Diamond trade offs

[optimizedlife]

Yeah, no-one is ever going to look at it with a loupe. As long as it looks symmetrical to someone looking at it with eye, and no visible imperfections, has maximum "flash" that I can buy, and is in her size range, that's the constraints.

 

[optimizedlife]

msop: How about H in a setting that shows the entire diamond from the side? H appears to be a fairly substantial drop in price from G. ie. on the order of $1.5-3k for a 1.5cw from eyeballing it.

 

[optimizedlife]

Eye clean SI1, ACA, 1.55, H&A, "I"...if only I could know if "I" will work. $13,643

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3157619.htm?source=pricescope

Similar 1.53, VS2, I, ACA - http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3043082.htm

Or in the I range higher weight - 1.81 I SI1 eye clean, http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3143302.htm

So many choices...wish I had more experience with this, but the only diamonds I've ever bought are studs.

 

[proto]

seeing colour is best done in a real shop.

just make sure all the stones are GIA so you are comparing like for like.

 

[optimizedlife]

Yeah, I need to hit a shop.

Turns out that setting can only take max 1.5cw, they have done higher but have new restrictions in since it loses strength with anything over 1.5. So that might constrain me to 1.5 regardless...which if I works, makes this an attractive diamond, or I look for an equivalent in the VS2 range and save a few thousand.

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.50-carat-i-color-vvs1-clarity-ideal-cut-sku-164440

 

[metatrix]

Here is what I like from JA:

H colour:

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-dia...arat-h-color-si1-clarity-ideal-cut-sku-309068

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-dia...-h-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-328385

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.53-carat-h-color-vs2-clarity-sku-125571

G colour:

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-dia...-g-color-si1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-321877

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-dia...-g-color-si1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-321936

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-dia...-g-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-329342

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-dia...-g-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-312722

Let me know what you think of those.

 

[optimizedlife]

This one most closely matches I think

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.53-carat-h-color-vs2-clarity-sku-125571

Is it worth going to their "H&A" level?

eg: http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.50-carat-i-color-vvs1-clarity-ideal-cut-sku-164440

Anyways...as mentioned I'm not buying 'right now', although hopefully soon...when the time is right. Ideal cuts, 1.5ish, G-Iish, VS2/SI1ish seems to be in the $14-$16k range, which works. Bit higher than I was originally anticipating, but...

Thanks for all the work meta, appreciated!

 

[metatrix]

This one most closely matches I think

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.53-carat-h-color-vs2-clarity-sku-125571

Is it worth going to their "H&A" level?

eg: http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.50-carat-i-color-vvs1-clarity-ideal-cut-sku-164440

Anyways...as mentioned I'm not buying 'right now', although hopefully soon...when the time is right. Ideal cuts, 1.5ish, G-Iish, VS2/SI1ish seems to be in the $14-$16k range, which works. Bit higher than I was originally anticipating, but...

Thanks for all the work meta, appreciated!

Between those two? No, I don't think it is worth going 'true hearts'. The first diamond has a higher colour and is optically symmetric enough that I seriously doubt you can tell the difference between it and the 'true hearts' one. Just look at the photos side by side...they look almost identical.

Btw, if it were me in your place, I would stick to a H SI1 near-hearts and maximize the carat weight. I know you said that the setting only goes up to a 1.5, but there are ways around that. The jump from 1.5 to 1.7-1.8 will be quite noticeable (in a good way). And you have time to search for a truly eye clean si1 or even si2.

 

[optimizedlife]

Wow, I'm stunned...I knew mall jewellery stores were bad, but my god! I wanted to try to see the diff in person on a 1+ b/t G and I and didn't have time to get to a Tiffany's/etc.

1st store - biggest/best they had was 1.0/I2/M and they had no idea on cut. The inclusions were scary.

2nd store - biggest/best they had was 1.0/I1/HIJ (whatever that means) and no idea on cut. The inclusions were scary.

