Advice on an Oval K Diamond

[hannahpandah]

hello all,

I'm new to the pricescope community and very very new to purchasing diamonds. This will be me and my SO's first diamond purchase as we embark on an engagement ring hunt. We've been browsing a bit online and found this K diamond:

GIA Report

Specs in case you don't want to click

SHAPE: Oval
CARAT WEIGHT: 1.51
COLOR GRADE: K
CLARITY GRADE: VVS1
FLUORESCENCE: None
POLISH: Excellent
SYMMETRY: Very Good
GIA CERTIFICATE COMMENTS: Surface graining is not shown.
CLARITY GRADE BASED ON: Needle
LENGTH TO WIDTH RATIO: 1.56
DEPTH: 62.6%
TABLE: 60%

I know the clarity grade is a bit excessive. I was willing to go down to SI1 or even an eye-clean SI2 but this just happened to pop up along our search. I'm about 98% sure that I'm okay with a K diamond. I haven't had the chance to see them in real life yet but in the several pictures I've browsed on here and the internet, K diamonds seem beautiful to me and I actually quite like the warmth. I'm also trying to maximize the size as much as possible while getting a sparkly diamond so I was willing to drop down other categories for that.

The 2% doubt mostly comes from some consultants I've found online who recommend should not go below a H. If you have recommendations or advice for this, I'd love to get all the opinions I can. I'm also a bit concerned as my ring will likely have marquise side stones around the band. I've been told they may make the diamond look more yellow. However, I will most likely setting the diamond in yellow gold which I hope will offset the color, but am still considering white gold as well. I've attached an example of potential ring below. Let me know your thoughts.
From the video, I feel as if the color leans more champagne and it is quite nice. Though, I may be misreading the diamond entirely. Please help!

I've attached a video I received from the vendor. Please let me know if there are obvious flaws like bowties and such. (I don't think so? but I also know nothing lol)

Also, the price for this diamond is $5,000. I tried to check it against the pricescope search engine and found similar diamonds for about the same. Is this a fair price? A good value? Do you recommend trying to go down in clarity and up in color? I primarily want to maximize size without sacrificing sparkle quality.

Link as a Youtube Video

I've been trying to find resources where I can input specs to see if the brilliance of an oval diamond is optimized (similar to HCA) but I can't seem to find any. Please let me know if you have recommendations here as well.

I appreciate all the help. I'm sorry if this is too long or confusing. Please let me know if I can clarify more. Thank you all very much in advance.

Edit: Added a picture of the ring.

 

[tyty333]

So here is the problem with lower colored ovals...the areas that tend to be "mushy" capture light and show a lot more color than the rest of the stone.

The areas in red are the areas that tend to be mushy and will show more color in lower colored stones. Hopefully, there is minimal mush in the
one you posted. It is hard to tell at the angle it is spinning.

You did not provide the LxW which can vary widely for the same carat weight. That would be nice
to know.

It will be pretty hard to find any K colored ovals so you can see what one looks like (unless you
are close to NYC). So, maybe its worth ordering with the possibility of returning if you dont like
the way it looks.

 

[lovedogs]

What is your budget, and desired size?

 

[ThiaChelf]

I have a smaller K oval. Mine is 0.54 ct K SI1 and in a knife edge white gold solitaire setting. Its eye clean. It also has medium fluorescence. I love the warmth in it. It faces up quite white imo. You may find with a largerstone the color shows more. Eta mine doesn't seem mushy to me at all. It has a small bow tie but its not bad and you can only see it at certain angles. The bowie usually is a light one rather than a dark one.

 

[ThiaChelf]

Also its funny you say it seems champagne to you. I'm newer at this too-but I say that all the time about both my K stones. I know it's not a fancy champagne but the color leans that direction to me.

I looked at the video and couldn't see much of a bowtie but again I'm newer at this. My understanding is all ovals will have a bit of one but it depends on how bad. Some are worse than others. As for price someone else will have to chime in. I have a mix of natural and lab vreated stones so my opinion on price is skewed lol. As for an online tool like hca I don't believe there is one for the fancy shapes.

 

[hannahpandah]

So here is the problem with lower colored ovals...the areas that tend to be "mushy" capture light and show a lot more color than the rest of the stone.

The areas in red are the areas that tend to be mushy and will show more color in lower colored stones. Hopefully, there is minimal mush in the
one you posted. It is hard to tell at the angle it is spinning.

