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Cut advice, please

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Blenheim

Blenheim

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Feb 27, 2006
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3,136
I''ve had my new engagement ring for a little over a day now, and I''ve been very happy with it. It seems very sparkly and firey. I just learned this evening that the diamond''s not the one that I thought it was (J just said that it was one of the ones that we discussed with Pete at Quest, and of the 0.56 F SI1s I only remembered the AGS000), and now that I''ve seen the specs I''m not quite sure what I think anymore. I would really appreciate your honest opinion.


Report Type: GIA Diamond Dossier®
Date of Issue: January 31, 2005
Laser Inscripion Registry: GIA 13886018
Round Brilliant
Measurements: 5.25 - 5.27 x 3.29 mm
Carat Weight: 0.56
Color Grade: F
Clarity Grade: SI1

Proportions:
Depth: 62.5 %
Table: 57 %
Girdle: Medium, Faceted
Culet: None

Finish:
Polish: Excellent
Symmetry: Excellent
Fluorescence: None

Clarity Characteristics: Feather, Crystal

Additional Information
Crown Angle: 35°
Crown Height: 15 %
Pavilion Angle: 41.4°
Pavilion Depth: 44 %
Star length: 55 %
Lower Half: 80 %
Cut Grade: Very Good

Plugging these numbers into the HCA gives:

Light Return: Very good
Fire: Fair
Scintillation: Fair
Spread: Very good
Total Visual Performance: 4.9 Good - only if price is your main criterion


(By the way, we had talked with Pete about getting an HCA score under 2.)

I posted all of this in my SMTR thread, but realized that this is probably the better place to post if I actually want advice.

Also, how much attention should I pay to specs? I''m not sure if I want to put J through finding a new diamond AGAIN. We are heading up to the DC area for the weekend though.

And if I need to calm down and give it a rest, please tell me. I''ve been drinking a little Long Island Iced Tea, which might be interfering with my ability to think straight.

Is this what they mean by mind clean?
 
Blen it could indeed be " mind clean" striking!
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Sure you could probably get another diamond with different specs but do you love this one and are you sentimentally attached to it already? Do you think that you will always feel you could have done better? What are your eyes really telling you? What does your heart say?
 

not all diamonds have to be ideal to be purdy and not all ideal diamonds are purdy. it is still sweet. my pretttiest most fiery diamond is in that region of the colorful chart.

edited: i went and punched in the numbers of my favorite stone and it is in the olive green zone right above the "R" in Young People Rings a FIC. 4.2 HCA. I made a mistake in earlier posts said it was above the "P". i guess I like GIA steep deep excellent stones set high.
http://diamonds.pricescope.com/ideal.asp


boyfriend nearsighted by any chance?

 
I''m sure your diamond is beautiful - it looks absolutely lovely in the pictures. But what it really boils down to is being at peace with the fact that your purpose was to get an ideal cut diamond and believing that''s what you had accomplished. In the grand scope of life, I''m sure that the diamond you have makes a beautiful engagement ring, but it''s the "knowing" that it''s not what you expected that will bother you unless you get this clarified. Was this diamond what your fiance could afford, bottom line? If so, it is precious. However, if the AGS diamond is within his budget, I would address the issue. (I''m only speaking from my own experience of having a diamond "misrepresented" to me by my SO, and the resulting bitter feeling I carry after finding out years later!) Most likely, though, J was overwhelmed with information, and your diamond looks incredible to the eye!
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This may be corny, but I''ll throw it out just in case.

When I got married 33 years ago, my wife and I got some good advice from a priest. He told a story of a priest who brought a huge linen table cloth to the women''s auxillery to use for a dinner they were having. Two women took the large piece of cloth and opened it up for the rest of the women to see. When it was fully unfurled, there was a collective gasp from the group...."look! they exclaimed...there''s a cigarette burn in the corner!!"

The priest replied.."Don''t look at the one small thing that is wrong with it...look at all the beautiful cloth you have to work with".

I''ve told this story to hundreds of young couples getting engaged when they were picking their stones. Hopefully it will help you as it''s helped me in my marriage.

Maybe it can be of some use to you in re-discovering the love you had for your stone in the beginning. Besides...it''s not the stone you start with in your marriage. It''s the one you end up with that counts.


Bill
 
I don''t think Pete really gets the diamond obsession a lot of us have because their focus is really the setting. He really didn''t see why I couldn''t be happy with an off center asscher with a mis cut facet. It looked pretty when you glanced at it but I knew I would be looking at my diamond a LOT and in different lighting conditions so I wouldn''t be able to live with it. I think you have to decide how much it will bother you as time goes by as you look at it in all sorts of environments. Does this one perform a lot better than the one your FFIL and J picked out?
 
