Another Help Pick My Stone Thread : )

[Midway]

Okay, unfortunately I don't have Ideal Scope or ASET images, and I know there's only so much you can tell from numbers. But I thought I'd post specs anyway and see what people thought. The only difference is a slight difference in color and size. Which one do you think she'll love more?

Diamond A

1.35 Carat
G
VS1
7.12 x 7.15 x 4.39

GIA Cert
Ex Cut
Ex Polish
Ex Symmetry
HCA 1.3, TIC
Ex, Ex, Ex, VG
Crown Angle: 34.5
Pav Angle: 40.8
Table: 56
Depth %: 61.5
No Fluor

Diamond B

1.47 Carat
H
VS1
7.34 x 7.39 x 4.47

AGS Cert
0 Cut
0 Polish
0 Symmetry
HCA 1.6, TIC
Ex, Ex, Ex, VG
Crown: 35.0
Pavilion: 40.8
Table: 57.3
Depth: 60.7
No Fluor

I know they're very close, so PLEASE be nitpicky. Price is almost the same, so that is not a factor I'm considering. The color is my only hangup with B. But I did go see some well cut Gs and Hs and I could hardly discern the difference. Diamond A has everything I'm looking for. Diamond B has almost everything I'm looking for except is slightly lower color than I was hoping for. I'm most comfortable in the G or above range but is the added size worth the trade off?

Any thoughts/opinions greatly appreciated. Especially among those that considered the G or H question. Thanks in advance.

 

[Midway]

A short follow-up question. I''ve heard that AGS tends to be a little stricter on color than GIA. Any truth to this? Just wondering if the AGS H may look very close to a GIA G.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Oh gosh, it is so disappointing when a post gets an error message!

I choose the 1.47 H. GIA and AGS color grading are both accurate. Most people would be hard pressed to tell a G from an H, unless maybe it was a loooow H. But that is a rare and desirable size since it is just under the 1.5 ct. mark. Both stones are well cut, so that''s not an issue. I''d pick the larger one because I looked for a stone with those specs for MONTHS! I finally ended up going above 1.5 because the 1.4''s were hard to find!

 

[Midway]

DS, is your stone the one in your avatar? I''ve read bits and pieces about your search and it seems to mirror my own experience over the past six weeks. I must say, the stone in your avatar looks very lovely!

I hope you don''t mind my asking, but have you ever had issues with the color of your diamond? I know you eventually went larger than I''m considering, in the 1.6-1.7 range (if memory serves), I think it was an H also.

I''m having both stones flown out to an appraiser, so I''m taking your advice after all and letting my eyes make the determination. But just wanted to know if in your experience you ever had a second-thought about choosing a stone in the H color range.

Thanks in advance, you''re always so willing to help out on this forum. I really appreciate all your wonderful insight!

 

[Ellen]

You may know this already, but don''t look at the stones side by side. You may very well be able to tell then. Have him mix them up and show you one at a time.

 

[:)]

Date: 12/19/2006 8:11:16 PM
Author: Ellen
You may know this already, but don''t look at the stones side by side. You may very well be able to tell then. Have him mix them up and show you one at a time.

That''s a really good idea

 

[Midway]

Great idea Ellen.

I''ll try it like that. And I''ll tell you gals and guys how it goes. I''ve been reading up on color and "color sensitivity" here on the forum. It seems like most people notice the biggest jump between H and I in the near colorless range. I''ve noticed that too with me. But I''ll find out tomorrow whether I can distinguish between the G and H when they''re not right next to each other. If I can''t, I''ll go with the bigger stone.

 

[Midway]

So, just a short follow-up. I went to see the appraiser today, I wasn''t terribly impressed with what she did for me but it did give me a chance to see the diamonds up close. I saw them under 10x magnification under the microscope. They were both VS1s, but the AGS was a bit stricter on clarity. I thought both stones were beautiful, they both had that sparkle you see from an ideal/excellent cut.

As for color, I could hardly tell the difference between the colors. I saw them one at a time like Ellen suggested without knowing which one was which. But the size difference was pretty obvious and I''ve seen enough rocks at this point to know a 1.47 carat from a 1.35 carat. I guess the funny thing was that the G and the H looked basically the same to me, mostly white with a slight tint of warmth if you tilted it the right way. I guess at times the G looked a bit more transparent to me, but I didn''t know if that was the light angle or the color of the stone.

Between these two, I would have to choose the 1.47. The color difference was negligible, the clarity was a bit better on the bigger stone, and the size was definitely noticeable. But now I''m wondering if I should ditch them both and move down to an F. What''s wrong with me?

 

[Ellen]

Date: 12/20/2006 6:03:50 PM
Author: Midway
So, just a short follow-up. I went to see the appraiser today, I wasn''t terribly impressed with what she did for me but it did give me a chance to see the diamonds up close. I saw them under 10x magnification under the microscope. They were both VS1s, but the AGS was a bit stricter on clarity. I thought both stones were beautiful, they both had that sparkle you see from an ideal/excellent cut.

As for color, I could hardly tell the difference between the colors. I saw them one at a time like Ellen suggested without knowing which one was which. But the size difference was pretty obvious and I''ve seen enough rocks at this point to know a 1.47 carat from a 1.35 carat. I guess the funny thing was that the G and the H looked basically the same to me, mostly white with a slight tint of warmth if you tilted it the right way. I guess at times the G looked a bit more transparent to me, but I didn''t know if that was the light angle or the color of the stone.

Between these two, I would have to choose the 1.47. The color difference was negligible, the clarity was a bit better on the bigger stone, and the size was definitely noticeable. But now I''m wondering if I should ditch them both and move down to an F. What''s wrong with me?

There''s nothing "wrong" with you.

Do you want an icy white stone? Do you think you would see warmth once it is set? And, because you say the difference in color was negligable, do you think an F, just one grade higher, would get you what you "may" be striving for?

Just some food for thought.

 

[Midway]

Ellen,

I''ve actually been able to FINALLY come to peace with my color demons.

When I first saw the 1.47 my first reaction was, "wow, what a pretty stone!" When I saw the 1.35 I thought, "equally pretty... but a bit smaller." But I never thought of the 1.35 as being whiter, as I said, I found the color difference negligible. I think I was caught up in the idea that my stone had to fit certain criteria. It had to be G or better bc anything less would be compromising.

But to finally put my doubts to rest I decided I should go look at some set stones. (I''d been looking at mostly loose stones and I don''t think I believed people when they said it would look different mounted). I went to Cartier, Tiffany''s, and some high-end B&Ms and looked at 1.5 solitaires in a range of colors. The overwhelming consensus from looking, the Hs look the same as the Gs and Fs to me mounted. Even when I looked from the profile and had them side by side. I think jeweller''s lights may have effected my color perception, but I left with a pretty secure feeling that the 1.47 H would look incredibly beautiful on the custom setting that I''ve had made. In this case, I''m willing to sacrifice one step in color (which I couldn''t even really perceive even in the loose stone) to have the size that I think she will love more.

It''s so great to have finally made this decision and feel confident in it. Thank you to everyone on this forum because I couldn''t have done it without you guys. I''ve absorbed more information in the past month on diamonds than I ever thought I''d learn about ANYTHING.

I''ll be sure to post pictures of the completed ring!

 

[Ellen]

I'm so glad you did that! And I'm really glad you're getting the 1.47, that is an awesome size. Definitely post pics, we'll be wating!