Help deciding on a pair for studs - ACA or ES

[geisha_gyrl]

Hi fellow PSers,

It's been a while since I've posted for help. I am looking at a pair of .40+ ct diamonds for studs. (Birthday present for me!) I've been talking to WF and have narrowed down to 2 pairs. The first is .80cttw I SI1 ACAs. The second is .83 cttw I VS2 ES. They've looked at both for me and said both were great. Of course, they are partial to the ACAs and it seemed like it had a slightly better sparkle than the ES. What concerns me are the ACAs have a cavity listed. She said that it is quite small and could be covered with with a prong. They are priced similar so my question is which would you go with? Here's the link to both for more info.

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-dia...etails.aspx?Diamond1=2970627&Diamond2=2970628

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-dia...etails.aspx?Diamond1=2953066&Diamond2=2953068

Oh and I also checked the HCA scores - ACAs are 1.6 and 1.7. ES are both 1.6.

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Well, I think this decision will be more mental than anything because you have two pair of ideal cut stones that probably all look just alike visually! I think there are two factors...would you rather have the higher clarity or more perfect cut? I doubt seriously you can see a difference in either. So it comes down to wanting the best cut (ACA) or going with ideal cut stones (ES) that are a step up in clarity. I would find this a hard decision personally because the most mind-clean for me would be ACA and VS2!!! So I am not much help, I am afraid! But I have had multiple pairs of ACA's so I can tell you for sure that they are beautiful!

 

[m-2-b]

Given that I have WF ACA studs, if you can afford ACA's then I would chose that pair. You can always upgrade later if needed.

BTW, Yenny and I had a GTG this summer and saw some great bling! I hope you can join us the next time we meet! Oh, and that includes you, DS!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Given that I have WF ACA studs, if you can afford ACA's then I would chose that pair. You can always upgrade later if needed.

BTW, Yenny and I had a GTG this summer and saw some great bling! I hope you can join us the next time we meet! Oh, and that includes you, DS!

Oh, is geisha gyrl in your and Yenny's area?

 

[WillyDiamond]

Well since they are small enough (I know small is a relative term here), I would save the coin and go with the ES's. When they are mounted I don't think you could tell the difference with the naked eye. Just my 2 cents.
Please remember I am a bit more "economical" about this stuff. When I reset my wife ring with the halo border, I saved money and went with ERD vs. VC or SK because I did not think I could tell the difference (But that is just me). Best of luck.

 

[m-2-b]

Given that I have WF ACA studs, if you can afford ACA's then I would chose that pair. You can always upgrade later if needed.

BTW, Yenny and I had a GTG this summer and saw some great bling! I hope you can join us the next time we meet! Oh, and that includes you, DS!

Oh, is geisha gyrl in your and Yenny's area?

DS--I believe she is in Yenny's area if I remember correctly! I want to see her oval 3 stone in person one day!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Ah, thanks mom2boys! That would be great!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Well since they are small enough (I know small is a relative term here), I would save the coin and go with the ES's. When they are mounted I don't think you could tell the difference with the naked eye. Just my 2 cents.
Please remember I am a bit more "economical" about this stuff. When I reset my wife ring with the halo border, I saved money and went with ERD vs. VC or SK because I did not think I could tell the difference (But that is just me). Best of luck.

Well, if you had looked at the prices, you would have seen that the ACA pair cost LESS than the ES pair! So I would assume your vote would change to the ACA's if you are solely going by lowest price!

 

[heididdl]

Personally I would go with the ACA better cut.

 

[Gypsy]

I'd do the largest GIA Ex/Ex J's SI1 with a good ideal scope my budget could bear.

They are on your ears. You won't see any tint from the sides unless you pull them off and stare.

You don't need Hearts and Arrows, you can't even tell when set that they are.

What you will notice is size. So I'd max that out. And light return, and the idealscope takes care of that.

 

[geisha_gyrl]

Hi M2B and DS! It's been a long time! I wish I would have known about your get together. Yes, I am in Atlanta for a little while anyway. My husband just got a promotion and they want him to move back to Savannah. I will be here a while since we need to sell the house so the next time you plan another get together, let me know!

You guys are right the price is lower on the ACAs but they are close enough in price that I wasn't concerned with that. I do have mind clean issues if any of you remember from my E-ring. I suppose at this size the inclusions are difficult to see. My main concern is she told me it's an internal and external inclusion. Is this something I should worry about?

