Color and Cut

[obsessed_w_diamonds]

Hi,

Does anyone know if there is a visible difference to the naked eye between a D and an E color diamond, and an "ideal cut" versus a "very good cut" diamond? I realize that cut scales vary depending on what retailer you are going with, but in general is there a big difference?

Thanks!

 

[belle]

all things equal...in general no. most people aren''t going to be able to tell. especially once mounted.

 

[michela002]

I doubt you would be able to see the difference between a D and an E, even side-by-side (I certainly can''t) unless you have a lot of experience. You can really only see a difference when they are side-by-side and a few colours different (i.e. a D and G) And often you''ll only see the difference when they''re side-by-side, quite different in colour, and upside down. (Unless you are extremely colour sensitive.) But once it''s set in a ring you could probably get a G and not know its not a D from looking at the ring!

If there''s anything to not compromise on, its cut. You''d be better to go with an ideal E (or even F or G or H!) than a "very good" D. You won''t see a colour difference but the better the cut the more it will spaaaaaaaarkle!

 

[Jimbo34]

From what I have seen......you can even go lower with Color, just be sure to keep the clarity high and the cut ideal and you will have a great diamond that sparkles.

Jimbo34<<< clarity and cut mean more to me then color any day. Doesn't hurt your wallet as much either

 

[pricescope]

Date: 4/5/2005 7:34:18 PM
Author: Jimbo34
From what I have seen......you can even go lower with Color, just be sure to keep the clarity high and the cut ideal and you will have a great diamond that sparkles.

Jimbo34<<< clarity and cut mean more to me then color any day. Doesn''t hurt your wallet as much either

This is quite opposite to what Garry wrote here: http://www.pricescope.com/tutor_summary.asp

"I can not tell you what to buy, but I buy the biggest, brightest, whitest, eye clean diamond (with some blue fluoro) for my wife; usually D-F, SI1. I know what to look for to see lower color, but at 50+, I have no hope of seeing an SI1 inclusion!"

What''s the point to pay for high clarity if you won''t see inclusion without a loupe anyway?

 

[Jimbo34]

You want the best money can buy because the diamond is a symbol of your love.

Best is less inclusions........she will love it.

I wouldn't feel right skimping on the clarity. She might not know it or see it but I would.

Jimbo34

 

[Jennifer5973]

From my consumer''s experience, I can substantiate what the experts have noted--the human eye will notice color and cut (sparkle factor) over clarity 99% of the time in stones up to SI range.

Clarity tolerance, like cut and color, is personal. Some people are very sensitive and can spot a VS1-2 inclusion if they know it''s there. others are more sensitive to color and can see warmth in a G stone. Once you view a variety of diamonds in multiple lighting conditions, you will get a sense of your personal tastes. But, as a general rule, I think most people "on the street" will see how sparkly your dimaond is (so get a good make), if it''s warm or "yellow," and then its size. In all the diamonds I have seen on people--and I am not your average person/I am particulary interested in diamonds and look HARD--I have yet to see an obvious inclusion but I have spotted some poor cuts and some really tinted stones.

 

[elepri]

I also don''t see the point of overpaying for clarity. I''d find an eye clean SI1 and maximize cut, color and size. And no, as a woman, i wouldn''t be happy to get a high clarity diamond if the other three Cs had to be sacrificed, clarity actually would be least important for me.

 

[codex57]

Flipped upside down in a grader trough, I can see the difference btw a D colored stone and an E one. Mounted on a ring and on a finger, not a chance.

There won''t be a huge difference btw an ideal cut stone and a very good cut one. Depending on your sensitivity and the lighting (and how clean the stone is), it can be a big difference or a minor one.

If you''re trying to save money, I''d sacrifice color before cut. D''s really only necessary if you want the psychological pride of having the highest color grade.

 

[rosy]

I would say to save a few bucks & get the E instead of D. No one can tell the difference. I''m a size girl so I would even go lower in color to get a larger sized diamond so long as it is ideal or super ideal you won''t really notice the color much.

 

[valeria101]

It's not that high clarity doesn't help - but there are too many grades that are all eye clean: any difference between IF and VS2 is only visible on the lab report. Many SI1 are totally eye clean as well - some are not.

The color grades are more realistic. IMO, they are right to call the first three grades "colorless" and the rest... almost so. G is still very colorless to me. I would never be able to tell the grade if someone just showd me a ring on her hand (and it does happen, believe me !). The cut, the type of mounting and the light make whatever faint difference there is in the colorless range immaterial in "practice".

A ring is a ring. Whatever shows usually takes precedence - even if invisible quality factors come with allot of hype behind.

About "very good" and "ideal" cut...
I do not know what you mean. Sometimes these words are indeed based on comparable characteristics (as in, "very brilliat" is a bit less than "ideally brilliant"). But this is not the norm - most likely "ideal" refers to the AGS grades based on crown and pavilion angles while "very good" could be anything - just a way for some seller to say that the respective stone does not come with AGS pedigree or is not H&A, or nothing at all ! There is no clear standard behind these words. With both GIA and AGS preparing new cut grades, there is no sign that a generally accepted standard is anywhere near.

It would be easier to talk about a particular choice rather than the abstract theory