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What do you think of this 2.66 ct for my upgrade?

foodie100

Rough_Rock
Joined
Oct 19, 2019
Messages
49
Hello all! I am starting the process of upgrading my current 1 carat diamond. I'm looking in the 2.5-2.75 range, give or take. I'm very new to this and starting my search online before I visit a jeweler - if I even need to.

Can you let me know if you have any concerns with this one? It checks out well on the HCA, excellent cut, decent color aka checks all my boxes, but as I'm new to this, would love some thoughts.
 

foodie100

Rough_Rock
Joined
Oct 19, 2019
Messages
49
Also, it has a HCA score of 1.7
 

Eellee44

Rough_Rock
Joined
Aug 27, 2019
Messages
95
Hello all! I am starting the process of upgrading my current 1 carat diamond. I'm looking in the 2.5-2.75 range, give or take. I'm very new to this and starting my search online before I visit a jeweler - if I even need to.

Can you let me know if you have any concerns with this one? It checks out well on the HCA, excellent cut, decent color aka checks all my boxes, but as I'm new to this, would love some thoughts.
I don’t know if I love that one. This one is a lower colour so I’m not sure if you’re open to that but I think clean origin is pretty good and you can request additional information and photos. It seems like it would be a little fire ball.
I purchased an IGI J and see no tint at all but maybe I’m not too colour sensitive. I’ll have a search for you on brilliant earth too. It seems like for that size maybe clean origin has more options especially because every diamond has a video and photos.

1.3 HCA

I’ve attached a photo of mine for reference to the J colour. It’s in a DEF halo.
 

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foodie100

Rough_Rock
Joined
Oct 19, 2019
Messages
49
I don’t know if I love that one. This one is a lower colour so I’m not sure if you’re open to that but I think clean origin is pretty good and you can request additional information and photos. It seems like it would be a little fire ball.
I purchased an IGI J and see no tint at all but maybe I’m not too colour sensitive. I’ll have a search for you on brilliant earth too. It seems like for that size maybe clean origin has more options especially because every diamond has a video and photos.

1.3 HCA

I’ve attached a photo of mine for reference to the J colour. It’s in a DEF halo.
I'm not opposed at all to a lower color. Your ring is gorgeous! I loosely looked at stones last year and was nearly talked into a J that faced up white. I still kick myself that I didn't grab it.
 

Eellee44

Rough_Rock
Joined
Aug 27, 2019
Messages
95
I think the pavilion is too deep on both and I don’t like the arrows and all the black around them. (I don’t know technical terms lol)
I will have another search today for you. Can you tell me what the lowest colour you’ll do is?

Oh boo for that but don’t worry, you’ll find something beautiful!
 

foodie100

Rough_Rock
Joined
Oct 19, 2019
Messages
49
I think the pavilion is too deep on both and I don’t like the arrows and all the black around them. (I don’t know technical terms lol)
I will have another search today for you. Can you tell me what the lowest colour you’ll do is?

Oh boo for that but don’t worry, you’ll find something beautiful!
I'd love another search! Can't wait!

I'm open to lower colors. I'd go to an H, I think. Possibly I?
 

xxxxxx

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jan 6, 2019
Messages
819
I really don't like the inclusions and the color seems way off. I also find that Brilliant Earths stock has a lot of ugly ducklings. Clean Origin is always at least 10% cheaper dor the exact same diamond. And if you contact them directly they are always super eager to help.
 

Eellee44

Rough_Rock
Joined
Aug 27, 2019
Messages
95
O
I'd love another search! Can't wait!

I'm open to lower colors. I'd go to an H, I think. Possibly I?
Okay so I haven’t found anything spectacular with photos or videos on brilliant earth. This good numbers so I would request photos/ videos from them. They were pretty responsive with me on the chat and via email.