Hi Gypsy, I did look at J SI1 but the ones in my budget are not much bigger. My budget isn't very big and I personally didn't want more than 1 cttw. Sheerah ( I think that was her name.) said when she compared them to the I's, she felt they displayed more warmth. She thought I'd be more comfortable with I's. What is everyone else' preference on color for rounds?

 

[geisha_gyrl]

These are the biggest sets they list within my budget and that is maxing it out.

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/diamond-pairs-details.aspx?Diamond1=2960088&Diamond2=2970618

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/diamond-pairs-details.aspx?Diamond1=2983109&Diamond2=2960089

What do you think about these?

 

[geisha_gyrl]

Okay ladies and gents,

So, I expanded my search to other vendors and I looked at Blue Nile. I know all there diamonds are virtual and they can't give you the info or feedback like Whiteflash. I found a set of .92 ct I SI1 in my price range that have a good HCA score - .8 and 1.3. Would you buy these over the WF ES or ACA? Oh and I have a Bank of America Visa Rewards so I'd get cash back on this as well. In the end, it will make this set cheaper than the last 2 sets I posted.

http://www.bluenile.com/build-your-own-diamond-earrings?forceStep=DIAMONDS_STEP#diamonds_forceStep=DIAMONDS_STEP|builder=BYOE|pid=LD03596120|pid=LD03712047

 

[Smith1942]

Hi M2B and DS! It's been a long time! I wish I would have known about your get together. Yes, I am in Atlanta for a little while anyway. My husband just got a promotion and they want him to move back to Savannah. I will be here a while since we need to sell the house so the next time you plan another get together, let me know!

You guys are right the price is lower on the ACAs but they are close enough in price that I wasn't concerned with that. I do have mind clean issues if any of you remember from my E-ring. I suppose at this size the inclusions are difficult to see. My main concern is she told me it's an internal and external inclusion. Is this something I should worry about?

Hi Gypsy, I did look at J SI1 but the ones in my budget are not much bigger. My budget isn't very big and I personally didn't want more than 1 cttw. Sheerah ( I think that was her name.) said when she compared them to the I's, she felt they displayed more warmth. She thought I'd be more comfortable with I's. What is everyone else' preference on color for rounds?

Ha, well, I'm a colour tart. I like the cold iciness of D colours, so I am on the extreme end and you probably shouldn't listen to me too closely.

Of course, you don't need Ds. But, what I will say about I colour versus higher colours is that the whiter stones show up more in dimmer lighting such as restaurants, or even in artificial lighting which isn't super-bright. When I hold up my I colour engagement ring to my ear or look at it on my hand in a mirror where the lights aren't bright, it kind of blends into my skin more and looks a bit darker. But my D pendant and D studs remain bright white pinpricks of light no matter what the overall brightness in the room is. And they look particularly starry white in dim restaurants as they stand out.

Having said that, I saw some H earrings that were so white - some drops I ordered from Blue Nile, (which I ultimately sent back for other reasons.)

For myself, I'm kind of against I colour because that's my e-ring (I didn't choose it) and it's definitely too yellow for me, so I would always try to get H colour. I wonder what they have in H, in your budget. I usually go down to eyeclean Si2 to max out on colour, so again I'm at the extreme ends of the colour/clarity scale. I just hate paying for something I can't see, but I can see the colour difference.

But that's just ME - you might be very happy with I colour.

Regarding cut, I have ACA baby bezel studs. They're really nice, but I don't think I see a great difference between those and some non-super-ideal baby bezels that I have. The stones are only 0.15 each, so perhaps that's why.

Good luck with your choice! Buying the right studs can be agonising.

 

[Smith1942]

Okay ladies and gents,

So, I expanded my search to other vendors and I looked at Blue Nile. I know all there diamonds are virtual and they can't give you the info or feedback like Whiteflash. I found a set of .92 ct I SI1 in my price range that have a good HCA score - .8 and 1.3. Would you buy these over the WF ES or ACA? Oh and I have a Bank of America Visa Rewards so I'd get cash back on this as well. In the end, it will make this set cheaper than the last 2 sets I posted.

http://www.bluenile.com/build-your-own-diamond-earrings?forceStep=DIAMONDS_STEP#diamonds_forceStep=DIAMONDS_STEP|builder=BYOE|pid=LD03596120|pid=LD03712047

Well, as every regular here knows, I'm one of Blue Nile's biggest fans. I've bought numerous diamonds from them sight unseen using the HCA and have got very good prices. They have always been honest with me about whether a stone is eyeclean, steering me away from the more expensive option on many occasions, and their customer service has never faltered.

