shape
carat
color
clarity

When is it ok to compromise? Attracted to less than perfect stone...

hollandaisey

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jul 24, 2014
Messages
41
So I’m kind of a lurker here, don’t often have a budget for big projects. But I’v been lusting over a warm colored diamond in a rhr lately- probably bezel, maybe in two tone as my wedding set is white gold. I LOVE colored diamonds as well. Budget probably tops out at 2k. Don’t want round or oval cut, open to anything else. I found a ring I love from Diamonds by Lauren, and another diamond I’m attracted to on James Allen. The issue is that all these stones are really far from perfect in cut and clarity. I’m not an expert and I really like the look of the photos but it’s still a lot of money to me and I hate feeling like I’m buying something inferior. I’ll post links but I guess I’m looking for more philosophical advice- what’s worth sacrificing for you? Would stones like this ever have a place in your rotation?
Rings I love: http://www.diamondsbylauren.com/index.php/jewelry/063ct-m-si2-cushion-cut-diamond-ring-r8390, http://www.diamondsbylauren.com/index.php/jewelry/043ct-light-yellow-i1-marquise-diamond-ring-r8369
And the princess stone: https://www.jamesallen.com/mobile/l...-cut/0.73-carat-j-color-i1-clarity-sku-665826
 

elliefire99

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Oct 12, 2018
Messages
584
Wow! I loove that 3 stone :love: Good price too, it seems!

And since you don't want a round, I don't think there really is such a thing as "perfect" with fancy cuts or fancy colors (and you could probably argue that there is no such thing as "perfect" in a round, but that's a whooole other discussion). If you like them, you like the color and are satisfied with the performance of the diamond, then you are all good.

I think this is why Diamonds by Lauren's approach to diamonds is so complimentary to fancy cuts ans colors tbh.
 

MeowMeow

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Nov 27, 2009
Messages
1,645
I think when you look at a stone and your eyes love it. It doesn't matter what is perfect to us or anyone else. It only matters about you!
Personally I think cut is my hill to die on. Clarity less so if it's in a spot where it can hide under a prong. And luckily I don't always prefer trade preferred colours in coloured stones and slightly lower colours in diamonds. So that's always my stance since I will never be able to afford perfect stuff :)
So yeah. If you love those stones and think the cuts are acceptable then get them :) Most people in real life will absolutely not care. Otherwise I am sure the lovely ladies here can help you find something lovely in your budget!
 

tyty333

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Dec 17, 2008
Messages
27,198
I'm of the mindset that a piece doesnt have to be "perfect" for you to enjoy it. As long as it appeals to you and you'll get plenty of wear out of
it its a win to me. I like all your options especially the one that elliefire posted. I would ask DBL for some videos of those two rings on a hand
to get a better perspective of how they look on a finger.

Have you considered buying from someone who has an upgrade option in case in the future you want something different/bigger? DBL may have
an upgrade policy for those rings (you'll have to ask David).
 

hollandaisey

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jul 24, 2014
Messages
41
https://loupetroop.com/listings/rin...te-gold-diamond-halo-ring-with-cushion-centre

I have also been eyeing this little beauty on LT. Totally would have snapped it up if it were a little more my style. Seems right up your alley!

Yes I love this!! But I’m afraid it’s a little more blingy than I wanted for everyday. There was also a two tone David Klass halo with a low color oec on loupetroop I was thinking about but I can’t find it now. Thank you so much and I really appreciate your opinion. I guess it should be obvious that I only need to make myself happy but a little validation doesn’t hurt either lol...
 

hollandaisey

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jul 24, 2014
Messages
41
I think when you look at a stone and your eyes love it. It doesn't matter what is perfect to us or anyone else. It only matters about you!
Personally I think cut is my hill to die on. Clarity less so if it's in a spot where it can hide under a prong. And luckily I don't always prefer trade preferred colours in coloured stones and slightly lower colours in diamonds. So that's always my stance since I will never be able to afford perfect stuff :)
So yeah. If you love those stones and think the cuts are acceptable then get them :) Most people in real life will absolutely not care. Otherwise I am sure the lovely ladies here can help you find something lovely in your budget!

Thank you so much! I think maybe since I don’t really know a lot about the science of cut I’m a little more flexible. I know I love most colors so that’s not an issue for me but it’s easy to get lost in what’s “right”.
 

hollandaisey

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jul 24, 2014
Messages
41
I'm of the mindset that a piece doesnt have to be "perfect" for you to enjoy it. As long as it appeals to you and you'll get plenty of wear out of
it its a win to me. I like all your options especially the one that elliefire posted. I would ask DBL for some videos of those two rings on a hand
to get a better perspective of how they look on a finger.

Have you considered buying from someone who has an upgrade option in case in the future you want something different/bigger? DBL may have
an upgrade policy for those rings (you'll have to ask David).
Thank you! There’s videos on his Instagram and it looks like he does have an upgrade policy. That’s a really good call out since I have a history of getting bored lol. Thank you for helping me out!
 

