Help finding an Ideal Canadian Diamond

[hameljon]

Hi,

Before you get upset that I'm looking for a Canadian Diamond I should state that it has nothing to do with social or environmental impacts or being "more conflict-free" (not true), I completely understand that diamonds sourced from other countries such as Africa do have a more positive impact on the people there than in Canada. However, I am looking for a Canadian Diamond for sympathetic reasons and identification as this is something my girlfriend would prefer in her diamond engagement ring. And ultimately her happiness matters to me more than other factors considered .

To give a little bit of background on my search so far, I've been looking for just a bit over a month and reside in Calgary, Alberta. Living in Canada it's actually been extremely easy to find Canadian Diamonds at all the local brick and mortar stores. The sad part is they fall well short of my expectations, are over priced and the service is atrocious . It's unbelievable how many times a sales representative will quote me bogus information to try and support a sale. While going through this whole process I was fully aware that there were better/cheaper alternatives online but I was also not comfortable not seeing the diamond and setting in person. But after being to one too many awful stores I've gotten to the point where I no longer feel comfortable going through the brick and mortar experience, it's honestly horrendous... GIA/AGS is pretty much non-existent at most stores and the places that I found that do have them either don't have what I want or are overpriced. The closest I got to finding what I want was a 0.9c, SI1 / H, ideally proportioned to my expectations but then they threw a $12,000 price tag (They said it was worth $14,500...) on it and couldn't produce a diamond identification number and went on to misquote the Canadian Diamond Code of Conduct.

So now my focus has been re-aligned to primarily online. What I'm looking for is:
-a round brilliant diamond 0.9-1.25c cut from rough sourced from Canada (traceable is a must, cut/polished in Canada optional)
-I+ in color
-SI1+ clarity
-under $10,000.
Given the price probably around a 1c, SI/H is what would be reasonable?

As I mentioned in the subject, i'm really looking something that we can call ideal with a H&A pattern preferred. Under 1.5 for HCA would be desired as well. I've had quite a bit of success focusing on "ideal proportions" by borrowing from Todd Gray:
Total depth between 59 – 61.8% Table diameter between 53 – 57% Crown angle between 34.3 – 34.8 degrees Pavilion angle between 40.6 – 40.9 degrees Girdle: thin, medium or slightly thick (or combination thereof) Culet: GIA none or AGS pointed Polish: GIA Excellent or AGS Ideal Symmetry: GIA Excellent or AGS Ideal.
But I also know you can deviate from this if you know what to look for.

As I am looking for a Canadian Diamond pretty much the only sources I found only with a good supply are Blue Nile and Brilliant Earth, my problem with Brilliant Earth is their search isn't very customized and only a small portion of their stock have their certificates posted online (you have to request individually otherwise). I've sent in a request for a custom search, not sure if they'll accommodate me but I should know in the next couple days. I know on rare occasions you can find Canadian Diamonds on James Allen and Good Old Gold, but haven't found any at the current time. Are there any other sources people here would recommend I check?

This is the best option I've found so far: http://www.bluenile.com/canadian-diamonds?track=NavDiaCan#diamonds_pid=LD02385821
Well within my expectations and price range, the IF is probably a bit overkill but meh lol . I'm definitely getting close to pulling the trigger on this or a similar stone but just want to ask the pros one last time!

I appreciate your feedback on my search! Thank you!!

 

[RT82]

Keep looking those prices are crazy! IF is total overkill.
In Toronto here some places had Cdn stones but I think the markup was around 15%-20% vs non Cdn. Lots of GIA and GemScan here. I found AGS very rare here.

 

[WillyDiamond]

I would think that BGD or WF would be able to tell you the source of a diamond.

 

[JulieN]

Brilliance.com? They are not the most trustworthy outfit.

Maybe you mixed them up with BrilliantEarth.com? At Brilliant Earth you can search for Canadian diamonds.

 

[hameljon]

Keep looking those prices are crazy! IF is total overkill.
In Toronto here some places had Cdn stones but I think the markup was around 15%-20% vs non Cdn. Lots of GIA and GemScan here. I found AGS very rare here.

