Final 3-stone Decision Help Please

[StoneSeeker]

First, thanks for this website and everyone, I''m
much more informed. Good Old Gold was a great recommendation- learned a lot from their tutorial. Now: would anyone please give me
some feedback on these babies- I have
a week to get the ring
I know I want a 3-stone ring, H&A center,
lots of fire, G or better, VVS1-SI1.

Most probably .50 in the middle, .17 each side.
If bigger: .60 with .20''s or .75 with .25''s.

I found these at:

http://www.goodoldgold.com/under1.htm

.51ct F SI -$1,803

.59 -$2,736
.60D VS2 -$2,848
.60G VVS2 -2,780

.73 - $3,419
.77 - $3,097

Which .59/.60 stone would you choose?
Which .73/.77 stone would you choose?

Do you know other websites with such great
documentation and refund policies which
offer more .50 caraters?

How does the .51 carater look to you?
The other one they offered was not my favorite.
---
Side stones: they said G, SI1''s should be
good enough for that size, and H&A not
necessary. Do you agree? Price ranged
from $510 for pair of .17 to $825 for pair of
.23''s.

------
Settings: Stuller 12693 ($169 in white gold)
OR- and this is beautiful: anything approximating Tiffany Lucida 3-stone ring.
The overlapping curving X-shapes for the
prongs are delicious- I saw 1 at Tiffany''s today
with a carat center and 1/2 on each side.
The diamonds are seen from all sides, and
seem to nestle on the wires, though they''re
suspended. Anyone know where I can get
a similiar design (and would it have to be
different since these are round brilliants?)

Thanks again.

 

[StoneSeeker]

PS- all the specs, tests, etc. are in the above
link- in case you need more info.

Everyone's help is appreciated, esp. the
experts. Mara? Leonid? Old Miner? Where
are you?

Again, what a great and helpful bunch of people.

 

[Colored Gemstone Nut]

.59 -$2,736
.60D VS2 -$2,848
.60G VVS2 -2,780

I chose the stone in bold because of a couple different factors. I checked out the Lightscope view on this stone and the contrast of red and blacks are really there. A stone that should deliver alot of punch. The 2nd reason I chose this stone over the 3 listed is because of the b-scope readings. Nearly pegs the high end of the scope in all 3 categories of white light/colored light/ & scintillation. 3rd reason is it's a D. A D color is the best and within the same price range as the other 2 stones you are saving money for going with the vs2 clarity. You won't be able to see anything unless your under a 10x scope. What your paying for in the other 2 stones are the high clarity grade. If you can't see anything under unless under a 10 power scope why pay for it if you can't see it? is a question I ask myself. The D seems to be the optimal choice in the given scenerio of the 3 stones you selected. ALso on the b-scope images scroll down and wait for the 5 light views to load on the screen. They generate great results which displays how precise the stone is cut by the light that is being returned in these images.

.Side stones: they said G, SI1's should be
good enough for that size, and H&A not
necessary. Do you agree? Price ranged
from $510 for pair of .17 to $825 for pair of
.23's.
Si-1's in the size of side stones you are electing to get probably will not be visible anyway because of how small the stones are. Some Si-1 stone also have very faint feathers and you can ask for some real nice eye clean stones if you really want to get picky. Whether or not you would like hearts & arrows for side stones is a matter of personal preference. I like the idea of having all 3 Hearts and Arrows stones don't you.
------
Settings: Stuller 12693 ($169 in white gold)
OR- and this is beautiful: anything approximating Tiffany Lucida 3-stone ring.
The overlapping curving X-shapes for the
prongs are delicious- I saw 1 at Tiffany's today
with a carat center and 1/2 on each side.
The diamonds are seen from all sides, and
seem to nestle on the wires, though they're
suspended. Anyone know where I can get
a similiar design (and would it have to be
different since these are round brilliants?)

Talk with Jonathan about your options with the ring style I am sure he will accomodate you.

Thanks again.----------------

Take-er Easy-
Josh Rioux
Sitka,Alaska

 

[dave57]

Is this anything like the ring you saw:

http://www.diamondtalk.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=28766

I really really like that design.

