Diamond Search - Take 2

CJMT2018 · Nov 7, 2018

Hi! I posted this thread a few months ago and thought we were certain HPD was the route we'd take, but alas, that is not the case: https://www.pricescope.com/communit...urcing-rb-from-bn-25k-budget-2-carats.241845/

After dilly dallying for a while now and visiting a local vendor in the meantime, we are still undecided on the path forward. We went to see this vendor on the recommendation of a co-worker whose ring is just gorgeous, and I liked the idea of a local vendor to go through the process with. To us, he was genuine but a bit gimmicky. So, we are still open to completing this process online.

We know for sure now that I don't know my left from right when looking at diamonds in person. I am not color or clarity sensitive. I only know the parameters I should be looking for, based upon the diamond cheat sheet I found on PS. However, we do know that my boyfriend is quite color sensitive and also unwilling to go below VS2 clarity - for mind-clean purposes.

The proposal is forthcoming on/by 12/23/18, and with the setting undecided, time is of the essence!

We are looking for the below. Can you please point us in the direction of PS approved diamonds? I would link a few that I have found, but after reading many RockyTalky threads, most newbies have their selections shunned for better options anyway.

Also, the diamonds I find are juuuust oustide of the below parameters, and I am unsure when going outside of the parameters will not sacrifice brilliance or light return.

Our budget is healthy for a great 1.8, but with your expertise, could you help us find something closer to 1.9 within budget?

Budget: $21,000.00

Carat: 1.8 (his preference) - 1.9 (my preference)
Color: D-F
Clarity: VS2+
EX/EX/EX

Florescence: None - Faint

Depth: 60-62
Table: 54-58

Crown angle: 34-35.0
Pavilion Angle: 40.6-41.0

For fun, I have attached 2 photos of a 1.9 on, 1 photo of 1.9 (top) and 2.0 (bottom) my finger and my coworker's 1.7. Don't have any other specs that I can recall. I just know the 1.9 and 2.0 were SI1s.

Thanks so much in advance, and I hope I can share the completed ring with you all very, very soon!

whitewave · Nov 7, 2018

Curious why not HPD?

CJMT2018 · Nov 7, 2018

whitewave said:
Curious why not HPD?

Hi there. Even though they face up, up to two colors higher, significant other is just not comfortable with that. If we look for D-F within our parameters, it's too far out of budget.

I recall and this is very vague, I know, but there was a thread here where someone purchased HPD and was able to see color, which I can't make a case for, then, with the SO.

whitewave · Nov 7, 2018

are you setting in a solitaire? What's The plan there? Everyone is getting very busy now, so you are right— time is of the essence.

Wewechew · Nov 7, 2018

With your budget and what you are wanting, you may want to call IDJ and have them see what they can find for you. Tell them PS sent you.

CJMT2018 · Nov 7, 2018

whitewave said:
are you setting in a solitaire? What's The plan there? Everyone is getting very busy now, so you are right— time is of the essence.

Yes, Leon Mege inspired, if not from him, himself: https://www.leonmege.com/portfolio/...taire-ring-round-diamond-uniform-shank-detail

Wewechew said:
With your budget and what you are wanting, you may want to call IDJ and have them see what they can find for you. Tell them PS sent you.

That's a good suggestion. Thank you. Significant other's co-workers keep mentioning NYC for diamonds.

whitewave · Nov 7, 2018

1.83 F vs2 $20,212 HCA 1.1
https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-de...DiamondDetails&action=newTab&catalogView=true

Inclusion on table, but with vs 2 may or may not be an issue.

OoohShiny · Nov 7, 2018

CJMT2018 said:
Hi there. Even though they face up, up to two colors higher, significant other is just not comfortable with that. If we look for D-F within our parameters, it's too far out of budget.

I recall and this is very vague, I know, but there was a thread here where someone purchased HPD and was able to see color, which I can't make a case for, then, with the SO.

I think that was @sledge?

I do appreciate the position you are in - I am colour-sensitive myself and I think that near-colourless (rather than colourless) might bug me!

It is annoying when our taste and our budgets do not align

lol

Wewechew · Nov 7, 2018

whitewave said:
1.83 F vs2 $20,212 HCA 1.1
https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-de...DiamondDetails&action=newTab&catalogView=true

Inclusion on table, but with vs 2 may or may not be an issue.

