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Did I make a mistake?

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studrew

Rough_Rock
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Hi all,

I''ve been self-educating for a month now. Pulled the trigger a week ago and got it today from Mondera today... Just found this site today
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Did I make a mistake in purchasing this diamond? (info is attached)
Apprec any opinions... Thanks...

Studrew

15848_1.JPG
 

starryeyed

Ideal_Rock
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Hi Studrew and WELCOME to Pricescope!
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Ummm, have you used the Holloway Cut Advisor (HCA) tool? Ummmm, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this stone isn't scoring very well - it's over 5 and in a blue area of the chart. If you got a phenomenal price on the stone, it may be ok.

My second thought is how eye-clean is the SI2?

Are you happy with the appearance of the diamond? It's definitely big. I'm not sure what you paid - maybe you got a good deal. If you feel you've made a mistake and want to return the stone, there are plenty of folks here eager to help you find another!
 

snlee

Ideal_Rock
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Date: 12/15/2006 10:06:54 PM
Author: starryeyed

Ummm, have you used the Holloway Cut Advisor (HCA) tool? Ummmm, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this stone isn't scoring very well - it's over 5 and in a blue area of the chart. If you got a phenomenal price on the stone, it may be ok.

My second thought is how eye-clean is the SI2?
Welcome to Pricescope, studrew! starryeyed brings up good points. From looking at the report you posted (is it GIA certified?), it doesn't look like the diamond would be eye clean.

How does the diamond look to you?
 

pyramid

Ideal_Rock
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The diamond could very well be eyeclean, the long lines are showing Twinning which is not always as visible as feathers are.
 

the other Jake

Shiny_Rock
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The cut is nothing to write home about... I would reconsider depending on the fees involved in sending the diamond back and the price paid for it. For most around here cut is the most important factor so many (myself included) would probably not have chosen this diamond based on that factor. It is a personal decision and you must decide what is important to you. A well cut stone will have much more sparkle and life, but that is quite a large hunk of rock and if thats what you wanted you definately got it.
 

phoenixgirl

Ideal_Rock
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Hello,

I''d look into exchanging/returning the stone. I found this 1.53 H SI1 stone on Mondera. It is also a GIA rated very good cut, but it rates a 1.2 on the HCA *and* spreads nearly as large as the 1.70 carat stone you bought.
 

studrew

Rough_Rock
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Thanks for responses everyone. It is clean to the eye. The cert is GIA. I did notice that it did not sparkle as much as other diamonds I have seen. I thought it was the lighting... doh. I pretty much bought it based on the cert. Only today did I learn about all the other measurements (table, depth, etc)...

The cost was 8100 for the diamond itself. I took my girlfriend to look at diamonds a few weeks back and she could not tell any difference between D or I color, IF to I. All she really saw was bigger or smaller.

Sounds like everyone here thinks I could have done better... is that correct?
 

the other Jake

Shiny_Rock
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You definately didn''t get ripped off... but if you want something with a little more sparkle and fire maybe you should reconsider. You only get to do this once (hopefully) so make sure you are 100% satisfied and happy with it. It''s easy to fix now, but if you decide to later- it may be much more costly.
 

RockDoc

Ideal_Rock
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From the graphic you posted, the pavilion looks a bit deep and the lower girdle facet lengths a bit long.

I am curious as to why that wasn''t reported on the GIA graphic, as this usually is.

You might want to consider having it checked by an independent appraiser.

Rockdoc
 

the other Jake

Shiny_Rock
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Date: 12/15/2006 11:50:13 PM
Author: phoenixgirl
Hello,

I''d look into exchanging/returning the stone. I found this 1.53 H SI1 stone on Mondera. It is also a GIA rated very good cut, but it rates a 1.2 on the HCA *and* spreads nearly as large as the 1.70 carat stone you bought.
Where did you find the info to calc the HCA? I didn''t see any info about the crown or pavillion on the cert.
 

RockDoc

Ideal_Rock
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It's there, Jake


It's in the lowest graphic on his post..... the crown height is inside the diamond - the degree measurement is to the right of it. Same for the pavilion.

