Cut/color combo

[grosx2]

Hi, new member here....recently started shopping for an engagement ring, which will be my first significant diamond purchase.

After doing quite a bit of research over the past few weeks and mostly shopping on James Allen and Blue Nile (and looking at diamonds in person at a few brick-and-mortars), I came across Whiteflash. I really like their website and their preference for high quality AGS stones (which I started leaning towards over GIA once I moved past researching the 4C's and started reading more about dimensions/proportions, triple X vs triple 0, etc.)

To summarize, I'm looking for a 2.5 - 3 carat round (give or take a tenth), to be set in a platinum pave band; based on my approximate target budget, my best options on Whiteflash seem to be either an H color Ideal, or an I color Super Ideal....which combo would you recommend for a stone of that shape and size?

I've also lowered the clarity filter down to SI1, which I was hesitant to do on other sites, but now I'm just looking to see if Whiteflash says that the stone is eye-clean. I like that they give you that info in the description....is it safe to trust their assessment?

I tried (and maybe failed) to keep this short and sweet, but if there is any other info I can provide that might be helpful, please let me know....thanks!

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

If you're purchasing through WF, I would stick to their in-house stones (ACA, PS or ES) only, and not the virtual stones. In-house inventory is all cut to exacting degrees of precision (with ACAs being even more exacting than PS and ES; the difference between the three categories is vanishingly small to the eye imo and the latter can be a bit cheaper than the former); but virtual stones are not held to any real quality control. All the policies that people pay the premium for: $1 upgrade, 30 day return etc. are available only on in-house inventory.

I am not colour sensitive personally, so I would be fine with I SI1 as long as it was eye-clean by WF's standards; and would try to maximise size instead (get as close to 3ct in the three in-house categories).

Diamond | 3.024 ct H SI1 Expert Selection Round Cut Loose Diamond AGS Certified | 4193660

This fabulous 3.024 carat Round Ideal cut diamond has a clarity grade of SI1 and color grade of H.It is an excellent choice for engagement rings. | 4193660

www.whiteflash.com

This is an H SI1 Expert Selection for around $33k. If it is eye-clean, I would definitely go for this!

 

[tyty333]

Not really sure what your budget is but if you can swing an H 8.75mm

Diamond | 2.547 ct H VS2 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond AGS Certified | 4422549

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 2.547 carat H color VS2 clarity loose diamond is graded by the American Gem Society (AGS) Laboratories. | 4422549

www.whiteflash.com

Larger I colored stones

Diamond | 2.857 ct I VS2 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond AGS Certified | 4419926

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 2.857 carat I color VS2 clarity loose diamond is graded by the American Gem Society (AGS) Laboratories. | 4419926

www.whiteflash.com

Diamond | 3.050 ct I SI1 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond AGS Certified | 4443708

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 3.050 carat I color SI1 clarity loose diamond is graded by the American Gem Society (AGS) Laboratories. | 4443708

www.whiteflash.com

There is no video for the 3.05 I yet. I would tell them you are interested (if you indeed are) and ask for the videos.
I would also ask your SA if they can provide a picture of all three stones together (or a picture of the stones you are
interested in altogether) so you can do a side by side comparison.

Here are the 3 listed together in a comparison

Diamond comparison | Compare Diamonds to choose and buy the best one

Whiteflash gives you an excellent opportunity to compare diamonds to make a great deal. With diamond’s parameters provided, you can compare any detail.

www.whiteflash.com

 

[Diamond_Enthusiast]

I found this on Brian Gavin Diamonds (also a super ideal diamond vendor with AGS certified stones) that might interest you:

2.494 G SI1 (Bank Wire price $38,651) - 8.74 x 8.68mm

2.494 G SI1 Signature Round

Buy diamonds online - AGS Graded 2.494 carat G SI1 super ideal cut Brian Gavin Hearts & Arrows Round Cut diamond. Lifetime Upgrade Policy!

www.briangavindiamonds.com

Recommending because this is a well priced option for a higher color stone.

WF has a more generous upgrade policy (only need to spend $1 more than original). BGD's policy is less generous (upgrade two of size, color or clarity) but still very reasonable.

 

[Diamond_Enthusiast]

Here is another G SI one from WF:

2.558 ct G SI1 (Bank Wire price $36,740) - 8.75x8.79mm

Diamond | 2.558 ct G SI1 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond AGS Certified | 4430057

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 2.558 carat G color SI1 clarity loose diamond is graded by the American Gem Society (AGS) Laboratories. | 4430057

www.whiteflash.com

ETA: I prefer recommending higher color stones because larger stones tend to show more body color than smaller ones, especially in the side profile. You may or may not be color sensitive though.

