Diamond opinions ? Experts pls help

[MissGotRocks]

All jewelers - including Whiteflash - will charge to set stones. If they don’t give you a separate breakdown, they have included it in the price of the diamond. No one works for nothing.

I am honestly not surprised that they can’t buy your diamond. They would either have to wholesale it out or have it recut and lose lots of weight making it doubtful they could recoup the money they would give you for it. The cut is just not terrific.

I personally would go with the Whiteflash diamond. It will be gorgeous and you will always have their wonderful trade up policy available to you. However, I would never encourage anyone to spend money they are not comfortable spending. It just all depends on how important this ring is to you. Some folks live and die by their main diamond; others are like ‘eh, it’s my wedding ring’. A lot of posters here - including myself - are very tuned into precision diamond cutting. There is such a difference but it is costly and again, it depends on how important that is to you. If you didn’t have the other diamond, I would definitely say go for this one. Buy the best first and you would never have to buy again. However, I don’t know what your chances of selling it would be to help offset the cost of the new diamond.

Sleep on it, discuss it with your fiancé, and weigh it all out. No one knows your exact financial position or what you hope to accomplish in the next few years. Decide what is the best for the two of you - regardless of the opinions of others.

 

[freedom2016]

All jewelers - including Whiteflash - will charge to set stones. If they don’t give you a separate breakdown, they have included it in the price of the diamond. No one works for nothing.

I am honestly not surprised that they can’t buy your diamond. They would either have to wholesale it out or have it recut and lose lots of weight making it doubtful they could recoup the money they would give you for it. The cut is just not terrific.

I personally would go with the Whiteflash diamond. It will be gorgeous and you will always have their wonderful trade up policy available to you. However, I would never encourage anyone to spend money they are not comfortable spending. It just all depends on how important this ring is to you. Some folks live and die by their main diamond; others are like ‘eh, it’s my wedding ring’. A lot of posters here - including myself - are very tuned into precision diamond cutting. There is such a difference but it is costly and again, it depends on how important that is to you. If you didn’t have the other diamond, I would definitely say go for this one. Buy the best first and you would never have to buy again. However, I don’t know what your chances of selling it would be to help offset the cost of the new diamond.

Sleep on it, discuss it with your fiancé, and weigh it all out. No one knows your exact financial position or what you hope to accomplish in the next few years. Decide what is the best for the two of you - regardless of the opinions of others.

Thank you……

Ya I have no idea what to do. I WANT a gorgeous brilliant shiny stone. Always have. I think most of us do. I’m just bummed I’d have to pay 7100 to get a .95 for this process. I just didn’t realize it that’s all. Setting fee. Etc

Maybe I should research lgd and find a stunner that’s 1-1.25 and have that vendor make my stone into a pendent. Or at least then I can give fiance that option also.

Can u or DejaWiz, can you direct me ?

 

[MissGotRocks]

Thank you……

Ya I have no idea what to do. I WANT a gorgeous brilliant shiny stone. Always have. I think most of us do. I’m just bummed I’d have to pay 7100 to get a .95 for this process. I just didn’t realize it that’s all. Setting fee. Etc

Maybe I should research lgd and find a stunner that’s 1-1.25 and have that vendor make my stone into a pendent. Or at least then I can give fiance that option also.

Can u or DejaWiz, can you direct me ?

There is a lab grown sub forum here on PS. That is your best source of information for lab grown diamonds. Best of luck to you!

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

Have you ruled out a re-cut? Sorry if I missed that in the replies. Also- your curved band is so lovely.

 

[DejaWiz]

Maybe I should research lgd and find a stunner that’s 1-1.25 and have that vendor make my stone into a pendent. Or at least then I can give fiance that option also.

Can u or DejaWiz, can you direct me ?

Yes... absolutely. Please feel free to start a thread in the LGD section and we'll throw all sorts of magnificent options your way to look at.

