Help! GIA Graded 2.27ct VS2 with a knot?

[bmfang]

Just imagine if your first date was on Dec. 31...

 

[Sagefemme]

Here is a super-ideal, 2.22 carat that meets budget. I can testify that you will get great service at HPD:

http://highperformancediamonds.com/shop/clarity/HPD8624/

 

[Dancing Fire]

Here is a super-ideal, 2.22 carat that meets budget. I can testify that you will get great service at HPD:

http://highperformancediamonds.com/shop/clarity/HPD8624/

Beautiful stone!...Wink is a great guy to work with...

 

[bmfang]

That one certainly is a beautiful CBI stone!!!

 

[Macaroni]

@Macaroni - Before you sacrifice on carat, color, or clarity, would you be open to a diamond that is not a round shape? Typically, rounds are more expensive and non-round ("fancy") shapes are cheaper. If you go with an Oval, Marquise, or Pear shape then the equivalent carat weight can actually have a larger face-up surface area than a round shape -- you may or may not perceive it to look "bigger".

Definitely set on round. The only parameters the GF has mentioned outright are round solitaire, platinum band, nothing else around the stone (no halo, no side stones, no pave detail, etc.)

 

[Macaroni]

Here is a super-ideal, 2.22 carat that meets budget. I can testify that you will get great service at HPD:

http://highperformancediamonds.com/shop/clarity/HPD8624/

OK you folks seem to agree on this stone being a great find, but that makes me even more confused. Dropping down to a lower color and clarity grade is more than offset by the better cut and dimensions? Earlier in the thread, one poster mentioned being able to start to see color once you get to I color... isn't that a bad thing?

You guys are the experts... I'm just trying to make myself understand haha.

 

[whitewave]

An I in a super idea may not be that different than an H. With a good return policy, an I would be worth looking at.

Tint is nether good nor bad. A d color is very white like morning sun. An I color is soft white like evening sun.

To answer your question, yes! CUT (which is not shape) is the most important quality of a diamond. Cut is priority over all else. Wink at HPD sells a brand named Crafted by Infinist diamonds, for which you would be hard pressed to find better cut.

Brian Gavin and Whiteflash "a cut above" also sell super ideal diamonds.

 

[island21]

As whitewave has mentioned, cut is more important than color. That basically gives the "wow" factor in my opinion. As a general rule of thumb, most people can't tell the difference one color grade. Therefore H and I should basically be same face up. But when you reach the I color, some folks can see a small yellowish tint from the side. I am a bit color sensitive, so I chose to go with a smaller diamond, and a higher color (G) with an Ideal cut.

I don't know whats most important to you, but if I found a G color 1.918 on whiteflash's branded A cut above for around the 25k mark. I think most Pricescoper's would be super impressed by that diamond, but it may be much smaller than what you are looking for.

There is also a 2.101 H on whiteflash that is also around the 25k mark. Both are very nice diamonds (my preference would be the G though.)

That being said, stick with one of the vetted vendors that are recommended by Pricescope. And if you are very serious about a particular diamond, please, please, please put it on hold BEFORE you ask the community about their thoughts. I lost a beautiful diamond because someone beat me to the punch after i posted about it (on a different site.)

 

[SimoneDi]

I will also chime in and say that for the untrained eye an I color will not appear "tinted" by any means. The average person will see it as "white". As others previously mentioned, the various colors from D to J will be simply different shades of white, but white nonetheless. My advice will actually be to go with the largest possible diamond your budget will buy and stick with I color (maybe H, if color is really important), ideal cut and eye-clean (that could be an SI1). I love your sentimental idea with the number 2 - here is another stone for consideration: https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3568732.htm You may reach out to WF and ask them if the stone is eye-clean.

 

[bmfang]

I'll chime in as well. Cut will be the main determinant of how white the stone will appear face up. There are diamond education videos on YouTube where a high colour grade diamond with mediocre cut is found to be less "white" face up compared a low colour grade diamond with a super-ideal cut. My wife has a GIA XXX G which is not cut to super ideal proportions and an AGS 000 K which is. The K looks very close to the G in terms of "whiteness" face up with body tint only becoming noticeable when looking at each stone from the side.

The reason why we swooned about the HPD stone is that the cutters for that stone are Crafted By Infinity. They are on par with Whiteflash, Brian Gavin Diamonds, Victor Canera, GOG Ascendancy H&A for cut quality, which then translates into the best light performance you can get in stones on the market today.

A H & an I side by side, you may be able to tell the difference in colour; remember stones are graded in a colour range within each letter. Some H's are closer to I's and some closer to G's with some in the middle. The same can be said for the I's. For most people looking face up at a H or an I, they will think it is white and they'll only really notice the colour looking at the body when you compare them to stones in higher colour grades.