 

[tyty333]

Here is another G SI one from WF:

2.558 ct G SI1 (Bank Wire price $36,740) - 8.75x8.79mm

Diamond | 2.558 ct G SI1 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond AGS Certified | 4430057

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 2.558 carat G color SI1 clarity loose diamond is graded by the American Gem Society (AGS) Laboratories. | 4430057

www.whiteflash.com

ETA: I prefer recommending higher color stones because larger stones tend to show more body color than smaller ones, especially in the side profile. You may or may not be color sensitive though.

I would definitely throw that one into the mix with the H and I!

 

[grosx2]

Thanks for all the replies!

@AllAboardTheBlingTrain yeah I have been sticking to in-house only on my WF searches. The one you linked had definitely caught my eye, it's at the top end of my budget but seems to be a good deal for that size, cut, and color. Do you think that the difference to the naked eye between AGS 000 and ACA is pretty negligible?

@tyty333 and @Diamond_Enthusiast thanks for sharing those stones, unfortunately they are a bit outside my budget....was hoping to keep it $30k or less, but could bump up $2-3k for a great deal....really would like the stone and setting combined to come in under $35k (not including tax).

Appreciate the tip on the WF comparison tool, very helpful!

Seems like G-I color is a good target range for 2-3 carats, and essentially just boils down to how color sensitive a person is?

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

Thanks for all the replies!

@AllAboardTheBlingTrain yeah I have been sticking to in-house only on my WF searches. The one you linked had definitely caught my eye, it's at the top end of my budget but seems to be a good deal for that size, cut, and color. Do you think that the difference to the naked eye between AGS 000 and ACA is pretty negligible?

@tyty333 and @Diamond_Enthusiast thanks for sharing those stones, unfortunately they are a bit outside my budget....was hoping to keep it $30k or less, but could bump up $2-3k for a great deal....really would like the stone and setting combined to come in under $35k (not including tax).

Appreciate the tip on the WF comparison tool, very helpful!

Seems like G-I color is a good target range for 2-3 carats, and essentially just boils down to how color sensitive a person is?

To me, it's pretty negligible. ES isn't just run of the mill AGS 000 either, it's pretty top quality. ACA would be like the top top 0.01% but ES is like top 0.1-0.5% probably. There are people who sometimes buy one ACA and one ES for studs, because they can end up being well matched to the naked eye.

I think it comes down to priority. I prioritise size quite highly, try and balance size and cut quality in my personal choices. I'll sacrifice a little cut quality for significant size bump, or sacrifice a little size if there are no good options in the cut range I'm willing to go to. Colour and clarity I'm super flexible with. I can go down to J for 3cts, personally, though my sweet spot is H-I.

If this stone is eye clean, it would be my personal pick. H is pretty white, and 3ct is 3ct. If you find yourself to be super discerning, you can always upgrade to ACA later, if it seems worth it. To me, spending that extra ~10k for ACA over ES would not be worth it. But that's just me, personally.

 

[grosx2]

To me, it's pretty negligible. ES isn't just run of the mill AGS 000 either, it's pretty top quality. ACA would be like the top top 0.01% but ES is like top 0.1-0.5% probably. There are people who sometimes buy one ACA and one ES for studs, because they can end up being well matched to the naked eye.

I think it comes down to priority. I prioritise size quite highly, try and balance size and cut quality in my personal choices. I'll sacrifice a little cut quality for significant size bump, or sacrifice a little size if there are no good options in the cut range I'm willing to go to. Colour and clarity I'm super flexible with. I can go down to J for 3cts, personally, though my sweet spot is H-I.

If this stone is eye clean, it would be my personal pick. H is pretty white, and 3ct is 3ct. If you find yourself to be super discerning, you can always upgrade to ACA later, if it seems worth it. To me, spending that extra ~10k for ACA over ES would not be worth it. But that's just me, personally.

Thanks for the feedback! So the WF listing for that stone says that it is eye-clean; can I simply trust that, or do I need to take further steps to confirm?

Also, I've seen other posts where people talk about having a seller "hold" a particular stone....do you know anything about that process? How to do it, how long you can do it for, etc?

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

Thanks for the feedback! So the WF listing for that stone says that it is eye-clean; can I simply trust that, or do I need to take further steps to confirm?

Also, I've seen other posts where people talk about having a seller "hold" a particular stone....do you know anything about that process? How to do it, how long you can do it for, etc?

I don't know how it works exactly for WF, but I think someone mentioned you can try to check out with the stone, say you'll pay by bank wire, and ask them in the message box to hold it for you for 24-48h because you have further questions (and I guess just drop them your phone number or something).

I would ask them to pull it and define what eye-clean here means (at what distance, top view only etc). Since its an SI1, ask them to confirm whether there's any haziness/cloudiness issues. You can even ask them for additional videos if you like - if it's a reasonable request I'm sure they'll oblige.

Or just call them maybe, and ask them what's the best way to put it on hold!