I like that one! Look at those fat arrows!

whitewave · Nov 7, 2018

Btw, the only vendors in NYC we recommend, I think, are ID jewelry and Diamonds by Lauren. Someone correct me if I am missing someone.

whitewave · Nov 7, 2018

Wewechew said:
I like that one! Look at those fat arrows!

Yup, that 75 LGF

It’s magnified, so I’m doubting the table inclusions would be an issue, but her intended sounds picky so IDK

whitewave · Nov 7, 2018

I lost the link for this one... not my favorite... ever so slightly shallow but that makes it spready. I found it using the PS search at the top of the page

Edited link: https://www.b2cjewels.com/dd/117889...m_medium=referral&utm_campaign=pricescope.com

You have to call or chat and request a pic and video and see if they have an ASET

stonewell · Nov 7, 2018

whitewave said:
1.83 F vs2 $20,212 HCA 1.1
https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-de...DiamondDetails&action=newTab&catalogView=true

Inclusion on table, but with vs 2 may or may not be an issue.

Oh my, that’s a beautiful stone! Those arrows...

lovedogs · Nov 7, 2018

Fwiw, @sledge didn't buy from HPD, he went with BGD. I strongly suggest re considering HPD. But of course you need to feel comfortable!

lovedogs · Nov 7, 2018

whitewave said:
Yup, that 75 LGF

It’s magnified, so I’m doubting the table inclusions would be an issue, but her intended sounds picky so IDK

Oooh I love this option!!!!

CJMT2018 · Nov 7, 2018

Thank you so much for linking these 2 diamonds. I will share with SO tonight. B2C is getting photos and video for me now. ASET image needs to be procured by his international partner, and won't be able to get it until next week.

CJMT2018 · Nov 7, 2018

lovedogs said:
Fwiw, @sledge didn't buy from HPD, he went with BGD. I strongly suggest re considering HPD. But of course you need to feel comfortable!

I don't think it was Sledge. I think it was someone with "jade" in the username or profile picture. Let me see if I can search.

cflutist · Nov 7, 2018

lovedogs said:
Fwiw, @sledge didn't buy from HPD, he went with BGD. I strongly suggest re considering HPD. But of course you need to feel comfortable!

Has your SO seen CBI diamonds with her own eyes? They have edge to edge brightness that must be seen to believed. I would suggest viewing them at a CBI vendor in New York. HPD would be happy to have diamonds sent to that vendor, Diamond One, who is by appointment.

The diamond with all that dispersion in my avatar is a 2.79 F-VS1 CBI diamond. I have 4 other CBI diamonds, including a 2.31 Q-VVS2 that is absolutely gorgeous (all of my diamonds prior to this were D-F).

You might start with a G, then get 100% trade-in credit towards a diamond that is $1 in the future. Or you may just sell it back for 80%.

sledge · Nov 7, 2018

CJMT2018 said:
Hi there. Even though they face up, up to two colors higher, significant other is just not comfortable with that. If we look for D-F within our parameters, it's too far out of budget.

I recall and this is very vague, I know, but there was a thread here where someone purchased HPD and was able to see color, which I can't make a case for, then, with the SO.

OoohShiny said:
I think that was @sledge?

I do appreciate the position you are in - I am colour-sensitive myself and I think that near-colourless (rather than colourless) might bug me!

It is annoying when our taste and our budgets do not align lol

I am not certain if it was my post or not, but I do know that I did not buy my fiancee's stone from HPD. Instead it came from BGD, and the stone in question is a 0.867ct H VS2 with medium blue fluor.

While we had looked at some diamonds together in a local store, I was unaware of her color sensitivity. I truly thought an H would be okay. Turns out I live with eagle eyes, lol. While I can see small amounts of tint, she claims it is obvious to her. However, she is also color tolerant and isn't bothered by it. Based on some other color tests I've performed on her, I really am uncertain if an F would be okay. I believe a D/E is likely what I would target. Unless I could preview the stone and she could bless the F ahead of time.

Below are some pictures of the ring in question. I will let you make your own determination. As you will notice, the setting really exposes the pavilion which is where color is mostly seen. With a different setting, I may have had a different result. So keep that in mind too.

sledge · Nov 7, 2018

cflutist said:
Has your SO seen CBI diamonds with her own eyes? They have edge to edge brightness that must be seen to believed. I would suggest viewing them at a CBI vendor in New York. HPD would be happy to have diamonds sent to that vendor, Diamond One, who is by appointment.

