Bigger or better color?

[Gypsy]

Depends on the carat size an cut and on if I wanted a white diamond, or if I wanted a warmer one. I love warmer stones. But if I wanted a white diamond:

In an ideal round under or around 2.5 carats... I or J would be fine with me, depending on the setting... if it was REALLY open on the sides then probably H-I. But not likely. Anything eyeclean. Again, if open on the sides I would either want it set to hid the inclusions visible from the side, but since clarity is graded face up... it's more a stone by stone thing than a clarity grade thing. I really can't imagine owning a round larger than that. If the diamond is smaller than 2 carats and bezel set... K is fine. I'm hoping to buy a couple of K's for earrings soon, incidentally.

In fancy's it depends. Anything with sharp tips that show color (pear, marquise, princess) readily... I'd probably prefer to stick with H and higher. In a step cut... again, if I wanted it to be white... H and higher. On an oval or an cushion, I think I is just fine if the stone is very well cut. Old cuts, again H-I.

Clarity... it's a stone by stone thing again. As long as it's eyeclean... things don't bother me much. I would avoid any diamond with an open feather, or anything that is a substantial risk to safety, but beyond that as long as I can't see it, I don't care about it.

My own engagement ring is a F VS1 though. And a step cut. It was purchased before PS though. If I were buying a diamond now? SIZE over color by far.

 

[LamborghiniGirl]

I say, if it doesn''t look yellowish to me, I like it! (unless it is supposed to, like a fancy yellow, and then I like it too!)

Last weekend I went and looked at a beautiful 5 carat J color cushion diamond, excellent cut and it faced up completely white outside, inside, in the sun, in the shade, in the hallway, everywhere! I don''t remember if it had fluorescence or not, but I will say that I could care less what letter grade it is- if it looks colorless, I am happy

So I guess my answer is I prefer the bigger with the ok color.. that isn''t noticeable.

 

[AprilBaby]

Bigger is Better for me!

 

[AmberGretchen]

I love I colored stones in every size I''ve ever seen, as long as they are ideally cut

 

[Phoenix]

I'd buy the largest stone(s) within my budget, subject to the following:

- For RB ering, I'd like higher colours, E-F-G, may go to H. For RHR, can go to H-I. I'd sacrifice size and have done so for higher colours on rings.

- For RB earrings and pendants, I-J-K, and maximise on size.

- For fancy cuts, I would not go lower than H.

- CUT is very very important, must be ideal for RB/ excellent cut for fancies (or at least appeals to my eyes).

- Clarity-wise, again VS2 or higher in e-ring but others eye-clean is fine.

 

[Rockit]

CUT, cut, cut, cut, cut... then, clarity (VVS or higher preferred, but, VS is OK). I don''t willingly give up either! Also, no one talks much about it, and, to my knowledge, it isn''t mentioned in popular diamond reports, but another characteristic that I look for in a diamond is exceptionally clear crystal. Hard to describe, but I know it when I see it in a diamonds of any color. So, back to the topic: I love all colors, and, the bigger the diamond the better. I can tolerate tint, but, I can''t seem to rap my head around a visible inclusion (even with a loupe, I don''t want something screaming at me).

If I had unlimited funds (which I do not, LOL) I''d love to have a big, flawless, D-color diamond. However, generally speaking, I hate to spend my hard-earned money on D-E-F (even G-H) when I''m tickled pink with a beautifully cut, relatively clean, crystal-clear, I-color (or lower color) diamond in a larger size, especially because I''ve decided that, for me, bigger is better and slightly tinted diamonds are more flattering against my skin. So, when all is balanced out, I-color, VVS, seems to be just about right – and, yes, I can see the tint. Speaking of near-colorless diamonds, all things being equal except size, I''d probably go down from there in color, especially to J-K, before I''d go up in color to a slightly smaller stone and a bigger price-tag.

 

[EHR2009]

I am probably a little biased because I have a D colored stone, but I really feel that makes it more eye-catching. In my opinion, color is one of the most visible characteristics of a diamond (more visible than clarity-as long as it is eye-clean), and I love the icy-ness. That being said, I would probably go up to an F color to get a slightly larger stone. This one is totally a matter of personal preference, though, as we can see from everyone''s responses Good luck!

 

[ms.halo]

I really don''t notice color at all unless it''s bordering on yellow (I have a friend that has an O or P) but not quite fancy yellow. I had an 1.03 I VS2 princess and I never saw a hint of color. When I went to upgrade, I was willing to sacrifice clarity and ended up with a slightly better color with my 1.71 H SI RB. Honestly I can''t tell the difference -- not in store lights, not outdoors--unless I''m viewing a stone sideways. So for me, bigger trumps color.

 

[Rhea]

I''ve seen an "I". That''s probably as low as I''d go without seeing the diamond.

In an antique stone, antique setting, anything goes for me.

 

[Liane]

Well, I just had the chance to put theory into practice... and sad to say, it turns out that in my heart of hearts I am a total size whore.

What I picked was a 2-carat EGL "J" (it''s really more like an L), eyeclean SI1, "ideal" cut (not a true ideal -- it scored a 2.1 on the HCA and I suspect it''s hiding weight on the girdle to hit that magic 2-carat number, but honestly I can barely, barely tell the difference between this and a true ideal cut with my naked eye, and that only after repeatedly watching GOG''s videos to learn what to look for).

This was after literally months of lurking on Pricescope, reading voraciously, ogling and loving everyone else''s pictures and videos. So you''d think I would know better, right? Answer: nope, not so much.

Granted, I''m a little bit of an eccentric. I strongly prefer warmer colors (as mentioned up-thread, I to M is my sweet spot) and strongly prefer stones with small "birthmark" flaws, so those weren''t really sacrifices for me because I would have wanted low color and small inclusions anyway. But the one thing I did really want that I didn''t get was a true super ideal cut. A perfect score on light return would have thrilled me.

Alas, I couldn''t get it without dropping to around 1.5 carats, and when it came down to the final choice, I went for size.

I''m second-guessing myself a little bit because it was a substantial purchase for me and I think second-guessing is part of the nature of the beast on PS, with so many other beautiful choices constantly before one''s eyes. But thanks to the many helpful posters here, I knew exactly what I was getting and what tradeoffs I was making, and ultimately I''m okay with that. Had I not known, I''d probably think the dealer pulled one over on me (and he probably would have); since I did, it''s all good.

The rock is not at home right now but I''ll make a new thread for it when I have it and can take some pictures. In the meantime, I just wanted to say "so it turns out, for me, once past an acceptable level of cut quality, it''s all about size."