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Blue Nile help

GearGirly

Brilliant_Rock
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I bought a stone from Blue Nile that is a very pretty little heart shape, and while I like the heart I am realizing over time it just isn't wowing me like a diamond should. So, I was going to wait and do a larger upgrade but I realized since my original stone wasn't too expensive I could just upgrade it now and have a round brilliant (this works with my setting). I think I will do one more upgrade at some point in the future I think but I want to change to a round stone now. So, since it has to be through Blue Nile and I can't see the stone I have been looking for a month or so and found a stone that I really like. The numbers are great:

Table 56
Depth 62
34.5 crown angle
40.8 pavilion

1.25 carat J (I am fine with a J)
Vvs2 (this is overkill for me but the price is right so..)
Med blue fluorescence (I want this!)
Excellent cut, Polish, and symmetry
6.89 x 6.92 X 4.28

And a really good price, just double my first stone at $5,000. So it seems like a good contender. But then I asked for a photo and they sent me this. The photo does not look pretty to me, but does it actually mean anything? It just looks yellow grey, and honestly I don't mind warmth but this looks dull. Can this picture still produce a beautiful diamond or are there warning signs? I think I have a good education from you guys but I really appreciate the help!

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GearGirly

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Here is the GIA report (I have this on hold and one other..

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GearGirly

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I also have one other option, at about $7,000 so well over what I need to double my purchase price, and at 1.61 this would probably be where I stop as spending almost 15,000 to upgrade again for this ring seems like a lot... I also have this stone on hold, and got a picture of it that is beautiful to me (but again, does this type of picture even really matter? So here is this one:

J VS1 1.61
Excellent cut polish and symmetry

Here is the GIA

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GearGirly

Brilliant_Rock
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And here is the photo they sent me of the 1.61. So I could spend more for this stone but I don't really want to, at least right now. And no feelings will be hurt to upgrade this even a third time as I bought this myself. My criteria is $5000 $7000, at least 1.25 carat, and at least medium blue fluorescence. There is nothing in between these sizes and prices of these two that I have noticed is a good stone, my sweet spot is probably a J VS2, strong blue but I really prefer to spend $6000 or less with the idea of one more upgrade in the future but the 1.61 is not out of the question. Thanks so much for any help.

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flyingpig

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I like pretty much everything about the J VS1 (color/clarity combo, table % of 57 or less, 40.6/35.0 combo, strong fluo, 75% lower girdle height). my kind of diamond
 

GearGirly

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Thank you so much, any opinions on the other one?
 

flyingpig

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GearGirly|1471720246|4068146 said:
Thank you so much, any opinions on the other one?
Strictly personal taste.
I like J with strong fluo; white face up, yellow tint from side and under certain lighting conditions, and stronger blue under direct sunlight. Hopefully, it fluoresces gracefully, and does not appear oily/hazy.
Also, I like those fatter arrows of the J VS1.
The J VVS2 is a great choice as well.
 

susief

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Oddly enough I was looking for a diamond on behalf of my mother on Blue Nile a few months ago, with exactly the same criteria for specs (J, VS2, med/strong fluor, around the 1.25ct mark). There were a few stones that were particularly well priced given their great numbers and specs but when I got the photos I realised the reason for this - they were, for want of a better word, murky. I read a couple of threads about it later and the professionals were commenting that these less desirable diamonds - I recall the phrase "brown, green or milky" - seem to be more common now (something to do with mines coming to the end of their lifespan?), but this won't show up on GIA grading reports. The haziness/milkiness is not due to fluor or inclusions but is something else intrinsic to the diamond itself.

Hopefully a professional can weigh in and explain it better than me!

I suppose it's possible it's just bad lighting but IMO if something is priced unusually low there will be a reason for it. I think you've found the reason on the first one. I wouldn't buy it.

The second one looks great.
 

Snowdrop13

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To my eyes that first one definitely has a brownish tint, it may just be the background but it would be a bit surprising if Blue Nile didn't at least try to photograph their stones at their best! Only, for some reason I thought you didn't get brown tones until K or lower? Maybe someone can educate me?
 

susief

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Snowdrop my understanding is that you can get brown tones at any colour, but it's only at K or below that it has to be noted on the GIA certificate. I might be making that up though...
 

