Diamond comparisons - Ring I bought vs my mom's ring.

[PaulG]

I'm new to the forums and I've been looking all over for answers about my center diamond.

The diamond engagement ring that I bought appears cloudy and white and looks plastic-like. My mom compared it to hers and hers looks clear (glassy), deeper in clarity, and not as white. I thought maybe the depth of the my mom's diamond was influenced by the mount in which it was affected by its mount to show the dark/gray tones, while the solitaire setting in mine allowed more incoming light and making it more white?

I am not exactly sure what aesthetics to seek in a diamond, and whether I should I look for a deepness, or if there are example photo graphs of what are the ideal aesthetics. Should a diamond appear clear, glassy with shines and sparkling, is that what it means for the fire?


I hope someone can shed some light or tell me which one looks better from the photo.

Thank you.

 

[JulieN]

Does it have a GIA report? I'm guessing it is an I2 clarity or something like that.

 

[TC1987]

Return it. The clarity is too low. "eyeclean" is what most people want, meaning that you can't see inclusions with the naked eye.
https://www.pricescope.com/journal/ags-laboratories-clarity-grading-diamonds

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/preferred-specs-cheat-sheet-for-rounds.88548/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/preferred-specs-cheat-sheet-for-rounds.88548/[/URL] for what to look for in a round diamond if you want the best light performance. Light reflection is due to the cut of the diamond. http://www.goodoldgold.com/4Cs/

Color is individual preference.
https://www.pricescope.com/journal/ags-laboratory-color-grading-diamonds

 

[arkieb1]

If you can return it and get a smaller centre diamond that is eye clean - has no big patches of white inclusions that look like frozen spit or obviously black inclusions that you can see. The stone you have has a combination of a low clarity (google diamond clarity) and a bad cut which is why it looks like that. A smaller well cut diamond that is eye clean with not only be clean and clear looking it will have more brilliance fire and sparkle.

 

[Niel]

I am not exactly sure what aesthetics to seek in a diamond, and whether I should I look for a deepness, or if there are example photo graphs of what are the ideal aesthetics. Should a diamond appear clear, glassy with shines and sparkling, is that what it means for the fire?

depth - 60 - 62% - although my personal preference is to allow up to 62.4%
table - 54- 57%
crown angle - 34- 35 degrees
pavilion angle - 40.6- 41 degrees
girdle - avoid extremes, look for thin to slightly thick, thin to medium etc
polish and symmetry - very good and above


The clarity of that stone is whats making it look like that. You can get stones that are lower and clarity and look clear. but this one doesnt.
so no, you dont look for "deepness" necessarily. It should appear clear, see though, not cloudy.

this isnt the look you want from a diamond and if you could, do return it.

If you feel overwhelmed, post your budget and we would be more than happy to help you find one.

 

[TC1987]

This thread is diamonds under 1ct. There are plenty of examples of well-cut diamonds in it. Evaluate the diamond in office lighting, natural daylight (but they all look "dark" in bright direct sunlight), and do not just go by what you see in the jewelry store. Store lighting is designed to make even poorly cut diamonds look lively, and it also makes it hard to judge the true color (tint) of the diamond.
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/under-1ct-diamonds.25028/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/under-1ct-diamonds.25028/[/URL]

 

[Sparklelu]

It appears your stone is of a very low clarity grade. If you can return it, I would and start over.
What most folks look for in a round cut stone is clear sparkly well cut, with very few eye visible inclusions. Inclusions can be black carbon spots or feathers and wisps and clouds. These make the stone less eye clean. Eye clean is up to you. I personally do not mind SI1-2 if the spots are easily hidden, I like to spot them to confirm that it is my stone!
A previous Poster gave you hard numbers/ percent to look for in a well cut stone. You should take that cheat sheet to the jeweler.
Or come back with your budget and the folks here will help you out.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Please, please return it and come here for help before you buy again. We will be more than happy to help you find a good diamond. That honestly is one of the worst diamonds I have seen and I don't think you can give that to her. It is far better to get a smaller diamond of fine quality than one of any size that has such poor clarity that the diamond has no sparkle or beauty at all.

