Help choosing Pave Stones

[kevd]

Looking for opinions,

I am having a custom ring made. It is pave on the shank.
The question is, how low in color grade should I go in choosing pave stones? The center stone is an E color Radiant and the band is white gold.

I have as options D IF melee, E-F VS 1-2 melee, and G-H VS 1-2 melee. The e- ring and wedding band have approx 2.8 ct of pave so cost will be somewhat of a factor. Is G-H acceptable or should I opt for a higher color. I understand that all the pave stones are very well cut, fully faceted, 2pt stones.

thanks
K.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

No point paying for the top grade - consider the middle or lower, but if the G-H is a little lower in color then you could be sorry.
Do not believe that all small stones are ideal cut - have never ever seen a parcel that has more than 50% in it.
All my pave diamonds are chosen with an ideal-scope.

 

[kevd]

Thanks Gary,

I used the idealscope extensively. Its a fun instrument, i anlayzed everthing I could get my hands on!

Since the stone is an E. ( and I was told it was a high E whatever that is, i assume it means close to a D even though the docs show E) Then perhaps I would be better off with the E-F stones the price is not that much greater than G - H pave stones. (about $300 more)

Is it usual for a jeweler, even when the transaction is occuring over the internet, to allow you to inspect the melee stones? If so I suppose I could use the idealscope to pick out the best. But with 2.8 cts of 2 point stones this could be quite a chore. However, I would not want an heavily paved setting with a mottled appearance due to differences in the individual paved stones. Would, worst case scenario, H stones be visibily diffeent in such a small size (.02ct) from a D or E center?

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Only rarely in excellent lighting would you see the difference in color - but for the small cost, you know you never will have to worry about it - it is a feel good thing.

If the diamond dealer is very switched on you could copy and send him this and loan him your Ideal-Scope. Most likely though he will tell you to jump in a lake!!!

this is an article I have been working on that is sort of appropriate.
How to Buy Ideal Cut Diamonds, and Save Time and Money!

When a dealer opens a stone paper and tips out say 100 diamonds on the desk you take your loupe and examine a few stones for clarity, and scoop some up and check the color in a piece of folded white paper. If you agree on the price, you then examine each stone more carefully.

You probably begin with your loupe, avoiding stones with central or dark inclusions, large tables, fish-eyes or poor symmetry. Next you scoop your selection and put it into the color paper, rejecting say the lowest 10% for color. Typically you have a selection of 20 to 40 stones left for an investment of less than 15 minutes of your time for melee’, or perhaps an hour if you are buying larger stones.

Now there is a quicker and better way. Pre-screen the diamonds with an Ideal-Scope, which takes about 5 to 10 seconds per stone. Typically you will select 10% to 50% of a parcel – the ones with the very best make.

You save time by not bothering to grade every stone for clarity and color.

You have selected the most brilliant and firey diamonds in the parcel.

Typically you find a few H&A’s (But do this selection back in your office!!).

Even diamonds with lower color will ‘face up’ whiter.

The dealer will be happy because you will leave him some of the cleaner stones

You both save time.

Your clients will be happy because they want brilliant and firey diamonds.

Mark all the stones up a little more, especially any H&A’s you found.

Your bank manager and accountant will be happy because you will make more money.


What to look for with the Ideal-Scope

1. Avoid diamonds with white or pale pink in the critical region just inside the table.
2. Buy diamonds with bright pink extending right across the stone to the upper girdle (outside) facets. They will have ‘edge to edge’ brilliance and appear much larger.
3. Look for diamonds with great ‘optical’ symmetry, ideally with a perfect dark 8 rayed star. Half or more will show a hearts pattern in the H&A’s viewer.
4. Look at how much black or darkness you see in the stone. Too much indicates the diamond will appear dark and lifeless. Too little and the diamond will have less fire and scintillation.

You will never again need to concern yourself with estimation of table size, facet meet points and alignment, pavilion depth or crown angle. The diamonds cut either performs or it does not. And you see optical symmetry; which is all about ‘benefits’ that your customers can see, rather than symmetry based on unrelated ‘features’.

The next article in this series explains how you can sell diamonds with romance rather than technicalities. The Ideal-Scope allows people to see for themselves the benefits of the craft of the master cutter, rather than discussing features such as table percentages and angles.

We will show you how to sell diamonds with romance!