 

[lulu_ma]

Whatever route you go, I thought you would fine this website helpful. This website gives you a basic cut analysis and fair market price for the diamond (online not brick and mortar).

This is your original stone:

Price and quality scores for GIA Number 6312561259

View the fair price estimate, Cut Score® and price history for GIA Certified Diamond 6312561259. Everything you need to know to buy this diamond.

www.stonealgo.com

This is the G that the jeweler is offering you:

https://www.stonealgo.com/diamond-details/gia-number-2237612511

 

[lovedogs]

Hmm maybe I should?
Is distinctive gem the suggested place to get them?

I would not even know where to begin with that …..

Make a post and we can help you. You can get an amazing LGD for like 1500

 

[lovedogs]

Ps. Link to WFs lab grown section. Their lab stones are precision cut, just like their ACAs. 1ct from them is like 1200-1500 for a D/VS, which is just hilariously cheap for what you get. And if you post on the lab grown subforim we can probably find you something like that for under 1k

Lab Created Diamonds for Sale | Buy Certified Lab Diamonds

Are you looking for in stock, precision cut lab created diamonds? Visit Whiteflash for certified lab diamonds with HD Video, images and same day shipping.

www.whiteflash.com

 

[sledge]

It sounds like you are drowning in emotions and choices right now. I’d take a minute, step back and catch your breath.

Let’s look at the wins.

1. You’ve come to terms with the lack of performance from your K stone.

2. You’ve had a difficult conversation with your loved one about the stone.

3. You’ve not only had a difficult talk but convinced fiancé to get onboard with taking action to correct the situation.

4. You’ve started the process with a different vendor of actually rectifying the situation.

5. You are rapidly learning information about cut quality and different options such as lab grown diamonds.

I wanted to bring those to the front because sometimes we need a reminder of the good we are accomplishing when we are in a tough spot. It can help provide new perspective and renew motivation.

So take a deep breath. Sleep on it and don’t jump on the crazy train.

 

[sledge]

Obviously the major hurdle you are currently facing is the financial aspect of everything. Here's some more info to chew on.

1. You already paid $5,100 for the K stone. WF won't take it on trade, but that doesn't mean you can't sell elsewhere. Just make sure you adjust your expectations. It's hard selling a diamond. A realistic goal would be 50-60 cents on the dollar. So maybe $2,500 +/- cash after you find the right buyer.

2. My guess is WF didn't offer to accept on trade because their offer may have been less and they didn't want to be insulting to you as they also realize there is an emotional component to diamonds.

3. We know that WF diamonds are cream of the crop H&A stones. Only about 1% or so of all diamonds meet this stringent cut quality. As such there is additional time crafting the stone, higher waste, etc that drives the price up from a normal GIA 3X stone. So it's not uncommon to see a small 10-15% price increase over a normal 3X stone.

4. With #3 in mind, WF has this 1.09 K/VVS2 for $5,326 wire. You can't travel into the past but if you could then you could have had a WF ACA from the get go for the same money and roughly the same color/clarity you have. The difference would have been the cut would have been superb and it would have edge to edge brightness making the stone actually look brighter from the top view (you will still see tint on the side/pavilion view). Examples below.

Diamond | 1.092 ct K VVS2 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond AGS Certified | 4483276

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 1.092 carat K color VVS2 clarity loose diamond is graded by the American Gem Society (AGS) Laboratories. | 4483276

www.whiteflash.com

5. Why mention #4? To prove that perhaps the local jeweler prices aren't the best. I won't go so far as to say price gouging because I understand brick & mortar's have a different set of overhead costs but the the harsh reality is if they want to keep those physical doors open they need to compete on service AND price.

And the jeweler is offering a 1.04 G/SI1 stone for $7,900. I couldn't find an exact WF ACA stone but I got close with a 1.085 G/VS2 for $8,716 wire. I suspect if I could find an SI1 clarity stone with a smidge less weight that would get us even closer to the $7,900 your local jeweler is charging for his standard 3X stone. Again, not a H&A premium stone like the ACA but he's charging the same amount (if a G/SI1 existed).

