Help Me to Choose Right Diamond - Need to Decide by Tomorrow

[NewComer99]

Hello Everyone,

I need experts here to provide me advise. I am looking for the most sparkling and fire diamond. I have narrowed down to the following three. I need to decide it by tomorrow. Could you please help me to choose one?

Choice A: 1.24, H, VS2 Polish EX, Symmetry EX, Fluorescence: Faint, Depth: 60.9, Table 56, Crown 34.5, Pavilion 40.8, Culet None, GIA, HCA 1.2 ExExExVG

Choice B: 1.27, G, VS2 Polish EX, Symmetry EX, Fluorescence: None, Depth: 59.8, Table 58, Crown 33.5, Pavilion 40.8, Culet None, Girdle Thin – Medium, GIA, HCA 0.9 ExExExEx

Choice C: 1.29, H, VS1, Light Perf. 0, Polish 0, Symmetry 0, Fluorescence: None, Depth: 61.6, Table 56.1, Crown 34.7, Pavilion 40.6, Culet Pointed, Girdle Thin – Medium, AGS, HCA 0.8 ExExExVG

I have Hearts & Arrows and IdealScope images for these three diamonds. But I do not know how to post them here.

Thank you very much in advance for your time and help!

John

 

[gm89uk]

Re: Help Me to Choose Right Diamond - Need to Decide by Tomo

When you post there is an upload attachment tab further down. These are essential to deciding.

From info so far 3 ( as AGS 000). 1 looks promising. 3 has a nice spread but proportions but I prefer the proportions of the others.

 

[tyty333]

Re: Help Me to Choose Right Diamond - Need to Decide by Tomo

Waiting for Idealscope images...

 

[NewComer99]

Re: Help Me to Choose Right Diamond - Need to Decide by Tomo

Hello gm89uk,

Thanks for your response. Here are the images of the 3 diamonds:





for your

Thanks for your time and advise.

John

 

[NewComer99]

Re: Help Me to Choose Right Diamond - Need to Decide by Tomo

Hello tyty333,

Thanks for asking and for your time and advise.

John
.

 

[NewComer99]

Re: Help Me to Choose Right Diamond - Need to Decide by Tomo

Hello Everyone,

Attached are individual face up, hearts & Arrows and idealscope images for the following 3 diamonds. Please help me to choose the best one. I am looking for the most sparking and fire one. Thanks a lot!

Choice A: 1.24, H, VS2 Polish EX, Symmetry EX, Fluorescence: Faint, Depth: 60.9, Table 56, Crown 34.5, Pavilion 40.8, Culet None, GIA, HCA 1.2 ExExExVG

Choice B: 1.27, G, VS2 Polish EX, Symmetry EX, Fluorescence: None, Depth: 59.8, Table 58, Crown 33.5, Pavilion 40.8, Culet None, Girdle Thin – Medium, GIA, HCA 0.9 ExExExEx

Choice C: 1.29, H, VS1, Light Perf. 0, Polish 0, Symmetry 0, Fluorescence: None, Depth: 61.6, Table 56.1, Crown 34.7, Pavilion 40.6, Culet Pointed, Girdle Thin – Medium, AGS, HCA 0.8 ExExExVG

 

[ac117]

Re: Help Me to Choose Right Diamond - Need to Decide by Tomo

I prefer diamond C the best, followed by A. I would pass on B bc it's a 60/60 with a shallower crown so it will be bright but not as fiery.

 

[NewComer99]

Re: Help Me to Choose Right Diamond - Need to Decide by Tomo

Hello ac117,

Thanks for your quick response. Could please explain the reason for C over A?

John

 

[ac117]

Re: Help Me to Choose Right Diamond - Need to Decide by Tomo

Well I'd also like to know price differences and the dimensions of both to make a final decision....but just from the info provided, I like that C is AGS 0 graded which means it's already vetted for light performance, has slightly thicker and tighter arrows...stone A looks to have two washed out arrows in the real picture but the IS is solid. It's a close call so I'd factor in price and dimensions.

 

[NewComer99]

Re: Help Me to Choose Right Diamond - Need to Decide by Tomo

Diamond A is $8500, L/W/D (MM): 6.94*6.98*4.24
Diamond C is $9290, L/W/D (MM): 6.96*6.99*4.30

Thanks again for your advise!

