly bigger stone in the future, maybe in one year's time.

their upgrade policy was one of the main reasons i choose them in the first place. they are EXTREMELY easy to work with and very helpful.

Date: 1/25/2007 1:35:32 AM
Author:lienTN

3) Those of you who have had your setting done with WF, are you completely happy?

i am beyond happy. my ring is absolutely gorgeous. i have the 3stone w-prong and the craftmanship is supberb. LOVE IT!

Date: 1/25/2007 1:35:32 AM
Author:lienTN

4) Woud the colour I bother me? I know that this is a difficult question to answer as it is very subjective, but am wondering for those of you who have bought (or rejected) an I or J with WF, does the cut ACA really help with the stone face-up and how about if you view it sideways , ie. from the pavilion (which I know no-one really does except the owner of the stone)? Does the tint bother you?

i think you will be very, very surprised with how well (white and sparkly) the diamond will face up. as for the side view, yes, you may notice it in some lighting conditions but it isn't bothersome for sure. once you actually get past the initial scrutinization period, i don't think you'll be doing much of anything besides staring at the sparkle.

 

[belle]

ooops! i hit submit.
here is the continuation

Date: 1/25/2007 1:35:32 AM
Author:lienTN

5) I''m thinking of sending the stone to Dave Atlas for an indpendent appraisal. It is best that I do this directly with Dave, right? as then he''d be acting for me, the client. And would it be worth it to pay the extra $100 for him to use the SAS2000 on the stone? (I understand it costs $150 to do a ''normal'' appraisal and $250 to do it with the SAS2000).

what would you be getting the appraisal for at this time?
i wouldn''t pay extra for the sas. brian is very good about judging color, just ask him to tell you what he thinks the color is, i.e. whether or not it''s a ''true I'' or closer to an ''h''. he will give his honest judgement. and really, the bottom line is, it doesn''t matter what the machine says the color is, you are going to have to see the diamond for yourself to decide whether or not you like the color, no matter what it is.

Date: 1/25/2007 1:35:32 AM
Author:lienTN

6) On a completely different stone, ie. the one below, would I be better off going for something like this? I''d then get the whiter colour, F and the stone woudl look bigger. But I don''t know very much about the cut of ovals, would this one have a bow-tie effect? (I''ve not asked WF about this yet, but those of you who know a lot about ovals, eg. SKR, woudl appreciate your opinion).

http://www.whiteflash.com/oval/Oval-cut-diamond-100738.htm

if you just want a big diamond, this may be the way to go but if you want a big diamond as well as the magic of a well cut round....well....go with the round!

 

[belle]

Date: 1/25/2007 9:47:52 AM
Author: lienTN
Thank you everyone for your replies. They''re all very helpful.

Should I pay the extra for the SAS2000? Would it be worth it?

Also, Lesley has told me another customer of theirs are also considering this stone. Should I just go for it? or should I let this other customer get it? I don''t want WF to lose their sale, particularly since I am hesitating about the colour. At the same time, I''d like to wait for the independent report to come back first, and maybe this is such a beatifully cut stone that the colour wouldn''t bother me. Anyway, who would look at the stone sideways apart from myself? Oh, I am so confused! Help!

i''m just not sure what an independant appraisal would tell you at this point. the purpose of an appraisal is not to determine the beauty of the stone, it is just to verify the infomation that you already have. there is no doubt that this is a beautiful stone, even if for some reason the color grade came back differently you would have to see it to decide if you like the look.

 

[oldminer]

If we need to do something with the SAS2000 during an appraisal for an Internet client, we do it and there is NO charge extra. I decided that what we charge for distant customers is full service, whatever is needed, for 1 price and 1 price only. That way peple are well served and on average we make the necessary fee to cover us. Some people require very little and a few require substantial time. The standard fee is geared to the vast majority and we know from experience how to handle the process and charges. I don''t know who implied we charge more for using any tools at our disposal for distant clients, but it isn''t accurate info.

Most dealers know us and will send items directly to us for examination and review. However it arrives, regardless of who sends it in, we make every effort to stay objective.

 

[Harriet]

I''m in a hurry, so this will be a brief post:
1. The people at WF are great to work with.
2. I took the stone because it is hard to find something as well-cut in this size.
3. It faces up white, but the tint from the side bothers me. As such, I''ve asked WF to look for a similar stone in a higher colour.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 1/25/2007 10:21:05 AM
Author: belle
i''m just not sure what an independant appraisal would tell you at this point. the purpose of an appraisal is not to determine the beauty of the stone, it is just to verify the infomation that you already have. there is no doubt that this is a beautiful stone, even if for some reason the color grade came back differently you would have to see it to decide if you like the look.

Honestly, I agree with everything belle said. I personally would just have it sent to me, but, I have already been swimming in the internet pool so to speak.

Because you are just getting your feet wet, and this is a LOT of money, I recommended the IA, to have someone besides the person you''re buying from tell you it''s a beautiful stone.

