Advice on this lab diamond please.

[Lisag103]

Hello,

So I have been on the lookout for a lab diamond for a little while. Was looking for around a 1.5ct with a budget of around $2k. As that’s a small budget I was looking in the J/K SI1 range. I’m in know rush so was just keeping an eye out when I came upon this option.

The fact that the cut is only good is holding me back but I am tempted as it’s bigger than I expected and is going for $1500 so the price is amazing. From the video I was sent it looks ok to my very untrained eyes and I plan on setting it on a cushion halo if that makes much difference.

With my budget I’m not expecting a perfect diamond but please let me know if you think this would be a mistake to buy, all things considered especially the price and if I’m am being swayed by the size !!

 

[Lisag103]

I can’t post the video put here are some stills from it so probably not the best pics

 

[Slickk]

Not an expert, but I think it is too deep, the table is too large. The cut grade is only good, I personally would not buy a good cut. Plus it faces up small for its weight.
Again, not an expert. Did you run it through the HCA calculator?

 

[Lisag103]

Not an expert, but I think it is too deep, the table is too large. The cut grade is only good, I personally would not buy a good cut. Plus it faces up small for its weight.
Again, not an expert. Did you run it through the HCA calculator?

hey I did put it through that and saw that it faced up small right and it did not score great (expected!) I know it’s not an excellent diamond just wondering if it is worth considering bearing in mind the cost!

 

[Slickk]

hey I did put it through that and saw that it faced up small right and it did not score great (expected!) I know it’s not an excellent diamond just wondering if it is worth considering bearing in mind the cost!

The answer will vary according to individual preferences. For me, I would prefer an excellent cut. Have you priced out excellent cut stones for comparison?

 

[Lisag103]

The answer will vary according to individual preferences. For me, I would prefer an excellent cut. Have you priced out excellent cut stones for comparison?

Yes and they are a lot more! That said I’m going to take a look at something a bit smaller seeing as this faces up smaller anyway and see if that throws up anything!
My other challenge is that I’m based in Europe and our options are a lot more limited when it comes to lab diamonds!

 

[sprinklesparkles]

Just a heads up that if you're setting in a halo, a k will be noticeably different than the melee.

You can work with a good jeweler to get lower color diamonds around it, but if you're using a semimount with preselected diamonds they won't match.

 

[OoohShiny]

For me, it's a No....

The HCA score is really not very good:

Cut Advisor Score 5.8
Factor Grade
Light Return: Good
Fire: Fair
Scintillation: Fair
Spread: Good
HCA Score : 5.8 - Good - Only if price is your main criterion
Probably doesn't sparkle much and it looks very small for its carat weight.

Diamond Stats
Carat: 2.01
Depth: 64.5
Table: 63
Crown: 39.5
Pavillion: 40.9
Symmetry: Good
Measurements: 7.69x7.84x5.02
GIA/AGS report # :


For its weight, it is facing up much smaller than it could/should, and the steep (crown) / deep (pavilion) combination will mean the light does not bounce back out to the viewer, instead leaking out the sides, because the angles do not work well together. That will make the stone look even smaller, because the edges will be dark rather than bright.

So it is cheap, yes, but it is cheap for a reason. You aren't necessarily overpaying for weight you can't see, but you are not getting good performance for your money.

As you have already noted, look for something lower in weight but with similar spread, and with angles that work better together.

If you try to stick within this range, it will help select stones that should perform reasonably well:

Table 54-59
Depth 60-62.4
Crown Angle 34-35 degrees (perhaps 35.5 or 36 with a 40.6 pavilion)
Pavilion Angle 40.6-40.9 degrees

When pavilion angle increases, crown angle should decrease, and vice versa - e.g. 40.6 pavilion with 35 crown, but 40.9 pavilion with 34 crown.

It is possible to go outside that range but such stones need more analysis, so the range is basically an 'easy win' filter.

You could extend to a 60 table with a 60 depth or slightly shallower, for example - that would be a 60/60 stone, which would likely give a lot of white light return and less coloured fire.


There is a list of MMD vendors in this section of the forum - do have a look through to see if any have stock that is of interest.

 

[Lisag103]

ooohshiny

Thank you so much for all that info. There is a lot to take in so I need to have a good read of all the angles and %.

 

[OoohShiny]

No worries

This is worth a read:

Diamond Cut: Everything You Need To Know

What's the right diamond grade for your budget? Read our extensive guide to diamond cut and how it can impact your diamond's sparkle.

www.pricescope.com

 

[lovedogs]

I would not consider this stone due to the cut being fairly bad (no offense). It isn't worth spending the $$ for a stone that won't have the sparkle and life that you expect or hope for from a diamond.

 

[Lisag103]

Thanks everyone. I’m giving it a skip! Appreciate all the help!

 

[Ella]

A reminder that trade members may not comment on stones or other things under consideration, as it can be perceived as biased.