You did not provide the LxW which can vary widely for the same carat weight. That would be nice
to know.

It will be pretty hard to find any K colored ovals so you can see what one looks like (unless you
are close to NYC). So, maybe its worth ordering with the possibility of returning if you dont like
the way it looks.

Hey tyty333,

I really appreciate your thorough advice. I'm glad to hear there isn't anything glaringly bad with the stone. Though can't believe I forgot to include the LxW!

Measurements are 9.48 x 6.07 x 3.80 mm

Unfortunately, I won't be able to visit NYC anytime soon so I think I may have to take your advice to order and return if it doesn't work out. Anything in particular to look for?

I did manage to do some digging and found another picture of the diamond in question sourced from StoneAlgo.com (not the vendor but a GIA fair price calculator tool?) that has it on its side. (Full disclosure: I'm not 100% this isn't a sample image as it isn't directly from the vendor). But if anything, using this as a case study, do you feel as if the color is more intense/ obvious in the mush area? Is it obnoxiously so? Let me know your thoughts. Thanks for all your help

 

[hannahpandah]

What is your budget, and desired size?

So I'd like to shoot for 1.5 if possible. Or even bigger but that's near impossible it seems...

I'm perfectly content for 1.3+ and the I don't want particularly want to err below 1.2. All of my other specs are also up in the air. I'm okay with a K warm colored diamond. I am also okay with SI1 or SI2 as long as it's eye-clean.

What I do want to maximize is the cut quality as I'd really like the stone to sparkle. We also want to get a good value out of the stone, just want to make sure we're paying a fair market price, even below if we can swing it.

Any recommendations on getting a decent stone on a $5500 budget? That's our max for the loose stone!

 

[hannahpandah]

I have a smaller K oval. Mine is 0.54 ct K SI1 and in a knife edge white gold solitaire setting. Its eye clean. It also has medium fluorescence. I love the warmth in it. It faces up quite white imo. You may find with a largerstone the color shows more. Eta mine doesn't seem mushy to me at all. It has a small bow tie but its not bad and you can only see it at certain angles. The bowie usually is a light one rather than a dark one.

Love your stone. Ovals are just gorgeous! I appreciate the advice. I think that's why I'm also jumping on the K train. As far as I've seen, they all seem to face up white to the untrained eye.

Also glad to see the bowtie isn't too bad! It's nice to see the ring in a white gold setting. Qualms a bit of the concern I had surrounding what I should set it in.

I posted a new pic of the stone where it is sideways (though not 100% verified as it was pulled by a third party search engine vs vendor). You might see more of a bowtie there. Have any thoughts?

Thanks for your pics!

Edit: L to K ooops!

 

[ThiaChelf]

Love your stone. Ovals are just gorgeous! I appreciate the advice. I think that's why I'm also jumping on the L train. As far as I've seen, they all seem to face up white to the untrained eye.

Also glad to see the bowtie isn't too bad! It's nice to see the ring in a white gold setting. Qualms a bit of the concern I had surrounding what I should set it in.

I posted a new pic of the stone where it is sideways (though not 100% verified as it was pulled by a third party search engine vs vendor). You might see more of a bowtie there. Have any thoughts?

Thanks for your pics!

Thank you! I love my little glow stone lol. I had a few qualms too, but am glad I decided on the white gold.

Looks not TOO bad but again I'm new at this. There may be a little light leakage on the top and bottom. Hopefully someone with more experience can chime in.

Do you have the ideal specs for an oval or would you like me to post them? When you're looking at fancy shapes going by the ideal specs is really the biggest thing you can do. My little oval is a brilliant and fiery little thing. I love it!

 

[hannahpandah]

@ThiaChelf
Do you mind posting the specs? I honestly thought they were up in the air as long as it was eye clean! I know there's quite a bit of emphasis on the way it's cut though right?

This is what I sent to a dealer awhile back when they asked me what specs I had in mind.

"We’re looking to spend around $5500 max on the stone, which we know may be a tall order but we’re willing to give in some areas or wait if necessary.

SPECS (in order of general importance)
-Shape: Oval
(I also like the idea of elongated cushion but not if it compromises brilliance, etc)
-Carat size: 1+ct - very ok with slight over / under valued (ideally in the 1.3-2ct though)
-Cut: Excellent // Very good?
-Color: D-J (we’re thinking about getting a yellow gold band though so maybe K or lower depending)
-Clarity: SI1 or SI2 is acceptable! Honestly, I’m down with anything as long as it’s eye clean!"

