While educating my self and researching what to look for in a stone I have came across a lot of great information, so much that I am now confused and clueless. I need help picking a stone and understanding certs still. I have came to the understanding from the blog that only GIA and AGS is reputable. Is EGL or others every acceptable if you are aware you might not be getting what the paper says?
I have looked at a number for stones from SI2 to even a few VVS1 and they all have varied on weather they are eye clean or if my amateur eyes could see anything through a loupe or microscope. The stones online i have had trouble with because my understanding is the magnification is 30x so everything small sticks out.
I was recently almost set on a GIA 2.04 SI1 G depth 62.1% Table:59%, Pav Angle:41.4 Polish: x Sym: x Flour: Faint but over $20k for this was too much for me. This stone was eye clean from top down but did have a black inclusion in the middle that was visible when you looked from the side. It is probably visible from top down in some light.
Recently I looked at an EGL- US Los Angeles stone that was said to be a VS1 2.00 H depth 61.7% Table:60%, Pav Angle:41.2 Cut:ideal Polish: x Sym:VG Flour: Faint.
Under a microscope I could only see the slightest inclusion 1 or 2 specs that were seemed opaque. The cost of this stone was around $15k which is more manageable.
I know from everything I have read the cert is likely soft. I was thinking that even if it was an VS2 or even SI1 the stone to me is cleaner than the GIA SI1's I have seen. In comparing the color to a couple gia stones in the store lights and sunlight the color didn't appear to be far off. The florescence is another factor that could be off. The diamond didn't appear dull and had a good amount of sparkle but i am guessing the cut might not be as Ideal as it is said to be. (I assume it was EGL and not GIA for a reason?)
Overall even though this is EGL and appears ok to me (a person who doesn't know diamonds) and realize this likely not as good as it seems should i still run?
Are their stones on James Allen or Blue Nile that are AGI that would be a better?
I have looked at a number for stones from SI2 to even a few VVS1 and they all have varied on weather they are eye clean or if my amateur eyes could see anything through a loupe or microscope. The stones online i have had trouble with because my understanding is the magnification is 30x so everything small sticks out.
I was recently almost set on a GIA 2.04 SI1 G depth 62.1% Table:59%, Pav Angle:41.4 Polish: x Sym: x Flour: Faint but over $20k for this was too much for me. This stone was eye clean from top down but did have a black inclusion in the middle that was visible when you looked from the side. It is probably visible from top down in some light.
Recently I looked at an EGL- US Los Angeles stone that was said to be a VS1 2.00 H depth 61.7% Table:60%, Pav Angle:41.2 Cut:ideal Polish: x Sym:VG Flour: Faint.
Under a microscope I could only see the slightest inclusion 1 or 2 specs that were seemed opaque. The cost of this stone was around $15k which is more manageable.
I know from everything I have read the cert is likely soft. I was thinking that even if it was an VS2 or even SI1 the stone to me is cleaner than the GIA SI1's I have seen. In comparing the color to a couple gia stones in the store lights and sunlight the color didn't appear to be far off. The florescence is another factor that could be off. The diamond didn't appear dull and had a good amount of sparkle but i am guessing the cut might not be as Ideal as it is said to be. (I assume it was EGL and not GIA for a reason?)
Overall even though this is EGL and appears ok to me (a person who doesn't know diamonds) and realize this likely not as good as it seems should i still run?
Are their stones on James Allen or Blue Nile that are AGI that would be a better?