Diamond Selection Help

[charliethemutt]

Hello PS Community,

I'm new to the jewelry world I would love some some guidance on a round brilliant cut lab grown diamond for engagement ring. This stone will go into a hand forged white gold or yellow gold delicate antique style bezel setting.

I've looked at a handful of stones that my jeweler has brought in and identified one stone that I could use a second opinion on. I trust my jeweler with 30+ years of experience, which has noted it's a beautiful stone, but I hold some reservations due to the lab's grading reputation (IGI Antwerp), my lack of diamond expertise, and only viewing the stone through a jewelers loop (no microscope, no ideal scope, no ASET available at his shop). I am very focused on the cut and less concerned with the color and clarity (as long as it looks good within the final ring). Below are the diamond details.

Carat: 1.73
Color: i (in person, the stone looks really nice/symmetric, throws off great dispersion and scintillation, and pretty good brilliance, however, it's a little darker/looks deeper than others)
Clarity: VS2 (eye clean - a small inclusion on the perimeter of the stone)
Table: 56.6%
Depth: 61.6%
Crown Height/ Angle: 15% / 34.8 deg
Pavilion Depth / Angle: 43% /40.6 deg
Girdle: Medium
Fluorescence: none
Culet: Pointed
Polish & Symmetry: Excellent
Holloway Cut Advisor Score: 0.8

Should I trust these diamond cut metrics from IGI Antwerp? How much tolerance on the cut can these numbers be off to still produce an outstanding/super ideal cut? Ultimately, are there any reasons I should/should not purchase this (it's within my budget). I don't have an image or video at the moment.

Are there any shops like Brian Gavin or WF quality cuts for lab grade stones? I've looked at a number of online platforms and have been relatively disappointed with their clamed super ideal cut/heart & arrows. Please pass along any recommended super ideal cut round lab stones (around 1.75ct) that might fit what I'm looking for.

Really appreciate the help!!!

 

[charliethemutt]

Anyone able to at least speak to trusting a diamond cut metrics from IGI Antwerp? How much tolerance on the cut can these numbers be off to still produce an outstanding/super ideal cut? Ultimately, are there any reasons I should/should not purchase this (it's within my budget). I don't have an image or video at the moment but I'll try and track one down.

REALLY appreciate any guidance!

 

[Diamond Girl 21]

Hi Charlie, I don't know very much about lab diamonds, but there are reputable vendors who work with them. One is Jonathan from Distinctive Gem. You can check him out on YouTube or his site. I'm sure there are other vendors on here as well. Hope that helps.

 

[Kim N]

Can you purchase an Ideal-scope or ASET scope to use at the jeweler's? That would help verify that the numbers work well.

 

[charliethemutt]

Both good recommendations - Thank you!

I checked out Distinctive Gem which looks to have some great cuts but are rather limited to a lab stone (something I'm committed to).

I can try and track down an Ideal-scope or ASET. To an untrained eye, I'm not sure how fruitful the results will be. I'll look more into this.

Based on the the cut dimensions provided and the lab's reputation, are there any red flags that you see in the numbers? I know that the cut quality is the summation of all these inputs, but are there any cut dimensions that would be a concern if they are slightly off (pavilion angel?). What might I expect to see in the diamond if they are in fact off?

Jumped into the deep end of the pool on this one - thanks for helping me swim!

 

[Diamond Girl 21]

Both good recommendations - Thank you!

I checked out Distinctive Gem which looks to have some great cuts but are rather limited to a lab stone (something I'm committed to).

I can try and track down an Ideal-scope or ASET. To an untrained eye, I'm not sure how fruitful the results will be. I'll look more into this.

Based on the the cut dimensions provided and the lab's reputation, are there any red flags that you see in the numbers? I know that the cut quality is the summation of all these inputs, but are there any cut dimensions that would be a concern if they are slightly off (pavilion angel?). What might I expect to see in the diamond if they are in fact off?

Jumped into the deep end of the pool on this one - thanks for helping me swim!

Reputable vendors will source stones for you, so you are not limited to what you see online. They will also provide and explain the imaging. If you want to make the selection on your own, I would follow Kim N's advice and get an ASET or ideal scope. Many people on here can help you interpret the images.

