cut quality

[grjoe]

Hello,

I'm looking to buy a diamond engagement ring. I've been researching diamonds for the last 3 weeks or so (it's been eye opening how much there is to learn!). One thing I won't sacrifice on is cut. I want a "superideal" cut round brilliant diamond (excellent proportions and light return with hearts and arrows symmetry). Unfortunately, most diamond vendors don't provide enough information to have that good an idea about the cut quality. My choice is to either go with the few vendors who do provide this information or to go with a branded diamond that is above reproach regarding cut quality.

I've been looking at the inventories from Whiteflash (ACA), Brian Gavin Diamonds (BG signature hearts and arrows), Good Old Gold, and also crafted by Infinity and I've found a few diamonds that meet what I'm looking for. Are there any other diamond vendors or brands I should look at that are price competitive with these vendors? Thanks.

 

[Regular Guy]

grj,

Since you''re asking...I''ll ask too...

now that James Allen provides hearts images...since he has loads of AGS options...how clear is it about the advantages of the named vendors...

sorry...only people with an informed bias may reply...

...oops...sorry...not my thread. Can I share it?

 

[filschaos]

Date: 8/7/2009 2:33:48 PM
Author:grjoe
Hello,

I''m looking to buy a diamond engagement ring. I''ve been researching diamonds for the last 3 weeks or so (it''s been eye opening how much there is to learn!). One thing I won''t sacrifice on is cut. I want a ''superideal'' cut round brilliant diamond (excellent proportions and light return with hearts and arrows symmetry). Unfortunately, most diamond vendors don''t provide enough information to have that good an idea about the cut quality. My choice is to either go with the few vendors who do provide this information or to go with a branded diamond that is above reproach regarding cut quality.

I''ve been looking at the inventories from Whiteflash (ACA), Brian Gavin Diamonds (BG signature hearts and arrows), Good Old Gold, and also crafted by Infinity and I''ve found a few diamonds that meet what I''m looking for. Are there any other diamond vendors or brands I should look at that are price competitive with these vendors? Thanks.

I''m not sure how many they offer are actually H&A, but it''s worth taking a look at:
NiceIce

 

[Rockdiamond]

Hey grjoe!

I''d say that you should not compromise- if you want a really well cut diamond, that''s what you should get.

I would strongly advise that you look at actual diamonds to see if the same you share the same subjective ideas about exactly what constitutes a really well cut diamond as many of the people posting here.
Many knowledgeable people that do not post here feel that light return, as a stat, can be quite misleading- as many interested observers will choose a diamond that is seemingly less well cut, if light return is the yardstick
Look at stones in person.

 

[Regular Guy]

Date: 8/7/2009 5:56:42 PM
Author: Rockdiamond
Hey grjoe!

I''d say that you should not compromise- if you want a really well cut diamond, that''s what you should get.

I would strongly advise that you look at actual diamonds to see if the same you share the same subjective ideas about exactly what constitutes a really well cut diamond as many of the people posting here.
Many knowledgeable people that do not post here feel that light return, as a stat, can be quite misleading- as many interested observers will choose a diamond that is seemingly less well cut, if light return is the yardstick
Look at stones in person.

David, have you found any branded diamonds predictably attractive?

I have. Hearts of Fire, for example. Have you seen them? I don''t think it is too much a subjective thing. I think most people like them...a lot...more than most diamonds. This is reliable.

WF ACA''s among the others here, are routinely specifically compared to these. Favorably. As on par. From those that have them both. I don''t think this is just gibberish.

Do you?

 

[glitterata]

grjoe,

If you can go look at lots of diamonds in person and get an idea of what looks prettiest to you, by all means do. (You will probably find that the diamonds offered to you in bricks-and-mortar shops are way more expensive than the ones online, so make sure to check out the online prices before you actually buy them.)

If you can't go look at lots of diamonds in person, you're probably safe taking the advice of most of the posters here and looking for diamonds in the ideal cut range. David happens not to like those as much as some other diamonds that he's able to identify due to his many decades of experience as a diamond dealer. But many--perhaps most--diamond shoppers nowadays don't prefer the diamonds David prefers; they prefer the ideals that posters here will recommend to you. There's a good chance you'll like those better too.

One big advantage of the ideal cuts, besides the fact that many people find them more beautiful than other diamonds, is that they're easy to identify by the angles and percentages listed on their certificates. If you buy a superideal from one of the vendors you've mentioned, you won't wind up with an ugly diamond. David has not been able to explain how to identify the diamonds he prefers except by looking at them himself. That makes it hard to find them on the Internet.

But again, if you have an opportunity to compare ideals to less well cut stones in person and find that you prefer some of the less well cut stones, go ahead and choose those. You may save money that way (though you may not, since diamonds are generally more expensive in physical stores).

