After a few weeks we found a great stone!

[eiger]

Found exactly what we were looking for at a great price! Here are the scope images:


Edited to show just the sarin and idealscope images ( I didn't mean to include hearts and arrows photos). The stone is an aga 1a and, since aga 1a is a narrower subset of ags 0, we were told it is likely ags 0. For all the time I spent looking online I am a bit surprised (but happy) that my local jeweler found this for us.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Can you post the lab report?

 

[eiger]

It is GIA 2155967980

DIAMOND GRADING REPORT
ROUND BRILLIANT

Measurements 9.22 - 9.27 x 5.68 mm
Carat Weight 3.02 carat
Color Grade J
Clarity Grade SI2
Cut Grade Excellent
PROPORTIONS

Depth 61.5 %
Table 58 %
Crown Angle 34.5°
Crown Height 14.5%
Pavilion Angle 40.8°
Pavilion Depth 43.0%
Star Length 50%
Lower Half 80%
Girdle Medium to Slightly Thick, Faceted, 4.0%
Culet None
FINISH

Polish Excellent
Symmetry Excellent
FLUORESCENCE

Fluorescence None
CLARITY CHARACTERISTICS

Clarity Characteristics Crystal, Feather, Cloud
COMMENTS

Additional clouds are not shown.
Pinpoints are not shown.

 

[Gypsy]

is it eyeclean? What is the HCA score (just wondering).

 

[eiger]

Hi,

It is eye clean to me (and I can definitely spot flaws) although it was appraised as "nearly eye clean" at a closet distance. I asked if the flaw created any havoc with the light return or light performance of the diamond and was told it did not.

It scored a 1.5 Ex-Ex-Ex-VG on the HCA.

The appraiser really seemed to love the stone. Within a few seconds of looking at it he remarked that it was an extremely nice cut. He also said it was close to an Si1 and closer to an I than a K in color.

 

[Gypsy]

Good to go then!

 

[eiger]

Did you have any reservations about the stone? I don't know how to read the scope images.

 

[Gypsy]

What were your priorities with respect to the four C's?

 

[eiger]

Cut - I want the stone to really sparkle and then I just wanted it to be eye clean without obvious yellow. Cost is the least of it - we have more than enough money, I'm just not the type to want to pay for something I can't see or perceive. While I know there is a flaw that I can see with a loupe it doesnot bother me since I don't see it otherwise and I was told that the flaw did not interfere with the light return. I have an e color stone now and so I know there is definitely a difference between e and j, but for me the difference is not enough to pay extra for. So I am fine with an si2 j stone while others might not be.

I am concerned that you are hinting that there is something wrong with this stone and, while I appreciate your responsiveness and opinion I wish you would simply say what it is since we are slated to purchase this diamond tomorrow morning.

That decision is based upon the opinion of a highly qualified appraiser who seemed very jazzed about the characteristics of this stone. So I will ask you once again, what is your concern? What doesn't seem right about it?

 

[eiger]

By the way, when I wrote in my original post that "I can definitely spot flaws" I did not mean that I can spot them in this stone. What I meant was that I am familiar enough with diamonds that I know what flaws look like and I know a heavily included stone when I see it. This stone Iis not heavily included. It has an inclusion under the table, but it isn't big and it is not visible to me without a loupe though the appraise said it was just barely visible to him at 12".

Like I said, I can live with that.

 

[Diamondbug]

I think it is a keeper.Sounds like a stone I just bought but better. I don't see a concern at all. Others may prefer a smaller table but 58% is definitely in the accepted range. The angles are perfect, appraiser has confirm that its a well cut stone and most importantly you love it so I say definitely keep it. Buying a diamond drove me crazy with questioning myself but sending it to an appraiser really help answer the doubts. I think you went to David Atlas,right? He is an awesome appraiser, I would trust his appraisal completely over us Pricescopers that have not seen the stone.

 

[eiger]

You know what? David told me that my stone is absolutely an ideal cuut beauty He also felt the price was amazing - especially after I showed him the two rings I was trading in and how much the jeweler offered me for them. So I am satisfied. The diamond is dazzling and David is an expert!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

The cut looks great!!! No worries there! The other specs are personal preference. So it looks like you have a winner!