3rd store - similar to 2nd store, BUT, had a diamond specialist who said they had excellent cuts/etc in the safe, but couldn't go into it at that point. He did make one good point that in a triple excellent cut anything "I" and above is barely noticable, unless of course you put them next to each other. The fire/reflection out of an excellent cut mostly overwhelms any colour differences, at least in the sizes I'm looking at.

 

[OoohShiny]

If she's ever worn cubic zirconia, she was wearing the equivalent of a D color diamond, and I or J looks a lot different from a D colorless. I see warmth in my AGS-graded F.

Interesting - I wondered if CZ was generally 'D' colour!

I put the AGS F stone I have bought next to the other half's CZ 5-stone ring (which she never wears because she thinks it's too blingy lol) and the CZs almost looked blue in comparison! On its own the F looks colourless but, as Gypsy says, when you have all the colours in a paint deck fan next to each other, you can see the differences!

 

[OoohShiny]

Wow, I'm stunned...I knew mall jewellery stores were bad, but my god! I wanted to try to see the diff in person on a 1+ b/t G and I and didn't have time to get to a Tiffany's/etc.

1st store - biggest/best they had was 1.0/I2/M and they had no idea on cut. The inclusions were scary.

2nd store - biggest/best they had was 1.0/I1/HIJ (whatever that means) and no idea on cut. The inclusions were scary.

3rd store - similar to 2nd store, BUT, had a diamond specialist who said they had excellent cuts/etc in the safe, but couldn't go into it at that point. He did make one good point that in a triple excellent cut anything "I" and above is barely noticable, unless of course you put them next to each other. The fire/reflection out of an excellent cut mostly overwhelms any colour differences, at least in the sizes I'm looking at.

haha I agree - some of the stones I saw in the shop windows since my recent AGS0 purchase are absolutely appalling, milky white with barely any sparkle, and for lots of money!

 

[metatrix]

Yeah....don't go to a mall jeweller. Go to an independent jeweller.

 

[optimizedlife]

Not buying 'quite' yet, but as a test to make sure my filtering is on....this looks like what I'd buy right now, it's not from JA which makes it a bit more awkward, but..

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3043082.htm

HCA 1.2, and affordable.

Does anyone see any reason why I would pass this one over?

 

[Lorelei]

Not buying 'quite' yet, but as a test to make sure my filtering is on....this looks like what I'd buy right now, it's not from JA which makes it a bit more awkward, but..

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3043082.htm

HCA 1.2, and affordable.

Does anyone see any reason why I would pass this one over?

Not I, it's a fabulous diamond!

 

[msop04]

msop: How about H in a setting that shows the entire diamond from the side? H appears to be a fairly substantial drop in price from G. ie. on the order of $1.5-3k for a 1.5cw from eyeballing it.

Sorry, OP... I just saw this. IMO, an H is white from the side with no worries.

 

[msop04]

Not buying 'quite' yet, but as a test to make sure my filtering is on....this looks like what I'd buy right now, it's not from JA which makes it a bit more awkward, but..

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3043082.htm

HCA 1.2, and affordable.

Does anyone see any reason why I would pass this one over?

Not I, it's a fabulous diamond!

+1 Really beautiful diamond! (just double check some I color stones to make sure about the tint from the side)

 

[chaser]

Hi OP,

I'm going through the same thing as you right now with a lot of similar thoughts so I'll share my experiences so far. After searching for a while I've definitely found that some of my initial criteria have changed.

Inclusions that are visible would also drive me crazy, but it seems like SI1's can be more eye clean than some VS2s so consider that (it's more work for you, but it sounds like you're up for it). My girl is also kind of OCD about black specs in her diamonds and the inclusion plots on the certs can look scary, but sometimes they don't show on the actual diamond and sometimes after seeing the plot I see the spec >< so check both.

I was worried about going too low in color, but after seeing some diamonds in person I found that it's super hard for me to tell at H, but you know her best. Going up to a G seemed to really limit my choices a lot more.

