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Down to two stones, need the diamond Guru''s opinion!!!!

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joey_ca_80

Rough_Rock
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Please help me choose between:

Stone #1:

GIA certified, round shape
2.01 carrat, H, SI2, cut (Excellent)
polish and symmetry : excellent
Fluorescence: strong blue
Table: 57%, Depth: 62.3%, crown angle: 35.5, Pavilion angle: 41.2
Holloway Cut Adviser: 4.5
Vendor said it''s eye clean. but can''t provide an IS image. He''s willng to have it shipped to an appraisal

Stone #2:

GIA certified, round shape
2.08 carrat, F, SI2, cut (Very good)
polish and symmetry : Very good
Fluorescence: strong blue
Table: 58%, Depth: 61.8%, crown angle: 32.0 , Pavilion angle: 41.2
Holloway Cut Adviser: 2.7
Vendor said it''s eye clean and also can''t provide an IS image.
I''m worried about the fact that the color is F and the fluorescence is strong blue, will the stone look hazy or blue?


What is a good deal for each of these stones?

Thanks a bunch.
 
Date: 8/21/2009 11:43:32 PM
Author:joey_ca_80
Please help me choose between:

Stone #1:

GIA certified, round shape
2.01 carrat, H, SI2, cut (Excellent)
polish and symmetry : excellent
Fluorescence: strong blue
Table: 57%, Depth: 62.3%, crown angle: 35.5, Pavilion angle: 41.2
Holloway Cut Adviser: 4.5
Vendor said it''s eye clean. but can''t provide an IS image. He''s willng to have it shipped to an appraisal

Stone #2:

GIA certified, round shape
2.08 carrat, F, SI2, cut (Very good)
polish and symmetry : Very good
Fluorescence: strong blue
Table: 58%, Depth: 61.8%, crown angle: 32.0 , Pavilion angle: 41.2
Holloway Cut Adviser: 2.7
Vendor said it''s eye clean and also can''t provide an IS image.
I''m worried about the fact that the color is F and the fluorescence is strong blue, will the stone look hazy or blue?


What is a good deal for each of these stones?

Thanks a bunch.
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Hi Joey

The first is a steep deep with the angles, pass on that one as light leakage is often a problem with these.

The second is better but no way to tell much without an Idealscope image. As for the SB fluorescence it is rare it is an issue but best to ask the vendor or an appraiser to inspect the diamond for you.
 
#2 gets my vote if that is all the info I have to go with.
 
What is a good deal for each of these stones?
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No matter what the price, no diamond is a good deal if it doesn''t sparkle and perform.

Personally, I wouldn''t get either one. There are too many well cut diamonds out there to gamble on ones that aren''t--like the one Ellen linked from JA.

Just my two cents.
 
Date: 8/22/2009 7:49:39 AM
Author: jet2ks
What is a good deal for each of these stones?
Click to expand...

No matter what the price, no diamond is a good deal if it doesn''t sparkle and perform.


Personally, I wouldn''t get either one. There are too many well cut diamonds out there to gamble on ones that aren''t--like the one Ellen linked from JA.


Just my two cents.
Click to expand...

Ditto. I was following your previous thread, so I was surprised to see this thread - the stone Ellen linked above is much nicer than the two you listed.

Has your budget changed? Did you decide to buy local instead of online?
 
Hey guys,

Thanks for the great comments. My budget hasn''t changed, in fact the two stones I listed are $1000 more than my budget of $10000. I was going for the stone that Ellen pointed out but then i was told by the local jeweler that I should not go for anything under an H color because the stone would have a yellow tinge. What do you guys think? I''m still open to ideas. I thought Stone #2 is great because it is an F SI2 and it''s eye clean. I''m a bit confused now, please enlight me of what I should do

Thanks
 
Date: 8/22/2009 11:57:09 AM
Author: joey_ca_80
Hey guys,

Thanks for the great comments. My budget hasn''t changed, in fact the two stones I listed are $1000 more than my budget of $10000. I was going for the stone that Ellen pointed out but then i was told by the local jeweler that I should not go for anything under an H color because the stone would have a yellow tinge. What do you guys think? I''m still open to ideas. I thought Stone #2 is great because it is an F SI2 and it''s eye clean. I''m a bit confused now, please enlight me of what I should do

Thanks
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No, not if it''s well cut. Cut is key joey. I tell you what, that H up there would most likely show more warmth than a well cut I. Because it''s not cut well, it''s steep/deep, which traps color.
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As I said before, in a well cut stone, the differences are like white to winter white/light cream. They won''t look "yellow".

