Help with Diamond for 40th Wedding Anniversary

[mchap]

Hi, My husband would like to upgrade my diamond for our 40th wedding anniversary. I currently have a .60 and we are upgrading to a 2.0 or so. Our 40th was last April and he has been looking for a diamond that has a great cut since then.

We want an F color or better, VS1 or better, and have a great cut. I have read and been advised to get a VS1 or better when buying a 2.0 stone. Most of the local jewelers in our area did not have the diamond we wanted so we started to look online. We found a jeweler who will get a diamond directly from a vendor for us. He can get us this diamond and would like your opinion. It is F Color but VS2. My hesitation is that it is a VS2. I have seen some VS1 with inclusions right in the middle of the table. This table looks good but I may be missing something. I would appreciated any feedback.

http://www.bijandiamonds.com/product/diamond_image_video.php?cert=2314331477

 

[heididdl]

My ring is 3.66 GIA certified H color si......GIA grading is pretty strict. It is the most stunning ring it looks muddy in my icon as I cook and clean wiith it on
I just recently had it cleaned and you can see clear through to my finger because it is so clean (meaning without flaws) it was graded an si because there is the tiniest of wisps in the up right corner. F color VS1 is beautiful and thousands more. Go to one of the pricescope vendors, White flash, James Allen , good old gold or my favorite IDjewelry to find the perfect stone for yourself
You wil not find what your looking for in jewelry stores in your neighborhood.
You can select stones from these on lines vendors and they will send them to you. If the stone is certified GIA or AGA try a G or H and an eye clean VS2 or si1... At 3.66 my ring is spectacular and I didn’t settle at H color and si .
Investigate all before you make this big decision. .

 

[badaren]

hey mchap,

i'm fairly new to this whole diamond game, but hopefully a few more experienced people will chime in. i just purchased my fiance-to-be a stone so i've gone through the process. most of these people prioritize cut and im sure they can find you something great. unless you are dead set on VS1 and above an F other will probably say u can go down in grading on both the clarity and color to help meet your carat goal (carat =/= size). a diamond can be termed "eye clean" which is usually clean from a foot away? and depends on the "type" on inclusion that they have and where on the diamond it is. if you're the type of person that constantly inspects their stone up close and is bothered by that then it may be a different story. for example, a black inclusion in the middle of the table is less favorable than a clear crystal on the side (but both of them may be VS1). a lot of people throw out the term eye clean but its best to buy from a reputable vendor (if you go down in clarity) that has the diamond in house and can evaluate it for you. you could even get an SI1 that is deemed "eye clean" but those are more rare but a treat to find.

it seems like you did some research before posting judging by the stone you posted being in ideal ranges. great small table, angles within specs (i've read 35/40.6 is "best" when it comes to complimentary angles) but i am too inexperienced to really tell you if that is true or not and can't comment on the differences. the thing with GIA grading is that most numbers are rounded so a 40.6 may have individual angles that drop below. generally, a 40.8 is "safe" for GIA though. some may say that the depth is not within ideal ranges, but others say that is the measurement you can have the most leeway (not so much crown angle > pav angle). just know that increased depth may add to wasted carat weight (unlikely with your case though, 8.35 is adequate diameter). each dimension and angle can attribute to the characteristics of a diamond and how it will look and perform (fire, scintillation, etc). i realized that everyone's ideal ranges are different and everyone's view on how a perfect diamond should look is also different. i was not set on getting a branded ideal cut diamond because they are so much more expensive so i went with a stone with ideal specs and symmetrical. it looks awesome and got alot more bang for my buck. that being said, i have never seen a super ideal diamond in person and not sure if the difference warranted a 25k+ premium over the ring that i bought.

many will tell you to check the HCA (<2) then request an idealscope or ASET from the vendor which is basically a way to check light performance of a diamond. that being said, a good idealscope and ASET does not guarantee a perfect stone, it just gets you a lot closer to one. next step is to check the vendors return/upgrade policy or see the stone in person and judge yourself.

also, fluorescence is something you may want to consider because it usually significantly brings down the price of a stone w/o compromise to sparkle or clarity (most of the time).

 

[bmfang]

@mchap , the proportions on the GIA report look good without needing to plug into HCA. After punching in the numbers, HCA 1.6 so that’s a good start.

I haven’t been able to find this stone elsewhere based on quick seat during my lunch break as it doesn’t appear to be listed on the other virtual inventory sites.

Video looks ok. While within the ballpark for super ideal proportions, I can see some clefts in the pavilion view on the video where hearts are (though that could be due to tilt and there are no scope images provided).

