Another Diamond Comparison & Engagement Ring Advice Topic

[dmass32]

I am shopping for a center diamond for an engagement ring and have ended up with three different reputable jewelers that are all family contacts in some way. Each one claims they are getting me excellent deals and I've done some research on PS and shopped on blue nile, whiteflash, James Allen etc., and they seem to be competitive on price. One of the diamonds presented to me was actually listed on WF at roughly the same price. I'm having trouble deciding which jeweler to go with, as they all can make the same exact setting and all options are under my 10K budget.

Diamond 1:

Round, 1.1carat, G, VS1, Triple Excellent
measurements - 6.61-6.62 x 4.12
table - 56
depth - 62.3
crown angle - 34.5
pavilion angle - 40.8
medium to slightly thick 4%

Holloway score is excellent at a 1.4

The price is 7,600 for the stone excluding sales tax (6.25%) and the jeweler can produce the ring for 9,200 ex tax and 9,800 with tax)

Diamond 2:

Round, 1.2carat, G, SI1, Triple Excellent
measurements - 6.85-6.87 x 4.16
table - 59
depth - 60.7
crown angle - 35
pavilion angle - 40.8
medium 3.5%

Holloway score is very good at 2.0

The price for this specific diamond was not provided by the jeweler, but he can do the same setting with this stone for 9250 all in, including tax.

Both diamonds 1 and 2 look great in person. Under a loop, there is a tiny cloud I picked up in diamond 2, but it was very clean overall.
I don't have specifics on the third stone, but the jeweler is fairly well-known in the industry and a family connect. He claims he can provide a 1.1c, F VS1, triple excellent with the setting for under 10K. Unfortunately I am not in the same city so I would have to trust him without inspecting the stone myself.

Can anyone weigh in on these two stones and give me some feedback on which appears to be the better option given the price? Curious to know whether anyone thinks I should pursue Option 3 as its a step up from G to F, but I understand that without details its tough to know.

Thanks

 

[tyty333]

Re: Another Diamond Comparison & Engagement Ring Advice Topi

Really, you need to ask to see work/pictures of jewelry they've already made (or have you already). I have learned that
some jewelers will tell you anything you want to hear whether they can actually execute it nicely is a whole different story.

I would be asking to see their work.

Can the jewelers provide idealscope images of the stones? Can you post them if you can get them.

 

[Niel]

Re: Another Diamond Comparison & Engagement Ring Advice Topi

Just based on numbers hands down for me I'd pick diamond 1

 

[dmass32]

Re: Another Diamond Comparison & Engagement Ring Advice Topi

Good point on the settings and seeing examples of their past work. I have seen the work of both the jewelers who would be supplying the diamonds above. To my eye, the rings looked very nice. They also seem to have pretty good reviews and reputations. The third jeweler is supposedly a very reputable one, with a lot of happy pricescope customers, but I have not seen his work or the diamond he has put aside for me. I did get some info on the stone:

1.1 carat
F color
VS2 (he claims its close to a vs1)
58 table
61.5 depth
35
40.8
3.5 girdle
1.7 on the holloway cut advisor

I was not provided any idealscope images on any of these.

I am leaning towards option 1 or 3 at this point. Can't decide whether the slightly better HCA and clarity outweighs the F color of option 3.

Thanks for the responses!

 

[Niel]

Re: Another Diamond Comparison & Engagement Ring Advice Topi

Below 2 is good. One 1/5)4 vs 1.7 is necessarily better.


I still prefer smaller tables so I still vote #1