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Any advice before final purchase?

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jkim74

Rough_Rock
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Apr 19, 2007
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I''m about to take the plunge, and I''ve narrowed my choices to 2 loose diamonds. I was about to pull the trigger on BlueNile, but fortunately found this site!

1.22 Carat G-VS2 Ideal- Cut Round Diamond
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamond.asp?cid=130&item=876316

1.21-Carat Round Diamond
This Ideal-cut, G-color, and VS2-clarity
http://www.bluenile.com/diamonds_details.asp?__fun_frm=i&pid=LD01001966&filter_id=0

Similar in price, but the james allen stone is a H&A and has pictures! (leaning towards james allen) I have also checked out GOG and Whiteflash, but they didn''t have a similarly priced stone with these specs.

I''d greatly appreciate any input or additional suggestions. Thanks.
-johnny
 

boston_jeff

Brilliant_Rock
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Jan 30, 2007
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The IS of the James Allen stone shows some leakage under the table, and scores a 2.3 on the HCA, which apparently is OK with the upcoming revisions (although I could be wrong on this).

The BN stone scores better on the HCA (1.4), but without an IS I would be hesistant to purchase it...

I would go with this one instead for $7926 with IS discount... nice H&A pictures...
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/2692/

or this one if you can stretch the budget to $9120
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/976/
 

Kelkel

Rough_Rock
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Feb 7, 2007
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31
I'm not an expert, and I think both are quite similar, and both are GIA excellent cuts. The vendors may call the diamond ideal-cut, but since they are not graded by AGS, we cannot be sure whether they are indeed AGS-0 ideal (the best possible grade for a RB cut currently graded by a lab). As for the H&A pattern, I personally think that JA's definition of H&A is a bit loose, as the Idealscope shows that one of the arrowheads doesn't align perfectly with the shaft. I'd treat both as GIA excellent, which means both should display some (unlikely to be perfect) form of H&A pattern. If one wants a near-perfect H&A pattern, I assume one should have seen the hearts picture first.
 

oldminer

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Sep 3, 2000
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The two you found are pretty much a good pair. I''d prefer the 62% depth over 62.5%, but it is a tiny thing to base a purchase on. They are just about equal in nearly all respects. I doubt you can see any difference between them. THe GOG stone is a tiny bit less in diameter and it does weigh a bit less. Again, it is another virtual mate for the other two except in weight. Less weight/less price does not make it better or worse, just a choice.

Buy all three, take a look at them, and return two...... ONLY KIDDING!!!! I am pretty sure that any one of them will make someone very pleased. If one doesn''t make that person happy, you are really getting a signal about what the future has in store for you.
 

jkim74

Rough_Rock
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Apr 19, 2007
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Thank you all for the responses.

I guess overall, the BN stone is more of a gamble, since it does not have any images.


Boston_Jeff:

I appreciate the HCA calculations you did. I still don''t know how much stock to put into HCA. The BN stone has an HCA 1.4, JA stone 2.3, and the GOG stones you referenced are 2.1 ($9120) and 1.6 ($7926). I also did live chat with GOG who was, interestingly, very against HCA calculations, quoting research. However, I do realize that it is just another useful tool, and many likely have debated this issue in this forum.

When you say ''IS discount'', I assume you mean Bank wire price. But when you mention leakage and IS, you mean Idealscope, right? I did see the small leakage under the table, now that you pointed it out.

But ultimately, you would go with the smaller 1.14ct GOG $7926 stone?


Kelkel:

I also saw that the arrows did not line up perfectly for the JA stone. Among the GOG stones that Boston_Jeff suggested and these 2 which one would you recommend?


David:

I wonder what your opinion is regarding HCA score and need to see Idealscope-type images before deciding on one among the JA, BN, and GOG stones. I really wish I could buy, view, and return, but I don''t think I have the cash/credit or boldness to do that.

Thanks again,
Johnny
 

jkim74

Rough_Rock
Joined
Apr 19, 2007
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Also, I really do need to cap my budget at around $8000, unless, for $9000 it would be a significantly superior stone.
 

Kelkel

Rough_Rock
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Feb 7, 2007
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I'd get the GOG 1.14 H&A if you asked me, because I really like what its cut, as shown by the pictures, especially the hearts picture. Some of the H&A at GOG I've seen have less perfect hearts, with more split at cleft, see "Grading the Hearts" link, but this one is almost perfect. But that's because my personal preference is towards the best cut. I had a lower budget for a diamond and ended up buying a 1.04ct H eye-clean SI1, because I wanted a ACA. If I had your budget, I would probably have bought a 1.25+ ct H VS2 H&A, but I know some people insist on G while some have no problem going down to even J color.
 

curad

Rough_Rock
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Apr 27, 2007
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Hi Kelkel,

In this post, you mention you bought a 1.04ct H eye-clean SI1 ACA, but would have bought a 1.25+ ct H VS2 H&A if you had the budget. Why? Are you not pleased with SI1? Can you see you see the inclusion of your eye-clean SI1 with the naked eye? I''m making the decision to go SI1 (vs VS2) for a 1.25ct ACA from Whiteflash.

Thanks.
 
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