So should you move forward with "upgrading" through the local jeweler you will have effectively paid a price premium twice.

Diamond | 1.085 ct G VS2 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond AGS Certified | 4466368

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 1.085 carat G color VS2 clarity loose diamond is graded by the American Gem Society (AGS) Laboratories. | 4466368

www.whiteflash.com

6. As @MissGotRocks mentioned, you HAVE to be comfortable with the money. While the above can be useful in helping you decide where to place trust, it does little to change your current financial situation. Right now, the choice in front of you is to cut your losses and buy the WF stone directly. Depending what you do or don't do with the existing K stone, you may eat $5,100. The good news is your loss will be capped at $5,100.

On the flip side, if you decide to spend another $2,800 and later become unhappy or want to upgrade that 1.04 G/SI1 then you've just delayed the problem you are already facing. After all, you said the local jeweler doesn't typically allow upgrade so unless they make another special exception, you will be stuck again. Except now, you'll get 50-60 cents on $7,900 increases the minimum out of pocket loss to around $4,000 instead of $2,500.

7. Bear with me and we will do some fun math and give you a different perspective.

Option 1 = total cost paid to local jeweler if you upgrade

+ $5,100 initial money
+ $2,800 upgrade money
======================
+$7,900 out of pocket

This yields you a 3X stone with unknown cut quality but proportions on the fringe, questionable clarity, a knot inclusion and NO upgrade policy for the future.

Option 2 = requires you to sell existing stone privately & cash flow the operation

+ $6,000 WF stone (wire price)
+ $150 setting fee
+ $5,100 price for K stone purchase
==============================
+ $11,250 total initial cash outlay
- $2,550 credit from K stone sale (assume 50 cents on the dollar)
==============================
+ $8,750 out of pocket

This yields you a H&A premium stone with amazing cut quality, ideal proportions, no clarity concerns, NO knots and a very generous & flexible upgrade program for when you decide to go bigger and/or higher color.

Diamond | 0.95 ct G SI1 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond GIA Certified | 4590498

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 0.95 carat G color SI1 clarity loose diamond is graded by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). | 4590498

www.whiteflash.com

If you're concerned about size, the 1.04 G/SI1 has a 6.43mm diameter. The 0.95 G/SI1 WF ACA stone has a 6.30mm diameter. A difference of 0.13mm, or 0.00511811 inches.

To give you an idea how small that is, I will convert to normal US measurements:

1/8th inch = 0.125 inches
1/16th inch = 0.0625 inches
1/32nd inch = 0.03125 inches
1/64th inch = 0.015625 inches
1/128th inch = 0.0078125 inches
1/256th inch = 0.00390625 inches

We can see this difference falls between 1/128 and 1/256 of an inch. Mathematically this works out to about 1/195th of an inch although as Americans we don't really recognize that unit of measurement. Of course, unless you are dealing with a precise measuring device you won't really find much that exceeds 1/32 either.

My point is that difference is extremely small. If two stones are sitting side by side, you may be able to discern a small difference. However, most people begin to see size difference around the 0.20mm mark. Without a side by side analysis, the size difference would be non-meaningful to the naked eye and not memorable.

So while 1.04 carats may sound better, the truth is 0.95 carats will look the same to the naked eye. And given the superb cut of the ACA stones, it will have edge to edge brightness and may appear larger especially in lower light environments where the lower quality stone may leak light. Below is an example of how this can come into play.

 

[DejaWiz]

I'd like to add on some additional info about the other option: give LGD a fair shake. For the $2800 out of pocket that you were ready to put down onto the jewelry counter, that could yield you a GIA graded 1.65-1.75 D VVS2-VS1 in the $2000-2200 realm (you can even go bigger with a $2800 budget). I've already got a few options in that carat range ready to post if you decide to make a new thread.