MeowMeow

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Nov 27, 2009
Messages
1,645
Thank you so much! I think maybe since I don’t really know a lot about the science of cut I’m a little more flexible. I know I love most colors so that’s not an issue for me but it’s easy to get lost in what’s “right”.

It definitely is easy to get lost and stuck because of all the "rules". But those are really just there to help you get nicer looking things with your budget, however big or small it might be. That's all :) and yes if your budget isn't huge you have to compromise somewhere. It's just up to your eyes to decide where that is. Like I explained what my priorities are :) For others it's likely to be totally different and that is okay!

But like I said in the end it's really about what you like when you look at an item because most people really don't care about other peoples stuff in real life. If most people cared, people wouldn't make threads about people not complimenting their stuff and feeling upset about it :) I don't really recall seeing those types of threads here but I sure do on another site I read.
I like posting and reading here most of all because of all the knowledge. (And the beautiful shineys. I won't lie!) And I love how when people ask these lovely ladies for help, how they can really work some magic sometimes!
 

lovedogs

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jul 31, 2014
Messages
18,033
If you like fancy cuts and / or colored diamonds, you can't go wrong with DBL. and for the fancy cuts, the "rules" are much less strict-- most of it is about whether it's appealing to your eye. Same with colored diamonds, they are cut for color so the "ideal cut" stats will differ. Id say buy what you love, especially if you are going into it knowing the options and alternatives.
 

stonewell

Brilliant_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jan 19, 2013
Messages
1,150
That 3-stone is fantastic, imho. I also subscribe to “If you love it, that’s all that matters.”

I think lower/colored stones give more flexibility in the clarity department and in today’s macro imaging world, clarity can be overblown. Case in point, I just received a gorgeous U/V OEC that’s an I2.... yes, an I2! I had difficulty finding the inclusions with my loupe and it’s eye-clean from a real-life perspective. My eagle-eyed daughter agrees.

DBL is a great vendor so if David says it’s eye-clean and you love it, go for it.
 

whitewave

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Feb 29, 2012
Messages
12,331
I love all of them.

I have a few DBL on my watch list on EBay.
 

hollandaisey

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jul 24, 2014
Messages
41
That 3-stone is fantastic, imho. I also subscribe to “If you love it, that’s all that matters.”

I think lower/colored stones give more flexibility in the clarity department and in today’s macro imaging world, clarity can be overblown. Case in point, I just received a gorgeous U/V OEC that’s an I2.... yes, an I2! I had difficulty finding the inclusions with my loupe and it’s eye-clean from a real-life perspective. My eagle-eyed daughter agrees.

DBL is a great vendor so if David says it’s eye-clean and you love it, go for it.


That’s reassuring thank you! And show pictures of your new beauty!!!
 

Karl_K

Super_Ideal_Rock
Trade
Joined
Aug 4, 2008
Messages
14,634
Disclaimer I worked for DBL for a while so I will avoid discussing specifics.

The color of a diamond and the color grade is what it is.
It has nothing to do with what colors or amount of color one loves.
I have been a fan of stones in the nmopqrst range for a long long time.
Why? because they appeal to me.
I also have in the house(my Wifey4vr owns most of the diamonds in the house) and love a D color diamond,F colored diamond, J colored diamond and an I colored diamond and I love them all.

Inclusions:
Many people wear diamonds with eye visible inclusions and love them.
It is also a personal choice, some will love a F/IF and others will love a i2 with visible inclusions.

Bottom line do what makes you smile!
 

Calliecake

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jun 7, 2014
Messages
9,229
I could get kicked out of Pricescope for saying this but I’m so glad I’ve never gotten caught up in needing perfection in a diamond. If a diamond is beautiful to my eye and I love how it looks on my hand, I’m thrilled. Perfection can be the thief of joy.

I don’t think you can go wrong when you make a purchase that makes your heart sing.
 

bludiva

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Sep 23, 2017
Messages
3,076
If the stone/ring delights your eyes and your heart that's what matters :). Perfection isn't always the goal imho.

My ering stone had a huge scary looking natural in the macro pics, I think that's why no one had snatched it up. Their loss was my gain because it's completely eye clean. There's a thread on eye clean I1s with some beautiful finds. It seems like DBL is good at finding those types of stones and that you are choosing carefully given your parameters.
 

lovedogs

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jul 31, 2014
Messages
18,033
I could get kicked out of Pricescope for saying this but I’m so glad I’ve never gotten caught up in needing perfection in a diamond. If a diamond is beautiful to my eye and I love how it looks on my hand, I’m thrilled. Perfection can be the thief of joy.

I don’t think you can go wrong when you make a purchase that makes your heart sing.

agreed! I think the most important thing is that people know what they like, but aren't getting fooled or swindled by horrible "maul" jewelers. When people are informed about what "PS-approved/recommended" stats are, and choose to get something outside of those ranges, then that's a-ok with me. As long as people go in with eyes open!
 

