Help choosing a diamond

[-Legallybrunette]

Hi everyone,

I'm a completely newbie, but I've been a longtime lurker.

My husband and I (well me) are upgrading my E-ring. As it was purchased when we were 20 and had the corresponding budget...

I want something modern and I've been working with this custom jeweler to make a tension set ring (vaguely similar to this).


I've got the CAD design complete for a 2 carat and had actually purchased a diamond recently. It looks absolutely beautiful.

Video

Certificate

However, I've recently been having second thoughts about the size of the stone as I know tension set rings tend to make the stone look smaller. Also, apparently DSS is a thing?

I've been considering these four:

2.52 VS1

2.52 VS2

2.72 VS2

2.94 VS2

Any advice from the (much smarter) than me community? My husband's insight so far has been--"I don't get it. It's a very expensive rock." . He also thinks 3 carats is too big (but really what does he know)

I'm inclined to go for the 2.52 VS2, as the inclusions look to be on the girdle which will hopefully be hidden by the tension setting, but I'm also concerned that inclusions on the girdle could lead to cracking etc? Or is that just for chips?

 

[monipod]

I think it's wise to go up to 2.5ct. My 2.2ct immediately looked smaller in a semi-bezel setting

...I'm also concerned that inclusions on the girdle could lead to cracking etc? Or is that just for chips?

I think you could get away with asking about tension settings in the Rocky Talk thread as long as you don't mention you're setting a MMD? Trade people will have a better idea and frequent that thread more often.

All inclusions technically compromise the integrity of a stone but I think the consensus is that it would take a significant blow to a diamond with a significant inclusion to cause damage. It just depends on the type of inclusion, how big it is and how close it is to the girdle.

 

[AprilBaby]

Run them thru the HCA and see how they score.

 

[-Legallybrunette]

I think it's wise to go up to 2.5ct. My 2.2ct immediately looked smaller in a semi-bezel setting

Ugh!! That’s like my nightmare. Beautiful stone and it ends up looking smaller. Also I love bezel set. Photos?

I think you could get away with asking about tension settings in the Rocky Talk thread as long as you don't mention you're setting a MMD?

As long as I don’t violate rules. I know that people have gotten shamed for pretending their stone was natural when it was lab made. Which seems a bit harsh as it’s all a diamond, but I can see why people who buy natural stones (with the corresponding price) don’t want the two to mix. Plus the strains etc.

 

[Eeveepenny]

I think you could get away with asking about tension settings in the Rocky Talk thread as long as you don't mention you're setting a MMD? Trade people will have a better idea and frequent that thread more often.

My advice would be to not post on the rocky talk thread. I got attacked my a member on this forum for asking general questions about diamonds and diamond settings on the rocky talk forum.

 

[OoohShiny]

My advice would be to not post on the rocky talk thread. I got attacked my a member on this forum for asking general questions about diamonds and diamond settings on the rocky talk forum.

Really? I don't recall seeing that but I'm sorry to hear that was the case.

My personal opinion would be asking about Tension Settings in the Rockytalky forum would be perfectly acceptable, as would asking questions about inclusions and their proximity to the girdle - they can be hypothetical questions rather than about a particular stone.

 

[Eeveepenny]

Really? I don't recall seeing that but I'm sorry to hear that was the case.

My personal opinion would be asking about Tension Settings in the Rockytalky forum would be perfectly acceptable, as would asking questions about inclusions and their proximity to the girdle - they can be hypothetical questions rather than about a particular stone.

Yes it was very dramatic! She went through all my previous threads and asked me to show GIA reports to prove that the questions I was asking were about natural diamonds and not lab diamonds. The questions I was asking were about setting height, postage from the US, whether or not jewelers like making rings when they haven’t sourced the diamond themselves, and a few other threads. I didn’t mention lab diamonds at all, they were just generic questions but boy she didn’t like it! I got influxed with tags and comments asking me to prove where my diamond came from. Was crazy!

 

[OoohShiny]

Yes it was very dramatic! She went through all my previous threads and asked me to show GIA reports to prove that the questions I was asking were about natural diamonds and not lab diamonds. The questions I was asking were about setting height, postage from the US, whether or not jewelers like making rings when they haven’t sourced the diamond themselves, and a few other threads. I didn’t mention lab diamonds at all, they were just generic questions but boy she didn’t like it! I got influxed with tags and comments asking me to prove where my diamond came from. Was crazy!

That is weird, I'm sorry about that.

I think we are someway off from MMDs being seen as universally acceptable, and they may never reach that status, but there are markets for both!


Just to check, you've run the stone you're most interested in through the HCA tool, to check the angles work? From memory of your post in RT, I think they do, but I thought I'd check

 

[-Legallybrunette]

Just to check, you've run the stone you're most interested in through the HCA tool, to check the angles work? From memory of your post in RT, I think they do, but I thought I'd check

I have! It’s a 1.5. I have since found another stone that I also like.
Guys, I think I have a problem...
How do people choose?? I think I’m going to constantly find a new stone that I like.

 

[anangel]

I really like the portions on the 2.52 VS2. Do you have any pictures or videos?
by the way, how long did it take you to filter these down to just hearts and arrows cuts? My diamond is cut to H&A standards as well and it took some serious searching to find one with exceptional portions.
Overall, I think all of your choices look pretty good, but diamond 2 is my pic on numbers and cert alone.

 

[-Legallybrunette]

I also really like the 2.52. I also think a 3 carat may be a look big on me (famous last words).

Would you believe that the hearts and arrows was seriously luck? I’ve mostly been searching for ideal cuts and a lot of times, I’ll get hearts and arrows. Does it make a huge difference? I’ve been binging these threads and people seem to think they’re potentially overrated. But I also don’t know diamonds and it seemed like a good way to narrow things down.

 

[Eeveepenny]

I also really like the 2.52. I also think a 3 carat may be a look big on me (famous last words).

Would you believe that the hearts and arrows was seriously luck? I’ve mostly been searching for ideal cuts and a lot of times, I’ll get hearts and arrows. Does it make a huge difference? I’ve been binging these threads and people seem to think they’re potentially overrated. But I also don’t know diamonds and it seemed like a good way to narrow things down.

You just have to be careful with the mentioning of hearts and arrows on the IGI reports. I’ve read that the cutters or suppliers can basically inscribe whatever they want and it doesn’t necessarily mean that the diamond is a hearts and arrow diamond. Best to get a hearts and arrow viewer to confirm.