One of two things will happen once you get it in your hands and set eyes on it:

1. It's going to wow your jaw to the floor and you'll absolutely love the optical performance. Then you move forward with a setting.

2. See #1 - but you may decide that it doesn't feel "earthy", which is fine...LGDs give you 100% of the diamond material and optics, but not EGD sheer age. We're all entitled to our own feelings. Then you move forward by returning it for a refund.

 

[momofive]

Many of the PS vendors sell Lab Diamonds. At the top of this page, just click on the diamond search and LGD is an option in the drop down. If you want to discuss any of those options or have any questions, go to the LGD blog page (above) and ask away. Many of the same prosumers for EGD will also help you with LGD. They are extremely helpful. It’s an option. Can’t hurt to research.
I was thinking, if you went with an LGD, you might feel better about keeping your original diamond as a pendant.

 

[lulu_ma]

@freedom2016 only you can decide you if you want to go Lab or EGD. I am not sure how your fiance feels about it either.

IF you decide to investigate EGD, I found another option for you (which seems very very well priced!)

Diamond | 1.016 ct I SI1 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond AGS Certified | 4477320

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 1.016 carat I color SI1 clarity loose diamond is graded by the American Gem Society (AGS) Laboratories. | 4477320

www.whiteflash.com

This is an I color but gets you over the 1 ct mark. Whiteflash can send you video and pic of this stone next to the .95 G SI. IF one of them looks promising, you could order it to look at home next to your current center stone. Then, you can decide if it's worth the effort to resell or reset.

Lots of good advice on this thread. Like Sledge said, just breathe and don't let it overwhelm you. I know you will end up with a gorgeous diamond!

 

[tyty333]

My opinion...try to figure out if you could be happy with a well-cut lab stone. WF has precision cut lab-grown stones. I think you
could get a stone bigger than your current stone and pay for all the resetting for close to $2k-ish.

If you cant be "mind clean" with a lab stone then I think you need to sit and think about things for a while. Dont jump to any
decision without thinking things thru and figuring out what will make you happy in the long run.

 

[freedom2016]

Hi Everyone
sorry work is super busy today. We also have a lot of kids that are young so life is busy and i am spread thin. I am so thankful to all of you that chimed in on this thread.

I think fiance will be "happier" if I keep my stone he got me (for sentimental reasons) and i just move it to a pendent. vs just getting rid of it. I have talked about all this a few times with him.......... gently. lol
He does ultimately want me to be happy but he's also a bit bummed as he tried his best so he its sort of 2 wammies over the past few months,
1) I don't love the k and 2) I don't love the setting. SO, i will keep the setting and relocate the K.

I will start a thread over is lgd for guidance and then ill have some options to pick from. All of which will be have "whichever" the vendor is, relocate my K to a pendant and set the new stone in my current setting. I hope.

will be interesting to see where i land with all this......

Thank you! i'll keep you posted -

 

[freedom2016]

@freedom2016 only you can decide you if you want to go Lab or EGD. I am not sure how your fiance feels about it either.

IF you decide to investigate EGD, I found another option for you (which seems very very well priced!)

Diamond | 1.016 ct I SI1 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond AGS Certified | 4477320

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 1.016 carat I color SI1 clarity loose diamond is graded by the American Gem Society (AGS) Laboratories. | 4477320

www.whiteflash.com

This is an I color but gets you over the 1 ct mark. Whiteflash can send you video and pic of this stone next to the .95 G SI. IF one of them looks promising, you could order it to look at home next to your current center stone. Then, you can decide if it's worth the effort to resell or reset.

Lots of good advice on this thread. Like Sledge said, just breathe and don't let it overwhelm you. I know you will end up with a gorgeous diamond!

This is the tricky part. I wish i could SEE the .95 and the one here NEXT to my K so i can see the difference.

