Help deciding between diamonds please

[markrule]

Hi,

Newbie here. I am after a relatively sparkly and eye clean 1 carat diamond in ideal cut in princess type cut. I have come down to two choices which the online gemologist has said are both eye clean:

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut/1.00-carat-h-color-vs1-clarity-sku-1056637
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut/1.01-carat-h-color-si1-clarity-sku-1053758

The first one is around $300 more but im not sure what is better about it. is it worth the jump? is there anything i shoud be wary of with these diamonds?

 

[ADN]

Hey mate - I'm in the trade so I can't comment on the stones specifically (against forum rules). But for any strong blue fluorescence, just check with the vendor that it doesn't have a negative affect on the stone (oily/milky/hazy) - - most strong blues are fine, you just want to confirm before purchase so you don't have any surprises.
Hope this helps

 

[tyty333]

I prefer my tables to be smaller and have angles to them. The first one has a very large square table. The second is smaller
(but still big) and also has some angles. I think I like the faceting pattern on the first one better though. Did you request aset
images for these stones?

 

[Gypsy]

There is a big difference in the size of those stones. Hands down this is the better choice of the two:
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut/1.01-carat-h-color-si1-clarity-sku-1053758
The other one is facing up way too small.

Ask for an ASET of that stone.

 

[markrule]

Thanks for the replies.

I'm not after a fluroescent so I'll avoid that. It sounds like H might have a yellow tinge to it? Is that the case? If so I might have to redo my search.. I'll look into the aset image

 

[ADN]

Thanks for the replies.

I'm not after a fluroescent so I'll avoid that. It sounds like H might have a yellow tinge to it? Is that the case? If so I might have to redo my search.. I'll look into the aset image

Hey mate - I wouldn't automatically dismiss a stone with fluoro...While there are some rules-of-thumb when assessing fluorescence, it simply depends on the individual stone. A diamond where the fluorescence makes the diamond look 'milky', 'oily' or 'cloudy' is definitely a negative (usually only found in strong/very strong...but even then only a very small percentage). Chances are that the fluoro in any stone you're looking at is fine – you might just want to get the vendor to confirm this.
Also, because of normal discounting, fluorescence might also be an excellent way to get a beautiful diamond that might normally be a little bit out of your price range without it. So if you find a stone with strong or very strong fluoro and there is no effect outside of direct UV, you might want to consider it as your cost price can come way down.
Many people happily own diamonds for their entire lifetimes without ever being aware of the presence or absence of fluorescence in their stones.
Hope this helps

 

[Gypsy]

Yeah. You need more education. You have just enough to be dangerous. No an H is not yellow, even in a princess. And there is nothing wrong with Fluorescence as long as the stone is not over blue. That H is a lovely stone and you are disqualifying it for no good reason.

Read this link please: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/princess-cut-diamond-input-feedback-needed.200247/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/princess-cut-diamond-input-feedback-needed.200247/[/URL]

 

[markrule]

Thanks ADN and gypsy both with useful information. You are right I'm still learning. I do like this stone and I am very eager to propose. I was about to get it but a friend said that H is too low and it will look coloured! But I'm not sure if it's worth going $500-1000 to go up one or two colour grades especially when I have budget restrictions.

 

[ADN]

Thanks ADN and gypsy both with useful information. You are right I'm still learning. I do like this stone and I am very eager to propose. I was about to get it but a friend said that H is too low and it will look coloured! But I'm not sure if it's worth going $500-1000 to go up one or two colour grades especially when I have budget restrictions.

Have you actually seen an H colour face-up and in person? I wouldn't sweat it too much - an H will face up nice and white - - if you were thinking I colour...mmm....maybe/maybe not depending on the stone...but you shouldn't have any issues with an H - - if you're dealing with someone who has pretty good reach into the market, you can also ask them to find you a mid/top-end H rather than a low end H just to make sure.
But if you're not comfortable with an H, you could try looking for something just under a 1ct in a G if you can't afford a 1ct+ G.
Ultimately, you have to be confident with what you're getting.
Good luck

 

[KirstLWA]

I really have no idea which way to decide but I was "pushed" towards a 1.92ct diamond for reasons the jewellery wouldn't say (and hence I didn't buy it) but they kept telling me it was a bargain/special price for me!

