Good Deal on a Diamond? Please Help?

[mindscape9]

Hi Everyone,

First, I'd like to say thank you to all of the professionals and knowledgeable people on this website who have been a tremendous resource to me in my search for a diamond for my soon-to-be fiance. I have never posted, but I have been "lurking" for some time. I think that I may have found a diamond that is a "good deal" but wanted to get some other opinions as well. Here are the details

Shape: Princess
Weight: 2.01
Color: H
Clarity: VS2
Polish: G
Symmetry: G
Girdle: Thin-Very Thick
Flouresence: None
Table: 75%
Depth: 76.5%
Dimensions: 6.79x6.72x5.14
IGI and GIA certified - I looked up the GIA report online using the number and it matched everything that I was told about the diamond. The diamond has the IGI number engraved on it and when I looked up the IGI report, it was identical to the GIA report and stated that it was based on the GIA report for the diamond.

The price I am being quoted for this stone is $11,400. Is this a good deal? I wasn't planning on getting engaged for a little while longer, but is it worth it to go ahead and buy this diamond for this price? Any input you can provide would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Mindscape9

 

[mindscape9]

Is there anyone out there that can help me on this? Is there any more info that I can supply that might be readily available (i.e. without having to have it sent out to get additional certifications, etc.)?

 

[Lorelei]

Mindscape welcome

Hang tight - there are folk here who are good with Princess cuts, Belle, Julie and Researcher to name some. When they log in I am sure they will be able to help you.

The only thing I can see off the bat is the girdle - thin to very thick is a large variation and this could be improved on. A concern is also the IGI and GIA cert. The GIA cert is far more desirable than the IGI, why does it have both? I would be very very cautious with that. Who is selling this diamond? No diamond needs 2 certs, especially a GIA and another.....Maybe someone can shed some light on this but it doesn't sound right to me.

 

[JulieN]

there is exactly 1 stone in the PS database in the 2.00-2.05 D-H IF-VS2 category. it is small face up (6.61x6.53) as well as extremely thin to extremely thick girdle (yikes!) and good/good on polish and symmetry. That''s a stone to avoid...

If all you''re looking for is a 2 ct H VS2, this may be the stone for you. Without more information, no one can tell you whether or not it''s a good deal.

 

[mindscape9]

Lorelei,

Thanks so much for your response. I thought that maybe I unwittingly violated some rule of pricecope posting and was being shunned for my ignorance…lol.

In terms of functionality – chipping, cracking, more light loss, etc., what are the implications of a wide range in the girdle? Also, I don’t know why the diamond has both certifications. I DO, however, know that the GIA certification was done first and the IGI cert is taken directly from the GIA report (GIA done Sep 2005, IGI Nov 2005). My only guess is that the diamond was first GIA certified and the owner wanted some concrete way to link the stone to the GIA report – i.e. sending the stone to IGI knowing that they would mention the GIA report in their cert AND engrave the stone with their report number. To me, a total novice, I thought this was a plus as it 100% confirms that the stone matches the one that was GIA certified. However, you (and a lot of other people on here) probably know way more than me so any info on why a second cert might mean trouble would be helpful.

To answer the final question, the stone is being sold by a upper-end B&M retailer. I have been looking online and trying to comparison shop and all the stones I have seen with a GIA cert and similar size, color, clarity, polish, sym, depth, and table are in the 12.5-14K range (I confess that I haven’t been looking very closely at girdle). Because of this odd discrepancy (B&M seeming to be cheaper than e-ring), I was wondering if I was missing something (like the girdle…lol).

Thanks again for your response and for putting my newbie self-consciousness at ease!

 

[mindscape9]

Hi JulieN,

Thanks so much for the response. I think I saw that one too (although I can''t find it right now for some reason) and, if I''m remembering correct, it was even priced higher than this one I am looking at. In your post, you mentioned needing more information - what kind of information would one need to more accurately gauge the quality of this diamond? Is this info that is available from the jewler?

I will say that when my GF and I went shopping, we found a setting she liked and placed this stone on the setting and it was by far the one that she liked the best (setting and stone combo). That makes me think that this type of stone is the right one, but after all of the horror stories I''ve read of paying too much for a diamond, as well as all the success stories I''ve read of people finding the perfect diamond for a great price, I want to make absolutely sure I''m doing the right thing before I jump in.

Also, I''ve only been looking for a few weeks, and I want to see if something like this at this price is pretty common or if this is a deal I should jump on - I''m not ready to propose yet (still in grad school), but I''ll go ahead and make this purchase if it truly is a deal that can''t be beat.

So while this stone might be "right," there are some other factors that I need to weigh to decide if it is perfect. I have to say, without the help of people like you and Lorelei, I would not even be this far along. Thanks so much!

 

[Lorelei]

I am so glad I was able to reassure you that you weren't being ignored !

Regarding the girdle variations, you want the girdle thicknesses to match as closely as you can in a perfect world, for example slightly thin to slightly thick etc. The girdle has a fair amount of variation here and in a Princess Cut you want to make sure there isn't a durability issue with the thin part - these shapes can be prone to chipping, not always but sometimes and you want to make sure the girdle isn't so thin that it might be prone to damage, especially if a pointed corner is involved.

With the cert I really don't know what to say as a GIA cert is a big asset in any diamond and a huge selling point, so why the IGI one I have no idea? I wonder if someone here knows in the industry, it would be good to find out.

I am wondering as Julie has had a look for you if there is maybe something in an SI1 or even a clean SI2 clarity that might work for you, but if you have seen this one and love it - the price is right then it might be a contender. Just check about that girdle if you decide to buy it - also 100 dollars or so for an independant appraisal would be a great idea too.

Found this - Julie can check the nuts and bolts of it, but it looks like it could be a great diamond. It's a little more than the one you have found but take a look anyway.

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/1773/

 

[mindscape9]

Thanks Lorelei,

You guys have been so helpful! I am going to go back by the store this afternoon and take another look at the stone - perhaps compare with others that are a little "better" and a little "worse" and see what I think about the differences. I''ll also try and get some more information and see if that brings me to any conclusions.

Thanks also for the link to the stone online - it is very beautiful and I will definitely give that one some serious thought as well.

Thanks!