Looking for modest but high quality diamond for solitaire ER

[Gadaph]

Hi guys,

Another hapless male here, I'm afraid.

I've just returned from an overseas deployment and am looking for a round diamond for my girlfriend to set into a setting of her choice. I am just looking for the stone at this point.

Unfortunately, money is really tight at the moment, so I simply can't afford the stone that she deserves, but I would like to buy her a modestly sized high quality diamond as opposed to a cheap larger one, as I plan on buying her a more substantial ring at some point in the future, and figure that this stone could also be incorporated into a later ring.

My budget for the stone is only up to 1100USD or approximately 1500AUD.

I've done heaps of reading on here, and think that I've absorbed the basic concepts, but I would really, really welcome some advice from the experts on here, as to maximise my bang for buck, it seems that online with a reputable vendor seems to be the way to go.

I really need to get everything wrapped up by early February as, unfortunately I'm once again deploying overseas for a period.

I would like to buy her the largest in budget stone which meets the following criteria:

Colour - D/E/F
Clarity - Eye Clean, so hoping VS2 or better
Cut - Excellent/Ideal
Carat - Quality rather than quantity

I've had a look at what people seem to feel are the reputable online vendors - Whiteflash/Blue Nile/James Allen, but, being acutely aware of my own limitations, haven't really strayed further afield.

I'm a little bit bewildered by all the angles, terminology etc, but have found a few roughly in budget stones, and would really appreciate some guidance as to which are likely to look the best as a solitaire ring, with the emphasis on appearance rather than size.

These from Whiteflash, for example:

Whiteflash 1

Whiteflash 2

Whiteflash 3

Or these on James Allen:

James Allen 1

James Allen 2

Could any experts offer any guidance or offer any alternatives to steer me in the right direction?

I'm in Australia if that makes a difference.

Thank you in advance and apologies if anything here sounds hopelessly noob.

 

[AV_]

Whiteflash might have the better upgrade policy of the two [off the cuff]. CBI also does this well.

From your choices, I would pick the 0.413 - perhaps because the small table is slightly unusual.

If anything, I would consider SIs & wish for some fluorescence

[searching]

 

[Gadaph]

I like the idea of small & fine. Does it have to be a round brilliant?

Yes please.

Thank you.

I should have mentioned that!

 

[Gadaph]

Whiteflash might have the better upgrade policy of the two [off the cuff]. CBI also does this well.

Ooh. That's a really good point. I hadn't considered upgrade policies. Thanks!

 

[AV_]

I have no idea of taxes etc.

Feel free to ignore,
while you were writing that the stone must be a round brilliant, I was looking at Blue Nile 's Australian inventory for colourless possibilities, finding this: www The object seems very bright, much that I can guess. I am not sure what conditions are for upgrades, but this is possible.

 

[Gadaph]

I have no idea of taxes etc.

Feel free to ignore,
while you were writing that the stone must be a round brilliant, I was looking at Blue Nile 's Australian inventory for colourless possibilities, finding this: www The object seems very bright, much that I can guess. I am not sure what conditions are for upgrades, but this is possible.

It's a very nice stone, but I think she is pretty keen on the round brilliant idea.

Thanks for finding it anyway!

 

[KKJohnson]

as @AV_ suggested I would look at Sis and even consider Gs, WF can do side by side comparison for you to view and judge. Like anything there is a range in the GIA colors so you could get a lower graded color that faces up very white

Diamond | 0.425 ct F SI1 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond AGS Certified | 4175825

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 0.425 carat F color SI1 clarity loose diamond is graded by the American Gem Society (AGS) Laboratories. | 4175825

www.whiteflash.com

0.45-Carat Round Cut Diamond | Blue Nile AU

www.bluenile.com

They pretty much guarantee all stones are eye clean

https://www.hpdiamonds.com/en-us/diamonddetail/HPD9163

worth getting the GIA report and running the HCA tool here on PS

0.46 Carat round diamond

This 0.46 carat round diamond F color vs1 clarity has Excellent proportions and a diamond grading report from GIA

www.jamesallen.com

 

[Gadaph]

as @AV_ suggested I would look at Sis and even consider Gs, WF can do side by side comparison for you to view and judge. Like anything there is a range in the GIA colors so you could get a lower graded color that faces up very white

Diamond | 0.425 ct F SI1 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond AGS Certified | 4175825

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 0.425 carat F color SI1 clarity loose diamond is graded by the American Gem Society (AGS) Laboratories. | 4175825

www.whiteflash.com

0.45-Carat Round Cut Diamond | Blue Nile AU

www.bluenile.com

They pretty much guarantee all stones are eye clean

https://www.hpdiamonds.com/en-us/diamonddetail/HPD9163

worth getting the GIA report and running the HCA tool here on PS

0.46 Carat round diamond

This 0.46 carat round diamond F color vs1 clarity has Excellent proportions and a diamond grading report from GIA

www.jamesallen.com

Thank you.

