Help choosing between 3 stones

[fchida]

Hi everybody, this is my first post I am a newbie here. This forum is awesome. I have been looking for a stone for past month and found pricescope thank god, you guys are great.

I have been looking for diamonds since December 2009 along the way looked at whiteflash, Mondera, bluenile, B&M stores and private diamond dealers. The tax aspect pretty much eliminated the B&M and private dealers from my selection and I was left with online vendors.

Nobody has come to match the service and prices of bluenile (Prices + 6% cash back offer they have with Discover card) , when you call them ask for Elizabeth Holden she is very helpful and professional best customer service rep that I have dealt with.

After all this work I have narrowed my options to 3 stones, I have personally looked at stone 1 and it looks great but when I did a HCA analysis it scored 4.5. I have not looked at stone 2 and 3, stone 2 looks attractive, low HCA score but it has a faint fluo and I am thinking fluo should actually help a J color stone. Stone 3 HCA score is very high and I am thinking about eliminating it .

I would like you all to look at these options and offer some helpful advice. This is my first time purchasing a diamond and I had only 2 months to do it and I would like to know which is better between the 3 stones. Do you all think I am headed down the right path, learning about diamonds has been a great experience if only I had enough time to find that perfect rock. Thank you very much for your time and help.

Stone 1 : Price $12,656
Cert: GIA
Shape: RB
Measurements (mm) : 8.34 - 8.40 X 5.03
Carat: 2.13
Color: J
Clarity: VS2
Cut: Excellent
Polish/Sym: EX/EX
Fluo: none
Diamond Map: Has 2 crystals on the edge of the stone at 3 o clock and 5 o clock position
HCA Score: 4.5

Stone 2: Price: $12,433
Cert: GIA
Shape: RB
Measurements (mm): 8.31-8.38 X 5.01
Carat: 2.15
Color: J
Clarity: VS2
Cut: Excellent
Polish/Symmetry: EX/EX
Fluo: Faint
Diamond Map: Has a group of crystals at 9 o clock on the edge, 2 crystals on the table and 1 crystal on the edge at 1 o clock position
HCA Score: 1.6

Stone 3: Price: 11,948
Cert: AGS
Shape: RB
Measurements (mm): 8.29 - 8.37 X 5.17
Carat: 2.157
Color: J
Clarity: VS2
Cut: AGS Excellent 1
Polish/Symmetry: EX/EX
Fluo: Negligible
HCA Score: 5.3

 

[stone-cold11]

Dump 1 and 3. What is the input used for 2?

 

[fchida]

I am assuming when you say input you are asking for the crown, pavilion, depth and table. here it is Table:60%, Depth: 60.1%, Crown angle: 33.5, Pavilion Angle: 40.8. Thanks

 

[stone-cold11]

yap. Looks promising then.

 

[yssie]

Edit: looks good!

 

[D&T]

yep agree with others, Like #2, has the most potential

 

[Dreamer_D]

Looks like number two is a 60/60 type of stone, am I right people?

I think that means that it will favour brilliance over fire, compared to a traditional Tolk cut which will be more balanced for the two.

 

[fchida]

Thank you for your replies I appreciate it. Dreamer daschie, I thought the more closer you are to 60/60 the better your stone is going to be. Please correct me if I am wrong Thanks

 

[stone-cold11]

No, 60/60 is not necessary better or worse, just have a different pattern that a Near Tolk.

From this journal article. http://journal.pricescope.com/Articles/72/1/Laboratory-Cut-Grades-What-the-report-doesn%e2%80%99t-show.aspx

#4 has the exact same numbers as your stone, maybe slightly different depending on the minor facets and how tightly cut it is.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 1/14/2010 11:47:50 PM
Author: fchida
Thank you for your replies I appreciate it. Dreamer daschie, I thought the more closer you are to 60/60 the better your stone is going to be. Please correct me if I am wrong Thanks

Hi fchida

A 60 60 type diamond can be an excellent choice if the critical crown and pavilion angles are within good range. It is a fallacy that just because a stone has 60% depth and table, that it will be a great diamond, this is a myth that was perpetuated over the years.

Generally a 60 60 can favour brilliance or white light over fire due to the larger table and lower crown height and angles which you sometimes find with these stones. They are a popular choice with some buyers who enjoy the brilliance and personality of these diamonds.

Read this link as it gives a good overview on 60 60 diamonds. Also see the images in the link to note how the different pavilion angles can influence the look of the diamonds and how as the pavilion angles get steeper, leakage can be seen.