 

[PaulG]

Thank you! I'm returning it!

 

[Niel]

Thank you! I'm returning it!

Oh good. Come back if you'd like help searching for a lovely diamond. We all love to help

 

[PaulG]

Thank you for the cheat sheet! Where did those numbers come from? Was it gathered from everyone's diamonds and preferences through statistics?

I'm enjoying the search and learning more about diamonds for sure. It is so tricky with the lighting in shops or photos online. I feel like the only thing I can strive for an idea look is through images of well-known famous diamonds or if I've seen them in person.

 

[Niel]

Go look at jamesallen.com

First click round and then true hearts. Take a good look at those.

Then look at the "good" cut grade. You'll notice a big difference.

These angles arent the average. Most stones aren't cut to produce ideal light performance. They are cut to be as big as they can be to get more $$$

But think of it this way. Why don't women want big cubic zirconia? Because they don't sparkle like a diamond! So when buying a diamond you want the most sparkle. Or else why get a diamond?

 

[yssie]

Thank you for the cheat sheet! Where did those numbers come from? Was it gathered from everyone's diamonds and preferences through statistics?

I laughed out loud - I think everyone knows what I'm gonna say!

That was posted as a guide by a representative from one of our beloved PS vendors. A person whose opinions I greatly respect, and a vendor who cuts some of the most precisely faceted and lovely H&A RBs around, but it's no secret that I detest that cheat sheet unless it's about to be handed over to an insurance adjuster.
The reason I dislike it so much is because new consumers are too likely to take those numbers as hard and fast strictures rather than guidelines... actually those numbers weren't even meant for consumers, they're proportions cutters should aim for to maximise the likelihood of producing a pretty stone that meets a variety of grading specifications even if they miss by a bit on something...
I think it's very important to remember that there are beautiful stones with numbers that fall outside those proportions ranges, and if you're shopping in-person inventory is likely to be more limited which means that you do yourself no favours restricting yourself unnecessarily. By all means keep them in mind and question anything wildly off, but don't toss a 33/41.2 out the window just because it's out of range!

 

[Niel]

Thank you for the cheat sheet! Where did those numbers come from? Was it gathered from everyone's diamonds and preferences through statistics?

I laughed out loud - I think everyone knows what I'm gonna say!

That was posted as a guide by a representative from one of our beloved PS vendors. A person whose opinions I greatly respect, and a vendor who cuts some of the most precisely faceted and lovely H&A RBs around, but it's no secret that I detest that cheat sheet unless it's about to be handed over to an insurance adjuster.
The reason I dislike it so much is because new consumers are too likely to take those numbers as hard and fast strictures rather than guidelines... actually those numbers weren't even meant for consumers, they're proportions cutters should aim for to maximise the likelihood of producing a pretty stone that meets a variety of grading specifications even if they miss by a bit on something...
I think it's very important to remember that there are beautiful stones with numbers that fall outside those proportions ranges, and if you're shopping in-person inventory is likely to be more limited which means that you do yourself no favours restricting yourself unnecessarily. By all means keep them in mind and question anything wildly off, but don't toss a 33/41.2 out the window just because it's out of range!

You of course are right about all that

The reason I think it is helpful is because a customer who admittedly knows nothing about the cut of a diamond needs something to start with.

Like anything with a learning curve. If you start with set parameters you can branch off once you get the basics.

If he doesn't know what a good stone looks like, its not as easy for him to find a good one without some sort of parameters. Sure they are not hard and fast, but baby steps.

 

[yssie]

Thank you for the cheat sheet! Where did those numbers come from? Was it gathered from everyone's diamonds and preferences through statistics?

I laughed out loud - I think everyone knows what I'm gonna say!