Agreed, most Canadian Diamonds tend to be GIA. I'll keep looking for now, thanks for the encouragement!

I would think that BGD or WF would be able to tell you the source of a diamond.

BGD usually sources from Russia, Botswana, Namibia, or South Africa. http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/news/are-brian-gavin-diamonds-conflict-free/

And Whiteflash has stated "you definitely won’t be able to find genuine Canadian engagement rings here" http://www.whiteflash.com/canada-jewelry.aspx
But it never hurts to ask, I'll throw them a message - Thanks!

Brilliance.com? They are not the most trustworthy outfit.

Maybe you mixed them up with BrilliantEarth.com? At Brilliant Earth you can search for Canadian diamonds.

Sorry ? I think you misread, I did reference Brilliant Earth .

 

[RockyRacoon]

I've purchased a stone from BrilliantEarth.com before. They are good with customer service, but can only provide a single static image of a stone - no Idealscope or other metrics used.

That being said, here is one that is worth some further consideration (with Canada-origin certificate):

1.08ct, H, VS2
http://www.brilliantearth.com/loose-diamonds/view_detail/558539/


The good thing about Brilliant Earth is that they offer free shipping both ways. If your credit card can accommodate it, order a few stones and return the ones you don't like!

 

[Roqsteady]

And Whiteflash has stated "you definitely won’t be able to find genuine Canadian engagement rings here" http://www.whiteflash.com/canada-jewelry.aspx
But it never hurts to ask, I'll throw them a message - Thanks!


Sorry ? I think you misread, I did reference Brilliant Earth .

Whiteflash is talking about the American chain stores in malls, not itself. Try asking or reaching out to Brittany or Debi - they'd be able to tell you.

 

[Roqsteady]

I believe Victor Canera sources his diamonds from Canadian sight. You can check with him though - here are several GORGEOUS options from him:

1.19 H VS2 - 9500 after wire discount
http://www.victorcanera.com/diamonds/padmwy

1.09 G SI1 - 8600 after wire discount (verify if eye clean)
http://www.victorcanera.com/diamonds/mv2zen

1.25 I SI1 - 8700 after wire discount (verify if eye clean)
http://www.victorcanera.com/diamonds/typwz7

He's also one of the most highly rated vendors for hand-forged settings here, so if you'd like him to design your ring, it's a bonus to have the diamond sourced from the same vendor as the setting as well.

 

[hameljon]

I've purchased a stone from BrilliantEarth.com before. They are good with customer service, but can only provide a single static image of a stone - no Idealscope or other metrics used.

That being said, here is one that is worth some further consideration (with Canada-origin certificate):

1.08ct, H, VS2
http://www.brilliantearth.com/loose-diamonds/view_detail/558539/


The good thing about Brilliant Earth is that they offer free shipping both ways. If your credit card can accommodate it, order a few stones and return the ones you don't like!

Thanks for the quick turn around! No clue how you found this one so quick, their search is a nightmare for me lol. Looks like this one has potential to be a nice one.

Whiteflash is talking about the American chain stores in malls, not itself. Try asking or reaching out to Brittany or Debi - they'd be able to tell you.

Will do! Thanks for the suggestion.

I believe Victor Canera sources his diamonds from Canadian sight. You can check with him though - here are several GORGEOUS options from him:

1.19 H VS2 - 9500 after wire discount
http://www.victorcanera.com/diamonds/padmwy

1.09 G SI1 - 8600 after wire discount (verify if eye clean)
http://www.victorcanera.com/diamonds/mv2zen

1.25 I SI1 - 8700 after wire discount (verify if eye clean)
http://www.victorcanera.com/diamonds/typwz7

He's also one of the most highly rated vendors for hand-forged settings here, so if you'd like him to design your ring, it's a bonus to have the diamond sourced from the same vendor as the setting as well.

Thanks again, I haven't heard of Victor outside of PriceScope, but if he's well received here that works for me. Looks promising!

 

[RockyRacoon]

I've purchased a stone from BrilliantEarth.com before. They are good with customer service, but can only provide a single static image of a stone - no Idealscope or other metrics used.