The diamond with all that dispersion in my avatar is a 2.79 F-VS1 CBI diamond. I have 4 other CBI diamonds, including a 2.31 Q-VVS2 that is absolutely gorgeous (all of my diamonds prior to this were D-F).

You might start with a G, then get 100% trade-in credit towards a diamond that is $1 in the future. Or you may just sell it back for 80%.

Echo this thought.

Also, HPD has the See It To Believe It (SITBI) program where they ship to your home to try before you decide on the final purchase.

https://www.hpdiamonds.com/en-us/diamonds/diamonds-home

Also, they have some other good information on their site about color and how they compare against others. One thing I would like to compare (with my own eyes, and not videos) is how stones of equal color from WF/HPD/BGD compare to one another. Being all super ideals, I'd expect them to perform similar but I could be wrong.

https://www.hpdiamonds.com/en-us/education/education-color

carbonfan · Nov 7, 2018

cflutist said:
Has your SO seen CBI diamonds with her own eyes? They have edge to edge brightness that must be seen to believed. I would suggest viewing them at a CBI vendor in New York. HPD would be happy to have diamonds sent to that vendor, Diamond One, who is by appointment.

The diamond with all that dispersion in my avatar is a 2.79 F-VS1 CBI diamond. I have 4 other CBI diamonds, including a 2.31 Q-VVS2 that is absolutely gorgeous (all of my diamonds prior to this were D-F).

You might start with a G, then get 100% trade-in credit towards a diamond that is $1 in the future. Or you may just sell it back for 80%.

I totally agree with all of this... regardless of the vendor you choose, you have to evaluate each stone on its own merits, and most importantly with your own eyes. Everyone has different preferences and you have to find the stone that speaks to you. That said, the one aspect you do not want to sacrifice is cut, so I would certainly stick with the usual vendor recommendations. And you may actually be surprised how white some of the best cut G/H stones look!

There are currently two diamonds at HPD that I would consider requesting to see in person (and if you do this, make sure you initially evaluate them without the benefit of knowing which one is which, as this allows you to evaluate each one objectively). You may also want to inquire to see if they are expecting any Gs in this size range soon, as that would be spot on with your budget). Here goes:

1.81 H VS1 (and quite honestly, I would snap this one up in a hot minute!)
1.60 F VS2

Good luck, and keep us posted on what you decide!

sledge · Nov 7, 2018

carbonfan said:
1.81 H VS1 (and quite honestly, I would snap this one up in a hot minute!)
1.60 F VS2

Good luck, and keep us posted on what you decide!

Video of 1.81 H VS1
https://agslab.com/ym-vdgr/diamonds/104095955045/video

Video of 1.60 F VS2
https://agslab.com/ym-vdgr/diamonds/104099668037/video

sledge · Nov 7, 2018

I'm all for HPD, but if you can't find anything with them WF has some of their ACA's which are drop dead gorgeous as well. Right now, they seem to have a really nice supply of 1.9x carat G VS2 stones.

Gives you a little better color than H, stays below the 2 carat premium and is a real sweet spot in the super ideal world. I really like the proportions on the 1.928ct G VS2.

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-di...05126,3999632,4015037,4037189,4046750,4049800

OoohShiny · Nov 7, 2018

sledge said:
Video of 1.81 H VS1
https://agslab.com/ym-vdgr/diamonds/104095955045/video

Video of 1.60 F VS2
https://agslab.com/ym-vdgr/diamonds/104099668037/video

Ooh, nice - is this some new AGS service I've not been aware of??

@Wink should add a link to the videos from the HPD website for each stone if they are doing it for all stones!

OoohShiny · Nov 7, 2018

sledge said:
I'm all for HPD, but if you can't find anything with them WF has some of their ACA's which are drop dead gorgeous as well. Right now, they seem to have a really nice supply of 1.9x carat G VS2 stones.

Gives you a little better color than H, stays below the 2 carat premium and is a real sweet spot in the super ideal world. I really like the proportions on the 1.928ct G VS2.

