decisions decisions....Please Help!

[Elmira19]

So, where do I even start.. I'm upgrading my central stone with BN. The first stone we got through them wasn't that impressive at all, I don't know what was wrong with it but it didn't sparkle and was very grey. From the beginning I noticed dark color of the stone and it did bother me. And I sent it for deep clean couple times and it still didn't sparkle after that. Any suggestions what could be a reason for that? GIA 7142759549. So I don't do same mistakes in the future.


Now I decided to upgrade it for bigger and hopefully nicer stone. And I need your help! I don't know about diamonds much! And I'm reading this forum for the third day and hopefully it will help me with my decision!

I narrowed down to 5 diamonds from BN:

https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-details/LD10360318

https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-details/LD10414489

https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-details/LD10428934

https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-details/LD10564349

https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-details/LD10352086

What do you think about these stones? Which one is be better? Or I should keep looking?

My budget is $12K. I would love it to be around 1.40-1.50 carat. And I'm afraid it will be dark again or won't sparkle I don't mind fluorescence. Of course as long as it doesn't affect diamond performance.

 

[Elmira19]

That’s my old BN diamond

 

[Elmira19]

https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-details/LD09914897

I'm looking also at Astor Ideal diamond, it's more expensive than others and smaller in size... Is it worth paying more money for better cut even if HCA is in the same range 1-2?

 

[ac117]

Looking at your current stone's GIA report, the first listed inclusion on your SI2 diamond is a crystal so that might be the black spot you're seeing but I can't tell from your photos. Also, the diamond isn't well cut - it's shallow, with a low crown and pavilion angles so it's flat, lacks edge to edge brightness and is likely leaking light return, which is why you don't see as much sparkle. We could certainly help you choose a beautiful upgrade! Stick with GIA excellent cut only even though that range is very broad and some stones are much better cut than others. These are measurements to help you stay in ideal cut territory with a GIA excellent cut stone:
table: 54-58
depth: 60-62.3
crown angle: 34-35.0 (sometimes 35.5 if the pavilion angle is 40.6)
pavilion angle: 40.6-40.9 (sometimes 41.0 if the crown angle is close to 34)

That being said, I don't love any of the options you posted - most have a table greater than the depth and are more 60/60 style favoring more white light return over colored light return. Here are a couple of beautiful options. I will look again in a few. What's the minimum you need to spend for the upgrade?
https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-de...DiamondDetails&action=newTab&catalogView=true
https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-de...DiamondDetails&action=newTab&catalogView=true

ETA 2 more:
https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-de...DiamondDetails&action=newTab&catalogView=true
This is promising if you want to maximize size but it would be better if they could provide an IS (which they usually don't): https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-de...DiamondDetails&action=newTab&catalogView=true

 

[Elmira19]

Looking at your current stone's GIA report, the first listed inclusion on your SI2 diamond is a crystal so that might be the black spot you're seeing but I can't tell from your photos. Also, the diamond isn't well cut - it's shallow, with a low crown and pavilion angles so it's flat, lacks edge to edge brightness and is likely leaking light return, which is why you don't see as much sparkle. We could certainly help you choose a beautiful upgrade! Stick with GIA excellent cut only even though that range is very broad and some stones are much better cut than others. These are measurements to help you stay in ideal cut territory with a GIA excellent cut stone:
table: 54-58
depth: 60-62.3
crown angle: 34-35.0 (sometimes 35.5 if the pavilion angle is 40.6)
pavilion angle: 40.6-40.9 (sometimes 41.0 if the crown angle is close to 34)

That being said, I don't love any of the options you posted - most have a table greater than the depth and are more 60/60 style favoring more white light return over colored light return. Here are a couple of beautiful options. I will look again in a few. What's the minimum you need to spend for the upgrade?
https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-de...DiamondDetails&action=newTab&catalogView=true
https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-de...DiamondDetails&action=newTab&catalogView=true

ETA 2 more:
https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-de...DiamondDetails&action=newTab&catalogView=true
This is promising if you want to maximize size but it would be better if they could provide an IS (which they usually don't): https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-de...DiamondDetails&action=newTab&catalogView=true

You are so right! There was a big black crystal right in the middle of my stone! Do you think that could affect diamond color? That's why I'm little bit paranoid of choosing H color again because I'm afraid what if it will be grey again? But then I saw some rings even with I color in person and none of them looked as dark color as my stone was...