 

[Lore]

Re: Help Me to Choose Right Diamond - Need to Decide by Tomo

Diamond A is $8500, L/W/D (MM): 6.94*6.98*4.24
Diamond C is $9290, L/W/D (MM): 6.96*6.99*4.30

Thanks again for your advise!

If you can afford the $800 premium, go for C. I like that it's AGS 000 and as others have said, the proportions look good, and the arrows look distinct. Bear in mind that you're also paying for the VS1 premium (over the other two which are VS2).

 

[AprilBaby]

Re: Help Me to Choose Right Diamond - Need to Decide by Tomo

I'm loving C

 

[tyty333]

Re: Help Me to Choose Right Diamond - Need to Decide by Tomo

All idealscopes look good. My choice would be C then A. (agreeing with the other ladies). I like that C is an AGS000 but if
you dont want to pay the extra, A should also be a nice stone. Just check to make sure that on the GIA report for A it doesnt
say anything about additional clouds, pinpoints, or wisp not shown. If it does then we need to see a copy of the report.
Reason I'm asking is because its faceting pattern does not look as crisp as the other stones but it may be the picture itself (and
not any type of inclusion).

 

[NewComer99]

Re: Help Me to Choose Right Diamond - Need to Decide by Tomo

Thank everyone for providing me advises. I do not mind paying extra for a better one.

My objective is to get the most sparking and firing one for my wife as a 30th anniversary gift. She current wears 0.70ct G VS1 that I brought her 30 years ago. It is very sparking and firing. It is more sparkling and firing than any diamonds that we saw with our friends. She really likes that one and does not want a new one (she does not think that 0.70ct looks small on her size 4.5 finger). I want to get her a bigger one that is at lease as sparkling and firing as the one she currently has.

I do not know anything about diamonds. I did a lot of reading on the internet recently and following is the specification based what I read (welcome to any enhancements).

• Shape: Round
  • Cut:
    Depth: 60-62%
    Table: 54-57%
    Crown Angle/Pavilion Angle: 34.5/40.8 (preferred), 34.5/40.6, 34/41, 35/40.6
    Star/Low Half: 55%/75% (Preferred), 50%/75-80%
    Girdle: Thin-to-Medium (2.5-3%)
    Length to Width Ratio: 1 or very Close to 1
  Color: G (preferred) or H
  Size: 1.23-1.5 ct
  Clarity: VS2 (preferred), VS1 or SI1 (if it is eyeclean at any viewing distance with naked eyes)
  Symmetry: Excellent
  Polish: Excellent or Very Good
  Fluorescence: None or Faint (if it does not make the diamond look cloudy)
  No Painting

Now, back to diamond A and C: Yesterday I reserved A since it fits the spec listed above. Right now, when I want to switch from A to C, C is not available any more (too bad).

The comment on GIA report for A says: "Pinpoints are not shown." Follow is the relevant portion of the GIA report.



Here are the links to the diamond A and C where you can see 3-d diamond photo.

Diamond A: https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.24-carat-h-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-2336290
Diamond C: https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.29-carat-h-color-vs1-clarity-ideal-cut-sku-2460458

Please advise that "Should I buy diamond A (since C is not available) or continue searching?). Thanks a lot!

 

[NewComer99]

Re: Help Me to Choose Right Diamond - Need to Decide by Tomo

By the way, what does AGS000 mean? Is it same as GIA's Cut=Ex, Polish=EX, and Symmetry=Ex? Should I try to get an AGS000 one?

 

[bmfang]

Re: Help Me to Choose Right Diamond - Need to Decide by Tomo

I just did some more searching on the JA inventory list, what about this one?
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.25-carat-h-color-vs2-clarity-ideal-cut-sku-2430897

This one is also AGS graded and the computer generated ASET image on the grading report looks promising. The specs also appear to fit within your preferred parameters. The video of the stone also looks good too (eye-clean to my eyes). Optically, the arrows appear more distinct compared with Diamond A face-up.

 

[bmfang]

Re: Help Me to Choose Right Diamond - Need to Decide by Tomo

By the way, what does AGS000 mean? Is it same as GIA's Cut=Ex, Polish=EX, and Symmetry=Ex? Should I try to get an AGS000 one?

Short answer: Yes, but...

