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Feeling overwhelmed...$8-9k budget for round brilliant

Ryan,
Did you ask the vendor if the stone is eye-clean? They may be able to tell you from what distance it is eye-clean (or not). What is the first inclusion
listed under the plot diagram? You can also ask the vendor if the twinning wisp have any effect on the brilliance of the stone. The price seems very
good so try to make sure there are no issues. A good return policy is your friend (just in case).

tyty
 
@defy525, I have not seen the stone in person yet so hard to say. Is the slight grey tone a bad thing? I agree absent the first photo, you do not really see the yellow tint for some reason.

@tyty333, I have not spoken to the vendor yet. The clarity characteristics in order are: Crystal, feather, needle
 
I know that brown or green tints should be avoided as well as haze. Not sure about gray. Any experts out there? Is yellow tint preferred over gray or it is preference only?
 
I think you should call the vendor, put the stone on hold, ask the questions above. Once the stone is on hold you can post a link
to the GIA report so we can get a better feel for the stone.
 
Eh, finally got a chance to call the vendor and I knew it was too good to be true. He said it was not 100% eye-clean and it was "light milky" (which I presume is bad). Quite odd, given it looks rather clear in the photos.
 
Did you see the suggestions I posted for you yesterday? Here they are again but I'll take a look at J color since you're open to it (although I think I color would be safer unless she's seen lower colors and is ok with it...)
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...i-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-3215488
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...i-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-3019435
Ask for an ideal scope-the 36 CA needs to be checked: https://enchanteddiamonds.com/diamo...3-Carat-I-Color-SI1-Clarity-Diamond-869359Z34 (another video here but ED has it for cheaper...https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...i-color-si1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-2736317)
Smaller: https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...rat-i-color-si1-clarity-ideal-cut-sku-1925511
 
 
You can't always go by the photos when you're dealing with larger diamonds in SI1 and SI2 clarity grades. As the size of stone increases, the size and amount of inclusions are allowed to be (semi)proportionately larger. IT gets harder to find a an eye-clean SI stone in larger carats because of this. And inclusions can have effects as the stone moves, or they can disappear and reappear. Or be glaringly obvious from some viewing angle that wasn't shown on photos or videos posted online. They are harder to buy sight unseen. Somebody has to inspect them in person and in action.

Also keep in mind, with tint, that larger mass concentrates the tine more. A 1ct J or K can mask tint better than a 1.8 or 2ct J 0r K. Tint was why I had to stop upgrading, because I found that as the diamond size increased I also had to look at higher color grades and rule out J/K and perhaps some of the H stones as well because they just looked too off-white. I like the unabashedly pale yellows like L and M, though. I think they are lovely. I color in a large stone is great, too, but they all look ivory from the side, and the larger ones look ivory instead of white to me from 6' away. lol People vary in sensitivity to tint. And seeing it does not necessarily mean you're going to dislike it.
 
Thanks for the comments everyone. AdaBeta that is something I never realized.. Ac117 I will look soon, this dayjob that's funding the purchase keeps getting in the way :)
 
I have one more question as a person new to all this...assuming I find the diamond, how much variance is there in the ring quality?

I spent a few hours yesterday working with the two jewelers I met with last week, and also a new one my sister recommended. The latter one, his rings just looked and felt more "expensive." I'm not sure how to explain this, but the two others the rings just felt plasticky/cheap.

The first one charged 800 for a ring/setting in platinum, second 1650, and the third guy around 2500. How much variance is there really? And say, I order something from Brian Gavin or James Allen and choose one of their rings to make it an easy/combo package, how would I know the quality (assuming there is a large variance)?

I don't want to spend 9k on a diamond only to have it set in an ugly/cheap ring. Of course I know there are levels of work (hand forged/custom work). My friend paid 7k for his setting he told me, and that is way too much for me. I'm just wondering if I should pay say 2500 vs. 800 and how much of a difference that makes.

Here's the ring I saw by the way. Even though I have no desire for rose gold I couldn't stop staring at it, somehow it just worked perfectly.

View attachment 504041

(Apparently I just cannot figure out how to upload a pic, so just in case here it is also)
 

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The pic didn't post, can you repost?
 
I just edited and added a link. I have no idea why I can't figure out how to upload :D

Edit: Here's another pic.
 

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So at the risk of annoying the PS community I am going to ask another question before my other one was answered...

The good news is those questions do not apply anymore. Thanks to you folks here, I'm pretty sure I found my stone, found my jeweler, and now all that is left is choosing the setting. (Seriously huge thanks already to all those who responded.)

Which leads me to my question. I contacted Yekutial at IDJ and he is fantastic. My stone is likely going to be a H&A GIA J color with strong fluorescence. It looks great.

I'm leaning towards this setting:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BVAraq3ja-C/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BVn9og4jKC-/

However, I was surprised when Yekutial told me I should definitely do white gold instead of platinum. I've searched through the threads here and the high consensus is platinum. My own research leads to platinum. The reasons he mentioned are: (1) platinum may lead to the micropave stones falling out, and (2) something about the grey tint affecting the center stone. I think that's what he said anyway.