Can’t see any of the inclusions when rotating it around. The report plot looks actually pretty good: nothing under table, most seem to be found pavilion side. Can the online vendor source Idealscope or ASET images for this stone?

 

[mchap]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I do appreciate it.

We do use the HCA scope and as previously mentioned it scored a 1.6. We have studied and researched diamonds to understand the ideal parameters, but we are still amateurs. It is such a big investment and we have been picky. We get a lot of push back from jewelers and learned that we may have to go online. But we are not comfortable with that yet and found a jeweler in Boston who would either buy online or deal with the vendor for us. This is the first opportunity we have found in 6 months. This jeweler can get this diamond directly from the vendor and we can go in a look at it.

The parameters we use to rule out diamonds is:

Table % 54.0% to 57.0%
Depth % 61.0% to 62.5%
Crown Angle 34.0° to 35.0°
Pavilion Angle 40.6° to 41.0°
Lower Girdles 75% to 80%
Star Facets 50% to 55%
Girdle Thickness T – M – ST

We try to find diamonds that fall within these parameters but as Badaren said 35/40.6 is best and we would not know that. Also Bmfang may have seen clefts in the pavilion. We did not notice that either. We did see the feather on the back of the diamond at the 12 o clock position but could not see anything else. So of course we asked if that was the right video.

I will ask the jeweler if they can get an ideal cope /Aset image. Is it a problem is there are clefts?

My husband hopes this is the one. But I am still uneasy for some reason. Maybe the size and clarity. Do you feel it is a clean VS2?

Also any opinion on the size would be great. I am fairly simple and modest so it took awhile to get used to thought of a 2.0. I originally wanted a 1.5 but my husband talked me into it. So getting the 2.24 is a push. I currently have a .65.

The other diamond this jeweler found is GIA 7301196860. But not sure if this one met the parameters. I did like the size and that it is a VS1.

 

[bmfang]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I do appreciate it.

We do use the HCA scope and as previously mentioned it scored a 1.6. We have studied and researched diamonds to understand the ideal parameters, but we are still amateurs. It is such a big investment and we have been picky. We get a lot of push back from jewelers and learned that we may have to go online. But we are not comfortable with that yet and found a jeweler in Boston who would either buy online or deal with the vendor for us. This is the first opportunity we have found in 6 months. This jeweler can get this diamond directly from the vendor and we can go in a look at it.

The parameters we use to rule out diamonds is:

Table % 54.0% to 57.0%
Depth % 61.0% to 62.5%
Crown Angle 34.0° to 35.0°
Pavilion Angle 40.6° to 41.0°
Lower Girdles 75% to 80%
Star Facets 50% to 55%
Girdle Thickness T – M – ST

We try to find diamonds that fall within these parameters but as Badaren said 35/40.6 is best and we would not know that. Also Bmfang may have seen clefts in the pavilion. We did not notice that either. We did see the feather on the back of the diamond at the 12 o clock position but could not see anything else. So of course we asked if that was the right video.

I will ask the jeweler if they can get an ideal cope /Aset image. Is it a problem is there are clefts?

My husband hopes this is the one. But I am still uneasy for some reason. Maybe the size and clarity. Do you feel it is a clean VS2?

Also any opinion on the size would be great. I am fairly simple and modest so it took awhile to get used to thought of a 2.0. I originally wanted a 1.5 but my husband talked me into it. So getting the 2.24 is a push. I currently have a .65.

The other diamond this jeweler found is GIA 7301196860. But not sure if this one met the parameters. I did like the size and that it is a VS1.

Clefts in the pavilion view are only an issue if you are looking for a stone that would be considered by a number of PS-ers to be a “super ideal” stone. The clefts would mean the stone would not be considered to be a “Hearts and arrows” stone. Of course, to verify this, a vendor can provide a Hearts image along with an arrows image (the arrows image will look similar to an Idealscope image). An ASET image will tell us a lot about the light performance of a stone.

There are many non super ideal stones that would exhibit AGS000 light performance. Of course they won’t have the premium attached to a super ideal stone and one may not be able to perceive the differences between a super ideal and an excellent GIA XXX/AGS000.

 

[kmoro]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I do appreciate it.

We do use the HCA scope and as previously mentioned it scored a 1.6. We have studied and researched diamonds to understand the ideal parameters, but we are still amateurs. It is such a big investment and we have been picky. We get a lot of push back from jewelers and learned that we may have to go online. But we are not comfortable with that yet and found a jeweler in Boston who would either buy online or deal with the vendor for us. This is the first opportunity we have found in 6 months. This jeweler can get this diamond directly from the vendor and we can go in a look at it.

