First post here, read some articles and watched videos, have questions

[SolarCoaster]

Hi y'all, first post here so please be gentle.

I am learning about diamonds in anticipation of a proposal at least 6 months down the line. Definitely not in any urgency, but I feel like the more I learn the more confused I get.

I've read some articles on here, watched a few videos, talked with some female friends I know, and here is what the conclusion basically was: I need an HIJ color, Ideal cut, SI1 or better but preferably VS2. 95-100 points would be ok, but 145-150 points would be more 'appreciated' for lack of a better term. Above that is getting into the 'extravagant' area which I'm staying out of.

With that, I went to the first random site I found on google and did a search, and this is what I found:



And then I felt like I didn't know anything: Why is the F (best color there) the cheapest of 150 point diamonds? Why is one 150 point ideal H SI1 $500 more than another 150 point ideal H SI1? How can I tell the difference online when (literally) they look exactly the same to me when I view them?

I feel like I don't know enough and don't know where to go from here. Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[tyty333]

2 points that can account for price differences...

- Blue Nile list all these stones under IDEAL (like they are AGS graded) when in fact they are GIA
graded EXCELLENT. Not all GIA/EXCELLENTs are actually well cut stones. I'll list out of the set
of parameters we try to stay in when looking for stones.
depth 60-62.3%
table 54-58%
crown 34-35 deg Some 35.5s work with idealscopes
pavilion 40.6 - 41 deg (34 pairs better with 41 and 35 pairs better with 40.6)

- Not all SI1 stones are the same. Some have visible inclusions that you would not want and would be
priced accordingly. Others have many small inclusions that are eye-clean.

If budget allows, I suggest you stay in the H/I color range. If you plan on buying from BlueNile and
buying an SI1 then you need to stick with the Signature Ideal category so that you can see the stones
and make sure they are eye-clean to your satisfaction.

Post links to stones you are interested in (when you are ready) so we can check them out. (put them
on-hold first). Good luck!

 

[flyingpig]

Why are 500hp Ferrari, BMW, and Corvette priced so differently?
In cars, there are more than just hp, braking distance, 0-60mph.

Just like in cars, as tyty said, there are other contributing factors for diamond pricing, besides the basic 4Cs.
I bet the F SI1 has strong or very strong fluo. Med/Strong/VS fluo can reduce the price of H+color stones significantly.

You often see two diamonds with the exact same 4Cs on paper, but priced significantly differently, sometime more than 30% difference.

 

[SolarCoaster]

2 points that can account for price differences...

- Blue Nile list all these stones under IDEAL (like they are AGS graded) when in fact they are GIA
graded EXCELLENT. Not all GIA/EXCELLENTs are actually well cut stones. I'll list out of the set
of parameters we try to stay in when looking for stones.
depth 60-62.3%
table 54-58%
crown 34-35 deg Some 35.5s work with idealscopes
pavilion 40.6 - 41 deg (34 pairs better with 41 and 35 pairs better with 40.6)

- Not all SI1 stones are the same. Some have visible inclusions that you would not want and would be
priced accordingly. Others have many small inclusions that are eye-clean.

If budget allows, I suggest you stay in the H/I color range. If you plan on buying from BlueNile and
buying an SI1 then you need to stick with the Signature Ideal category so that you can see the stones
and make sure they are eye-clean to your satisfaction.

Post links to stones you are interested in (when you are ready) so we can check them out. (put them
on-hold first). Good luck!

Appreciate the response.

1) What do those table / crown / pavilion / depth ratings mean? Is that a measure of how the stone looks from different angles or how it looks from the same angle but with the diamond facing different angles?

2) What do the 4 certifications mean? I went to http://www.shaneco.com/Catalog/Diamond-Gemstone-Search.aspx?DT=E and those are way out of my range