Help! - Which Diamond?

[Highland]

I have been absorbing as much information from this website as possible over the past couple of weeks. The information provided here has been extremely helpful. After spending several weeks searching the internet and the local shops in Boston I think I have reached a point where I''m ready to choose between two diamonds. Given time constraints I would like to make this decision by tomorrow and would appreciate any insight anyone would like to provide.

Both diamonds have the following specs and are priced within a $100 of each other:

Shape: Round
Color: F
Clarity: SI1
Cut: GIA excellent
Polish: excellent
Symmetry: excellent
Flourescence: none
Culet: none

Diamond #1 is from a local shop in the Diamond and Jeweler''s building in Boston and has the following additional specs:

Carat weight: 1.81
Table: 53%
Depth: 62%
Crown: 33 degrees
Pavilion: 41 degrees

Diamond #2 is from Good old Gold with the additional specs:

Carat weight: 1.74
Table: 57.02%
Dept: 61.17%
Crown: 34.03 degrees
Pavilion: 40.90 degrees

The GOG diamond is also labeled hearts & arrows and can be seen here: http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/5533/

Both diamonds scored below 2 in the HCA, with the first diamond scoring 0.9 and the second diamond scoring 1.2.

I''m really not sure what to do now. On the bright side I''m not sure that I can really go very wrong with either (please correct me if you think otherwise), but I''m having a very hard time making a choice between the two. Customer service wise the shop in Boston has been incredible from the beginning, where as I have had a hard time getting timely information via email from GOG, even after putting the diamond on hold. Given my time constraints this problem could very easily make me go with diamond #1, but if diamond #2 is a clear winner here then I can try harder with GOG. Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks!

 

[stone-cold11]

Both are good from the numbers.

EDT:
What are the actual dimensions of the first stone?

 

[Dancing Fire]

did you see this one?

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/5903/

 

[rineheart25]

I am new so take my advice with a grain of salt:

Plug in your provided values into the HCA (Holloway cut advisor) and analyze the results for yourself (Provided under tools on this website). The HCA quickly tells if your diamond is within GIA and/or AGS standards. Since i am a conservative/prudent type I like a diamond that falls inside both GIA and AGS standards.

The GOG diamond has an ASET image (light gathered from the surrounding entering the crown: green is okay; red is good; and white is bad) and Idealscope image, i think (more or less) analyzes the light in the pavillion (red is good and white is bad/light leakage). Realistically, in order to compare the optical symmetry of the diamonds you need to view the store bought diamond in an Idealscope and Aset viewer or ask for pictures. You can buy a descent Idealscope and Aset searching the web.

With that being said I believe the Heart and Arrow diamonds will most likely have superior optical symmetry if the other store diamond in not a hearts and arrows (or something similiar--just ask the store).

With that being said, I use to be a salesman and always appreciated returning customers. Lastly you have to ask yourself what you want. I value optical symmetry others value antiques etc....

(please forgive all spelling errors)

 

[Lorelei]

Both look good, personally I prefer the GOG diamond. Have you tried calling them? They are a great company and I know they would want to know if you have been having difficulty in getting a response.

 

[Ellen]

I prefer the GOG stone. Ditto on calling them!!

 

[Highland]

Thank you for all your comments. I am going to try to make my final decision today so we will see how it all plays out and I''ll let you know which diamond I ended up buying.

Stone-cold11 - unfortunately I do not have the dimensions for diamond #1 with me right now. Just going from memory I believe the width was somewhere between 7.81-7.83. I can get this information today.

Dancing Fire - I did see that diamond, but I think it is probably just a little over my price range. I''m certainly not an expert, but going from SI1 to VS2 seems to boost the price more than 2k, while also going down slightly in size. Is there something else that I''m not picking up causing the difference in price between the two GOG diamonds? I agree, finding something that is "mind-clean" has been the hardest part of this process.

Rough Rock - thanks for the comments. I will take a closer look at the tools and HCA. Unforunately the diamond in the local shop doesn''t have all the imaging that the GOG diamond has. This is really the main reason for my reluctance to go with the diamond from the local shop. Even though it looks great to me with my own eyes, I know that I really don''t know all that much about diamonds, and I appreciate the objective help that are provided by the images and tests provided by GOG.

Lorelei - I haven''t tried calling GOG. Things have been incredibly hectic for me lately with work, outside personal obligations, and shopping for this diamond, that I have taken a rather reserved approach to contacting the online retailers, only emailing them with questions. I did email back and forth a few times last week with them and was very happy with the information that I received. The information that GOG provides has been light years ahead of any other diamond retailor I have dealt with during this process. But I emailed them again on Monday, followed up again when I put the diamond on hold on Tuesday, and haven''t heard from them. I will call today though, which is probably something I should have done earlier.