are any of these MUST HAVES??

[mintve]

OK, so I started my offical shopping. I emailed some local vendors as well as Bob at WF at Jon at GOG. This is what Bob sent to me. I am looking at the 1 carat range and our budget is $5000-$5500. Are any of these ones I should not let go???

ACA
http://www.whiteflash.com/diamonds/Compare_Diamonds.aspx?idnos=540916,540915,560207

ES
http://www.whiteflash.com/diamonds/Compare_Diamonds.aspx?idnos=283305,283321,358382

 

[mintve]

oh, and btw, Bob said the SI1 stones he sent are eye clean

 

[sera]

I'm not an expert, so I'll leave the commenting on the stone parameters to the experts (but I will say I haven't heard of anyone being unhappy with an ACA... and I'm pretty sure I don't recall any unhappy ES owners).

About the price, yes you can get something cheaper... some labs grade the stones higher in color and clarity than they actually are, so the paper may say it's H color but in reality it's J or whatever... or on paper it says SI1 when it's I1 or worse. (ETA: I was not referring to AGS or GIA as lab reports that are consistently way off).

You also have to consider the CUT. Two diamonds with the same color and clarity can vary a LOT in price and thus quality. I'm sure you've seen commercials for 1ct diamonds for $1000... and yup, you get what you pay for... you gotta consider the cut quality.

The WF prices are very good for what you are getting. They are FAR above the average diamond you see.

 

[Miscka]

Mintve, I wouldn''t worry about it. It is important to compare apples to apples. I highly doubt you will find anything truly comparable (cut-wise) for much cheaper. I think you have made good choices, and you cant go wrong with ACA!

 

[sera]

Date: 1/3/2008 3:26:28 PM
Author: sera
I''m not an expert, so I''ll leave the commenting on the stone parameters to the experts (but I will say I haven''t heard of anyone being unhappy with an ACA... and I''m pretty sure I don''t recall any unhappy ES owners).


About the price, yes you can get something cheaper... some labs grade the stones higher in color and clarity than they actually are, so the paper may say it''s H color but in reality it''s J or whatever... or on paper it says SI1 when it''s I1 or worse. (ETA: I was not referring to AGS or GIA as lab reports that are consistently way off).


You also have to consider the CUT. Two diamonds with the same color and clarity can vary a LOT in price and thus quality. I''m sure you''ve seen commercials for 1ct diamonds for $1000... and yup, you get what you pay for... you gotta consider the cut quality.


The WF prices are very good for what you are getting. They are FAR above the average diamond you see.

I think I need to reword what I said... sorry, I was having my second blonduh moment of the day... when I re-read what I wrote, it kinda sounds like I was meaning I wasn''t referring to AGS or GIA and that AGS and GIA are consistently off- that is not what I meant. I meant that AGS and GIA are not consistently off, so those two labs are not the labs I was referring to. Did that help clarify or just sound more confuzzled?!

 

[mintve]

Thanks Sera-

You make sense and I know about the Blonde moments, I have them all the time!

I am more confused though b/c I just got some great stones from Jonathon at GOG. I must say they really give you A TON of info at GOG. Plus, he offered to make a video of a few stones so I can see what they look like in action

i put out an eamil to several local vendors, but few, if any, will have any the reports beyond the GIA cert. I kind of want the reports b/c they at least tell me things I would not otherwise know. I think lots of diamonds are pretty and if you are somewhere with good lighting and they are giving you mediocre stones to compare, then how do you really know what you have? at least with GOG you know its pretty, but you also have the docuemnts to prove that it should be pretty!!

I think I am rambling...and talking in circles

 

[sera]

I got my stone from GOG and it is everything it was promised to be and more. It is amazing how sparkly and fiery and icy it is. I did look at diamonds locally, and while they were nice and sparkly in the store with a fresh cleaning, the GOG diamond just blows them away in any lighting and regardless if I have just cleaned it! When you see an average or just above average stone, they can be pretty... but an exceptionally cut stone leaves you awestruck!

I would absolutely buy another diamond from GOG without any reservations... I have not bought from Whiteflash, but because of their reputation here, I would feel just as confident going with them- especially with an ACA!

 

[neatfreak]

There are a lot of other factors than just color and clarity...and Mintve, from what I have seen being around PS for a while, these prices are perfectly in line with what you would expect to pay for a super ideal cut stone.

If you're unsure, you can ask Bob to pull them all and pick the one he likes best visually too. Sometimes one just really stands out in person.

 

[Julyjewels]

Im sorry if i bothered anybody..

All i was trying to help you.

Im in this endustry and im not trying to sell anything..

And im not saying you guys dont know anything.Just trying to tell dont pay too much money for unimportant details...