I need to spend from 10900 up to 12000 ( I would say 12500 max). I shipped my ring to them a while ago and picked a diamond and after reading this forum I realized it's not a good one https://www.bluenile.com/build-your-own-ring/diamond-details/LD08470756
So, I'm looking for a new diamond again...

To tell you the truth other than carat, color and clarity I'm also looking at measurements. So diamond won't look too small or not similar to my old diamond.. I would prefer it to be around 7.20 mm....

Thank you for your response and I will definitely look at what you picked for me! Because obviously I don't know how to pick diamonds

 

[sledge]

Below is a copy of your GIA cert. Also, I attached a copy of the AGS proportions chart for the 59 table size of your current stone. Based on all this information, it appears the reason your stone doesn't meet your sparkly expectations is because it has uncomplimentary table size, CA & PA values. The chart intersects at a fair cut quality, but because GIA averages values, etc. it could land in the "good" cut.

As you will learn, many people here don't like "excellent" cut stones as they are rarely anything but excellent and we tend to shoot for ideal cut stones. Why? Because cut is where the sparkle occurs and IMO the most important factor when shopping for a stone. So seeing a stone in the fair to good area makes sense you may not have liked it.

I'm dropping these images for now, but will look at the new stones and maybe some others in hopes to find something that works good for you. Are you absolutely married to BN for the upgrade? Only asking because you didn't seem happy with the first experience.

Keep the faith though, there are many good people here that can help point you to a nice big sparkly diamond!

 

[ac117]

You are so right! There was a big black crystal right in the middle of my stone! Do you think that could affect diamond color? That's why I'm little bit paranoid of choosing H color again because I'm afraid what if it will be grey again? But then I saw some rings even with I color in person and none of them looked as dark color as my stone was...

I need to spend from 10900 up to 12000 ( I would say 12500 max). I shipped my ring to them a while ago and picked a diamond and after reading this forum I realized it's not a good one https://www.bluenile.com/build-your-own-ring/diamond-details/LD08470756
So, I'm looking for a new diamond again...

To tell you the truth other than carat, color and clarity I'm also looking at measurements. So diamond won't look too small or not similar to my old diamond.. I would prefer it to be around 7.20 mm....

Thank you for your response and I will definitely look at what you picked for me! Because obviously I don't know how to pick diamonds

The crystal was not likely causing the grayness but the twinning wisps could've also been effecting transparency, which would cause a milkiness/haziness. H is very white and I think if you go for one of the stones in ideal cut territory, you'd see a MAJOR difference in performance and be very happy. I do consider myself color sensitive and I prefer to stay at H and above for an ering in MRBs bc I see the tint in an I colored stone (even in super ideals) and it bothers me.

I'm glad you came here to get advice and are not going to get the diamond you just posted. All of the stones I chose for you are nicely cut and greater in diameter than 7.2mm so you'll absolutely see a big difference in size from what your original stone was!

 

[stonewell]

Wow... that first stone you posted, @ac117 is fantastic! The CA/PA combination is my favorite - and sure to be a fiery stone.

@Elmira19 - if possible, I'd suggest placing the ones you believe may be strong contenders on hold soon while you think it over. It's not unusual for recommendations posted here to get snapped up quickly.

 

[sledge]

Wow... that first stone you posted, @ac117 is fantastic! The CA/PA combination is my favorite - and sure to be a fiery stone.

@Elmira19 - if possible, I'd suggest placing the ones you believe may be strong contenders on hold soon while you think it over. It's not unusual for recommendations posted here to get snapped up quickly.

Also, put in a request for idealscope, ASET and H&A images. You may or may not get them, but it's worth the ask as they help confirm how we expect the diamond to perform based on the angles, etc.

