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Help between 4 options - lab is the main difference

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james rodriguez

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jun 30, 2021
Messages
23
I am torn between 4 options - the main difference is the lab. I know GIA >>> everything else, but the price is between $600 - 1k over the others.

The goal: round cut, near 2ct as possible, super ideal cut, H or above, VS1 or above.
The ring will likely be yellow gold so I figured an H would pair nicely with that combo.

Right now I am leaning heavily towards the IGI ones - but not sure if there is anything seriously wrong with them. I think the GIA is great too, but adding the ring and tax, it is slightly above what I had planned on spending.

Any help would be appreciated!

2215372238.jpg311440008.jpg
 

Attachments

Do you have pics of the 2 stones? From the proportions alone, I honestly prefer the IGI.

EDIT. oops, I missed the 2 other certs that were attachments not pics. I would recommend re-posting those as images since it's easier to see vs downloading stuff
 
I am new to this website and cannot figure out how to edit the original post. But here are the 2 IGI ones.

Thank you for taking the time! LG468104904-1.jpgLG450048835-1.jpg
 
Pics of the stones would help a lot
 
This is the GIA 2.12

GIA_2.12.jpg


This is the IGI 2.14
IGI_2.14.jpg


This is the IGI 2.02
IGI.202.png

Finally, this is the GCAL 2.18

GCAL_2.18.png
 
I don't like the 2.02 so I would eliminate that one.

The GCAL one is hard to see from the pic you attached. Can you put the stone on hold and send us the direct link to the video?

The GIA one I like more than I expected given the angles in the certificate. It's not perfect, but it's solid.

The IGI 2.14 looks good in the pics but I would want to see it "in motion" because I don't love how the arrows don't look "even" in that pic.
 
Thank you for your time and looking at the pictures!!

I really like the GIA one too - I think I initially fell in love with it but then it increased in price by ~$600 in a week. Nearly 7k for that stone now.

This is the 2.14 and this is the GCAL

I think my own ranking is IGI 2.14 > GIA > GCAL > IGI 2.02 - the difference between IGI 2.14 and GIA is around $700.
 
I think I'd place the GCAL above the 2.14 IGI because I like the arrows and overall look better.

Without a video of the GIA it's hard for me to compare it to either of the other two.
 
Can you elaborate on the arrows + overall look? I plan to pair it with a yellow gold ring. In my mind, they both look...the same? the biggest difference (that I can see) is just in the lab.

I am torn about the GCAL bc I have read a ton about the IGI pros and cons, but there seems to be less info about where GCAL ranks.

This is the GIA one. Is it worth an extra $700?
 
The extra cost of the inarguably more accurate GIA report will only be for your own peace-of-mind benefit, since the retained value of all LGD is next to nothing.

With this in mind, here is my list based on my personal preferences:
1. IGI 2.14
2.IGI 2.04
3. GIA 2.12
4. GCAL 2.18*

* appears to be a blue nuanced HPHT - you're either going to love it or hate it.

The CVD diamonds may lean slightly brown, brownish-pink, or grayish-silver, so be vigilant and determine if that would be a bother to you or not.

My list above mostly stems from my own super picky criteria about crown height, crown angle, and pavilion angle ranges.
Bearing in mind that, if someone were to give me one out of the four for free, then I certainly wouldn't punch them for it because I think any of them would be a great choice.

Have you looked for any E and F VS2-SI1 diamonds?
 
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Thank you!!

Your comment gave me relief and a nice laugh (I hope you dont have to punch anyone! :) )

I heard about the blue hue of HPHT and then found out the CVD have a brown one lol. I guess life is all about pros/cons. Did you notice any brown hue from the IGI/GIA ones?

Do you think the stones being sold between 6 - 7k is a fair value?

Edit - just saw your question about e and F FS2 - SI1. I have not. Do you recommend going up in color and down in clarity?
 
james rodriguez said:
Thank you!!

Your comment gave me relief and a nice laugh (I hope you dont have to punch anyone! :) )

I heard about the blue hue of HPHT and then found out the CVD have a brown one lol. I guess life is all about pros/cons. Did you notice any brown hue from the IGI/GIA ones?

Do you think the stones being sold between 6 - 7k is a fair value?

Edit - just saw your question about e and F FS2 - SI1. I have not. Do you recommend going up in color and down in clarity?
Click to expand...

IGI is known to be a bit looser in their grading criteria compared to GIA and AGS, so what IGI considers an H may very well be a grade or two lower at GIA...just some food for thought. And I say this as someone whom recently bought an IGI LGD (see my sig below for the specs) for my wife. :)

I've only checked James Allen for price comparisons, and their IGI LGD H VS1's between 2.01 to 2.04 come in between $5500-5600.

Absolutely consider E-F VS2-SI1, which should land you in the 2.1-2.25ct range (maybe even higher weight, depending where you buy from) for $6-7K.
It may take a bit of due diligence to rule out any cases of moderately bothersome inclusions (or even severely, in the rarer cases of permeating clouding/haziness), but the effort can pay off in dividends.
 
