Help! I just picked a stone - Having 2nd thoughts....

[Lorelei]

Date: 11/26/2008 11:21:13 AM
Author: DainIronfoot

2 and 3 look good! Just check with the cloud inclusions that they aren''t affecting light return by causing a loss of brilliance, look at them carefully and check them out in as many different lights as you can to make sure you like the diamonds in the lighting they will be worn in.

And you can certainly try haggling...!

Thanks for the tips folks!

Ok, so I should be checking for inclusions because these are SI clarity, correct?

And honestly with regard to haggling, does it really work? Say I chose the 4450 stone with setting, in reality how much could I get taken off? Do you think I could get my original price of 4250? The ironic thing is my girl friend is quite the haggler. It''s hilarious, really.

Ditto Merc!

And yes with the inclusions, check it carefully from all angles away from the jewellery store lights if possible as inclusions can pop out in some lights more than others.

 

[DainIronfoot]

Alright. I picked out a stone, just not the original H&A for 4450. This other stone was pratically identical, however...

GIA Cert
.90
H
SI1
Excellent Cut
table 56
depth 61.3
crown 35
pavillion 41

girdle - thin, medium.

Looked at it under as regular light as I could (he also encouraged me to do so when I asked) and it looked great, did not notice any inclusions (have to check for SI1, right?

I was also able to knock off a few hundred bucks too!! Final price 4250. I think I did a decent job.

At least I hope so....

 

[neatfreak]

Wouldn't be my first choice as it isn't the most ideally cut stone, but if you love it that is what matters. Did you look at the other stones with it? Or just this one?

ETA: The price also seems high when you compare with other stones available on the PS search engine...but not by much. Was this from a B&M? If so the markup is reasonable.

 

[DainIronfoot]

I actually gave the jeweler the guidelines you had given me a few weeks ago...

depth - 60 - 62 ( although you can go deeper if all else is right, suggest a max of 62.6%)

table - 54 - 57%

crown angle -shallower 34 - 35% getting a bit steeper = further eval

pavillion angle - shallower 40.5 - 40.9 or 41 getting a bit steeper= further eval

girdle thin to slightly thick, medium, slightly thin are all fine, avoid extremes such as thin to ex thick.

This stone, fits all of these parameters, correct?

Also - what does a B&A mean. This is the first serious piece of jewelry I''ve ever bought in my life...

I think it looks great, but I don''t want to be agonizing over this...

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 12/3/2008 12:47:25 PM
Author: DainIronfoot



I actually gave the jeweler the guidelines you had given me a few weeks ago...

depth - 60 - 62 ( although you can go deeper if all else is right, suggest a max of 62.6%)

table - 54 - 57%

crown angle -shallower 34 - 35% getting a bit steeper = further eval

pavillion angle - shallower 40.5 - 40.9 or 41 getting a bit steeper= further eval

girdle thin to slightly thick, medium, slightly thin are all fine, avoid extremes such as thin to ex thick.

This stone, fits all of these parameters, correct?

Also - what does a B&A mean. This is the first serious piece of jewelry I've ever bought in my life...

I think it looks great, but I don't want to be agonizing over this...

Dain you should be fine, the 35/ 41 crown and pavilion are hovering around what we call the steep deep zone, but as you have seen the diamond and loved it then it should be a lovely diamond! Numbers and guidelines are one thing but seeing the diamond and liking it is what matters and as GIA round the numbers, not all diamonds with these angles are going to be steep deeps in reality or even show any effects or visible light leakage that the human eye can even detect, so again if you love the diamond then it is a beautiful stone! B&M means brick and mortar store/ jewellery store.

 

[neatfreak]

The angles just don't work as well together as they could on paper. But the reason I asked if you saw it in person is because that really trumps the paper numbers. If it's nice it's nice!

And as Lorelei beat me to it, B&M is brick and mortar. They normally have a bit more of a markup than online.

 

[DainIronfoot]

Ok. Sorry if I had a minor flip out there. It''s been a great, but a huge learning process too, so I just wanted to be sure.

I didn''t look at other stones, to be honest. However from looking at his website and the stones he showed me previously, this was a great stone, using my layman''s judgement at list.

Not a brick an mortar store, actually. It''s from a jeweler in the Diamond District who specialized in antique settings. My girlfriend and I went there in June and she fell in LOVE with this one setting, so I''ve been trying to get the right stone for it. He has an office/showroom and sells online.

I did a search online also and noticed it seems a little pricey. I''m glad I was able to work him down a bit, that''s for sure. But again, looking at it, I didn''t notice anything that would set me off to not go with this stone...

Thanks everyone for all of your help!! Especially Lorelei and Neat Freak, without you guys I think I would have found out about all this stuff too late! I''ll try to post photos when I get them.

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 12/3/2008 1:06:02 PM
Author: DainIronfoot
Ok. Sorry if I had a minor flip out there. It''s been a great, but a huge learning process too, so I just wanted to be sure.


I didn''t look at other stones, to be honest. However from looking at his website and the stones he showed me previously, this was a great stone, using my layman''s judgement at list.


Not a brick an mortar store, actually. It''s from a jeweler in the Diamond District who specialized in antique settings. My girlfriend and I went there in June and she fell in LOVE with this one setting, so I''ve been trying to get the right stone for it. He has an office/showroom and sells online.


I did a search online also and noticed it seems a little pricey. I''m glad I was able to work him down a bit, that''s for sure. But again, looking at it, I didn''t notice anything that would set me off to not go with this stone...


Thanks everyone for all of your help!! Especially Lorelei and Neat Freak, without you guys I think I would have found out about all this stuff too late! I''ll try to post photos when I get them.

No worries! If it looked great to you, then it is probably a beautiful stone. Sorry to freak you out! It isn''t one I would buy if it was online with no images ya know? But buying in person is different...I would suggest however that if it isn''t a done deal you compare to a few other stones in person just to make sure it''s the right choice...

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 12/3/2008 1:06:02 PM
Author: DainIronfoot
Ok. Sorry if I had a minor flip out there. It's been a great, but a huge learning process too, so I just wanted to be sure.

I didn't look at other stones, to be honest. However from looking at his website and the stones he showed me previously, this was a great stone, using my layman's judgement at list.

Not a brick an mortar store, actually. It's from a jeweler in the Diamond District who specialized in antique settings. My girlfriend and I went there in June and she fell in LOVE with this one setting, so I've been trying to get the right stone for it. He has an office/showroom and sells online.

I did a search online also and noticed it seems a little pricey. I'm glad I was able to work him down a bit, that's for sure. But again, looking at it, I didn't notice anything that would set me off to not go with this stone...

Thanks everyone for all of your help!! Especially Lorelei and Neat Freak, without you guys I think I would have found out about all this stuff too late! I'll try to post photos when I get them.

Dain, Neat and I are very glad to be of help to you! It bears repeating again, NOTHING trumps your own eyes, if you have seen the diamond and loved it then that is the main thing, especially as you have looked at others the jeweller showed you. Numbers are extremely useful but they can only take us so far, especially without other images, but the proof of the pudding is seeing a particular diamond which ' speaks' to you in person, and your stone is a far better cut diamond than many you can find - I don't think you have anything to worry about. So I would enjoy your purchase and post pics for us when the ring is done!

 

[DainIronfoot]

Thank you both for the reassurance!

I did look at other stones, Neat, just not yesterday. To be honest, now that I know what I know, most of the stones were not to my standards. But the fact that he took my specs and found something definitely means a lot.

And when I saw it. It looked great. It felt right. No visible inclusions whatsoever. At least, to my eyes.