Help finding my eye candy!

[DotDot]

I have been doing my homework on this website and read many postings.

I really appreciate the vast amount knowledge and help available on this site for rookies like me. Kind of know what I want but cannot decide. I am looking for a pair of diamond stud about 1.0ct ttw. The specification I have in mind is G-I, VS2-SI1, and Ideal cut but prefer H&A. My budget is around 2k (definitely < $2500). Is this a realistic price range? I did a search on PriceScope, it showed me so many stones I don''t know which ones to pick. Can you please help pairing some stones for me? Also, can you recommand some vendors who are reputable and offer good prices?

As for the setting, I really like Leon Mege''s French wire design. But price is too steep I can''t afford.

Is there any alternatives?

Thanks ahead!

 

[Stephan]

For studs, you could buy shallower diamonds. I wouldn't pay to much for H&A's studs.

 

[strmrdr]

I dont have a lot of time right now so i just hit GOG.
here is a matched pair in your price range with a ton of info available.


http://www.goodoldgold.com/studs_0_943ct_g_si1_h%26a.htm

 

[DotDot]

What do you think about GOG's Drop Ship Price option? Does the Full Service price actually offer enough practical benefits to justify the couple hundred dollar price difference?

 

[Magnum]

----------------
On 5/6/2004 1:03:20 PM DotDot wrote:

What do you think about GOG's Drop Ship Price option? Does the Full Service price actually offer enough practical benefits to justify the couple hundred dollar price difference?----------------

I think the drop ship item might not be a bad idea for smaller stones, such as the ones you're looking at. I love all the analysis that Goodoldgold does on their stones, but it doesn't seem cost effective for smaller, less expensive stones to me. For example, for 0.4-0.6 G-I VS2-SI1 stones the average price increase is around $200 for full service. They have a couple of 0.5 I SI1 stones that look really promising, but the price goes up from around $1000 to around $1200 if you want full service, which while only $200 more, is still a 20% increase. If it were me, and I wanted to deal with goodoldgold, I might purchase the stones based solely on the analysis of the numbers they provide for them and the knowledge that goodoldgold's supplier is known for producing excellent stones. You still have 30 days to decide if you like the stones. As a contrast, for stones 1.4-1.6 G-I VS2-SI1 an average price is around $10k, but the full service price is on average only around $300 more, which is only a 3% increase. If you're spending that much money, it seems the extra $300 is well worth it in this case. Just my .02 cents

When I was doing my search, something I wish goddoldgold might have provided is a third, middle ground, option. For smaller stones, instead of the entire comprehensive analyisis, maybe they could offer just idealscope and H&A pictures for a little less than the full service price? Just a thought.

 

[Magnum]

How about these two from Goodoldgold's additional h&a search page ($2120 total with the drop ship option):

Carat: 0.508
Color: I
Clarity: SI1
Full service: $1267.03
Drop Ship: $1041.03
AGS: 0
Depth: 61
Table: 56
Crown Angle: 34.1
Pav Angle: 40.9
Girdle %: 1.0-1.4
Flour: I
Dimen.: 5.14-5.17*3.15

Carat: 0.527
Color: I
Clarity: SI1
Full service: $1315.03
Drop Ship: $1080.03
AGS: 0
Depth: 62.5
Table: 55
Crown Angle: 34.2
Pav Angle: 40.9
Girdle %: 1.0-1.7
Flour: N
Dimen.: 5.16-5.18*3.23

 

[valeria101]

If these can be a tad over the carat mark, they can as well be a bit below - size would not get hit, but cost would, most likely.

How about these:

I-VS2 pair: Stone 1 and Stone 2

Or

G-VS: Stone #1 and Stone #2

Or...

F-SI2: Stone #1 and Stone #2


The size difference on these would be minute... I would expect the arrows to show nicely for the repsective proportions and cut precision and the overall specs to exceed what no-excuse earrings could dare dream of

And... there are three stones at Whiteflash which merited their seal of approval for the "expert selection" - all three E/F-SI, nicely matched and with great Iscope signatures. Any two could make a pair of completely colorless earrings with spectacular light

, as far as I would think.

Here they are: Stone #1, Stone #2, and Stone #3. As a note, the Iscope do not tell these stones apart conclusively (all great!) but being SI2 inclusions just might. However, all three come with GIA Dossiers and no plot - something that the seller could clarify: with no black bugger in place, not much can desfigurate a 5mm earring stone all that badly though...

These are quite varied choices already; so if you wander which would be mine at this point I would have a hard time between the G-VS (obviously no-excuse white and clean) and either SI2 pairs. For this choice, cut comes first with color at arm's length and clarity quite a bit lagging in priority for earrings. Not much different would work for any other use of stone, only the distance between color and clarity increses (and so does tolerance to inclusions) for earrings - at least in my view... of course.

Teh respective 5mm is more than reasonable to me - I would not try to push both color and clarity to the lower limit of tolerance for the sake of 0.5mm more... (me, again... sure so).


Hope this helps

 

[DotDot]

Thanks for all the information above. I saw several interesting stones on GOG's H&A search engine. The choices are between a .48 G VS2 pair and couple .50+ I SI1 pairs. All are H&A. Price is all < $1100. Is I color too yellow? Should I trade color for size? Is there anyway to see some pictures of the comparison if possible?

Thanks, all!

 

[valeria101]

Does 0.48 represent a trade-off in size (=diameter?). Different depths of the cut could make 0.48 and 0.5 the same easily within the H&A range. so it would be hard to find evidence of size variation. However, sellers have provided 'side-by-side' pictures before...

 

[fire&ice]

For my niece's e.r., I saved some significant money and stayed below a benchmark. In my case, the stones were .42 each. Below the benchmark of .50 (1/2 carat)

 

[hoorray]

Great looking earrings! Congratulations!

What color and size did you end up getting?

 

[DotDot]

H&A 4.88 and 4.87. G, SI1. Very small inclusion. You are right about keeping it a bit under .50. We got some .53 to look at and saw not much difference but definitely saved a bit.

I am in love with them.

 

[10X]

Thank you for the kind words "DotDot" it is much appreciated and it certainly was a pleasure to meet you and your husband to be. Your earrings are beautiful and should be in your hands or on your ears very soon. They are going to look spectacular for your very special day. Best wishes.