What are your views on the fluorescence being medium on the last stone?

I've come across some statements here that it may impact on the appearance of the stone in daylight, but not come across a conclusive opinion.

 

[KKJohnson]

Thank you.

What are your views on the fluorescence being medium on the last stone?

I've come across some statements here that it may impact on the appearance of the stone in daylight, but not come across a conclusive opinion.

its Very rare that fluorescence impacts a stone with any haziness but strong fluo in a colorless can give a blue tint in direct sunlight. Some people like it some don’t, it’s very personal choice.

 

[AV_]

It would make the white 'cold' & appear as a slight blue wash in strong daylight. It is subtle.

I am not sure why there is any talk against these blue diamonds.

 

[Gadaph]

its Very rare that fluorescence impacts a stone with any haziness but strong fluo in a colorless can give a blue tint in direct sunlight. Some people like it some don’t, it’s very personal choice.

That's reassuring, thanks.

Is there any way of predicting what it will look like, short of physically aquiring it and taking it outside?

So long as the effect is subtle, I would imagine that a very slight blue tint could be quite attractive. I had read a couple of people saying that it made the stone look cloudy or opaque, which would not really be what I was looking for.

There's a fair bit of strong sunlight in Australia!

I think James Allen is shut for the holidays at the moment, but I'll definitely get the GIA for that last one and see what the HCA thinks of it. There doesn't seem to be enough info on the website to do that.

 

[mission1]

I'd suggest changing from D-F colour to G-H, and go down to SI1 clarity. This will widen out the options in your budget

 

[MarionC]

I'd suggest changing from D-F colour to G-H (or even I), and go down to SI1 clarity. This will widen out the options in your budget

I dunno...I like both ideas, but if he is going for the idea of a feeling of “purity » over size...
Gadaph, what is your philosphy about the stone you want to give?
Btw, haviing fluorescence is neat, especially if you get a little UV flashlight to look at it. A bit magical : )

 

[mission1]

I'd edited my reply to remove the I colour (it mustn't have updated before you quoted!), but my thought was if Gadaph can get an eye-clean SI1 colour G, it should be visibly comparable to say an F VS2, but there will be more diamonds within range - so he might find he has more options to focus on the ideal/superideal proportions and achieve the high quality he's looking for.

 

[sledge]

It sounds like getting a good upgrade program will pay you dividends as your goal is to start small but increase as funds allow.

That said, WF or HPD is your best bet. Their trade programs are simple and no hassle. Spend a buck or more and get full credit of your original stone towards your new stone. No other strings.

WF has another cool policy on the designer settings like Vatche, etc. You get 50% credit for the original setting when you upgrade. No one else offers this, and I think it's great as it minimizes your out of pocket losses when you later upgrade.

Assuming you stick with either of these vendors I'd be comfortable dropping to SI clarity as each vendor owns their stones and personally vets them. Unlike JA, BN, etc who deals in virtual inventory and much of their stock is from overseas suppliers.

Lastly, while we can get as nerdy as you want on cut parameters, the beauty of a WF or HPD purchase is they are "easy button" solutions. All super ideals with true H&A symmetry that are little sparkle bombs. Some may have slighty different personalities we prefer but all of them are winners. There really aren't any bad choices.

Does your budget include VAT and duties? Or with being "deployed" are you eligible for VAT free purchase? Apparently JA took their tax and duty calculator down (likely in an attempt to make you contact a rep even moreso ) but best I recall Australia is around 20%.

This makes a difference as we may need to adjust your budget for VAT.

 

[sledge]

Echo the thoughts on this stone.

Diamond | 0.425 ct F SI1 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond AGS Certified | 4175825

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 0.425 carat F color SI1 clarity loose diamond is graded by the American Gem Society (AGS) Laboratories. | 4175825

www.whiteflash.com

FYI, both JA and BN require you to spend 2x the original purchase amount to get full credit of the original stone on their trade programs. Likely easy to meet with the next upgrade but it catches up fast.