The parameters for AGS000 are a little less wide compared with GIA's XXX range. That plus AGS also grade diamonds based on light performance (i.e. How the stone performs optically) rather than the proportions based system that GIA use. So for me, I would prefer an AGS graded stone over a GIA one generally speaking. Once we get into the nitty gritty of viewing Idealscope and ASET images, then that's when it becomes a toss up between AGS and GIA graded stones as some GIA graded XXX stones will look better than AGS000 stones (and vice versa).

 

[NewComer99]

Re: Help Me to Choose Right Diamond - Need to Decide by Tomo

Thanks, I am going to contact JA to change to this one.

By the way, would this H-VS2 be as good as my wife's current G-VS1 from naked eyes perspective?

 

[bmfang]

Re: Help Me to Choose Right Diamond - Need to Decide by Tomo

Thanks, I am going to contact JA to change to this one.

By the way, would this H-VS2 be as good as my wife's current G-VS1 from naked eyes perspective?

That's a hard call for me (or others on PS) to make given that I don't know what your wife's current stone looks like and what the proportions of it are.

But the following is my opinion (and other PS'ers will have their own opinions), so take this with a grain (or bottle) of salt.

Colour wise, G-H is hard to tell apart unless you are really comparing them against solid examples of "colourless" stones in the D-F grades. That or your eyes are better than mine and you and/or your wife are more colour sensitive than I am. You also have outliers in either of these colour grades so some may be closer to the next grade up or down (which would be expected given that humans grade these little pieces of carbon). In normal viewing, I would suspect that both of them should look near-colourless face-up in normal viewing conditions (as they should, being the two uppermost grades in the "near-colourless" range).

Keep in mind that colour grades are done in lab conditions from a side-on view (i.e. the table facet is facing down and the grader is looking at the body of the stone through the pavillion). Also, a poorly cut stone will show up more body colour face-up through the crown than a well cut stone which reflects more white light back up through the crown face-up. My wife has a G coloured stone which is very white face up, but isn't cut as well as another stone I purchased recently for her which is a K colour (with medium blue fluorescence). Both diamonds are set in 18k white gold and both look very white to my wife's (and my) eyes looking at them face up.

As for the clarity grade, VS2's and VS1's generally are "eye clean" from a 9-12 inch viewing distance. As with colour grades, there may be outliers so there are some VS2 stones which make you wonder why on earth they weren't given SI1 clarity grades (and vice versa).

You may want to get JA to provide you with Idealscope and ASET images of that other stone I suggested for comparison's sake with Diamond A. After that, you'll be in a better position to make a decision.

I'm only relatively new on PS myself, but the one thing I've learnt over the last month on here is that while a lot of us make recommendations/suggestions for others to consider in their purchasing decision, we aren't going to push you one way or the other (though some of us do have a lot more experience than others and their recommendations/suggestions should carry more weight IMHO).

I'm not one of those who has had a lot of experience in the diamond world as a consumer/prosumer (only really been actively looking at these little shiny things over the last two years myself). The ultimate arbiter of the purchase will be yourself (and we'll cheer you on after you've made the purchase).

Best of luck. I'm sure that your wife will be thrilled with either stone.

 

[gm89uk]

Re: Help Me to Choose Right Diamond - Need to Decide by Tomo

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.31-carat-h-color-vs1-clarity-ideal-cut-sku-2163073


https://www.jamesallen.com/mobile/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.30-carat-h-color-vs1-clarity-ideal-cut-sku-872700 really like the table crown combo on this

 

[Lore]

Re: Help Me to Choose Right Diamond - Need to Decide by Tomo

Since Diamond C disappeared, here's a very nice $8688 H SI1 (eye clean) 1.21 from Whiteflash. It's their A Cut Above series so you're going to get amazing performance. Good ASET or Idealscope images too!

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3571575.htm

If you like it or even want to consider it make sure you reserve it with WF. Lurkers have a tendency to pick up whatever gets recommended here.

 

[tyty333]

Re: Help Me to Choose Right Diamond - Need to Decide by Tomo

Since Diamond C disappeared, here's a very nice $8688 H SI1 (eye clean) 1.21 from Whiteflash. It's their A Cut Above series so you're going to get amazing performance. Good ASET or Idealscope images too!

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3571575.htm

If you like it or even want to consider it make sure you reserve it with WF. Lurkers have a tendency to pick up whatever gets recommended here.

