Can an I color I1 clarity diamond be beautiful?

[Lula]

See for yourself...

My transition from M SI2 to I I1, strong blue fluoresence. Both the M and the I are 1 carat RB''s, both Crafted by Infinity diamonds. Set by Wink from High Performance Diamonds (HPD) in a custom 18kt white and yellow gold setting with a purple sapphire melee halo.

My painless color-upgrade-clarity-downgrade (thank goodness for vendors with excellent trade in policies!)

Video from Wink

Dragonfly custom setting with 1.0 Crafted by Infinity I I1

Thank you, Wink! And thank you, Paul!

And it arrived today via FedEx, so here are some photos of it...

First, indoors in diffused lighting.

 

[Lula]

The color is perfect, just perfect. My favorite colors for an RB on my hand are in the I and J range.

I cannot see any of the crystal inclusions with my eyes at a distance of 6 - 8 inches. None. And I even know where to look! And I can barely see them under my 10X loupe. They are small, clear and very scattered.

It snowed here yesterday and today is sunny and bright, so I thought I''d go outside and try and capture some fluoresence...

 

[Lula]

A profile view...

 

[Lula]

Another profile view (the diamond was starting to frost up!)

 

[Lula]

Some fire...

 

[Lula]

And, finally, if I ever find myself buried in a snowbank, I can use the fire from my Infinity to melt my way out!

Thank to all the PS''ers who gave me the courage to take some risks with color and clarity. There are some beautifully cut diamonds out there that bend the color and clarity rules!

 

[Bliss]

Lovely!

 

[vespergirl]

Beautiful ring!

 

[kittybean]

It can definitely be beautiful! Yours is lovely, and I love your unique, pretty setting.

 

[Bella_mezzo]

sarap-that''s gorgeous!!!!!! I want it!!!!

I am in love!!!

 

[wsblue430]

Wow, that diamond has fire! Congrats on your beauty!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Looks great! Can we see some hand shots...

 

[FancyDiamond]

I want one, too.
Do you mind telling me the approximate cost of the ring without the center stone? Thanks!

 

[dianne]

Date: 2/3/2010 9:56:17 PM
Author: dreamer_dachsie
Looks great! Can we see some hand shots...

Yes, please!...and a profile shot, too! I love it!...beautiful!!!

 

[risingsun]

I''m so pleased that you are happy with your new center stone

 

[Catmom]

It''s beautiful!!!!!

 

[Luckyeshe]

Beautiful!!! Absolutely beautiful!!!

 

[Burberrygirl]

Gorgeous ring, I love the setting!

 

[joelly]

It''s gorgeous!!!

 

[Maisie]

Very pretty! I would love to see hand shots too!

 

[somethingshiny]

What a great find!!! Congrats!

 

[DiaDiva]

Absolutely beautiful!!!

 

[Natylad]

This ring is amazing !!!

 

[laurenfischer5]

It''s very beautiful

 

[that_someone_special]

I mentioned before that I don''t care for I1 I2 I3 diamonds, but that there are several I1''s that are VERY NICE.

Yours, obviously, falls into that category! It''s lovely!

 

[ckrickett]

I think its gorgeous

 

[tyty333]

Your new stone is beautiful Sara!

 

[Lula]

Wow -- so many nice responses, thank you!!!

Bliss, vespergirl, kittybean -- thank you!!

Belle-mezzo and FancyDiamond -- Thank you! And if you decide you want one, Wink is but a phone call or e-mail away at High Performance Diamonds. I highly recommend him. I don't mind at all saying what I paid. I can't remember the exact figure, because there were a few changes from the orignal setting, which is called Bella on his website, www.winkjones.com, here's the link for his "rings" page. Rings. Look under "Fancy Solitaires" for pricing on the Bella, which, if I remember right, is approximately $2000 in 18 kt. gold with a diamond melee halo and sidestones. Using the Bella design as a base, I added the purple sapphires, which Wink sourced. I have some extra sapphires left over for a wedding band/replacements. Then I customized the gallery and the prongs. But even with the sapphires and the customization of the metalwork, the final price for the ring was not significantly more than the cost of the original Bella design (gold is higher now, just FYI). I was really happy I went the custom route with Wink, because I looked at "pre-made" diamond halos in stores which were more expensive than custom from Wink, and the settings would have not been made to fit my finger and my stone. The fit of a custom ring is awesome -- so comfortable, even for a big halo with alot of metal in the gallery, like mine. Wink sent me a quote with the breakdown of all the components/special requests and a timeline. His quote and timeline were accurate, and even though he probably could have charged me more for the sappires (special order) and the gold (which was steadily rising while the ring was being made) he didn't. And the ring is extremely well-made. I have had no trouble with the prongs or the melee, and I wear the ring every day and only take it off to shower or to work in the garden (or to move furniture, but I try to avoid that task where possible!). As you can tell, I can't say enough good things about working with Wink on this ring. And, when I decided to change the center stone, he was very accomodating and made the change in less than two weeks. A great guy.

Thank you for stopping by wsbule, dianne, risingsun, catmom, Luckyshe, Burberrygirl, joelly, somethingshiny, natalie, lauren, cricket, and tyty -- and for your nice comments.

DiaDiva -- thank you! And what's the story behind the beautiful necklaces in your avatar??? Is there a thread on them?

Dreamer and Maisie -- I'm getting a manicure (with paraffin wax) in a few days. It's winter here. No one sees my hand shots until my hands get some help! It would be too scary. I need wedding band help, so I'll post a new thread with handshots in exchange for your wedding band expertise

Thanks, SwedishBean -- believe me, I know I never would have chosen an I1 without seeing some awesome I1's on PS and without Wink's and Paul's (Infinity) expertise.

Hope I didn't forget anyone...thanks again!

 

[purselover]

What a gorgeous ring, I love the purple sapphire halo! I can''t wait for handshots.

 

[sweetpea&babycorn]

this is a beautiful ring!!! i love how soft the purple is and the two-toned golds. it has a great modern feel with the splash of color but also a vintage look, amazing! congrats