Dazed and Confused

[starynite]

I have been lurking here for a while, and the more I read the more confused I get. I hope one of the experts here can give me some advice.

If found these two diamonds that really caught my attention and am looking for some honest opinions please!

http://tradingfloor.gemex.com.au/stone_details.php?item=6986

http://tradingfloor.gemex.com.au/stone_details.php?item=6342

I know the prices are quite different, but both are within my budget. I just don''t know if I should go for the excellent proportion stone and settle for the SI1 clarity or should I rather go for the E IF stone (Good proportion) It is IF afterall!

Please help! I am just dazed and confused and would love to buy one of these soon. Maybe I just get impatient, but please help me before I choose wrong

Thank you all!

 

[chrono]

I need more information on both stones. Ask the vendor for information on:
Crown % and angle
Pavilion % and angle
Table % (missing on 1 of the stones)
Depth % (missing on 1 of the stones)


Stone #2 is a wee bit deep but without all the numbers I have no idea if it is well cut or not. I would not go by the ratings given by the GIA certs, polish & symmetry ratings or colour & clarity to make my decision. None of these determine how much the stone will sparkle. It is the CUT that makes the stone, hence the need for all the information I requested you find out above. A E IF stone will NOT outshine a G SI1 if it is badly cut.

ETA
To make the most of your money, G/H and VS2/ (eyeclean SI1) would be a good starting point, provided the stone is well cut.

 

[jaz464]

Some people really like the high clarity diamonds but most people would rather put their money towards characteristics that they can actually notice, like an excellent cut and bigger size. DO NOT sacrifice cut! That is what will make your diamond sparkle and scintillate, as well as help it face up bigger, whiter, and more eye clean. Why not get an SI1 if you can see nothing with the naked eye? Of course, you need to ask about a particular diamond to determine whether it is eye clean. Some are, some are not.

May I ask why you have chosen to that particular vendor? What is their return policy? I couldn't locate it.

 

[Lorelei]

From the limited info given, it looks as if these might have decentish cuts and finished to traditional proportions, but are not the cream of the crop cutwise. It depends on whether you want us to help you weed through these from this vendor and find the likely best performer, although it can be difficult to predict without accompanying Idealscope Images etc. Or we can help you find a top class cut which will be cut to very exacting proportions and finish, which will have top light performance which is proven and predictable from other vendors. Ditto dropping colour and clarity if you wish.

 

[neatfreak]

I would be hesitant to buy from this "vendor". They don''t have nearly enough information for me to be comfortable recommending them from you. As someone else mentioned they don''t advertise their policies very well, and it''s difficult for me to read their site to see what''s going on.

That being said, we really do need those angles to try and help you. But just from the numbers available, neither look like amazing stones.

As for the IF thing, why why why would you pay so much for soemthing you can''t see? To the naked eye, an IF and an eyeclean SI1 will look exactly the same. No difference. So I certainly would recommend that you AT LEAST drop to a VS2. Some people are not "mind clean" about SI1''s, and that''s ok, but a VS2 is pretty safe, not to mention a whole heck of a lot cheaper.

You really want to buy the absolute best cut you can as others have mentioned. The other C''s come a long way after cut, because if it''s CUT well it can hide inclusions, mask color, and will sparkle like crazy. A poorly cut diamond will look dark and lifeless.