As far as the branded H&A cuts that a lot of vendors have I noticed once I added that to my filters I was left with only a handful of stones so they do command a premium. That being said I found some non-branded ones that were also quite good. Just because the stone isn't marked as that vendor's H&A brand doesn't mean it won't have good H&As. The article on PS was pretty interesting and was useful for me to help me notice more things in some of the H&A images on sites. https://www.pricescope.com/journal/hearts_and_arrows_diamonds_and_basics_diamond_cutting

Good luck, I hope your search is fruitful

 

[msop04]

Hi OP,

I'm going through the same thing as you right now with a lot of similar thoughts so I'll share my experiences so far. After searching for a while I've definitely found that some of my initial criteria have changed.

Inclusions that are visible would also drive me crazy, but it seems like SI1's can be more eye clean than some VS2s so consider that (it's more work for you, but it sounds like you're up for it). My girl is also kind of OCD about black specs in her diamonds and the inclusion plots on the certs can look scary, but sometimes they don't show on the actual diamond and sometimes after seeing the plot I see the spec >< so check both.

I was worried about going too low in color, but after seeing some diamonds in person I found that it's super hard for me to tell at H, but you know her best. Going up to a G seemed to really limit my choices a lot more.

As far as the branded H&A cuts that a lot of vendors have I noticed once I added that to my filters I was left with only a handful of stones so they do command a premium. That being said I found some non-branded ones that were also quite good. Just because the stone isn't marked as that vendor's H&A brand doesn't mean it won't have good H&As. The article on PS was pretty interesting and was useful for me to help me notice more things in some of the H&A images on sites. https://www.pricescope.com/journal/hearts_and_arrows_diamonds_and_basics_diamond_cutting

Good luck, I hope your search is fruitful

Some very good "real world" advice, chaser

 

[optimizedlife]

Thanks Chaser! Good advice.

She's found some settings from Whiteflash she likes now, which makes going with WF for a diamond a possibility. Their ACA choices all seem to be pretty good...so that opens the field up. I don't necessarily mind paying the extra X% for someone vetting it via something like ACA...oh and I got her to go to Tiffany to see if she could tell the diff b/t G and I, apparently she believes she can, but says I is perfectly fine. I'd still try to go G or H if it's in budget but going I opens up the number of eligible ACAs significantly.

 

[Lorelei]

Hi OP,

I'm going through the same thing as you right now with a lot of similar thoughts so I'll share my experiences so far. After searching for a while I've definitely found that some of my initial criteria have changed.

Inclusions that are visible would also drive me crazy, but it seems like SI1's can be more eye clean than some VS2s so consider that (it's more work for you, but it sounds like you're up for it). My girl is also kind of OCD about black specs in her diamonds and the inclusion plots on the certs can look scary, but sometimes they don't show on the actual diamond and sometimes after seeing the plot I see the spec >< so check both.

I was worried about going too low in color, but after seeing some diamonds in person I found that it's super hard for me to tell at H, but you know her best. Going up to a G seemed to really limit my choices a lot more.

As far as the branded H&A cuts that a lot of vendors have I noticed once I added that to my filters I was left with only a handful of stones so they do command a premium. That being said I found some non-branded ones that were also quite good. Just because the stone isn't marked as that vendor's H&A brand doesn't mean it won't have good H&As. The article on PS was pretty interesting and was useful for me to help me notice more things in some of the H&A images on sites. https://www.pricescope.com/journal/hearts_and_arrows_diamonds_and_basics_diamond_cutting

Good luck, I hope your search is fruitful

Some very good "real world" advice, chaser

Definitely, that's a really great post!!

 

[optimizedlife]

So with an HCA of 1.9, I wouldn't need to be concerned about this one? The size increase certainly excites her If it's eye clean, which they say it is...that's an interesting target. It's not ACA, Expert Selection....but what I take from the above suggestions that's still perfectly valid to try to target for something with max fire/brilliance/scintillation at maybe a bit lower price point that can then be put into size.

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3045759.htm#

 

[chaser]

It's an AGS0 so HCA of 1.9 should be pretty good and worth considering. Glad to hear she's excited about the bump up in size. It's what you get for tuning the other specs

The folks at WF have been friendly and helpful to me so far. You might want to ask them to suggest some other stones within your budget worth considering that you might have missed.