The parameters we use to rule out diamonds is:

Table % 54.0% to 57.0%
Depth % 61.0% to 62.5%
Crown Angle 34.0° to 35.0°
Pavilion Angle 40.6° to 41.0°
Lower Girdles 75% to 80%
Star Facets 50% to 55%
Girdle Thickness T – M – ST

We try to find diamonds that fall within these parameters but as Badaren said 35/40.6 is best and we would not know that. Also Bmfang may have seen clefts in the pavilion. We did not notice that either. We did see the feather on the back of the diamond at the 12 o clock position but could not see anything else. So of course we asked if that was the right video.

I will ask the jeweler if they can get an ideal cope /Aset image. Is it a problem is there are clefts?

My husband hopes this is the one. But I am still uneasy for some reason. Maybe the size and clarity. Do you feel it is a clean VS2?

Also any opinion on the size would be great. I am fairly simple and modest so it took awhile to get used to thought of a 2.0. I originally wanted a 1.5 but my husband talked me into it. So getting the 2.24 is a push. I currently have a .65.

The other diamond this jeweler found is GIA 7301196860. But not sure if this one met the parameters. I did like the size and that it is a VS1.

Just to clarify, “clefts in the pavilion” refers to the hearts image, where the hearts have clefts in the center of them. This is just in the hearts image -
There are no actual clefts in the pavilion of the diamond. The H&A images are mainly used to check symmetry. As long as opposing hearts mirror each other closely, there should be good light performance in the diamond ... so ... just because there are clefts showing in the heart image, it doesn’t mean the symmetry is bad - for example, if you see a heart with a cleft, and the heart opposite to it looks the same and is around the same size etc, that is a good sign of symmetry. The true H&A image is what happens when a diamond has ideal proportions and minimal variance in angles and near perfect symmetry. Outliers can be just as sparkly and have excellent symmetry. The proof is always in the actual light performance tests, not in any number or H&A image ... those are just (excellent) indicators of potential ... they don’t tell the whole story. That’s why everyone always suggests seeing the diamonds in person, if possible. Thankfully, many PS vendors can act as long distance eyes for those that can’t see them in person ... and really is part of why buying super ideal online is a good idea for some - just can’t go wrong, even if you don’t get to see it in person.

 

[mchap]

Thanks for the reply and the information! The jeweler is getting this diamond in soon, possibly this week. Do you feel it is a good diamond that will have great light performance, etc? It met all of the parameters and scored a 1.6 on the HCA. All we have to do now is look at it. But we are not experts and are anxious about it. Are we missing anything? Also are there questions or things we should look for when we see it? Any feedback on this diamond would be appreciated. They are getting a second one in for comparison and that one is also a contender.


This is the first one. It is a VS2 and we wanted VS1 but it looks clean in the table. We are leaning toward this 2.24 (I wanted a 2.0) because the parameters seem better.

http://www.bijandiamonds.com/product/diamond_image_video.php?cert=2314331477


This is the second one. I like the size and that it is a VS1. Our hesitation on this one is that the crown is 36 and it scores 1.8 on the HCA (vs 1.6 for the other one). The Scintilation was Very Good instead of Excellent. I do like the size. Also it has faint fluorescence where the first one does not. If you feel we are missing something with this one we would appreciate your opinion. This one is also cheaper.

GIA 7391196869
https://www.gia.edu/report-check?reportno=7301196860

Thank you everyone for your help. It is such a big purchase and we want to get it right.

 

[mrs-b]

Without wanting to get into the whole argument of stats combos - 35 / 40.6 is NOT the "best" combination. There are various combinations that fall within super-ideal proportions. Normally, a lower pavilion angle complements a higher crown angle - eg 35.5 / 40.6. For my tastes, and in the opinion of many others, 34.5 / 40.8 (right in the middle of the ideal parameters for both angles) is the goal, but there are various combos that look very beautiful. And to be honest, I've never heard anyone say that 35 / 40'6 was 'best'.

Having said that, tho, you need to go look at some super ideal stones so you can work out if you can see an appreciable difference. For a purchase of this size, please don't just look at one or two diamonds that your jeweler brings in. Marks under the table, at VS2 grading and even often at SI1 grading, for example, are generally impossible to see. Just because they're there, doesn't mean you'll see them. You have to remember, there is a LOT going on in a round brilliant, and the arrows you see are formed by combinations of light and dark. Your typical VS2 inclusion could be light, dark, a wavy line, a cloud - all manner of things you will probably be unable to see - in any light or at any angle.

Do you have a Hearts on Fire retailer near you? Can you access a Crafted By Infinity retailer? Are you in New York (Good Old Gold)? Texas (Brian Gavin Diamonds and WhiteFlash)? There are many locations where you'd be able to see super-ideal diamonds.