This would be a gorgeous stone as well as the 1.25 AGS stone you have on hold.

No matter what stone you get make sure you have it set low (dont put it in a high setting). If your wife already thinks her .7 looks
plenty big on her this one is going to look huge to her (well, at least at first...they seem to shrink as you get use to them). Here
is a relative size difference between her stone and a 1.25 on a size 4 1/2 finger...2mm shank band.

 

[NewComer99]

Re: Help Me to Choose Right Diamond - Need to Decide by Tomo

Thanks for everyone's advises. You are truly big helpers for me! I requested JA to email me Idealscope image for the 1.25 AGS. I will upload it here as soon as I receive it.
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.25-carat-h-color-vs2-clarity-ideal-cut-sku-2430897

Following are 2 settings that I am considering both Platinum for size 4.5 (I was told that it is better to set in Platinum):

Setting 1:

https://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/three-stone/platinum-trio-diamond-engagement-ring-item-51022

Setting 2:

https://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/pave/platinum-twisted-pave-shank-contemporary-solitaire-item-6858

What is your opinion?

Thanks again!

 

[bmfang]

Re: Help Me to Choose Right Diamond - Need to Decide by Tomo

Thanks for everyone's advises. You are truly big helpers for me! I requested JA to email me Idealscope image for the 1.25 AGS. I will upload it here as soon as I receive it.
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.25-carat-h-color-vs2-clarity-ideal-cut-sku-2430897

Following are 2 settings that I am considering both Platinum for size 4.5 (I was told that it is better to set in Platinum):

Setting 1:

https://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/three-stone/platinum-trio-diamond-engagement-ring-item-51022

Setting 2:

https://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/pave/platinum-twisted-pave-shank-contemporary-solitaire-item-6858

What is your opinion?

Thanks again!

Can't get back to sleep after an early morning bottle feed with bub so here I am on PS.

Again, matter of personal taste but I prefer setting 1. Only thing I would clarify with JA is whether or not setting 1 requires you to only pick the center stone or do you need to pick the center stone and the two smaller side stones that complete the central trio of diamonds. If you have to purchase the other two side stones, that could put a major dent in your budget. If the two side stones of the trio are included in the setting price, then that is exceptionally good value in my books considering it's a platinum setting!

I also prefer the channel set diamonds on the shanks rather than the pave shanks in setting 2. I am always worried about pave set diamonds falling out, so the channel set looks more secure to me. Then again, my wife just prefer plain solitaire rings instead.

 

[NewComer99]

Re: Help Me to Choose Right Diamond - Need to Decide by Tomo

Thanks bmfang. The side diamonds come with the setting 1. They would be G or H color. If they are G color, Would they compatible with the center 1.25 H AGS stone since they are side by side?

 

[tyty333]

Re: Help Me to Choose Right Diamond - Need to Decide by Tomo

I say no to the 3 stone...just too much going on especially with a big stone in the center and your wife having a tiny finger.

I like the idea of the second one...wish it was executed a little nicer(the diamond part). I actually have the non-diamond version of this setting for my pear (see avatar picture).

I'm going to post two settings that I really like...
https://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/pave/14k-white-gold-inspired-diamond-engagement-ring-item-41042 classy, well-made
https://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/pave/14k-white-gold-reverse-taper-milgrain-diamond-engagement-ring-item-49486 another one that is similar to the first one I posted...if you dont like the milgrain on the edge you can probably ask them to leave it
off.

I have to caveat my above opinion with...this ring is not for me so you get what you think your wife will like the most.

 

[NewComer99]

Re: Help Me to Choose Right Diamond - Need to Decide by Tomo

Thanks tyty333. The settings you posted are very pretty. Could you please explain what you mean that wish the diamond part was executed a little nicer?

 

[bmfang]

Re: Help Me to Choose Right Diamond - Need to Decide by Tomo

Thanks bmfang. The side diamonds come with the setting 1. They would be G or H color. If they are G color, Would they compatible with the center 1.25 H AGS stone since they are side by side?

