shape
carat
color
clarity

Help me spend 10k on a chunk of rock (OMG)

amead

Rough_Rock
Joined
Sep 20, 2011
Messages
24
Greetings :)

This site is amazing - I've learned more about 7mm things here than I ever thought was possible. I've spent many hours reading everything I could find and searching around the various PS-approved vendors and have made a spreadsheet with many potential diamonds. I feel like I have some that have good potential, but I'm looking for some unbiased opinions on how to get not only the most bang for my buck, but something more along the lines of KA-BANG, if you get my drift.

Constraints:
  • Budget - Looking to spend somewhere in the neighborhood of 8-10k on a round brilliant diamond (pause for hyperventilation to stop).
  • Cut - My personal preference keeps taking me to the look and performance of extremely well cut H&A type stones.
  • Clarity - Eye-clean is required. I'd really like to not be able to see any gunk inside the thing looking at it quite closely. But I'm not afraid of S1 either.
  • Color - Everything I read tells me that I is totally fine, and since I'll be setting in a TBD yellow gold solitaire, I think it is even "more ok". Not to say that something 'whiter' isn't better. Also intrigued by fluorescence, but am afraid of the thing turning into a chunk of purple in sunlight.
  • Size - Bigger is better. Pretty sure that the size (and probably the cut in conjunction) will produce the wow-factor that I'm hoping for.

Searching through the archives, it looks like a couple years ago folks were posting links left and right with 1.5ct H&A type stones for ~10k. Man, either I'm bad at searching, or things got more expensive. Boo. Help me turn back the clock and spend 100 one-hundred dollar bills on something that I can swallow. Ya'll are the best - curious to see what you guys will come up with and compare it to my nerd-spreadsheet.
 

minmin001

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Mar 21, 2011
Messages
2,047
yes, diamond price has gone up alot in the past year so you can not buy what you used to be able to with the same amount of money now.
 

amead

Rough_Rock
Joined
Sep 20, 2011
Messages
24
Anne :)|1316806068|3024071 said:
Here is one from BGD http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamond/diamond-detail/?product_id=AGS-104052883014

Here is a BGD "Blue" that looks very nice as well http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamond/diamond-detail/?product_id=BLAGS-104052029010

Will you be going with yellow gold prongs or a yellow gold band with white gold/platinum prongs?

Hmm, I'm not certain about prongcolor. I think in my head I'm assuming the prongs will be white in some capacity, but I've honestly never considered it.
 

AnneinGA

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Aug 6, 2010
Messages
403
Most prongs are of a white metal against a yellow gold, so the fact that you're getting a yellow gold ring doesn't mean the color of the diamond can necessarily be lower as they will more than likely be against a white metal prong.
 

amead

Rough_Rock
Joined
Sep 20, 2011
Messages
24
Anne :)|1316806583|3024087 said:
Most prongs are of a white metal against a yellow gold, so the fact that you're getting a yellow gold ring doesn't mean the color of the diamond can necessarily be lower as they will more than likely be against a white metal prong.

Ahh, ok, well figures that was too good to be true. Get the magical yellow gold ring and your Q-color diamond looks like a D! Thanks all so far for the replies. Keep them coming, and feel free to debate between a couple that have appeared. I'll break them out later as well to see if I can coerce folks to compare and contrast :)
 

sfisher

Rough_Rock
Joined
Aug 23, 2011
Messages
16
I would say just continue to look at all the sites recommended by PS members. I recently purchased a 1.86 AGS0, H, SI1 for in the neighborhood of your budget. And as a bonus it was a Crafted by Infinity stone !
 

slg47

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Apr 4, 2010
Messages
9,667
sfisher|1316838399|3024426 said:
I would say just continue to look at all the sites recommended by PS members. I recently purchased a 1.86 AGS0, H, SI1 for in the neighborhood of your budget. And as a bonus it was a Crafted by Infinity stone !

sfisher I am so glad you got the infinity! please post pics and let us know what you think about it when you get it :)

to the OP: the stone sfisher is referring to is a princess cut, and princess cuts are less expensive per carat than rounds. so you will not be able to get a 1.86 carat for your budget I'm afraid
 

sfisher

Rough_Rock
Joined
Aug 23, 2011
Messages
16
Well if I would pay a little more attention than I would have realized that the OP was looking at round brilliants...but not to hijack the thread, but the infinity is even more beautiful in person than it was on GOG's website. I could not be happier with the purchase. I will post pictures and show everyone the stone when I get a chance
 

amead

Rough_Rock
Joined
Sep 20, 2011
Messages
24
All,

After some more soul searching and relentless spreadsheet crafting, I have slightly adjusted my budget and have found 7 stones that I feel like have great potential. I'm still probably a dummy though, and am really antsy that I'm making the best possible decision. I'm probably splitting hairs here, but this is a huge moment in my life and I really want to feel 100% confident that I've made the best choice factoring in all the variables that I can. Might be impossible, but I'm going to try.

Will attach pictures that show the stone's specs and Photoshopped lineups of their pertinent images. Hopefully this will work out well and can provide folks an "at a glance" way to try to choose between these stones.

Note that I'm very intrigued by fluorescence and think it is cool sounding, but am leery about things getting super purple in strong daylight or otherwise having a negative affect outside of a touch of better color perhaps in some conditions and cool blacklight factor.

Thanks so much! Sorry for the small font/multiple attachments - hard to get it to come out looking right! :-o :appl:

#1 - http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/8518/
#2 - http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamond/diamond-detail/?product_id=BLAGS-104052883015

#3 - http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamond/diamond-detail/?product_id=AGS-104049676010
#4 - http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2531930.htm

#5 - http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2638944.htm
#6 - http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1395827.asp

#7 - http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-VS1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1395820.asp

Twos(1).jpg

Twos(2).jpg

Twos(3).jpg

Twos(4).jpg
 

amead

Rough_Rock
Joined
Sep 20, 2011
Messages
24
If folks think I should start a new thread as this one might be overlooked since it already got replies, let me know. Don't want to threadspam :)
 

Gypsy

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Aug 8, 2005
Messages
40,225
Start a new one. I like Strong Blue, so I'd go for that one.
 
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