Colour Conundrum

[CalliopeCladdagh]

Hi everyone,
Pleeeeeeeeeease help me figure out my colour problem.

I am very colour sensitive in the sense that I can see the differences easily between an E/F and a G/H. However, I find D-F colours a little 'sterile' and not worth the cost (for me personally, please don't be offended!). I had always planned to get a radiant cut and go with a G as the 'sweet spot'.

Now I am looking at getting an AVC instead, and I have read that because they are so well cut, you can go lower down the colour scale and it will face up whiter than other cuts. Going down from a G to an I or J would allow me to go up in size from around 0.75 carat to 0.9 ish.

Yesterday I went to some jewellers and looked at two GIA triple excellent round brilliants - one H and one J. I could live with the H, but the J looked waaaaaaaaaaaay too yellow/brown for me. This was really disappointing as the J AVCs are such a good deal budget-wise. I've also seen a few J coloured AVCs on here (been over the 'show me your avc' thread so many times!) and they looked totally different to the one I saw yesterday.

I live overseas and due to 20% taxes + import fees will not be able to buy an AVC and return it so will be going off website photos and videos, which is so hard due to differences in screen settings etc.

I am really looking for some advice as to whether an AVC will TRULY appear whiter than a GIA-graded RB of the same colour grade (also factoring in a few comments I've seen about AGS being softer on colour than GIA, which doesn't help!).

 

[distracts]

I would go with the color you know you like.

 

[Lookinagain]

I wouldn't rely on what you see on here as monitor settings can impact what you see. And since you are so color sensitive, and really can't return/exchange, I'd be wary of going much warmer than what you have seen IRL. And also remember you were viewing the H and J inside a jewelry store where they both may have looked whiter than they will when you are not under jewelry store lighting. So while an H AVC may look whiter than a GIA H, the GIA H you saw most likely will not look quite so white elsewhere. I have an M color AVC and it is definitely warm, much warmer than my GIA K OEC which looks pretty white to me. I've never seen either an M or K MRB so I can't advise on the comparisons, but I'd say that you should stick with an H (or above) given your sensitivity and the fact that you don't want to have to return/exchange. My advice would be better safe than sorry in your situation.

 

[CalliopeCladdagh]

Thank you both for your advice. You are probably right and I just got carried away with thoughts of a bigger sized diamond... I'll admit I wish I could love the warmer colours like so many of you!

 

[headlight]

I will give you an example from my life, but keep in mind it was my experience and you have to do what’s right for you.
Previously, I had wanted a very large diamond. I went for a 3.29 RB of I color. I hated it for 16 years. I traded it in February for a 2.01 RB in E color. Hence, gaining that much in size (an additional 1.28 ct.) wasn’t worth it because I hated the color.

 

[OoohShiny]

+1 to the comments above saying get what you know you like.

I bought my good lady an F because here in the UK, colour seems quite a focus (with nothing below an H usually seen in shops) and I'm personally pretty colour sensitive - I could sort a D, an E and an F into order in a jewellery shop when I tried once

I don't think she would have cared what I bought, just as long as it was ring shaped and we could be together but I personally don't like seeing tint from the sides so I went with an F.

An I or a J will face up white when cut well, of course, but from the sides and in some lighting environments it will definitely show some tint IMHO - if it's being bezel set or halo'd then you might be able to get away with the lower colour because you won't see so much of the side, but if it's a solitaire setting you will see the stone from all angles.


TL;DR - visible colour can depend on setting - go high if tint bothers you and the stone will be in an open setting!

 

[RunningwithScissors]

Are you planning on setting the diamond in yellow gold, or white gold/platinum? How you perceive the diamond's color when it is is on your finger also depends on the color of your setting.

 

[tyty333]

Have Jonathan take a picture of a G with an I and a J. Maybe he can give you a shot from the sides also. Pictures will give you a relative color
difference between the stones. Tell him thats what you want to see because you are trying to figure out your tolerance.

This may help you figure it out one way or the other (or it may not , but it couldnt hurt).

 

[sledge]

Echo the others....stick with what you know to be safe regarding color. It sounds like you will be too bothered if you gamble and it's more yellow than you prefer.

Also, ignore shopping by carat weight as much as possible. The cut of two identical weighted round stones can size up different depending on exact table, crown, pavilion, depth, etc. Big tables and shallow crowns result in more spread. Small tables and steep crowns result in average (yet smaller) spreads.

Instead I'd encourage you to compare the spread dimensions, as depth (typically NOT seen) plays into the carat weight.

As a point of reference, an average 0.75 round measures around 5.91 x 5.91mm, whereas an average 0.90 round measures around 6.28 x 6.28mm.

This is roughly 0.30mm difference. Most humans can detect a size difference around 0.20mm, which is about 1/128th of an inch.

While you will likely see a size difference, it sounds like your color sensitivity would have a larger impact on you than the size difference. But to know for sure, visit some local shops and compare a larger 0.90 J/K to the slightly smaller 0.75 F/G and see how you feel in person. When comparing find stones of near identical cut quality and certified by the same lab so you get as close to an apple to apple comparison as possible.

 

[junebug17]

Another vote for sticking with what you know you will like, especially considering you're color sensitive.

 

[CalliopeCladdagh]

Thank you all for your replies. I think you are probably right and I should accept the compromise will be on size!

Are you planning on setting the diamond in yellow gold, or white gold/platinum? How you perceive the diamond's color when it is is on your finger also depends on the color of your setting.

I plan to have a platinum setting.

 

[RunningwithScissors]

Thank you all for your replies. I think you are probably right and I should accept the compromise will be on size!


I plan to have a platinum setting.

The whiter (or cooler) the color of the metal, the warmer/more yellow the diamond will appear.

So yeah, if I were you, I'd compromise on size.

 

[missy]

While it is true old cuts face up whiter than modern cuts of the same color grade (same lab) if you are color sensitive and do not like to see a tint (you probably will see a tint from the side view with lower colored old cuts color sensitive or not) go with a higher grade/whiter color stone. And it is hard to estimate colors with pics. One must see it IRL with their own eyes in all the different environments to see if one would love it or not. So if you cannot get yourself down to see them in person and compare stick with the higher color stone. Good luck.

 

[Tekate]

I think an I has some warmth on the side. I had a K 1.33 AVC and I could see color def on the side but not from the top. If you are sensitive but find the DEF cold then I would get a G or H.