Diamond Similar to WF ACA

[PhnxRsng]

Greetings, all.

What diamond that can be purchased at a local jeweler would be even somewhat comparable in cut to a WF ACA? I have read that great cut can mask a bit of the color and want to be able to look at some diamonds with a similar cut to determine what the minimum color is that I can go with.

Thanks in advance!

 

[stone-cold11]

HOF?

Jareds also carries some AGS0 cut graded stones but they are not H&A stone, so not ACA level, more like WF's ES, PS level.

 

[Lula]

Hearts on Fire (graded by AGS, I believe; and H&A)
Cut by Tolkowsky brand (not sure which lab grades them, believe they are H&A)
Jareds Peerless (see stone-cold's comments in earlier post on this thread).

Also, make sure when you are looking at diamonds in retail stores you ask a) which lab graded the stones; and b) if the stones are conventional 57 facet stones. Many retail stores are offering what they are marketing as their "in-house" signature cuts which have more than 57 facets (e.g. 81 facets) but they all seem to be buying them from the same suppliers/manufacturers. So it seems like some sort of marketing fad. These "extra facet" diamonds can be pretty under spotlighting, but they are not comparable to a 57 facet round brilliant, H&A cut. So make sure you know what you're looking at and ask a lot of questions.

 

[PhnxRsng]

I've looked around, and the closest Jared or place that sells HOF is nearly 90 minutes away from me. Any other ideas? a Leo diamond would not give me a good idea, right? Aren't Leos the type of diamond that are cut to have more facets?

This is maddening. All I want to know is whether I can detect color in a super ideal G, H, or I and can't seem to find any simple way of finding out.

 

[AnneinGA]

PhnxRsng,

Have you thought about contacting an appraiser to see a set of master stones? This was very helpful to me in getting an idea of color tolerance. I found it to be very unhelpful to go to a jewelry store and see a G round, an I princess and an H oval because I wasn't sure how much the shape and the cut quality affected the color. When I saw a master set of diamonds at my appraiser, I saw all the same weight and size and was able to get a real feel for my color tolerances. I also figured that if I was OK with an I in a master set, I'd be thrilled with an ideal-cut H&A H color.

Hope this helps.

 

[stone-cold11]

You could make use of the no hassle refund period? Just foot the shipping fees. Which city are you in?

 

[PhnxRsng]

I just looked through the useful threads post at the top of this forum and found and watched the video on grading color (http://vimeo.com/3288695). Very informative and very helpful. Now my only question is this: What is the cut on the stones in the video?

I'm in southwest Michigan, and the nearest jeweler that appears to have anything is in Grand Rapids.

Anne,

That is actually a good idea. I had not thought of that. I may just do that. Thanks!

 

[tonkatsu]

As another newbie, I support what StoneCold said. It's totally worth paying $25-40 to see a stone in person. That's exactly what I'm doing with my current engagement ring search (along with going to stores -- I live in a bigger city). If you're paying X thousands for a ring, another $100 is totally worth it, to make sure you get the best stone out there.

(Anne, I just ordered a GOG AVC, it should be here in 2 days -- we'll see how it compares!)

 

[yssie]

the colour-masking properties come from a 'good cut' - angles that work well together to produce a bright stone without leakage face-up until a certain tilt angle - a well-proportioned non-branded stone will show the same 'colour-masking' as a well-proportioned H&A with perfect optical symmetry.

 

[Aoife]

If you're in SW MIchigan it would be worth it to take a day trip into Chicago. I'm sure some PS'ers here would have some suggestions on where to go in the Loop or Michigan Ave. areas. One trip would probably answer a lot of questions and save you making a mistake in the long run.

 

[vintagelover229]

Have you checked out Pearlmans? They have great stones and are in the battle creek area. Not sure what your budget is but they have a pretty amazing section of pre-owned stuff at a great price. They also have TONS of amazing settings (including the Beverly K line which is a great price point and amazing quality) and they also know their diamonds. They'll have H&R diamonds and be able to point you in the right direction. I'd say that's your best bet because Jared's mark-up isn't worth the price at all. They wanted, no lie, for a cushion diamond (which can't be judged by #'s and wasn't very nice) 2500.00 MORE for a stone that was .2 carats SMALLER than the one I bought from GOG and same color/clarity grade (not same grading report though, so it probably wasn't as good) and the one from GOG was WAS nicer than their stone. So, just a heads up. Here's their site, Bill is great to work with and so is Jason.

http://www.pearlmansjewelers.com/jewelry-specials/previously-owned-jewelry/