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Advice on 4 GIA-graded diamonds

T

TBang

Rough_Rock
Joined
Aug 16, 2012
Messages
5
First off, I would like to give a huge, huge THANK YOU to everyone on this board. Without this forum and its knowledgeable members, I think I would have had to convince myself to go to Kay Jewelers for an engagement ring. I've been doing a lot of research for the "perfect" diamond for my girlfriend. I've narrowed it down to a few and greatly appreciate any advice given.

The details:
1. She would like at least a 1ct diamond. Of course this is a typical request from what I've gathered.
2. Her ring finger is 4.5
3. Trying to keep the budget on the diamond to be about $6,500 or less

My own personal criteria is:
1. Cut has to be 'Excellent' on GIA cut scale
2. Color has to be nothing less than J (I've poured over dozens of pictures and I think J is a fine enough choice)
3. Clarity has to be at least VS1 on GIA clarity scale

So, here are the four I've narrowed down to:

Diamond #1
Price: $6,100
Carat: 1.23
Cut: Excellent
Clarity: VS1 (1 small crystal, 1 pinpoint, internal graining)
Color: J
HCA grade: 2.4

Diamond #2
Price: $5,700
Carat: 1.16
Cut: Excellent
Clarity: VS1 (1 small crystal, 1 needle inclusion, 1 indented natural near at edge of diamond)
Color: J
HCA grade: 3.9

Diamond #3
Price: $5,800
Carat: 1.08
Cut: Excellent
Clarity: VVS2
Color: J
HCA grade: 2.1

Diamond #4
Price: $6,500
Carat: 1.24
Clarity: VVS2 (1 pinpoint)
Color: J
HCA grade: 2.7


So the question is: Which, in your honest opinion, is the best value for the money? While my girlfriend wouldn't mind the biggest rock, she also have repeatedly said to me that anything over a carat is icing on a very nice and expensive cake. Please advise and thank you in advance!
 
We need more information than what you've posted. Can you post the certs for us? Do you have magnified images? Idealscope?
 
TBang|1345170410|3252811 said:
First off, I would like to give a huge, huge THANK YOU to everyone on this board. Without this forum and its knowledgeable members, I think I would have had to convince myself to go to Kay Jewelers for an engagement ring. I've been doing a lot of research for the "perfect" diamond for my girlfriend. I've narrowed it down to a few and greatly appreciate any advice given.

The details:
1. She would like at least a 1ct diamond. Of course this is a typical request from what I've gathered.
2. Her ring finger is 4.5
3. Trying to keep the budget on the diamond to be about $6,500 or less

My own personal criteria is:
1. Cut has to be 'Excellent' on GIA cut scale
2. Color has to be nothing less than J (I've poured over dozens of pictures and I think J is a fine enough choice)
3. Clarity has to be at least VS1 on GIA clarity scale

So, here are the four I've narrowed down to:

Diamond #1
Price: $6,100
Carat: 1.23
Cut: Excellent
Clarity: VS1 (1 small crystal, 1 pinpoint, internal graining)
Color: J
HCA grade: 2.4

Diamond #2
Price: $5,700
Carat: 1.16
Cut: Excellent
Clarity: VS1 (1 small crystal, 1 needle inclusion, 1 indented natural near at edge of diamond)
Color: J
HCA grade: 3.9

Diamond #3
Price: $5,800
Carat: 1.08
Cut: Excellent
Clarity: VVS2
Color: J
HCA grade: 2.1

Diamond #4
Price: $6,500
Carat: 1.24
Clarity: VVS2 (1 pinpoint)
Color: J
HCA grade: 2.7


So the question is: Which, in your honest opinion, is the best value for the money? While my girlfriend wouldn't mind the biggest rock, she also have repeatedly said to me that anything over a carat is icing on a very nice and expensive cake. Please advise and thank you in advance!
Click to expand...

Honest opinion?
None of the above.

What is the reasoning behind the VS1 requirement? In this size range it is higher clarity than your eyes will ever appreciate. If all you want is a stone that is guaranteed to be clean to whatever specifications VS2 will suffice. Of course there are other reasons - cultural preferences for example - to choose higher clarity, but since your SO did bring up size (and "wouldn't mind the biggest" = "would be overjoyed with the biggest", methinks..)

Pictures are really a terrible way of judging real-world colour, sadly. In this size range a J will not be icy white - it won't be "creamy" or "yellow" or anything like that, on casual glance it'll just look like another white diamond, but if she has an eye for colour or compares with friends who have higher coloured stones the tint will be visible IRL. It doesn't make it a *bad* thing unless you know she would prefer and would prioritize higher colour.