 

[ac117]

Another beautiful option: https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-de...DiamondDetails&action=newTab&catalogView=true

 

[Elmira19]

So I got report for this diamond https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-de...DiamondDetails&action=newTab&catalogView=true and I also like the last one you gave me link to https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-de...DiamondDetails&action=newTab&catalogView=true which one between those 2 would be better?

 

[ac117]

This one would be my choice: https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-de...DiamondDetails&action=newTab&catalogView=true

 

[stonewell]

Also, put in a request for idealscope, ASET and H&A images. You may or may not get them, but it's worth the ask as they help confirm how we expect the diamond to perform based on the angles, etc.

True... Images are very important to confirm. Perhaps BN has changed their policies, but I don't think they supply these images - at least they didn't when I purchased some stones a few months ago. Their Astor line only provides a Gemex report, which I don't find useful. I had to verify with my ASET and Ideal scopes. It's a very worthwhile investment, imho, to get these tools if the vendor can't supply what you need.

 

[stonewell]

This one would be my choice: https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-de...DiamondDetails&action=newTab&catalogView=true

Ditto... There's excellent spread on that stone too!

 

[Elmira19]

Also, put in a request for idealscope, ASET and H&A images. You may or may not get them, but it's worth the ask as they help confirm how we expect the diamond to perform based on the angles, etc.

ok thank you! Anything else I need To ask them? To check if no visible inclusions? And ask about color maybe? Any advices?

 

[ac117]

ok thank you! Anything else I need To ask them? To check if no visible inclusions? And ask about color maybe? Any advices?

The stone should be completely eye clean at VS1 clarity so no need to worry there but I suppose it doesn't hurt to ask for your peace of mind. BN is a drop shipper so most of the stones are not in house but they can reach out to the wholesaler for additional information.

 

[Elmira19]

Below is a copy of your GIA cert. Also, I attached a copy of the AGS proportions chart for the 59 table size of your current stone. Based on all this information, it appears the reason your stone doesn't meet your sparkly expectations is because it has uncomplimentary table size, CA & PA values. The chart intersects at a fair cut quality, but because GIA averages values, etc. it could land in the "good" cut.

As you will learn, many people here don't like "excellent" cut stones as they are rarely anything but excellent and we tend to shoot for ideal cut stones. Why? Because cut is where the sparkle occurs and IMO the most important factor when shopping for a stone. So seeing a stone in the fair to good area makes sense you may not have liked it.

I'm dropping these images for now, but will look at the new stones and maybe some others in hopes to find something that works good for you. Are you absolutely married to BN for the upgrade? Only asking because you didn't seem happy with the first experience.

Keep the faith though, there are many good people here that can help point you to a nice big sparkly diamond!

Thank you so much! Any yes I have to with BN because my ring already processed with upgrade, so the only thing I can do from now on is to change the new stone I chose (which is terrible as I understand now) to something else

 

[sledge]

ok thank you! Anything else I need To ask them? To check if no visible inclusions? And ask about color maybe? Any advices?

The stone should be completely eye clean at VS1 clarity so no need to worry there but I suppose it doesn't hurt to ask for your peace of mind. BN is a drop shipper so most of the stones are not in house but they can reach out to the wholesaler for additional information.

Agree, VS1 should be completely eye clean. And it never hurts to ask! The reality is BN needs to give you as much information and data to make you feel "warm & fuzzy" as possible. I'd ask about color, clarity, or anything else that helps give you reassurance.

Looking at the BN page, you can see that H colored stones start to exhibit a slight tint of color. This tint is not as noticeable from the top, and is typically seen from the side. Those with higher color sensitivities can sometimes see the difference between a G and H. Most professionals have a hard time differentiating between D/E/F colors without a master color reference of some sort. So typically, an H will make most people happy. Also, the better cut the stone, the more white (and larger) it appears. However, at the end of the day, making YOU happy is what matters. You might visit a local diamond store and try to find F/G/H stones that are minimum excellent cut stones and of similar size it is not obvious which is larger/smaller and ask the sales associate to place in random order. Then pick off the stones that exhibit the most color to you. When you are down to a single stone, ask the sales associate what stone you selected.



