going from lurker to proposer

[ospray]

Hey all,

I have been lurking these forums for a few months now, trying to soak up knowledge from all the experts here. I think I''m starting to catch on, but as I prepare to buy this thing, I think I''m ready for some advice! Here is what I THINK I''m looking for...

3/4 carat round brilliant
SI1 (eye-clean, of course)
H color
like any good pricescope reader, I have learned to value CUT above all, and I am happy to pay for it.
Budget = around $3000 (give or take) for the stone

my clarity and color decisions were made with the idea of getting the most bang for my buck. Neither my gf or myself is a diamond connoisseur by any stretch of the imagination...but I want something that will look great on a white gold/platinum pave setting, and sparkle all the time!

When I plug these specifications into a GoodOldGold or BlueNile search, I am left with a number of diamonds that all sort of look the same to me. I understand how to plug data into the Holloway Cut Advisor and look for a 1-2, but this only gets me so far.

If you were in my shoes, what would you be looking for in a diamond? I can''t make a lot of sense of all the Idealscope, Sarin reports, etc. etc. that come attached to the diamonds I am finding on these sites. Should I be looking for something in particular? I am ready to bow to your superior knowledge...

 

[neatfreak]

Here are a few great choices (make sure they are eyeclean):

http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-1467053.htm

http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-1445166.htm

These are a top notch cut and meet all your other specs. There will also be a small additional discount on the price if you pay by bankwire.

 

[neatfreak]

And here are a few from GOG if you want to buy from them:

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/5127/

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/4705/

I personally like to avoid Bluenile as they have no upgrade policy and they don't provide the same level of customer service as WF and GOG.

 

[JulieN]

I get too many results to look over...

We can pursue this two different ways:

pick another variable to optimize after cut, such has color, clarity, carat weight, or a "hard" upper limit on your budget.

OR, fine-tune your cut preferences, such as BIC, TIC, or FIC.

 

[:)]

Love your thread title!

 

[ospray]

neatfreak - thank you for these awesome suggestions! i had not been spending much time on whiteflash, and i would have totally missed these two. i think i will take your advice and pass on bluenile. Sites like WF and GOG seem to have me covered. I am happy to see that one of your GOG suggestions (the H color) was one that I had also picked out as a contender. At least I feel like I am on the right track (phew!)

JulieN - I had to go look up the difference between TIC, BIC, and FIC after reading your post. I had been looking for TIC range in the Cut Adviser, but I had never even heard of BIC or FIC. After reading about them, I''m still not sure I totally get it. Is the deal with TIC just that it is the most well-rounded in terms of light return, but you also pay a premium for the name recognition?

Here is another newbie question about CUT: How much difference will we notice between a Hearts & Arrows diamond versus an unbranded AGS Ideal? (keeping the <1 carat size in mind)

THANK YOU!!!

 

[JulieN]

Date: 12/1/2008 1:08:24 AM
Author: ospray

JulieN - I had to go look up the difference between TIC, BIC, and FIC after reading your post. I had been looking for TIC range in the Cut Adviser, but I had never even heard of BIC or FIC. After reading about them, I''m still not sure I totally get it. Is the deal with TIC just that it is the most well-rounded in terms of light return, but you also pay a premium for the name recognition?


Here is another newbie question about CUT: How much difference will we notice between a Hearts & Arrows diamond versus an unbranded AGS Ideal? (keeping the <1 carat size in mind)


THANK YOU!!!

It is most well-rounded in terms of balance between brightness and fire. To have high levels of brightness, you will have less fire, and vice versa. You will pay a premium for a branded TIC, but that isn''t the issue as much as some people prefer fire over brightness, for example. Most people will be very happy with a TIC, but some prefer a different balance.

It is unlikely for you to notice any difference between an H&A and a "regular" ideal stone that has good arrows. You''d probably have to be a diamond cutter, or someone else who sees many, many diamonds, before you might see a difference.

 

[Miss Fortune]

Date: 11/30/2008 11:19:14 PM
Author: neatfreak
And here are a few from GOG if you want to buy from them:


http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/5127/


http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/4705/


I personally like to avoid Bluenile as they have no upgrade policy and they don''t provide the same level of customer service as WF and GOG.

great advice! I wish I would have bought my diamond studs somewhere where I was able to upgrade. BIG mistake on my part. Lots of folks get gorgeous rounds from WR and GOG. Good luck!!