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-di...05126,3999632,4015037,4037189,4046750,4049800

Nice

But 4-5k over budget... lol

OoohShiny · Nov 7, 2018

Few options around 21k on WF at the moment, but none that hit both 1.8 and colourless!

https://www.pricescope.com/diamonds/round/1_73-carat-f-color-vs2-clarity-7155712#

https://www.pricescope.com/diamonds/round/1_81-carat-g-color-vs2-clarity-6933349#

https://www.pricescope.com/diamonds/round/1_82-carat-g-color-vs2-clarity-7063512#

https://www.pricescope.com/diamonds/round/1_81-carat-g-color-vs1-clarity-7095307#

WinkHPD · Nov 7, 2018

OoohShiny said:
Ooh, nice - is this some new AGS service I've not been aware of??

@Wink should add a link to the videos from the HPD website for each stone if they are doing it for all stones!

We are having a different service provide the videos for us now, as they do a better job. The video of the H colored diamond looks more like a J-K color and is not representative of what we are seeing in real life. Cameras can be brutal and see colors that we cannot see with our eyes. As our new diamonds come on line, they will have the new videos.

Wink

OoohShiny · Nov 7, 2018

Few potential GIA XXX options from the search bar at the top of the forum

https://www.pricescope.com/diamonds...=1&pageview=24&adv=true&days=100&cert_number=

I'm really liking this:
https://www.pricescope.com/diamonds/round/2_12-carat-g-color-vs1-clarity-6968167#
Size! High crown! Small table! and plot on the grading report is super-clean. Medium fluor unlikely to be at all noticeable apart from lifting the colour a touch in UV-rich light (sunlight) and perhaps in a nightclub lol. Should be super-fiery!

https://www.pricescope.com/diamonds/round/1_96-carat-d-color-vs2-clarity-6584837#

https://www.pricescope.com/diamonds/round/1_94-carat-f-color-vs1-clarity-7147173#

https://www.pricescope.com/diamonds/round/1_9-carat-e-color-vs2-clarity-7054784#
Only $16.5k!

sledge · Nov 7, 2018

CJMT2018 said:
Hi! I posted this thread a few months ago and thought we were certain HPD was the route we'd take, but alas, that is not the case: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/please-assist-in-sourcing-rb-from-bn-25k-budget-2-carats.241845/

OoohShiny said:
Nice

But 4-5k over budget... lol

Yeah...yeah. Teach me to scan and not read every word. I saw the above red highlighted part with their original budget and didn't catch they had reduced it down to $21k.

For the record, if they can get live with SI1 clarity....it was hidden in the combo list I provided.

WF ACA 1.927 G SI1 - $21,138
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4046750.htm

OoohShiny said:
Ooh, nice - is this some new AGS service I've not been aware of??

@Wink should add a link to the videos from the HPD website for each stone if they are doing it for all stones!

I think the video is available, depending on the report types bought. I discovered this recently but not sure how long ago it was working. I've tried it on my BGD stone and even the WF stone above and it doesn't give all the options like the CBI certs do. It appears CBI are getting a different format or something.

CJMT2018 · Nov 8, 2018

sledge said:
Yeah...yeah. Teach me to scan and not read every word. I saw the above red highlighted part with their original budget and didn't catch they had reduced it down to $21k.

For the record, if they can get live with SI1 clarity....it was hidden in the combo list I provided.

WF ACA 1.927 G SI1 - $21,138
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4046750.htm

I think the video is available, depending on the report types bought. I discovered this recently but not sure how long ago it was working. I've tried it on my BGD stone and even the WF stone above and it doesn't give all the options like the CBI certs do. It appears CBI are getting a different format or something.

Haha! Yes, the budget was reduced.

Thank you for all of your responses and links to diamonds! We looked at the 1.92 from B2C and 1.83 from BN that whitewave suggested. I don't know how to upload the video from B2C, but I have attached the image. He was very happy with both, and we'll be sending to our local vendor to see if he can get those diamonds for us.

https://www.b2cjewels.com/dd/117889...m_medium=referral&utm_campaign=pricescope.com

https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-details/LD11287080?refTab=DIAMONDS&track=viewDiamondDetails&action=newTab&catalogView=true

In terms of color and clarity, significant other doesn't have the patience or desire to sift through diamonds and search for the the value in G/H/I-SI1's ,etc. D-F-VS2+ makes the process more efficient, on his end.

Then, factoring in the parameters I have learned from PS, ensures that the performance of the diamond is top notch.

So, a HPD, G/SI1, may be a project I will take on, on my own, in the future.

View attachment 657941

Diamond Search - Take 2

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