The eye of the viewer would be drawn to the larger stone initially before any of the other diamonds and the difference between G-H coloured stones is usually imperceptible to most people (unless you are super sensitive to colour or you are looking at the stones unmounted in lab conditions). So you should be fine. If you want maximum total carat weight in the ring, then setting 1 would be the way to go.

tyty has actually raised a really good point re: your wife's finger size and setting 1. Setting 1 with the central trio of diamonds might be way too large in size for her given that you've said that she thinks the current 0.70 G/VS1 is big enough for her finger.

Setting 2 looks a little... unrefined... to my eyes. But tyty has suggested a pretty good alternative to setting 2 in the Inspired ring which is available in Platinum as well:
https://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/pave/platinum-inspired-diamond-engagement-ring-item-41126

The Inspired setting to my eye looks more refined and elegant and the graduated melee diamonds for the pave along the shanks either side of the centre stone looks nice and secure and very pretty. Given that the pave stones are a lot smaller than the centre stone, you definitely won't need to worry about compatibility with the central 1.25 H stone as again, the eye will be drawn to the greater light return from the H stone in the middle more so than the light return from the pave stones on the sides.

But, if you think your wife would prefer setting 1 or 2, get one of those two for her. Our tastes may be entirely different from hers (and yours).

 

[NewComer99]

Re: Help Me to Choose Right Diamond - Need to Decide by Tomo

Hi gm89uk, thanks for searching and sending me 2 diamond links. After look at both of them, I am a little confused about VS1 vs VS2 clarity grading.

For the first one (I like it as JA True Hearts): It is VS1. I saw a big white spot at 10 o'clock position in crown in the video
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.31-carat-h-color-vs1-clarity-ideal-cut-sku-2163073

For the second one: It is also VS1, I saw multiple lines cross 7-8 o'clock positions in crown (maybe it is the surface graining as indicated in the report) when I turn the diamond to left. The report says: "additional coulds and surface graining are not shown".
https://www.jamesallen.com/mobile/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.30-carat-h-color-vs1-clarity-ideal-cut-sku-872700

For the one that I currently reserved: It is VS2. I saw some very tiny small dots in crown and 1 line on the table near 1-2 o'clock position when I turn the diamond to right.
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.25-carat-h-color-vs2-clarity-ideal-cut-sku-2430897

From the videos, it looks like the VS2 is cleaner than the 2 VS1's. Does that even make any senses? Did I look at them incorrectly?

 

[gm89uk]

Re: Help Me to Choose Right Diamond - Need to Decide by Tomo

Hi gm89uk, thanks for searching and sending me 2 diamond links. After look at both of them, I am a little confused about VS1 vs VS2 clarity grading.

For the first one (I like it as JA True Hearts): It is VS1. I saw a big white spot at 10 o'clock position in crown in the video
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.31-carat-h-color-vs1-clarity-ideal-cut-sku-2163073

For the second one: It is also VS1, I saw multiple lines cross 7-8 o'clock positions in crown (maybe it is the surface graining as indicated in the report) when I turn the diamond to left. The report says: "additional coulds and surface graining are not shown".
https://www.jamesallen.com/mobile/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.30-carat-h-color-vs1-clarity-ideal-cut-sku-872700

For the one that I currently reserved: It is VS2. I saw some very tiny small dots in crown and 1 line on the table near 1-2 o'clock position when I turn the diamond to right.
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.25-carat-h-color-vs2-clarity-ideal-cut-sku-2430897

From the videos, it looks like the VS2 is cleaner than the 2 VS1's. Does that even make any senses? Did I look at them incorrectly?

The clarity setting inclusion is a cloud, which does not portray well in videos. Some SI2s can look extremely clean on video but cloudy in real life because of this effect.

See your certificate here:
http://www.agslab.com/pdf_sync_reports/104091280047-PLDQR.PDF

When JA scans certificates for AGs they seem to lose a lot of detail and you can see the cloud inclusion plotted there. Will be obvious in real life? At VS2, probably not but worth enquiring.

Regarding your concerns for the VS1 inclusions, they are 100 percent eye clean, of no visual concern at all. Personally I wouldn't get the vs2 if I could get a vs1, and bigger for the same price. My favourite is the second stone although not 'True hearts' brand I would request the images and see. I wouldn't rule out GIA stones, you just have to pick more carefully. You may find a beautiful si1 stone for much cheaper and performs similarly to these, although I can't find any at present.

This also seems like a great stone

https://www.jamesallen.com/mobile/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.30-carat-h-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-2425635