Couple of questions from a newbie

[ringer]

Hello,

First time diamond purchaser here. I am looking for an engagement ring. I have set a limit of $5000 for the ring. I have already found a setting I like at a B&M store. It cost $1800. So I have $3200 left to spend on the diamond. I have done some research and I have a decent idea of what I am looking for. I just have some questions.

Here are the minimum stats I would like the diamond to have. Eye Clean SI1, G color and .75 ct. The thing I am not too sure on is cut. From reading I think cut is the most important thing. It also seems it is the hardest to judge. Can you point me to some info on how to tell if a diamond is cut properly? Do all diamonds have hearts and arrows or is this a special cut? Should I purchase an ideal scope? Is this a good investment when shopping for a diamond?

Thanks

 

[ame]

Hearts and arrows are a special type of cut and there are some varieties of "brands" of them as well. They give off a lot of sparkle. You might be able to have that setting recreated kind of similar for a little cheaper freeing more cash up for the stone.

 

[Todd07]

Hi Ringer,
I've bought only one diamond more than you

For learning about cut, read the tutorial here a couple times & visit the tutorial on the Good Old Gold vendor site. Key tools to know are reading idealscope images and understanding the Halloway Cut Advisor (HCA).

Idealscope: Read the links on PS to learn how to interpret the images. If you buy from a PS vendor, they can supply you with an idealscope image to help you make your decision. Just reading the material on the idealscope web site will be educational about cut. Look at the many images published on the PS vendor sites for their in-house diamonds (it's fun to see what you notice about the stones symmetry). Buy your own idealscope if you plan to buy a stone from a B&M.

HCA: Read up on the Halloway Cut Advisor (HCA) on PS and try searching using the "Search by cut quality" link on the home page here. I just did a search and for your budget you can buy a .7-.8 carat, G/H color, VS2/SI1 clarity that is very well cut (AGS 0, HCA < 2)

H&A: My understanding is a H&A diamond indicates very good symmetry. There are many diamonds that don't officially make the grade but will be just a beautiful - they lack some detail in their symmetry required to qualify as H&A. For this reason, I suggest focusing on the HCA tool to help find a great cut diamond.

 

[Regular Guy]

Cake!

Look here to plug in your "knowns..." weight (say..constrain between .7 & .8 carat), color of G, and clarity of SI1 and see three options you can readily consider, with the Pricescope database, having searched on cut quality, doing the work for you.

Read the tutorial at this website, to learn how crown and pavilion angles make the difference, such that virtually any system of analysis of cut will use that data to come up with an analysis of cut quality. Using an ideal scope is probably a good idea to do a direct check and confirmation, though you'd need to be willing to take on whatever diamond geekness that is associated with this behavior. The HCA system that significantly uses the crown and pavillion data to do its analysis is what drives the database above, yielding the 3 options described above.

Looks like you're on the right track; best of wishes.

 

[alexah]

hold the phone - just found this beauty (still under your budget) for your consideration too .79 G SI1

 

[alexah]

and, finally, this luvly venus by infinity stone from Wink

RB 0.71 G VS2 $3,195 AGS 60.20 57 0/0/0 Medium, Faceted None Excellent Excellent Negligible 34.3 40.5 5.78-5.81x3.49

LINK (1st diamond listed)