A Good Choice?

[fast15]

Hi all,

I have been looking for a proposal ring and the dealer has this one which is what I wanted. The specs are:

Round Brilliant

Measurements: 5.58 - 5.61 x 3.35 mm

Carat Weight: 0.63

Color Grade: F

Clarity Grade: VS2

Cut Grade: Excellent
Depth: 59.9 %

Table: 60 %

Crown Angle: 33°

Crown Height: 13 %

Pavilion Angle: 41°

Pavilion Depth: 43.5 %

Girdle: Thin to Medium, Faceted

I ran the HCA test and it return with a score of 1.4. The stone is a H&A and the arrows are beautiful. Is the depth too little at 59.9%? I need advises on whether it is a good diamond, assuming the price is reasonable. Responses pls.

Cheers!

 

[Lorelei]

Welcome!

This diamond looks as if it is hovering around what is called 60/60 range, some people love this effect as they can be very brilliant diamonds. It depends on what you are looking for, if you want a superideal cut diamond with top notch light performance, then you might want to look some more, however as you have seen this one and love it, then that is the main thing! The depth is also fine, especially for this type of diamond. Do you know if it is a true H&A diamond, or just displays an arrow pattern?

This info may help you regarding that. https://www.pricescope.com/hearts_indx.asp

 

[fast15]

Hi Thanks for your reply. It is not stated as a H&A on the GIA cert. But thru the H&A scope, it looks very sharp, the arrows I mean.

You mentioned: "you want a superideal cut diamond with top notch light performance, look further". Are you implying that this is not a stone worth buying? I do not know what I really want as i am a newbie in this. However, my criteria is a reasonable stone (relative again). Meaning excellent cut and good HCA score. Colour and clarity is what the stone currently has.

Cheers!

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 2/2/2008 4:44:34 AM
Author: fast15
Hi Thanks for your reply. It is not stated as a H&A on the GIA cert. But thru the H&A scope, it looks very sharp, the arrows I mean.

You mentioned: 'you want a superideal cut diamond with top notch light performance, look further'. Are you implying that this is not a stone worth buying? I do not know what I really want as i am a newbie in this. However, my criteria is a reasonable stone (relative again). Meaning excellent cut and good HCA score. Colour and clarity is what the stone currently has.

Cheers!

The diamond you posted has a very nice cut and should perform well, it is definitely worth consideration! I always like to ask newbies as to what they want from their diamond, as many here want top notch very finely crafted superideal diamonds, which have the very best in light performance and or hearts and arrows. These diamonds are cut to very exacting proportions, often with smaller tables and very close range of crown and pavillion angles. These diamonds often have an AGS0 cut grade, or fall among GIA Ex cut grade, although these need further examination to pick the best of those. However not everyone wants a superideal, so I like to try to find out what the person wants so I can offer them the best advice, if they want just a nice make of diamond instead which has sparkle to spare, but is not cut to superideal standards.

A 60 60 diamond has a different personality, is a very fine diamond in itself, it can have a different personality to the superideal diamond, it depends on what you want and which you prefer. We have very happy superideal owners here, and very happy 60 60 owners! If you love this one, I would say to have a look at some others perhaps with a smaller table to see which you prefer. Some think that 60 60 diamonds may have a tendency towards more white light due to the larger table and a little less fire, a diamond with a smaller table ( 54 - 57) may show a bit more of a mix of both white light and coloured light ( fire.) Also some 60 60 diamonds may look to be a goodly size for their carat weight as a larger table can make a diamond look slightly larger face up.

 

[fast15]

Thanks Lorelei,

I have just finished my college and stepping out onto the working world. As such, the budget is limited. I guess a superideal cut stone with the best possible light performance would command a equally outstanding price which is beyond my payscale.

I would likely confirm this stone as my choice and my purpose is to seek assurance that I am not buying something not worth considering. The price after conversion to USD is $2100. I hope the stone is worth the price.

Cheers!

 

[Lorelei]

You are welcome!

I just used the search tool at the top of the page to check pricing, it seems similar diamonds of around 60 60, .63 ct and F VS2 are hovering in the area of 1900 USD to $2000 give or take, these are online prices which are usually cheaper than with a brick and mortar etc. So the price looks reasonable!

Also if you wanted to broaden you colour and clarity options, you could widen your range of diamonds and maybe get something within superideal range if you wanted.

This is a good example of a superideal.

http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-540878.htm

Sometimes an SI clarity can be a great buy if eyeclean, a company like Whiteflash will be completely honest and tell you if a diamond is eyeclean, according to your expectations. So this just gives you an idea of what else is out there. In the size diamond you are considering, it is likely that an SI1 may be clean to the eye.