 

[Rockdiamond]

Hi all
Ira- yes I''ve seen HOF diamonds
the word "attractive" could be nothing but a subjective term
There are just as many people that have bought a branded stone that feel it does not look any better than other non branded diamonds.
We have gotten many such phone calls, and taken branded stones in as trade ins

Glitterata: all due respect but why would you say most shoppers would not choose a stone I might prefer?
Most diamond shoppers never post on a forum..... plus if we want to use PS as a measuring stick remember that it''s not all that easy to express an opinion different that the prevaing attitude here.
On antoher thread everyone said the ideal cut was dirty which was why other stones shone brighter.
How do we know the other stones were clean?

 

[Regular Guy]

Date: 8/8/2009 3:52:51 PM
Author: Rockdiamond
Hi all
Ira- yes I''ve seen HOF diamonds
the word ''attractive'' could be nothing but a subjective term
There are just as many people that have bought a branded stone that feel it does not look any better than other non branded diamonds.
We have gotten many such phone calls, and taken branded stones in as trade ins

Glitterata: all due respect but why would you say most shoppers would not choose a stone I might prefer?
Most diamond shoppers never post on a forum..... plus if we want to use PS as a measuring stick remember that it''s not all that easy to express an opinion different that the prevaing attitude here.
On antoher thread everyone said the ideal cut was dirty which was why other stones shone brighter.
How do we know the other stones were clean?

David, I believe your disingenuous, and if you don''t agree with me, I think you''d better give up your day job.

That is to say...simply this....

Although they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder (and you seem to be wanting to say this, too), this thing they call light performance, I understand, IS based on physical principles, and consequently, not only can I trust that what I see is called blue...you also see blue, and likewise, when a diamond reflects light the way it should, we like it...all of us.

That said, if beauty is as subjective as you say, what business would you have in selling diamonds, where...according to you, anything you would like, you could only guess if anyone else would like it, too?

You want to hope that what is beautiful to you, is beautiful to others, too, and on that basis, you could actually make a recommendation to someone else. Yes, sure, you can tell them to come in and see it to verify it for yourself...but...really...why go through the trouble of looking at them one by one for stock. Since you anticipate your taste will not reliably match anyone elses...really...what''s the point in that?

 

[Rockdiamond]

Date: 8/8/2009 7:14:18 PM
Author: Regular Guy

Date: 8/8/2009 3:52:51 PM
Author: Rockdiamond
Hi all
Ira- yes I''ve seen HOF diamonds
the word ''attractive'' could be nothing but a subjective term
There are just as many people that have bought a branded stone that feel it does not look any better than other non branded diamonds.
We have gotten many such phone calls, and taken branded stones in as trade ins

Glitterata: all due respect but why would you say most shoppers would not choose a stone I might prefer?
Most diamond shoppers never post on a forum..... plus if we want to use PS as a measuring stick remember that it''s not all that easy to express an opinion different that the prevaing attitude here.
On antoher thread everyone said the ideal cut was dirty which was why other stones shone brighter.
How do we know the other stones were clean?

David, I believe your disingenuous, and if you don''t agree with me, I think you''d better give up your day job.

That is to say...simply this....

Although they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder (and you seem to be wanting to say this, too), this thing they call light performance, I understand, IS based on physical principles, and consequently, not only can I trust that what I see is called blue...you also see blue, and likewise, when a diamond reflects light the way it should, we like it...all of us.

That said, if beauty is as subjective as you say, what business would you have in selling diamonds, where...according to you, anything you would like, you could only guess if anyone else would like it, too?

You want to hope that what is beautiful to you, is beautiful to others, too, and on that basis, you could actually make a recommendation to someone else. Yes, sure, you can tell them to come in and see it to verify it for yourself...but...really...why go through the trouble of looking at them one by one for stock. Since you anticipate your taste will not reliably match anyone elses...really...what''s the point in that?

Ira I honestly regret that people feel the need to resort to personal insults simply because we disagree on what makes a diamond beautiful.
I don''t dispute that reflector technology can measure the light coming out of a diamond- however I strongly disagree that necessarily equates to beauty in all eyes.

Why do people like step cuts? Or fancy colored diamonds? Or old mine cuts? Don;t all these cuts return less light than a round brilliant? Are people that consider these more beautiful than a round brilliant wrong?

The fact is that if shoppers take the word of people recommending or specifying certain aspects like table depth and polish , symmetry, these shoppers may pay more for the diamond than they might need to.
If they have looked at different stones, and chosen the "preferred ASET/IS" diamond, then the extra cost makes sense.

I know, from all these years doing this, that many people will prefer a "spreadier" diamond, such as a 60/60 when they look at them side by side,compared to an "Ideal" AGS0 with a 55% table
I honestly feel that by taking the advice recommending "safe" diamonds, many shoppers spend more than they would have- or gotten a smaller diamond if they were actually to compare.