However, for what some strangers word is worth, you won''t find anyone more honest and trust worthy than Brian at WF.

 

[belle]

Date: 1/25/2007 10:33:00 AM
Author: Ellen

Date: 1/25/2007 10:21:05 AM
Author: belle
i''m just not sure what an independant appraisal would tell you at this point. the purpose of an appraisal is not to determine the beauty of the stone, it is just to verify the infomation that you already have. there is no doubt that this is a beautiful stone, even if for some reason the color grade came back differently you would have to see it to decide if you like the look.

Honestly, I agree with everything belle said. I personally would just have it sent to me, but, I have already been swimming in the internet pool so to speak.

Because you are just getting your feet wet, and this is a LOT of money, I recommended the IA, to have someone besides the person you''re buying from tell you it''s a beautiful stone.

However, for what some strangers word is worth, you won''t find anyone more honest and trust worthy than Brian at WF.

excellent points ellen.
it is hard to make that first jump (into the ''pool'') and whatever makes you feel more comfortable, is well worth doing. even if it''s not entirely necessary.

 

[starryeyed]

Hi LienTN. Belle has done a very thorough job answering your questions. I''ll just add my 2 cents.

I bought a 2.47-carat asscher from WF, just before the holidays. They were great to deal with. "Traci" put me in touch with Brian Gavin who answered all of my questions about the diamond. It''s hard to imagine that a vendor would give you an objective opinion, but between speaking with Traci, Brian, and John Pollard I was able to really understand what I was getting. You can trust these folks to be honest.

The upgrade policy is probably what sold me. First, I knew that if some point down the road if I were to change my mind, I could trade it back in and get another stone. Second, if WF was willing to take the stone back, it meant that they stand behind their merchandise and would be happy to have it back in stock. This speaks to the quality of their diamonds. Third, because of the policy, I knew that WF was more interested in selling me a diamond that I loved, rather than just unloading a stone and sealing a deal.

I haven''t decided on a final setting yet, so WF dropped the stone in a temporary 14K setting for me so I could wear it around to determine if I liked it. Maybe this is something you should think about doing until you are "sold" on a stone.

Is this an e-ring? People fall in and out of love with fancy-shapes so unless your heart is set on an oval, you may be best sticking with RB and get a fancy for your RHR later down the road. Although with the upgrade policy maybe that matters less.

You REALLY need to figure out how color sensitive you are asap! Go to a B&M ( like Tiffany) and ask them to show you some different color stones. Look at them under different lights, including natural daylight. There are plenty of people who have I, J, even K diamonds and are quite happy with them because they are well-cut, so they color is less noticeable. You have to decide for yourself if, for your budget, you prefer bigger with more color or smaller with less color.

 

[solange]

I bought a 4.10 I from Whiteflash. It is not ACA but the cut is Ideal and I am very happy with it. The stone has so much life that you really do not notice the slight tint. It does not bother me at all. An ACA would probably look even better. I did not care about the H&A. I preferrred a larger stone for the price but I know many others feel differently about this and for them it is worth the difference.

I had Whiteflash set my stone in their Tiffany setting. Since your stone would be large, you probably would want it set low. You see very litttle of the side of the stone from my setting.
I dealt with Lesley and then discussed the stone with Brian. I felt he was very honest and I am still thrilled with my ring.

You can see it on Show me the Ring under my name. Good luck whatever you decide

 

[Harriet]

Date: 1/25/2007 10:32:06 AM
Author: Harriet
I''m in a hurry, so this will be a brief post:
1. The people at WF are great to work with.
2. I took the stone because it is hard to find something as well-cut in this size.
3. It faces up white, but the tint from the side bothers me. As such, I''ve asked WF to look for a similar stone in a higher colour.

4. I''m not entirely happy with my WF setting (the 6-prong Tiffany knife-edge). The basket is attached to the band in a slighly clumsy fashion and the prongs are not aligned with the facets.

 

[Phoenix]

Dear all,

Thank you very much for all your responses. I have taken your comments and suggestions into consideration and have decided that: 1) I like the RB the best personally, 2) I am going to wait for WF to source me an H or a G (eye-clean) SI stone ( I live in Singapore and having to send the stone back and forth is too troublesome for me, not to mention costly), 3) I''d like an IA for my own piece of mind and 4) I am not sure of the setting now. On the last subject, I''ve been reading Hikerchick''s latest posting and Harriet''s comments and I have to say neither one of you did anything wrong at all posting on this forum. This is after all a consumer-advocate forum and i''ve always thought that Harriet in particular is very calm and reasonable (there is nothing half-baked about what you said at all).

Thanks again and I will keep you posted.

 

[Harriet]

Thanks, fellow countryman/woman!