Like Christina said we need a lot more info to judge - all the details on the report. Or you can just post the report number and exact ct weight as it appears on the report and we can look it up online.
 
I'd check this one out, check with the gemologist that the fluorescence isn't negatively affecting the stones brilliance.
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/J-VS1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1514609.asp $5180 with PS discount


This is a VS2, but is likely eye clean, the gemologist can confirm this for you.
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/J-VS2-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1501010.asp $5840

This is a beauty
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/J-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1481201.asp $6100


http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/J-VS1-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1444957.asp $6160

James Allen will evaluate and provide images for three stones for free. There are lots of eye clean SI1 and VS2's as well, by considering these stones, you could increase the color of the diamond. VS2 and SI diamonds can be a really great value because you aren't paying for something that you can't see anyway. When people view the ring on your gf's hand, they will first notice the size and then the color. I don't think that there is anything wrong with a J though, in fact I own one, however, I personally would drop down in clarity to increase color to an H or an I. Just something to think about.

edit: I was searching for alternatives as Yssie was posting, but I agree with everything she said. I also am not optimistic about your stone choices, but without further information it's really impossible to judge.
 
You're looking at different types of stones - different specs, different 'flavours'.

No red flags on the reports. Practically speaking I'd scratch the 1.16 and the 1.24: unless you are looking for a particular flavour of stone, which you clearly are not, the spread (face-up diameter) you're losing due to high crown/depth is a needless sacrifice.

I think you really need to sort out exactly what you want in terms of clarity first, though. You have a VS1, a VVS2, and a VVS1 - that's a huge range, with huge impact on price/other specs. You seem to consistently prefer some fluor, that's good to note...

ETA: typing at the same time as you again Christina ::)
 
The problem with BN is the lack of information available to you. They are a drop shipper so any stone not included in their signature line, they can't evaluate for you. If I was shopping blind with only the information that you have available to you, I would only consider stones that scored below a 2 on the HCA, simply because it's the only additional tool that you have available. Have you considered working with a vendor that can offer you more information or images? I know that IDJ can call in BN stones and evaluate them and also provided images, they can also beat BNs price. If that is something that you are interested in, we can help you choose a few better options and then you could contact IDJ and ask that they call them in and compare for you....
 
Yssie|1345175691|3252858 said:
Christina found you some nice potential alternatives if on further review the ones you've chosen don't work out, I only have one more to add -
1.3 J VS2 6.4k SBF http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/J-VS2-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1514117.asp


Edited*
Click to expand...

I really like this one. It's huge, it has an amazing cut, it will be eye clean and it's under budget and it's huge :lol: ! I would put this stone on hold right away. It will take up to three days for them to get the additional info that you need anyway and there is no commitment,so if you decide to go another direction, no worries. Recommended stones have a way of getting snatched up by lurkers. I watched one disappear within 20 mins last week, so do it now, if you think you are interested....GO GO GO! ;))
 
Well, looks like my work here is done!



:bigsmile:




Just joking! Great job Christina and Yssie! You've got two of the best helping you. I was gonna tell you to dump all your 4 choices... maybe not the HCA 2.1 one, but you could find better and it looks like someone did!
 
TitanCi|1345179515|3252885 said:
Well, looks like my work here is done!



:bigsmile:




Just joking! Great job Christina and Yssie! You've got two of the best helping you. I was gonna tell you to dump all your 4 choices... maybe not the HCA 2.1 one, but you could find better and it looks like someone did!
Click to expand...

You're so funny! :lol: Hey, I don't mean to thread jack, but I've been wanting to tell you that I'm happy to see that you didn't purchase that gorgeous ring and then abandon us! I think I speak for all of us when I say that we would miss your sense of humor and newbies would miss out on all the incredible knowledge and insight that you've shared with so many others! Super happy to see that you're still on board! ;))

BTW did you see your resurrected FCD thread?
 
TBang|1345501753|3254577 said:
Christina and Yssie,

Thank you very much to the both of you for your assistance. I've been browsing jamesallen a lot more now and got a chance to look at this one:

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-VS2-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1441559.asp

Is this an eye-clean diamond or is that crystal inclusion going to be a deterrent, visually?
Click to expand...


Call in and have them check if it's eyeclean to your specifications, whatever they are.
A very small number of VS2s of this size aren't going to be "clean" by most vendors' standards, a few PSers have run into this before - if you're paying for a VS2, definitely something to confirm
 
Yssie, I've put your original diamond suggestion on hold :D I did the online chat with one of the james allen reps and they said the diamond is a great value (as you might have already known). Is there anything else I need to have them take a look at before I make the plunge?
 
Did you ask for idealscope images? They can provide these for you, it takes about 2 days.
 
Time to whip out the credit card my friend! It's a beauty! =)
 
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