 

[Gadaph]

I dunno...I like both ideas, but if he is going for the idea of a feeling of “purity » over size...
Gadaph, what is your philosphy about the stone you want to give?
Btw, haviing fluorescence is neat, especially if you get a little UV flashlight to look at it. A bit magical : )

Hi Jimianne,

Thanks for asking.

In my mind, I see a stone that looks amazing, rather than necessarily being particularly large.

It would definitely have to be eye clean. The colour, I'm not so sure of as I don't really have a lot of experience of the differences, and everything I know is pretty much theoretical.

I'm definitely looking more for purity than size though, as you cleverly put it.

I guess that the striking appearance is more likely to be a property of things such as cut and symmetry, is it not, rather than colour?

 

[MarionC]

Yes, the cut. Color can be a bit subjective, depending on how color sensitive your eyes are. Personally, if I get what you are telling me, I would first consider F VS2s that have an excellent cut. My 2 cents.

 

[KKJohnson]

I always forget about Brian Gavin and feel terrible because his stones are beautiful!

This one is a bit smaller then the others suggested but maybe he has something in the .4 range that isn't listed yet

0.363 D VS1 Signature Round

Buy diamonds online - AGS graded 0.363 carat D VS1 Round super ideal cut Black By Brian Gavin Diamond. Lifetime Upgrade Policy!

www.briangavindiamonds.com

**edited by moderator, please keep discussion of man made/synthetic diamonds to the correct forum**

This vendor has been used by many people here on this forum and his prices borderline rock bottom giveaway, he should be able to assist with this. He can be a little off putting if he doesn't believe you are serious so there is that

Login • Instagram

Welcome back to Instagram. Sign in to check out what your friends, family & interests have been capturing & sharing around the world.

www.instagram.com

 

[sledge]

I didn't forget about BGD earlier, as that is where I bought my wife's stone. However, if he is looking to continue upgrading, their program isn't as generous as WF or HPD.

The difference being with BGD you simply spend $1 more and get full credit but you also have to upgrade 2 of the following 3 C's: color, clarity or carat weight.

If @Gadaph starts with F+ color and VS2+ clarity you can see how a future upgrade with BGD will be more expensive and harder to do than with WF or HPD. And if for some reason his girl prefers a slight tint and larger stone to icy white and smaller it makes it harder to maneuver around, whereas with WF or HPD you could go from D/IF to J/SI1 with no qualms as long as the total dollars was at least $1 more. That flexibility isn't there for BGD.

I would strongly encourage @Gadaph to look at some stones in person, all GIA certified and roughly the same size of 0.40 to 0.50 carats. Hopefully colors D through H. Have the sales rep mix them up in random order and do not tell you which is which. Then start eliminating stones where the color bothers you. When you can no longer tell a difference or get to a point you don't feel there is any significance then that is YOUR minimum color. Your girl would need to do the same to know her minimum.

For color testing purposes limit all stones to faint or none levels of fluor and look outside in daylight or near a window, in back office lighting and of course in their showroom (with their glorified lighting). As you can imagine, showroom lighting is not an environment you will actually view your stone in so I emphasize the different environments so you can get a true feel. I suggest limiting fluor because the UV/VV intensity levels from various sources (especially daylight) can cause the stone to fluorescence and assuming it's blue fluor with yellow tint could help whiten the stone and provide a false result in some environments.

Please keep in mind the variances between D-H are minimal overall. You need to look through the body/pavilion/side of the stone to see the tint just as they do in the lab when grading color. Even experienced eyes and graders normally struggle to see variance between a single color grade difference.

Couple this with the stone being 0.50 carat or less and it becomes more difficult. Smaller stones naturally have smaller bodies so it's harder to see tint and they normally look whiter than they really are as a result. So it may be possible in a smaller stone a G/H/I is okay but as you go larger you want a better color.

Also keep in mind, color can have ranges within the color grade. And the further you go down in color the more range that exists. For instance, D is a very narrow gap but an I color will have more variance and could be a high I (almost H) or low I (almost J) or maybe just a middle of the road I color.

Both clarity and color is graded by humans in a lab so there is some subjectivity despite the graders being very well trained to provide repeatable results. GIA and AGS guarantee accuracy to 1+/- grades of reported values.

Speaking of clarity, size of the stone also matters. The smaller the stone the smaller the body and the harder to see inclusions. Obviously the type, color, size and location of inclusion comes into play regardless of clarity grade or size. That said, if an inclusion is 3% of the size of the overall stone, you can see how that same percent would be much smaller and less noticeable in a 0.50 carat stone vs a 2 carat stone.