As for the choice in diamonds, I don't think you'd go wrong with any of them -- as I understand it, they're somewhat hand-picked already.

 

[Colored Gemstone Nut]

Hey Dave here's the side view

 

[Colored Gemstone Nut]

And here's the top view. Absolutely stunning.
StoneSeeker is this the syle?

 

[dave57]

I showed that picture to my girlfriend -- big mistake!!

I think I might have to sell a kidney

As for more stones, there is a section on GOG's forsale page that lists stones they can get. I would contact them for more info...

[/u]

 

[dave57]

Just so people don't have to read through another thread, that ring pictured above is:

-DVatche 911 18KG truffle setting
-1.02 H VS1 H&A center stone
-2 side stones are about 0.27 ct each H VVS1/VVS2

 

[StoneSeeker]

Hey Scorpion and Dave: thanks for the great
input. Yes: DVatche ring is similiar (the pics
are beauts) yet in Tiffany's 3-stone Lucida ring
I noticed the sides of the diamonds were more
visibly exposed (no wire across, the culet straddled the 2 wires going to its sides and
supporting the curvaceous prongs.)

Any other ideas anyone on a site with setting options similiar to these?

Also- Dave- thanks for the input re: animation
and VH readings on .60 stone.

What is your feedback on the .51 stone? Other
than the big difference in price ($1,000) I actually visually like .50 better than .60 as a
center of a 3-ring stone.

Although- looking at GOG's selection of under-
1 carats, I'm tempted by the .77 as a solitaire
as an alternative. It's only $300 more than the
.60 and looks to have great light readings.

Any feedback on these (individually- I know I'm
comparing apples to oranges)? The 3-stone
is still my main vision for the ring.

Also- because of the limited time I have to get a
stone I want to see if anyone can recommend any other site for comparison purpose other than GOG with additional selection of H&A's and which has similiar comprehensive visual
aids and 30-day money back policy.

I'm hesitant to go into the additional diamonds mode on GOG because it will take additional time for them to order them. It's just that if my
main item is a 1/2 carat stone, I'd like to compare more than 2, and with all the info available.

OK- thanks for the help!!!!!!

 

[StoneSeeker]

Hey Scorpion and Dave: thanks for the great
input. Yes: DVatche ring is similiar (the pics
are beauts) yet in Tiffany's 3-stone Lucida ring
I noticed the sides of the diamonds were more
visibly exposed (no wire across, the culet straddled the 2 wires going to its sides and
supporting the curvaceous prongs.)

Any other ideas anyone on a site with setting options similiar to these?

Also- Dave- thanks for the input re: animation
and VH readings on .60 stone.

What is your feedback on the .51 stone? Other
than the big difference in price ($1,000) I actually visually like .50 better than .60 as a
center of a 3-ring stone.

Although- looking at GOG's selection of under-
1 carats, I'm tempted by the .77 as a solitaire
as an alternative. It's only $300 more than the
.60 and looks to have great light readings.

Any feedback on these (individually- I know I'm
comparing apples to oranges)? The 3-stone
is still my main vision for the ring.

Also- because of the limited time I have to get a
stone I want to see if anyone can recommend any other site for comparison purpose other than GOG with additional selection of H&A's and which has similiar comprehensive visual
aids and 30-day money back policy.

I'm hesitant to go into the additional diamonds mode on GOG because it will take additional time for them to order them. It's just that if my
main item is a 1/2 carat stone, I'd like to compare more than 2, and with all the info available.

OK- thanks for the help!!!!!!

 

[StoneSeeker]

OK- I found a similiar site: superbcert, and
would like to see if anybody would care to
compare the .51 carat diamond I mentioned
earlier from Good Old Gold and this one:

http://www.superbcert.com/products/index.cfm?Product_Group_ID=1&Product_Category_ID=3&Product_SubCategory_ID=2&Sort=Carat_Weight

and then click on product 1420.

The good news is this site is very well documented as well.

Refund policy is 10 days instead of 30.

Are there other recommendations for
companies out there (ideally combo brick and mortar AND internet- I may end up going
with GOG after all- I just want to look at the
choices and inventory apple to apple.)