My system for selecting diamonds is based on visual aspects.
Many shoppers have found the visual information we provide to convey many of the aspects we found attractive about the diamond.
Surely GOG, WF, JA, BGD, Excel, and others have used similar visual methods to successfully represent many diamonds.

 

[Gypsy]

Can you guys take it outside and settle it, instead of in this thread, please?

I''d rather not have ANOTHER newbie''s thread railroaded by all the recent infighting on here. Seriously. This is getting ridiculous. People come on here as a simple questions and BOOM it''s like a gang war starts on their threads.

You want to compare who has the bigger one, take it out of your shorts somewhere else. You all are scaring off the newbies and innocents. And seriously starting to tick off some regulars too.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 8/8/2009 10:45:25 PM
Author: Rockdiamond

The fact is that if shoppers take the word of people recommending or specifying certain aspects like table depth and polish , symmetry, these shoppers may pay more for the diamond than they might need to.
If they have looked at different stones, and chosen the ''preferred ASET/IS'' diamond, then the extra cost makes sense.

My system for selecting diamonds is based on visual aspects.

RD...a G/G look the same as EX/EX ?

 

[marcy]

Date: 8/7/2009 2:33:48 PM
Author:grjoe
Hello,

I''m looking to buy a diamond engagement ring. I''ve been researching diamonds for the last 3 weeks or so (it''s been eye opening how much there is to learn!). One thing I won''t sacrifice on is cut. I want a ''superideal'' cut round brilliant diamond (excellent proportions and light return with hearts and arrows symmetry). Unfortunately, most diamond vendors don''t provide enough information to have that good an idea about the cut quality. My choice is to either go with the few vendors who do provide this information or to go with a branded diamond that is above reproach regarding cut quality.

I''ve been looking at the inventories from Whiteflash (ACA), Brian Gavin Diamonds (BG signature hearts and arrows), Good Old Gold, and also crafted by Infinity and I''ve found a few diamonds that meet what I''m looking for. Are there any other diamond vendors or brands I should look at that are price competitive with these vendors? Thanks.

Hi Grjoe. I know you can''t go wrong with Whiteflash, Brian Gavin and Good Old Gold. They have very good reputations here. What size and shape are you looking for?

 

[Lorelei]

Definitely try www.niceice.com Todd will take great care of you too. Between the vendors you are considering and NI you should definitely find what you are looking for.

 

[grjoe]

Hi all,

Thanks for your input thus far. I''m looking for a round brilliant in the 1.2 to 1.5 Carat range. Thanks for the recommendation on Niceice. I''ll check out their site also.

 

[Ali]

Please remember to reply to the ORIGINAL QUESTION. Commentary outside of that is unhelpful, unnecessary and rude.

Thank you for your respect and consideration.

 

[risingsun]

To the OP, I have a HOF diamond. It is beautiful. I also had a WF ACA. It was also beautiful and the price was less

than the HOF! I can give you some recommendations based upon my personal experiences with different vendors that sell superideal H&A stones. I am biased toward the superideals because of their outstanding performance. I have had other diamonds that paled in comparison.

I have been a customer of WF and worked with Brian Gavin, John Pollard and Leslie Harris. Based upon my excellent experience with these vendors, I can recommend WF, BGD and Crafted By Infinity. When I first joined PS, John was a mentor to me and taught me so much about diamonds. I knew so little and learned so much!

As a consumer, I have had a number of in depth conversations with Wink and would recommend him without hesitation. He is also a vendor for Infinity diamonds. I have worked with Jon from GOG. Although I did not make the purchase, his customer service was excellent. In addition, there have been many satisfied customers, who post on this board. I would also recommend GOG.

I know that there are other excellent vendors that I didn't mention. I wanted to limit my recommendations to those with whom I have had personal experience, in some capacity.

I hope this helps

 

[Lula]

Hi, grjoe,
I have owned two Crafted by Infinity diamonds. I bought them from Wink of High Performance Diamonds. I would recommend Wink without hesitation, and if it's a superideal with consistent performance you're looking for, you cannot go wrong with an Infinity diamond.

I chose to buy a branded super-ideal because, frankly, you get what you pay for. I don't have the time or expertise to sift through hundreds of virtual diamond listings searching for the GIA-deal-of-the-century.

I also liked the upgrade policy Crafted by Infinity offers.

While searching for my diamond, I contacted GOG, James Allen, and Whiteflash, and found their customer service to be wonderful.

I simply liked the Infinity brand better for my own preferences, but I would not have any hesitation working with the aforementioned vendors or any of the other vendors (e.g., NiceIce, Brian Gavin) recommended by those who have posted on this thread.

I have seen HOF in person, and they are gorgeous stones. A bit over my budget, and I'm not a fan of their marketing strategies, but they are exceptional stones.

 

[Regular Guy]

RG!

 

[outatouch0]

Intersting thread