That being said, here is one that is worth some further consideration (with Canada-origin certificate):

1.08ct, H, VS2
http://www.brilliantearth.com/loose-diamonds/view_detail/558539/


The good thing about Brilliant Earth is that they offer free shipping both ways. If your credit card can accommodate it, order a few stones and return the ones you don't like!

Thanks for the quick turn around! No clue how you found this one so quick, their search is a nightmare for me lol. Looks like this one has potential to be a nice one.

I've spent many hours navigating that frustrating search engine! Don't listen to any of the Sales Rep's suggestions - the 3 I dealt with had very little knowledge about cut, etc. - see the stones yourself.

I don't know how close you are to San Francisco, but Brilliant Earth has an office there, where they may be able to call in some stones that you like, and you can bring an Idealscope (and your eyes!) to truly find the winner.

 

[hameljon]

Just an update with my search (also good reference for anyone doing a similar search in the future)

Blue Nile
-Remains a good option, they have 2 diamonds in my price range that match my specifications:

1) 1.12c, VVS1, I, "Signature Ideal Cut" (GIA Excellent), 1.3 HCA, H&A so-so, $9,955 CAD
http://www.bluenile.com/ca/canadian-diamonds?track=NavDiaCan#diamonds_pid=LD02411293http://www.bluenile.com/ca/canadian-diamonds?track=NavDiaCan#diamonds_pid=LD02411293

2) 1.11c, IF, I, "Signature Ideal Cut" (GIA Excellent), 1.3 HCA, H&A so-so (marginally better than above), $10,417 CAD
http://www.bluenile.com/ca/canadian-diamonds?track=NavDiaCan#diamonds_pid=LD02385821

Brilliant Earth
-Replied and didn't do a custom search for me, I got the "Super ldeal cut diamonds are going to have the highest rating for cut, polish, symmetry, and typically have the the ideal ranges for depth, diameter, crown, and pavilion angle" spiel which I would disagree with. I'll have to put in more time into searching to see what I can come up with. However RockyRacoon was able to find the option below for me :

1) 1.08c, VS2, H, "Super Ideal cut" (lol... GIA Excellent), 0.6 HCA , no pictures yet so hard to judge, $10,225 CAD
http://www.brilliantearth.com/loose-diamonds/view_detail/558539/

Brian Gavin
-Upon request they were nice enough to provide with the 2 Canadian Diamonds listed in their virtually inventory. One didn't meat my expectation for proportions, but the other seemed quite reasonable once confirmed eye clean (no reason it shouldn't be for a VS2).

1) 1.20c, VS2, G, GIA Excellent, 0.8 HCA, there's a cloud that's easy to spot at 10x but I imagine it would be fine given it's VS2, $9,757 USD
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.200-g-vs2-round-diamond-gia-52837322


James Allen
-Upon initial request they actually found 3 diamonds for me, they may have more by the sounds of it; I think he misinterpreted my message and narrowed my search more than I asked. 2 were too heavy on the depth to be ideally cut, but 1 has some potential:

1) 1.14c, VS2, I, GIA Excellent, 1.3 HCA, confirmed eye clean, $7,840 USD
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.14-carat-i-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-82230

Whiteflash
-I spoke with a representative, she was extremely kind and professional (thanks for the recommendation Roqsteady). They do source Canadian Diamonds the odd time but currently do not have any available with ideal proportions currently. She was very honest with this and went on to say that she wouldn't be comfortable recommending what they have available and even went on to say I might be best off looking for a jeweler that specializes in branded Canadian Diamonds. Definitely appreciate the professionalism from Whiteflash here!

Good Old Gold
-I have a sales rep checking into my inquiry, it wouldn't be from their "superior cut" collection but that okay. So far they seem professional and have handled the request well, they're currently trying to see what they can find. I'll post as things develop.

Victor Canera
-Waiting for reply, will keep you posted.