 

[Kim N]

I see no red flags in the numbers. It is possible there might be some obstruction due to the 40.6 pavilion angle (as opposed to a 40.7 or 40., but you can see this for yourself without an Ideal-Scope. Just see at what distance the arrows get dark. Generally you don't want to see black arrows at arm's length.

 

[vintageinjune]

Should I trust these diamond cut metrics from IGI Antwerp? How much tolerance on the cut can these numbers be off to still produce an outstanding/super ideal cut? Ultimately, are there any reasons I should/should not purchase this (it's within my budget). I don't have an image or video at the moment.

Are there any shops like Brian Gavin or WF quality cuts for lab grade stones? I've looked at a number of online platforms and have been relatively disappointed with their clamed super ideal cut/heart & arrows. Please pass along any recommended super ideal cut round lab stones (around 1.75ct) that might fit what I'm looking for.

Really appreciate the help!!!

The CEO of ADA lab-grown diamonds had a thread on this a few months back, and the IGI grades were all within 1 grade of the AGS ones. My lab grown diamonds are IGI certified and absolutely match their graded statistics for color, clarity, etc.
Exactly how much tolerance on the pavilion angles, etc., can there be to still produce an ideal/super ideal cut? That I cannot attest to.
The numbers overall look good and it is definitely a contender.

As for lab grown super ideal diamonds, I think the only two companies that have WF ACA type tolerances are Better Than Diamond (but you'll pay a massive premium, and if you want one of their diamonds double check via email before trying to purchase from them that what is listed is in fact in stock, the same 75 diamonds have been listed for months with no change and I find it difficult to believe their inventory hasn't changed in that time. I tried to purchase diamonds for earrings twice, once through them and once through a vendor that carried their stock and it was a disaster both times as one of the two selected diamonds had sold, BUT they are true super-ideal cuts so..... there is that.)
The other one would be James Allen - their True Hearts collection for lab grown diamonds all have ASET images of the actual diamonds, again, there will be a premium, but only you can decide if that is worth the cost.

I ended up asking Jonathan at Distinctive Gems to source two matched diamonds for me, and he sure delivered! They are ideal cuts, hearts and arrows, I got SARIN reports as well as the ASET images. They aren't *the* most perfect hearts and arrows on the planet, but for the price and the fact they qualified for AGS 000, they are perfect for me. If you send him a budget and the specs you are looking for, it might take a week or two but he can find you a spectacular diamond. He shifted through two parcels of lab grown diamonds to get me a matched pair that would make me happy and it only took about a week. His online inventory is nowhere near what he actually has access to.

That all said, if you like the diamond your jeweler found, and the arrows aren't black at arm's length, go for it!

 

[charliethemutt]

Thank you for ALL the recommendations - Very helpful! I wish I asked for guidance weeks ago. The PS community members have so much knowledge!

The jeweler was able to locate a microscope so I could provide a few images. I am much more comfortable with the stone under a scope instead of a jeweler's loop. From my untrained eye - I think this is a pretty great option. No black arrows at arm's length. I have no doubt that there are better cut stones out there but this one looks pretty solid. I know that these images don't offer the same feedback as an ASET or Idealscope but it's what I have currently available. I actually prefer a little warmth in the stone so an "i" is not a problem (image 5 - the rock on the right is the one in consideration. A d color stone is on the left). The lighting is office lighting, and I was the one taking the pictures so the quality of the images are pretty subpar relative to the standard online production available. The face up image of the stone looks brown...it's not in person. Looks a heck of a lot better in person. I think overall my jeweler pointed me in a good direction. It's great to know that Distinctive Gems offers a great selection of stones that might not have made it to their website. It's great to keep in mind.

Please let me know if you have any further considerations, before I pull the trigger, and thanks again for the help!

 

[Kim N]

I think it looks great! Have you seen how the stone performs in various lighting, not just under office or jeweler's lighting? If you like how it performs and you're comfortable with the color, I see no reason not to go for it!

 

[Diamond Girl 21]

Please come back and share pics of the completed ring.

 

[charliethemutt]

Kim - I've see the stone in natural light and it preforms really well. This is the stone I'm going to move forward with. Thank you all for the guidance.

I'll post some pictures of the final ring!