Thank you so much for all of your advice. To answer some of your questions, my heart and eyes do love it and I just can''t stop looking at it. (In fact, J wanted me to hand over the ring before I went on my walk yesterday, because he didn''t want me to get hit by a car or something while staring at it.) It performs a LOT better than the one that J and my FFIL picked out. And I think I probably just answered my own question.
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I realized later last night that I just wanted reassurance more than anything else.

Lady Kemma, he''s not nearsighted but I am (incredibly so). Why do you ask?

He Scores, thank you.
 
if the specs bother you.can you ask Quest to switch over to the AGS 0? how much extra for the AGS stone?
 
Hi Blen,

I don''t know anything about rounds, so I can''t really comment on the cut, etc... but I just wanted to let you know that I do understand your conflicting feelings about this... I know I''d be reacting the exact same way. After talking to your fiance about all this initially, it seemed like everything was going to work out perfectly... so obviously this new development was a little unexpected and disappointing. It is completely understandable that you would feel that way.

It has been a bit of a roller-coaster thus far... I guess maybe you just have to decide when you''re ready to get off. If you feel the reward of having the ideal cut stone you were expecting would be worth it in the end, despite the extra hassle of having to start up the process again, then by all means... do it! A couple more phone calls and visits to the jeweler is no big deal in the grand scheme of things.

But if you feel like your stone is already "yours", and it makes you genuinely happy when you wake up and look at it every morning, then I would probably just call it a day. Numbers aren''t everything... and even if it were perfect number-wise, you might actually prefer the unique eccentricities of a less perfect stone... who knows?

But EITHER choice you make is fine. This is something you are going to wear proudly every day for the rest of your life! It needs to make you feel absolutely, 100% content no matter what... and in my humble opinion, you are asking the right questions at the right time... better now than to let it nag you for the next 5 years, wondering if you should have thought about it sooner! Good luck...
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Date: 5/23/2006 6:31:57 AM
Author: ladykemma

not all diamonds have to be ideal to be purdy and not all ideal diamonds are purdy. it is still sweet. my pretttiest most fiery diamond is in that region of the colorful chart.



boyfriend nearsighted by any chance?

Click to expand...
Yup -- she''s right. Both of my diamonds score (well over) 2 on the HCA and they are FIREBALLS. And you''re right that it''''s a mind-clean thing. I think it''s your choice -- you have to be happy with the stone, obviously.
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Blen


See if you can get the actual Sarin ( .srn) file.

If you can I can do a estimate on how is would grade under the new AGS system using the NEW PGS software.

To do this I need the actual file of the .srn.

NOTE: TO DO THIS ACCURATELY it does require personal examination of the stone for polish and symmetry. I can guess at it without seeing it and see if there would be a difference in the result, but at least that might provide you with a little more peace of mind.

Send file to [email protected]

Rockdoc
 
UGH Blen I am so sorry for you!!! You went through all that drama to get an ideal cut stone and now this!

That stone is not one I would consider for my own ring. I am so picky though. But I have seen mediocre and seen good and seen better and seen BEST. That's my problem.

Anyway, it would bug me to know that we had just gone through all this drama and I still ended up with a stone that was not 'ideal'. I don't like the depth on that stone, nor do I like the crown and pavilion angles. But it's not my stone. You said you love it so maybe you are fine with it but will the numbers and knowing that it's not what you first thought bug you? Why didn't you end up with the other stone? That one seemed perfect from the numbers!

I can't help but think *#% at your boyfriend, because HELLO why didn't he check this out? Why didn't Pete check this out? You SAID you wanted under 2 HCA. UGH. Sorry but stuff like that drives me INSANE when people do not notice small details. The whole reason to go through this was to get a better cut stone and now you are in basically the same situation as before. UGH!
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But it's not my stone and it's not me, so aside from my venting, what do you feel? If you think it will bug, I'd go look at that other stone that he had and confirm with YOUR eyes.
 
I''ll tell you, some guys just don''t get it. I really wish he would have let you sort through the certs and let him choose from an approved list.

This is the problem with PS, though. Once we are educated about ideal cut diamonds, it is extremely hard to settle for less. I had looked at a great diamond from Wink, and I honestly think I would have kept it if there was no such thing as certs for me to know it didn''t quite meet ideal (it was a little too big, though). There is a lot of peer pressure here to get ideal cut, and not just ideal cut..the best of the ideal cuts! But it is totally a mind clean thing. You were happy with the diamond until you saw the cert!
 
I think that if you love it and can''t stop looking at it, it''s a keeper!!

I agree that here at PS you can sometimes become such a perfectionist and obsessed with the specs, that we drive ourselves and our loved ones insane! I''m trying to be less obsessed, and like you have, find something sparkly that I love and can''t take my eyes off!