In regards to the 1.52ct H VS1 you are looking at, the AGS proportions chart shows the values to align at an "excellent" cut; however, because of rounding in GIA numbers, etc I drew a box around the realistic set of potential cut grades. It may reach ideal status, but you'd need those additional images to confirm.



Since BN is a drop shopper (deals in virtual inventory), it may be possible to find the same stone with another vendor that will provide you images and obtain the information that way. Also, it is advantageous from the fact BN price matches and sometimes another vendor will have the same virtual inventory of stones at a lower price. You can identify them and ask BN to lower their price to their competitors.

Thank you so much! Any yes I have to with BN because my ring already processed with upgrade, so the only thing I can do from now on is to change the new stone I chose (which is terrible as I understand now) to something else

When you say "upgrading", does this mean you have owned this stone for a long period of time and have now decided you'd like a nicer stone? Or that you recently bought it, was unhappy and now BN is working with you to replace the stone with something else?

If the latter, how many days into the process are you into? If relatively short, it may be better to push for a full refund and take your business elsewhere where you can obtain images, etc. to help make a better decision.

If you've had awhile, another option would be to try and sell outright and utilize the cash you obtain on your new stone. The problem is that many times selling a diamond in the used market only results in about 50 cents on the dollar return as there is astigmatism about buying pre-loved diamonds. However, in a pretend world, let's say you paid $2,000 for the initial stone and you got $1,000 cash on the used market then maybe it's worth it lose a $1,000 to go with a different vendor that has more data available? Only you can make that call. But should you decide to upgrade again later down the road, you will be forced with the same decision except now your stone value will be roughly $12,000 and the gap between used cash sales and trade-in is significantly more.

I'm not suggesting or persuading you to walk away from BN, I'm just pointing out options.

 

[Elmira19]

Agree, VS1 should be completely eye clean. And it never hurts to ask! The reality is BN needs to give you as much information and data to make you feel "warm & fuzzy" as possible. I'd ask about color, clarity, or anything else that helps give you reassurance.

Looking at the BN page, you can see that H colored stones start to exhibit a slight tint of color. This tint is not as noticeable from the top, and is typically seen from the side. Those with higher color sensitivities can sometimes see the difference between a G and H. Most professionals have a hard time differentiating between D/E/F colors without a master color reference of some sort. So typically, an H will make most people happy. Also, the better cut the stone, the more white (and larger) it appears. However, at the end of the day, making YOU happy is what matters. You might visit a local diamond store and try to find F/G/H stones that are minimum excellent cut stones and of similar size it is not obvious which is larger/smaller and ask the sales associate to place in random order. Then pick off the stones that exhibit the most color to you. When you are down to a single stone, ask the sales associate what stone you selected.



In regards to the 1.52ct H VS1 you are looking at, the AGS proportions chart shows the values to align at an "excellent" cut; however, because of rounding in GIA numbers, etc I drew a box around the realistic set of potential cut grades. It may reach ideal status, but you'd need those additional images to confirm.



Since BN is a drop shopper (deals in virtual inventory), it may be possible to find the same stone with another vendor that will provide you images and obtain the information that way. Also, it is advantageous from the fact BN price matches and sometimes another vendor will have the same virtual inventory of stones at a lower price. You can identify them and ask BN to lower their price to their competitors.




When you say "upgrading", does this mean you have owned this stone for a long period of time and have now decided you'd like a nicer stone? Or that you recently bought it, was unhappy and now BN is working with you to replace the stone with something else?

If the latter, how many days into the process are you into? If relatively short, it may be better to push for a full refund and take your business elsewhere where you can obtain images, etc. to help make a better decision.