I've looked at the numbers on the certs. Again, speaking personally, I like smaller tables (56-ish) with a depth of 61.8-9-ish and pav angles of 40.8-ish with the correct crown angle - I forget whether 34.5 or 35. I just find that, for me, this gives a good balance of fire and brightness. Those angles don't look the best that you could get, to me. Shallow? Hopefully a cutnut will chime in here.

I'll have a comb of the inventory for you - I love using BN's database - but I'll stick to Si1 clarity and above.

 

[geisha_gyrl]

Hi M2B and DS! It's been a long time! I wish I would have known about your get together. Yes, I am in Atlanta for a little while anyway. My husband just got a promotion and they want him to move back to Savannah. I will be here a while since we need to sell the house so the next time you plan another get together, let me know!

You guys are right the price is lower on the ACAs but they are close enough in price that I wasn't concerned with that. I do have mind clean issues if any of you remember from my E-ring. I suppose at this size the inclusions are difficult to see. My main concern is she told me it's an internal and external inclusion. Is this something I should worry about?

Hi Gypsy, I did look at J SI1 but the ones in my budget are not much bigger. My budget isn't very big and I personally didn't want more than 1 cttw. Sheerah ( I think that was her name.) said when she compared them to the I's, she felt they displayed more warmth. She thought I'd be more comfortable with I's. What is everyone else' preference on color for rounds?

Ha, well, I'm a colour tart. I like the cold iciness of D colours, so I am on the extreme end and you probably shouldn't listen to me too closely.

Of course, you don't need Ds. But, what I will say about I colour versus higher colours is that the whiter stones show up more in dimmer lighting such as restaurants, or even in artificial lighting which isn't super-bright. When I hold up my I colour engagement ring to my ear or look at it on my hand in a mirror where the lights aren't bright, it kind of blends into my skin more and looks a bit darker. But my D pendant and D studs remain bright white pinpricks of light no matter what the overall brightness in the room is. And they look particularly starry white in dim restaurants as they stand out.

Having said that, I saw some H earrings that were so white - some drops I ordered from Blue Nile, (which I ultimately sent back for other reasons.)

For myself, I'm kind of against I colour because that's my e-ring (I didn't choose it) and it's definitely too yellow for me, so I would always try to get H colour. I wonder what they have in H, in your budget. I usually go down to eyeclean Si2 to max out on colour, so again I'm at the extreme ends of the colour/clarity scale. I just hate paying for something I can't see, but I can see the colour difference.

But that's just ME - you might be very happy with I colour.

Regarding cut, I have ACA baby bezel studs. They're really nice, but I don't think I see a great difference between those and some non-super-ideal baby bezels that I have. The stones are only 0.15 each, so perhaps that's why.

Good luck with your choice! Buying the right studs can be agonising.

Hi there Smith,

I definitely understand. While I'm not stuck on the most colorless, I am somewhat a snob and a bit color sensitive. I went through hoops when getting my 3 stone e-ring built. G seems to be a sweet spot for me so I was trying to keep it in G-I range. Thinking I would okay with I. Sheerah told me she thought I'd be uncomfortable with J's based on our convo and comparing to I. She said she could see more warmth.

They do have a set of .425 G SI1s in their expert selection. I listed it in a couple of post up. I'm waiting for them to pull it and compare to the I ACAs she suggested. I think I may be okay with I. I obviously want it to face up very white but I also want the set that looks bigger and sparkly.

 

[geisha_gyrl]

Okay ladies and gents,

So, I expanded my search to other vendors and I looked at Blue Nile. I know all there diamonds are virtual and they can't give you the info or feedback like Whiteflash. I found a set of .92 ct I SI1 in my price range that have a good HCA score - .8 and 1.3. Would you buy these over the WF ES or ACA? Oh and I have a Bank of America Visa Rewards so I'd get cash back on this as well. In the end, it will make this set cheaper than the last 2 sets I posted.

http://www.bluenile.com/build-your-own-diamond-earrings?forceStep=DIAMONDS_STEP#diamonds_forceStep=DIAMONDS_STEP|builder=BYOE|pid=LD03596120|pid=LD03712047

Well, as every regular here knows, I'm one of Blue Nile's biggest fans. I've bought numerous diamonds from them sight unseen using the HCA and have got very good prices. They have always been honest with me about whether a stone is eyeclean, steering me away from the more expensive option on many occasions, and their customer service has never faltered.