Thanks

 

[Colored Gemstone Nut]

StoneSeeker:

Hello Again. My Responses will again be in bold

Any other ideas anyone on a site with setting options similiar to these?

You might want to go to whiteflash.com and check out there ring selection colums. They carry many styles from many different vendors. Get an idea of what your real priorities are in the ring. You definitely seem like your set on the 3 stone ring.

What is your feedback on the .51 stone? Other
than the big difference in price ($1,000) I actually visually like .50 better than .60 as a
center of a 3-ring stone.

Although- looking at GOG's selection of under-
1 carats, I'm tempted by the .77 as a solitaire
as an alternative. It's only $300 more than the
.60 and looks to have great light readings.

Any feedback on these (individually- I know I'm
comparing apples to oranges)? The 3-stone
is still my main vision for the ring.

Heres your selection again:
.51 E SI-1-(Compared to the other 2 stones pricewise your looking at 1,000 dollar savings. The clarity is Si-1 and I'm sure if your interested you can email Barry & he will be more than happy to elaborate wether or not the inclusion is faint. In comparison to size you will visually not be able to tell the difference of .09 ct. If you were to hold the D & E next to each other the D might only seem a tad bigger. Also as far as color variations. The color variance in a E color stone will not be detectable compared to a D. It takes a skilled grader to distinguish a D from an E so no worries on the color. Ideal-scope image looks great & B-scope readings are in the same category as the other 2 stones. The bargain is in the clarity in this diamond.

I have already discussed the .60 D so I won't elaborate anymore on it. It is still my top pick for you though.

The .77 I VS1 is a very nice stone as well with high b-scope readings & Great light views. Now the I is .17 cts. larger in weight than the D but in the added weight your trading off (5 color Grades). Now remember that diamonds are not graded in the face up position. The better a stone is cut the better it will face up (which will be the position it will usually be viewed from. You will probably be more than likely to detect a slight warm hue in the I colored stone. It hits the 3/4 ct. mark but again in the same price range you might want to go with the D. I have attached a pic from the goodoldgold website to illustrate what I am talking about. Look at the D colored stone and the I colored stone pictured sitting side by side. Notice the slight hue.

So Between the 3 I would go "D" You will have to compare the stones your self and decide what you like best.

GoG & SuperB-Cert are both excellent sites to reference possible stones from and have the most comprehensive info too. I have yet to find another site that puts a finger to these 2 sites for their imaging representation along with scans of the data for a particular stone. Gog also is very big on INFO as you can see from their site...

Hope this helps and keep us updated-

Josh Rioux
Sitka,Alaska

 

[Colored Gemstone Nut]

1st B-scope Image is of : 60 D VS2 GoodOldGold

2nd B-scope Image is of: .77 I VS1 GoodOldGold

3rd Bscope Result is of: .51 E SI-1 Super-B-Cert

Wasn’t able to cut & paste SPC

Image. Light views are as follows: WhiteLight vh3+/Colored Light vh3+/Scintillation h3/vh1

As far as being stones with tight proportions Concerning the Crown & Pavillion angles.

The .60 D VS2 Crown Angle Ranges (34.1-34.4) Variances = .3
Pavillion Angle Ranges (40.6-41.1) Variances = .5
The .77 I VS1 Crown Angle Ranges (33.5-34.4) Variances = .9
Pavillion Angle Ranges (40.6-41.2) Variances = .6
The .51 E SI1 Crown Angle Ranges (33.9-34.4) Variances = .5
Pavillion Angle Ranges (40.6-40.9) Variances = .3

Again the choice will ultimately be yours but if you really want to split hairs look at the variances in all the proportions of the stone. Also make sure to pay attention to the light views on the b-scope images not just the bars. Good Luck…

-Josh Rioux

Sitka, Alaska

 

[Colored Gemstone Nut]

Try to attach the image again...I guess you'll have to click on the attachment to view....

-Josh

 

[StoneSeeker]

Thanks Scorpion- such thorough help- I really
appreciate it. I'll keep you posted.

 

[Mara]

I am sure you will get more posts tomorrow as during the weekend things tend to slow down but here are my comments on the GOG stones. I have not looked at the SC stone yet though people do tend to love those as well. The Whiteflash A Cut Above lineup is amazing as well, with tweaked minor facets to minimize light leakage.