And cut doesn''t just affect the warmth of a stone, it has everything to do with how a stone sparkles, as jet mentioned. A so so cut stone is going to look just like that, so so. If it''s a 2 ct., it will look big, but it won''t do much. A diamond is supposed to sparkle, but if it''s not cut at least decent, it''s not going to. You upped your budget, to get to that 2 ct. size, but the only reason they cost what they do (besides the clarity helping), is because they aren''t cut well. The crown and pavilion angles are really important to the diamonds light return/sparkle. Neither of those are that great. (good cut costs)

Remember the J thread? Did "they" look "yellow"? What you need to do is get in a store and look at some well cut diamonds. Try to find someone who sells Hearts on Fire, or at least carries AGS0 diamonds. Look at then by a window, in natural light, one at a time. See what you can or can''t see, that''s the only way to really know what they look like. But they have to be well cut, or they may indeed look yellow.
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Just to give you an idea of really good cut and what it costs, here''s a 2 ct. H SI2, see the price difference, there''s a reason for that.
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http://goodoldgold.com/diamond/5752/
 
Thanks Ellen, your reply was very helpful. Do you think I could rely on the Holloway cut adviser because the stone from JA that you recommended scored 1.9 as opposed to 2.7 and 4.5 with the other two stones. Do you think for my budget I could get a 2 carrat stone with better specs if it was a princess cut? Otherwise, do you believe that JA J SI2 stone is the best one on the market for my budget

Thanks a bunch,
Joey
 
Date: 8/22/2009 4:23:35 PM
Author: joey_ca_80
Thanks Ellen, your reply was very helpful. Do you think I could rely on the Holloway cut adviser because the stone from JA that you recommended scored 1.9 as opposed to 2.7 and 4.5 with the other two stones. Do you think for my budget I could get a 2 carrat stone with better specs if it was a princess cut? Otherwise, do you believe that JA J SI2 stone is the best one on the market for my budget

Thanks a bunch,
Joey
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You''re welcome joey, glad I could help.

I''m not sure which diamond you are referring to here (unless it was a typo). The one I posted in here, from the other thread, is the 2.02 J SI1. And yes, that one has more potential than the the two you started this thread with. And yes, the HCA score is also letting you know that. As far as round vs. princess, unless you know your girl specifically wants a princess, I would not go that way, and as I mentioned before, a 2 ct. princess will look smaller than a 2 ct. round.

I would call JA on Monday and ask about the diamond I linked in here. Ask them if it''s eyeclean first, then ask if the fluorescence is making it hazy or oily looking. If it''s eyeclean and not affected by the flo, then ask them for an Idealscope picture and post it in here and we''ll take a look at it for you.
 
i love when people come back to pricescope and repeat what the dealer tells them.. always makes me chuckle i suppose. Just doing their job i suppose.

If color is a doubt in your mind, i will find the video from goodoldgold that compares D- all the way down to M. To be honest, unless you are color sensitive... I thought the lower color diamonds looked beautiful as well. It almost came down to a personal preference.

As stated above a few times: Cut is everything!
 
Thanks again guys, sorry for the late reply I was on a short vacation. I contacted JA and I''m still waiting for the 2 carrat J SI1 IS image. After talking to my gf, I''m worried that 2 carrat maybe a bit too big for her. Her finger width is 6.0. Is there perhaps a 1.5 carrat that you guys would recommend. Is $8000 a good budget for a nice 1.5 carrat stone. COuld you please let me know any options (1.5 carrat stones) that are out there

Thanks a bunch!!!!
 
Date: 8/28/2009 7:24:01 PM
Author: joey_ca_80
Thanks again guys, sorry for the late reply I was on a short vacation. I contacted JA and I''m still waiting for the 2 carrat J SI1 IS image. After talking to my gf, I''m worried that 2 carrat maybe a bit too big for her. Her finger width is 6.0. Is there perhaps a 1.5 carrat that you guys would recommend. Is $8000 a good budget for a nice 1.5 carrat stone. COuld you please let me know any options (1.5 carrat stones) that are out there

Thanks a bunch!!!!
Click to expand...
I''m a size 6 - 6.25 and believe me, 2 carats won''t be too big...I promise!
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Here''s a 1.74 on my size 6ish finger...lotsa finger room left over, see?

JM 050 small.JPG
 
Yeah I guess. Nice ring, what''s the specs of that ring? I like the color
 
That ring sound good but it has a HCA of 2.8.
 
Could be good if the rounding of the numbers are favorable.

