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Feedback on Blue Nile diamond for engagement ring? THANKS!!!

M

mdl0216

Rough_Rock
Premium
Joined
Dec 15, 2017
Messages
19
So I have been looking mostly at Brian Gavin and White flash for diamonds, but came across this round from Blue nile. Only issue is Blue Nile will not give me ASET images for it. HCA score is 1.7.

Price point is excellent (budget $8000 or less for diamond) and metrics (H or better and VS2 or better) seem to be good as well. Only thing I see is that it does show the star in the middle when face up like WF or BGD diamonds do.

Would love and appreciate some expert feedback from the Pricescope community.

I did put it on hold as well FYI.

1.10 H VVS2 62.3% depth 57% table 35 crown 40.8 pavilion

https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-details/LD09797429?track=Detlink0
 
HCA score of 1.7 is groovy BUT ...

The crown and pavilion angles from the report that you put into the HCA tool are each AVERAGES of 8 angles.

If all 8 CA and all 8 PAs happen to be identical, the HCA score is real.
If not that HCA score is not real.
That's why the HCA's creator Garry Holloway, tells you that the HCA is only step 1 and that the HCA is only a rejection tool, not a final acceptance tool.

Garry tells us Step 2 is essential ... an actual Idealscope photograph.

Why? Because wonkiness when each of the 8 PAs and/or 8 CAs are different (but average together into a good average angle) will be revealed by an Idealscope photograph taken by a real camera. (not a computer-generated IS imaged that uses the same two averaged-together angles that the HCA used).

This is all published on the HCA site, and it's kinda sad I have to repost this a zillion times. :blackeye:
 
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I understand it is one step and thought I would get an opinion/ feedback from what I thought I had read on the HCA site about it not being the end all be all tool and also in regards to the importance of ASET and Ideal scope images to make a decision.

After going through all of that and you have no recommendation and constructive advice to give its kinda sad I had to even read that. :blackeye:
 
:wavey: @mdl0216 while the HCA score is within ‘ideal’ range, before I (personally) would move forward on this BN diamond, I would ask BN/their gemologist a couple of questions: 1) can/will they provide IdealScope & ASET images for the diamond to back up their calling it ‘ideal’; and 2) is the surface & internal graining (noted on the GIA report) visible in the diamond when looking at it in-person (I believe I see it in the diamond video/moving). It’s a VVS2 so it should be good, but I’d ask anyway.

For me, IF cut is my #1 priority, coupled with the above-mentioned concerns, there isn’t a distinct enough patterning with the arrows/cut that I’d go with this one over either the WF or BGD diamond UNLESS: there was such significant light performance (e.g., fire, sparkle/brilliance, etc.), AND I didn’t give a hoot about seeing arrows, AND the price was so spectacularly attractive vs. the comparables. And even if those factors are more important to you, you’d get them and more in the eye clean 1.08 BGD for less than the BN stone. I think the VVS2 compared to the BGD is overkill in clarity (from a cost perspective) personally. But you may want that ‘mind clean’ clarity and that’s fine if you do.

In this case - the price difference between the BN stone that is IMO questionable is not signficant enough that I’d chase it very far and pass on a more-likely ‘sure thing’ with the WF or BGD options that ARE like-priced and - by virtue of the imaging & information they provide up front - are far more likely to be outstanding performers, and they are AGS certified to be Ideal Cut. I believe AGS declaration of a diamond being ‘Ideal cut’ is far more accurate and considerate of scientific analysis re: light return, cut, etc., whereas I get the sense BN’s declaration of ‘ideal cut’ - which is not backed up with an AGS cert - seems to be along the lines of: “it sparkles a lot”. I don’t see anything on their site that outlines how they assign ‘ideal’ to their inventory or what analysis they do to reach that conclusion since GIA doesn’t offer that on its certs. I may be wrong, but it seems BN goes only on a diamond’s proportions, like “hey, it has a low HCA score so it must be ideal”. But we know that isn’t the case, that there is far more analysis that goes into calling something an ‘ideal’ cut. That’s why - when buying through BN or JA, it’s important to get the additional imaging to back up their declaration of ‘ideal cut’.

TLDR: I personally wouldn’t go chasing a questionable BN rabbit when I have solid options that are comparably sized, priced, color, clarity, etc., in WF or BGD diamonds, which ARE proven performers.

Hope that helps! :wavey:
 
mdl0216 said:
I understand it is one step and thought I would get an opinion/ feedback from what I thought I had read on the HCA site about it not being the end all be all tool and also in regards to the importance of ASET and Ideal scope images to make a decision.

After going through all of that and you have no recommendation and constructive advice to give its kinda sad I had to even read that. :blackeye:
Click to expand...

Hi Md,

It has potential for sure as far as we can tell without an ASET or IS image, and those BN don't offer. On paper it's good but with the proportions if it was me, I'd want ASET/IS to be sure.

H colour is a good choice, VVS clarity, there shouldn't be any issues at all there. I would suggest you can drop to VS clarity comfortably without visual sacrifice if that's an option for you but if you prefer VVS and are happy to pay the premium, that's absolutely fine.

So to sum up, it looks promising but more than that we can't tell without further info.
 
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