 

[lulu_ma]

This is the tricky part. I wish i could SEE the .95 and the one here NEXT to my K so i can see the difference.

You can. You just have to be prepared to pay the return shipping if you don't love it. If you don't love it-ship it back.

 

[lulu_ma]

@freedom2016 I was curious so I just chatted with WF. They will send you a no cost return label! Doesn't hurt to see pics of the .95 G next to the 1.016 I color...

 

[freedom2016]

@freedom2016 I was curious so I just chatted with WF. They will send you a no cost return label! Doesn't hurt to see pics of the .95 G next to the 1.016 I color...

hi thank you but confused by what you mean. Am i sending them my ring and they will send me pics of the 3 next to eachother? I am assuming that is what you mean.....?

 

[lulu_ma]

No, I mean order a diamond from WF and have them send it to you. You can compare the WF stone versus your own stone in different lighting environments and determine what you want to do.

IF you want to go this route, you should get pics/ vids of the G and I stones side by side. Btw, the I color stone I found is $3k less than a comparable G color ACA! If you are interested in the I color-maybe put it on hold.

 

[freedom2016]

got it! Thanks again.

 

[sledge]

Hey @freedom2016 are you located near Houston, TX by chance? Asking because WF is located just south in Sugarland.

Southwest has dirt cheap plane tickets to Houston. Might make sense for you and the fiancée to fly down and see their stones with your eyes. You can look at their natural and lab stones both.

Alternatively, Memorial Day is around the corner and extended weekends may make it feasible for a road trip adventure (be sure to check WF’s operating hours for the holiday).

Obviously you could purchase, have them sent to you and then return. It just ties up your cash/credit doing it that way. But depending on location it may be your best option.

There is one aspect I don’t like. And you are perfectly fine to tell me to pound sand as it’s personal and absolutely between you and yours. But you’re making all these changes and putting whatever stone you get back in the setting that reminds you of your past life. That’s something that may haunt you both for years to come. If me and my wife was in this predicament I would insist she change the setting as I’d want a clean slate and no reminders of previous things. So my advice is just rip the bandaid and get a new setting too.

A final thought….you mentioned you have young kids. How cool it might be if they were girls and you/he could gift them jewelry with the stones from this setting. Maybe 3 pendants or 1 pendant and a set of earrings from the smaller side stones. I don’t know how many kids you have, gender or ages but I think you see where I’m going.

 

[freedom2016]

Hi sledge, everyone

Man this feels like I’m all over the place. Lol

No I’m no where near Texas. And we have many large balls in the air right now so the option for a road trip is not possible until maybe next year.

And, thank u for ur thoughts on the bandaid. I hear you 100%. It’s a very tough one and I think I am ok to keep it, for many reasons.
Family already saw it, what will we say ?
But this is from me and not your ex so I’d hope u would love it
And so on
I also feel like I don’t want to give any power in my head to the fact that’s it’s similar as I feel like then there is still control there which I’m finally free of. So….. I am happy to keep and make it mine

So, I feel like I am going back and forth.
Lgd, egd
I was moving to a lgd until I spoke to wf again and got a video of the gsi1

I know u all keep telling me but I am worried about it being smaller then my silly K - but the video and pics showed it’s literally very hard to see the difference in size and I hope the proportions difference will be a huge improvement for my engagement ring.

So lgd is about 2500-3000 once all is said and done

Egd is about 7500-8000 depending on which pendant I pick.
But wf offers upgrades and it’s anything $1 over what u paid. I did NOT realize this until today!!!!

So now I’m leaning to the gsi 1 but this could change again by the am

Questions for now, anyone have any comments on which pendant is more stable for my k?

