Buying Online - How do you make your final decision?

[Joe241]

Say you have two or three diamonds that are evenly matched as far as the 4 C''s and they are all eye clean and their idealscopes all look great. How do you make your final decision? Is it based on the actual picture of the diamond? Based on what someone who has compared the two diamonds in person has told you? How do you make up your mind?

 

[Moh 10]

Ensure that HCA score is under 2
Avoid feathers
Good ASET pic
Pick vendor with policies you like the most
It's best to buy setting from same vendor as diamond
I prefer AGS to GIA reports, both which I prefer over any other lab [I'd only buy a round or princess cut that was AGS 0 in cut]

 

[Joe241]

Date: 7/15/2009 8:48:13 PM
Author: Moh 10
Ensure that HCA score is under 2

Avoid feathers

Good ASET pic

Pick vendor with policies you like the most

It''s best to buy setting from same vendor as diamond

I prefer AGS to GIA reports, both which I prefer over any other lab [I''d only buy a round or princess cut that was AGS 0 in cut]

1)Both stones are around 1 HCA
2)Neither have feathers
3)Both have excellent ASET pictures
4)Both stones are at WF
5)The setting I want is HOF and unavailable at WF
6)Both stones are AGS certified

This is why I am having trouble deciding!!

 

[stone-cold11]

Flip a coin then.

 

[FancyDiamond]

Date: 7/15/2009 8:41:18 PM
Author:Joe241
Say you have two or three diamonds that are evenly matched as far as the 4 C''s and they are all eye clean and their idealscopes all look great. How do you make your final decision? Is it based on the actual picture of the diamond? Based on what someone who has compared the two diamonds in person has told you? How do you make up your mind?

I am a newbie. Read my comments accordingly. May or may not be helpful.

Foirst, have the vendor hold the stones for you. Post the question here for the experts to give you opinions. Just provide the diamond spec information and whatever additional information that the experts may request.
Depending on the answers, you may or may not need to have both stones sent to you for viewing and/or have an independent appraiser view the diamond with you. Of course, these extra steps will invovle more upfront money (shipping/insurance, appraisal fees, and etc.)

Sometimes, the stones may be graded as similar, they may appeal to you differently. Moreover, I suspect that there is still a range in performance for the same grade.

 

[Lula]

FancyDiamond, your advice is great! I''d also add that it would be helpful if you post the lower girdle facet numbers (lgf percentage, usually a number in the 70s or 80s, found on the GIA and AGS reports), and if you''d post a picture of the HOF setting you''re interested in.

 

[Joe241]

Date: 7/15/2009 10:14:54 PM
Author: sarap333
FancyDiamond, your advice is great! I''d also add that it would be helpful if you post the lower girdle facet numbers (lgf percentage, usually a number in the 70s or 80s, found on the GIA and AGS reports), and if you''d post a picture of the HOF setting you''re interested in.

Diamond 1:
. Carat: 0.732
. Depth %: 60.5
. Table %: 57.2
. Crown Angle: 34.7
. Crown %: 14.9
. Pavilion Angle: 40.6
. Pavilion %: 42.7
. Lower Girdle %: 76
. Girdle: Thin to Medium Faceted
. Measurements: 5.82-5.85X3.53
. Light Performance: 0
. Polish: Ideal
. Symmetry: Ideal
. Culet: Pointed
. Fluorescence: Negligible


Diamond 2:
. Carat: 0.764
. Depth %: 61.4
. Table %: 56.1
. Crown Angle: 34.6
. Crown %: 15.2
. Pavilion Angle: 40.7
. Pavilion %: 43
. Lower Girdle %: 77
. Girdle: Thin to Medium Faceted
. Measurements: 5.88-5.93X3.62
. Light Performance: 0
. Polish: Ideal
. Symmetry: Ideal
. Culet: Pointed
. Fluorescence: Negligible

And whatever I pick will be going in this ring:
http://www.laskers.com/index.cfm?event=catalog.product&productId=169

 

[treefrog]

Hi Joe,

I''m going to pass on making any statements on the angles you posted. There are many here far better at it than me.

I recently bought one from WF and was torn between two. Sheerah at Whiteflash took both and had their in-house expert look at them and then she took both around to her co-workers to evaluate without outside info. Just overall appearance and how eye-clean they were. Sheerah called me back with the results and it was a tie - I couldn''t really go wrong. Call them if you haven''t already. They''d be glad to talk to you about them. It was totally stress-free and without any pressure at all.