 

[fast15]

Thanks again for your help. I appreciate it. Any other comments before I took the plunge, from anyone else also. Meaning, what to look out for? I cant see the idealscope as the retailer in question does not have one to provide.

Cheers

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 2/2/2008 5:12:25 AM
Author: fast15
Thanks again for your help. I appreciate it. Any other comments before I took the plunge, from anyone else also. Meaning, what to look out for? I cant see the idealscope as the retailer in question does not have one to provide.

Cheers

You may have to wait until later for some more comments, it is quiet here now and also not as busy of a weekend, but some of the others like Ellen and DiamondSeeker should be along later and can give you some more input

 

[fast15]

Sure Lorelei, I sure wait for more comments. Having said that, I really appreciate your comments. You have been helpful.

Cheers!

 

[Sparkalicious]

Hi Fast! Welcome to PS!

The shallower depth of this diamond means that it will have a better "spread" or diameter for weight, which means that it will "face up" or appear larger than other diamonds, of the same carat weight, with deeper cut. This also means that instead of getting a more "firey" appearance, the diamond will reflect whiter light. This tends to be a matter of personal taste and not really an issue pertaining to the quality of the diamond, per se.

The F/VS2 combo is one of my favorites. I love the icy whiteness of the F combined with the decreased likelihood of visible inclusions of the VS2.

All in all, this seems like a good diamond. Are there better out there? Depends on your definition of better? If you wanted one that displayed greater fire b/c this is a desirable characteristic for you, then you would likely need to get one that is cut with a smaller table.

All of this being said, if you have seen this stone and love it ... that answers your question. Go for it and love it!

The price seems competitive ....

Have you viewed diamonds in real life and developed a sense of what it is you like to see in a diamond yet? Have you seen this one in person? If so, what were your initial thoughts?

 

[fast15]

Thanks for your reply. I certainly feel welcome in PS.

I ran the HCA score, the score for fire is excellent. And I thought it is a good indication. I thought the stone looks grade, the inclusion def is not eye-visible and the colour is what I want, icy white like what you mentioned.

 

[Sparkalicious]

Date: 2/2/2008 5:29:10 AM
Author: fast15
Thanks for your reply. I certainly feel welcome in PS.

I ran the HCA score, the score for fire is excellent. And I thought it is a good indication. I thought the stone looks grade, the inclusion def is not eye-visible and the colour is what I want, icy white like what you mentioned.

Fantastic! Sounds like it is a winner then!

If it has the qualities you are seeking and the cut is excellent, it sounds as though you are set ... If you were able to obtain an idealscope image, you would have a better idea as to how this diamond performs, however, since you have seen it and loved it and the numbers look okay, it seems safe to say that this is the one for you!

 

[fast15]

just to add on, I have seen the diamond. It certainly looks "big" from the top. honestly speaking, I can''t really differentiate between what the different properties of the diamond, fire, spread, brillant, etc. Meaning, they do not really make a difference to me. Sorry for sounding like a absolute noob, but i guess my eyes are not sharp enough.

There seems to be a trade-off between fire and spread. I guess this is one that i will get unless someone strongly advise me not to.

Cheers!!

 

[Sparkalicious]

No worries, fast15! I am no expert so no need to apologize to me ... There is SO much to learn about diamonds and so many varying perspectives and theories etc that it really just boils down to which "theory" you subscribe. Sometimes it's really not a question of being right or wrong ... it's a question of personal opinion or preference. As with all things of beauty there is a great subjective component involved. I have found people's opinions to be strongly biased to or greatly influenced by their own, individual, preferences, which happens quite regularly with a lot of things in life.

Unlike times when people come along with a diamond that is highly overpriced for the quality or something else that is obviously not "right" ... nothing is glaringly "wrong" with this diamond, therefore, I find it hard to believe that someone would come along and advise against it.

This must be quite exciting for you ... Do you plan to come back and share pictures with us?

eta -- if you would like to learn more about diamonds, check out the Knowledge section of PS and review the tutorials. They are quite informative.

 

[fast15]

Thanks Sparkalicious,

You have been great help. I would certainly post a pic once I have the diamond set, you be assured. This journey of learning about diamond is truly a wonderful one. At least i can brag to my wife-to-be that I knew something more about a woman thing than her.

 

[Sparkalicious]

My pleasure!

You sure can brag to your wife to be ... Many a man has not researched diamonds as much as you ... I''m sure she''ll be proud of the effort that you put into getting her such a symbolic and important piece of jewelry!