I'm thinking I should probably just defer to his expertise, but do you folks have any thought? Is the J color a factor in not doing platinum for some reason, or is it moreso something to do with holding the micropave in place?

Lastly, I know my girlfriend likes to swim, use hot tubs, and cook a lot (i.e. tap water/dishes), and I read about the dangers of chlorine and white gold. So I'm hesitant... Also, can you tell if that linked one is platinum or white gold? I'm curious if it is visible or not just from the video.
 
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I don't have any advice, I just want to say the last setting you posted is stunning! I would go with the lower profile one. The higher set one looks a bit out of proportion and would be more fussy to wear I think. Make sure you show us the finished ring.
 
Thanks starry, I definitely will go lower profile. After studying them both a bit, it seems there are subtle differences between the two. This process is quite more complicated than I imagined when I first started the search.
 
i don't really have any advice as far as the white gold/platinum directly. however, i did want to mention that she may not want to wear her ring(s) while swimming, etc so that may be a moot point. I know some ladies wear their rings no matter what they're doing but i take my rings off as soon as i get home & lots here do the same. I don't wash dishes, cook, clean, etc with my rings on nor do i wear them at the pool or gym. I worry too much about damaging the ring or losing the stone or gunking it up. For a setting such as what you're looking at, it would be preferable if she didn't wear it 24/7. Less chance to lose a stone.
 
farrahlyn said:
i don't really have any advice as far as the white gold/platinum directly. however, i did want to mention that she may not want to wear her ring(s) while swimming, etc so that may be a moot point. I know some ladies wear their rings no matter what they're doing but i take my rings off as soon as i get home & lots here do the same. I don't wash dishes, cook, clean, etc with my rings on nor do i wear them at the pool or gym. I worry too much about damaging the ring or losing the stone or gunking it up. For a setting such as what you're looking at, it would be preferable if she didn't wear it 24/7. Less chance to lose a stone.
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I wanted to echo farrahlyn to say that I would NOT wear WG while swimming or in chlorinated water. Regarding the WG vs. platinum... IF you go with WG, do 14K instead of 18K. 18K looks very dingy when the rhodium plating starts to wear because the gold content is higher than in 14K (gold is yellow -- looks more yellow).
 
Thanks farrah and msop. That honestly did not even occur to me - that she would take it off when at home or to go swimming, etc.

Msop thank you for that 14k tip too, I didn't know about that either. I just presumed 18k is better.
 
ryan23 said:
Thanks farrah and msop. That honestly did not even occur to me - that she would take it off when at home or to go swimming, etc.

Msop thank you for that 14k tip too, I didn't know about that either. I just presumed 18k is better.
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I thought the same thing, OP... My first setting was a halo in 18K WG. It drove me crazy when the rhodium would wear! I was having to replate it at least once each year (more like ever 8-9 months) because it looked so bad. I have 14K rings that I've worn for 10+ years (although not every day) that I've never had replated. :)
 
I wanted to add that if you find a vendor who uses X1 WG, none of this will be a problem. X1 produces a whiter alloy and doesn't need to be plated with rhodium -- and if you chose to have it plated anyway, the wear would really never show. X1 would be my choice. :)

Another thing to consider is if you want the white gold alloy plated at all. If your FF has a darker or more olive complexion, unplated WG would look nice. However, if most of her jewelry is bright, cool white, then I would not stray from that. :)

You may want to look at this thread to see how unplated differs in color from rhodium plated WG. @yssie also gives a good info on colors of metals and upkeep in this thread.

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/platinum-vs-white-gold.147732/
 
Thank you msop. She has a whiter complexion so that unplated would not work. I'll try to figure it out. I had a random stone pop up so now I have two to choose from, good problem to have. So now I have more things to figure out :D
 
May I ask you folks for your thoughts on these two stones? I thought I had found my perfect stone but then one popped up this weekend so now I am deciding between these two:

Stone 1:
1.51, J, VS1, Strong Blue Fluorescence, Hearts & Arrows from reputable PS vendor, Depth 61.2, Table 55, Crown 34, Pavilion 40.8, HCA 1.0.
Stone 2:
1.72, J, SI1, Medium Blue Fluorescence, Depth 61.2, Table 57, Crown 34, Pavilion 40.6, HCA 0.7.

Stone 1 is being held by a jeweler, he likes it a lot, but the video he sent me shows some yellow tint to the stone. I attached a screenshot here (white background). Otherwise, from the video and his recommendation, it is beautiful stone.
J stone.jpg


Stone 2 I found myself and have seen it in person. It is absurdly white for a J, to the point it looks like an H to me, or at least an I (given my limited experience). The SI1 is eyeclean, but does have a feather which I saw in another thread is a bad thing. Attached is the GIA screenshot of the clarity. Also attached is a screenshot of the video showing the color (black background).