HCA 1.3


It seems that’s a hard size to shop for at the moment. It sucks James Allen doesn’t show certificates anymore. When I was searching for mine I found that new ones came up quite often on brilliant earth so I’ll keep an eye out. Hopefully others come on and help.

Have you found any others you like?
 

foodie100

Rough_Rock
Joined
Oct 19, 2019
Messages
49
This is way more than I wanted to spend (wanted to keep it in the $9K range) but this one strikes me as so incredibly gorgeous. Thoughts? Is it worth the extra expense?

Carat: 2.65

Cut: Excellent

Color: G

Clarity: VS2


 
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OoohShiny

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Apr 25, 2014
Messages
8,228
This is way more than I wanted to spend (wanted to keep it in the $9K range) but this one strikes me as so incredibly gorgeous. Thoughts? Is it worth the extra expense?

Carat: 2.65

Cut: Excellent

Color: G

Clarity: VS2

Not well cut - scores 4.3 on the HCA tool and 'Smaller' on the 'Looks Like' section of it. What we'd call a 'steep/deep' (steep crown, deep pavilion) so the angles don't work together.


Aim to keep within the following parameters and you should be safe (and score well on the HCA tool, where you're looking for scores under 2.0 ideally, but mid-2s being acceptable if checked thoroughly).


Table 54-58 %

Depth 60-62.4 %

Pavilion 40.6-40.9 degrees

Crown 34-35 degrees (up to 35.5 or even 36 with a shallow pavilion angle, i.e. 40.6).


When crown angle increases, pavilion angle should decrease (and vice versa).
 

foodie100

Rough_Rock
Joined
Oct 19, 2019
Messages
49
Not well cut - scores 4.3 on the HCA tool and 'Smaller' on the 'Looks Like' section of it. What we'd call a 'steep/deep' (steep crown, deep pavilion) so the angles don't work together.


Aim to keep within the following parameters and you should be safe (and score well on the HCA tool, where you're looking for scores under 2.0 ideally, but mid-2s being acceptable if checked thoroughly).


Table 54-58 %

Depth 60-62.4 %

Pavilion 40.6-40.9 degrees

Crown 34-35 degrees (up to 35.5 or even 36 with a shallow pavilion angle, i.e. 40.6).


When crown angle increases, pavilion angle should decrease (and vice versa).
That was really helpful @OoohShiny. Thank you so much. Question for you when plugging into HCA:

How do you find the exact measurements when plugging into the final question? I figured out all the other numbers. It asks for length, width, depth.

For example, on another stone I'm looking at it says "measurements 8.72 - 8.77 x 5.47 mm" but I"m lost from there.
 

Eellee44

Rough_Rock
Joined
Aug 27, 2019
Messages
95
That was really helpful @OoohShiny. Thank you so much. Question for you when plugging into HCA:

How do you find the exact measurements when plugging into the final question? I figured out all the other numbers. It asks for length, width, depth.

For example, on another stone I'm looking at it says "measurements 8.72 - 8.77 x 5.47 mm" but I"m lost from there.
You have to look on the certificate. With IGI certificates they have two styles.
I’ve circled where below.
 

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foodie100

Rough_Rock
Joined
Oct 19, 2019
Messages
49
Thoughts on this one? It scores pretty darn well (2) on HCA. It is an H, and I previously said I wanted to go for a G.

Carat: 2.64

Cut: Ideal

Color: H

Clarity: SI1

 

Eellee44

Rough_Rock
Joined
Aug 27, 2019
Messages
95
Thoughts on this one? It scores pretty darn well (2) on HCA. It is an H, and I previously said I wanted to go for a G.

Carat: 2.64

Cut: Ideal

Color: H

Clarity: SI1

I don’t love the arrows. There’s something odd happening with the arrows on these bigger stones.
I think the pavilion may also be too steep but oohshiny is more of an expert on that than I am.
I found this one on James Allen (a little smaller) that I thought looked nice but of course I can’t see the certificate. You could ask them for the certificate so you can run it through the hca.

 
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