Something I've learned
When I started this thread I only knew of two options, less than a day later I have a handful of options. A piece of advice to other shoppers: It never hurts to ask! Even though selection may look very limited online it never hurts to speak to a specialist, they can do more intensive searches and come up with options you weren't able to find.

 

[CharmyPoo]

Canadian diamonds are generally more expensive.

 

[RockyRacoon]

Check THIS out:

Found the same stone as the Brilliant Earth stone I had linked (by searching for the GIA report #):

http://www.since1910.com/diamond/1-08ct/h-vs2/round/brilliant/cut/diamond/-r-16092-437418DI

Price: $7,967.00

That's over $2k less than the Brilliant Earth price for the same stone (it's a virtual stone at both Brilliant Earth and this place, as multiple vendors can sell the same stone).

Anyway - worth considering!

 

[arkieb1]

I agree with the others, I think Victor is cutting Canadian rough & his stones are magnificent, so it might be worth being persistent, he will get back to you.

If you are something locally in Australia some high end chain stores sell Canadian Firemark diamonds so I am assuming that you must have them or something similar available in Canada.

Adam has a lot of Canadian diamonds that are preloved that are O.K prices and he can get you anything although he is not always the cheapest and you need to clearly specify the cut quality that you are after in detail, but if he did call a stone in for you, you might be able to look at it first and he does haggle;

http://www.billleboeufjewellers.com/category/estate_pieces/diamonds/

 

[hameljon]

Check THIS out:

Found the same stone as the Brilliant Earth stone I had linked (by searching for the GIA report #):

http://www.since1910.com/diamond/1-08ct/h-vs2/round/brilliant/cut/diamond/-r-16092-437418DI

Price: $7,967.00

That's over $2k less than the Brilliant Earth price for the same stone (it's a virtual stone at both Brilliant Earth and this place, as multiple vendors can sell the same stone).

Anyway - worth considering!

Good thinking! Wouldn't be the first time I've seen Brilliant Earth do this, just shows what kind of mark-up them put on their diamonds for their "ethical" standards. Definitely worth consideration at that price.

I agree with the others, I think Victor is cutting Canadian rough & his stones are magnificent, so it might be worth being persistent, he will get back to you.

If you are something locally in Australia some high end chain stores sell Canadian Firemark diamonds so I am assuming that you must have them or something similar available in Canada.

Adam has a lot of Canadian diamonds that are preloved that are O.K prices and he can get you anything although he is not always the cheapest and you need to clearly specify the cut quality that you are after in detail, but if he did call a stone in for you, you might be able to look at it first and he does haggle;

http://www.billleboeufjewellers.com/category/estate_pieces/diamonds/

Good news, Victor did reply! Quite a while ago actually, turns out gmail put him in my Spam folder for some reason . And yes, you guys were right he had obtained diamonds that he is cutting from Canadian rough . I'm excited to see how this develops.

And yup, we have the Firemark diamonds here but they focus on their branded princess cut. That's for suggesting Adam as well, I'm going to stray from that option for now. Still recovering from some of my other brick and mortar experiences , I prefer the straight no BS approach at this point.

 

[hameljon]

Canadian diamonds are generally more expensive.

No arguing that! All the added procedures and policies generally associated with Canadian Diamonds come with a premium I guess. But at the end of the day I want to make sure I get the right Diamond for my girlfriend and she's made it clear that Canadian would be preferred.

 

[JulieN]

Most of Brilliant Earth's stones are virtual, so I imagine most other vendors can search for Canadian stones. Looks like you are doing great, good luck.

 

[hameljon]

Most of Brilliant Earth's stones are virtual, so I imagine most other vendors can search for Canadian stones. Looks like you are doing great, good luck.

Thanks for the encouragement!


Here's how things developed with Victor:
Victor Canera
Thanks Roqsteady for initially suggesting this rare gem, I'm surprised I haven't heard more about Victor and his work outside of price scope. His work and craftsmanship is definitely top notch and I'd happy to point others in his direction. As stated by a couple people in this thread Victor purchased a sight of rough Canadian Diamonds (an assortment of rough diamonds sold by a mining company). If you're curious about it you can read more here:
http://victorcanera.tumblr.com/post/70016152968/were-going-to-share-an-inside-look-at-the-process
and here:
http://victorcanera.tumblr.com/post/80410812457/diamond-supply-chain-the-consumer

Unfortunately for me but fortunate for others, these stones were very high quality typically higher in the color and clarity range. As such these extended beyond what I am able to spend right now.