Let me know if anything here is problematic or if you have recommendations for or against certain specs!

 

[ThiaChelf]

Table 53-63%
Depth 58-62%
Girdle very thin to slightly thick
Cutlet none or pointed
L/W ratio 1.35-1.50

Definitely look for ideally or excellently cut stones. If you stick with those numbers you should be good. When you search on a site you can pull up advanced searches that will allow you to plug in those actual numbers. I have no issue obviously with lower colored ovals but some people would. Clarity you could go to SI2 if it was eye clean but my mind clean stops at SI1 lol.

I have an elongated cushion too but its a Daussi cut which is a hybrid step and brilliant cut. So not as brilliant as a regular cushion.

 

[ThiaChelf]

@hannahpandah the above post was to you lol

 

[tyty333]

Hey tyty333,

I really appreciate your thorough advice. I'm glad to hear there isn't anything glaringly bad with the stone. Though can't believe I forgot to include the LxW!

Measurements are 9.48 x 6.07 x 3.80 mm

Unfortunately, I won't be able to visit NYC anytime soon so I think I may have to take your advice to order and return if it doesn't work out. Anything in particular to look for?

I did manage to do some digging and found another picture of the diamond in question sourced from StoneAlgo.com (not the vendor but a GIA fair price calculator tool?) that has it on its side. (Full disclosure: I'm not 100% this isn't a sample image as it isn't directly from the vendor). But if anything, using this as a case study, do you feel as if the color is more intense/ obvious in the mush area? Is it obnoxiously so? Let me know your thoughts. Thanks for all your help

As far as color, I dont see any area of concentration but its hard to tell with pics because sometimes they are flooded with light. The cut
looks decent (as in good). What I like to see are more facets coming into focus (lighting up) as the stone turns (where I marked the
mushy areas above). I dont think this stone has that (a lot dont). You want to make sure those dark areas through the middle dont
stay dark most of the time. I really do think you are down to seeing a nice K in person to know if you'll like it or not. I'll go take a quick
look around. I do think the price is pretty good but let me check around for a minute and get back to you.

Edit...You have that stone on hold right?

Edit...again...yes, It is a good price. I saw it for $4883. It also faces up pretty big for its size. I didnt see any other 1.5 K/VS+ stone that
was any nicer. I think it's worth an in person look.

 

[Rockdiamond]

HI @hannahpandah
as good as the folks here are at finding and analyzing stones online, ( and they ARE the best!!) the question of "Is a K going to look yellow" can only be answered by one person....you.....

It's a shame because one of my pet peeves that certain jewelers do is automatically assume that H is the lowest possible color that will please someone looking for a colorless diamond. Many people love K color - and you may be among them. But you're not going to know till you see it yourself.

 

[ThiaChelf]

HI @hannahpandah
as good as the folks here are at finding and analyzing stones online, ( and they ARE the best!!) the question of "Is a K going to look yellow" can only be answered by one person....you.....

It's a shame because one of my pet peeves that certain jewelers do is automatically assume that H is the lowest possible color that will please someone looking for a colorless diamond. Many people love K color - and you may be among them. But you're not going to know till you see it yourself.

I would totally agree with this. I'm one who loves the look of a K and even lower. I have one stone that's above an I...a 0.55 G pear....other than the studs I just got. Everything else is I...J...and 2 Ks. My dream stone is an L or M OEC. Of the ones I have my Ks are my favorites.

 

[hannahpandah]

@hannahpandah the above post was to you lol

I did the same thing earlier and I had to go in and edit to re-tag you lol.

I think it hits 62.5% depth? Which is a bit out of the range. And 60% table. I think these are okay for me though they're not exact. Think my L/W ratio is a bit long...but I like the elongated look.

Thanks for talking me through this, the more I discuss it, the more I am confident with the stone despite its flaws haha.

I appreciate your advice today. It's been incredibly helpful

 

[hannahpandah]

As far as color, I dont see any area of concentration but its hard to tell with pics because sometimes they are flooded with light. The cut
looks decent (as in good). What I like to see are more facets coming into focus (lighting up) as the stone turns (where I marked the
mushy areas above). I dont think this stone has that (a lot dont). You want to make sure those dark areas through the middle dont
stay dark most of the time. I really do think you are down to seeing a nice K in person to know if you'll like it or not. I'll go take a quick
look around. I do think the price is pretty good but let me check around for a minute and get back to you.