I am looking for some others.
 
Joey,

You have gotten a LOT of GREAT advice.

And believe me, I am a shameless size girl!
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I wanted as BIG a stone as possible, but I wasn''t willing to sacrifice beauty just to get SIZE.

My stone is an AGS-0, 2.36 H&A RB. Here is a link, with LOTS of pictures:
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/finally-gorgeous-new-fishtail-pave-set-from-wf.46129/

I love my J stone, it faces up beautifully white. And an eyeclean SI stone (especially SI2s) really lets you maximize the budget.

And in today''s world, for most of us, a budget is a reality. I was able to get the most bang for the buck by carefully choosing a killer cut stone, in a "lower" color and clarity.

And um... the diamond is gorgeous, no?
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I really like your ring, it looks quite white for a J color. I am also looking to have the stone placed on a similar setting. The stone that was recommended to me above:

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/J-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1248057.asp

Do you thing that will look white like yours? I already asked for the IS image, is there anything else i could as JA to make sure it does no reflect any yellowish tinge?
Do you think the fact that it has a strong blue fluorescense is a good thing in this case because it will make it look more like an H color?

Thanks,
Joe
 
Date: 8/29/2009 2:40:03 AM
Author: joey_ca_80


I really like your ring, it looks quite white for a J color. I am also looking to have the stone placed on a similar setting. The stone that was recommended to me above:

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/J-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1248057.asp

Do you thing that will look white like yours? I already asked for the IS image, is there anything else i could as JA to make sure it does no reflect any yellowish tinge?
Do you think the fact that it has a strong blue fluorescense is a good thing in this case because it will make it look more like an H color?

Thanks,
Joe
Click to expand...

The diamond looks good, an IS image will tell us more. With the strong blue fluorescence I don't know if it would make the diamond look like an H as such but it might help it face up a little whiter in some lights, ask for JA's gemologist Julianna to tell you how the colour shows itself and whether it shows any cloudiness from the strong fluorescence ( rare but prudent to check).
 
Date: 8/29/2009 2:40:03 AM
Author: joey_ca_80


I really like your ring, it looks quite white for a J color. I am also looking to have the stone placed on a similar setting. The stone that was recommended to me above:

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/J-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1248057.asp

Do you thing that will look white like yours? I already asked for the IS image, is there anything else i could as JA to make sure it does no reflect any yellowish tinge?
Do you think the fact that it has a strong blue fluorescense is a good thing in this case because it will make it look more like an H color?

Thanks,
Joe
Click to expand...
Joe,

Lorelei said just what I would have said. Personally, I LOVE the ideo of fluoro, wish my stone had it. Not because I wish my diamond looked whiter, but because I just think fluoro is very cool!

Like Lorelei also said, SOMETIMES fluoro (usually strong fluoro) can make a diamond appear milky or oily. That''s rare, but it can happen. If the fluoro in your diamond doesn''t do that (and it probably doesn''t!), then you have no worries. That phenomenon cannot develop down the road! (We had a newbie ask that once.)

Something to mention... you seem nervous about diamond color, and believe me, I understand!!! I was nervous buying my first stone, too... so I went very *safe* and bought a beautiful, AGS-0 1.53 G/VS diamond. Totally white, totally eyeclean [even under the loupe], totally beautiful. But (and anyone who''s been around here awhile will know this story!) -- the darn thing just kept shrinking in front of my eyes!
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I knew I wanted bigger, over 2 carats, but that darn budget again! Meanwhile I hung around here, and started seeing all these KILLER "lower color" stones... and all these KILLER eyeclean SI stones... and I realized that all I wanted was a big, bright, beautiful diamond that is *not yellow* and eyeclean. I realized that I didn''t care what the plotting map looked like... or what the stone looked like under high magnification... or how it looked unset, upside down against a white background next to a "D"... so I started looking again, and upgraded to what I have now several years ago. I still aspire to a 3.5+ ''er one day... but *sigh*... I still deal with the dreaded 6 letter word (BUDGET!)...

Anyway, my point is this. Don''t think of lower color and clarity stones as "sacrificing", or "compromising"... so much as CHOOSING. By carefully choosing a beautiful, well-cut stone in a lower color/clarity range, you can maximize sparkle and end up with a ring that will blow her away!

And oh, one more fun factoid... our vendors have told us multiple times that when they put out several diamonds (of varying colors) to prospective customers, without telling them at first "which is which", that MANY TIMES the customers choose the lower color stone as their favorite, and are quite surprised to learn that, once they are told. I think that is sooo interesting!
 