I've looked at the numbers on the certs. Again, speaking personally, I like smaller tables (56-ish) with a depth of 61.8-9-ish and pav angles of 40.8-ish with the correct crown angle - I forget whether 34.5 or 35. I just find that, for me, this gives a good balance of fire and brightness. Those angles don't look the best that you could get, to me. Shallow? Hopefully a cutnut will chime in here.

I'll have a comb of the inventory for you - I love using BN's database - but I'll stick to Si1 clarity and above.

Wow! I wonder why they score well on the HCA calculator? I am new to grading of round so I am such a novice! I do need your guys help with this! Smith, I truly appreciate your willingness to help find a better pair. Thank you!

 

[Smith1942]

G sounds good! I'm a bit anti-I-colour because that's my e-ring colour and I know it's too warm for me! But loads of people love the I-J-K range and it's certainly true that it helps max on size as well. I think, perhaps, I happened to get a particularly warm I-colour stone for my e-ring.

In terms of size, I've always found that a white metal bezel really helps plump up the diamond. In this link, scroll down, you'll see my WF ACA baby bezels close up. Thought it might help.

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/tiffany-e-colour-platinum-pendant-w-whiteflash-baby-bezels.187889/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/tiffany-e-colour-platinum-pendant-w-whiteflash-baby-bezels.187889/[/URL]

And these are my Blue Nile studs. Again, not sure what setting you're thinking of, but I think this bezel setting of BN's is particularly nice - it's quite a generous width. Just ignore me if you don't like bezels!

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/theyre-here-stud-upgrade-1-12-ctw-d-colour-blue-nile.187681/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/theyre-here-stud-upgrade-1-12-ctw-d-colour-blue-nile.187681/[/URL]

Am going to comb the inventory! I love using BN's database. So many diamonds to wade through.

P.S. I think shallower stones are said to be OK for earrings as there's no light obstruction from a head the way that there is when someone bends over an e-ring. I'd be interested to hear what a cutnut has to say about those angles - they might be fine, just a different "look" from the ones I'm used to.

 

[Smith1942]

You know, there aren't many pairs at BN right now within the parameters we seek that have great cuts. I've just run quite a through few the HCA and they've had bad scores. Looking at the prices, too, I think WF is a better choice for these studs, given what Bn's inventory is currently like for what you want.

However, when BN pairs up the stones, it doesn't use all the single stones in its inventory. A computer programme tells which pairs are a good match, but this leaves a ton of single stones in the inventory which you could match up for yourself. I'll have a look at those and see if any luck.

 

[Smith1942]

Update: I seem to be finding some pretty nice stones in the singles section, which don't come up in the Pairs. Give me some more time - got about eight more to run through the HCA.

 

[geisha_gyrl]

I love your bezels but I was thinking a martini setting as I will purchase some jackets in the near future. I don't think bezels will fit into jackets. As for BN pairs, yes, I found so many that were absolutely bad cuts. I only found a handful that scored well. I found a couple that were G SI2 but I am afraid of SI2s on BN since we do not get to see them.

I'm still waiting to hear from white flash about the other sets I requested for comparison. I'll be interested to see what you come up with.

 

[Smith1942]

http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-search?pt=setform&track=NavDiaSeaRD This link is the screen shot of what I came up with. The last one on the list, G, has a bad HCA score, and I didn't use the other G and the E because they were 0.7 on the HCA, which I'm not experienced with. I also didn't use the 0.50 as it's 5 or 6 points out from the others and I definitely notice that difference. (But it did have a good HCA score of 1.0 on the cusp of the AGS box, if you were interested.)

OK, here are three combos which I think look very promising.
I looked within cut and price parameters, and the colours are just what came up, although I excluded J, based on what you said about colour.


Best first:

Combo One:
F, VS2, 0.44, HCA score 1.3, inside AGS cut box
F, Si1, 0.44, HCA score 1.3, inside AGS cut box

Total price $2,173 or $2,141 bank wire.

The reason I love the look of these is that they are within the white perimeter box of the HCA, meaning that they fall within the stricter cut requirements of AGS, and they happen to be a high colour, all within your budget.

http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-search?pt=setform&track=NavDiaSeaRD#diamonds_pid=LD03598266
http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-search?pt=setform&track=NavDiaSeaRD#diamonds_pid=LD03672422




Combo Two
I, VS2, 0.44, HCA score 1.1,
I,VS2, 0.45, HCA score 1.7, two "very goods" but inside the AGS cut box.

Total price: $1,952 or $1924 bank wire.