Edit...You have that stone on hold right?

Edit...again...yes, It is a good price. I saw it for $4883. It also faces up pretty big for its size. I didnt see any other 1.5 K/VS+ stone that
was any nicer. I think it's worth an in person look.

Thanks for your further expertise! I think I'll go for the in-person look! Unfortunately, it's sold through an on-line vendor so the only way I can seem to look at it in person is to buy it and return within the 30 days. Not sure if they have a hold policy / there's no trace of one online so I'll just have put out the money first.

I'll make sure to check all these things to the best of my ability, once I see the stone in person!

Thanks again for your thorough expertise! I've seen you post on several threads and its always so informative and helpful!

 

[ThiaChelf]

I did the same thing earlier and I had to go in and edit to re-tag you lol.

I think it hits 62.5% depth? Which is a bit out of the range. And 60% table. I think these are okay for me though they're not exact. Think my L/W ratio is a bit long...but I like the elongated look.

Thanks for talking me through this, the more I discuss it, the more I am confident with the stone despite its flaws haha.

I appreciate your advice today. It's been incredibly helpful

You're welcome!

 

[hannahpandah]

HI @hannahpandah
as good as the folks here are at finding and analyzing stones online, ( and they ARE the best!!) the question of "Is a K going to look yellow" can only be answered by one person....you.....

It's a shame because one of my pet peeves that certain jewelers do is automatically assume that H is the lowest possible color that will please someone looking for a colorless diamond. Many people love K color - and you may be among them. But you're not going to know till you see it yourself.

Thanks for your response! Looks I'm going get the diamond...I hope it looks great in real life. I appreciate your input. It was quite reassuring ^-^

 

[kennys_mom]

I am upgrading my .77 H-SI1 princess cut to an oval. I went with a1.01 carat D-VS1 and wow is it bright and beautiful. I’m no expert but I hunted for ovals for 4 months before I settled on this one. I can’t wait to get my ring back! I would always want a colorless or near colorless stone, but that’s my personal opinion.

My stone measures 8.16 x 5.86 and paid less than the $5500 budget you had stated.

 

[tyty333]

Thanks for your further expertise! I think I'll go for the in-person look! Unfortunately, it's sold through an on-line vendor so the only way I can seem to look at it in person is to buy it and return within the 30 days. Not sure if they have a hold policy / there's no trace of one online so I'll just have put out the money first.

I'll make sure to check all these things to the best of my ability, once I see the stone in person!

Thanks again for your thorough expertise! I've seen you post on several threads and its always so informative and helpful!

The "Holds" are to hold the stone while you think about it. It is held at the cutters or whoever has the stone (it does not usually get sent to the
vendor until its paid for). There are (a lot of) exceptions to that though.

Normally to put a stone on hold you need to call the vendor or at least chat with them. But, if you are ready to buy then by all means...looking
forward to hearing what you think about the stone!

 

[hannahpandah]

I am upgrading my .77 H-SI1 princess cut to an oval. I went with a1.01 carat D-VS1 and wow is it bright and beautiful. I’m no expert but I hunted for ovals for 4 months before I settled on this one. I can’t wait to get my ring back! I would always want a colorless or near colorless stone, but that’s my personal opinion.

My stone measures 8.16 x 5.86 and paid less than the $5500 budget you had stated.

Your diamond is simply stunning! That wait was very much worth it!

 

[hannahpandah]

The "Holds" are to hold the stone while you think about it. It is held at the cutters or whoever has the stone (it does not usually get sent to the
vendor until its paid for). There are (a lot of) exceptions to that though.

Normally to put a stone on hold you need to call the vendor or at least chat with them. But, if you are ready to buy then by all means...looking
forward to hearing what you think about the stone!

I appreciate you helping me learn more about diamond purchase process! Alas, I think I saw your good advice too late. Plus, I was simply too slow in trying to purchase the diamond. It seems it has been snapped up by an eager buyer already. Unfortunately, I won't be able to show you all the pics of the stone in person! So now I shall start my search all over again...

 

[ThiaChelf]

I appreciate you helping me learn more about diamond purchase process! Alas, I think I saw your good advice too late. Plus, I was simply too slow in trying to purchase the diamond. It seems it has been snapped up by an eager buyer already. Unfortunately, I won't be able to show you all the pics of the stone in person! So now I shall start my search all over again...

Oh no!! That stinks but it does happen.