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Diamond analysis - IGI 1.11 H-VS1 please help!

D

dakbh123

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jun 27, 2024
Messages
6
Hi guys, my first time posting on this forum. I tried to get some help on reddit, but most people didn't seem very knowledgeable, so hoping to get a bit more insight from here!
I purchased this diamond but there is still 7 days before shipping, so i can cancel before that. Just like many people here, I am going to propose to my dear girlfriend soon, and I wanted to buy the best diamond within our price range. I'm from Canada, but our budget for a loose diamond is $3,400 USD (or about $5,000 CAD).

I've done the best I can researching the 4 Cs and types of certs (I know GIA is the gold standard), but I found this particular diamond (3,370 USD) that may have been overlooked due to its IGI cert as well as the 60/60 cut which I've read is less common now due its more difficult-to-achieve quality cut.

Anyway, since I'm ordering from James Allen, the best I can go by is pictures/videos and third-party assessments. I've included all the documents that I've used to assess the quality of the diamond; please let me know if you think this was a good buy, or if I should pick something else.

My gf wanted a minimum of 1 carat, so I felt like this 1.1 carat with a larger table (which will make it look slightly bigger than its typical size) was a good choice. I am a little worried about the color though, since IGI H can be something like GIA I or even J. Will it be noticeable on white gold/plat setting?

Here is the link to the diamond page (IGI report inside): https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-21210531

And I've attached my other assessments that I used to try to evaluate it a little more.
Any and all opinions will be highly welcomed, thanks everyone.
 

Attachments

Another question I had, and this is more out of interest than anything, is that I noticed that this particular diamond has very little light shining through the bottom when viewed in its side profile.
Most diamonds I saw online had a medium to high amount of light shining through the bottom, some even looking like spotlights surrounding the tip.
Does that mean this diamond has a lower level of light leakage?
Or that my diamond is cloudy so its not letting light shine through?
Perhaps some other issues/explanations?

I didn't know studying diamonds could be this extensive, but its been very fun learning about all the properties and their intricate inter-play.
 
The stone you chose is a decent 60/60 option, but it's not what most folks here would recommend. 60/60 have less fire and favor white light.

I also wouldn't typically go with IGI because they are often "softer" on grading color than GIA, so you'll end up with 1-2 grades lower color if it were certified from GIA.
 
lovedogs said:
Here are some options I'd recommend instead. They aren't perfect due to the size and budget limits,but they are solid IMHO.



Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestions! Those all look pretty good, especially the first one.
So 60/60 diamonds will not look as beautiful as the typically recommended proportions?
And yes, the color is a concern, so I'm guessing the diamond i chose is closer to GIA I or J. Would a typical GIA J be noticeable when set on a white gold/plat ring?
 
dakbh123 said:
Thanks for the suggestions! Those all look pretty good, especially the first one.
So 60/60 diamonds will not look as beautiful as the typically recommended proportions?
And yes, the color is a concern, so I'm guessing the diamond i chose is closer to GIA I or J. Would a typical GIA J be noticeable when set on a white gold/plat ring?
Click to expand...

Beauty is subjective, so I definitely can't say that. I *personally* don't find 60/60 diamonds as attractive as rhe typical proportions, but that's just me. And you picked a solid 60/60, so it won't be bad at all.

My guess is that the stone you chose is closer to GIA I/J, but again hard to say for sure.

Color is also super subjective. Is your gf/partner color sensitive? Have they seen diamonds and been bothered by tint? I can see slight color in a J, but am not bothered by it. Not everyone feels that way--some folks find a J color too tinted for their taste.
 
@Kim N @DejaWiz care to weigh in here and/or offer perspective? I'm exhausted so don't entirely trust my own opinion lol
 
Color aside, Would a 60 Table 33.4/5 + 40.6 even be an Excellent cut @ GIA or a VG ?

1720036361000.png
 
lovedogs said:
Beauty is subjective, so I definitely can't say that. I *personally* don't find 60/60 diamonds as attractive as rhe typical proportions, but that's just me. And you picked a solid 60/60, so it won't be bad at all.

My guess is that the stone you chose is closer to GIA I/J, but again hard to say for sure.

Color is also super subjective. Is your gf/partner color sensitive? Have they seen diamonds and been bothered by tint? I can see slight color in a J, but am not bothered by it. Not everyone feels that way--some folks find a J color too tinted for their taste.
Click to expand...

