Help me select a RB v. 24hrs

[mtechnic]

Still debating about whether to buy from BN or step up and pay a premium at WF. Setting will be a simple 14k white gold solitaire. In my mind I thought I should be able to find 1.5 weight if I kept the clarity at an eye clean level and the color at H-I.

Here are the few I am looking at.
BN: Example as there are many very similar.
BN

WF
WF ACA

Is the WF really worth the 2k premium even going doing in clarity. A diamond expert indicated no feathering or irregularities notice on this cut from top or side view at the 8-10 inch eye clean range.

Appreciate any input! Any yes I will be choosing with 24hrs unless unforseen circumstances dictate otherwise.

 

[mtechnic]

I am normally pretty savvy but could not find out how to edit my post.
An alternative... I really had only looked at BN and WF before and didnt see a reason to go inbetween.
James Allen

 

[audball]

I think the preference for WF over BN (and the pros will correct me if I''m wrong) is that BN is a drop-shipper and WF isn''t. WF offers upgrades, etc. on your diamond, something to consider if you think you may ever upgrade the diamond in the future. James Allen also has an upgrade policy so that''s a good way to go too.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 8/5/2009 6:06:37 PM
Author:mtechnic
Still debating about whether to buy from BN or step up and pay a premium at WF. Setting will be a simple 14k white gold solitaire. In my mind I thought I should be able to find 1.5 weight if I kept the clarity at an eye clean level and the color at H-I.

Here are the few I am looking at.
BN: Example as there are many very similar.
BN

WF
WF ACA

Is the WF really worth the 2k premium even going doing in clarity. A diamond expert indicated no feathering or irregularities notice on this cut from top or side view at the 8-10 inch eye clean range.

Appreciate any input! Any yes I will be choosing with 24hrs unless unforseen circumstances dictate otherwise.

It's so hard to say, since we don't have all the info the ACA has, to compare. I can say it (ACA) is probably cut to greater precision than the BN stone, and possibly the JA, but who knows. And will you see a difference? Again, who knows.

The BN stone could be a very nice, bright diamond, if cut fairly tight. The pavilion angle is at a critical point, where there "could" be light leakage, or not. We have no way to know. You could bring it home and have an independant appraiser take a look at it.

The JA stone could also be nice, I would want an Idealscope pic on it before saying for sure.

Obviously the ACA will be nice, but it's up to you on whether you want to pay top dollar, for top cut. Only you can say.

And audball makes great points as well!

 

[audball]

Date: 8/5/2009 7:11:43 PM
Author: Ellen

Date: 8/5/2009 6:06:37 PM

Author:mtechnic

Still debating about whether to buy from BN or step up and pay a premium at WF. Setting will be a simple 14k white gold solitaire. In my mind I thought I should be able to find 1.5 weight if I kept the clarity at an eye clean level and the color at H-I.


Here are the few I am looking at.

BN: Example as there are many very similar.

BN


WF

WF ACA


Is the WF really worth the 2k premium even going doing in clarity. A diamond expert indicated no feathering or irregularities notice on this cut from top or side view at the 8-10 inch eye clean range.


Appreciate any input! Any yes I will be choosing with 24hrs unless unforseen circumstances dictate otherwise.

It's so hard to say, since we don't have all the info the ACA has, to compare. I can say it (ACA) is probably cut to greater precision than the BN stone, and possibly the JA, but who knows. And will you see a difference? Again, who knows.


The BN stone could be a very nice, bright diamond, if cut fairly tight. The pavilion angle is at a critical point, where there 'could' be light leakage, or not. We have no way to know. You could bring it home and have an independant appraiser take a look at it.


The JA stone could also be nice, I would want an Idealscope pic on it before saying for sure.


Obviously the ACA will be nice, but it's up to you on whether you want to pay top dollar, for top cut. Only you can say.

And audball makes great points as well!

Thanks Ellen! That means a lot coming from you!

 

[Ellen]

Welcome!

 

[mtechnic]

Thank you. I have been a long time lurker getting my diamond education and now that time is of the essence I can not seem to choose.

Another note: the brick and mortar shops all have premiums like WF but without Ideal Scope etc. Maybe I went to the wrong stores but I did not have the best experience and ended up back online.

Thank you for the input Audball and Ellen.

Of note, the 24hrs is pretty serious. Due to weather conditions our trip was moved up two weeks (which I accepted with a discount

) ...but this put the crunch time from a few weeks to having in hand by middle of next week!

 

[filschaos]

Date: 8/5/2009 7:23:54 PM
Author: mtechnic
Thank you. I have been a long time lurker getting my diamond education and now that time is of the essence I can not seem to choose.

Another note: the brick and mortar shops all have premiums like WF but without Ideal Scope etc. Maybe I went to the wrong stores but I did not have the best experience and ended up back online.

Thank you for the input Audball and Ellen.

Of note, the 24hrs is pretty serious. Due to weather conditions our trip was moved up two weeks (which I accepted with a discount

) ...but this put the crunch time from a few weeks to having in hand by middle of next week!

