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Engagement Ring Search - Size vs Clarity/Color

D

dadiamond

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 6, 2017
Messages
7
Hello,

I am looking for a engagement ring for the girlfriend, but I am overwhelmed with all options available. I will be purchasing the ring from blueniles or jamesallen and we will be able to return the ring if she prefer something else. I have a budget around 17-20k. I am struggling with deciding between clarify, color, or size. I am looking for colorless range because she's sensitive to color. What's everyone opinion? Looking for female perspective.

First Diamond: 19k~
1.6, VVS2, F, Florescence None, Excellent Cut/Plish/Symmetry
Second Diamond: 19k~
1.8, VS2, F, Supposedly Eye Clean, Florescence None to Med, Excellent Cut/Plish/Symmetry

Third Diamond: 20k~
2.0, VS2, G, Supposedly Eye Clean, Florescence None to Med, Excellent Cut/Plish/Symmetry

Fourth Diamond: 21k~
2.0, SI1, F, Don't know if it's eye clean until I see it, Florescence None to Med, Excellent Cut/Plish/Symmetry
Fifth Diamond: 21k~
2.0, SI1, G, Don't know if it's eye clean until I see it, Florescence None to Med, Excellent Cut/Plish/Symmetry

I found these estimates on blue nile - I don't have any particular GIA certificate to refer to. Did anyone receive a high quality diamond, but prefer the bf/husband spent it for a larger size?

Thanks!
 
I'm on my 4th diamond and will say my tastes have changed over the years. For me, my priorities are:

ideal cut
carat weight - as big as budget can afford, lol
color - "I" or higher - it used to be "G" and then I got an "I" in a super-ideal cut and can't tell at all
clarity - eye-clean - I don't care if there's stuff I can't even see

I can't pick a diamond based from your list without seeing all the #s (table, depth, pavilion angle, crown angle) - can you post those so we can let you know which diamond to pursue? Cut is key around here ;)
 
I don't have any particular diamond selected. I been actively searching through blueniles and james allen. I created that list base on pricing for diamonds. I am looking for a excellent cut.
 
Hi Friend,

If you are someone who wants to make an intelligent purchase, then I recommend educating yourself. You can start by reading everything on the following websites under their education tabs. It is a lot of money you are spending and its easy to not get a great diamond.

https://www.whiteflash.com/about-diamonds/
https://www.hpdiamonds.com/en-us/education/education-everyone#

I am in the same boat with a similar budget and even though I have never though about jewelry until now, my diamond search has become a fun hobby bordering on an educational obsession.

Everyone has their own priorities but mine seem similar to yours. I am currently looking at

Carat: As big as I can go with the cash I am saving

Cut: Super-Ideal from Whiteflash (A Cut Above) or High Performance Diamonds (Crafted by Infinity). Cut is going to be the most important part of how it sparkles. GIA excellent is like every diamond out there. Means very little. AGS is a different lab and their Zero Cut grade actually means its sparkles a lot. The super-ideal cuts are even beyond that and will make the diamond appear larger and white when viewed from the top.

Color: G or H. Haven't decided if I need a G but I want it to look white from the side in Platinum. But I don't care what it looks like on a white piece paper loose. But its hard to know without being able to see it in person.

Clarity: probably eye-clean SI1. I'm considering SI2 but the magnified pics scare me a little.

Bottom line for me is I want to get something that will knock socks off without paying for what I can't see.

Searching on James Allen and Blue Nile is much more difficult to find a winner because you don't have access to the ASET scope and they don't use AGS lab a lot of the time. You end up having to feed numbers in the Holloway Cut adviser, but the catch is, those numbers are averages and there is nothing to control the variance of the angles. Some cutters save weight by cheating the numbers but hitting a good average number. WF and CBI do not do this.

Also a consideration is upgrade policy. Look into these.

The more I learned the more I figured out I didn't want to mess around with Blue Nile or James Allen
 
Neither of the two you posted are worth pursuing. These are measurements to help you stay in ideal cut territory with a GIA excellent cut stone.

table: 54-58 (I like 57 and under)
depth: 60-62.3
crown angle: 34-35.0 (up to 35.5 crown angle can sometimes work with a 40.6 pav angle)
pavilion angle: 40.6-40.9 (sometimes 41.0 if the crown angle is close to 34)

For color, if you don't know how color sensitive the wearer is, I personally stick with G/H (maybe I) in a ideal diamond and I (maybe J) in a super-ideal. I is when most can start to detect color looking at the side of the diamond. If you set the diamond in yellow or rose gold and or have a more decorative gallery that makes the side view harder, you can give yourself a bit of room in the color department. I personally trade down in size to keep in colors I prefer and avoiding and visible inclusions (mostly black ones) in the table.