 

[shawee]

Date: 1/25/2007 7:43:33 PM
Author: Harriet

Date: 1/25/2007 10:32:06 AM

Author: Harriet

I''m in a hurry, so this will be a brief post:

1. The people at WF are great to work with.

2. I took the stone because it is hard to find something as well-cut in this size.

3. It faces up white, but the tint from the side bothers me. As such, I''ve asked WF to look for a similar stone in a higher colour.

4. I''m not entirely happy with my WF setting (the 6-prong Tiffany knife-edge). The basket is attached to the band in a slighly clumsy fashion and the prongs are not aligned with the facets.

Harriet, can I ask you what you mean by prongs not aligned with the facets? I ask this because I also have a 6 prong Tiffany style knife edge setting but not from WF... I love my setting but since it''s my first real diamond ring, I am not sure what I should be looking for. Thanks.

 

[belle]

Date: 1/25/2007 7:43:33 PM
Author: Harriet

4. I''m not entirely happy with my WF setting (the 6-prong Tiffany knife-edge). The basket is attached to the band in a slighly clumsy fashion and the prongs are not aligned with the facets.

was it meant to be more than a temp setting? and did you ask for the facets to be aligned? i don''t think it''s something that occurs as a standard.

 

[Harriet]

Date: 1/25/2007 10:05:29 PM
Author: belle

Date: 1/25/2007 7:43:33 PM
Author: Harriet

4. I''m not entirely happy with my WF setting (the 6-prong Tiffany knife-edge). The basket is attached to the band in a slighly clumsy fashion and the prongs are not aligned with the facets.

was it meant to be more than a temp setting? and did you ask for the facets to be aligned? i don''t think it''s something that occurs as a standard.

Belle,

You might be able to do a better job at explaining what I mean to Shawee. Could you please? It was not meant as a temporary setting. I didn''t ask for the facets to be aligned. Wrong assumption, perhaps.

 

[solange]

I have the Whiteflash Tiffany setting and I am very happy with it.As to aligning the prongs with the facets, I wonder if this is possible since the six prongs have to be evenly spaced and they may not all fall in line with a facet. I am anxious to hear whether this can be done.

 

[whatmeworry]

Date: 1/25/2007 10:36:05 PM
Author: solange
I have the Whiteflash Tiffany setting and I am very happy with it.As to aligning the prongs with the facets, I wonder if this is possible since the six prongs have to be evenly spaced and they may not all fall in line with a facet. I am anxious to hear whether this can be done.

Well I''m not sure what Harriet means, but you''re right there are six prongs and 8 bezel facets (where the arrow heads are pointing) so some of those prongs just won''t align.

 

[kcoursolle]

Nice stone! Only you are going to be able to tell whether the color is going to bother you. I have a few WF I colored stones (much much smaller) and I love them. There will be more warmth in a larger size like this, but it should face up white still. They have a good return policy, so you could always test drive it for a few days.

 

[Harriet]

Look at the 12 o''clock and 6 o''clock prongs. In between, there''s a combination of facets that constitute a 45 degree tilted square. Well, my prongs don''t line up with the top and bottom corners.

 

[JohnQuixote]

Date: 1/25/2007 10:36:05 PM
Author: solange
I have the Whiteflash Tiffany setting and I am very happy with it.As to aligning the prongs with the facets, I wonder if this is possible since the six prongs have to be evenly spaced and they may not all fall in line with a facet. I am anxious to hear whether this can be done.

Solange - In a six-prong setting 2 prongs can be lined up when the customer requests it.

Typical setting priorities include durability factors, keeping inscriptions visible, placement of prongs to hide inclusions (if any), etc. If you ask a retail jeweler about ‘lining up the arrows’ you might get a strange look: Over time the photos on this forum showing diamonds with top optical symmetry (arrows) in settings - highly magnified - have caused interest in this as a detail of setting here.

Here’s a graphic for 4 and 6 prongs:The diamond may be lined up in a north-south orientation, it may be offset (see below) or it may not be so-aligned, depending on what judgment the setter makes.

 

[Harriet]

Date: 1/25/2007 11:26:07 PM
Author: JohnQuixote

Date: 1/25/2007 10:36:05 PM
Author: solange
I have the Whiteflash Tiffany setting and I am very happy with it.As to aligning the prongs with the facets, I wonder if this is possible since the six prongs have to be evenly spaced and they may not all fall in line with a facet. I am anxious to hear whether this can be done.

Solange - In a six-prong setting 2 prongs can be lined up when the customer requests it.

Typical setting priorities include durability factors, keeping inscriptions visible, placement of prongs to hide inclusions (if any), etc. If you ask a retail jeweler about ‘lining up the arrows’ you might get a strange look: Over time the photos on this forum showing diamonds with top optical symmetry (arrows) in settings - highly magnified - have caused interest in this as a detail of setting here.

Here’s a graphic for 4 and 6 prongs:The diamond may be lined up in a north-south orientation, it may be offset (see below) or it may not be so-aligned, depending on what judgment the setter makes.

John,

Would it be difficult to align my prongs? I assumed that that would be done. I wished someone had asked me first.