 

[Sagefemme]

You REALLY have to have the stone in your possession-in your house, at your work, in your backyard, under your favorite tree--to know if you think it's stunning or not. I know buying something this expensive online is nerve-wracking. But it's not difficult to have a contender stone shipped to you (you have to have the cash to wire transfer to the vendor) and really STARE at it for a full week, in all your lighting situations, and then make a decision. You don't love it, you send it back. Yes there will be some money spent on shipping, but in the end it's nothing compared to the cost of this whole ring project. Although I believe Wink at HPD includes the shipping if you get it right the first time (i.e., you end up keeping the first stone you order). Believe me, these vendors we're discussing, who sell the cream of the crop stones, know how to take the anxiety out of this. It's easier than you may think.

You can even, for fun, take the super-ideal stone to your bricks and mortar jewelry store, and go head to head with what they have on offer.

 

[Dancing Fire]

OK you folks seem to agree on this stone being a great find, but that makes me even more confused. Dropping down to a lower color and clarity grade is more than offset by the better cut and dimensions? Earlier in the thread, one poster mentioned being able to start to see color once you get to I color... isn't that a bad thing?

You guys are the experts... I'm just trying to make myself understand haha.

My fav. combo is a top cut G-H VS2 stone.

 

[Macaroni]

I'll be honest... until I started this thread I assumed GIA "excellent" cut WAS the cream of the crop... and I knew not to sacrifice cut, so I assumed for anything "excellent" I was getting it done right. I'm learning a lot.

It's really not about the SIZE to me. I definitely want over 2ct (the GF has made mention of "big" ... but who doesn't?), but other than that the NUMBERS are very important. I honestly don't think I'd consider something other than exactly 2.00, 2.02, 2.20, 2.22... or that elusive 2.27. I've had a few folks tell me that's a first for them.

Also... when asking someone if a stone is eye clean... is that like a legal description? Or more like... yep, eye clean to me. Wondering how truthful an online vendor needs to be with it.

Sounds like everyone likes Wink at HPD!

 

[bmfang]

I'll be honest... until I started this thread I assumed GIA "excellent" cut WAS the cream of the crop... and I knew not to sacrifice cut, so I assumed for anything "excellent" I was getting it done right. I'm learning a lot.

It's really not about the SIZE to me. I definitely want over 2ct (the GF has made mention of "big" ... but who doesn't?), but other than that the NUMBERS are very important. I honestly don't think I'd consider something other than exactly 2.00, 2.02, 2.20, 2.22... or that elusive 2.27. I've had a few folks tell me that's a first for them.

Also... when asking someone if a stone is eye clean... is that like a legal description? Or more like... yep, eye clean to me. Wondering how truthful an online vendor needs to be with it.

Sounds like everyone likes Wink at HPD!

Eye-clean I've heard is an industry description for viewing stones with the naked eye from a viewing distance of a foot away (~30cm). With the vendors that are favoured by the PS community, they will be truthful about it. Their reputations are at stake.

We'll do our best to help you out with finding a stone with those specific carat sizes. It's like a big game of hide and seek for me trying to find stones for those who ask for help on this forum.

 

[Macaroni]

Alright, I may have found the one... if so, I can even stick with the sentimental 2.27ct that I wanted. I have the GIA cert from online, but I don't have any of the ideal scope, ASET, etc from either of the sites I found it on (both are PS preferred vendors). The stone is on its way to my B&M jeweler for me to check out, so hopefully I can get some input from you guys in the meantime.

2.27ct RB, H color, VS1, XXX, faint fluorescence (hoping that's not an issue). 61.7% depth, 57% face, 33.5 CA, 41 PA, which puts it at 1.2 on HCA.

It's an "affinity cut," which from looking around on here sounds like it's Adiamor's version of H&A. Not sure if that's a gimmick, or if it puts it on par with H&A or Crafted by Infinity.

What do you think??

 

[BlingDreams]

Alright, I may have found the one... if so, I can even stick with the sentimental 2.27ct that I wanted. I have the GIA cert from online, but I don't have any of the ideal scope, ASET, etc from either of the sites I found it on (both are PS preferred vendors). The stone is on its way to my B&M jeweler for me to check out, so hopefully I can get some input from you guys in the meantime.

2.27ct RB, H color, VS1, XXX, faint fluorescence (hoping that's not an issue). 61.7% depth, 57% face, 33.5 CA, 41 PA, which puts it at 1.2 on HCA.

It's an "affinity cut," which from looking around on here sounds like it's Adiamor's version of H&A. Not sure if that's a gimmick, or if it puts it on par with H&A or Crafted by Infinity.

What do you think??

No expert, but it certainly sounds promising! Can your jeweler provide you with an ASET/IdealScope?

 

[bmfang]

Most of the Affinity cuts that i've seen on Adiamor aren't picture perfect H&A compared to Whiteflash, Brian Gavin Diamonds, Crafted by Infinity, GOG Ascendancy stones. More similar to Blue Nile's Signature H&A range of stones IMHO.