If you don't work with metric much, go cut out a circle that is 8 mm in diameter. Keep in mind that that is the size of the stone your are looking at. So, the very blown up vies can be offputting. So, we'll give narrative.

#1. https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3568732.htm {this is a super-ideal, as mentioned by PP, and its the largest I can find under $20k. This is a great diamond with good performance. 8.35 mm)

#2. https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3833679.htm {This has better clarity than the one above and still wonderful performance. 8.24 mm}

#3. https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3872121.htm {nice H color in a super-ideal, 7.97 mm}

#4. https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...h-color-si1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-3298108 {the biggest non-super ideal I can find at 8.30 mm. No black inclusions, but there are some long crystals. Additional clouds need to be reviewed by a JA gemologist. This is eye clean enough for many and if it has a good idealscope image, would be worthy of pursing}

#5. https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...h-color-si1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-3703171 {This is a nice size and has nice numbers. There is a cluster of dark inclusions at
10 oclock that would be partially covered by a prong.}

#6. https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...arat-h-color-vs2-clarity-ideal-cut-sku-613043 {this photo does the diamond no favors. It has solid angles and good color and clarity. One small dark inclusion on the table-center which would be avoided by some}

Give us some initial feedback on these. If you like any from JA, you can put up to three on hold (free) and request an IS (idealscope) image. That's the image under the WF diamond that is all red (not multicolor). That image allows us to look at the volume of light return.
 
@rockysalamander i just want to pop in here to say that the research you do and detailed analysis you provide for so many posters is SO awesome. :saint:

I'm in awe of how quickly you find amazing options for each OP's specific wish list and the detailed and informative explanations you give.

Sorry for the threadjack, OP. You're in good hands :clap:
 
ringo865 said:
@rockysalamander i just want to pop in here to say that the research you do and detailed analysis you provide for so many posters is SO awesome. :saint:

I'm in awe of how quickly you find amazing options for each OP's specific wish list and the detailed and informative explanations you give.

Sorry for the threadjack, OP. You're in good hands :clap:
Click to expand...
Awww. That's so nice of you to say. :kiss2: I think we are all kinda special here on PS.
 
Rocky, I appreciate the reply! I will look through the diamond and let you know. How reliable is whiteflash? Would you not recommend blueniles? I noticed that blueniles don't have GIA certificates - I thought that was the "gold" standard in certificates?
 
Whiteflash is very reputable and has a great upgrade policy. I don't recommend BN for roundS because they won't give idealscope or aset images...only non-rounds. I also have a personal preference for JA's videos which, while not perfect, don't flood the stones with as much light.
 
What do you think about the attached diamond? I reserved it and it's going to cost 15k. I am going to most likely switch over to james allen or whiteflash - how does it compare to https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3801977.htm and https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3801977.htm?

I do like https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3872121.htm, but I am concerned about the color and clarity. I might have to compromise size for color. What's the definition of eye clean? I know other people can't see it, but would it be visible to the wearer?

Thanks!
 

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Eyeclean usually means that you can't seen any inclusions at 6-8" (you can confirm with WF about their definition, but most folks are happy with their "eyes"). JA is generally good, as well.

The 1.58 attached is really high color and clarity, so you are choosing that over size. Unless you know your GF is color sensitive, F is really overkill. VVS is as well to me. Will they give you an IS (idealscope) images? The Crown/pavilion angle pairing may work or may not, I'd prefer to see 40.6 with 35.5. You need an IS for those numbers. {I know it may be hard to believe, that that .2 degree difference in the PA angle can make a big difference}

All the WF are great, but this is a great choice that gets you more spread (your 3rd one). But, it is much more in cost. https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3872121.htm. As an H VS2 you should only see inclusions under 10x. I don't see anything in the video that is concerning to me. You can ask the WF gemologist to review it and, since they have both in hand, I'd ask them to show you a comparison with this one...https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3667830.htm as it is bigger and more budget friendly (but the WF 1.854 H VS2 has a larger spread in mm, so it will look bigger than the 1.915 I SI1).

Here is comparing that JA 1.58 (left) to the WF 1.854 (right). Big difference in size. I'd choose the WF both for size and TOTL cut/performance. But, that may or may not be as important to you.

upload_2017-12-9_16-10-13.png
 
To me cut and size are most important. I’m not colour sensitive, I like warmer colours and eye clean to me is satisfactory. I think cut has to be first because without a good performance it won’t sparkle beautifully which to me is the no 1 attribute of a diamond.
 
I had the same budget and went with a Whiteflash ACA 1.84 VS2 I color

I felt that was the sweet spot for color/clarity/size with a super ideal
 
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