Again im sorry...

 

[E B]

What about this guy? Extra $ to put into the setting.

1.023 I, SI1 ES, 1.4 HCA $4511

 

[sera]

Date: 1/3/2008 7:27:25 PM
Author: Julyjewels

Date: 1/3/2008 5:42:01 PM

Author: neatfreak

Date: 1/3/2008 2:22:53 PM


Author: Julyjewels


All i can say these prices are very high...



You should get it at least 1000 less...



You can get H color Vs2 with these prices..

There are a lot of other factors than just color and clarity...and Mintve, from what I have seen being around PS for a while, these prices are perfectly in line with what you would expect to pay for a super ideal cut stone.



If you''re unsure, you can ask Bob to pull them all and pick the one he likes best visually too. Sometimes one just really stands out in person.

Sure there are too many factors...


But the reality is whats worth what...


%90 of retailers in Us and world dont know what is ideal cut.They just go with the book.xxx stones good for only one reason:they are collectible...


Forget about to cut and grade even the between F and H color there is no difference in normal human eyes.You have to have trained eyes to pick up to difference.


If you dont have too much money to waste get it H and SI diamonds.


And nobody tells you this:


If diamond has little color like G-H it will sparkle more

I''m not sure I''m understanding what you''re saying, but I''ll attempt a response anyway. I''ll agree retailers label their "top" diamonds "ideal" indiscriminately in hopes customers will think these are ideal diamonds out of all the choices of diamonds rather than just the "best" of what this particular seller has, but to say truly ideal diamonds (Ideal according to a GIA or AGS cert) are only sought after because their only value is that they are collectible? Well, in the thousands of posts I have read on Pricescope by people who have bought Ideal diamonds and from my own experience, I don''t recall anyone''s purchase being motivated by wanting a collectible item; the reasons I have always seen have been wanting the best cut diamond to receive the best performing diamond.

If you forget about cut, you could end up with a piece of frozen spit diamond- cloudy, opaque, dull, lifeless. Yeah, you get what you pay for. In poor or fairly cut diamonds, there is a HUGE difference between F and H. My eyes are untrained, but the difference I have seen is rather obvious.

Nothing wrong with an H SI diamond if well cut... if not well cut, there could be a lot wrong with it. Depending on the cut, the price could vary widely... a beautifully cut H SI will cost more than a frozen spit H SI... you get what you pay for.

I was under the impression that color did not effect the cut (sparkle), but the cut could definitely effect the perception of color.

 

[iheartscience]

Date: 1/3/2008 8:24:12 PM
Author: Julyjewels

Im sorry if i bothered anybody..

All i was trying to help you.

Im in this endustry and im not trying to sell anything..

And im not saying you guys dont know anything.Just trying to tell dont pay too much money for unimportant details...

Again im sorry...

For someone in this "endustry" you certainly don't seem very educated about diamonds. The most important detail you can possibly pay attention to is a diamond's CUT. The diamonds mintve listed are among the best cut diamonds a person can buy. They will outperform an average H/VS2 in any lighting condition. I could get a 1 carat diamond from Wal-Mart for $2000...but something tells me it wouldn't look nearly as good as a superideal diamond from Whiteflash or GoodOldGold.

 

[Julyjewels]

Date: 1/3/2008 8:38:34 PM
Author: sera

Date: 1/3/2008 7:27:25 PM

Author: Julyjewels

Date: 1/3/2008 5:42:01 PM


Author: neatfreak

Date: 1/3/2008 2:22:53 PM



Author: Julyjewels



All i can say these prices are very high...




You should get it at least 1000 less...




You can get H color Vs2 with these prices..

There are a lot of other factors than just color and clarity...and Mintve, from what I have seen being around PS for a while, these prices are perfectly in line with what you would expect to pay for a super ideal cut stone.




If you''re unsure, you can ask Bob to pull them all and pick the one he likes best visually too. Sometimes one just really stands out in person.

Sure there are too many factors...



But the reality is whats worth what...



%90 of retailers in Us and world dont know what is ideal cut.They just go with the book.xxx stones good for only one reason:they are collectible...



Forget about to cut and grade even the between F and H color there is no difference in normal human eyes.You have to have trained eyes to pick up to difference.



If you dont have too much money to waste get it H and SI diamonds.



