Diamond quality help

[JD090]

I've been looking through posts and trying to figure out what is a good diamond and a good deal, but I have to say I'm still pretty lost. There is a lot more variables than I anticipated going into this process. I'm hoping someone could give me some feedback on the diamond below, which I found on 2 sites. I'm looking to stay between 1.3 and 1.5, and I'd like to stay below 10-11K on the diamond itself. Any help would be appreciated.

http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-details/LD06357395

https://enchanteddiamonds.com/diamonds/view/R135-G5UAAZ

Thank you

 

[centrifuge41]

Hi JD090,

Looks like both links are 2 vendors selling the exact same stone. Sometimes that happens, which could coincidentally let you sneak a peek at pictures of the stone on one vendor, while buying from another (for different price, customer service policies, setting selection, etc).

So, this stone is an IF. That's a very high clarity grade. But you know what? Overly high clarity grades don't result in a better looking stone vs. lower clarity grade stones, assuming both stones are eye clean.

IF, VVS1, VVS2, and VS1 are always eye clean. You can save a lot of money and/or channel the budget towards other more visible qualities of the stone, by going with a lower clarity grade. Even VS2 is eye clean most of the time (maybe 9 times out of 10). And it is not hard finding eye clean SI1 stones either; roughly 70% of SI1 stones are eye clean.

What matters most is cut. The stone is graded triple excellent, but that's not telling enough. GIA only has 5 grades for cut. So, how do you know if your stone is an 80th percentile stone or a 99th percentile stone? You have to do some manual analysis beyond what the report says.

Try out the HCA tool. Your stone scores a 2.5. It's a little bit steep, so there's going to be some lost light that doesn't reflect back to the viewer. The stone most likely doesn't perform as well as stones that score <=2. That's not to say that all HCA<=2 stones are fantastic with light performance, but the odds are significantly more likely.

Summary: I'd buy a lower clarity. There is nothing wrong with VS1. I'd run Ex/Ex/Ex stones through HCA to eliminate so-so light performers before keeping <=2.0 scoring stones for further consideration. I'd save the extra budget, or consider loading it into a whiter color (though, G is plenty white for most people. So, you could potentially get a beautiful 1.4x ct G colored stone, and just save the rest of the money).