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Engagement -Should images be readily available?

GeauxTiger

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 3, 2014
Messages
18
I'm pretty new here but have been doing some of the research necessary to try and purchase the best round, .75 -.9, H-I, VS2-SI1, low (under 2) HCA, M-Thick bezel diamond (setting from others) I can find in the $2K -$2.5K range for a planned Christmas engagement. I've used the search function and narrowed down some possible options from b2c and Solomon Bros but they're telling me they don't have/can't get real images or idealscope images as they don't have the actual stones in stock. Does this sound right and is this what I should expect for a stone of this size/cost?
 
It's what you should expect of those vendors since they are drop shippers. You can do a search on here to read more about it. It's perfectly fine and acceptable if YOU are fine without seeing any images.
 
The entire purpose of faceting a diamond is to reflect light.
How well or how poorly a diamond does this determines how beautiful it is.
How well a diamond performs is determined by the angles and cutting. This is why we say cut is king.
No other factor: not color, not clarity has as much of an impact on the appearance of a diamond as its cut. An ideal H will out white a poorly cut F. And GIA Ex is not enough. And you must stick to GIA and AGS only. EGL is a bad option: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/egl-certification-are-any-of-them-ok.142863/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/egl-certification-are-any-of-them-ok.142863/[/URL]
So how to we ensure that we have the right angles and cutting to get the light performance we want?
https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/diamond-cut
Well one method is to start with a GIA Ex, and then apply the HCA to it. YOU DO NOT USE HCA for AGS0 stones. Stick to stones with crown angles 34 and over. Depths 62.4 and under. And pavilion angles 41 and under.
https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/holloway-cut-advisor
The HCA is a rejection tool. Not a selection tool. It uses 4 data points to make a rudimentary call on how the diamond may perform.
If the diamond passes then you know that you are in the right zone in terms of angles for light performance. Under 2 is a pass. Under 2.5-2.1 is a maybe. 2.6 and over is a no. No score 2 and under is better than any other.
Is that enough? Not really.
So what you need is a way to check actual light performance of your actual stone.
That's what an idealscope image does. https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/firescope-idealscope
It shows you how and wear your diamond is reflecting light, how well it is going at it, and where you are losing light return. That is why you won't see us recommending Blue Nile, as they do not provide idealscope images for their diamonds. BGD, James Allen, GOG, HPD, ERD and WF do.

The Idealscope is the 'selection tool'. Not the HCA.
So yes, with a GIA stone you need the idealscope images. Or you can buy an idealscope yourself and take it in to the jeweler you are working with to check the stones yourself. Or if you have a good return policy (full refund minimum 7 days) then you can buy the idealscope, buy the stone, and do it at home.


Now if you want to skip all that... stick to AGS0 stones and then all you have to do is pick color and clarity and you know you have a great performing diamond. Because AGS has already done the checking for you. That's why they trade at a premium.
 
distracts|1417648951|3794747 said:
It's what you should expect of those vendors since they are drop shippers.

GeauxTiger,

I want to make sure everyone on this forum is perfectly clear on the subject of 'drop-shippers.' It has been fairly well established that the concept of a 'drop-shipper' is a company that will act as a third-party and have a diamond shipped from a supplier directly to the consumer. B2C does NOT participate in this business model. Any diamond we sell goes through inspection before being sent to a client, in the interest of protecting that client. Damage sometimes occurs in transit, handling, etc., so every buyer should work with a company that fully vets any diamond they sell in-house. In this manner we know that the customer is getting exactly what they expect and we can avoid the disappointment many shoppers have when they do experience a 'drop-shipped' diamond that arrives without independent examination and verification.
 
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