Can I purchase an I1 diamond that looks good?

[mlkkt]

I went to a diamond dealer the other day hoping to find a SI1 perfect cut h or better stone around 1.25 and he told me I should look for an I1 perfect cut g or better stone instead around 1.5 instead. He''s going to bring in several diamonds for me to look at. I would love your imput. Also, could I buy a decent looking stone like that over the internet? Thanks for your time.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 3/17/2008 7:36:29 AM
Author:mlkkt
I went to a diamond dealer the other day hoping to find a SI1 perfect cut h or better stone around 1.25 and he told me I should look for an I1 perfect cut g or better stone instead around 1.5 instead. He's going to bring in several diamonds for me to look at. I would love your imput. Also, could I buy a decent looking stone like that over the internet? Thanks for your time.

I don't know why he told you to specifically look for an I1, unless you said that size was very important? Here is the thing about I1 clarity ( assuming we are considering GIA or AGS graded.) Some people view them as imperfect and wouldn't ever consider one, especially for an e-ring. Others, like myself, have no problem with a good I1 if well cut. The thing is, you need to know what you are looking for, I1 clarities are not created equal. I have 2 I1's which are sizeable and are eyeclean, both have hardly noticeable light inclusions, others may have dark ones which can be more visible, depending also on the size of the diamond, and the location of the inclusion.

BTW, no such thing as a perfect cut, Ideal cut yes, but this term can be used loosely by some vendors.

You can buy a good I1 online, but you need the help of a trusted vendor who can check out the diamond and advise on ' eyecleanliness,' and a good amount of luck in finding one which may be eyeclean, or clean enough and patience.

I would recommend seeing what Wink has to offer www.winkjones.com as he sometimes has fab I1's in stock with a superb cut. Also www.goodoldgold.com

Also see this thread for advice on clarity and 'eyecleanliness.'

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/clarity-eye-clean-definition-interpretation-and-taste.30483/

 

[honey22]

Maybe I am paranoid, but this sounds a bit fishy. Yes, looking at I1 stones will save you money, but you will be hard pressed IMO to find an eyeclean I1. Did you tell him your budget? It sounds like he is trying to sell you something that fits into your budget.

You can get gorgeous, eyeclean SI1 and even SI2 stones online. Look at reputable vendors such as Whiteflash and Good Old Gold. You can get top cuts, and they will confirm if they are eyeclean before you decide. You will most certainly save $$$ going online, depending on our budget, you might even be able to find something in the VS2 range, or stick with SI and increase size, or colour.

Be vary wary of the term ''perfect cut''. Whose idea of perfect? Who certified these stones? If you post details, eg. table, depth, crown and pavillion angles, we can run them through the HCA, a cut adviser tool to see how they will likely perform. Keep posting, we will help you find a stunning stone! Good luck

Check out these just for a really quick comparison on price. You would need to check if the first two are eyeclean. These are both ACA, which are superideals, among the best cut stones available. They are gorgeous stones, and you can''t go wrong! (I have one, it''s

)

http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-584858.htm

http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-636607.htm

http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-636609.htm

 

[denverappraiser]

Sure. Most diamonds actually look pretty cool to almost everybody. The devil is in the details.

The reason to buy I-1’s is that they comes at a distinct discount in price when compared to otherwise similar SI-2’s. That’s the way this industry works. You trade off one thing for another and there’s a juggling act over weight/clarity/color/cut/price. Dropping the clarity allows you to either have a lower price or to go up in one or more of the other areas without the need to raise the budget.

That said, yes there are I-1’s that are worth considering although you need to give up on the standard of eye clean in any normal definition. What you gain for that tradeoff will depend on the stone and whether the trade is worth it will depend on you. It’s actually a very difficult area to shop and the right dealer who actually has the stone in hand will be extremely helpful. Stones being sold as I-1 is a big range and it includes both some beautiful stones and some that are barely transparent. The majority of the ‘good’ I-1’s don’t have GIA paperwork because they can get SI-1, SI-2 or SI-3 grades from other labs. Even at a steep discount, an SI-1 from a BS lab will go for more than a GIA I-1 in many markets, especially if they can get a bump in the color grade as well. The cost of the paperwork as a percentage of the value of the stone goes up in the lower grades and the incentive to use an off-brand lab goes up along with it. The result is that a lot of the GIA graded I-1’s are actually towards the bottom of the scale because the jeweler knew it would get I-1 anyway, no matter where they sent it so they might as well go for the GIA brand. The exception is where they expected SI-2 and didn’t get it, and it wasn’t worth the trouble to submit it to a different lab after it came back.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[WinkHPD]

Thank you Lorelei, I appreciate the kind words.

I have to agree with Neil that you will rarely find a true eye clean eye one, although I did recently sell one that I strongly believe should be an SI1 not an I1, but even after a recheck AGS insisted it is an I1. Was a great deal for my client.

Anyway, on to our supplicant''s question.

Yes, some I1''s can be tremendously beautiful, especially if the inclusions are colorless and therefor VERY hard to see under normal viewing conditions. Other I1''s can have big nasty black gletzes under the table and be readily detracting to the view, even thought the grade is the same.

An eye visible gletz on the side that is what we refer to as "prongable" might also be a consideration as it will not be visible after setting. As Neil said, it can be a trade off. You might get an F-I1 for an incredible price or an M-VVS for about the same money but the look will be vastly different, especially if you don''t like color. If the F-I1 is good enough it could look to the eye like an F-IF but it will look WAY better to the pocket book.

So yes, it is possible to get a great value with an I1 gem if it suits your psychological needs as well as your pocket book needs. There is also a great value in getting a VVS or even IF gem if your pocket book allows, as there is a wonderful psychic value in knowing you have the best of the best too.

It is after all, a question of delicate balance, with what you want, what you want to spend, and what she wants all thrown into the mix. Sorry, easy answer, yes, more complex answer, maybe yes, maybe no.

Wink

 

[niceice]

Every once and awhile I see an extremely well cut "I-1" clarity diamond that looks better than most, but the degree to which the inclusions are visible largely depends on the vision of the viewer. I don''t think I''ve ever seen an I-1 that I would consider to be "eye clean" but some are better than others. Whether to purchase a 1.50 carat, I-1, over a 1.25 carat, SI-1, depends on your expectations and what you are willing to accept in terms of visible inclusions. I recommend taking a look at different examples of clarity to determine what is acceptable to you and then see what your local jeweler and a few of the internet vendors can provide for you in terms of options within your chosen range of preference.

 

[arjunajane]

I was recently considering purchasing an I1 stone from Good Old Gold, so as I could larger in size. The only reason I didn''t is my circumstances changed, otherwise I''m sure I would''ve been happy. You can ask at Jon to "be your eyes" and select an I1 where the impact of the inlcusions on the stones appearance is minimized.
If you''re interest to see one, there are videos at GOG''s site.Go to goodoldgold.com and click on video on lefthand menu.
mine was called "comparing a 0.81 PoH to a 1.01 I1 PoH". (or something similar).
In my opinon, even under magnification the inclusion wasn''t easy to make out in the vid.

Is it mainly to gain in size why u are considering I1''s ?

 

[mlkkt]

I ended up with a 1.40 G color SI2. Although I would have been happy with a I1 maybe it will be the last diamond I buy and a little extra money seemed worth it.
I just want to thank everyone for helping with my decision. Pricescope was a wonderful way to research diamonds, and I believe purchasing them on the internet is the way to go. I feel bad for the big chain jewelry stores, I don''t think many of them will make it with the wonderful resources on the net.

Again, Thanks

 

[Lorelei]

Glad to help and that you have found a lovely diamond!