Hearts and Arrows, ideal cut, or ****ty and large

[proposer]

That is my question. I have been looking around for about 4 months now and I am torn between a smaller "hearts and arrows/ideal cut" or a larger less quality stone. someone give me the quick and dirty. She is 5'3 and weighs 110 pounds her ring size is 5 1/2. I want to spend about $5,000. My problem is that I dont think I have actually seen an "ideal" round brilliant diamond so I have nothing to compare to. THANKS for your input. If I got a 1 carat "Hearts and Arrows" but the color was J and quality was SI1 would this be obviously better/brighter to a novice like myself?

I'm pretty sure I know what the response will be on this board, but I wanted to get input anyway.

 

[Caratz]

Personally I would never get anything other than a well cut stone. You should have no problem finding a well-cut 1 ct G-H color vs-2/si-1 stone for about $5000. If you limit your search to AGS stones you will know the crown and pavilion angles and will be able to get a good estimate of overall performance by using the Holloway Cut Adviser.

Be sure to come back and post what you end up buying . . .

 

[swift]

There are many well-cut stones out there which are not brand name ideal-cut stones. If you are trying to save money, you should be able to get a beautifully cut stone without paying the premium for a name, especially if you can see the stone before you buy. If you are buying blind over the internet, you may be willing to pay extra for the assurance of that name, SuperbCert, Eight Star or Hearts on Fire, for example. That's why people shop at Tiffany's or Mikimoto, because the name guarantees a certain level of quality. But of course Tiffany's or Mikimoto are not the only places where you can get that quality.

Make sure that the merchant you deal with has an excellent reputation and offers a satisfaction or money-back guarantee. Choosing where to buy jewelry is half the battle - I know several stores in my area that offer only better quality jewelry with reasonable margins (mark-up), fair and honest business practices and I would recommend them with no qualms. They are entitled to make a profit and stay in business.

The bigger internet stores with large followings also have a reputation to protect. They may not have the very best prices but sites like Mondera, Blue Nile and Ashford have their fans.

Your fiancee sounds like a small woman, a one-carat will look substantial on her hand. Have you considered a 90-point stone (just shy of one carat)? You could save money on the per-carat price and put that towards a higher quality stone or a fabulous setting (that can cost you another couple thousand for an elaborate platinum one!)

Good luck and happy hunting!

 

[Jess]

Hi! I am a girl, so let me try. 1st off, I think the quality of the cut is #1--you probably knew that, but I also want something that you can see. I agree with going just under the 1carat mark. There is a pretty big price jump at the major size markers. Get one that has a lower depth and it will look just as big or bigger than some 1c's out there. You can search all day long on pricescope, but I would suggest getting in touch with one or several of the venders, tell them what you want, and see what they can do. I know Jonathan and goodoldgold.com only lists some of the stones that he has, but I hear he is very helpful, as are other venders listed on this site. I don't know, I think I would try the other ones like dirtcheapdiamonds.com, azbias, etc. before going to bluenile, mondera and the more expensive ones. See what you can get! and let us know what you find. The folks on this site are really really helpful!
Jess

 

[Babylon1023]

Hello there proposer,

For starters, that's the exact same situation I'm in now (how old are you guys btw?). Let me tell you it's easy to find a great one carat rock for $5K, and I'm not talking about the garbage ones either. I've been in the research phase for a few months now, and I'd be happy to share with you what I've learned so far. First off, in my area at least, I avoid local jewelers. Unless you really know the people well and trust them, or if they are an above average jeweler, odds are they're selling you mediocre stones at prices that rival the Ideal cuts of most online vendors. Personally, I like BlueNile.com for several reasons. Their selection is extensive, their settings are beautiful, their polices are great, and their customer service reps are more than helpful to answer any and all questions you may have for them. You'd do well to call them up and see what they can tell you, and they don't even pressure you into buying anything. They also come complete with either GIA or AGS certificates and a laquered wood ring box (sure to impress).

As far as the specifics of the diamond are concerned, I'm betting you're looking for the most shiny, sparkly, and firey diamond you can buy for your money, but also want a big rock to boot. Internet vendors make both wishes possible while sticking to your price range. Here's what I was told. If you want the best diamond that's noticable to the naked human eye, which is white and free of ugly inclusions, you should look for an SI-1 or better stone with an H or better color grade. I've seen a few SI-1's in person and belive me you can't spot these inclusions due to their tiny size and all the sparkly action going on in there. Colorwise, H is pretty white topside. There is an ever so faint hint of yellow on the side (just as there is a faint spec or two of inclusion on the side of an SI-1), but to hell with side viewing. I mean is she REALLY gonna look at the side and be critical when on the top it is white, clean, glittering like crazy? I think not. Especially if you get a six prong setting to further cover yourself, err, I mean, protect the diamond.

Don't expect perfection with a $5K budget. That's MORE than we should sanely spend on almost anything, and the small minute differences anything above that price bracket will buy is not worth it man! Pretty, sparkly, white, big, BAM! You're set. Microscopic perfection and gemologist level clarity can be damned when we're on a budget. PS, I've seen Hearts on Fire diamonds, which is one of the most popular incarnation of H&A diamonds, and let me tell you, to the naked eye, you aren't gonna notice much difference between that and a non brand name Ideal cut. He had one there for comparison, and he wanted FOUR THOUSAND dollars more for the HoF. That's just plain crazy. And don't go below .9 carats just to get super perfection either. The larger facets on a 1 carat rock more than cover minute differences in cut variances.

Well, that's my advice. Do what I did and call up as many online vendors as possible to get the most input and advice, and go to a local jeweler to see what clarity, carat, and color you're comfortable with (just try not to laugh when you see how their cut sucks). Also, if you're willing to drive, the Hearts on Fire website has a listing of jewelers that carry those diamonds, that way you can see what an Ideal cut diamond looks like (very pretty indeed). When it comes down to cruch time though, nothing beats online vendors like Blue Nile and the rest. Follow that advice, and your $5K budget will yield a rock the likes of which she has never seen before! Good luck man!

 

[pricescope]

Babylon1023, great post - thanks!

 

[proposer]

i was travelling all last week and to my surprise this thread grew to be very helpful!!!!

Thanks.