All this wrapped up I wouldn't be surprised if you would find an H SI1 to be perfectly acceptable. The next question becomes what vendor has what size and what color and clarities available. Jumping to better color and clarity is less expensive in smaller stones and if a vendor only has a F VVS2 stone, the clarity may be overkill but the price difference may be minimal. So it may make sense to go that route. As the stone size grows, you will pay dearly for those higher color and clarity combos.

 

[distracts]

I think your choices look good but my main concern is that IF you want to get a more substantial ring later, she will have become adjusted to the D/E/F color and won't like a lower color, which will increase your expenses, and that if you want, say, to make a three-stone ring with the original as one of the side stones, you’ll be even more locked in to that color. That’s literally my only concern and worth thinking about, but definitely not a dealbreaker. I just want to make sure you’ve considered it.

 

[diamondsR4eVR]

I didn't forget about BGD earlier, as that is where I bought my wife's stone. However, if he is looking to continue upgrading, their program isn't as generous as WF or HPD.

The difference being with BGD you simply spend $1 more and get full credit but you also have to upgrade 2 of the following 3 C's: color, clarity or carat weight.

If @Gadaph starts with F+ color and VS2+ clarity you can see how a future upgrade with BGD will be more expensive and harder to do than with WF or HPD. And if for some reason his girl prefers a slight tint and larger stone to icy white and smaller it makes it harder to maneuver around, whereas with WF or HPD you could go from D/IF to J/SI1 with no qualms as long as the total dollars was at least $1 more. That flexibility isn't there for BGD.

I would strongly encourage @Gadaph to look at some stones in person, all GIA certified and roughly the same size of 0.40 to 0.50 carats. Hopefully colors D through H. Have the sales rep mix them up in random order and do not tell you which is which. Then start eliminating stones where the color bothers you. When you can no longer tell a difference or get to a point you don't feel there is any significance then that is YOUR minimum color. Your girl would need to do the same to know her minimum.

For color testing purposes limit all stones to faint or none levels of fluor and look outside in daylight or near a window, in back office lighting and of course in their showroom (with their glorified lighting). As you can imagine, showroom lighting is not an environment you will actually view your stone in so I emphasize the different environments so you can get a true feel. I suggest limiting fluor because the UV/VV intensity levels from various sources (especially daylight) can cause the stone to fluorescence and assuming it's blue fluor with yellow tint could help whiten the stone and provide a false result in some environments.

Please keep in mind the variances between D-H are minimal overall. You need to look through the body/pavilion/side of the stone to see the tint just as they do in the lab when grading color. Even experienced eyes and graders normally struggle to see variance between a single color grade difference.

Couple this with the stone being 0.50 carat or less and it becomes more difficult. Smaller stones naturally have smaller bodies so it's harder to see tint and they normally look whiter than they really are as a result. So it may be possible in a smaller stone a G/H/I is okay but as you go larger you want a better color.

Also keep in mind, color can have ranges within the color grade. And the further you go down in color the more range that exists. For instance, D is a very narrow gap but an I color will have more variance and could be a high I (almost H) or low I (almost J) or maybe just a middle of the road I color.

Both clarity and color is graded by humans in a lab so there is some subjectivity despite the graders being very well trained to provide repeatable results. GIA and AGS guarantee accuracy to 1+/- grades of reported values.

Speaking of clarity, size of the stone also matters. The smaller the stone the smaller the body and the harder to see inclusions. Obviously the type, color, size and location of inclusion comes into play regardless of clarity grade or size. That said, if an inclusion is 3% of the size of the overall stone, you can see how that same percent would be much smaller and less noticeable in a 0.50 carat stone vs a 2 carat stone.

All this wrapped up I wouldn't be surprised if you would find an H SI1 to be perfectly acceptable. The next question becomes what vendor has what size and what color and clarities available. Jumping to better color and clarity is less expensive in smaller stones and if a vendor only has a F VVS2 stone, the clarity may be overkill but the price difference may be minimal. So it may make sense to go that route. As the stone size grows, you will pay dearly for those higher color and clarity combos.

Excellent advice.

 

[Gadaph]

Thank you for all the fabulous advice.

Several points raised which I must admit had not even crossed my mind.