Good job!

 

[Ellen]

Hi fast,

You've gotten lots of good info here. The characteristics of this diamond have been pointed out, and as stated, they are not "bad", just different. I would not recommend not buying this stone, but I would recommend comparing it to an ideal cut if you could. I know you said you couldn't tell the difference when looking at diamonds, but I don't know what other types/cuts of diamonds you were looking at/comparing it to.

Does the jeweler you're working with carry any AGS0 graded stones? The reason I ask is, those are graded for their light performance, and that takes a lot of the guesswork out on trying to know if a diamond will perform well. If they do carry them, I'd ask to see a few and compare with yours. Also, when comparing, ask to see the diamonds by a window, in natural light, and look at them in other store lighting, away from the counter lights. Those lights will mask many things, and basically make all diamonds look good. It's what the diamond does everywhere else that will give you a better picture.

If you can't compare with others, and want to purchase this one, make sure the store has a good return policy (and that means a full outright refund, not store credit), and have an independant appraiser look at it within the return time. If it gets a thumbs up, you're good, if not, you can return it.

HTH!

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 2/2/2008 8:09:40 AM
Author: Ellen
Hi fast,

You've gotten lots of good info here. The characteristics of this diamond have been pointed out, and as stated, they are not 'bad', just different. I would not recommend not buying this stone, but I would recommend comparing it to an ideal cut if you could. I know you said you couldn't tell the difference when looking at diamonds, but I don't know what other types/cuts of diamonds you were looking at/comparing it to.

Does the jeweler you're working with carry any AGS0 graded stones? The reason I ask is, those are graded for their light performance, and that takes a lot of the guesswork out on trying to know if a diamond will perform well. If they do carry them, I'd ask to see a few and compare with yours. Also, when comparing, ask to see the diamonds by a window, in natural light, and look at them in other store lighting, away from the counter lights. Those lights will mask many things, and basically make all diamonds look good. It's what the diamond does everywhere else that will give you a better picture.

If you can't compare with others, and want to purchase this one, make sure the store has a good return policy (and that means a full outright refund, not store credit), and have an independant appraiser look at it within the return time. If it gets a thumbs up, you're good, if not, you can return it.

HTH!

Ditto. It is best to go by your own personal taste, as mentioned earlier, if you can compare this diamond to an AGS0 for example, then you will be able to see which type of stone looks the most appealing to you. As I said before, some love a 60 60 diamond which is well cut and balanced with the crown and pavillion angles, some prefer a diamond with a smaller table. There is nothing wrong with preferring a 60 60 at all, nor is this one particularly shallow, different people have different tastes and we do try here on Pricescope to advise people to find out for themselves what they find beautiful - that may not be a branded cut or superideal necessarily, but some may prefer a larger tabled round, or a firey ideal cut round, or even a fancy shape. In this way I hope we can help anyone who is looking for a diamond. You may well be one of those people who do prefer a 60 60, in which case you may have found your diamond, just look at some others with smaller tables to make sure.

 

[fast15]

Hi Ellen and Lorelei,

I will certainly compare it with other diamonds with smaller table before making the purchase. Still, I am assured by all your comments that the diamond I am looking at is still a worthy contender.

Many thanks again.

Cheers!

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 2/2/2008 3:13:55 PM
Author: fast15
Hi Ellen and Lorelei,

I will certainly compare it with other diamonds with smaller table before making the purchase. Still, I am assured by all your comments that the diamond I am looking at is still a worthy contender.

Many thanks again.

Cheers!

It definitely is a worthy contender! It is just good to be able to look at another with different proportions to see which you prefer, like I said earlier, some people love this type of diamond and you could well be one of them! Let us know how you get on and if you get the diamond you are considering, some pics would be great when you can please!

 

[fast15]

Date: 2/2/2008 3:16:42 PM
Author: Lorelei

Date: 2/2/2008 3:13:55 PM
Author: fast15
Hi Ellen and Lorelei,

I will certainly compare it with other diamonds with smaller table before making the purchase. Still, I am assured by all your comments that the diamond I am looking at is still a worthy contender.

Many thanks again.

Cheers!

It definitely is a worthy contender! It is just good to be able to look at another with different proportions to see which you prefer, like I said earlier, some people love this type of diamond and you could well be one of them! Let us know how you get on and if you get the diamond you are considering, some pics would be great when you can please!

I will make the decision in the coming week, likely before 10 Feb. I will let known my choice. Pictures included.

Cheers!

 

[Ellen]

Good luck fast!