Help for a Novice

[drey00]

Hey guys,

I''m new here so please excuse my ignorance. I''m about to pull the trigger and get a ring for my girl. Diamond first of course. Anyhow, my question is this:

How important is the "depth" percentage on a GIA cert staying under 61% for a round diamond? I read about this rule in david cuellar''s book so I''m trying to see what others would say.

Another thing, is there really a whole lot of difference between an F color and an H for a guy that''s not interested in investing in diamonds?

Thanks for any and all advice.

 

[sluke]

You should go to GoodOldGold.com to read about diamonds. It was really helpful for me. A very well cut H color round brilliant will look better than a so-so cut D/E/F color diamond any day. (I am not affliated with GOG)

 

[pqcollectibles]

Here's a link to the Cut Charts for Round Brilliants:

http://diamonds.pricescope.com/round.asp

Under 60% will produce a bigger spread for the same carat weight. Say you have 2 equal carat weight diamonds, assume equal girdle thickness, the lower total depth will lend to a larger diameter. Larger diameter can give a larger visual appearance.

Depth is not the main concern in assessing Cut quality. Nobody wants to pay for carat weight that you can't see. You also want to watch for dead carat weight, like a thick girdle.

The main thing to look for is the crown and pavillion angles. Complimentary combinations work to produce the performance of a diamond. As you search for your diamond, you will always want to ask for Sarin or OGI or Megascope information to get all the physical measurements of the diamond.

You can use the Cut Adviser as a screening tool to weed out poor performers.

http://www.pricescope.com/cutadviser.asp

Regarding color. That's a personal thing. Some people are much more color sensitive than others. You really need to get out and look at diamonds in person. Visit local diamond brokers. Don't go to the Mall!! Look at different color grades of well cut diamonds side by side to see what you can and cannot live without. Well cut diamonds tend to show whiter and brighter than the actual color grade. Also, keep in mind the color of the metal you plan to mount in. Color costs money. If you are mounting in yellow gold, you can drop a grade or 2 lower in color and maximize your budget.

Clarity costs more money than color. While you may think you need VVS, you can easily consider VS, or an eye clean SI. The really great bargains are well cut I1's with one defining inclusion that is well hidden.

Good luck in your search. As you find diamonds you are interested in, feel free to post specs here. Folks will be more than glad to help you out.

 

[diamondnovice]

Hi Drey -

Keeping under 61% is not extremely important as long as you do not allow the depth to get too deep. You should probably try not to go above 62%. Having said that I tend to like diamonds with depths 61% or under just because they tend to look larger (i.e. have larger diameters for a given carat weight) than deeper diamonds.

As for color, a well cut H will look white. I have a D color e-ring diamond but my stud earrings are Hs. Both the ring and earrings have ideally cut diamonds (i.e. well cut). I can tell the difference between the colors side by side but by themselves, my H's definitely appear white facing up. The D is just an icier, pure white. The only way you see any real color in the H is when looking at the diamond from the side against a white background.

Hope this helps.

 

[drey00]

ok, how does this sound?

6.51-6.56 x 4.03mm
1.05 ct
61.7% depth
56% table
thin to med, faceted girdle
no culet
excellent finish and symmetry
vvs1 clarity
H color
no flourescence

My fear here is that i'll be paying for a vvs when i really don't need or want it... thoughts? What would a round brilliant like this ballpark at? I'm working on getting the other dimensions of the stone

 

[drey00]

one other question: how do you go about finding out if it's been heat-treated etc. Would that sort of thing be noted on the GIA cert?