Help with buying my first diamond!

[stapler008]

First of all, I want to thank everyone who responds to this site for sharing a wealth of information with me. I have been getting ready to buy an engagement ring for several months and this site has been a beacon of light.

Anyway, I am terrified at spending what I consider a lot of money for a diamond and finding out that I was ripped off.

I am looking to purchase a 0.75 carat solitaire diamond from dirtcheapdiamonds and was wondering what anyone thinks of the quality of the diamond for the price.

The diamond is

Laboratory: AGS
Carat Weight: .750
Color: I
Clarity: VS1

Measurements: 5.82x5.85x3.61
Depth: 61.9%
Table: 56%
Polish: Ideal
Symmetry: Ideal
Culet: Pointed
Girdle: 1.2-1.9
Fluorescence: None
Culet: Pointed


Here is a link to the diamond''s page:

http://www.dirtcheapdiamonds.com/diamond_detail.cfm?did=7403445

Please let me know if this diamond is worth $2500.

Thanks!

 

[Lynn B]

I did a search and found several diamonds in the same ballpark as yours, and it looks like the price is good. DCD are known for great stones at great prices, so I wouldn't be too worried about that, anyway!

It scored a 2.1 on the HCA. It probably took a little bit of a hit because the crown/pav angles are getting into what is known as "steep/deep"... but lots of these stones are still incredibly beautiful. Ask DCD to pull it and eyeball it for you.

I'll bet it's a beauty!

Lynn

 

[Kaleigh]

The signature series from DCD are very nice stones. The price seems good. I agree with Lynn about having them pull the stone for you and asking about the depth of the stone. These are hand picked and I know their quality is excellent. They are very honest and are easy to work with. How are you going to set it?

 

[stapler008]

Thank you for your replies!

I am not quite sure what you mean by asking them to pull it and eyeball it?

Also, I was planning on having set in a traditional platinum tiffany solitaire setting. I really don''t have any other ideas about settings, but I think that I like more of a classic look.

Is there any benefit of a 4-prong over a 6-prong and is it okay to set it in platinum since it is an I?

Thanks again

 

[Kaleigh]

Because it''s an I you definetly do want to set it in platinum. Also platinum is the strongest metal. As far as whether to pick a 4 prong setting or a six prong setting it''s all a matter of personal preference. With the stone being .75 I would choose the 4 prong setting as you see more of the diamond and less metal, but that''s just my preference. Either way a classic tiffany setting will be beautiful!! Good luck and let us know what you decide!!

 

[Lynn B]

Date: 2/26/2005 5:52:48 PM
Author: stapler008
Thank you for your replies!

I am not quite sure what you mean by asking them to pull it and eyeball it?

Also, I was planning on having set in a traditional platinum tiffany solitaire setting. I really don''t have any other ideas about settings, but I think that I like more of a classic look.

Is there any benefit of a 4-prong over a 6-prong and is it okay to set it in platinum since it is an I?

Thanks again

Just ask the vendor to literally pull the stone and look at it for you. The vendors here on PS are remarkably honest and will tell you "how it is"! It''s a great service. Then if you decide to buy the stone, most vendors offer a 10-30 return policy, so you can look at it to your heart''s content before deciding to keep it. Another great service, and all you are out is the shipping cost back to the vendor (usually) if you decide to return it.

Six prongs will give you more "protection" than 4 prongs... you can break a prong and still not lose your stone, but 4 prongs is still considered quite safe. (Just get the ring checked every 6 months or so.) Also, some people prefer 4 prongs because less of the stone is covered.

And yes, I think a well-cut stone I color stone (which will face up whiter than a poorly cut stone of the same color) will look lovely in platinum.

Lynn

 

[Regular Guy]

Stapler,

Just a couple of things:

Lynn''s comment about "pulling" the diamond is based, at least I think, on language associated with some other sorts of diamonds that DCD and many vendors here do make available, but who do not have that diamond on premises, and so, have not seen it themselves yet. That wouldn''t so much apply to the diamond you are looking at, however, since it''s part of Jim''s Signature series, and so he''s already "pulled" it, so to speak, vouched for it, and has judged it to be a good buy, already...which is why it is on premises.

Re the choice...not sure what drew you to it. I''ve found the HCA test to be a simple selector to reference, and as a result...you might also want to at least consider another 3 or so options you''d see with DCD at about $100 more, if you used this feature on Pricescope, including this one in particular, which gets you an even lower color of H, raises your clarity to SI1 which you might rather not do, but frequently is no worse for wear in terms of visible inclusions, and particularly...has that lower HCA of .8.

Finally...as Garry recently pointed out in a discussion about tests for one diamond versus another, depending on how you look at it: "soon it will be impossible for any diamond to ever pass any test...." With that in mind, and since Jim has already passed muster on the one you have in mind (though you might ask him to do a comparison for you against the one noted above), you may have no reason to look back.

Best wishes,

 

[Dancing Fire]

stapler
a 6 prong setting will make the stone look more round,the 4 prong will make it look more square,my wife has one of each and i like the 6 prong over the 4 prong.

 

[aljdewey]

Date: 2/26/2005 11

7:31 PM
Author: Regular Guy

Lynn''s comment about ''pulling'' the diamond is based, at least I think, on language associated with some other sorts of diamonds that DCD and many vendors here do make available, but who do not have that diamond on premises, and so, have not seen it themselves.

Actually, this is incorrect.....it means exactly the opposite, Ira.

When folks mention "pulling" the diamond, they are referring to calling the vendor and having him "pull" the diamond out of its inventory slot to visually examine it while he''s on the phone with you. He can tell you what he sees in terms of inclusions, etc.

This only applies to diamonds that vendors already have in stock because they cannot visually inspect what''s not on their premises.