This pair has great HCA scores and has the advantage of being well under your budget.

http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-search?pt=setform&track=NavDiaSeaRD#diamonds_pid=LD03470616
http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-search?pt=setform&track=NavDiaSeaRD#diamonds_pid=LD03711647



Combo Three
H, Si1, 0.44, HCA score 1.7, two "very goods" but inside the AGS cut box.
I, VS2, 0.45, HCA score 1.7, two "very goods" but inside the AGS cut box.

Total price $2,052 or $2022 bank wire.

Both of these are in the AGS cut box and also well within budget.

http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-search?pt=setform&track=NavDiaSeaRD#diamonds_pid=LD01954277
http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-search?pt=setform&track=NavDiaSeaRD#diamonds_pid=LD03711647

 

[geisha_gyrl]

http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-search?pt=setform&track=NavDiaSeaRD This link is the screen shot of what I came up with. The last one on the list, G, has a bad HCA score, and I didn't use the other G and the E because they were 0.7 on the HCA, which I'm not experienced with. I also didn't use the 0.50 as it's 5 or 6 points out from the others and I definitely notice that difference. (But it did have a good HCA score of 1.0 on the cusp of the AGS box, if you were interested.)

OK, here are three combos which I think look very promising.
I looked within cut and price parameters, and the colours are just what came up, although I excluded J, based on what you said about colour.


Best first:

Combo One:
F, VS2, 0.44, HCA score 1.3, inside AGS cut box
F, Si1, 0.44, HCA score 1.3, inside AGS cut box

Total price $2,173 or $2,141 bank wire.

The reason I love the look of these is that they are within the white perimeter box of the HCA, meaning that they fall within the stricter cut requirements of AGS, and they happen to be a high colour, all within your budget.

http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-search?pt=setform&track=NavDiaSeaRD#diamonds_pid=LD03598266
http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-search?pt=setform&track=NavDiaSeaRD#diamonds_pid=LD03672422




Combo Two
I, VS2, 0.44, HCA score 1.1,
I,VS2, 0.45, HCA score 1.7, two "very goods" but inside the AGS cut box.

Total price: $1,952 or $1924 bank wire.

This pair has great HCA scores and has the advantage of being well under your budget.

http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-search?pt=setform&track=NavDiaSeaRD#diamonds_pid=LD03470616
http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-search?pt=setform&track=NavDiaSeaRD#diamonds_pid=LD03711647



Combo Three
H, Si1, 0.44, HCA score 1.7, two "very goods" but inside the AGS cut box.
I, VS2, 0.45, HCA score 1.7, two "very goods" but inside the AGS cut box.

Total price $2,052 or $2022 bank wire.

Both of these are in the AGS cut box and also well within budget.

http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-search?pt=setform&track=NavDiaSeaRD#diamonds_pid=LD01954277
http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-search?pt=setform&track=NavDiaSeaRD#diamonds_pid=LD03711647

WOW! You did do a lot of work. I looked at all three and I agree the front runner is the set of F's. I finally heard back from Sheerah and she said all sets I picked looked great but did note you can see more warmth in the I but only sitting next to the G. She felt I'd be happy with any of the sets I'd pick but noted this set was the one that faced up the largest.

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/compare.aspx?idnos=2970624,2960089

It's almost the same price and dimensions as your F's. So the question is which one to go with. I will note that the white flash set has a higher HCA score with .7.

The last set I'm looking at is http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/compare.aspx?idnos=2960088,2970618...

So what do y'all think?

 

[Smith1942]

Geisha, hopefully others will chime in with their opinions. I was under the impression that 0.7 HCA scores could be somewhat shallow, but also that this doesn't matter so much for earrings. It would be great to hear some opinions on this.

I found two others in my list of eight that were 0.7 on the HCA, which I didn't include, but here they are. You could combine the E with the lower-priced F to save $15 and net yourself a higher colour grade, or you could pair the H with one of the I colours.

E, Si1, HCA 0.7: http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-search?pt=setform&track=NavDiaSeaRD#diamonds_pid=LD03461658

H, Si1, HCA 0.7: http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-search?pt=setform&track=NavDiaSeaRD#diamonds_pid=LD01954277

When I click on your second WF link, there are no diamonds available to view.

You're right that the WF pair and the F pair are quite similar. I guess the WF has the pictures assuring you of the light performance, while the BN pair has the advantage of being a colour grade higher than one WF stone and two colour grades higher than the other one.

Decisions!

Hope someone else comes along and helps you to decide!

 

[geisha_gyrl]

Geisha, hopefully others will chime in with their opinions. I was under the impression that 0.7 HCA scores could be somewhat shallow, but also that this doesn't matter so much for earrings. It would be great to hear some opinions on this.

