Help with 2 round diamonds

[vfeezy11]

Hello,

I love this forum. There is so much great information. Thank you in advanced.

I am getting ready to purchase an engagement ring, but I need all the help I can get.

I am looking at 2 round diamonds at the moment and wanted to get your opinion on them.

1.15ct F VS1 XXX - $10,200+tx
GIA 5166384392

1.3ct H VS2 XXX $9,500+tx
GIA 1153501089

I'm torn because the 1.3 is bigger and cheaper, but the 1.15 is just beautiful.

1. May I get your opinion on each?
2. Do you think these prices are reasonable?

I'm in sort of a rush, planning to propose within 4 weeks and hard to get away from the lady to look at more diamonds

 

[vsp08]

The 1.15 has a better HCA score than the 1.3 (1.8 versus 2.7), but you're paying a lot more for the F VS1. Personally, I like G/H VS2 diamonds for their quality and value. Bigger isn't always better, but I'd go down to this color and clarity for carat weight any day.

As for price, I'll let the experts suggest comparable options for you so you can get a sense.

 

[Gypsy]

Run diamonds through HCA anything 2 and under is a pass. Anything from 2.1-2.5 is a maybe. Anything from 2.6 and up is a fail.
https://www.pricescope.com/tools/hca

Stone 1: Price is good. Same stone is offered here for slightly more: http://www.eternitybyyoni.com/1.15-F-VS1-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-GIA-5166384392/ds-1467768/ HCA: 1.8 So this one is a pass. Ideally you would be working with a vendor that could get you an idealscope image at this point .

Stone 2: Not offered anywhere else for a price match. But the score on the HCA is 2.7 so it's a fail anyway.

 

[Gypsy]

You don't need F VS1 though.

Can you drop to H-I SI1 and go up in size?

 

[Gypsy]

http://www.engagementringsdirect.com/1.31-carat-g-si1-excellent-round-cut-diamond-gid-167158.html
http://www.engagementringsdirect.com/1.31-carat-h-vs2-excellent-round-cut-diamond-gid-159532.html
http://www.b2cjewels.com/dd-4614064-1.30-carat-Round-diamond-H-color-VS2-Clarity.aspx?sku=4614064&utm_source=pricescope.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=pricescope.com
http://www.b2cjewels.com/dd-4604258-1.31-carat-Round-diamond-G-color-SI1-Clarity.aspx?sku=4604258&utm_source=pricescope.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=pricescope.com
http://www.b2cjewels.com/dd-4637376-1.32-carat-Round-diamond-G-color-SI1-Clarity.aspx?sku=4637376&utm_source=pricescope.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=pricescope.com

Those maybe worth a follow up.

You can also give the GIA certificate number to the jeweler you are working with and they may be able to pull the stones in.

 

[vfeezy11]

Run diamonds through HCA anything 2 and under is a pass. Anything from 2.1-2.5 is a maybe. Anything from 2.6 and up is a fail.
https://www.pricescope.com/tools/hca

Stone 1: Price is good. Same stone is offered here for slightly more: http://www.eternitybyyoni.com/1.15-F-VS1-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-GIA-5166384392/ds-1467768/ HCA: 1.8 So this one is a pass. Ideally you would be working with a vendor that could get you an idealscope image at this point .

Stone 2: Not offered anywhere else for a price match. But the score on the HCA is 2.7 so it's a fail anyway.

This really helpful. I saw the 2 stones at a retail store. It seemed like stone 2 might have been too good. That's probably why the lady was really pushing to sell it.

The link above is a really great tool. Thank you!

 

[vfeezy11]

You don't need F VS1 though.

Can you drop to H-I SI1 and go up in size?

You're right, I don't need F VS1. Ideally, I want G VS2 1.2.-1.3 for around $10-11K. (of course excellent cut, polish, symmetry too)

 

[vfeezy11]

http://www.engagementringsdirect.com/1.31-carat-g-si1-excellent-round-cut-diamond-gid-167158.html
http://www.engagementringsdirect.com/1.31-carat-h-vs2-excellent-round-cut-diamond-gid-159532.html
http://www.b2cjewels.com/dd-4614064-1.30-carat-Round-diamond-H-color-VS2-Clarity.aspx?sku=4614064&utm_source=pricescope.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=pricescope.com
http://www.b2cjewels.com/dd-4604258-1.31-carat-Round-diamond-G-color-SI1-Clarity.aspx?sku=4604258&utm_source=pricescope.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=pricescope.com
http://www.b2cjewels.com/dd-4637376-1.32-carat-Round-diamond-G-color-SI1-Clarity.aspx?sku=4637376&utm_source=pricescope.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=pricescope.com

Those maybe worth a follow up.

You can also give the GIA certificate number to the jeweler you are working with and they may be able to pull the stones in.

I went to another store this morning and they showed me this stone (1.1ct H VS1)
http://www.gia.edu/cs/Satellite?pagename=GST%2FDispatcher&childpagename=GIA%2FPage%2FReportCheck&c=Page&cid=1355954554547&reportno=2155599338

They are asking for $8,750.

Using the HCA tool, this looks like a great stone, just not sure on the price. Also, I'm hoping to get into the 1.2-1.3 range for another $1k hopefully.

 

[Gypsy]

Can you help me understand why if, you are hoping for a 1.3 carat in your budget you are looking at VS1 stones that are smaller than that?


The price is very fair for what it is on the H VS1.

But I would recommend you follow up on the stones I posted for you earlier.

 

[Gypsy]

For a few hundred more, this stone is lovely: http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.20-carat-h-color-vs1-clarity-ideal-cut-sku-271186

AGS0 (so you do not run HCA on it).

 

[vfeezy11]

Can you help me understand why if, you are hoping for a 1.3 carat in your budget you are looking at VS1 stones that are smaller than that?


The price is very fair for what it is on the H VS1.

But I would recommend you follow up on the stones I posted for you earlier.

I was only looking at VS1 because that's the only stone the store could get.

With the links you provided, how should I go about looking at them in person? Should I find a store that could bring them in? Do I buy it online and then return it if I don't like it? Those links you provided are great deals, I'm just not sure how to approach online deals.

 

[vfeezy11]

For a few hundred more, this stone is lovely: http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.20-carat-h-color-vs1-clarity-ideal-cut-sku-271186

AGS0 (so you do not run HCA on it).

This one looks great! I never knew about AGS so I'm reading up on it now. Again, since this is online, how should I approach this? Thank you so much, Gypsy. You don't understand how much all this help means to me.

 

[vfeezy11]

For a few hundred more, this stone is lovely: http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.20-carat-h-color-vs1-clarity-ideal-cut-sku-271186

AGS0 (so you do not run HCA on it).

Hi Gypsy. On top of your links, what do you think about these?

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/11855/
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3060892.htm?source=pricescope
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2671394.htm?source=pricescope#

And because a blue flour would be kind of nice:
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.224-h-vs1-round-diamond-ags-bl-104069928016#!prettyPhoto[gallery2]/0/