I have seen the Vatche 3 stone ring and its gorgeous..slightly more delicate than the one posted? Also have to say that the 3 stone rings I have seen that look the best are those with the center stone slightly set higher than the 2 side stones, giving it a bit of extra treatment. It really makes the stones shine together and looks better in my opinion than the ones that all line up.



.59c stone

'very thin to thin' girdle but sarin results show a medium girdle? interesting/weird? which is it?

ideal scope image is amazing and ha are nice too

bscope readings are intense, almost off the scale on all three bars, amazing flashes of fire


.51c stone

looks good but the inclusion is in the middle of the table--be sure its not eye visible AT ALL

bscope readings are not as good as the .59 stone

the ideal scope image is good but shows leakage at the edges and slight lack of hot spots


.60c stone

girdle noted as thin on the sarin, possible warning as that is the average range. should be more along the lines of medium-report says medium though, which is it?

very nice ideal scope and ha images

again this bscope reading is amazing and similar to the great flashes of color and brilliance that the .59 stone has, really beautiful


between the .73/77...I like the .73 because its a G VS2 as opposed to an I VS1. Spend the extra money on the color--the difference in price is not that much, and there will be no visual difference between the .73 and .77 so to get the bigger stone just because and end up downgrading the color to I in my mind is not worth it. however the. 73 bscope is not as fiery as the .59 and .60 stones above, i like their images better. but this is just personal preference, you may like more flashes of white in this one...the .59 and .60 have more color flashes as opposed to white light. even the .77 I VS1 stone has a better looking bscope in my eyes, but again, its a preference thing. between these two it would be hard to make the decision as I don't like the I color when you can get a G color...but the I stone is more fiery with color than the G stone. a tossup? i wouldnt choose either of these stones if set against the .59 or .60.

So all in all I would say that I would go for the .59 or .60 stones. Between the two I can't really say..the prices and characteristics seem so similar, it may just be that you like the D color instead of F, etc.

I'll check out the SC stone tomorrow and also see if I find anything else for you on whiteflash etc. But it looks like you really have some potential winners here so far!! Great job on the research and good eye!

 

[StoneSeeker]

Thanks again Scorpion and Mara.
I will look again at these stones with the info.
you gave me in mind.

I just heard from SC re: #1420 and #1418.
#1420 (SI1) is totally eye clean (I heard from
their owner). What's interesting is the light
response is BETTER than the VS1 (#141

.

Which of these 2 would you get and how would
they compare to the ones I mentioned?

I can't thank you enough for the time you're taking to look at this for me.

 

[StoneSeeker]

PS- does anyone know of rings similiar to either the DVatche truffle 3-stone or the
Tiffany Lucida 3-stone that one can get
separately through a catalog?

And if you have input on the 2 supercerts
I mentioned, I would appreciate it a lot!

 

[divergrrl]

hey, got your email. I re-read Mara's post and think she is a better person than me to judge a stone.

I would definitely go with one of the truffle settings, (the curved settings with graceful crossing prongs) I had a 3 stone ring and I reset the darn thing becuase the setting was clunky. Try www.whiteflash.com for 3 stones settings by Vatche.

Also you can have one custom made very reasonable by www.tradeshop.com -- reputable and fast, they will get it perfect for you. The sites not very impressive, but the work is. You can email them a picture of your design and send them the stones and they'll rig it up for you. Check their client preview pages to see the work they do.

My sidestones were only 1mm smaller than my center stone and it was too busy, but that's a preference. I'd go with a little smaller (2mm???) to showcase the center diamond, or larger if you are going for that "wall of ice" look. Balance in a 3 stone ring is paramount.

Good luck and my tired self is off to sleepyland!

 

[StoneSeeker]

Thanks for the tip about tradeshop.com- I'll
check them out.

I went to a store to look at proportions-
For me it seems right that the side stones
should be a little more than a 1/3 of the center
stone (not 1/2- then you lose the focus of the
centerstone- I don't like the wall of ice look
as much.)

Anyway, thanks again.