HA and OCD

[proto]

Recently purchased a diamond which had excellent contrast patterns, but not a true HA diamond.

link below for details

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/0-91ct-e-vs2-views-from-members-gratefully-received.201796/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/0-91ct-e-vs2-views-from-members-gratefully-received.201796/[/URL]

The diamond is beautiful and light performance even in dim lighting is excellent. It sparkes in a dark room, only illumination source being my laptop monitor set on low, and cupped behind my hand!

However the lack of perfect HA contrast pattern is bugging the hell out of me. Not going to return the diamond, but has anyone else had this phenomenon?

If I ever buy a diamond again, I am 100% going to pay the extra for ACA/BGS/CBI and/or take a hit on colour/clarity.

Is this normal?

 

[Lorelei]

Recently purchased a diamond which had excellent contrast patterns, but not a true HA diamond.

link below for details

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/0-91ct-e-vs2-views-from-members-gratefully-received.201796/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/0-91ct-e-vs2-views-from-members-gratefully-received.201796/[/URL]

The diamond is beautiful and light performance even in dim lighting is excellent. It sparkes in a dark room, only illumination source being my laptop monitor set on low, and cupped behind my hand!

However the lack of perfect HA contrast pattern is bugging the hell out of me. Not going to return the diamond, but has anyone else had this phenomenon?

If I ever buy a diamond again, I am 100% going to pay the extra for ACA/BGS/CBI and/or take a hit on colour/clarity.

Is this normal?

Yes. It certainly can be Proto. The thing is, as you are now very well aware, you come here or find us when you are close to pulling the trigger, find out that you did great with your intended diamond, pull the trigger, then find out you can go further still into the realms of the superideals with not only top levels of light performance, but ultra precision cut to display the most beautiful and precise h&a patterning.

But different strokes, some absolutely have to have IF or VS clarity, others colourless stones only, what makes a stone ' mind clean' depends very much on the individual, so you are not alone. For me, I like I or J colour and SI2 clarity as clean as possible or even I1, well cut and the most size I can get, I am not worried for myself for precise optical symmetry.

DiamondSeeker likes her VS clarity grades for her diamonds unless her preference has changed over the years, I am sure she will let me know if so.

But what makes up the best ' recipe' for an individual's diamond varies tremendously.

If you don't want to change this one Proto, I would say to consider it even though it's a cracking stone while you have the chance in case you regret it, although it's absolutely beautiful, it's a lot of money and a big emotional investment if you would rather have something else such as one of the branded h&a you mention above.

 

[dazza29128]

I bought a ACA and i honestly cant even see the perfect arrows unless looking at it through the h&a viewer, have been trying to get photos of it but cannot get one that shows all arrows perfect like some other peoples pictures. Kind of irritating tbh, a near h&a would of probably sufficed. Beauty of hindsight i spose

 

[luvdajules]

Hi proto, if you are ill at ease in any way, please return that stone during the return policy. Since being on PS, my "diamond eyes" have been trained more now and I see things I did not see before, and once seen can't unsee. As you live with diamonds, you'll see more and more and you may feel differently about this new acquisition and feel regret that you didn't return when you had the chance. How long have you had it? Less than a week? If the return period is 30 days, maybe give yourself another week or two with it, then make a final decision so you are very sure about your feelings. It sounds like you picked a nice stone, though...takes guts! FWIW, I feel very confident that I'll only take the plunge with one of those branded ones you mentioned for a ring.

 

[teobdl]

proto--are you interested in my H SI1 BGS? Same diameter. It is absolutely a knockout, like any BGS. I just want to go bigger and am willing to sacrifice some cut precision. Find me in preloved.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Lorelei is exactly right...we all have to set our own preferences, and few of us have unlimited budgets! So we all have to set our parameters for specs that are comfortable for us (mindclean is another word we use for that). She is right that I always order VS1-VS2. I really wish that wasn't necessary for me, because I could save money going to SI. But because I am older and have had jewelry in the past that wasn't so great, I concentrate now on quality in all areas to the degree I can. I do go into the near colorless range to get the size I want. G-H is really fine with me, and my current ring diamond is I color because that is the highest color GOG had in the size range I wanted and none were expected in higher in the near future (I had one of their H&A stones and a non-H&A prior to that). Fortunately if the color ever bothers me, I can simply trade it the stone in for one with higher color, and that is the advantage to using a vendor with unconditional trade in policies. I think I and a lot of others here are a little OCD, too!

luvdajules has a good point. I think your diamond looks FINE, but if you think there is any possibility you will be sorry you didn't go with a H&A, the time to do the change is now since you went with a vendor with a restrictive trade-in policy. I see they advised you about platinum alloys, and I did get a Vatche ring with the 90/10iridium through Good Old Gold.

