A tough decision...

[nyguy06]

I'm narrowed an engagement down to two stones, but I'm having a tough time deciding. Can you guys chime in with your opinions? They're both round stones with ideal cuts, vs2, hca scores of 1.2 and 1.3, and both cost just about the same. The difference?

1. is D color and 2.18ct.
2. is F color, but 2.31ct.

All other things equal, which would you go with? I'm thinking the better value is the larger stone because everything I'm reading is that the color is not noticeable to the uninitiated, especially if it's mounted. What do you guys think?

 

[whitewave]

F definitely. There is no discernible difference between a D and a F.

 

[jadesilver]

Have you gone to a store and looked at diamonds when placed in settings? I have a G and it looks too white to me. If you ever saw a G in a white gold setting and it looks white to you you might consider even a G and increase size even more.

So I’m voting for the F!

 

[ratatat]

The F

 

[foxinsox]

I would take the F in a heartbeat! Or I might go lower in colour and go even bigger

 

[BrimstoneTwo]

Have you gone to a store and looked at diamonds when placed in settings? I have a G and it looks too white to me. If you ever saw a G in a white gold setting and it looks white to you you might consider even a G and increase size even more.

So I’m voting for the F!

This! After looking at quite a few stones I ended up with an H and it’s still white.

Is your fiancée colour sensitive? Has she given you any clues? What made you narrow it down to these two stones?

 

[rockysalamander]

I'd want to know the angles of the diamond: table, depth, crown, pavilion angle, and lower-girdle facets.

A GIA 3X and HCA less than 2.0 just means the diamond is worth pursuing further. GIA excellent is a very wide category that includes some stunning diamonds and some that are not to desirable. We recommend starting with GIA 3X and then conducting further analysis to narrow to a high performer by evaluating the angles/number, clarity characteristics, and performance. Performance (light return) is best evaluated by an Idealscope image or ASET image. Do you have these?

 

[nyguy06]

Argh! Moot point now. The larger stone is no longer available. Just my luck! So now the options are 2 stones that are essentially the same except one is 20 points larger and $1k more expensive. :-/

https://www.diamdb.com/compare/2.18ct-round-8.39x8.35x5.12-vs-2.38ct-round-8.6x8.54x5.13/

Would you guys spend the extra $? Looks like .20mm in length/width.

I'm so sad the other one is gone! I was fully ready to go with it this morning after reading comments here!

 

[MissGotRocks]

Are all of these contenders lab grown? I assume you have discussed this with your girlfriend and she is on board with a lab grown stone?

 

[tyty333]

Here is a relative size difference you are looking at on a size 6 3/4 finger, 2mm band.

 

[tyty333]

Didnt realize nyguy06 already linked above image...and for some reason cant edit my post!

 

[nyguy06]

She said she'd be happy with a ring pop and that it's not about the ring but about me. True love! Lol. She dropped that in passing and to be honest I haven't talked to her about it outside of a few subtle hints she's dropped.

Are all of these contenders lab grown? I assume you have discussed this with your girlfriend and she is on board with a lab grown stone?

 

[MissGotRocks]

She said she'd be happy with a ring pop and that it's not about the ring but about me. True love! Lol. She dropped that in passing and to be honest I haven't talked to her about it outside of a few subtle hints she's dropped.

She sounds like a lovely person and marrying for love is the best thing yet!! However, I would probably broach this subject with her. She probably doesn't care about the size or color but she may just be assuming you are looking at natural diamond. She might be right on board with your line of thinking but we've seen disappointed folks here before that a little conversation beforehand would have eliminated. You know her best of course but it is a ring she is probably hoping to wear for a lifetime . . .I just think I'd try to get her thoughts on lab created vs. natural. Just a thought - not a sermon!

 

[WinkHPD]

As a member of the trade I will not comment on individual atones, but I will full heartedly agree with those advising you to discuss the natural versus synthetic nature of the stones. It may seem trivial to you and it may actually be trivial to her, but if it is not, YOU will have made a tactical error of epic proportions.

Cutting may or may not seem important to either of you, however, better cut equals greater beauty, and greater beauty will be enjoyed for a lifetime.

Wink

 

[tyty333]

Ditto MissGotRocks...may not matter to her if its a piece of glass but when most people tend to assume that a diamond engagement ring is
a natural diamond you may want to give her a heads up about looking at lab grown. She may not care at all or she may have an opinion worth
listening too since she will be wearing it.

If it were for me* I would want a chance to give an opinion one way or another.

 

[seaglass]

The best advice I can give you having been in your situation (looking for an ER) only a couple of months ago, is to take your time and learn what you need to learn before making such an expensive decision. I had no problem buying a lab grown stone and neither did the GF. But after much research I found mined diamonds were of higher quality and definitely with more choices. But maybe I just didn't look in the right spot?

 

[nyguy06]

Appreciate the feedback on lab vs mined. I'll take it into consideration. If you guys might be able to help with opinions on the actual question I asked that'd be helpful too!

 

[mrs-b]

Are there more detailed reports on the two stones you're considering? I can only see a small number of the relevant stats.

And just to add - it's a bit pointless giving you opinions until you know for sure your girlfriend would be happy with a lab-grown stone. Every. Single. Guy. who comes to this site and wants to impress how humble his girlfriend is in her tastes uses the ring-pop analogy. It's ALWAYS a ring pop. And yet I just don't believe that there are so many similar girls out there. You need to ask and ask honestly - is she willing to accept that, or does she WANT that? Is she compromising and settling so as not to leave you out of pocket, hurt your feelings, or simply trying to convey to you how much she loves you, or is this what she really wants?

The guy choosing something 'all by myself!' is dicey at the best of times. Choosing something that looks like a natural diamond...and isn't, is taking a huge risk. There are a lot of nice women out there who will grin and bear it re synthetics. But is it what they want? Well, let's just put it this way - a huge percentage end up here for their 5th, 10th, 20th anniversaries, buying the real thing. And it's at that point that it becomes apparent what they truly prefer.

Post some more detailed stats, and I'm sure you'll get better feedback. I'm not thrilled with the depth of the shallower stone, regardless of HCA score. Remember, the HCA is an EXCLUSION tool only - not a recommendation tool.