Bring your own!
Ideal-Scope

 

[Ellen]

Date: 8/5/2009 7:23:54 PM
Author: mtechnic
Thank you. I have been a long time lurker getting my diamond education and now that time is of the essence I can not seem to choose.

Another note: the brick and mortar shops all have premiums like WF but without Ideal Scope etc. Maybe I went to the wrong stores but I did not have the best experience and ended up back online.

Thank you for the input Audball and Ellen.

Of note, the 24hrs is pretty serious. Due to weather conditions our trip was moved up two weeks (which I accepted with a discount

) ...but this put the crunch time from a few weeks to having in hand by middle of next week!

Yeah, the same happened with me. Shame, isn''t it?

Ok, if time is of the essence, I''d skip BN. JA could take a day or two for the IS. So, if you need it pronto, you "may" want to consider the WF stone.

Would you consider a J, to keep cost down?

 

[mtechnic]

I certainly would consider J in color. My only hesitation would be in its appearance in the white gold setting. I have seen other threads where folks had set J or K and it came out beautiful but in my case I had put a mental barrier off I to keep it simple. Hope that makes sense.

Will be caling HF and JA in the morning. Likely make my decision by lunch!

Can someone give me an opinion as to the ideal scope and the inclusion on the HF diamond. The SA assured me that it would still be eye clean. On the 40x it is plainly obvious. IDEAL SCOPE LINK

 

[ChunkyCushionLover]

Date: 8/6/2009 1:58:44 AM
Author: mtechnic
I certainly would consider J in color. My only hesitation would be in its appearance in the white gold setting. I have seen other threads where folks had set J or K and it came out beautiful but in my case I had put a mental barrier off I to keep it simple. Hope that makes sense.

Will be caling HF and JA in the morning. Likely make my decision by lunch!

Can someone give me an opinion as to the ideal scope and the inclusion on the HF diamond. The SA assured me that it would still be eye clean. On the 40x it is plainly obvious. IDEAL SCOPE LINK

You can get almost any non signature BN stone from a pricescope vendor for cheaper than BN they just aren''t allowed to list them online. Ask JA, WF or ERD. Bob at WF and Mark at ERD will look at the stone before you buy it and let you know if it is eye clean and a nice bright stone and both have decent upgrade pollicies. Both can also do Idealscope/ASET for you.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 8/6/2009 1:58:44 AM
Author: mtechnic
I certainly would consider J in color. My only hesitation would be in its appearance in the white gold setting. I have seen other threads where folks had set J or K and it came out beautiful but in my case I had put a mental barrier off I to keep it simple. Hope that makes sense.

Will be caling HF and JA in the morning. Likely make my decision by lunch!

Can someone give me an opinion as to the ideal scope and the inclusion on the HF diamond. The SA assured me that it would still be eye clean. On the 40x it is plainly obvious. IDEAL SCOPE LINK

If you have made your expectations clear concerning '' eyecleanliness'' and the WF rep assured you it is eyeclean then it should be, those photos are greatly magnified and remember we are discussing something which is only a little larger than a pencil eraser!

 

[stone-cold11]

Date: 8/6/2009 2:04:25 AM
Author: ChunkyCushionLover

You can get almost any non signature BN stone from a pricescope vendor for cheaper than BN they just aren''t allowed to list them online.

Actually you can. Just search for the diamonds using the search all function button in pricescope your diamond instead of cut quality or in-house.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 8/6/2009 1:58:44 AM
Author: mtechnic
I certainly would consider J in color. My only hesitation would be in its appearance in the white gold setting. I have seen other threads where folks had set J or K and it came out beautiful but in my case I had put a mental barrier off I to keep it simple. Hope that makes sense.

Will be caling HF and JA in the morning. Likely make my decision by lunch!

Can someone give me an opinion as to the ideal scope and the inclusion on the HF diamond. The SA assured me that it would still be eye clean. On the 40x it is plainly obvious. IDEAL SCOPE LINK

I had a look around while I was waiting for your reply last night, I couldn't find anything in the 1.5 range. However, WF does have this stone. The difference in diameter is only .13, this is not noticeable in stones of this size. Especially once in the ring. Staying just under the majic mark (1.5) helps keep the price down too. You'd need to ask if eyeclean (we can't say by the plots/pics, and you shouldn't go by them either), as with the other. Anyway, just thought I'd throw this one in there!

http://www.whiteflash.com/round_ideal_cut/Round-Ideal-Cut-cut-diamond-2150729.htm#

 

[jmw5016]

I purchased an ACA J color in white gold from Whiteflash. If you still have time go over underneath my name to the left and click on find all posts and scroll down to see the pictures and you can see the images from it. It is GREAT. Good luck.

 

[mtechnic]

Thanks for the input on the color. Unfortunately, could not find a J in size I wanted as Ellen also point out.

