flaws make the ring look dirty

[valeria101]

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On 4/6/2004 5:55:22 PM fire&ice wrote:



To further complicate things & to issue of the orginal poster, I don't see the conventional wisdom in a K/VVS1 stone or a D/SI stone for that matter.

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Just ask Fred! I never really understood why on earth is a better idea to get those grades in pairs (D-IF, I-VS, K-SI... whatever). He has a funky explanation but I didn't get it before discarding the doc altogether. Too lazy to actually seek some stats. It does sound like a good line of thought to get poeple buy more expensive grades based on the price per carat than the overall cost of the stone and it's 'look'.

If the number of colro and clarity grades woudl be the same, the 'theory' might have caught even better, clean and straightforward as it is.

Kind'a blurred...

 

[Mara]

One person's clarity overkill is not necessarily another person's quite obviously..

I personally would never consider a K VVS. To me that is serious clarity overkill and color underkill. But that's my preference.

Just as there are often color snobs..there are clarity crusaders.

I have owned VS stones and now I own an SI stone. I trusted my vendor (Who I have worked with before) to send me an eye clean stone. I stressed with him that I wanted absolutely eye clean from every angle. He told me 'Mara don't insult me...do you think I would send you a non-eye-clean stone? I know you will be flashing this thing all over the place.'

I know this vendor also sold Al her SI2 and she stares at that thing for hours with her loupe and can't find a darn thing. White and wispy is an SI stone's best friend. Vendor trust is hugely important. Would I buy an SI1 with a black carbon in it? NO. Because I know I would see it. I picked out a black carbon tiny pinprick on the pavilion of an E SI we were looking at and just last nite in a jewelry store I tried on a 7 carat radiant cut yellow diamond (yummy!) that had a black carbon pinprick right smack dab in the table! I saw it right away..the shop girls had never even seen it before and thought it was dust. Funny was that they said GIA graded it VS. Hmm.

Anyway...obviously the scrutiny of one's eye has much to do with it. Daniela, it's unfortunate that you go a stone with items you can see. I can totally understand why you would not send it back, you want to wear a stone if you are engaged! But if I thought it would bother me or was unsatisfied with it? Right back it would go. You obviously stressed that as important, why would you settle for anything less? Hard earned money spent deserves extreme happiness on product. I'm so glad you are taking advantage of the upgrade program but don't shy away from SI's and I definitely sense some SI bitterness in your e-tone (hehe). Just because one vendor's idea of eye-clean was not up to par does not mean all SI's are created equal..thank goodness! Good luck with the upgrade and I would still consider SI's but look for white, wispy inclusions.

I disagree with that vendor who said if you are super anal you should not get an SI. I am super anal and my SI is amazing, white, clean, can't find a thing. All inclusions are white. So I think it DOES speak to the vendor...and who you trust.

Anyway, to each there own, always. Diamonds are a very personal thing. But I love it when I see someone come down from a VVS when they realize they are seriously overspending on clarity, to a VS2 or an eye clean SI1 and are ecstatic with their purchase, their savings or their bigger stone, or better color etc. Lots of things can factor in but my top thing to trade off right away is clarity. It's almost like a secret, expensive weapon. Hehe.

My 2 cents!

 

[glitterata]

There really are SIs out there where you can't see flaws. I know: I have one. It's an SI2, and the one flaw is near the girdle. The setter put it under a prong (although I asked him not to, because I like looking at it), and now it's impossible to see it. I've stared into it with a loupe for ages and ages--nothing. You really can't see it. You certainly can't see it with your naked eye.

Of course, if it had been more centrally located, someone with a good eye might be able to see it. But where it is--under a prong--nah.