Obviously it didn't feel right, colour and clarity weren't great and when I got the measurements it faced up to a 1.6ct size!

So I thought if I'm getting a stone that faces up to a certain size, I'd rather get a better quality smaller carat weight for my money!

Never felt right and so glad I didn't go with the original stone (and jeweller)

Good luck!

 

[markrule]

Good points. I think I'll get the H diamond above I really like it. I'm tossing up between a 1.5mm and 2mm band. More decisions! The 1.5mm Makes the diamond look great but I don't know if it's too thin. Any advice on that one?

 

[ADN]

It will really depend on the setting you're looking at -- however, 1.5mm is very thin - in general, I tend to recommend staying above at least 1.8mm for a solitaire, and 2mm+ for a design with any side stones down the band. Remember that the ring is basically just a small piece of metal wire which is responsible for holding in a multi-thousand dollar diamond...
If you go that thin, maybe consider using platinum rather than gold for a bit of extra strength in the design.
Also, make sure you factor in the recipients life style / work / etc when selecting a design - - for example, it may not be the best idea to get a really high setting with pointed corners if she's a dentist and will have her hands in peoples mouths all day
Side note - If you aren't getting a wedding band at the same time as the e-ring, just remember to factor into the e-ring design having a band sit flush beside it...you don't want to find a few months down the road when you're ready to buy the band that it won't sit straight/flush beside the engagement ring.
Hope this helps

 

[Gypsy]

1.8mm is the minimum for an engagement ring. Get the 2mm.

The H is a nice stone, and performs well. Your stone is a GIA graded stone. Not all labs are equal. It is possible that your friend saw a yellow H. In all likelihood it was either poorly cut (poorly cut stones show more body color) or it was not accurately graded by GIA or AGS. I think you'll be happy with that one. Let us know what you think of it when you see it.

 

[markrule]

James Allan only has 1.5mm or 2mm...

The 2mm makes the stone look much smaller but I can't afford to go platinum.

Decisions decisions !

 

[Gypsy]

There is no decision. 2mm is the one you have to chose. The other will not be durable for everyday use.

This is the best setting on JA, IMO: http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/14k-white-gold-sleek-diamond-engagement-ring-item-49507 Ask for "DELICATE V prongs" for your princess.

This one is 1.8 and nice but may be out of budget. Ask for "DELICATE V prongs" for your princess. http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/pave/14k-white-gold-petite-diamond-accent-engagement-ring-item-50124

 

[ADN]

James Allan only has 1.5mm or 2mm...

The 2mm makes the stone look much smaller but I can't afford to go platinum.

Decisions decisions !

I can't speak for this particular vendor, but in general, posted sizes are usually just guidelines - - it's really not a big deal to shave off / add on a bit of size to the width of a band.
I'm sure if you ask it can be done easily enough.

 

[markrule]

Thanks for the help! So I could check if James Allan would shave it down a little? what are delicate prongs?

This is the one I'm looking at:

http://www.jamesallen.com/mobile/engagement-rings/solitaire/14k-white-gold-2mm-comfort-fit-solitaire-engagement-ring-item-7086

 

[Gypsy]

delicate means that they are delicate and not bulky ."V" prongs is the type of prong that protects the corners of a princess. So I said ask for delicate V prongs because nothing ruins a solitaire like bulky prongs. The picture below shows some delicate V prongs. This is what you want to see:

 

[Gypsy]

What you don't want to see is bulky prongs. These are bad:

 

[markrule]

Good point gypsy. the delicate V prongs look much better! Is that your ring - it looks great!

 

[Gypsy]

No, that's not my ring. My ring is a plain shank halo with an asscher center stone.