Here are 4 from Victor's Canera Ideal Hearts collection:
http://www.victorcanera.com/diamonds/vcrtj7
http://www.victorcanera.com/diamonds/7ypxtu
http://www.victorcanera.com/diamonds/5aa0q0
http://www.victorcanera.com/diamonds/le44tk

He also has options in his value selection, almost all his European Round Diamonds are Canadian, all new antique cushion stones are Canadian sourced and he has some emerald cuts as well from the same sight.

I'm still opting to find a H&A Ideal cut diamond within my price range, so for now my search continues

 

[spicyitalian]

Do let us know how it turns out in the end.

 

[arkieb1]

I take it that some of the G/H colours and SI Ideal Hearts stones Victor currently has are not from Canadian rough? Like this one;

http://www.victorcanera.com/diamonds/amdtxe

Or this one;

http://www.victorcanera.com/diamonds/mv2zen

Or this one;

http://www.victorcanera.com/diamonds/padmwy

Otherwise try emailing Wink and asking if any of the crafted by Infinity stones have been recut from Canadian diamonds. Paul recuts a lot of stones so there could be the odd one or two if you are really lucky;

http://www.highperformancediamonds.com/index.php?page=contact

 

[hameljon]

Do let us know how it turns out in the end.

Will do, thanks!

I take it that some of the G/H colours and SI Ideal Hearts stones Victor currently has are not from Canadian rough? Like this one;

http://www.victorcanera.com/diamonds/amdtxe

Or this one;

http://www.victorcanera.com/diamonds/mv2zen

Or this one;

http://www.victorcanera.com/diamonds/padmwy

Otherwise try emailing Wink and asking if any of the crafted by Infinity stones have been recut from Canadian diamonds. Paul recuts a lot of stones so there could be the odd one or two if you are really lucky;

http://www.highperformancediamonds.com/index.php?page=contact

Yeah unfortunately these ones weren't from the Canadian Rough, Roqsteady already pointed out two of these but unfortunately they weren't Canadian .

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll shoot Wink an e-mail. I've heard a lot of good things about him.

 

[SHOWBIZ]

hameljon, I too am from the same city and found it a very frustrating experience finding well cut stones locally, let alone GIA/AGS certified ones.

From all the places I took a look at locally, the ones that do carry GIA/AGS diamonds are: Alberta Diamond Exchange, Calgary Jewellery, and Maggie's Diamond Boutique. I'm not sure if these places offer Canadian diamonds though.

Given the lack of inventory available at local shops, I ended up buying online from a PS vendor (that provided idealscope images) and though I didn't see the diamond in person till it was shipped to me, it ended up being much better than anything I could've gotten locally.

It's a shame we live in such a large (and rich) city, yet have such limited choices when it comes to buying diamonds locally. Good luck in your search!

 

[hameljon]

Progress has been slow over the weekend, but nonetheless it's progress:

Blue Nile - Is so far looking like the best option, not only are they affordable, but they have the biggest selection of Canadian Diamonds and have a fair sized offering within their signature series and are one of the most affordable options. They can also provide me with a card from the Canadian Code of Conduct to authentic the diamonds origins.

Brilliant Earth - I still need to spend more time fine tuning a selection from their inventory, what I do like about Brilliant Earth vs. Blue Nile is their lifetime warranty. However, I don't think this justifies their markup as RockyRacoon found the same diamond listed on Brilliant Earth for over 2k less through another website. This isn't a comforting thought and leaves me without much doubt that I'm paying far and above what the diamond is worth after mark-up, which is what I hoped to avoid through online channels.