 

[grosx2]

I don't know how it works exactly for WF, but I think someone mentioned you can try to check out with the stone, say you'll pay by bank wire, and ask them in the message box to hold it for you for 24-48h because you have further questions (and I guess just drop them your phone number or something).

I would ask them to pull it and define what eye-clean here means (at what distance, top view only etc). Since its an SI1, ask them to confirm whether there's any haziness/cloudiness issues. You can even ask them for additional videos if you like - if it's a reasonable request I'm sure they'll oblige.

Or just call them maybe, and ask them what's the best way to put it on hold!

Here is what they define eye-clean as on their website:

What is your definition of ‘Eye-Clean’?

Our definition of eye-clean: No inclusions visible face-up at a distance of 8-10 inches in natural lighting to a person with 20/20 vision.

www.whiteflash.com

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

Here is what they define eye-clean as on their website:

What is your definition of ‘Eye-Clean’?

Our definition of eye-clean: No inclusions visible face-up at a distance of 8-10 inches in natural lighting to a person with 20/20 vision.

www.whiteflash.com

To be honest, that would work for me. I'm not that fussed - who's peering into your stone closer than ten inches anyway? I would still want to ask them about potential cloudiness/haziness issues though, since those can be seen at a distance; or, if you're amenable, you can order it and return it if it doesn't work for you (but then you can't have it set in a ring straightaway).

 

[grosx2]

To be honest, that would work for me. I'm not that fussed - who's peering into your stone closer than ten inches anyway? I would still want to ask them about potential cloudiness/haziness issues though, since those can be seen at a distance; or, if you're amenable, you can order it and return it if it doesn't work for you (but then you can't have it set in a ring straightaway).

Here's a comparison on two eye-clean H colors that I like....almost identical except for carat and some of the dimensions. The smaller one seems a bit whiter in the photo, and the Scope, Aset, and Hearts images are noticeably different, though I'm not sure what exactly I should be looking for in those.

Size aside, which is the better-looking stone in your opinion?

Diamond comparison | Compare Diamonds to choose and buy the best one

Whiteflash gives you an excellent opportunity to compare diamonds to make a great deal. With diamond’s parameters provided, you can compare any detail.

www.whiteflash.com

Then just for fun, I pulled in a couple similarly sized ACA stones....it seems like the dimensions and images of the 2.4 carat ES are overall more similar to the ACA stones than the 3 carat ES...

Diamond comparison | Compare Diamonds to choose and buy the best one

Whiteflash gives you an excellent opportunity to compare diamonds to make a great deal. With diamond’s parameters provided, you can compare any detail.

www.whiteflash.com

 

[dmack]

I am far from an expert but I do not like the Expert Selection one. See how there is a white-ish circle around the center in the Idealscope image? And that corresponds to a darker ring in the diamond image? I feel like someone else here bought this stone and returned it because it didn’t perform….or maybe it wasn’t this particular stone but the exact same issue.

 

[grosx2]

I am far from an expert but I do not like the Expert Selection one. See how there is a white-ish circle around the center in the Idealscope image? And that corresponds to a darker ring in the diamond image? I feel like someone else here bought this stone and returned it because it didn’t perform….or maybe it wasn’t this particular stone but the exact same issue.

Yeah I did notice that; I don't know how to "read" those images, but in the 4 stone comparison, the 3 carat one looks noticeably different than the smaller ES and the two ACAs.

In my very limited experience, that price seems almost too good to be true for an ES, H-color stone over 3 carats...

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

Here's a comparison on two eye-clean H colors that I like....almost identical except for carat and some of the dimensions. The smaller one seems a bit whiter in the photo, and the Scope, Aset, and Hearts images are noticeably different, though I'm not sure what exactly I should be looking for in those.

Size aside, which is the better-looking stone in your opinion?

Diamond comparison | Compare Diamonds to choose and buy the best one

Whiteflash gives you an excellent opportunity to compare diamonds to make a great deal. With diamond’s parameters provided, you can compare any detail.

www.whiteflash.com

Then just for fun, I pulled in a couple similarly sized ACA stones....it seems like the dimensions and images of the 2.4 carat ES are overall more similar to the ACA stones than the 3 carat ES...

Diamond comparison | Compare Diamonds to choose and buy the best one

Whiteflash gives you an excellent opportunity to compare diamonds to make a great deal. With diamond’s parameters provided, you can compare any detail.

www.whiteflash.com

Oh jeez, when I look at the comparison of the two, that ring in the middle of the ES really jumps out it seems rather leaky in the middle, but I’ve never seen that kind of issue with WF in-house diamonds (not that I’m an expert, and I’ve only seen them on a screen pretty much).

Ask WF to make you a side by side comparison of both stones in normal lighting. They can do that, and it’ll give you a sense of how the stone will look in everyday life.