Gypsy

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susief|1471723190|4068158 said:
Oddly enough I was looking for a diamond on behalf of my mother on Blue Nile a few months ago, with exactly the same criteria for specs (J, VS2, med/strong fluor, around the 1.25ct mark). There were a few stones that were particularly well priced given their great numbers and specs but when I got the photos I realised the reason for this - they were, for want of a better word, murky. I read a couple of threads about it later and the professionals were commenting that these less desirable diamonds - I recall the phrase "brown, green or milky" - seem to be more common now (something to do with mines coming to the end of their lifespan?), but this won't show up on GIA grading reports. The haziness/milkiness is not due to fluor or inclusions but is something else intrinsic to the diamond itself.

Hopefully a professional can weigh in and explain it better than me!

I suppose it's possible it's just bad lighting but IMO if something is priced unusually low there will be a reason for it. I think you've found the reason on the first one. I wouldn't buy it.

The second one looks great.
This is exactly why we prefer large videos and staff and gemologists that can vett stones. Ask Blue Nile which ome their gemologist recommends and WHY.
 

GearGirly

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Thank you gypsy, I totally agree and so wish I were not tied to Blue Nile on his, but I am. I did ask and they gave me some reply about what the different terms meant (basic stuff I know), and a line about how they are both have great numbers. I guess I am concerned about the way the smaller stone looks in the picture, it just looks murky. I guess I should pay attention to that even bough it has great numbers. My problem with the other stone is just that it's more than I want to pay, but it looks like a pretty stone. Any ideas on the bigger stone at $7,400? Any other stones that look better? Thanks!
 

Gypsy

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Ask them to have their gemologist actually look at both stones side by side and tell you which to get. See if they can do that.
 

po720

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Gypsy|1471749282|4068253 said:
Ask them to have their gemologist actually look at both stones side by side and tell you which to get. See if they can do that.

Hi Gypsy, longtime lurker and fan of yours :) Geargirly, I am in a similar spot of being a "rough rock" and feeling super uncertain about pictures after working with Blue Nile on an almost daily basis for my current upgrade. I can say with 100% certainty that they unfortunately wouldn't be able to do this :( the stones are all over the world and the notes on visuals and pictures they obtain are from the vendors that are holding the stones. They refer to it is as looking in "the vault" which is super misleading...they can, however, go back to vendors and ask for pictures at additional angles, magnification, etc. Push them on this if you really believe in this stone and maybe it can acquiesce some of your fears until you see it in person :) the 30 day return is a real insurance policy if you're not happy with it!
 

GearGirly

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Thanks po :). Yes they were less than accommodating, they said that the vault may even refuse to send a picture and that they can't hold the stones longer. I am feeling a little less than enthusiastic with them. Debating the bigger stone so I can be done with them after this!
 

ac117

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Geargirly, how about this one? http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-details/LD07224229
Another site has the images up for this stone, alone with the ASET and it looks beautiful! It also gets you to 7mm, which is nice. https://enchanteddiamonds.com/#diamond=R131-572547520

Here's another:
http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-details/LD07111353 (https://enchanteddiamonds.com/#diamond=R128-648140198)

ETA: This looks like it may have been a trade in bc it has an old GIA (which would mean they have it in their possesion and should be able to provide you with imaging/IS for it) http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-search?stockno=LD04041010
 

po720

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Gear girly, anytime! I have some more recent developments in terms of blue Nile that I thought might be helpful too!!! I found out today (after looking at one too many stones outside of my budget) that you can apply other loose stones from BN towards your upgrade as long as the new stone is double the original price of all the older stones combined :appl: :dance: :clap: so if you have any earrings, etc. that you bought through them and want to offset the higher than double price, it's a really really really awesome option to have :)
 

GearGirly

Brilliant_Rock
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Thank you so much AC for those links, I am excited to check those out!!!

PO, that is good to hear! I don't have any other stones to trade in but I was wondering about that if I did ever want to trade in the smaller studs I have from them that are upgrade eligible.

Thank you all so much for the help!
 
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