If you've had awhile, another option would be to try and sell outright and utilize the cash you obtain on your new stone. The problem is that many times selling a diamond in the used market only results in about 50 cents on the dollar return as there is astigmatism about buying pre-loved diamonds. However, in a pretend world, let's say you paid $2,000 for the initial stone and you got $1,000 cash on the used market then maybe it's worth it lose a $1,000 to go with a different vendor that has more data available? Only you can make that call. But should you decide to upgrade again later down the road, you will be forced with the same decision except now your stone value will be roughly $12,000 and the gap between used cash sales and trade-in is significantly more.

I'm not suggesting or persuading you to walk away from BN, I'm just pointing out options.

OMG so much useful information!! I appreciate it so much!!! So if you look at my old stone, do you think I'm color sensitive or stone had grey color because of inclusions or because it was kind of cloudy diamond? And I wonder if I choose the stone with medium/strong fluorescence will it make diamond look more blue rather then grey?

I owned my diamond for over 5 years and now I decided to upgrade it for something bigger and nicer. And I'm already too far in this process so it's too late to go away from BN. Because they already took my diamond out from the setting and a new diamond on it's way The only thing I can do at this point is change my mind and go with different diamond but still through them.

I spoke with them today and they said once again that the diamond I chose is super nice and I would love it and I should give it a try (the link of this diamond I posted above). And it should be sparkly and if I want something better then I should go with their Astor Ideal Collection. Also if I don't like my new diamond then I can exchange it within 30 days. So what I think to do. They said that they put a new diamond in my setting tomorrow or Thursday and I should get my ring on Friday. I will let it go and get the ring with "not sparkly" diamond just to see how this size of a diamond looks on my ring setting, because I feel that graduated side stones make central stone look smaller?! And anyway, I exchange only central stone or central stone+ setting very soon. I asked them to put on hold those two diamonds that ac117 advice to me but they can't put on hold for over 48 hours... So my only option to wait until Friday and call them on Friday asking to put on hold new diamonds. So if anyone finds nice diamonds On BN before Friday for my budget I will be happy to look at them also!!

And how should I look for diamonds on other websites to get price match? Should I just put parameters of desired stone and then see if Gia report number match? And on what websites I should be looking? All I know brilliantearth and jamesallen Thank you once again!

 

[sledge]

OMG so much useful information!! I appreciate it so much!!! So if you look at my old stone, do you think I'm color sensitive or stone had grey color because of inclusions or because it was kind of cloudy diamond? And I wonder if I choose the stone with medium/strong fluorescence will it make diamond look more blue rather then grey?

You are very welcome!

The GIA chart I pulled and posted earlier of your existing stone didn't show a plot chart of the inclusions, and we don't have any magnified images or videos to review.

But looking at the AGS proportions chart I posted and given the fact it's an SI2 my guess is that the grey/cloudy look is a result of the stone being poorly cut and probably because inclusions were visible at some level. I don't mean that harshly as you didn't know at the time, etc. Just the angles don't work and light was leaking so IMO you were fighting a losing battle.

I owned my diamond for over 5 years and now I decided to upgrade it for something bigger and nicer. And I'm already too far in this process so it's too late to go away from BN. Because they already took my diamond out from the setting and a new diamond on it's way The only thing I can do at this point is change my mind and go with different diamond but still through them.

Gotcha. I was hoping you were in your 30 day window and could just toss this back in their lap and walk away. That isn't the case though. However, you do still have the option to cancel the upgrade, have them reset your existing stone and ship it back to you. They may charge you some setting fees to do so. But it would give you an option to sell the stone and buy from a different vendor. My concern is what I said earlier, you may only get 50 cents on the dollar of your initial purchase price. That's not a hard fast rule, but seems fairly reasonable. Of course, there will always be the lucky few that broke even or turned a profit but I think those are outliers and not the norm.

