Diamond for my lovely mum... advice needed

[Groovy Chick]

My dad is buying a diamond for my mum''s 60th birthday. Can anyone tell me which of these stones you''d recommend? Both are round brilliants...

Stone #1

Carat: 1.116
Colour: G
Clarity: SI2/I
Total depth: 57.9%
Pavillion: 42.9% (don''t have the anle sorry)
Crown: 31.8 degrees
Table: 63%
Polish: Excellent
Symmetry: very good
Fluoresence: nil
Table dimensions: 6.7 x 6.8mm


Stone #2

Carat: 1.006
Colour: G
Clarity: SI2
Total depth: 61.8%
Pavillion: 43.5%
Crown 35.0 degrees
Table: 56.1%
Polish: good
Symmetry very good
Fluoresence: faint blue
Table dimensions: 6.4 x 6.5mm

I''m worried about the 63% table percentage in stone #1 being too high? Will this mean that the stone sparkles with white light and is less colourful and fiery?

All comments are greatly appreciated. Are either of these stones any good? Please tell me your honest opinions as there is no commitment to buy as yet.

Stone #2 is only a few hundred dollars more expensive.

Thanks everyone

 

[Groovy Chick]

I should add that both stones appear to be eye clean.

Of course the 1.116ct stone does appear bigger due to a slightly larger table size but i''m more interested in making sure the cut is great coz I know that is what gives it sparkle and my mum wants it to sparkle with coloured fire! Like we all do lol!

 

[Lorelei]

Groovy, I would keep looking. I would kick number 1 out immediately due to the depth and table, number 2 looks a bit better but we need the pavillion angle. Also I think where you say table dimensions you mean the diameter measurements at 6.7 by 6.8 - are these numbers accurate?

A large table can make a diamond look bigger and yes, generally you will get larger flashes of white light with this and possibly less fire. But also this diamond has a very shallow crown angle too - not even worth considering if the pav angle complimented it due to the depth and large table size. This isn''t a well cut diamond.
Groovy, has your Dad considered buying online?

 

[Groovy Chick]

Thanks for your reply. Unfortunately we can''t buy on line as we live in NZ but I''m thinking I might take dad to a big jewellery store in the city who imports diamonds with a GIA cert. I get the feeling one really needs to know the crown and pav angles in order to be sure of the true cut quality. I can''t understand why HRD certs and Gemlab don''t put these in the reports. It''s so critical!

Yes by "Table Dimensions" I do actually mean the diameter of the actual diamond. Sorry, I''m quite tired at the moment as it''s bedtime here. Will check back in the morning. I really want to get this right for mum as dad is spending a lot of money. (Diamonds are quite a bit more expensive in NZ unfortunately)

Any other comments would be appreciated

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 9/5/2006 5:35:06 AM
Author: Groovy Chick
Thanks for your reply. Unfortunately we can't buy on line as we live in NZ but I'm thinking I might take dad to a big jewellery store in the city who imports diamonds with a GIA cert. I get the feeling one really needs to know the crown and pav angles in order to be sure of the true cut quality. I can't understand why HRD certs and Gemlab don't put these in the reports. It's so critical!

Yes by 'Table Dimensions' I do actually mean the diameter of the actual diamond. Sorry, I'm quite tired at the moment as it's bedtime here. Will check back in the morning. I really want to get this right for mum as dad is spending a lot of money. (Diamonds are quite a bit more expensive in NZ unfortunately)

Any other comments would be appreciated

That sounds like a plan. The crown and pav angles are so important. If I were you, I would do as you suggested with the GIA certs, know what to look for with cut proportions...depth, table, crown and pavillion angle, girdle thickness etc. Also see if the jeweller has a Sarin Report on the diamonds which would help too. Also you can buy an Idealscope which you can take with you to evaluate each diamond, a very handy little tool to help the diamond shopper. Also you can use the HCA to help you narrow your choices.

https://www.pricescope.com/idealscope_indx.asp

Also you say it is difficult to buy online as you are in NZ, i don't know how your dollar compares to the US, also import duty etc and customs, but I was wondering if it might be worth working it out to compare online prices versus the NZ dollar and exchange rate and prices there etc? Just so you can see what you can get for your money. For example, I am in the UK and the GBP is very strong compared to the US$, which can make quite a difference.

 

[Groovy Chick]

Thanks for your advice. I think I will keep looking. It was all a bit of a nightmare really. Originally mum and dad went to see this particular guy to purchase a diamond. Then on the second trip I went along with my "above average" diamond knowledge and the guy sure took a disliking to me! Didn''t want me to photocopy any specs - I wasn''t even allowed to write them down! So I sneakily pretended to be sending a text message but was actually storing the info so I could come home and run it by you guys! Glad I did.

His attitude wasn''t very pleasant at all. Mum was asking the typical questions that people who don''t know anything about diamonds ask (bless her) and he was spinning a yarn just to make a sale

Hopefully will have better luck in the city!