FLY stone owners how do you select a good stone.. HCA??

[rocksjust4me]

I am looking around for a fancy light yellow or light yellow cushion or emerald cut, both of which I know nothing about. What should I watch for, can you use HCA to eliminate a stone as you can with RB? Who is the best online vendor?

I would like to set the stone in a halo setting. I am thinking I want about 1.5 carats...would love larger, but may have to go smaller for this self-purchased treat.

Any tips that you can share?

 

[kenny]

I am looking around for a fancy light yellow or light yellow cushion or emerald cut, both of which I know nothing about. What should I watch for, can you use HCA to eliminate a stone as you can with RB? Who is the best online vendor?

I would like to set the stone in a halo setting. I am thinking I want about 1.5 carats...would love larger, but may have to go smaller for this self-purchased treat.

Any tips that you can share?

IMO, Leibish is the best vendor for FCDs. www.leibish.com
I've bought 20 FCDs from them and returned 8 for no–questions-asked-refunds with no hassles.
I don't like diamondsbylauren after reading 10 years of his obnoxious IMO unethical posts here on PS and because for his Internet pics he shines light into the pavilion of his diamonds which conceals diamonds that leak and window.
Leibish's photography is much more honest IMO.

The reason you cannot use the HCA for round FCDs is because GIA grading reports for FCDs do not document the (HCA-required) crown and pavilion angles or crown or pavilion heights.

Since the rough material is so valuable and higher color grades are MUCH more valuable, FCDs are cut to strengthen the color, often by forcing the light to bounce around several times before finally exiting out the top - or leaving the diamonds deep so the light gets more tinted by traveling through more tinted material.
D-Z "White" diamonds are color graded table-down and looking into the pavilion, but FCDs are color graded face up looking into the crown ... another reason for their different approach to cutting.

The price of FCDs is set by color strength/attractiveness MUCH more than by light performance/cut.
If they can cut the rough to get a better GIA color grade they make MUCH more money than if they had cut the same rough for good light performance.

Wanting good light performance from an FCD will get many people to throw tomatoes at you - they throw them at me.

I DO try to pick FCDs with good light performance ... but I have bought some with horrible light performance because the color was rare and sublime.
If you are considering a yellow FCD you can be a bit more picky with cut than you can with other colors since yellow is one of the most abundant FCD colors.
FCDs with good color AND light performance are few and far between, but if you have the time and patience one diamond exhibiting both good color and cut is worth the wait.
I have one or two.

I'm sure mentioning holding out for good cut pisses off FCD vendors.
I can't blame them; they want to sell all the FCDs in their safe.

 

[rocksjust4me]

Thank you Kenny! Great information!

Based on the information you have shared what criteria do I use to eliminate poor performers? I see I have a lot to learn about fcd's. Do you recommend looking in person as opposed to buying online?

What would be your ideal specs for a 1.5 carat fly cushion or emerald? Is vs clarity a must?
Also would you recommend buying the stone and setting from the same place?


I can see this may take me a while. I am going to look at Lebish.

Thank you!

 

[kenny]

So if you can't use the HCA how would I pick a FLY diamond?

I'd compare the top-view pics of several side by side, but only from the same vendor, because they are likely to have the same photo set up and lighting).

Here are 8 Fancy light yellows from Leibish.
Just based on this pic I prefer the one on the bottom, second from the right.
It has more-even yellow color, edge to edge.
Minimum white and black in the pic.
The yellow is also more clean and 'pretty' to my eyes.

Keep in mind that each of GIA's FCD color grades is a very wide range.
Two diamonds with the same grade can look VERY different and this will affect their price.

 

[kenny]

Thank you Kenny! Great information!

Based on the information you have shared what criteria do I use to eliminate poor performers? I see I have a lot to learn about fcd's. Do you recommend looking in person as opposed to buying online?

What would be your ideal specs for a 1.5 carat fly cushion or emerald? Is vs clarity a must?
Also would you recommend buying the stone and setting from the same place?


I can see this may take me a while. I am going to look at Lebish.

Thank you!

Clarity preference is personal.
Get out and view lots of diamonds of various clarities, but only those graded by GIA, the lab that hopefully will have graded your FCD.
Cushion cut will conceal inclusions better than emerald cut will.
Since emerald cut will not amp up the color by sending the light bouncing back and forth as many times as cushion cut does you won't find many emerald cut FCDs, which probably makes emerald cut FCDs more expensive than cushions.

Yes, when possible buy the setting and stone from the same vendor.
If you send a stone from vendor X to vendor Y to be set they may not insure it during the setting.
If you buy both from the same vendor and they damage the stone during setting you are better-protected from the finger-pointing blame game.

Viewing FCDs in person is certainly better.
Leibish is in Israel.

I bought several FCD from Leibish based on their online pics and can say their pics are very honest and accurate.
My hobby is gem photographer so I know accuracy is very challenging and admirable in FCD pics.

I've had the opportunity of viewing Lebish's FCDs in person and it was so much more satisfying than viewing pics online, but again the issue was not color or saturation accuracy.
In person you can really experience the cut and personality as you tilt the diamond under the light.

Leibish is very understanding that you have to see it first to be sure, which is why their 30-day money back guarantee is so nice.

 

[marymm]

Leibish in an excellent vendor; I can also recommend New York City-based Diamonds by Lauren http://www.diamondsbylauren.com/ - if you do a PS search (use the vendor name or its acronym "DBL"), you'll find many PS threads. I've bought from both vendors and have been more than satisfied with their products and customer service policies.

Both Leibish and DBL also have eBay storefronts:

Leibish - http://stores.ebay.com/myfancydiamonds/
DBL - http://stores.ebay.com/Diamonds-by-Lauren