Came down to 2 choices...Need Everyone''s Opinion

[diamondsRforever]

Hello All,

So It finally came down to 2. In my original post i said my budget was 5300 but i just couldn''t help myself so i decided to splurge a little more lol. Saw these 2 diamonds on periscope please let me know which one you guys think is better and let me know if it''s a good price.

$5882 (Price marked down for Periscope visitors from $6192)

diamond 1

Item Code: AGS-7618906

. Report: AGS
. Shape: A Cut Above H&A
. Carat: 1.277
. Depth %: 62
. Table %: 55.1
. Crown Angle: 34.9
. Crown %: 15.6
. Star : 53
. Pavilion Angle: 40.8
. Pavilion %: 43
. Lower Girdle %: 76
. Girdle: Thin to Medium
. Measurements: 6.95-6.96X4.30
. Light Performance: 0
. Polish: Ideal
. Symmetry: Ideal
. Culet: Pointed
. Fluorescence: Negligible

$5921 (Price marked down for Periscope visitors from $6233)

diamond 2

Item Code: AGS-7408903

. Report: AGS
. Shape: A Cut Above H&A
. Carat: 1.205
. Depth %: 61.6
. Table %: 55.6
. Crown Angle: 34.8
. Crown %: 15.4
. Star : 55
. Pavilion Angle: 40.7
. Pavilion %: 42.9
. Lower Girdle %: 75
. Girdle: Thin to Medium Faceted
. Measurements: 6.82-6.85X4.21
. Light Performance: 0
. Polish: Ideal
. Symmetry: Ideal
. Culet: Pointed
. Fluorescence: Negligible

Please check out the images/idealscope and let me know if i did good...THanks

 

[Lorelei]

By the way, the name of the site is Pricescope

Either are fab, I prefer the numbers of the second diamond, nitpicky as it is slightly less deep, but it depends whether you want the extra 7 points of the first or the higher clarity of the second and a little more money....But you did GREAT and can't go wrong with either!

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

cut is great on both.

But why not drop the VS back to SI and buy someting where you cant see any color?

(unless you like off white colored diamonds that is - and there are people who do)

anyone remeber my beige joke?

 

[kcoursolle]

The cuts on both of these diamonds are great, either would be fine. I might be tempted to go with number one since the mm diameter is larger and you aren''t paying as much for the VS1 clarity you don''t need. As Garry mentioned, you could go up to an I color and down to an eye-clean SI if you wanted to. J color in a well-cut stone will still look face up white...not beige I personally don''t think, but perhaps Garry is more color sensitive than me. Either way, you will be fine.

 

[diamondsRforever]

Thanks for all the input...I couldn''t find an I color with ''eye clean'' clarity within my budget...If anyone can point me out to one i would appreciate it.

Thanks

 

[coda72]

This one looks eyeclean by the magnified image, but you''d have to ask WF to be sure.

http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-78252.htm

 

[jaz464]

My preference would also be to go to an SI1 or SI2 and go up a little in color.

 

[tmcnally]

You may have seen a 1.19ct J VS2 on WF in your recent search. http://www.whiteflash.com/diamonds/diamond_details.aspx?idno=47789 I'll be getting it soon I'll let you know how it looks. The WF magnified images speak volumes. I personally think VS2 is high enough for eye-clean guarantee...no need for you to go to VS1.
I worked with Lesley over there. She said she would put me on the phone with a gemologist there to go over various stones for eye-clean when I was thinking SI1 or SI2, but once I went VS2 I didn't bother.

I really considered going SI1 (maybe even SI2) and letting the gemologist be my eyes, to move up color grades. But it's ALOT more $$$ per color grade than clarity grade so it wasn't in the cards for me. My current stone in I color at WF is 6600-6800 plus my personal importance scale is CUT then carat...then color and clarity were kind tied for last since my GF was okay with even an I1 or I2 as long as it was large (1.5ct plus).

Lesley at WF is one of the owners and even she wears a J pendant around her neck and says it looks great...basically colorless because the cut is so good. She said that the ACA diamonds facing up whiter than their cert. was the reason they've just started to include K colored stones in their inventory.

And WF prices on seemingly exact stones *seem* to be directly related to it's width. The next two J's above the one I bought (one of which is your 1st candidate) were like .02-.15mm's wider and the price went up $200 per stone. (I actually decided against your 1.277 stone and the one just under it the other day for this reason. Mine is 6.80-6.85mm's wide for $5,3XX dollars).
I used a tape measure at home to see and I can say that mm's are really small and that .10mm's to ME wasn't worth $500 all other things being equal.

I personally am hoping that when I read that great cut stones face up 1-2 color grades higher than their certs. that it's true.

edit: Yeah I just ran a search for you and SI1 I's in your size jump up to the 6200-6600 range...I dropped TWO clarity grades and you still need hundreds more dollars for that one color jump.
I personally decided that color was probably the hardest thing to spot because you don't have other diamonds next to your J stone...like in a lab, but inclusions stand alone. Know what I mean?
I'd stay with the J if I were you...go down to VS2 (or SI1 with a phonecall to a WF gemologist) and then you could get the 1.2X-1.3X stone with the best width using your clarity savings.
It's kinda what I did and I'm happy.