'Four-Prong' Basket Diamond Pendant | 1073

Elevate your style with our 'Four-Prong' Basket Diamond Pendant. A stunning piece that will add sparkle to any outfit. Shop now! | 1073

www.whiteflash.com

Verismo Diamond Pendant | 1399

Shine bright like a diamond with the Verismo Diamond Pendant. A stunning piece of jewelry that will elevate any outfit. | 1399

www.whiteflash.com

And, I just remembered I brought a 11 stone round brilliant from IDJewlery two years ago. I have no use for it as the stone are too big for a wedding band.
Where can I try and sell it? I think I wore it twice

 

[freedom2016]

View attachment 932805

 

[sledge]

What you say? Well you don't owe anyone an explanation but if asked, you could just be brief in truth -- you guys upgraded to a better cut & color and decided you wanted a different setting too. No one needs to know the rest.

In regards to size....see below. This comparison is using the 1.04 G/SI1 stone that your jeweler was proposing you upgrade to with him against the WF ACA 0.95 G/SI1.

1ct Round (6.43×6.46×4.05) vs 0.95ct Round (6.39×6.39×3.85)

Compare 1 carat Round (6.43×6.46×4.05mm) vs 0.95 carat Round (6.39×6.39×3.85mm) on actual diamond size and finger coverage (32.62mm² vs 32.07mm²)

www.diamdb.com

 

[freedom2016]

FYI it's easy to see your full name and email. I would redact more carefully

Oh geez I’m trying to delete it’s not letting me

 

[sledge]

Oh geez I’m trying to delete it’s not letting me

There is a small time window where you can EDIT your post. Go check immediately please.

It will look like this:




Once you are in edit mode, you can scroll down to the pictures and click on the trash button to delete it. Then click on save and it should be gone. Alternatively, you can hit the Delete button to the right and it will delete the entire post.



If time has expired for you to EDIT then you use the "Report concern" button and ask the mods to delete because it contains personal information. They want to protect our privacy and will respond promptly.

 

[freedom2016]

What you say? Well you don't owe anyone an explanation but if asked, you could just be brief in truth -- you guys upgraded to a better cut & color and decided you wanted a different setting too. No one needs to know the rest.

In regards to size....see below. This comparison is using the 1.04 G/SI1 stone that your jeweler was proposing you upgrade to with him against the WF ACA 0.95 G/SI1.

1ct Round (6.43×6.46×4.05) vs 0.95ct Round (6.39×6.39×3.85)

Compare 1 carat Round (6.43×6.46×4.05mm) vs 0.95 carat Round (6.39×6.39×3.85mm) on actual diamond size and finger coverage (32.62mm² vs 32.07mm²)

www.diamdb.com

Omg this is great!!!!!
My concern is (forgive me if this is dumb) will the gsi1 feel smaller then my warm k that’s 1.08?

I love the wf upgrade policy
currently torn between

The gsi1 and this

Diamond | 1.11 ct F VVS2 Round Cut Precision Lab Grown Diamond IGI Certified | 223126

This fabulous 1.11 carat Round Ideal cut diamond has a clarity grade of VVS2 and color grade of F.It is an excellent choice for engagement rings. | 223126

www.whiteflash.com

Egd about 7500 all in
Lgd about 2700 all in

Egd comes with upgrade wonderful policy
But the lgd saves me about 5k

Ughhh

 

[freedom2016]

There is a small time window where you can EDIT your post. Go check immediately please.

It will look like this:




Once you are in edit mode, you can scroll down to the pictures and click on the trash button to delete it. Then click on save and it should be gone. Alternatively, you can hit the Delete button to the right and it will delete the entire post.



If time has expired for you to EDIT then you use the "Report concern" button and ask the mods to delete because it contains personal information. They want to protect our privacy and will respond promptly.

ok i did that. It is so strange as i always edit my posts - but this one it wont allow me to - i did report concern. thank you

 

[sledge]

I’m back on my mobile and will be driving but you can go to the diamdb.com website I linked above with the screen captures and enter the data for the K stone and WF stone to see that comparison.

Or someone else may do it and share screen caps in my brief absence while I travel.