Really appreciate your insight! Yes beauty is definitely subjective, but since I have never seen a quality diamond in person (let alone any real diamond!) its definitely difficult for me to consider which type of proportions would be more to my or my gf's liking :(
And yes I will assume its a GIA J to be on the safe side. Like you said, a slight yellow tint may be noticeable, and maybe this is something I should go over with my gf first and maybe go to a local jewelry store to see if she is bothered by it.
 
freddyboston said:
Color aside, Would a 60 Table 33.4/5 + 40.6 even be an Excellent cut @ GIA or a VG ?

1720036361000.png
Click to expand...

I think I looked this up before, and it would technically be GIA VG or AGS 1, although both very close to a GIA EX or AGS 0, by like 0.1 degrees or something.
 
dakbh123 said:
I think I looked this up before, and it would technically be GIA VG or AGS 1, although both very close to a GIA EX or AGS 0, by like 0.1 degrees or something.
Click to expand...

If so then more accurate price compare might be versus GIA J Very Goods....
 
here are the suggested angles for the 'best' cut of round diamonds.:

Best dimensions for modern round brilliant diamond:



Depth do NOT exceed 62

Table best is 56-58

Crown: 34.5 deg angle or 15%

Pavilion : 40.8 deg angle or 43%

The higher the crown angle, the lower the pavilion angle should be (and the lower the crown, the higher the pavilion)



As you can see from the report, both the crown angle and the pavilion angle are on the 'low' side. The crown angle is low, really low. Just saying this won't be a 'balanced' stone (fire/white light). But some people are ok with that.





Star Length: 50%


Lowe Half: 75%


Girdle: Medium to slightly thick
 
The price is not low enough relative to the options @lovedogs found, so I don’t see the point in playing the lottery with IGI color grading.

Nicely cut 60/60 certainly can be beautiful, but just be aware that they typically have shorter crowns. For a ring I find taller crowns more attractive from the profile view.
 
dakbh123 said:
Thanks for the suggestions! Those all look pretty good, especially the first one.
So 60/60 diamonds will not look as beautiful as the typically recommended proportions?
And yes, the color is a concern, so I'm guessing the diamond i chose is closer to GIA I or J. Would a typical GIA J be noticeable when set on a white gold/plat ring?
Click to expand...
I had a 1 ct 60/60 and I loved it. So bright and white and lots of sparkle (just not fire…the colored flashes). Everyone commented on how sparkly it was.
 
smitcompton said:
Hi,
I'd be pretty excited by the true hearts choice. I thought Lovedogs out did herself, tired and all.

Annette
Click to expand...

WOW that True hearts is a Great One - nice price too... small crystal to the side but high up so doesn't repeat.... So Worth getting (they have return policy)... In real world w/o magnification I bet you'd be hard pressed to find it....



1720044375881.png
BTW:
 
Thanks for all the input everyone! Really valuable and is making me think a lot atm.

Regarding the true hearts one that @lovedogs kindly picked out for me, I just had a few questions.

1. Some of the arrows shown in the table seem a little blurry; is that any cause for concern? Or is it simply a camera issue.

2. Some of the outside arrows appear to be white-ish/faded looking; again is there any concern for some of the washed-out look? Or just camera/lighting issue.

And thanks @freddyboston for finding the GIA # and Stone Algo report!
 
 
dakbh123 said:
Thanks for all the input everyone! Really valuable and is making me think a lot atm.

Regarding the true hearts one that @lovedogs kindly picked out for me, I just had a few questions.

1. Some of the arrows shown in the table seem a little blurry; is that any cause for concern? Or is it simply a camera issue.

2. Some of the outside arrows appear to be white-ish/faded looking; again is there any concern for some of the washed-out look? Or just camera/lighting issue.

And thanks @freddyboston for finding the GIA # and Stone Algo report!
Click to expand...

I think it's the camera set-up they are using for their In House TH stones..you see the same effect in their other True Hearts... Example this 2ct D - it looks like they are alligning / tight focusing on the crown arrow tip @ 1'clock and the arrows under the table blur a bit...


1720087689823.png


1720087662504.png
 
I cant believe the prices on these stones! Over 1 carat True Hearts for less than $3.5k! Not too long ago, 1 carat G stones were
running about $7k. Now it looks like they are around $4.2k.
 
tyty333 said:
I cant believe the prices on these stones! Over 1 carat True Hearts for less than $3.5k! Not too long ago, 1 carat G stones were
running about $7k. Now it looks like they are around $4.2k
Click to expand...
Indeed...
1720103985587.png
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