Help needed with diamond studs 1 ct each

[ac117]

They look gorgeous and I'm sure they are WAYYYY better than the first pair you bought!! Your wife is going to be THRILLED!!

 

[faz]

Thank you. The pictures don't do them justice. They sparkle like its nobody's business!

For the price, I think I got a fantastic pair. As you said, they are WAYYYY better than the original pair from Sane Co. BTW, believe it or not, they have not yet refunded my credit card yet. They claim a 7-10 business days 'processing' time. Last time I step into that store.

Anyway, THANK YOU all for your generous support and information. You rock! (pun intended!)

 

[bmfang]

Thank you. The pictures don't do them justice. They sparkle like its nobody's business!

For the price, I think I got a fantastic pair. As you said, they are WAYYYY better than the original pair from Sane Co. BTW, believe it or not, they have not yet refunded my credit card yet. They claim a 7-10 business days 'processing' time. Last time I step into that store.

Anyway, THANK YOU all for your generous support and information. You rock! (pun intended!)

It doesn't surprise me that the refund is taking so long. Seems like mall jewellers use the same policies no matter whether they are in the USA or in Australia (where I am).

 

[whitewave]

Gorgeous studs! I'm so happy you took the bull by the horns and returned the first pair!

 

[FeFeV]

Some basics that you may find useful. Since this is not a minor purchase, you may want to know what we look for and why.

I am pasting an old post from Gypsy:

"Round Diamonds 101:

The entire purpose of faceting a diamond is to reflect light.
How well or how poorly a diamond does this determines how beautiful it is.
How well a diamond performs is determined by the angles and cutting. This is why we say cut is king.
No other factor: not color, not clarity has as much of an impact on the appearance of a diamond as its cut. An ideal H will out white a poorly cut F. With round diamonds even a GIA triple Excellent is not enough. And you must stick to GIA and AGS only (HPD in Europe is good as well). EGL is a bad option: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/egl-certification-are-any-of-them-ok.142863/
So how to we ensure that we have the right angles and cutting to get the light performance we want?
https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/diamond-cut
Well one method is to start with a GIA Ex, and then apply the HCA to it. YOU DO NOT USE HCA for AGS0 stones generally, though you can. In general, AGS0 trumps HCA though as one examines the actual stone and the other does not.
https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/holloway-cut-advisor
The HCA is a rejection tool. Not a selection tool. It uses 4 data points to make a rudimentary call on how the diamond may perform.
If the diamond passes then you know that you are in the right zone in terms of angles for light performance. Under 2 is a pass. Under 2.5-2.1 is a maybe. 2.6 and over is a no. No score 2 and under is better than any other.
Is that enough? Not really.

So what you need is a way to check actual light performance of your actual stone.
That's what an idealscope image does. https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/firescope-idealscope
It shows you how and wear your diamond is reflecting light, how well it is going at it, and where you are losing light return. That is why you won't see us recommending Blue Nile, as they do not provide idealscope images for their diamonds. BGD,BE, James Allen, GOG, HPD, ERD and WF do.

The Idealscope is the 'selection tool'. Not the HCA.
So yes, with a GIA stone you need the idealscope images. Or you can buy an idealscope yourself and take it in to the jeweler you are working with to check the stones yourself. Or if you have a good return policy (full refund minimum 7 days) then you can buy the idealscope, buy the stone, and do it at home.

Now if you want to skip all that... stick to AGS0 stones and then all you have to do is pick color and clarity and you know you have a great performing diamond. Because AGS has already done the checking for you. That's why they trade at a premium. Some AGS0's are better than others though, so pay attention to any ASET or IS provided.

In general with rounds, you will want a table 60% or less. A depth between 59 and 62.3. Crown angle 33.5-35. Pavilion Angle: 40.6-40.9 (there is a little give on this). And the crown and pavilion angles must be complimentary which is what the HCA checks for you."

Stick to these proportions:

Table: 54-58
Crown: 34-35 (35.5 is OK with pavilion of 40.6)
Pavilion: 40.6 to 40.9 (41 is ok with crown of 34)
Depth: 59.5 to 62.3

Pricescopers will strongly recommend you do some more background reading before committing to buying a diamond (over 2 cts).

The community here are fantastic, experienced and will help you look for a beautifully cut diamond that would get the best bang for your buck. There are several jewellers with in-house stones here as well, depending on your location.

If you must buy from local jewellers, try your best to stick to the above parameters and you will be much more pleased with the results, once you leave the deceiving halogen lights that saturates any poorly cut diamond with sparkle.

LLJsmom, you're just great with your advice. I screenshot your entire dialogue response to save as my own reference for choosing my diamond studs in a few months. Round of applause and standing ovation to you!

 

[LLJsmom]

LLJsmom, you're just great with your advice. I screenshot your entire dialogue response to save as my own reference for choosing my diamond studs in a few months. Round of applause and standing ovation to you!

FeFeV, I'm so glad you find this post helpful. I'm just cutting and pasting advice Gypsy gave to all new diamond hunters. She doesn't post here now because she is a member of trade, but she did give the best advice and helped countless people find the diamond of their dreams. Good luck and hope you find two for your stud project.

 

[faz]

It doesn't surprise me that the refund is taking so long. Seems like mall jewellers use the same policies no matter whether they are in the USA or in Australia (where I am).

So right after midnight last night my account was credited. Looking at the recent transactions, interestingly it shows the date of the transaction as last Sunday, which is when the return was done. So it seems in all fairness they did do the refund on that day and the credit card company might have taken this long to post it to my account. ??

To be fair to them, Sane Co that is, I did receive great service from them both during my visit to purchase and afterwards while returning, no pressure either way, friendly and professional. I wish the diamonds were better quality. Kinda funny, in a "Except for the shooting, how did you enjoy the show Mrs. Lincoln?" type of way.

 

[faz]

Gorgeous studs! I'm so happy you took the bull by the horns and returned the first pair!

Thank you. They are really beautiful. Slightest movement translates to sparkle somewhere.

I must say, being a watch guy I have never been a fan of diamonds myself , but this experience and this purchase has changed me permanently. I can just see myself checking out the stones others are wearing like I do watches.

 

[faz]

FeFeV, I'm so glad you find this post helpful. I'm just cutting and pasting advice Gypsy gave to all new diamond hunters. She doesn't post here now because she is a member of trade, but she did give the best advice and helped countless people find the diamond of their dreams. Good luck and hope you find two for your stud project.

Yes THANK YOU for your advice and guidance. I used to be very active on a local motorcycling forum and used to participate passionately like you all seem to be doing here. I can see that you are passionate about this subject and are helpful because of it. It is really nice of you and others.

 

[JLW05]

So glad that you are pleased with your purchase.

 

[faz]

Presented th gift to my wife and she was amazed at the sparkle and beauty. Loved it.

Here are a couple of action shots LOL