Advice on clarity, please?

[Baklava]

So I've had an eye on this eternity band. I emailed back and forth with the vendor and found out an "upgrade" to VS1 stones would be about 500$ more. Would you invest that money (it's still within the budget SO has mentioned previously), or do you think it's a waste as nobody will notice the difference on those rather small stones anyway?

 

[Splinter]

Hi Baklava

Well, that''s roughly a 33% increase in the price, for 1 grade better, on pretty small diamonds. There are 22 diamonds with a total weight of 1.48 carats. So each diamond is just 0.06 carats. I''d be surprised if anyone would notice the single grade difference on a stone of that size. So, not really worth it in my opinion.

Of course, sometimes quality is a personal thing. You might prefer the higher grade because it symbolises the value you place in your partner. In that case, who cares if anyone else notices the better stones, as long as you know that they''re there and what they mean.

If you still can''t decide, try viewing a SI1 and a VS2 ring side by side. If you settle on the SI1, just check that they''re near eye clean. Don''t let them give you a ring full of dirt!

 

[Allison D.]

In stones that small, it''s very unlikely there will be any visual difference, so if your goal is making sure you don''t see inclusions, you can save the $500.

If you personally prefer the notion of purer clarity (mindclean), only you can determine if it''s worth the extra $500 to you.

I personally wouldn''t bother, but I don''t have a thing about rarer clarity.

 

[Baklava]

Thank you! I''m not going to wave with the appraisal and clarity report anyway, I just want it to look fabulous. The staff member I was talking to told me in this case, you''d pay the difference, but not see it, so...

 

[chrono]

I doubt anyone will be able to see the difference, and most don''t ask about the clarity of the stones on a ring like that anyway. Save your $500 and enjoy your ring.