Help choosing a diamond

[sporty-girl]

Hi,

I have been doing diamond research for awhile now and have spent some time lurking on this site. I find the more research I've done, the more confused I've become. My original wants were a .9 to 1 carat round cut, the specs were less important than wanting it to sparkle, be eye clean and not appear yellow. I am now just totally confused, so any opinions people can provide would be greatly appreciated. This is to be set in an engagement ring. I am trying to figure out exactly what I like so I can pass it on to my bf.

I found two diamonds on sites which don't have pictures, but seem to have pretty good specs and both score well on the hca.

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/0.900-j-vs2-round-diamond-gia-39686913 Scores .8 on hca ($3177)
http://www.b2cjewels.com/dd-2635234-0.87-carat-Round-diamond-J-color-SI1-clarity.aspx Scores 1.2 on hca ($2320)

Do you think a diamond can be chosen on specs alone?

I also found this on James Allen, it doesn't score as well on hca (4.0), but from what I read hca isn't always accurate...

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/J-VS2-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1507180.asp

I also found this diamond on good old gold

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/9663/ (smaller than I wanted, but a beautiful diamond)

& to further throw a wrench into things & to further confuse myself I found the round avc on gog...

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/9277/ (this is a smaller diamond than I wanted, but the price is pretty nice & I'm not sure how much I might notice the difference between a .75 & a .9)
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/9574/ (again smaller than I originally envisioned but very stunning)
As smaller diamonds do you think this unique cut would be noticeable in a real world setting?
Does anyone have a round avc in a .75 or .8 carat size that might be willing to share a picture so I could envision it...

The overall budget for this ring is around $3800 to my door & I live in Canada so I have to take into account taxes and duties that I will be charged to get it to my door. That being said, I am trying to go for the best diamond possible so the diamond will probably be set in a simple solitaire setting. I am thinking something 2 mm or less, in width, as my fingers are quite short & petite (size 4.25).

My head is just spinning with everything diamonds and I've become a little ocd about the whole thing. I am hoping someone can offer some advice. Sorry my post is so long, I just have so many questions.

Thanks in advance!
TDM

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Hi,

I have been doing diamond research for awhile now and have spent some time lurking on this site. I find the more research I've done, the more confused I've become. My original wants were a .9 to 1 carat round cut, the specs were less important than wanting it to sparkle, be eye clean and not appear yellow. I am now just totally confused, so any opinions people can provide would be greatly appreciated. This is to be set in an engagement ring. I am trying to figure out exactly what I like so I can pass it on to my bf.

I found two diamonds on sites which don't have pictures, but seem to have pretty good specs and both score well on the hca.

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/0.900-j-vs2-round-diamond-gia-39686913 Scores .8 on hca ($3177)
http://www.b2cjewels.com/dd-2635234-0.87-carat-Round-diamond-J-color-SI1-clarity.aspx Scores 1.2 on hca ($2320)

Do you think a diamond can be chosen on specs alone?

I also found this on James Allen, it doesn't score as well on hca (4.0), but from what I read hca isn't always accurate...

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/J-VS2-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1507180.asp

I also found this diamond on good old gold

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/9663/ (smaller than I wanted, but a beautiful diamond)

& to further throw a wrench into things & to further confuse myself I found the round avc on gog...

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/9277/ (this is a smaller diamond than I wanted, but the price is pretty nice & I'm not sure how much I might notice the difference between a .75 & a .9)
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/9574/ (again smaller than I originally envisioned but very stunning)
As smaller diamonds do you think this unique cut would be noticeable in a real world setting?
Does anyone have a round avc in a .75 or .8 carat size that might be willing to share a picture so I could envision it...

The overall budget for this ring is around $3800 to my door & I live in Canada so I have to take into account taxes and duties that I will be charged to get it to my door. That being said, I am trying to go for the best diamond possible so the diamond will probably be set in a simple solitaire setting. I am thinking something 2 mm or less, in width, as my fingers are quite short & petite (size 4.25).

My head is just spinning with everything diamonds and I've become a little ocd about the whole thing. I am hoping someone can offer some advice. Sorry my post is so long, I just have so many questions.

Thanks in advance!
TDM

Okay, I'd rule out the first two because they are virtual stones and there is not enough information on them. If you want to buy from Brian Gavin, by all means by one of his signature stones that he has cut for his inventory. Otherwise, there are cheaper places to buy virtual stones.

I think you can find a better cut stone than the James Allen .90 J VS2.

Good Old Gold: The .84 J SI1 superior stone is fine. The .75 J I1 AVR stone has been clarity enhanced to improve the clarity. Since it has their lifetime trade-in policy, I think it would be fine if it didn't bother you that it had been clarity enhanced. The .80 K VS2 AVR looks great, but that stone definitely will have a tint to it. That would depend on how color sensitive you are. I adore AVR's and am planning to get one soon myself. But do you love antique settings? It is a newly cut antique style diamond. I think you will be drawn more to one style or the other. I can post a picture of a modern round brilliant and an AVR if you'd like. The AVR's are going to be pretty much the same size as regular round diamonds. AVC's, like most cushion cuts, are deeper and will face up smaller for their weight.

I adore