And nobody tells you this:



If diamond has little color like G-H it will sparkle more

I''m not sure I''m understanding what you''re saying, but I''ll attempt a response anyway. I''ll agree retailers label their ''top'' diamonds ''ideal'' indiscriminately in hopes customers will think these are ideal diamonds out of all the choices of diamonds rather than just the ''best'' of what this particular seller has, but to say truly ideal diamonds (Ideal according to a GIA or AGS cert) are only sought after because their only value is that they are collectible? Well, in the thousands of posts I have read on Pricescope by people who have bought Ideal diamonds and from my own experience, I don''t recall anyone''s purchase being motivated by wanting a collectible item; the reasons I have always seen have been wanting the best cut diamond to receive the best performing diamond.


If you forget about cut, you could end up with a piece of frozen spit diamond- cloudy, opaque, dull, lifeless. Yeah, you get what you pay for. In poor or fairly cut diamonds, there is a HUGE difference between F and H. My eyes are untrained, but the difference I have seen is rather obvious.


Nothing wrong with an H SI diamond if well cut... if not well cut, there could be a lot wrong with it. Depending on the cut, the price could vary widely... a beautifully cut H SI will cost more than a frozen spit H SI... you get what you pay for.


I was under the impression that color did not effect the cut (sparkle), but the cut could definitely effect the perception of color.

I did NOT say cut is umimportant.

Of course cut is very very imporant.But you are going with worst scenario.
There are levels between ideal cut and non ideal cut.What im trying tell is small percentages doesnt make big differences.

Im not underestimading anyone.But jewelers makes money with this small details that most of the people understand the difference...

And yes little color makes diamond more sparkle.Because its reflects more colors...

 

[iheartscience]

Julyjewels, you clearly don''t know much about diamonds if you really think a diamond of that caliber would sell for $3500. I suggest you stick around Pricescope, read all the tutorials you can possibly read, and refrain from posting misinformation until you understand how important cut is in a diamond.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Mintve, all I can tell you is that the WF and GOG stones should be equivalent to other top quality branded stones such as HoF, and they cost MUCH less than those! I know because I price shopped!

 

[milton333]

Date: 1/3/2008 11:09:36 PM
Author: thing2of2
Julyjewels, you clearly don''t know much about diamonds if you really think a diamond of that caliber would sell for $3500. I suggest you stick around Pricescope, read all the tutorials you can possibly read, and refrain from posting misinformation until you understand how important cut is in a diamond.

Yeah, and the bit about color making a difference in "sparkle"???? No. Light bounces around in the stone, based on cut, that''s the sparkle and fire you see. The body color of the stone in the "near colorless" range (down to I or J) is just the very faintest tint that you might detect from the side - it''s not like you''ve got a brown diamond swallowing up light, not at all. This is a red herring.

Now, as far as cut goes, I think that the "super ideals" make up maybe 1-2% of the market, and regular old ideals a few percent more (but probably at or under 10%). So, yes, having a diamond in the top 2% out there is probably not necessary, if you want to look at it that way. But if you''re going to spend a few grand on something decorative, it should really perform. I think you will not regret an ideal or super ideal cut stone, it will constantly wow you (I''ve discovered, oddly, that my new diamond really really likes the lighting at Wal-Mart, and now I go just to stare at my diamond while it flashes). You don''t need the best, but if you can afford a spectacular performer, get one. I''ve got an H SI1 ACA and no issues at all with color or clarity, I''d never spend thousands more for an average cut D, no contest. If you''re going to compromise, don''t compromise on cut, compromise on color/clarity/carat.

 

[Julyjewels]

Date: 1/3/2008 11:09:36 PM
Author: thing2of2
Julyjewels, you clearly don''t know much about diamonds if you really think a diamond of that caliber would sell for $3500. I suggest you stick around Pricescope, read all the tutorials you can possibly read, and refrain from posting misinformation until you understand how important cut is in a diamond.

I don''t know why but admin erased my posts.

I was trying say prices are high.I didn''t insult anybody.I didn''t say anything about dia. quality.

I did NOT try sell anything.

I have the price list and im in diamond trade and with my knowledge these prices are HIGH.

If saying this is violation the forum rules I AM TRULY SORRY.

I thought people here share their knowledge...

 

[sera]

Date: 1/3/2008 8:54:39 PM
Author: Julyjewels

Author: Julyjewels

And nobody tells you this:




If diamond has little color like G-H it will sparkle more

I did NOT say cut is umimportant.


Of course cut is very very imporant.But you are going with worst scenario.

There are levels between ideal cut and non ideal cut.What im trying tell is small percentages doesnt make big differences.


Im not underestimading anyone.But jewelers makes money with this small details that most of the people understand the difference...


And yes little color makes diamond more sparkle.Because its reflects more colors...

[/quote]Okay, maybe there is some miscommunication going on here, but it sounds like you are saying that if two diamonds are cut exactly the same but one is a D and one is an H, the H will sparkle more because it is not colorless? That the H will have more scintillation and fire solely because it is an H rather than a D? Is that what you are saying?