I spoke with them today and they said once again that the diamond I chose is super nice and I would love it and I should give it a try (the link of this diamond I posted above). And it should be sparkly and if I want something better then I should go with their Astor Ideal Collection. Also if I don't like my new diamond then I can exchange it within 30 days. So what I think to do. They said that they put a new diamond in my setting tomorrow or Thursday and I should get my ring on Friday. I will let it go and get the ring with "not sparkly" diamond just to see how this size of a diamond looks on my ring setting, because I feel that graduated side stones make central stone look smaller?! And anyway, I exchange only central stone or central stone+ setting very soon. I asked them to put on hold those two diamonds that ac117 advice to me but they can't put on hold for over 48 hours... So my only option to wait until Friday and call them on Friday asking to put on hold new diamonds. So if anyone finds nice diamonds On BN before Friday for my budget I will be happy to look at them also!!

Can you re-post the link to the specific stone you are looking at, and have ordered -- and that they are telling you will be beautiful? I'll be honest, at this point I don't trust their judgment and feel they have a vested interest that makes them biased in their guidance. IMO, you should run the stones by the people here and/or go with some of the stones previously recommended.

I think it's important for you to realize that although we can analyze data on diamonds, it is necessary to get appropriate images and videos to make a final determination to confirm performance. As you may or may not realize, GIA graded stones uses 2D modeling and the data values shown on the report certificates are AVERAGES that can be rounded up or down in a manner that makes a stone look better (or worse) than it really is in real life. With AGS certificates, you get a cut grade that is 3D modeled and specific to THAT diamond so it is more accurate. Still, ASET and IS images confirm performance regardless if GIA or AGS certified.

And how should I look for diamonds on other websites to get price match? Should I just put parameters of desired stone and then see if Gia report number match? And on what websites I should be looking? All I know brilliantearth and jamesallen Thank you once again!

I like to use rarecarat.com and then go into detailed filters and start putting in criteria that matches the stone you are looking at. The more you put, the more precise your search will be. Last time I did this, I had the windows so tight it only popped up that one specific stone but at multiple vendors.

 

[Elmira19]

My concern is what I said earlier, you may only get 50 cents on the dollar of your initial purchase price. That's not a hard fast rule, but seems fairly reasonable.

Yeah I don't think I would like to do that, diamond was over 2,5K so I'm not ready to loose half of this money and to tell you the truth I'm so stressed about whole diamond situation, that the only thing I want is to choose a beautiful diamond and be happy for the next 10 years with it

https://www.bluenile.com/build-your-own-ring/diamond-details/LD08470756 That's the diamond pending for my upgrade. I spoke to 3 people from BN and all of them told me that it's a beautiful stone and a great choice. That's why I couldn't even think anything else until I found this forum! And that's why I want to get any help from people here, because I feel that at BN they look only at GIA reports.... And it's not enough...

 

[sledge]

Yeah I don't think I would like to do that, diamond was over 2,5K so I'm not ready to loose half of this money and to tell you the truth I'm so stressed about whole diamond situation, that the only thing I want is to choose a beautiful diamond and be happy for the next 10 years with it

I can understand that. No pressure to do anything you don't want to do. And without doubt, it's more of a pain to sell your existing stone than trade it in.

That said, I will point this out -- if you decide to do this NOW and you only get 50 cents on the dollar, then you are out about $1,250. That's real money, but it's a drop in the bucket compared to the $12,000 you will have invested after you do this next upgrade. Just some food for thought.

https://www.bluenile.com/build-your-own-ring/diamond-details/LD08470756 That's the diamond pending for my upgrade. I spoke to 3 people from BN and all of them told me that it's a beautiful stone and a great choice. That's why I couldn't even think anything else until I found this forum! And that's why I want to get any help from people here, because I feel that at BN they look only at GIA reports.... And it's not enough...

I don't like this one, and would pass. While the angles are better than your current stone, you can do much better. Attached is an updated AGS proportions chart showing potential cut grades. The black box is an approximate range the stone could actually fall in. As you can see, it's all over the place -- good, very good or excellent. We want to get you in as much of the pink (ideal) area as possible.

 

[Lykame]

There is so much great information in this thread.

You should know diamonds tend to look 'grey' because of shallow crown angles, and your diamond had a really shallow crown angle.

I would honestly listen to the people here rather than the people in Bluenile. They are invested in making you a sale and are not impartial. The people here are invested in getting you the stone that has the best light performance for your money, all other things being the same. In that regard, a well cut stone won't be grey and will also help hide any colour the diamond has.

