Does Color Matter Over Cut !!!

[Gina143]

I will be spending a considerable amount of money on a diamond. One the most important things to me is to purchase a true heirloom, something that is rare and unique. I have located a 3.3 Carat H VS1 Round diamond that has a triple excellent report with no leakage, should I buy this diamond or wait to find a 3.0 F VS2 with a triple excellant report as the diamond above. Which of the 2 diamonds would be more rarer and the better choice selection? My girlfriend is upset because she has been waiting for months and I mean months for my jeweler to find the perfect stone, and now I am confused because the jeweler put the H stone through the machine and the cut is literally perfect the diamond is worth about 52,000, but Im stuck b/c it is an H and Im am unsure if I should to continue looking for an F or a D, If I buy a better color I have to downsize the carat to 3 because they can get very expensive. I am torn dont know what to do? Please help!!! Should I get the H or wait for a better color, unsure if there is a difference between H or D, F,G.

 

[belle]

cut is absolutely the most important IF YOU WANT MORE SPARKLE. if you just want the biggest size...nothing else matters but the size. if you just want the best color, nothing matters but the color. if you want all of the above and you are on a budget, you are going to have to figure out what is most important to you and make some sacrifices elsewhere. you need to see as many diamonds as possible so that you can compare the differences. they don''t all have to be in the exact size that you want, just make sure you are seeing well cut stones with varying characteristics so that you can appreciate the differences between them.

 

[hlmr]

Your diamond sounds wonderful and I don''t think you need be concerned about the H colour. I have an H ideal cut and I would never compromise on the cut for a better colour.

Have you seen this diamond in person yet? The cut is definitely the most important factor and will mask colour that a lesser-cut diamond will not.

As for waiting for a perfect 3 carat D, E or F - well that may be quite a long wait. From what I understand it is increasingly difficult to find ideal cut diamonds in larger carat sizes these days.

Good luck and don''t forget to come back and post pix for us!

(off topic - Brownie sends belle a special good morning)

 

[dbgaap]

I agree with HLMR

Rarity will indeed increase the wait time.
After all the definition of rarity is that ... IT IS RARE.
There aren't alot around.

Your GF might throttle you! Is it worth it?

Honestly, I bet that H is one amazing stone.

You will be weighing the GF's frustration against your idea of rarity.
I'd probably give the girl her ring!!!

 

[valeria101]

So... what are you looking for in terms of cut? There was the old AGS0 ideal, then new, and now GIA's, HCA and H&A and then each show has their own opinion on what is deemed OK to be branded at one of another stake in the ground for super-duper-ideal-cut-quality. Do you think the change of standards will slow down or keep going ?

Anyway, I am not saying 'color over cut' as a rule of thumb. You are obviously looking for a fine rock and there ought to be some balance of its qualities in the end. If you were willing to take a second guess about color, cut is no different (even if the only 'man made' C).

Just an opinion.

... 'zero leakage' depends on who and how defines and measures it. Gimme a break!

(and perhaps a bit of leakage in the process).



There might be another thing making you wait: ideal cuts don't come as much in the price bracket you are looking at. Someone, somewhere might be contemplating a perfectly healthy 3.5cts F/G/VS round wondering whether you (or someone else) might really want a 3 carat H&A instead. And who knows, the same might have happened with the H you are being offered and must go too. The question might not be that worthless after all .
I am not an expert at all.

How hard would it be to compare the current H with a decent-but-not-H&A-graded-by-machine thing of higher color? A fair comparison, I would think. In the end, it must be easier to choose color over cut or the other way around if you see what you are getting and what you are missing.

My 2c

 

[Diam100]

Well if your girlfriend likes the H & does not see any warmth in the stone than by all means go for it. However, if it were me I would wait it out for the 3ct FVS2 but I''m a color snob so take my opinion with a grain of salt. It''s more a question of what your girlfriend prefers & sounds like she''s a potential powder keg (lol).

Finding a diamond in that size will be a wait or you could just get lucky because new stones get graded all the time.

 

[valeria101]

Date: 4/25/2006 10:16:37 AM
Author:Gina143

the diamond is worth about 52,000, but Im stuck b/c it is an H .

2.64 D/VS2, GIA Ex-Ex, HCA 1.2 ... 45k

A search for

"Round shape, 3–3.3 cts, D–E color, VS1–SI1 clarity, 59–62% depth, 53–60% table, $100–53000, GIA and AGS certified" returned 104 hits (could the demand be also that much more rare that these 50k baubles?). Some Ex-Ex... most don''t have reports listed. D-F/SI1 sounds terribly tempting. So does something a hair below 3 cts. I surely didn''t look for everything.


If you didn''t want this tomorrow... perhaps a worthy contender might just turn up. If really ISe22 9.7 is Butt Ugly versus 9.8 .. or somehting of the like. Well, then you would know for sure cut is worth an arm and a leg.

Even if the trial is not costless, looking at the gap between H and D/VS prices around 3 cts, it may be worth taking a step back.

 

[FireGoddess]

Well, to answer the question in the title, I''m a color fiend, but I still think cut matters first. You could have a beautiful D that doesn''t sparkle for nothin because it isn''t cut well.