The lower girdle facet length is very long 85%

But then all the measurements from GIA are averaged and then rounded up, so who knows how accurate the "numbers" are?


Rockdoc
 

the other Jake

Shiny_Rock
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Oh no, I could calc it for his stone. Phoenixgirl posted that 1.53 H with an HCA of 1.2. I didn''t see all the info for that one on the cert.
 

studrew

Rough_Rock
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ergggg... I wish I found this site a couple weeks ago. I orginally thought I found a deal since other similar diamonds were going for 9-10k at blue nile and mondera. Figured this was discounted cause of the strong fluorescent. Never would have guessed that cuts of the same grade could be so different. How is the regular joe supposed to know?
 

Lorelei

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Studrew, welcome to PS
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This probably isn't the best performing diamond looking at the proportions, but you are the one in possession of it, only you can tell if it is what you anticipated. If not, you will be able to return it as you have only had it a week, and all the info you need is here on this site to teach you about cut, which is the most important part of a diamond's beauty. We can help you too if you wish by finding contenders which have a great cut. You don't necessarily have to have a Superideal to have a good performance, but one which falls between certain proportions can look terrific and we can help with this too.

Most of the regular Joe's DON'T know the difference that cut makes, that is why you can get several steps ahead to get a sock exploding diamond with this site's help! It is up to you, but I would return this diamond while you still can and look for a better cut, unless you look at this one and it makes your heart sing. Numbers aren't always everything, but with online purchasing we need them to get a reasonable idea in rounds. However it can be a case of you have found a clean SI2 which can be more difficult in the larger sizes, so it might take a while to find another one, SI2 clarities are not created equal.
 

Regular Guy

Ideal_Rock
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Date: 12/16/2006 12:30:34 AM
Author: studrew
Thanks for responses everyone. It is clean to the eye. The cert is GIA. I did notice that it did not sparkle as much as other diamonds I have seen. I thought it was the lighting... doh. I pretty much bought it based on the cert. Only today did I learn about all the other measurements (table, depth, etc)...
If you're within your return period, it wouldn't be crazy to review further, but I"m not an expert.



The cost was 8100 for the diamond itself. I took my girlfriend to look at diamonds a few weeks back and she could not tell any difference between D or I color, IF to I. All she really saw was bigger or smaller.
Can't help but thinking this matches well on to James Allen's comments here.



Sounds like everyone here thinks I could have done better... is that correct?
Not Diamond Expert, apparently. Also, mistake is a strong word. It's hard to shop "relatively," but just because it's hard, doesn't mean it makes sense to consider them. In advance of the fact, and having the hindsight of the resources, you probably would have shopped differently. You're probably in a middle place now. You can go back, and perhaps largely without consequence. Consider your partner's feelings in going forward. She might or might not want to.

Best,
 

phoenixgirl

Ideal_Rock
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I think in every other aspect . . . color, clarity, size, price . . . you got a very nice stone. But the cut is a problem. It is very deep so it looks more like a 1.5 carat stone, and you yourself said it doesn''t sparkle like other stones.

I would definitely return it. If you still want to work with Mondera, you can calculate the HCA on their AGS stones and GIA stones with newer certs. I recently bought a pair of diamond stud earrings from them, and I used the HCA to guide me when buying stones that didn''t have traditional ideal cuts. I don''t think you have to buy an AGS0 stone or a hearts and arrows stone to get a great cut, but I do think your stone falls out of the category of a great cut regardless of your criteria.

Here are some other ideas of stones for comparison (if I''ve listed a lower price than the link, it''s because there''s a PS discount that you can ask about):

1.59 J SI1 1.0 on HCA for $7880 7.52*7.56 diameter
1.53 I SI2 1.0 on HCA for $8032 7.48*7.49 diameter
1.70 J SI2 1.8 on the HCA for $8210 7.6*7.65 diameter

Here''s another Mondera stone:
1.72 I SI2 1.6 on HCA for $9430 7.73*7.75 diameter

You can tell by how they''ve priced this stone that even though it only weighs a tad more than your stone and has a lower color, it''s considered more valuable than yours. If I were you, I''d worry more about the diameter and less about the weight and look for a new stone with more promising angles and a lower depth percentage. This 1.54 I SI2 gets a 1.7 on the HCA, costs less than your stone, and looks about as large.
 