 

[Macaroni]

I should also note I put the specs into the AGS proportion chart, and this falls smack in the center of ideal cut. But yes, I know that's purely based on proportions.

No expert, but it certainly sounds promising! Can your jeweler provide you with an ASET/IdealScope?

From what I've heard, most B&M jewelers don't have the scopes on-site. I debated on buying an IS (figured small price to pay for a $25K purchase), but I'm not sure I'd even be able to interpret the results on my own.

Alternative is to have the stone sent back (from wherever my jeweler got it from... I saw it on Adiamor and BlueNile) and hopefully have the "owner" vendor provide ASET/IS. The stone seems like a pretty good choice for me at the moment, so I'm not sure I want the jeweler to send it back and have it back on the market.

I'm not planning on taking the loose stone home before setting, so I don't think taking it to an appraiser to scope or provide a Sarin report is really feasible (assume it can't be done after setting). If you guys think going THAT route is a smart move, I can make arrangements.

Most of the Affinity cuts that i've seen on Adiamor aren't picture perfect H&A compared to Whiteflash, Brian Gavin Diamonds, Crafted by Infinity, GOG Ascendancy stones. More similar to Blue Nile's Signature H&A range of stones IMHO.

Reliable within reason, nonetheless? Like are we talking a difference that might only be noticed by aficionados like yourself? Probably hard to discern but figured I'd ask.

 

[BlingDreams]

At this point it sounds like you've done your due diligence - all of the numbers line up between what the experts on here recommend as well as the AGS proportions chart, it's a color/clarity you're comfortable with, and the carat weight is spot on. So I'd say go with your gut. If you see the stone in person and love it, buy it. As you mentioned above, it's probably just aficionados who might be able to see the slightest offset of arrows.

Share photos when you can!

 

[bmfang]

Reliable within reason, nonetheless? Like are we talking a difference that might only be noticed by aficionados like yourself? Probably hard to discern but figured I'd ask

What was the Adiamor listing if you still have it handy? Would just like to see the grading report and any photos that they have of it.

I'm super anal about optical symmetry now that I've learnt about it, though within reason and within budget. There are trade offs that one has to make to meet budget and or other wish lists on stone characteristics.

If there are distinct hearts and arrows or close to hearts and arrows (though not every heart has to be perfect and not every arrow shaft has to hit the bottom of each arrow head), it may be good enough. If the light performance of the stone is decent then one of these ideal cuts is a good buy if your dollar doesn't stretch up to one of the super-ideals from WF, BGD, CBI, VC, etc.

 

[MissGotRocks]

I understand the number thing - however - I would not give up great cut for the numbers game. I am sure this isn't what you want to hear but I just feel that I have to say that. My favorite number is 2 - maybe because I was born on the 2nd of a month - dunno. I had a 2.22 stone and loved the numbers although it was just happenstance that the number thing worked. However, when given the chance, I traded that stone for a 2.19 WF ACA stone. The numbers are nothing compared to a beautifully cut stone and the numbers are only meaningful to the two of you. Just try not to get stuck on a detail like that when the object of the game is really to get the best cut stone you can. I hope the one that is being shipped to you works out but if not, seriously consider other contenders even if the numbers aren't right. You won't regret that decision down the line - promise!

 

[Macaroni]

What was the Adiamor listing if you still have it handy? Would just like to see the grading report and any photos that they have of it.

I don't see it listed anywhere anymore, but that may be because I put a deposit down on the stone after seeing it in person!

I did save a copy of the GIA report:

GIA

• Macaroni
• May 11, 2017

 

[Macaroni]

Report date is April 21, 2017... so it looks like this one's hot off the press.

 

[whitewave]

Seems promising. Be sure to post hand shots!!!

 

[bmfang]

Looking forward to seeing pics of the stone!

 

[Macaroni]

I'll be sure to post pics once I pop the question! Not happening until mid-August, so I'll keep you in suspense until then haha.

Last question (for now)...

I'm still working on the setting (very simple... platinum, four prong, tulip setting, cathedral), so the stone itself is just staying with the jeweler until I pick up the whole package (mid July?) Is it worth it to send the stone itself to an appraiser (for insurance) who could also take the IS/ASET images and possibly a Sarin report? Or should I just say forget it and have it appraised all together once the stone has been set?

 

[bmfang]

You could get the appraisal done on the stone now so that you have more records. But I'm not sure whether many appraisers (save for some that post on here) would have IS/ASET capabilities, let alone having an actual Sarine scanner to generate a report.

 

[SimoneDi]

Macaroni, look at the approved list of appraisers here on PS based on your location. You can find a good appraiser that will be able to provide a comprehensive report. It is totally worth it to do it now before the diamond is set!