Am I getting ripped?

[nickg4bruins]

The last time I posted looking for advice, it turns out my stone was a dud so I''m looking to redeem myself today. I have found a stone (I think) and was just wondering if anybody had any opinions on whether or not Im getting taken on this stone. It is a round Superbcert 0.44 ct, F, VS2, and I''ve been assured by Barry that the stone is gorgeous. I''m willing to pay a little more knowing that Im dealing with a company that will give me great service. I sent an email to Barry last night at 9 pm and got a response back within minutes! Here are the specs:
Depth:60.6
Table: 54.9
Crown: 34.3
Pav: 40.8
Culet: 0.8
Price 1487

I have seen cheaper stones when I do a search, but was just wondering if this price seems too high for the specs it has.
Thank you everybody, I appreciate your input.
NIck

 

[Genafrgh]

According to the HCA tool here on PS, this diamond scores a 1, which is in the top 5% of cut diamonds. Barrys diamonds always seem to score well, and he puts a lot of effort into letting you "see" it before your purchase, thru the idealscope pics, and brilliancescope, thru 10x magnification, etc. Check out his return policy; you should be able to get the diamond & view it first-hand before committing to it.

 

[Giangi]

I think it's a beautiful stone. The price is not bad at all, considering it's a branded H&A.

There's just one point... Are you sure you want to stay in the F/VS 2 range and not get a larger but GHI/SI stone? At that size, the visible difference between F color and H or I is pretty small and the chances of finding a +/- 0.50ct eye-clean SI are really high. Just a thought.

 

[nickg4bruins]

I would go with a larger size but because my girlfriend clearly stated that she wants the stone to be very small, so I will gladly oblige. Usually they want the larger stone so I guess Im lucky!

 

[Genafrgh]

Although she stated that she wants the stone to be small, I would look deeply into where that remark came from. I told my fiance the same thing when he was ring hunting, "not too big! I have tiny fingers!" so he got me a half carat diamond. However, what motivated me to say that was that I knew he didn't have much money saved and I was anxious to be engaged to him, so I probably would have taken anything as an engagement ring at that time. Since then, our situation has changed & I ended up "upgrading" which was more expensive than just buying what I really wanted from the start. I didn't want to come across as greedy or shallow saying "bigger is better", but unfortunatly, that was the truth that I didn't feel comfortable enough saying until after the fact. Make sure that she really wants the smaller stone before you commit to such a big purchase, take it from me! Upgrading is expensive!

 

[Nicrez]

Amen Genafrgh!

That said, this stone is lovely and quite a sparkler from the numbers you gave. I would also recommend that you could lower the gades a bit to accomodate.

I am a color SNOB, so I advocate in CERTAIN instances that color go lower, and ONLY in round stones, as putting a wellcut F, next to a wekk cut H or I has such a TINY difference, no one could tell. I have an E, and next to my coworker's fairly well-cut G, there really isn't any yellow...Imagine if she had a H&A like YOU!

So, I say, go with what you feel is best. This IS a wonderful stone, and if you want to have an F, VS2, then go for it, but maybe you can ask your girl WHY she wants a "small" stone, because Genafrgh could be right...

Good luck and congrats on finding a great stone!!!

 

[Bikergirl]

The stone does sound good, and well priced.

I would agree with others, though. Find out why she wants a smaller stone. I am recently engaged (November), and my fiancee and I shopped for rings together. I REALLY *REALLY* had my heart set on a small stone, with an ornate, intricate, antique style setting. My fiancee was equally set on getting me a solitaire from Tiffany's. (He likes the little blue box even more than I do! haha) I refused to pay that much money for a name brand.

So we did lots and lots...and lots of shopping. I didn't think we would ever agree on a style, size, price range, etc.

I really like the filagree look, and I also didn't want a huge stone because I lead a VERY active lifestyle - I race bicycles and compete in triathlons for fun! I swim in lakes and oceans on a regular basis and didn't want to have to worry about losing a really expensive piece of jewelry. We also travel quite a bit - sometimes to third world countries. I also didn't want to be paraniod while away from home.

He is over 45 and never been married, and really wanted to give me something spectacular for our engagement. After much discussion and soul-searching, we came up with an option that we both like.

I have a 2.5c round brilliant H, VVS2 Ideal cut solitaire set in a very simple - but extremely elegant - platinum band. (Not from Tiffany's. I did agree to the solitaire, but not to an over-inflated price tag!) I have to say, I was VERY intimadated at first, and almost afraid to wear it. I'm finally getting used to it (after 6 months) and have received SO many compliments on it. It is truly an awesome stone!

But there were still my concerns about my lifestyle. So I have two wedding bands. My "real" wedding band had three round diamonds and two baguettes. The setting is more along the lines of what I originally had in mind. Not too much sparkle, sort of an elaborate, ornate, but still elegant setting. It looks absolutely gorgeous when paired with my engagement ring, and gives us both what we wanted.

Then I also have a plain platinum band. I can wear it alone when competing in athletic events, or wear it paired with my other wedding band (so I still have two rings) when we travel. The plain platinum band also goes well with my engagement ring, so I really have several options.

My point is that if you really have something in mind that you want to get her, and she also has something in mind that she wants, maybe the two of you can discuss and figure out what can make both of you happy!

 

[nickg4bruins]

I really appreciate everyone's responses. The reason that she's always told me that she wants a small stone is because of diamonds that friends of hers have and because she doesnt wear a lot of jewelry. no earings or bracelets, only necklaces that are usually chokers, nothing metal. The rings that she does wear either have no stone at all, or are very small, probably smaller than the size diamond that Im looking to get her.