the other Jake

Shiny_Rock
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Date: 12/16/2006 3:59:24 AM
Author: studrew
ergggg... I wish I found this site a couple weeks ago. I orginally thought I found a deal since other similar diamonds were going for 9-10k at blue nile and mondera. Figured this was discounted cause of the strong fluorescent. Never would have guessed that cuts of the same grade could be so different. How is the regular joe supposed to know?
Exactly... they don''t!
 

studrew

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 15, 2006
Messages
5
Ok, I am going to return it... I hope returns are as easy as they say it is.

I guess it back to square one again... I''ve figured out how to use the calculator now. Should I be looking for a value less then 2or 3? Is the I-J color really undetectable to the eye? I thought SI2 was supposted to be undetectable to the eye, but from reading other post, it sound like that is not generally the case...

If anyone is kind enough to direct me some diamond links, here is our criteria:
Under 10k but prefer a little less.
The most important attribute to her (by far) is... Size
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Needs to be undetectable to the untrained eye in color and clarity
Best cut without too much sacrifice of the above
 

sna77

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Nov 2, 2006
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1,350
The cost was 8100 for the diamond itself. I took my girlfriend to look at diamonds a few weeks back and she could not tell any difference between D or I color, IF to I. All she really saw was bigger or smaller.
Can''t help but thinking this matches well on to James Allen''s comments here.
I just read that...That is a fantastic post... Exactly why I am looking for a D-F, Ideal Cut SI1...
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Joined
Dec 16, 2006
Messages
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Hi Everyone,

First of all I am new to this so if I make a mistake I apologize in advance. I think I may have gotten taken advantage of on my wedding ring. Does anyone know the price difference between a .35 carat and .50 carat center round shape diamond. Let''s just assume they are good quality because I am not sure.
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the other Jake

Shiny_Rock
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A well cut I is perfectly acceptable for what you are looking for. I wanted a diamond that looked "perfect" to the average person. An I color is "warmer" but by no means is it yellow. It just is not as "icy" as say a D. You probably won''t even notice it unless its compared to a diamond that is several color grades higher and even then the difference will be subtle. Here are pics of my 1.146 I color SI1 A Cut Above from WF set in platinum...

TOJ-%20ACA%202.jpg
TOC%20ACA-%207.jpg
TOC%20ACA-%206.jpg







The diamond by itself-
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the other Jake

Shiny_Rock
Joined
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Messages
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Date: 12/16/2006 3:32:35 PM
Author: Nursewholovesdiamonds
Hi Everyone,

First of all I am new to this so if I make a mistake I apologize in advance. I think I may have gotten taken advantage of on my wedding ring. Does anyone know the price difference between a .35 carat and .50 carat center round shape diamond. Let''s just assume they are good quality because I am not sure.
29.gif
You should probably start a new topic rather then type in someone elses thread... thats not a big deal- just polite.

To answer your question:
Ideal .335 F SI 1- $659
Ideal .51 F SI 1- $1370
 

the other Jake

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Nov 9, 2006
Messages
423
1.57 H SI-2 - $9,987 bank wire price
1.53 I SI-2- $8,280 with price scope discount
1.523 H SI-2- $9,663 with price scope discount



I should note that the spread on these diamond is about the same as your original so it will look the same size as the one you have despite the lower carat weight. You should also call to see if they are eyeclean.
 

studrew

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 15, 2006
Messages
5
Thank you so much everyone! The information I''ve learned was invaluable in selecting my ''keeper'' ring. I returned the original and ended up with a 1.92, I color, SI2 from blue nile. They only rated it a ''very good'' cut, but when I used the cut adviser tool, it came out a 1.5. Now that I am in possession of it, it is MUCH more brilliant. It is clean from the top and the only inclusion I can see is a small white line on the pavilion about a millimeter in length that took me a while to find. The diameter is 8mm which makes it look larger. I am very happy with it. Could not have done it without the guidance from this thread... Thank you all once again...

Studrew
 

Lorelei

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Great news! Pics????
 
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