I found two others in my list of eight that were 0.7 on the HCA, which I didn't include, but here they are. You could combine the E with the lower-priced F to save $15 and net yourself a higher colour grade, or you could pair the H with one of the I colours.

E, Si1, HCA 0.7: http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-search?pt=setform&track=NavDiaSeaRD#diamonds_pid=LD03461658

H, Si1, HCA 0.7: http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-search?pt=setform&track=NavDiaSeaRD#diamonds_pid=LD01954277

When I click on your second WF link, there are no diamonds available to view.

You're right that the WF pair and the F pair are quite similar. I guess the WF has the pictures assuring you of the light performance, while the BN pair has the advantage of being a colour grade higher than one WF stone and two colour grades higher than the other one.

Decisions!

Hope someone else comes along and helps you to decide!

After much thought and going back and forth with Sheerah, I'm going with a pair of G SI1's. Hopefully the link will work!

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/compare.aspx?idnos=2960088,2970618

If not, here's individual links.
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2960088.htm
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2970618.htm

She said the H/G set did face up larger but very negligible when compared to the set of G. And I can be a little crazy with this stuff but they seem like perfect matches and that appeals to me for some reason. I would be okay with the color being one off but the measurements are identical... the perfect pair. My husband would say I am too obsessive and to just make a darn decision!

I'm also a first time purchaser for WF so they are giving me another discount in addition to the PS wire pricing. I guess that makes me feel a little better.

Oh but I am beyond grateful for your efforts Smith! I was really close to purchasing the F set you sent. I guess I was just worried since they don't have them in house.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Okay ladies and gents,

So, I expanded my search to other vendors and I looked at Blue Nile. I know all there diamonds are virtual and they can't give you the info or feedback like Whiteflash. I found a set of .92 ct I SI1 in my price range that have a good HCA score - .8 and 1.3. Would you buy these over the WF ES or ACA? Oh and I have a Bank of America Visa Rewards so I'd get cash back on this as well. In the end, it will make this set cheaper than the last 2 sets I posted.

http://www.bluenile.com/build-your-own-diamond-earrings?forceStep=DIAMONDS_STEP#diamonds_forceStep=DIAMONDS_STEP|builder=BYOE|pid=LD03596120|pid=LD03712047

I haven't read the other replies, but no, I would never buy diamonds I cannot see an image of or idealscope image, especially SI stones.

I liked the WF choices, personally.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

These are the biggest sets they list within my budget and that is maxing it out.

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/diamond-pairs-details.aspx?Diamond1=2960088&Diamond2=2970618

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/diamond-pairs-details.aspx?Diamond1=2983109&Diamond2=2960089

What do you think about these?

The G pair looks really nice as long as they are eyeclean!!! I would not buy a pair with two different colors.

 

[geisha_gyrl]

These are the biggest sets they list within my budget and that is maxing it out.

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/diamond-pairs-details.aspx?Diamond1=2960088&Diamond2=2970618

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/diamond-pairs-details.aspx?Diamond1=2983109&Diamond2=2960089

What do you think about these?

The G pair looks really nice as long as they are eyeclean!!! I would not buy a pair with two different colors.

Yes, Sheerah assured me it is completely clean from the top and the sides.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

After much thought and going back and forth with Sheerah, I'm going with a pair of G SI1's. Hopefully the link will work!

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/compare.aspx?idnos=2960088,2970618

If not, here's individual links.
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2960088.htm
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2970618.htm

She said the H/G set did face up larger but very negligible when compared to the set of G. And I can be a little crazy with this stuff but they seem like perfect matches and that appeals to me for some reason. I would be okay with the color being one off but the measurements are identical... the perfect pair. My husband would say I am too obsessive and to just make a darn decision!

I'm also a first time purchaser for WF so they are giving me another discount in addition to the PS wire pricing. I guess that makes me feel a little better.

Oh but I am beyond grateful for your efforts Smith! I was really close to purchasing the F set you sent. I guess I was just worried since they don't have them in house.

[/quote]

Oh, that is so funny! I was replying to your earlier posts and did not read down to the bottom! I think you made a terrific choice! There is a lot to be said for mind-clean as well as knowing what you're getting!

 

[Smith1942]

Nice choice!

And very nice HCA scores, with the cut coming in at AGS 0 level. Well done! I'm sure they will be beautiful. When will you get them? Please come back and post pics in SMTB! Are you going with white metal or yellow?