 

[Diamondbug]

So next question would be.... what are you setting it in? Can't wait to see what you decide on. Solitaire, halo? Please share info and photos . Pricescopers loves photos... lots of em!!

 

[eiger]

I am working with the jeweler who sold us the stone to come up with something along these lines (in platinum):



What do you think of these? I like the Victor Canera style quite a bit - but I would prefer something similar turned 90 degrees so that the pear chapped stones go across the finger horizontally instead of up and down the finger.

 

[pyramid]

You have got a lovely stone, Dave Atlas appraising it is above what pricescopers would say and I think pricescopers
here would all agree with that.

I thought it seemed strange a GIA K could be said to be an I, I was thinking as a normal consumer, maybe a J but a K is two steps up. I believe it now though now I know it was Dave Atlas who said it. We always hear one grade different either way with GIA, so you have been very lucky there.

Dave Atlas probably can't comment without your permission but would be good to hear what he had to say about the two grade difference.

 

[Niel]

I am working with the jeweler who sold us the stone to come up with something along these lines (in platinum):



What do you think of these? I like the Victor Canera style quite a bit - but I would prefer something similar turned 90 degrees so that the pear chapped stones go across the finger horizontally instead of up and down the finger.

make sure you see examples of your vendors work before proceeding. These rings are lovely, but don't leave a lot of room for error. A vendor without a lot of skill in that area can make them look a bit........ not what your expecting.

 

[Diamondbug]

Gosh that is a gorgeous setting..... I LOVE it!! Are you sure that you have the finger real estate to carry that with a 3ct stone? It's going to be major BLING!! Please,please share photos when it is done. How long is it going to take him to finish it? Exciting times for sure.

 

[Diamondbug]

I thought it seemed strange a GIA K could be said to be an I, I was thinking as a normal consumer, maybe a J but a K is two steps up. I believe it now though now I know it was Dave Atlas who said it. We always hear one grade different either way with GIA, so you have been very lucky there.

Pyramid, the stone is actually a GIA J and David Atlas said it is closer to an I than a K so it is graded correctly, he just meant it is a higher end J

 

[telephone89]

WOW that is going to be a huge setting. Hope you/she has large fingers to fit all of that!

 

[eiger]

Yes - Diamondbug is correct - in case I wasn't clear. The stone is GIA J in color and Si2 in clarity, but David felt it was a good J, closer to I color than to K, and closer to Si1 than to I1 in clarity. In fact, it appears, oddly enough, that the stone was submitted twice for GIA grading (perhaps in hopes of receiving a higher grade in color or clarity). It remains a J Si2, but I am fine with that. I could not see the inclusion without a loupe though David felt it was "nearly" eyeclean. (His eye for this sort of think is better than mine.) I am fine with that.

BTW - I became a bit nervous from all the speculation about this stone from PSers that I double-checked with David (He's such a nice person,) who told me to rest assured the diamond is not "beautiful given the price", or "beautiful given the clarity and color" but just plain beautiful as diamonds go. We got an amazing deal on the stone (we're paying $500 below David's estimated wholesale price) and we were given nearly 90% of the original cost of my first engagement stone which was purchased in 2002, and double the price of a 2-carat three stone ring which was purchased around the same time. Everyone knows that Diamonds aren't investments, but we certainly received a fair deal in trade.


As for the setting:
I am being cautious about the setting, and making sure the ring is not too big. My jeweler and I discussed this at length. For a first blush we are looking at .02 ct stones in the inner halo. I currently have an OEC that is 2.89 carats but has the width of a 3.0 stone. It is surrounded by micropave and then a halo of marquise shaped stones. It is a big ring - but not too big, so the goal is to create something similar in size but a bit more dainty looking. The setting on my OEC is from the 50s or 60s (it is not original to the stone, though that is how I found it at an antiques show) and it's a bit "chunky." For this ring, I want something delicate looking. Nowadays, so many rings have halos. This is still a halo design, but I am hoping it will be beautiful without looking exactly like many other rings.

I will post photos of the setting in progress.