 

[proto]

this would be perfect for a 6 prong or similar, but sadly is going back as I wanted an open setting.

there is a tiny inclusion in the middle of the diamond which is invisible from the face up, but when looked at from the side, it looks huge.

from the cutlet down, it is invisible so I guess I am just looking at 100 reflections of the same tiny feather over and over again from certain angles only.

time to break it to the missus...

 

[Lorelei]

this would be perfect for a 6 prong or similar, but sadly is going back as I wanted an open setting.

there is a tiny inclusion in the middle of the diamond which is invisible from the face up, but when looked at from the side, it looks huge.

from the cutlet down, it is invisible so I guess I am just looking at 100 reflections of the same tiny feather over and over again from certain angles only.

time to break it to the missus...

I am sorry Proto but best to get it right now without penalty as you have the opportunity to do so. Plus you can get the branded H&A you wished you had once you knew more about them, so it will be a win in the long run.

 

[proto]

er... slightly red faced. False alarm

this massive inclusion that is visible from the side which made me want to return the diamond?

yeah... thats a girdle reflection.

FML

 

[OoohShiny]

Is it like the images in this thread?

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/defect-in-my-stone.102888/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/defect-in-my-stone.102888/[/URL]

I guess girdle reflection is technically a good thing because your diamond cut must be doing what it should!

 

[Lorelei]

er... slightly red faced. False alarm

this massive inclusion that is visible from the side which made me want to return the diamond?

yeah... thats a girdle reflection.

FML

OOPS! Don't worry, you aren't the first to be caught, nor will you be the last! It didn't even dawn on me that was what you were seeing from the description so well done for checking it out. So you are keeping it then?

 

[Lorelei]

I am going to post an image from the thread Shiny linked, below are images of typical girdle reflection.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I remember the first time I saw the girdle reflection in my original diamond! I thought it was a terrible crack and from that point on, I was unhappy with my diamond! It actually did have a black inclusion that I did not notice for years! Thus my seeking of only VS1 and VS2 now!

VS2's can possibly show inclusions from the side, so it is always a good idea to ask. Clarity is graded face up and has nothing to do with what can be seen from the side.

 

[proto]

Thanks for all the support PSers!

Keeping the diamond - I think I enjoy looking at it more than my girlfriend will! The fire it gives off is insane although not quote seeing the huge flashes of light like in some youtube videos - must try it in a brighter environment or spotlighting I suppose.

The "massive inclusion from the side" is indeed the girdle reflection and is exactly like the pictures. The thread where the pictures came from is what finally resolved the mystery for me and put my mind at ease.

After going through a period of thinking I was going to return the stone and get a much larger princess cut from Whiteflash and looking at whole new settings, I decided to go for a brand new setting in 90/10 plat. Is costing an extra 100 bucks and will need to pay import VAt at 20% and pay an extra 100 bucks or so to get it set locally, but I think the peace of mind in getting the exact setting I want is worth it. http://www.whiteflash.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/the-katie-solitaire-engagement-ring-1267.htm They confirmed that they can make it fit 91 points notwithstanding their 1-3 carat size estimate.

Teobdl - good luck in your search for a larger stone. I would have gone for bigger myself even if I had returned it, so trading or the like would not have worked out, especially with VAT issues and import duties.

 

[Lorelei]

Very glad you are happy Proto and don't worry about the girdle reflection, like I mentioned above, you certainly weren't the first nor will be the last to get caught out by that one!

The setting is beautiful and that's going to be an amazing ring, your GF is going to love it! All your hard work has really paid off.