Photo Jul 25, 07 10 48.pngfeather.png


Obviously when it comes down to it, I rather have the bigger stone. But not if it sacrifices any sparkle/fire or if the feather is an issue. Price is about the same, a few hundred more for the bigger stone. What do you think?
 
ryan23 said:
May I ask you folks for your thoughts on these two stones? I thought I had found my perfect stone but then one popped up this weekend so now I am deciding between these two:

Stone 1:
1.51, J, VS1, Strong Blue Fluorescence, Hearts & Arrows from reputable PS vendor, Depth 61.2, Table 55, Crown 34, Pavilion 40.8, HCA 1.0.
Stone 2:
1.72, J, SI1, Medium Blue Fluorescence, Depth 61.2, Table 57, Crown 34, Pavilion 40.6, HCA 0.7.

Stone 1 is being held by a jeweler, he likes it a lot, but the video he sent me shows some yellow tint to the stone. I attached a screenshot here (white background). Otherwise, from the video and his recommendation, it is beautiful stone.
J stone.jpg

Stone 2 I found myself and have seen it in person. It is absurdly white for a J, to the point it looks like an H to me, or at least an I (given my limited experience). The SI1 is eyeclean, but does have a feather which I saw in another thread is a bad thing. Attached is the GIA screenshot of the clarity. Also attached is a screenshot of the video showing the color (black background).

Photo Jul 25, 07 10 48.pngfeather.png


Obviously when it comes down to it, I rather have the bigger stone. But not if it sacrifices any sparkle/fire or if the feather is an issue. Price is about the same, a few hundred more for the bigger stone. What do you think?
Click to expand...

It's really hard to tell/compare color from photos when they aren't side by side in the same photo and the lighting isn't the same. What are the diameters for each stone? I was once told by a veteran PS member that she noticed sub-1 (<1) HCA score diamonds had a larger spread... Also, do you know if the 1.72 ct eye clean? My stone has a feather on the table, but it is white and can barely be seen when I'm REALLY looking for it...
 
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Regarding the color on the 1.72 J... it's very possible that it's a "high" J and looks very close to an I color, whereas the smaller stone could be a "true" to "low" J... There is more variance to the tint in a J than higher colors.
 
msop04 said:
What are the diameters for each stone? I was once told by a veteran PS member that she noticed sub-1 (<1) HCA score diamonds had a larger spread... Also, do you know if the 1.72 ct eye clean? My stone has a feather on the table, but it is white and can barely be seen when I'm REALLY looking for it...
Click to expand...

The larger stone is 7.71 and the smaller one about 7.42. The 1.72 is eye clean, there is a what looks like a tiny white scratch on the table but I didn't see it until I looked through the loop, and then if I concentrated hard I could see it with my eye. But I would consider it eye clean.

msop04 said:
Regarding the color on the 1.72 J... it's very possible that it's a "high" J and looks very close to an I color, whereas the smaller stone could be a "true" to "low" J... There is more variance to the tint in a J than higher colors.
Click to expand...

That is what I figured as well.

Also, I've never seen a H&A or supercut stone in person, so I don't know what that fire/brilliance looks like in real life. The 1.72 didn't seem to pop to me in person to be honest. And when there was no light (in the jeweler's office with lights turned off, and only daylight from a side window) it didn't sparkle at all. But maybe that's with all diamonds.

However it being 0.3 mm more in diameter and from what I can tell at least whiter I'm giving it serious thought.
 
Gold is more malleable than platinum and platinum is more brittle. Also platinum develops tiny scratches and a patina where gold stays shiny (assuming you keep plating it of course). And platinum is heavier and can be uncomfortable if the ring is large or bulky. Some benches specialize in one or the other. If you look at one of a kind rings you'll often see dramatic differences in the style of the gold and platinum pieces. I don't know if any of this applies to your setting, but it might be relevant.
 
ryan23 said:
The larger stone is 7.71 and the smaller one about 7.42. The 1.72 is eye clean, there is a what looks like a tiny white scratch on the table but I didn't see it until I looked through the loop, and then if I concentrated hard I could see it with my eye. But I would consider it eye clean.



That is what I figured as well.

Also, I've never seen a H&A or supercut stone in person, so I don't know what that fire/brilliance looks like in real life. The 1.72 didn't seem to pop to me in person to be honest. And when there was no light (in the jeweler's office with lights turned off, and only daylight from a side window) it didn't sparkle at all. But maybe that's with all diamonds.

However it being 0.3 mm more in diameter and from what I can tell at least whiter I'm giving it serious thought.
Click to expand...

I would choose the 1.72 ct stone... but only after looking at it in all different kinds of lighting with the other one just to make sure.
 
msop04 said:
I would choose the 1.72 ct stone... but only after looking at it in all different kinds of lighting with the other one just to make sure.
Click to expand...
Thanks msop. I should have a side by side video at some point today from the awesome jeweler that is working with me, so hopefully that will help me decide.
 
Does the SI1 stone be have anything under "comments" on the certificate?
 
ringo865 said:
Does the SI1 stone be have anything under "comments" on the certificate?
Click to expand...

"Pinpoints are not shown."

Is that good or bad? Sorry for the novice question.
 
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