Having said that, you mention that the cut is the same on these stones, but the size and color are what concern you at the moment. There will be a visible difference between an H and a D, but does that mean you should necessarily wait for a D in all the specs you want (and at that size)? Not necessarily. I think both of your options, the H and the F, are viable ones. Perhaps it''s time to ask her if she''d rather have the F or a slightly bigger H.

 

[Gonzodogg]

Have you seen the H? Have you seen any ideal cut H or ideal cut F? I think you are the only person who can answer your questions. You are doing the right thing by sticking with super ideal cut stones but the question of droping in size to get a better color is completely a matter of personal preference. I personally think H is a great color and would stick with the stone you have - but that is me. If I were in your shoes, I would go to your jewler and ask to see two ideal cut stones, one H and one F color (tell him not to tell you which is which first) and then decide which color tone you prefer.

good luck

 

[Mara]

gonzo is correct in that it''s a total personal thing. have you compared an F to an H visually yourself? not necessarily unset but set into a ring so you can see typical wear.

rarity is a huge thing here, stones over 3c are going to be super hard to find as you already know, throw ''ideal cut'' into the mix and it''s even harder. we have only seen a small handful on PS vendors site in the last year or so.

personally i think H is a great sweet spot for a 3.3c stone or similar. Kristy Darling has a 3.5c H and it looks great in all the photos she has posted, maybe she can chime in re: color in that kind of a large stone.

there is a difference between D and F or D and H or F and H because otherwise there would not be color grades. but visually your eye may not pick up the tiny differences between the stones, especially when the stone is set. i had a G and then an H and then a J and really only the J makes some difference visually and even then it''s so slight it''s hard to pick up. my husband has a small E and he says he can''t see a diff between his E and my J. part of it is what people are looking for IMO.

anyway personally if the H is well-cut or ideal, i say go for it !!! cut is going to be what makes the stone...if you got a less ideal F it may show the same color visually to you as an ideal G, or something similar and then what''s the point of waiting to be unsure about the outcome.

a bird in the hand!

 

[orange_horse_fiance]

You sound to be in asimilar sitution my husband was in over a year ago. It killed him to consider a G and especially an H, but seeing was believing and our stone was so beautiful and lacked any warmth or yellow to it that we had no problem justifying the color with the other outstanding aspects of the stone.

It will have to come down to your choice as others have said, but are you sure you culd tell the difference enough to make your girl wait any longer and prolong the process of finding the right stone, not to mention the increase price of sticking with the same carat weight and cut quality?????

Good Luck it is a major investment!!

 

[Gina143]

In response to everyones question, I have seen the H and it is amazing, the shine and the way its cut is out of this world. The jeweler did have the better colors for me to compare them to and he mixed the diamonds around and my eye always caught the H we even asked girls in the store and they all pointed to the H not knowing the specs, over the F and the D. The jeweler told me the better color stones did not have the perfect cut of the H, he put all 3 diamonds in the machine and the D and the F have spots but the H was all RED no spots whats so ever it was a perfect CUT, but like I said its the color tha bothers me. He is searching for a better color w/ the same cut, if he does not find the same cut Im going to go for the H, but I feel bad because then I feel like its not a a grat STone. My brother got his fiance a 3.5 emerald the cut is Very Good and the color is E VS1, so I feel like I am not doing the same quality for my girlfriend. We went into Harry winston and they dont even carry H, so I mean it does mean something that the round is an H. The jeweler told me Harry Winston wish they had the cuts my diamonds have. But I guess I have to wait it out some more to see the other options, but thanks for all the great responses

 

[valeria101]

Sounds like you know very well what you are after - wish I knew what the mysterious cut grading machine was!... and how did the cut of the competing options looked like. Impossible... I know

There must have been quite some difference of cut corresponding to your description, but what? And prices are not all that consistent either for me to guess that way.

On the other hand, if you do not intend to look for options elsewhere... it makes little sense to find out what to look for beyond listening to the one seller who obviously must know perfectly well what you want by now. Great thing, I''d guess.

 

[Rod]

Hi..........Don''t let your mind "cloud" your perception. You''ve seen that stone. You''ve seen how it performed against other stones whose color''s were lower. You''ve seen that that stone was prettier in all regards. Don''t let a piece of paper and a "letter" get in the way of a wonderfully cut stone that is likely magnificent.

Just my .02............

 

[valeria101]

Am I dreaming or does the 52k budget accomodate higher color & ideal cut anyway?

 

[windowshopper]

Date: 4/25/2006 10:47:42 AM
Author: dbgaap
I agree with HLMR

Rarity will indeed increase the wait time.
After all the definition of rarity is that ... IT IS RARE.
There aren''t alot around.

Your GF might throttle you! Is it worth it?

Honestly, I bet that H is one amazing stone.

You will be weighing the GF''s frustration against your idea of rarity.
I''d probably give the girl her ring!!!

i would say to buy it. it sounds tremendous and those of us who have bought 1 or more diamonds recognize that a magnificently cut H trumps a D any day. AND if you had a D and H of equivalent cut-I think most of us would say buy the H---its simply not worth the money and not noticeable on a day to day wearing it and living it basis.....................

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 4/25/2006 2:06:41 PM
Author: valeria101
Am I dreaming or does the 52k budget accomodate higher color & ideal cut anyway?

i think

a well cut H&A 3.3ct H VS1 (if graded by AGS or GIA) at $15,750 per ct sounds reasonable in today''s market.