James Allen - I'm actually quite happy with the service here, their sales representative has provided quite a few options, unfortunately none are in their True Hearts selection (not surprising or even expected). Nonetheless the options are reasonable and priced competitively. What's great about them is their warranty and superior return policy (60 days). This would be another top option, however it sounds like they aren't able to provide me with additional information regarding the diamonds origins or a unique identification number. Basically only the inscribed maple leaf, the sales rep did say they could maybe request additional documentation; so I'm going to follow-up and see exactly what this entails. If things check out this may be my best bet!

Brian Gavin - Was able to provide an option, however it was priced higher than both Blue Nile and James Allen. After the setting and currency conversion, it was also out of my budget.

Good Old Gold No additional correspondence yet.

Victor Canera - This would have definitely been the ideal option, for a bit there it was almost too good to be true. Unfortunately it's a bit out of my budget for this escapade but I would definitely recommend him to others in my situation who are willing to spend a bit more.

High Performance Diamonds - waiting for a reply.

Other - I'm also in contact with a Canadian Company that specializes in a different branded cut of diamond but also do some custom work and may have some traditionally cut 58 facet round brilliants as well. Waiting to see what they can come up with.

 

[hameljon]

hameljon, I too am from the same city and found it a very frustrating experience finding well cut stones locally, let alone GIA/AGS certified ones.

From all the places I took a look at locally, the ones that do carry GIA/AGS diamonds are: Alberta Diamond Exchange, Calgary Jewellery, and Maggie's Diamond Boutique. I'm not sure if these places offer Canadian diamonds though.

Given the lack of inventory available at local shops, I ended up buying online from a PS vendor (that provided idealscope images) and though I didn't see the diamond in person till it was shipped to me, it ended up being much better than anything I could've gotten locally.

It's a shame we live in such a large (and rich) city, yet have such limited choices when it comes to buying diamonds locally. Good luck in your search!

Thanks! I definitely agree it's a shame what we have to deal with for local Jewelry stores despite living in such a great prosperous city. Maybe the problem is people are making too much Oil & Gas money and are just money hungry

I think most people who buy diamond engagement rings just don't put in the time and effort they should, they believe the BS they're fed by the sales representatives and make a quick purchase.

I checked out Alberta Diamond Exchange, pretty good set-up and makes you feel pretty good that you're dealing with professionals. However I think what hurt the experience most is probably our current high exchange rate. They provided me with a list of diamonds matching what I asked for, however their prices were too high because on top of the list price given I would still be charged approximately 11% for exchange and 15% mark-up for their services. Seems reasonable enough since most brick and mortars are charging 30-50% mark-up, however their base prices were the same I found online, so really I'm paying the 15% to deal with the store and get their life time warranty. I also felt like they treated diamonds too much like an everyday commodity, in some respect yeah they can be, but I just felt no emotion or care from these guys; they just wanted to sell me a diamond and get their pay check. I like quick, easy and painless business too, but when I'm buying a diamond for my future wife a little emotion doesn't hurt.

Calgary Jewelry had some options meeting my criteria again, but as usual "OH! WE GIVE YOU GOOD DEAL!" which translates to, please bend over sir while we #$@* you! Okay maybe a little bit over exaggerated, but I hate being told I'm getting a good deal when I'm not... They also offer Ritani which is nice, and I decided to ask about ordering online and having it shipped to the store. Although these are non-Canadian, Ritani has some great diamonds and good prices! And of course they didn't like me asking this and claimed they would give me a better deal on in-store options , god enough with the BS please... Seriously I hate brick and mortar stores...

I didn't check out Maggie's, probably won't after all the poor experiences I've had here so far. Troy Shoppe also has AGS and GIA, and even carry Hearts on Fire. They were able to find a diamond meeting my specifications but again over priced by about $2,000 and told me it was worth much more than the price given (which conveniently happened to be my max budget). I've done sales for a number of years and been in a family business, so it absolutely drives me nuts when people think I'm stupid and view me as easy commission. Yeah I get that stores have to make money too, but there's a better and more honest way of doing business.