 

[Julyjewels]

Date: 1/4/2008 4:20:05 PM
Author: sera

Date: 1/3/2008 8:54:39 PM

Author: Julyjewels

Author: Julyjewels


And nobody tells you this:





If diamond has little color like G-H it will sparkle more

I did NOT say cut is umimportant.



Of course cut is very very imporant.But you are going with worst scenario.


There are levels between ideal cut and non ideal cut.What im trying tell is small percentages doesnt make big differences.



Im not underestimading anyone.But jewelers makes money with this small details that most of the people understand the difference...



And yes little color makes diamond more sparkle.Because its reflects more colors...

Okay, maybe there is some miscommunication going on here, but it sounds like you are saying that if two diamonds are cut exactly the same but one is a D and one is an H, the H will sparkle more because it is not colorless? That the H will have more scintillation and fire solely because it is an H rather than a D? Is that what you are saying?

[/quote]

D and H can be little extreme but lets say D and F maybe G.

Cut is the MOST important thing in diamond.I dont why people understood me wrong.

i was trying say lets say for an example there are 2 diamonds.one of them is perfect cut and price is 10g and another one is ideal cut but little lower(cutwise)and price is 7g.I''ll go with second one.

This is my opinion.

And i respect other opinions.

My fight is here I color SI diamond price for 5600 is too much.List price is 5g.

 

[Julyjewels]

Date: 1/4/2008 3:43:07 PM
Author: Julyjewels

Date: 1/3/2008 11:09:36 PM

Author: thing2of2

Julyjewels, you clearly don''t know much about diamonds if you really think a diamond of that caliber would sell for $3500. I suggest you stick around Pricescope, read all the tutorials you can possibly read, and refrain from posting misinformation until you understand how important cut is in a diamond.

I don''t know why but admin erased my posts.


I was trying say prices are high.I didn''t insult anybody.I didn''t say anything about dia. quality.


I did NOT try sell anything.


I have the price list and im in diamond trade and with my knowledge these prices are HIGH.


If saying this is violation the forum rules I AM TRULY SORRY.


I thought people here share their knowledge...

Ok im sorry I didnt know if there is vendor name i can NOT comment on price.

Again its my fault because i didnt read the rules carefully.

Again Im sorry

 

[risingsun]

See post below...

 

[risingsun]

Date: 1/5/2008 1:38:21 AM
Author: risingsun

Forget about to cut and grade even the between F and H color there is no difference in normal human eyes.You have to have trained eyes to pick up to difference.



If you dont have too much money to waste get it H and SI diamonds.


And nobody tells you this:


If diamond has little color like G-H it will sparkle more

You have posted, on a diamond forum, that you have to have trained eyes to pick up the difference between an ideal cut and one that is not. You have said the same about color grades. You need to spend some more on time on this board and learn about the people who post here and the level of knowledge that exists. In addition, when you make a statement that the color affects the sparkle, how are we to take you seriously. The cut proportions affect the brilliance, fire and scintillation. This is not an attack, but an observation. You have presented yourself as an expert. You need to be cautious when offering your expert opinion.

 

[cinnamon013]

Date: 1/3/2008 8:31:52 PM
Author: EBree
What about this guy? Extra $ to put into the setting.

1.023 I, SI1 ES, 1.4 HCA $4511

Ebree - I''ve been looking at this diamond over and over and wondering how it would look. I am intriqued by the plot on the AGS report. It looks like two little people! It does seem to be a great buy if it is eyeclean.

Mintve, have you asked WF about this stone? I would ask WF if the additional clouds are obvious when the table is looked at from a slant. The cloud I have can be seen from the angle I look at the ring a lot and this might be a concern to you.

So sorry your thread has been hijacked by a poster that doesn''t seem to be adding anything to the conversation.

 

[mintve]

Date: 1/5/2008 12:04:16 PM
Author: cinnamon013

Date: 1/3/2008 8:31:52 PM
Author: EBree
What about this guy? Extra $ to put into the setting.

1.023 I, SI1 ES, 1.4 HCA $4511

Ebree - I''ve been looking at this diamond over and over and wondering how it would look. I am intriqued by the plot on the AGS report. It looks like two little people! It does seem to be a great buy if it is eyeclean.

Mintve, have you asked WF about this stone? I would ask WF if the additional clouds are obvious when the table is looked at from a slant. The cloud I have can be seen from the angle I look at the ring a lot and this might be a concern to you.

So sorry your thread has been hijacked by a poster that doesn''t seem to be adding anything to the conversation.

Its OK. I actuallly found some really amazing stones with Jonathon at GOG. Thnaks!