Diamond selection help please

[simpkin]

Hi all,

Firstly, I just wanted to say thanks for this great resource – the information on this site and the forums has been extremely useful in trying to come upto speed with some diamond knowledge basics!

So, after a couple of weeks learning and looking, the time has come to make a purchase. I have found a number of diamonds which meet my criteria and I would really appreciate your advice to help me make a choice. As the diamond will be fairly small, I want to make sure it will 'perform' really well, so I'm okay with sacrificing a little carat weight to get a really high performing cut (at least to the point where I'm likely to be able to tell the difference with my naked eye). However, at the same time I don't want to spend $100's extra, or drop in size, if I'm unlikely to notice any real difference.

What I’m after
Shape: Round Brilliant
Carat: 0.32-0.42 (ideally 0.35+)
Cut: AGS Ideal (GIA Excellent), H&A if possible
Clarity: SI2+ (as long as eye clean)
Colour: D-F (or G if I have to)
Budget: upto US$930 (want it to come in under AU$1,000 to avoid import tax and duty)

Shortlist (in my current order of preference)
1) 0.334 ct F VS2 (WF ‘Expert Selection’), US$651
No hearts image, but otherwise looks good to me
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2673882.htm

2) 0.34ct D-SI1 (JA ‘True Hearts’), US$758 (by wire)
This seems really good, except in the photo/video it looks to be a little ‘dusty’/hazy and not quite as sharp or bright as some others.
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-dia...arat-d-color-si1-clarity-ideal-cut-sku-178761

3) 0.322 ct D VS1 (WF ‘A CUT ABOVE’), US$756
Looks good, but on the small side
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2230997.htm

4) 0.34ct F-SI1 (JA ‘True Hearts’), US$699 (by wire)
Potentially not eye clean – am seeking answer from JA.
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-dia...carat-f-color-si1-clarity-ideal-cut-sku-73502

5) 0.348 ct D VS2 (WF ‘Premium Select’), US$712
AGS Report is from 2009 – should this put me off? I also notice it does not contain as much detail as more recent reports.
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4570.htm

Also, these two both look really good, and are 0.40ct E/F SI1 H&A, however unfortunately are JUST outside my budget:
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2813867.htm
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-dia...carat-F-color-SI1-clarity-Ideal-cut-sku-73785

Would very much appreciate any thoughts you guys have and am also open to other diamond suggestions!

Thanks

 

[pomellina]

Hi!

It sounds like you are looking for something just like my engagement ring! I've just received a 0.42 carat F-coloured SI1 GIA triple ex. diamond from Blue Nile's Signature Ideal range. All of their Signature Ideal diamonds are eye clean and they do state on their web site that they have hearts and arrows. There is not much information about the individual diamonds to substantiate this but I can tell you that my diamond is beautiful and performs very well. It was listed on Blue Nile exc. tax for $978, which I understand is just a bit over what you're looking at spending. I'm just commenting to reassure you that you can most certainly get something great in your price range!

I note that your budget is up to $930 but all of the diamonds you've listed cost around $700-$800. Are you looking at keeping the costs down or are you prepared to push the budget a bit higher to purchase a larger diamond (i.e. closer to 0.4 ct)?

Are you buying a setting from any of the vendors, as this may influence which diamond you purchase?

Personally, I'd buy one of the Whiteflash ACA ones as you don't have to worry about whether or not they are eye clean (as it states that they are) and the Idealscopes look very promising. Remember the Pricescope discount too!

Best of luck!

 

[pomellina]

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2813867.htm
Pricescope price: $978
Pricescope wire price: $948

And if you've not bought from WF before, you can register and get up to $50.00 off your first order.

This should keep you under budget and allow you to get a bigger size.

 

[simpkin]

Hi pomellina,

Thanks for the feedback and the reassurance! I was initially considering BN Signature range, but found they tended to be more expensive than WF and that WF provided better information about the cut quality.

If I could get something around 0.35 or slightly higher for ~$750 that would be ideal, but I'm prepared to spend upto the $930. The reason the ones in my shortlist are all about $700-$800 is I haven't found anything between that price and something that's a bit over my budget (like the two listed at the bottom of my original post).

If I could find something similar that was say 0.38 and ~$900 and of a similar caliber, I'd be happy with that, but WF and JA just don't seem to have it at the moment. I've been using the Pricescope diamond search which tends to be bringing me WF and JA diamonds back in the results, plus I like both those sites (particularly WF) for their diamond images.

Thanks for the suggested diamond - I do really like this one and had seen it (it's actually at the bottom of my post), but unfortunately it's JUST out of budget. I haven't purchased from WF before and I wish I could get the $50 off, but I believe it only applies to purchases of $2k+ unfortunately.

Re the setting, I'm planning on getting that made locally after I get the diamond, as I haven't quite found what I'm looking for online.

 

[simpkin]

Good news. WF have agreed to give me a $20 discount on my first order to make this diamond just fall within budget. This is now my #1 preference and I'm pretty sure I will buy it - please shout if you would adivise a different diamond instead.

0.403 ct E SI1 ('A CUT ABOVE'), $928
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2813867.htm