Enjoy your beautiful diamond
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I think at this point you've got to ask yourself - how much is it really bothering you? A lot? Cuz if you're going up to Quest's area this weekend anyway, and you want to see for yourself and make sure that you wouldn't prefer the AGSO then you should just do it. That way you will have convinced yourself one way or the other and you don't have to wrestle with the 'mindclean' thing anymore. It has a way of coming back every so often, and if you can do something about it now, one way or the other, you'll save yourself a lot of annoyance in the future.
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Date: 5/23/2006 9:48:14 AM
Author: Blenheim
Thank you so much for all of your advice. To answer some of your questions, my heart and eyes do love it and I just can't stop looking at it. (In fact, J wanted me to hand over the ring before I went on my walk yesterday, because he didn't want me to get hit by a car or something while staring at it.) It performs a LOT better than the one that J and my FFIL picked out. And I think I probably just answered my own question.
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I realized later last night that I just wanted reassurance more than anything else.

Lady Kemma, he's not nearsighted but I am (incredibly so). Why do you ask?

He Scores, thank you.
Click to expand...
I am a nearsighted person and I like the diamonds that score in the green area above the words "Young People" on the sample chart. don't really know why. It's also why I must have eye clean. visible inclusions drive me nuts.

I think you need to go with your heart and eyes. numbers are just a piece of paper. BTW, I adore your setting.

edited to add: go read this page, the inportant info is at the bottom.
http://www.goodoldgold.com/4Cs/NewCutGrading/GIAExAGSIdeal/
 
Hey Blen~
Just my two cents...with the first ring you were happy until you saw the cert, with this diamond you were again thrilled until you saw the cert. If it will make you happy to get a diamond that''s impecable on paper, then do it. But, you''ve said you can''t stop looking at the ring and J knows it, so it sounds like this stone is gorgeous in your eyes, just not in your head. I would probably be going through the same thing you are (although I still don''t know nearly half of what there is to know about diamonds.) The thing is, if you feel J got robbed again, then fix it. If not, maybe give it a while. After all, who''s really going to ask what your HCA score is? =) Good luck and keep us posted with whatever you choose?
 
Blen,

I think if your heart and your eyes love it, then keep it. Some of us are very driven by specs but ultimately you''ll be looking at the diamond everyday and not the cert. So if you already love the stone, then don''t change it, but if it is bothering you, then you will have to change it because if you don''t, it''ll keep bugging you.

When I was first searching for my e-diamond, I was looking at certs and specs all day long, but in the end, it was my eyes that made the decision. After I made the purchase, I have never looked at my cert again.
 
Thank you all for taking the time to reply. I''m sorry that I haven''t gotten back sooner, but I''ve been giving it thought (and preparing to present my honors thesis earlier today -- it looks like I''m going to graduate with honors now!).

I''ve decided to keep this diamond. I love it and can''t take my eyes off of it, which is what matters most to me.

I told J what Lady Kemma had said, and J mentioned that Pete had talked to him about how younger eyes often like diamonds in this range. So, it turns out that that was something they had considered. They had decided that this one was the best balance of cut, size, etc. given J''s budget. It also turns out that the AGS0 that I thought he had gotten is out of his price range.

Lady Kemma and Kristy Darling, it''s reassuring to know that you love your non 0-2 HCA score diamonds. Mine''s so firey that I was just kind of shocked to see what the HCA had said about "Fire". Actually, at dinner I had my hand in the center of the table and the two of us were just staring at all of the reds and blues and greens in my diamond. Our teenage male server walked up, and just stared then said, "Wow, that''s a nice ring. Nice ... bling bling." Teehee.

Rockdoc, thank you so much for the offer, but I don''t have the Sarin file. I only have the GIA information.
 
I have a 34 point signature ideal cut pendant 18k from zales. yes zales. (I''m not afraid of mall stores.) it was an impulse buy. (technically it is a psuedo gia excellent)

it literally jumped out at me while i was walking past with fire and light pulsating through it and around it, and the stone was still in the case. Yet, on the cut advisor it scores poorly, in the green zone above the R in young people but tell my eyes that.

i have a 1 carat TW 5 stone band picked up from clearance $300 at whitehall. a bride custom custom ordered it and failed to pick it up. stunning clarity and it throws rainbows.

how do you quantify beauty?

I am glad you are going to keep it. be happy with it.
 
Let me just add that I have had compliments on my original non-ideal diamond for 30 years, most recently last week when I had my nails done. The only time I see that it is not "ideal" is when I have compared it to the stones in Tiffany''s and the one I recently ordered to look at! And ya know what? No one else around here likely has ideal cut stones anyway, so I never have an occasion to have it beside a better cut stone anyway! You got a nice high color and your stone will be beautifully white and sparkly! So enjoy it and remember that relatively few people in the world have those ideal cut stones.
 
Good for you Blen!
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As long as you are happy that is all that matters, Blen!!! Congrats on the new stone!
 
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