Down to three. Just need to decide.
1) WF expert selection 1.415 J SI 61 58.6 $6953 and as found by Ellen (won''t list crown and pavillion as I would be bluffing on my knowledge)
2) WF ACA 1.507 I VS1 61.2 57.9 $11,869
3) ERD Premium 1.51 I VS1 62.2 57 $8,230

Thoughts
1) Should be just fine and stay well within my budget. This is especially true when mounted. Will she not the twinning upon close inspection? What do I think about this? What will she think about the SI clarity when it is appraised? Doesn''t meet my magical 1.5 size. Maybe a should buy $ a little more piece of mind.
2) Exceeds everything I had planned for. Will be able to feel good about this choice forever. Will knock her socks off with the sparkle of the ACA cut! Comes at an almost 3k premium over what I expected and will need to consume rice and beans a little longer. An apparent cerebral euphoria or marketing premium?
3) The middle road. Safe bet. On budget and mind clean. Any reason not to choose this path? Hard to say. This is a once in a lifetime occasion and maybe the go big (2) or go home line of thinking should apply.

Deciding today.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 8/6/2009 12:34:43 PM
Author: mtechnic
Thanks for the input on the color. Unfortunately, could not find a J in size I wanted as Ellen also point out.

Down to three. Just need to decide.
1) WF expert selection 1.415 J SI 61 58.6 $6953 and as found by Ellen (won''t list crown and pavillion as I would be bluffing on my knowledge)
2) WF ACA 1.507 I VS1 61.2 57.9 $11,869
3) ERD Premium 1.51 I VS1 62.2 57 $8,230

Thoughts
1) Should be just fine and stay well within my budget. This is especially true when mounted. Will she not the twinning upon close inspection? What do I think about this? What will she think about the SI clarity when it is appraised? Doesn''t meet my magical 1.5 size. Maybe a should buy $ a little more piece of mind.
2) Exceeds everything I had planned for. Will be able to feel good about this choice forever. Will knock her socks off with the sparkle of the ACA cut! Comes at an almost 3k premium over what I expected and will need to consume rice and beans a little longer. An apparent cerebral euphoria or marketing premium?
3) The middle road. Safe bet. On budget and mind clean. Any reason not to choose this path? Hard to say. This is a once in a lifetime occasion and maybe the go big (2) or go home line of thinking should apply.

Deciding today.

Not sure what you mean here, they are listed... As far as the twinning wisps, you have to ask someone at WF to scrutenize it, there is no way for us to say.

I looked up the report on the last one. CA is 34.8, PA is 41. I would not buy that without an IS, there could be light leakage.

So for me, it would be between the 2 WF stones. If totally eyeclean, I''d go with the 1.41. It is basically the same size as a 1.5 (really, I have one). If you want "bragging rights", then no, it won''t get you there.

 

[mtechnic]

I have read online about crown and pavillion but if looking at a stone would not be able to appreciate it.

Not looking for bragging rights at all. Just want to make the correct decision. The 3k may sting for a month or two but in the long run might just be worth it.. on the phone with WF right now

 

[Ellen]

Let us know what they say!

 

[stone-cold11]

Good luck.

 

[mtechnic]

1.4 is eye clean! 1.4 $7,326

1.5 vs1 is a VS1 $11.275

1.5 vs2 would get me the ACA and superior clarity plot with 1k discount VS2 $10,381

ACAs are 5% off with prisescope and wire and negotiated free white gold solitaire setting. Non ACA are pricescope and wt 3%. Final prices as posted.

1.4 really should be fine but having it be SI1 and twinning whisps noted doesn''t sit good. I for some reason have fallen in love with the live photo of the VS1. However, I realize a lot of that though is very well in the photography. All three stones set should be just about the same.
Maybe the ACA does have a little more sparkle? Maybe I would feel better about having a VS stone with a near perfect clarity plot? But at a 3K cost? Decision is at my fingertips...

 

[stone-cold11]

yap. Good luck in deciding.

 

[mtechnic]

1.4 wins with the lifetime 100% tradeup policy

Thanks to all esp Ellen

 

[stone-cold11]

Congrats.

 

[purselover]

Congratulations on your new purchase!

 

[vanderaf]

Congrats! I am sure she will love it!

 

[Ellen]

Date: 8/6/2009 3:33:03 PM
Author: mtechnic
1.4 wins with the lifetime 100% tradeup policy

Thanks to all esp Ellen

I think you got a great buy, and I know she''s going to love it! Congrats, and you are very welcome.

Now, don''t forget to come back with pics, ok??!

 

[mtechnic]

 

[Jj08]

Congrats!

It looks beautiful. i recently took the plunge myself, purchased from BN and received my ering the day before i was too leave! So i was cutting it really close, i couldnt decide for the life of me! Once i did BN was able to overnight it and it arrived beautifully packaged and on time! whew........... but i absolutely know where your coming from and glad you've made your decision! This community is wonderful and i've eagerly watched them help one person after another. Good luck with the proposal!

Jj08

Edit: In case your interested if you check under my previous post you can see the photos i posted. We were looking for the same size and found the one for me thanks to the PSers!

 

[Ellen]

Oh, it looks fabulous!! That''s my kind of setting, gorgeous stone, and a simple, elegant setting to showcase it.

You did really well, I have no doubt she will love this! Good luck, and if you get the chance, we''d love to see handshots later!