A smaller G or a larger I/J?

[Teckie]

Hi,

I have been around looking for a diamond to propose to my gf sometime later in the year, perhaps 6-9 months later. Being a student (and with a tight budget) I've been quite thorough, reading and searching for the perfect stone for her.

Initially i wanted a 0.66 G SI1. I thought a G colour and SI1 clarity is the minimum, but now I'm wondering whether I should get a I or J colour with SI1/2... For the same budget(or about a mere $300 more), i can actually get a stone of .1-.15 carat larger (0.792/0.815)... Any suggestions? I'm only worried that a I/J diamond would be yellow. All the stones are ideal H&A.

I'm so excited...

 

[fire&ice]

I think a nice I & even some J's will face up plenty white. Going w/ an I/J will afford you the ability to go bigger!

Good luck!

 

[tomatoe]

welcome back mark

its good to see that you are going the PS vendor route. PQcollectibles recently purchased a J ACA from whiteflash and it is whitewhite white white. I myself am purchasing a J regent with strong blue fluo and the vendor says it faces up g/h. Always check with the vendor you will be purchasing from with regards to the stone and trust their opinions about the stone, cos they are your eyes. Best of luck and post more info, piccys when u r done

 

[jennm]

I think you should get a good cut but it does not have to be a perfect H&A. In my opinion other than a good cut... the color is most important. Under 1 carat, I think an I or even J grade should be fine.

 

[Giangi]

A very well cut I-J faces up really white, especially in the <1ct range. Some fluorescence would be a plus.

 

[phoenixgirl]

Yes, I would rather have a larger stone in I or J color. Have you asked Linda about the two stones? Are they eye-clean? If one is and one isn't, I would get the eye-clean one. If they both are, I'd ask if the color difference is noticeable. Can you pick out the I from the J easily? If not, I'd get the J -- bigger stone, less $.

Some people even go as low as K to get an ideal cut, larger stone for a non-obscene amount of money. Remember, it is "slightly tinted." The stone will be seen set in a ring on your pigmented finger. You won't go around turning your stone on its table and having people look at the color against a white background. Some people are better at picking slight tints out with their eyes than others, but still, the slight tint does not mean that a "J" stone looks yellow. It just looks a little "warmer," if anything.

 

[Jennifer5973]

A well cut J can be awesome.... and Linda @ DamondIdeals is great to work with, as you know already. I am actually considering a J stone with her also right now for a pendant.With a good H&A, you can get more in the size and still have a white-looking stone...She will guide you--she is amazing on the phone and will loupe the stone and tell you every detail!

 

[valeria101]

I guess I would still be white to most people, so I would not worry about getting it. However, I am not at all convinced that a tenth of a carat more is worth two color grade... The stones would show some size difference side by side, but I suspect it would not be all that significant for the look of the ring.

I am somewhat unsure what difference in size would a jump of two color grades allow... In my view, it may worth more looking at stones and judging prices, rather than talking theory at this point.

As far as I understand, you are looking for an H&A (or AGSO-1 with great optics and less premium) G-I, SI (eye clean). What defines cut quality for you? Does it have to wear the H&A label, or would well-defined arrows, VG or better polish and symmetry and top optical performance (as given by Ideal Scope or an aternative tool) be ok?

 

[Bagpuss]

Hi Teckie, it's so nice to hear a guy say that he's excited about an upcoming diamond purchase. I wish my husband still felt like that.

To answer your question - I have two rings with 'I' colour diamonds. One is 2ct and set in white gold, the other is a 1cttw trilogy ring set in platinum. All the diamonds are OEC's, not ideal cuts, yet I find there's no problem with them looking yellow. The diamonds in both rings face up nice and white, regardless of their size or of the metal in which they are set.

I do have an E colour pear pendant and when I put it next to my rings, I can see that there is a difference; the E is icy white and the OEC's seem warmer, but they do NOT look yellow. I love the colour and the look of my 'I' OEC diamonds as much as I like the colour of the E pear and wouldn't change either of them for the world.

Some must have all their diamonds as icy white as possible and are willing to pay the premium for the rarer colourless stones. Others see just as much beauty in lower colour grade diamonds and are able to get wonderful bigger stones at a much cheaper price point. In the end though, to me at least, it's more about personal choice than one colour grade being 'better' than another.

Have a look at as many diamonds as you can in various colour grades (make sure they are properly graded stones), compare them side by side and then make up your own mind about which you prefer (and which you can afford, of course!). Good luck

 

[Mara]

CGN is that you?!




I would do a larger I and maybe a J but I would find out how the I compared to the J and vice versa first. PQ's J was considered slightly whiter than an I she was considering by Brian....so not all color grades are going to be equal. There may be whiter I's or whiter J's. Fluor would really help as well.




I would prefer (as a girl) a larger I SI or something...also if you can find an SI2 that is eye-clean, HUGE savings right there. So an H SI2 may be the same cost as the I SI1...if you can find one! Curious about your budget....can you tell us?

 

[Teckie]

Thanks everyone for your replies...

I suppose the best person to ask with regards to colour and clarity would be vendor himself. I think I'm going change my mind and get an I or J colour with a bigger stone though. The size difference is about 0.5mm.

I don't know how to judge an ideal cut, therefore, so long as it is AGS O and HA, i think it is sufficient to say it is a well cut diamond. With my budget, I can't afford a branded diamond such as ACA or superbcert (though I'd love to get one... prob when I start working, and finding an excuse to get her some jewellery)

Mara, My budget initially was US$1200-1300 all in, so i was looking at 0.4-0.5ca stuff but it gradually increased as I researched and got more interested in it. Right now, I'm ready to blow almost 1/2 my life savings on this little stone, but its alright I'm gonna start working soon.

tomatoe, Thanks for remembering me. I'll let you guys know the outcome soon.

So its I/J SI1... for now....

 

[Teckie]

incidentally, 1/2 my life savings is about US$2500

 

[Kamuelamom]

Hi Teckie, welcome to PS! Hope you find what you're looking for in your budget, sounds like you're well on your way and have been given some great feedback here.

I have a G color wedding set with side stones F/G, and a 5 stone ring (not sure of the actual color). Side by side I see an ever-so-slight tint in the 5-stone, I am going to guess they are I/J stones. Standing alone, they appear very white and sparkly, and only when next to my wedding set do I see a difference at all, making my wedding set appear just fractions whiter to my naked eye. I don't think you will go wrong with a nicely cut I or J stone, and slightly more carat weight to boot!

Good luck & please keep us posted.

 

[weemodin]

I agree with the posters above: the I or J color will look just fine in an ideal cut stone. I have a 1 ct I color AGS 0, and people I don't even know tell me how "white" and sparkly it looks. Go for the I or even J! If you hate it, you can always send it back!