flourescense

[walter123]

In your opinion, how many grades could med. blue florescense help a J color diamond (3ct.)....I? H?????

 

[finchuck]

Is it an ideal cut? I hear that a super ideal cut can knock a stone 2 color grades better.

As far as fluorescence, I wouldn't know about that, but it seems to be enough to mention it.

 

[walter123]

Im actually looking for a 3ct diamond, SI-2 clarity, with a good cut....Im not nescessarily looking for ideal or H&A becasue of budget reasons (hence the J color and flourescense), but I certainly dont want a piece of frozen spit

...

 

[finchuck]

Ahh I see. Well, for what it's worth, I would certainly recommend cut over color and clarity any day. It makes the stone look whiter, cleaner AND larger.

But in your case, medium fluorescence would probably be the way to go, provided it doesn't give that milky appearance in sunlight.

 

[fire&ice]

You need at least medium blue fluor. Strong will help.

 

[walter123]

what are the chances that the strong blue will be cloudy and oily? I heard that that can happen with strong blue Flour.

 

[valeria101]

This sounds optimistic...

I'd rather cut down on that 3ct mark - I don't think the last 0.2 of a carat will show all that much, given that not all rounds are cut at precisely the same depth, and both 59% and 63% are good to have (actually the depth range 'eats up' about 0.25cts difference as shown by a 60% deep cut, exactly).

For once, fluorescence 'works' whenever there is a strong UW component in the light source available. Most likely great cut would serve to make the stone bright and show little body color.

I am not at all sure J-color diamonds get instantly recognized as "as yellow as white gets" - unless all your collegues, relatives and neigbours are jewelers and diamond graders. A nicely cut piece will likely get compliments no matter what. Maybe the last tip of the last arrow in an ideal cut is not going to count all that much - but 'non ideals' get much worse than that

Oh well...


My 0.2?

J-SI, 2.7-2.8cts, ideal proportions & VG symmetry or better (meaning H&A showig, but maybe not perfectly), medium fluorescence a bonus, but not 'strong blue'.

 

[fire&ice]

It happens - but usually in VERY strong blue. My stone is graded as medium - but jeweler thought it was more like Strong. It's not cloudy/oily at all. It does take on a purplish hue in direct sunlight though. I have a 3c I & it faces up very white in a platinum setting w/ colorless baguettes.

Really, the whole milky/oily thing needs to be examined - but it rarely happens in med-stong blue.

Also, while I'm not an advocate of super louper duper ideals, you do need a stone w/ a good make to mask some of the color.

Good luck

 

[iknowquinn]

hi-

just wanted to mention that GOG has a beautiful I, SI2- 3.09 carats. it has faint fluorescence. i recently saw the stone in person, and i will tell you it was definitely very white.

http://www.goodoldgold.com/3_09ct_i_si2_h&a.htm

 

[walter123]

I actually have decided to use good old gold to purchase my diamond although I probably wont buy for a couple of months....I have been looking on their site and I did come across that beautiful 3.09 diamond...the problem is that is is a few thousand out of my budget which is why i might go for a J and not a H&A, although cut is high on my list....I thinking 2.8 ish might be a better size because i havnt found any 3carats with si-2 j med blue flourescense within my budget (17,000).

 

[valeria101]

GOG has something called "drop-ship" price that might sound better.

There is a "B-type" H&A stone listed (with this funny name) on NiceIce - it makes a good example of what I meant by "near ideal but not quite".

 

[iknowquinn]

that's great that you are gong through GOG...we are as well, and i can tell you everyone there is an unbeliveable pleasure to work with...and i love how excited and passionate jonathan is about his stones! i will say though- after all the research we did, and seeing so many stones in person at all different places, and of all different qualities- i would NOT compromise on cut. comprise on something else- anything else. the difference the cut makes is all the difference in the world. it is everything, and it makes a diamond sensational. that is my opinion...when you see the stones in person, i believe you will see what i mean. anyway- just thought i would throw in my 2 cents. i have learned SO much from this forum, and am now at the very end of my "diamond search"- ready to make the purchase...and the stone we are ending up with from GOG is absolutely breathtaking- and it is all due to its cut.

 

[walter123]

I just looked at Niceice but they didnt have any diamonds abover 2ct. in their inventory...I also know you shouldnt judge a book by its cover but for some reason I just hate their website layout...too much going on....kinda like usacerted....i dont know why but it just bugs me

 

[walter123]

Im glad to hear you are having a good experience with GOG....After everything I have heard, it seems like they are the best fit for me....I agree with you on cut...i think its definetely important but will say that as long as its pretty close to ideal I wont complain....Im not going for perfection although I certainly wont rule it out

 

[eyesoftexas]

I have a K diamond with medium to strong blue flouresce. and it faces up pretty white in its platinum setting. The milky or oily appearence only happens in less than 1% of all the diamonds that strongly flouresce so it is actually a rare thing but you should be on the lookout for it anyways. In the higher colors (I/J/K/L/M) I would prefer medium to strong blue.

 

[walter123]

So is it safe to assume that a well cut J will look white against a platinum setting if it has med-strong blue flourescese?

 

[Giangi]

Most J's face up fine in platinum or white gold. But it's all about the size you're considering, the cutting proportions (a great make helps the face up of the stone), the presence/absence of blue fluorescence and the rough it was cut from. Of course some fluorescence would help, but remember that from the side it's always a J. But it's really a stone-by-stone call. PQCollectibles, a diamond afficionado that posts here, has an *amazing* and extremely white looking J/VS superideal cut diamond. So, before plunking down the $$ for a 3ct stone, I would ask the vendor to lay the stone on a blank setting to see how it looks. But, to be honest, I would consider also 2.50 caraters in HI color and SI clarity. J color is great, but a 3ct is almost 9.5mm across, so I think you could start seeing some color.
One more thing... I'd be careful about SI 2's... Most of them are not going to be eye-clean at 3cts. So don't rule out a slightly smaller, but whiter SI 1.

 

[valeria101]

The 'puzzle' below is called "SI- Which?" : both are SI, only one EC is SI1 and the other SI2. I know the pictures are not great, but no important details were 'lost' to the xerox machine nevertheless.

This is just 'cause I feal nasty today

Actually, both SI (#1 and #2) should be seen to be believed - and deciding on SI1 or SI2 based only on price does not sound good to me - there are eye clean and visibly included stones in each category. It makes sense to buy an IF without wanting to see the inclusions (at 100X?) but it makes less sense to go overboard for the sake of safety, when each particular diamond, not the "average" counts.

Same deal with J: both the cut and medium fluorescence should blurr the line between I and J when conditions are favorable (this means UW for fluo and light for the cut! - obviously the second is the more available!!!).


Oh well, It may help allot asking to see a few stones I-J, clean SI with whatever fluorescence and good brilliance. If enough time is allowed, I suppose Jonathan could come up with 2-3 stones for you to choose from. If anything, it's better to decide with stone in hand

----------

And .... There are two such examples:

J-SI1, 2.53cts and 2.68 I-SI2, both at GOG

, both darn close to the look and feal of the respective 3-carater benchmark (8.8 and resp. 9.(little) mm diameter, next to the 9.5 of a 3cts).

---------