 

[msop04]

Hi,

Before you get upset that I'm looking for a Canadian Diamond I should state that it has nothing to do with social or environmental impacts or being "more conflict-free" (not true), I completely understand that diamonds sourced from other countries such as Africa do have a more positive impact on the people there than in Canada. However, I am looking for a Canadian Diamond for sympathetic reasons and identification as this is something my girlfriend would prefer in her diamond engagement ring. And ultimately her happiness matters to me more than other factors considered

Hi hameljon

Just to clarify... would your gf be okay with a smaller stone if it were Canadian, or do you think she would be on board for a larger stone mined from somewhere else? I didn't know if this was just a "I'd rather have" or an "it has to be Canadian"...

 

[hameljon]

Hi,

Before you get upset that I'm looking for a Canadian Diamond I should state that it has nothing to do with social or environmental impacts or being "more conflict-free" (not true), I completely understand that diamonds sourced from other countries such as Africa do have a more positive impact on the people there than in Canada. However, I am looking for a Canadian Diamond for sympathetic reasons and identification as this is something my girlfriend would prefer in her diamond engagement ring. And ultimately her happiness matters to me more than other factors considered

Hi hameljon

Just to clarify... would your gf be okay with a smaller stone if it were Canadian, or do you think she would be on board for a larger stone mined from somewhere else? I didn't know if this was just a "I'd rather have" or an "it has to be Canadian"...

Hi msop04 ,

Currently I'm only considering Canadian Diamonds, in discussing pros/cons with my girlfriend we are well aware of the added intrinsic premium for a Canadian sourced diamond. This of course could be money that could be put towards a higher carat weight or color & clarity but the conclusion of the discussion was she would still ideally want a Canadian sourced diamond if possible. So for now I'd say it has to be Canadian.

If however by the end of my search I can't find a satisfactory stone at the right price, then I will disregard this qualification and open the field to all diamond sources; which of course would make the search A LOT easier! If you follow along my search and updates so far it looks like it is indeed a reasonable request as I have found multiple options within my price range and expectation. I will say however that none of the vendors so far use AGS labs nor do they provide ideal scopes or aset scopes unfortunately . So I'm continuing to weigh our all my options before I make a decision

 

[hameljon]

A quick Brilliant Earth Review

In my search for an ideal cut diamond sourced from Canada, Brilliant Earth was obviously one of the best known and common options. This next post is to comment on Brilliant Earth; last night I finally sat down to sift through their inventory since their search engine isn't user friendly for "Advanced parameters".

After sifting through approximately 200 diamonds I was able to come up with 8 diamonds that met my proportion expectations. However, I was then able to find 6/8 of these diamonds elsewhere at a significantly lower price!

1) 1.05c, G, SI1 $10,105CAD at Brilliant Earth
$8,518.00 at Wonder Jewellers


2) 1.08c, H, VS2 $10,455CAD at Brilliant Earth (This has now sold)
$7,967 at Since1910


3)1.03c, G, VS2 $10,750CAD at Brilliant Earth
-This one was not found elsewhere

4) 1.00c, F, SI1 $10,995CAD at Brilliant Earth
$9,299 at Wonder Jewellers


5) 1.01c, F, SI1 $11,165CAD at Brilliant Earth
-This was sold elsewhere as well but the price is no longer listed


6) 1.02c, F, SI1 $11,295 CAD at Brilliant Earth
$7,899.33 at B2C Jewels
-No Picture