 

[diamondsRforever]

Thanks for all the response, they have been very helpful

Tmcnally, please let me know how your diamond looks when you receive it.

Coda 72, Thanks for that link...it does look ''eye clean'' from the enlarged image. I''m going to have to call and see if it is though.

Lastly, I was comparing the pictures of the I and J color and i couldn''t really tell which one was which am i blind? lol


THanks

 

[diamondseeker2006]

You really can''t tell about color from those images. If you could go a couple hundred dollars higher, I''d go for an 1.2 I SI1:

http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-161897.htm

http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-78263.htm

or a little smaller I SI1, :

http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-47901.htm

 

[diamondsRforever]

I looked at the first two, they looked good but the HCA were both 1.9 and i read somewhere that i should look for 1.5 or lower.

The third diamond is good and i contacted WF and said it is infact eye clean. However i was really looking for a diamond between 1.2 - 1.25.

I was wondering if a person can really tell the difference between 1.1 and 1.25. Also Would a J color look cloudy (this is def. a main concern)

Thanks

 

[belle]

Date: 12/4/2006 8:15:54 PM
Author: diamondsRforever

I looked at the first two, they looked good but the HCA were both 1.9 and i read somewhere that i should look for 1.5 or lower.

you''re all good under 2.0

idealscope images can help you after that.

Date: 12/4/2006 8:15:54 PM
Author: diamondsRforever

I was wondering if a person can really tell the difference between 1.1 and 1.25.

very minimal differences. if they are both cut well, you won''t be able to see a size difference.

Date: 12/4/2006 8:15:54 PM
Author: diamondsRforever

Also Would a J color look cloudy (this is def. a main concern)

color doesn''t have an effect on the transparency (cloudiness). if you get a well cut diamond, it will sparkle like crazy, no matter what the color is.
no one will guess that a well cut ''j'' is a ''j''.

it will face up very white.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Date: 12/4/2006 8:15:54 PM
Author: diamondsRforever
I looked at the first two, they looked good but the HCA were both 1.9 and i read somewhere that i should look for 1.5 or lower.

The third diamond is good and i contacted WF and said it is infact eye clean. However i was really looking for a diamond between 1.2 - 1.25.

I was wondering if a person can really tell the difference between 1.1 and 1.25. Also Would a J color look cloudy (this is def. a main concern)

Thanks

Just to ditto what Belle said...anything under 2.0 is fine on the HCA. Not true that 1.5 or less is better. ACA''s are outstanding cut diamonds. I don''t even bother putting them through the HCA because the standards are high for them to be ACA.

 

[starryeyed]

Garry, what''s the "beige joke"?

 

[diamondsRforever]

Thanks for everyone''s help, I''ve decided to go with diamond 1

Here''s the setting to go with the diamond. setting

Just a few more questions...

1. The fluorescence says negligible...is that a problem?

2. Do I request that the diamond be sent to an independent appraiser first b4 WF mounts it or do i get it appraised after it is mounted. Also, when it comes to an appraiser what do you usually look for? are all appraiser the same?

THanks

 

[JulieN]

1. That depends on what you think is a problem. Quantitively speaking, negligible is the lowest amount.

2. after is probably sufficient

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Date: 12/4/2006 10:52:07 PM
Author: diamondsRforever
Thanks for everyone''s help, I''ve decided to go with diamond 1

Here''s the setting to go with the diamond. setting

Just a few more questions...

1. The fluorescence says negligible...is that a problem?

2. Do I request that the diamond be sent to an independent appraiser first b4 WF mounts it or do i get it appraised after it is mounted. Also, when it comes to an appraiser what do you usually look for? are all appraiser the same?

THanks

1. No, florescence is very rarely a problem, and certainly not when it is negligible.

2. You don''t have to send it to an independent appraiser at all. I''d look at it with a loupe to be sure the stone is securely set and that the stone is not chipped or anything. But I believe WF includes an insurance appraisal, so you will have what you need to insure the ring. And I''d do that the day you receive it. If you want to take it to an appraiser just for your own reasons, you can, but at most I''d have them verify that the stone is in the condition represented in the cert and not do a full appraisal.

 

[tmcnally]

Date: 12/4/2006 4:21:12 PM
Author: diamondsRforever
Thanks for all the response, they have been very helpful

Tmcnally, please let me know how your diamond looks when you receive it.

Coda 72, Thanks for that link...it does look 'eye clean' from the enlarged image. I'm going to have to call and see if it is though.

Lastly, I was comparing the pictures of the I and J color and i couldn't really tell which one was which am i blind? lol


THanks

ok! Lesley emailed me this just tonight. There's a hint of clor it seems, but I think she'll survive it.
I should get it tomorrow.

 

[diamondsRforever]

Tmcnally, It looks really good can''t really see any color. I was wondering if WF includes an insurance appraisal with the ring?

Anyways, I was looking through threads relating to insurance...and people are saying that you can''t insure with Chubb unless you bought it at bluenile or they don''t offer stand alone policies or if they appraisal is too low. Are these all true?

I''m currently located in CT (Fairfield, CT) was wondering if anyone in that area is insured with CHubb and if they have a stand alone policies.

Thanks

 

[tmcnally]

Yep! My insurance company accepted it...and that''s good enough for me. If the lil lady wrecks it she''ll get a 9k replacement!