Diamond Advice Please -- 2.2 ct round 1.6 HCA score

[nycadman]

Looking at a diamond for the center of a hree-stone ring with the following attributes:

Round
2.22 carats
G color
SI2 clarity

HCA score of 1.6 (depth: 58.2%, width: 61%, crown: 13%, Pavillion: 43%, zero culet).

It is graded a "premium cut" by EGL (not EGL USA).

My question is...is this diamond a "good" diamond? Can I trust an EGL certificate for color and clarity? The ring I''m looking at is Platinum setting, 2.22 EGL stone as the center and two 1.05 G SI3 stones as the sides. Can buy this ring for $20,000.

Is it worth the investment? It looks great in store, but I''m unsure of the EGL certificate. Appreciate the advice/help.

 

[Mara]

No No and No!

 

[Lorelei]

I would be very careful here..EGL USA can be reliable, but the other divisions are said to be very soft on colour and clarity grading. This diamond is too shallow, the table large and the crown and pavillion percents I don't know how to translate to angles which are more accurate. This diamond might not even be eyeclean at an SI2 - it could even be an I1 or I2. I would be extremely careful regarding the cert, if you have seen it and like it that's one thing, but I think you can certainly do better with the cut of the centre diamond. I would quite honestly pass, this is a ton of money for something so dicey. Read the tutorials before you purchase, you will see what NOT to get and what a difference cut makes , also the importance of certification.

 

[nycadman]

Mara --

thanks...but could you help me understand why a little better? appreciate the insight.

 

[Mara]

lorelei said it all basically...

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 7/18/2006 4:57:23 PM
Author: Mara
lorelei said it all basically...

Ha - I think you said it better though Mara!

Read the tutorials nycadam, you will soon see why we are telling you STRONGLY to steer clear of this diamond....Another thought...when you have learned about cut proportions, look at some well cut diamonds and you will see the difference immediately and be thankful you made the effort to learn what to buy. This way you can make an informed purchase decision.

ETA - I would far rather have this diamond for the money, as an example for you.

http://www.whiteflash.com/round_ideal_cut/Round-Ideal-Cut-cut-diamond-2408711.htm#

Or even this one, it might be eyeclean.
http://www.whiteflash.com/round_ideal_cut/Round-Ideal-Cut-cut-diamond-1335324.htm

This one is a beauty!

http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-2408726.htm#

I hope these give you some idea of what to look for

 

[belle]

you can do a search for egl. there are a million threads (well...at least a good 50 anyway!) already posted about them.
also, there was a survery done on the various labs a few years ago. you can read about it here

$20k for a 3stone that has a 2.2 center and 1ct. sides is a pretty unbelievable deal. i would suspect the quality isn't tops. as long as you know that and have seen it, you can make your best judgement about how 'good' the deal is.

 

[nycadman]

Yeah, it''s from Golda''s in NYC. I''m actually assuming given the price that it is one color and clarity grade down. the diamonds are eye-clear and the ring is just a stunner. for $20K, while it is a lot of money, it''s still a good deal given the size of the diamonds.

but, maybe im a fool!

 

[Lorelei]

It could be in actuality 2 grades or so lower on both colour and clarity, depending on which division certed it. While it is not a choice I would make, if you want to pursue this ring, see if the vendor will let you make the sale contingent on having an independant appraisal during the return period, and will let you return it if the diamonds don't check out. I honestly think you can do better, but if you have fallen in love with this ring and it is what you want then that is what matters. The appraisal would be $ 120 or thereabouts well spent. I can't stress the value of the appraisal strongly enough in this case, make sure you are getting what you pay for. Yes it might be a good deal for a true G SI2 plus the side stones, but you need to bear in mind if it does come back to be graded down, how would the price be for an I or J I1 for example? Just make sure you know what you want and what the trade offs are for getting these large diamonds for that price.

 

[nycadman]

here''s a pic of the ring. was also considering an emerald cut eternity ring 9.0 carats with E/F color and VVS / VS clarity. two entirely different rings I know...thoughts ? should we just go with the high quality eternity? that''s where we were going to go, until the jeweler showed us the monster 3 stone one.

 

[nycadman]

i think this worked now...pic

 

[belle]

i like the look of the 3stone better actually.

 

[Beacon]

I like the 3 stone better also and it looks more comfortable to wear.

EGL, well everyone knows the score. And SI3 is I1 in the rest of the world, so you have to discount those side stones. The center stone is what will carry the weight of value. If you look around at just that stone, it could be 17K price or less. So, if you just love the ring, and have looked at it under the loop very closely, then make a low offer.

I don''t 20K is such a deal on that ring IMO.

 

[Eva17]

If you check the website for Golda''s, you will see that MANY of the rings are lasered enhanced, etc. Triple check to see if this ring falls into that category.

 

[Dancing Fire]

pass!!! the price sounds too good to be true for the grades.

 

[nycadman]

what would you consider a low offer on the ring? she started at $22.5, went down to $21 before we left the store. On the phone she said she could do $20. How much lower should I go?

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 7/19/2006 9:25:45 AM
Author: nycadman
what would you consider a low offer on the ring? she started at $22.5, went down to $21 before we left the store. On the phone she said she could do $20. How much lower should I go?

#1- $20k sounds too good to be true for a nice 4.32 ctw 3 stone ring with platinum setting.

#2-be careful with EGL europe reports.