Advice on Round Diamonds Please!

[ineedhelp379]

hello!
i normally dont post to forums but this is special case, and ive seen the great advice many of you have given and would appreciate the same

i need some help deciphering the vast amount of information that goes into online diamond shopping. Its hard to not see it and see how it sparkles. To solely base a decision on certifications, numbers, and conversions etc... is a bit unwelcoming for me.

i understand briandavin, bluenile, and whiteflash, but already have the setting from shane co and want to go through them again to have a B&M store to frequent, and for their warranty.

this is the setting: http://www.shaneco.com/detail/diamond-split-shank-engagement-ring-with-pave-setting/41050106

i already have the setting with a .4 carat S1 H princess diamond in it from the shane co. i want to add a bigger/new diamond in it and want to use shane cos trade in program to do so. thats why i chose shane co.. also im strictly online because i live in socal now temporarily and there is no shane co nearby

however about the diamonds which is the crucial info, here is the details on table, crown and depth.

All the rounds have GIA certs which is where this information came from

1. ROUND BRILLIANT - HCA: 1.6 (excellent light return, fire, scintillation. very good spread.)

Measurements 5.25 - 5.27 x 3.22 mm
Carat Weight 0.54 carat
Color Grade H
Clarity Grade SI1
Cut Grade Excellent

PROPORTIONS

Depth 61.3 %
Table 57 %
Crown Angle 35.0°
Crown Height 15.0%
Pavilion Angle 40.8°
Pavilion Depth 43.0%
Star Length 50%
Lower Half 80%
Girdle Medium, Faceted, 3.5%
Culet None
FINISH

Polish Excellent
Symmetry Excellent
FLUORESCENCE

Fluorescence None
CLARITY CHARACTERISTICS

Clarity Characteristics Twinning Wisp, Cloud


2. ROUND BRILLIANT - HCA: 1.5 (excellent fire, light return and scintillation. very good spread)

Measurements 5.45 - 5.50 x 3.35 mm
Carat Weight 0.61 carat
Color Grade J
Clarity Grade SI2
Cut Grade Excellent
PROPORTIONS

Depth 61.2 %
Table 56 %
Crown Angle 35.0°
Crown Height 15.0%
Pavilion Angle 40.8°
Pavilion Depth 43.0%
Star Length 60%
Lower Half 80%
Girdle Medium, Faceted, 3.0%
Culet None
FINISH

Polish Very Good
Symmetry Excellent
FLUORESCENCE

Fluorescence Medium Blue
CLARITY CHARACTERISTICS

Clarity Characteristics Crystal


3. ROUND BRILLIANT - HCA: 1.3 (excellent fire + light return. very good scintillation + spread)

Measurements 5.20 - 5.22 x 3.20 mm
Carat Weight 0.52 carat
Color Grade I
Clarity Grade VS2
Cut Grade Excellent
PROPORTIONS

Depth 61.4 %
Table 55 %
Crown Angle 34.0°
Crown Height 15.0%
Pavilion Angle 41.0°
Pavilion Depth 43.0%
Star Length 50%
Lower Half 75%
Girdle Thin to Slightly Thick, Faceted, 3.0%
Culet None
FINISH

Polish Very Good
Symmetry Excellent
FLUORESCENCE

Fluorescence None
CLARITY CHARACTERISTICS

Clarity Characteristics Crystal

diamond 1 is $1,950, classified as shane classic cut
diamond 2 is $1,815, excellent cut
diamond 3 is $1,755, ideal cut


thank you all in advance!!!

 

[pfunk]

It's gonna be tough for anyone to offer up too much advice without pictures or more info. Without seeing it you won't know what the inclusions look like or where they are. Posting the GIA certificate numbers will help others evaluate more completely. None of them look bad just going off the numbers but you can't just buy off the certificate. I will tell you that after a lengthy session of questioning Shane Co about their cut grades I finally found out that their "cut grades" aren't only based on cut. Anything below an H color can't get "Shane Classic". Wouldn't surprise me if anything below an I can't get "ideal".

DO NOT let them use their "cut grades" to sell you on a particular stone. You'd be surprised how many of their "Shane Classics" score very poorly on the HCA, despite their claim that less than 1% of the world's diamonds would meet the Shane Classic standards. The great majority of them are cut to the edges of qualifications and are typically deep. You will see a lot of shane classics with crowns of 35.5 and pavilions of 41.

Take a look at these two for example, which are equal in color and clarity...

http://www.gia.edu/cs/Satellite?pag...&c=Page&cid=1355954554547&reportno=1189294845

http://www.gia.edu/cs/Satellite?pag...&c=Page&cid=1355954554547&reportno=1179161972

The first is an "excellent" cut while the second is "ideal". Neither are good choices, but the first faces up much larger, is cut nearly identical, and yet it is much cheaper than the second stone which is supposedly an "ideal" cut.

 

[ineedhelp379]

thank you for a detailed response! i appreciate your time and effort. the advice on not taking shanes cut grading to seriously is very helpful. ive noticed that their shane classics, ideal, and excellent cuts all graded "excellent" by GIA. I know to take it with a grain of salt but it is encouraging to get a shane "Excellent cut" at a lower price while still being graded "Excellent" by the GIA... is my logic sound?

Cut is most important to me as you all know why, so im trying to be sure that GIA excellent grade is what i should be looking closest at...

thanks again!

 

[pfunk]

Yes, only looking at GIA excellent is a fine place to start. You can also look at AGS graded diamonds but I would guess they dont have many of them. AGS is also a very reputable lab and an AGS ideal cut is as good or better than a GIA excellent.

You have a good start there narrowing it down to only diamonds that score under 2 on the HCA. That eliminates most all of the poorly cut diamonds. What you should do is find several diamonds at online vendors that are very close to your top 3 shane co stones. Then when you go to shane co you can show them what you would pay elsewhere and you may be able to get them to come down on price.

 

[tyty333]

Have you asked Shane if the SI1s are eye-clean. Those stones have decent numbers. For myself, I would probably go with the
biggest one but it's a J. May be safer to go with the H if it's eye-clean. Did Shane say that they could put a round in that setting
that already had a princess in it?

 

[ineedhelp379]

thanks for all the advice! anything above an S12 they say is eye-clean. and yes they will mount a round on a setting with a princess.
i think the .52, I, VS2, is my favorite.

does anyone have pictures of a real half a carat round so i can gauge the size?