7 ) 1.10c, G, VS2 $11,470CAD at Brilliant Earth
$8223 at Eternity by Yoni


8 ) 1.14c, G, VS2 $8,923.30CAD at Brilliant Earth
$8,897.39 at B2C Jewels


Brilliant Earth Conclusion
Brilliant Earth prides themselves on selling Jewelry that is ethically sourced and produced, and if you sit down and take the time to sift through their inventory you can definitely find a nice stone. However as clearly demonstrated by my search above, they are charging a HEFTY premium to sell you an ethically produced diamond and most of their inventory is clearly virtual as well. This leaves some doubt in my mind to how much effort is put into authenticating the source of each diamond they sell. Furthermore, I would definitely not call any of the stones I found above "Super Ideal" like Brilliant Earth classifies them, just looking at the static contrast of the magnified images it's very easy to see some light performance issues that wouldn't be as prevalent in a Super Ideal cut diamond. I would call the bulk of these stones Very Good. In the last stone this becomes even more apparent with the H&A scope, Ideal scope and ASET scope; The H&A are very imbalanced, and there's significant light leakage on some edges that you would not find on a Super Ideal cut stone. So my 2 cents - BUYER BEWARE! If you want to buy a diamond from Brilliant Earth it's also well worth your time to see if the same diamond is being sold elsewhere at a discount and to inquire about origin certificates. Given what I've seen so far I am not comfortable purchasing from Brilliant Earth.

 

[hameljon]

Just a small update;

Good Old Gold - Wasn't able to find any suitable options at this time from their suppliers.

High Performance Diamonds - Did not reply.

Embee Diamonds / Inspired Diamonds - Most probably aren't familiar with these guys but they specialize in a branded cut "Sirius Star", personally it's not my thing but they used to deal with Crafted by Infinity and have some Canadian based options so I thought I'd see if they had any traditionally cut diamonds. Nothing by the looks of it, but thought I'd try them as a long shot.

Soooo....
As you can see this hasn't been an easy task, I'm pretty much back to where I was at to begin with. I have two options available within my budget/expectations: Blue Nile and James Allen.

Blue Nile
-1.12ct, I, VVS1, GIA XXX - Blue Nile Signature Round Brilliant $9,955 CAD (about $8,968 USD)
http://www.bluenile.com/ca/canadian-diamonds?track=NavDiaCan#diamonds_pid=LD02411293

James Allen
-1.14ct, I, VS2, GIA XXX, Round Brilliant $8,725 CAD (about $7,860 USD)
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.14-carat-i-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-82230

So in this versus I'd be paying approximately $1,200 for the "signature series name" and two jumps in clarity. Which is exactly on par with what the Rapaport suggests when moving from VS2 to VVS1. So either buy would be okay, it would just be if paying extra for clarity was deemed worth it; for me I'd probably opt to save the $1,200 and also benefit from James Allens superior warranty and return policy.

So am I buying from James Allen?? No...

I'm actually currently dealing with a Canadian based retailer (more of a private by appointment only concierge type service) that seems very promising, if things work out how I hope they will I will have a positive review to share. The search goes on!

 

[msop04]

Blue Nile
-1.12ct, I, VVS1, GIA XXX - Blue Nile Signature Round Brilliant $9,955 CAD (about $8,968 USD)
http://www.bluenile.com/ca/canadian-diamonds?track=NavDiaCan#diamonds_pid=LD02411293

James Allen
-1.14ct, I, VS2, GIA XXX, Round Brilliant $8,725 CAD (about $7,860 USD)
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.14-carat-i-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-82230

So in this versus I'd be paying approximately $1,200 for the "signature series name" and two jumps in clarity. Which is exactly on par with what the Rapaport suggests when moving from VS2 to VVS1. So either buy would be okay, it would just be if paying extra for clarity was deemed worth it; for me I'd probably opt to save the $1,200 and also benefit from James Allens superior warranty and return policy.

So am I buying from James Allen?? No...

I'm actually currently dealing with a Canadian based retailer (more of a private by appointment only concierge type service) that seems very promising, if things work out how I hope they will I will have a positive review to share. The search goes on!

Hello again, hameljon

I'm glad you were able to find some nice Candadian stones! BN doesn't show images, but the JA stone looks really nice and has a good HCA score (at 1.3). It looks to be eye clean as well. Personally, I wouldn't pay extra for a diamond with VVS clarity if I could see that a less expensive one was eye clean.

 

[blackprophet]

I don't have anything to add to your search,

BUT

You can get idealscopes from James Allen.
I'm surprised no one has suggested this yet.
Choose 3 diamonds and get the idealscopes and the Gemologists review, come back here and post the IS and review and the experts here can tell you how truly good a buy the JA one is.

It will also give you a bit more peace of mind, as I suspect you still have a bit of apprehension about buying online.

(I'm not one of those experts who can read an IS )