That was posted as a guide by a representative from one of our beloved PS vendors. A person whose opinions I greatly respect, and a vendor who cuts some of the most precisely faceted and lovely H&A RBs around, but it's no secret that I detest that cheat sheet unless it's about to be handed over to an insurance adjuster.
The reason I dislike it so much is because new consumers are too likely to take those numbers as hard and fast strictures rather than guidelines... actually those numbers weren't even meant for consumers, they're proportions cutters should aim for to maximise the likelihood of producing a pretty stone that meets a variety of grading specifications even if they miss by a bit on something...
I think it's very important to remember that there are beautiful stones with numbers that fall outside those proportions ranges, and if you're shopping in-person inventory is likely to be more limited which means that you do yourself no favours restricting yourself unnecessarily. By all means keep them in mind and question anything wildly off, but don't toss a 33/41.2 out the window just because it's out of range!

You of course are right about all that

The reason I think it is helpful is because a customer who admittedly knows nothing about the cut of a diamond needs something to start with.

Like anything with a learning curve. If you start with set parameters you can branch off once you get the basics.

If he doesn't know what a good stone looks like, its not as easy for him to find a good one without some sort of parameters. Sure they are not hard and fast, but baby steps.

Yeah, I know, and I agree with you re. learning curve and having to start somewhere. I just really don't like to use that cheat sheet as the starting point because it's *so* easy to misuse
(GIA EX or AGS0/1) + (HCA<2) (Dreamer's quick fix parameters - she converted me a couple of years ago ) is more generous wrt. finding pretty stones of a variety of "looks" whilst still erring conservatively wrt disqualifying the doozies. That way people who might like a shallower brighter look or a bit more fire at the expense of some white light return in most lights are much more likely to find out about it because they didn't mentally disqualify those stones as 'unacceptably proportioned' up-front... dunno if I am making sense here?

Though personally I'd increase the HCA cutoff to <3..

 

[Niel]

Yeah I agree. Ive noticed as I become more seasoned I have a very specific type of MRB I like, and the specs reflect that. Which is why I think someone who is very lost would benefit from letting people search within their budget parameters.

 

[Dreamer_D]

GIA EX or AGS0/1) + (HCA<2) (Dreamer's quick fix parameters - she converted me a couple of years ago ) is more generous wrt. finding pretty stones of a variety of "looks" whilst still erring conservatively wrt disqualifying the doozies.

I think for most consumers, this is the simplest "rule" to follow. I think for many, they can even ignore the HCA score and will still do much better than they will with a non-certed diamond.

Paul, the diamond you returned was really not a nicely cut or quality diamond. I usually don't use the word "quality" to talk about diamonds because it gets thrown around liberally (e.g., to refer to less tinted stone for example), but in this case I think it is fair use to call such a heavily included, opaque, and poorly cut stone "poor quality". You can do much better. And, at the expense of being snotty, I am also going to say you should not use your mom's stone as the benchmark. I think you can get a much more beautofully cut diamond that sparkles much more than even your mom's diamond! Look for a diamond with a GIA or AGS lab report, which guarantees you will pay fair price for quality, and guarantees you are buying what you think you are buying. Do not let a jeweler convince you a diamond without a lab report is ok, or convince you that IGI or EGL are acceptable. They are not acceptable and you will over pay for what you get with either of those labs.

I warn you -- you are going to get a lot less diamond for your money if you get a diamond that is properly certed and graded reliably. But it will be a prettier more beautiful diamond.

Go look in Tiffany, Jared's or other high end retailers that carry reliably graded diamonds... maybe Heart's on Fire... to see what a well-cut diamond can and should look like.

And PS: I don't like recommening diamonds to consumers on PS because I prefer the consumer to choose their own vendor. Once they select5 a vendor, then it makes sense to suggest options from their chosen vendor. But, RT prosumer guidelines do recommend we let consumers choose their own vendor and I like that approach.

 

[LLJsmom]

Paul, please just read as much as you can on this forum and anything else you may find on the internet. There are a lot of sources. Look on youtube and search for videos by GOG. Learn as much as you can before you start searching again. That diamond you picked was a mess. Please do not be offended. When you are spending a substantial amount of money, you just don't want that. Or if you get that, I hope you did not pay much for it. Good luck!!