You''ve posted enough details for somebody to take them out from you though so if you''re favoring one, call and put a hold on it. I''ve heard some on here say they posted details about a diamond and somebody (likely a lurker on here) came and bought it first.

Keep us posted!

 

[FancyDiamond]

Ouch! This is similar to the split shank setting that I want, except that I also want a halo to make my 1.12 cw stone look bigger. Just a few questions and comments about the setting. What kind of spec for the melees, color, clarity, size, and cut? Have you thought about getting the setting custom made by Leon Mege, WF, Brain Gavin, and others? At the minimm, I know they use sparkling melees. Wonder if they can offer a better price. If your center stone comes from one of these vendors, perhaps consider getting the setting custom made from them as well.

 

[Lula]

Hi, Joe,
I fixed the link for you for your setting so it's clickable:
HOF Felicity Split Shank
That is a beautiful setting. I know I have seen similar settings on PS, so maybe someone will chime in with other options similar to the HOF. I'm assuming the problem is that you can't set the WF stone in the HOF? Correct me if I'm wrong!

If you are willing to have the setting made, I believe Leon Mege has done a similar split shank setting. If you do a search for his name on PS, you will see that he does beautiful work and has worked with many Pricescope members, and it is safe to ship your stone to him. Also, WF can no doubt do a beautiful custom version of that setting as well. Again, I'm assuming you can't get the HOF setting without buying a HOF center stone.

As to the stones, wow, they are truly similar. I agree with treefrog, ask WF for their impressions. Also you may want to read the tutorial on spread
link
to determine if one stone will appear visually larger than the other.

But they are so similar, and so well cut, that you really can't go wrong with either one. Nice job, and make sure you put them on hold ASAP, if you haven't already.

 

[Joe241]

Date: 7/15/2009 11:03:50 PM
Author: FancyDiamond
Ouch! This is similar to the split shank setting that I want, except that I also want a halo to make my 1.12 cw stone look bigger. Just a few questions and comments about the setting. What kind of spec for the melees, color, clarity, size, and cut? Have you thought about getting the setting custom made by Leon Mege, WF, Brain Gavin, and others? At the minimm, I know they use sparkling melees. Wonder if they can offer a better price. If your center stone comes from one of these vendors, perhaps consider getting the setting custom made from them as well.

This ring has .3 carat melee made up of Hearts on Fire Diamonds. I''ve got an email somewhere that says the clarity and color range, but I can''t seem to find it at the moment. I''ve already looked at this particular ring with my girlfriend and we both REALLY liked it so I''m not going to mess around having a similar ring made that we probably won''t like as much. This one is pretty delicate and I would be worried that a ring we had made wouldn''t be. Besides, I requested a quote from WF for a similar ring and I would end up saving a 3-400 USD so it is worth it to me to go for the sure thing.

 

[Lula]

If you can buy just the HOF setting, then I would stick with that if you and your gf like it. You are correct that the HOF melee are ideal cut and will be beautiful. WF should be able to guide you in how to work with this setting -- I''m not sure if they will recommend that your local jeweler set the WF stone or if WF will set your stone in the HOF setting. The HOF vendor will probably want the specs of your stone (length, width, depth, girdle measurements, from the AGS cert.).

 

[Joe241]

Date: 7/15/2009 11:20:24 PM
Author: sarap333
If you can buy just the HOF setting, then I would stick with that if you and your gf like it. You are correct that the HOF melee are ideal cut and will be beautiful. WF should be able to guide you in how to work with this setting -- I''m not sure if they will recommend that your local jeweler set the WF stone or if WF will set your stone in the HOF setting. The HOF vendor will probably want the specs of your stone (length, width, depth, girdle measurements, from the AGS cert.).

I''ve got it all figured out... Once I pick the diamond out I''ll bring it to my local jeweler for an appraisal and so they can measure the diamond and order the ring with the correct size prong setting. It seems that some HOF dealers will put any diamond in a HOF ring and some will only let you use a HOF ring - I was lucky to find one close that will work with me.

 

[Lula]

Joe, it sounds like you''re in good shape here! It''s great that your jeweler will set the WF diamond. I guess I''d just talk to WF one more time about any visual differences they see between the stones (will they make you a video of the two in different lighting conditions?) but, seriously, you will have a beautiful stone either way. Don''t forget to post pictures of the completed ring!!!