Date: 8/28/2009 7:24:01 PM
Author: joey_ca_80
Thanks again guys, sorry for the late reply I was on a short vacation. I contacted JA and I''m still waiting for the 2 carrat J SI1 IS image. After talking to my gf, I''m worried that 2 carrat maybe a bit too big for her. Her finger width is 6.0. Is there perhaps a 1.5 carrat that you guys would recommend. Is $8000 a good budget for a nice 1.5 carrat stone. COuld you please let me know any options (1.5 carrat stones) that are out there

Thanks a bunch!!!!
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Did she say something specifically that makes you think this? If so, I would adhere to a smaller size. Not every gal wants as big as possible, I''m one of them. Granted, we''re a rather small bunch, but we do exist.
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So in case you decide to go smaller, here''s one you might enquire about. Of course need an IS and check if eyeclean.

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/J-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1246378.asp
 
Thanks guys. Ellen, you always show me good option of stones. To answer your question, we went to a diamond store to shop for a gift to a mutual friend and we saw one of those posters that shows the actual sizes of stones in mm with a diagram, and she was like the two carrat was way too big to wear everyday so I wasn''t sure, because when you actually see a 2 carrat stone, it actually looks much nicer than looking at a drawing so I still think she would like a 2 carrat :). I was doing a small search and came across that:

http://www.abazias.com/builder/builder.asp?view=diamondsearch&flag=ps&selectedDiamond=67012213

What do you guys think, which one would you recommend between that and the one the Ellen recommended just above

Thanks again, you guys are awesome.
 
Date: 8/29/2009 12:58:25 PM
Author: joey_ca_80
Thanks guys. Ellen, you always show me good option of stones. To answer your question, we went to a diamond store to shop for a gift to a mutual friend and we saw one of those posters that shows the actual sizes of stones in mm with a diagram, and she was like the two carrat was way too big to wear everyday so I wasn't sure, because when you actually see a 2 carrat stone, it actually looks much nicer than looking at a drawing so I still think she would like a 2 carrat :). I was doing a small search and came across that:

http://www.abazias.com/builder/builder.asp?view=diamondsearch&flag=ps&selectedDiamond=67012213

What do you guys think, which one would you recommend between that and the one the Ellen recommended just above

Thanks again, you guys are awesome.
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While I agree that a real diamond looks nicer than a picture, a 2 ct. ring will be big, and showy. So just make sure you know whether it would bother her or not.
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The Abazias stone has potential, but I'd definitely want an IS, as the PA is at a critical spot. The last I heard, they didn't provide those, but things could have changed. You could give them a call.

And you're welcome!
 
I contacted Abazias, and they don''t provide IS images. Do you think it would be safe to purchase it without an IS image. I asked them to ckeck if it''s cloudy given its strong blue fluorescence. They don''t do upgrades if she later decides that she would want a bigger stone. Which store has the best upgrade policy and that is reliable? Which stone would you think is more worth it between J S1 and the abazias stone above

Thanks
 
Date: 8/29/2009 5:34:02 PM
Author: joey_ca_80

I contacted Abazias, and they don''t provide IS images. Do you think it would be safe to purchase it without an IS image. I asked them to ckeck if it''s cloudy given its strong blue fluorescence. They don''t do upgrades if she later decides that she would want a bigger stone. Which store has the best upgrade policy and that is reliable? Which stone would you think is more worth it between J S1 and the abazias stone above

Thanks
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joey, the pavilion angle (on Abazias stone) is at a point where there could be light leakage. Without an IS, there is no way to know. That, coupled with no upgrade policy, would rule Abazias out for me. You''re spending a lot of money, you should have total peace of mind, Abazias can''t give you that. Therefore, I''d say go with JA. However, that being said, JA''s upgrade policy is not as lenient as many other vendors. A stone in the future has to be twice the amount intially spent.

If upgrading is a real possibilty, you might want to go with a vendor who has a more lenient policy, just a thought.
 
Joe,

Have you looked at Whiteflash? Good Old Gold? Brian Gavin Diamonds? Winks?

I dunno... IS and ASET images are important to me. Lenient trade-up policies are important to me. Feeling 100% comfortable with the vendor I am making a HUGE commitment with is important to me.

I LIKE JA, and think they do a great job... but honestly, their trade-up policy kinda leaves me a little less than enthused. And NO trade up policy at Abazias is absolutely a no brainer to me.

Honestly, and IMHO - there are just too many excellent, reputable, easy-to-work-with other vendors with KILLER stones... why settle for less?
 
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