 

[Lykame]

Also the stone that you're getting as an upgrade has an HCA of 5.4!!!

For weeding through online stones it's usually worthwhile looking for stones that have an HCA of less than 2, so that puts that stone well out. The HCA is a rejection tool rather than something that will tell you absolutely that your stone is awesome - i.e. a stone can be less than 2 and still be a dud. But 5.4 would make me very nervous.

I suspect it isn't worth your money and there are better options in this thread. Don't let Bluenile bully you into something you're not happy with.

 

[Lykame]

https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-de...DiamondDetails&action=newTab&catalogView=true

In comparison this one that @ac117 posted has an HCA of 1.5 (excellent find) and is definitely worth a look... I note that it's already on hold/sale... Boy do I hope it is you that has snapped it up!

 

[ringo865]

Do not have them set your "upgrade" stone into your setting and ship it to you while you look with pricescopers for your "real upgrade" stone. Please. Just have them release that stone and wait for you to decide. Stones recommended here get snatched up by other people reading along, so anything you like PUT ON HOLD while you decide. Or, based on recommendations from PSers, decide this week and have them set THAT stone on your ring. No sense having your ring unset and reset and unset and reset.

 

[ac117]

Agree with @ringo865 - the diamond they "selected" for you is NOT a good choice. Don't waste your or their time getting it set and sent to you to only ship it back and potentially lose out on one of the really nice options. Contact them and halt the work - tell them to set the 1.52 H VSI and if you don't like it in person (doubtful!) you could always send it back but don't waste that on the stone they selected that everyone here is telling you won't be a top performer.

 

[Elmira19]

I would honestly listen to the people here rather than the people in Bluenile.

Agree, that's why I'm here!

i.e. a stone can be less than 2 and still be a dud

So how to find out if diamond is good then? If BN doesn't provide ASET or Idealscope images?

https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-de...DiamondDetails&action=newTab&catalogView=true

In comparison this one that @ac117 posted has an HCA of 1.5 (excellent find) and is definitely worth a look... I note that it's already on hold/sale... Boy do I hope it is you that has snapped it up!

That's not me!! Someone took it couple hours after this link was posted here!

 

[Lykame]

Agree, that's why I'm here!

So how to find out if diamond is good then? If BN doesn't provide ASET or Idealscope images?


That's not me!! Someone took it couple hours after this link was posted here!

That is pretty painful. You know this already, but you must be really fast - as a public forum, if someone posts a really snazzy stone, someone will snap it up fast!!! Shame on them, really. You must put it on hold.

If you're hunting through lots of stones and you find a few that have HCAs less than 2, then post them on here and get advice about them - if there's one that immediately sings to you, then put it on hold whilst awaiting advice - you can always let it go if it's not going to work out. People can then usually tell you the benefits and cons of each stone. If you're not able to get the ASET and idealscope images, then the only next thing you can do is actually get the stone and see it yourself. Some people on here do buy the scopes themselves but yeah.

At least by having a shortlist based on stone numbers/HCA scores you're much more likely to get a decent stone, you just should seek advice. I had a friend recently who bought a stone with an HCA of 1.8. You'd think it would be great but the crown angle was 33 degrees and the stone is super sparkly from afar, but has no brilliance and is grey because of the low crown angle.

 

[stonewell]

Agree, that's why I'm here!

So how to find out if diamond is good then? If BN doesn't provide ASET or Idealscope images?


That's not me!! Someone took it couple hours after this link was posted here!

Ahh... that’s a shame. What about @ac117’s other recommendation? Was that taken as well? I’m on mobile, so not really able to search BN at the moment. I’m sure others will also chime in with other recommendations.

As for gathering images, if a vendor isn’t able to provide them, you can purchase the scopes to do them yourself. It’s a small investment, imho, given the importance of this purchase/upgrade. And I’ve also found it useful when purchasing other diamonds outside of super-ideal vendors. You can get the scopes here:

https://ideal-scope.com/