AV_

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Aug 5, 2018
Messages
3,889
.
PRFECT

Standards make sense for grading - that is a practice meant to upkeep the honor of the trade.

IHMO...
 

bmfang

Brilliant_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jan 2, 2017
Messages
1,851
For modern rounds i’m anally retentive. For fancy cuts and coloured, not so much (though with ovals, princess and octavias, I probably would prefer ones that have ideal light performance over ones that don’t now that there are “ideal” versions of these cuts now on the market).

Both of the items you were looking at fall within the latter category in my books. Go with what your eyes are telling you. Best of luck with finding something that really speaks to you at a price that is a killer!
 

KKJohnson

Brilliant_Rock
Premium
Joined
Aug 15, 2017
Messages
1,834
For colored diamonds I would go with DBL as well but I have to say the inclusion on the princess is killing me lol

4AE20D0E-E8F7-4C5B-94FF-8A6B47BD6BF0.jpeg
 

stonewell

Brilliant_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jan 19, 2013
Messages
1,150
That’s reassuring thank you! And show pictures of your new beauty!!!

Happy to oblige! I was fortunate to purchase this from a fabulous PSer and have say I haven’t stopped admiring it since she arrived. Would be curious if anyone with sharp vision can spot the inclusions.

D682C9AF-A85D-4279-A3C7-335EFBC683B9.jpeg 1377766B-AEFD-400C-9CE7-93E27716870D.jpeg C7A931CC-2ACD-4CCF-B66E-F59740F86B77.jpeg
 

stonewell

Brilliant_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jan 19, 2013
Messages
1,150
For colored diamonds I would go with DBL as well but I have to say the inclusion on the princess is killing me lol

4AE20D0E-E8F7-4C5B-94FF-8A6B47BD6BF0.jpeg

Too funny! I remember someone finding a stone that appeared to have a number etched on it. This one takes the cake - the face appears to be saying “Who are you looking at?!” :lol:
 

kmoro

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Sep 13, 2018
Messages
1,081
So I’m kind of a lurker here, don’t often have a budget for big projects. But I’v been lusting over a warm colored diamond in a rhr lately- probably bezel, maybe in two tone as my wedding set is white gold. I LOVE colored diamonds as well. Budget probably tops out at 2k. Don’t want round or oval cut, open to anything else. I found a ring I love from Diamonds by Lauren, and another diamond I’m attracted to on James Allen. The issue is that all these stones are really far from perfect in cut and clarity. I’m not an expert and I really like the look of the photos but it’s still a lot of money to me and I hate feeling like I’m buying something inferior. I’ll post links but I guess I’m looking for more philosophical advice- what’s worth sacrificing for you? Would stones like this ever have a place in your rotation?

I think I read rhat MMDs (man-made diamonds) are easy to make with color, and you may be able to save some money vs natural diamond.

I have a thing for natural diamonds, but these are still diamonds.
 

hollandaisey

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jul 24, 2014
Messages
41
o_Oo_O
For colored diamonds I would go with DBL as well but I have to say the inclusion on the princess is killing me lol

4AE20D0E-E8F7-4C5B-94FF-8A6B47BD6BF0.jpeg

Hahaha I kinda like that- the diamond is looking back at me!!o_O
 

hollandaisey

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jul 24, 2014
Messages
41
I think I read rhat MMDs (man-made diamonds) are easy to make with color, and you may be able to save some money vs natural diamond.

I have a thing for natural diamonds, but these are still diamonds.
What a great point, thank you! I hadn’t even thought to look at man made diamonds!
 

hollandaisey

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jul 24, 2014
Messages
41
Happy to oblige! I was fortunate to purchase this from a fabulous PSer and have say I haven’t stopped admiring it since she arrived. Would be curious if anyone with sharp vision can spot the inclusions.

D682C9AF-A85D-4279-A3C7-335EFBC683B9.jpeg 1377766B-AEFD-400C-9CE7-93E27716870D.jpeg C7A931CC-2ACD-4CCF-B66E-F59740F86B77.jpeg
That’s just stunning, what an amazing stone!!
 

LinSF

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Aug 21, 2018
Messages
511
@Stonewall

Is it the upper right hand corner, near the edge of the setting at 1 o'clock? Just wondering how close I am.

That's a gorgeous ring!
 

Calliecake

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jun 7, 2014
Messages
9,229
Happy to oblige! I was fortunate to purchase this from a fabulous PSer and have say I haven’t stopped admiring it since she arrived. Would be curious if anyone with sharp vision can spot the inclusions.

D682C9AF-A85D-4279-A3C7-335EFBC683B9.jpeg 1377766B-AEFD-400C-9CE7-93E27716870D.jpeg C7A931CC-2ACD-4CCF-B66E-F59740F86B77.jpeg


All I see is one gorgeous ring. It’s stunning @stonewell !!!
 
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