I have a day off tomorrow, so I'm planning to head into the city and take a look at some stones for comparison. I have looked previously, but that was before I was aware of some of the information above, so I think it's worth doing again in light of my new found knowledge!

The other potential game changer for me, which I wasn't even aware of previously, is the varying nature of the upgrade programs. I can see how easy it would be with some of them to find myself in a position where we would effectively be unable to access an upgrade at a later date. I work for a healthcare charity delivering aid in the South Pacific, so, unfortunately I see no 6 figure salary on my horizon!

My plan is to take a look at more physical stones in light of all the above, and to try to assess different colours and clarities whilst maintaining the focus on quality and cut.

I'll let you know how it goes and thanks for all your help so far.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Have you looked at vendors (much) closer to you? Holloway diamonds for e.g.? Lots of folks on this board in your neck of the woods...any suggestions folks?

cheers--Sharon

 

[Bron357]

Hi, fellow Aussie here. What state are you in?
if you’re in Sydney I can certainly recommend my jeweller (been going there over 20 years). He’s at Town Hall.
and if you’re buying OS, the GST applies 10% plus customs processing fee of around $80 then shipping and insurance costs. I don’t believe loose diamonds attract an extra duty ie another other 5% On top of the 10%. For a ring made in the US you can get the vendor to process it to you as part of the US / Australia free trade agreement. That waives the extra 5% but you’re still stuck with 10% GST.
be aware that costs extra to set diamonds and buy ring settings is more expensive here in Australia because our wages, rents, etc etc are higher than say US jewellers pay.

 

[Gadaph]

Hi, fellow Aussie here. What state are you in?
if you’re in Sydney I can certainly recommend my jeweller (been going there over 20 years). He’s at Town Hall.
and if you’re buying OS, the GST applies 10% plus customs processing fee of around $80 then shipping and insurance costs. I don’t believe loose diamonds attract an extra duty ie another other 5% On top of the 10%. For a ring made in the US you can get the vendor to process it to you as part of the US / Australia free trade agreement. That waives the extra 5% but you’re still stuck with 10% GST.
be aware that costs extra to set diamonds and buy ring settings is more expensive here in Australia because our wages, rents, etc etc are higher than say US jewellers pay.

Hey Bron. Nice to find another Aussie here!

I'm in Brisbane, but head down to Sydney a fair bit with work. I've had a poke around the usual suspects in Brissie, but the price markups were giving me palpitations! Buying overseas seems to be quite a lot cheaper, unless I haven't managed to find the right venue in Australia.

I'd had a look on the Customs website and couldn't find any mention of anything other than GST at 10%, which is a painful pill to swallow, but will need to be factored in.

My limited mental horizon hasn't made contact with the setting yet, and I guess that will be a whole new can of worms. I figure that I will get my GF involved in that though since it's likely to be so personal to her.

I just hope that I can come up with the goods in the form of a nice stone!

 

[msop04]

@Gadaph...

If money is tight, then I wouldn't pay the premium for WF's ACA line, as you can get a larger stone in their Expert Selection that will look just as nice and still be eligible for upgrade. I would try to find the largest eye clean round in a G/H color, then upgrade as finances permit.

 

[Bron357]

Back again, just a suggestion because I’m the ebay guru. These are pre loved rings but it’s just the diamonds Im looking at, you reset them into a brand new ring. On eBay Australia from a seller Ive Bought from.
no 1. This is a very nice diamond but it’s wee at .30 carats but at $588 it is a great buy.
no 2. This is over budget but it’s .54 centre diamond and I see those baguettes being added into the band of a new ring. $2.000.
both diamond are G and VS1.

 

[Gadaph]

@Gadaph...

If money is tight, then I wouldn't pay the premium for WF's ACA line, as you can get a larger stone in their Expert Selection that will look just as nice and still be eligible for upgrade. I would try to find the largest eye clean round in a G/H color, then upgrade as finances permit.

Thanks for the suggestion.

I took a look at those, but they don't seem to be priced below about $2500.

Maybe the New Year will bring some new stock flows?

 

[sledge]

Thanks for the suggestion.

I took a look at those, but they don't seem to be priced below about $2500.

Maybe the New Year will bring some new stock flows?

Possibly. You might give Bryan a call @ WF to see what they may have coming available.
Earlier when I looked I didn't see any PS or ES stones, but the stock changes frequently. They get extremely busy around Christmas and stock depletes so I expect it to rebound soon.

What is your time frame? And if you wait 1-2 months could your budget also grow while you are waiting and could theoretically save a few more bucks?