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Help me find the perfect stone! (~$5K)

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danny_italia

Rough_Rock
Joined
Aug 20, 2012
Messages
75
Hi Everyone,

So i've had some failed attempts with looking for a stone, but with each effort comes lesson learned so it wasn't a complete waste!

I'm hoping someone will be able to give me a hand with a recommendation on something someone better then myself can come up with.

I'm from Canada so I'll be having the stone shipped to a UPS store close to the border for pickup, so going with an online store with good customer service, return policy (if there is an issue) is key! SO far I really like James Allen but Bluenile and anything else would be great.

I know my girlfriend is looking for a simple solitaire ring (plain wider band - roughly 3.5mm with just the single diamond)

I'm hoping to spend about $5000 on the diamond and another $1000 on the 18k white gold band.

I could maybe bump my total up to $6500 if someone really suggested a specific diamond.


Budget for Diamond $5000-5500

Carat: 1.0+
Cut: Preferably Ideal
Clarity: SI1+ (anything that is eye clean)
Colour: H+ (because i'm hoping all that shine will cover up any hint of colour :) lol )

Anything you guys find would be greatly appreciated especially coming from someone really new to the world of diamonds.

Thanks in Advance!

Danny
 
 
What do you mean my budget is slightly low... seems like you found some pretty good ones no?? :)

#1 - Only 0.94 but worth considering
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-SI1-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1515188.asp

#2 - I can actually see the inclusion right from the image on the site so ill scratch this one off the list

#3 - over 1ct, looking at the GIA certificate i noticed the diamond has a knot and was just curious what this looks like in person, are they common inclusions? something i should worry about?
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-VS2-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1516564.asp

#4 - again, i can see the incluisions from the image so i'll scratch this one off my list.

2/4, pretty good if you ask me!

Can someone add more thoughts on diamond 1 and 3?


Also How do these compare to Diamond #1 and #2 that I found:
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/idealscope-images-opinion-needed.179084/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/idealscope-images-opinion-needed.179084/[/URL]
 
Unfortunately that's starting to push the budget! Anything else?
 
I would not eliminate the ones that JulieN linked to because you can see things in the images.
The images are really blown up. You need yo talk to a JA gemologist and ask them if the are
eye clean.
 
danny_italia|1345770871|3256296 said:
What do you mean my budget is slightly low... seems like you found some pretty good ones no?? :)

#3 - over 1ct, looking at the GIA certificate i noticed the diamond has a knot and was just curious what this looks like in person, are they common inclusions? something i should worry about?
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-VS2-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1516564.asp
A knot is like a tree knot, it's a separate crystal in the diamond. As you can see on the inclusion plot, it is on the pavilion side and has green ink which means surface reaching. It shouldn't pose a risk, as it is a separate structure, very small, and on the underside; you can ask JA's gemologist about it.

Can someone add more thoughts on diamond 1 and 3?
Click to expand...

I like the I VS2 (#3) over #4 and I like the G SI1 (#1) over #2; they were my two favorites of these 4 anyway.
Two more:
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-SI1-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1518502.asp
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-SI1-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1466443.asp
 
SO atleast we agree!

I currently have them on hold and waiting for IS images. I'll report back once I hear from them.

Thanks Julie! :)
 
No no,you need to ask if they are eye clean, which means naked eye, not knowing where it is, not staring for tooo long, 8-10 inches away.
 
General tips for finding the right diamond (after days upon days of research as an amateur):

By the way, I am no pro but I like to research :)

For any stone you find, get the best cuts certified by AGL or GIA. The more it sparkles, the better. Plus, if it's blinding, how will she be able to tell the carat size? hahaha

Secondly, try to use the HCA tool found on this website to discard any diamonds not "shiny" enough. Even though you get a excellent cut, the angles could still be off. I cannot tell the difference too much between a 1.5 vs a 2.5. However if it's greater than 3-4 I would look for a new stone. This is just a predictor and it has its limitations but I think many people use it as a tool of exclusion.

http://www.goodoldgold.com/technologies/aconsumersguidetothehca/

Thirdly, look at the Aset images. I'm only familiar with round cuts, but its fairly easy to see a bad one vs a good one. I just matched it up to different scales I found on google.

Fourth, shoot for a VS2 just to be safe. Whatever diamond you get, the recipient is going to stare at it like crazy. Would be bad if she saw a flaw and started to wipe it away only to realize it's in the diamond itself.

Lastly, to get the most bang for your buck, get a lower grade color (J) with a decent amount of fluorescence. I personally can only tell a diamond is tinted yellow once it reaches the I/J category. Also, different cuts have different importance on color. The setting in yellow gold vs white gold also makes a difference.

Just some tips I would like to share.

Also, correct me if I'm wrong. I would hate to give bad info.
 
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