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If you aren't opposed to dropping a little carat weight but still hitting that 8mm mark, here's a 1.96 F VS1 for under $5800

www.jamesallen.com

Lab-Created 1.96 Carat round diamond

This 1.96 carat Lab-Created round diamond F color vs1 clarity has Ideal proportions and a diamond grading report from IGI
www.jamesallen.com www.jamesallen.com
 
Wow that is an amazing looking stone!!

The downside of james allen is that I have looked through their settings but could not find one that was similar to what my partner wanted.



The specs for your wife's diamond are amazing! 1.2 on HCA is amazing!
 
james rodriguez said:
Wow that is an amazing looking stone!!

The downside of james allen is that I have looked through their settings but could not find one that was similar to what my partner wanted.



The specs for your wife's diamond are amazing! 1.2 on HCA is amazing!
Click to expand...

You don't have to buy the diamond and the setting from the same seller. ;)

Thank you for the kind words about my wife's diamond...I will pass it along. :)
 
Random question too - is it me, or is there an inclusion in the IGI 2.14 near the top? The certificate does not distinguish between growth remnants and feathers, but it kinda looks like a feather. If the diamond is seen from the back, it would be between 12 and 1 o clock. right by the edge of the diamond.

Now I am worried, if that is a feather on the girdle that would be bad news
 
james rodriguez said:
Random question too - is it me, or is there an inclusion in the IGI 2.14 near the top? The certificate does not distinguish between growth remnants and feathers, but it kinda looks like a feather. If the diamond is seen from the back, it would be between 12 and 1 o clock. right by the edge of the diamond.

Now I am worried, if that is a feather on the girdle that would be bad news
Click to expand...

I believe that's the symbol for either a needle or grain, not a feather. And it's extremely minor, so it should be absolutely fine.

Screenshot_20210702-160056.png
 
DejaWiz said:
If you aren't opposed to dropping a little carat weight but still hitting that 8mm mark, here's a 1.96 F VS1 for under $5800

www.jamesallen.com

Lab-Created 1.96 Carat round diamond

This 1.96 carat Lab-Created round diamond F color vs1 clarity has Ideal proportions and a diamond grading report from IGI
www.jamesallen.com www.jamesallen.com
Click to expand...

This is gorgeous
 
thank you all!
I felt much much much more confident getting the stone after yall's feedback!
 
@DejaWiz
since the retained value of all LGD is next to nothing.
I’ve heard this sentiment before.....

I’ve come to appreciate your passion and knowledge.....I’m curious how you came to this conclusion.
From my perspective, consumers have a hard time selling any diamond- EM or LG
It seems to me that a person holding a 2ct diamond which cost them $25k ( for:the EM) has a more difficult time recovering their investment in real dollars compared to someone needing to sell an LG diamond they paid $6k for.
Especially if it was carefully chosen.
Make sense?
 
Rockdiamond said:
@DejaWiz
since the retained value of all LGD is next to nothing.
I’ve heard this sentiment before.....

I’ve come to appreciate your passion and knowledge.....I’m curious how you came to this conclusion.
From my perspective, consumers have a hard time selling any diamond- EM or LG
It seems to me that a person holding a 2ct diamond which cost them $25k ( for:the EM) has a more difficult time recovering their investment in real dollars compared to someone needing to sell an LG diamond they paid $6k for.
Especially if it was carefully chosen.
Make sense?
Click to expand...

I agree...I merely tell people that, because a big part of the massive cost savings benefit of choosing an LGD is giving up the retained value.

I'm fine with that aspect, since I was able to get my wife around double the carat weight for the same money right off the bat, so upgrading/resale no longer needed to be on our pros column. People will vary in their personal viewpoints, so I feel it's best for anyone asking questions to learn to get to know the specific sacrifices of choosing LGD over natural.

i usually simplify it as this: if upgrading in the future is important, then stick with a natural diamond sold by a retailer that has an amazing upgrade program.
 
I think this topic deserves its own thread..........starting one soon
 
james rodriguez said:
Just got a new stone!
I am a tad worried it is slightly overpriced, it was $6400. any thoughts would be appreciated! :)
Click to expand...
I mean, yes, it is slightly more expensive than some others out there of similar specs, but my understanding is ADA won't sell stones with a potential myriad of issues that aren't disclosed on grading reports, so you are paying for them to have sifted those out of their offered inventory.

I paid a bit extra for Jon at Distinctive Gems to find my diamonds, and fine by me!
 
vintageinjune said:
I mean, yes, it is slightly more expensive than some others out there of similar specs, but my understanding is ADA won't sell stones with a potential myriad of issues that aren't disclosed on grading reports, so you are paying for them to have sifted those out of their offered inventory.

I paid a bit extra for Jon at Distinctive Gems to find my diamonds, and fine by me!
Click to expand...

That is a good point - the premium of peace of mind is worth it imo :)
 
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