Here's the link for Crafted by Infinity (CBI) diamonds:
http://www.craftedbyinfinity.com/web/locations/index.html

Here's the link for Hearts On Fire's store locator:
https://www.heartsonfire.com/store-locator

Personally, I (and a whole lot of other people here on PS) recommend WhiteFlash because they're 100% reliable and their standards are super-ideal. Anything you get from them will be beautiful with a jaw-dropping cut. But if you're not comfortable going the online route (and remember, there are probably thousands of highly experienced purchasers here who will recommend purchasing online, and that's a result of it being a trustworthy and reliable process), try to get somewhere that deals in super-ideal cut diamonds, and make sure first that you can see the difference. If you can - pursue that path. And if you can't, you'll save some considerable money going with an ideal or GIA triple excellent cut - given that these, also, can be searched for within the same statistical parameters.

Good luck and best wishes for many more years of happy marriage!

 

[kmoro]

Without wanting to get into the whole argument of stats combos - 35 / 40.6 is NOT the "best" combination. There are various combinations that fall within super-ideal proportions. Normally, a lower pavilion angle complements a higher crown angle - eg 35.5 / 40.6. For my tastes, and in the opinion of many others, 34.5 / 40.8 (right in the middle of the ideal parameters for both angles) is the goal, but there are various combos that look very beautiful. And to be honest, I've never heard anyone say that 35 / 40'6 was 'best'.

Having said that, tho, you need to go look at some super ideal stones so you can work out if you can see an appreciable difference. For a purchase of this size, please don't just look at one or two diamonds that your jeweler brings in. Marks under the table, at VS2 grading and even often at SI1 grading, for example, are generally impossible to see. Just because they're there, doesn't mean you'll see them. You have to remember, there is a LOT going on in a round brilliant, and the arrows you see are formed by combinations of light and dark. Your typical VS2 inclusion could be light, dark, a wavy line, a cloud - all manner of things you will probably be unable to see - in any light or at any angle.

Do you have a Hearts on Fire retailer near you? Can you access a Crafted By Infinity retailer? Are you in New York (Good Old Gold)? Texas (Brian Gavin Diamonds and WhiteFlash)? There are many locations where you'd be able to see super-ideal diamonds.

Here's the link for Crafted by Infinity (CBI) diamonds:
http://www.craftedbyinfinity.com/web/locations/index.html

Here's the link for Hearts On Fire's store locator:
https://www.heartsonfire.com/store-locator

Personally, I (and a whole lot of other people here on PS) recommend WhiteFlash because they're 100% reliable and their standards are super-ideal. Anything you get from them will be beautiful with a jaw-dropping cut. But if you're not comfortable going the online route (and remember, there are probably thousands of highly experienced purchasers here who will recommend purchasing online, and that's a result of it being a trustworthy and reliable process), try to get somewhere that deals in super-ideal cut diamonds, and make sure first that you can see the difference. If you can - pursue that path. And if you can't, you'll save some considerable money going with an ideal or GIA triple excellent cut - given that these, also, can be searched for within the same statistical parameters.

Good luck and best wishes for many more years of happy marriage!

Love you @mrs-b but .. I think I have read quite consistently that 35/40.6 is considered an ideal combo as is 34/40.9 ... and of course the love for 34.5/40.8 .... maybe there is typo or something?

I think the OP’s diamonds of 35/40.8 and 36/40.6 are quite close to ideal combos, and with averaging and GIA rounding, they have potential to be super.

Don’t get me wrong ... I have personally gone with branded super-ideal, so I like mrs-b’s suggestions a whole lot! But I am not able to shop in person, so I chose to pay for the guarantee of exceptional performance.

To the OP, I feel like the VS1 has more inclusion issues than the VS2, lol. Although the commented inclusions are not enough to alter clarity grade, I don’t like all that graining ... at VS1could just be a mind-clean issue for me.

Good luck & have fun!

 

[mrs-b]

Love you @mrs-b but .. I think I have read quite consistently that 35/40.6 is considered an ideal combo as is 34/40.9 ... and of course the love for 34.5/40.8 .... maybe there is typo or something?

I think the OP’s diamonds of 35/40.8 and 36/40.6 are quite close to ideal combos, and with averaging and GIA rounding, they have potential to be super.

Don’t get me wrong ... I have personally gone with branded super-ideal, so I like mrs-b’s suggestions a whole lot! But I am not able to shop in person, so I chose to pay for the guarantee of exceptional performance.

To the OP, I feel like the VS1 has more inclusion issues than the VS2, lol. Although the commented inclusions are not enough to alter clarity grade, I don’t like all that graining ... at VS1could just be a mind-clean issue for me.

Good luck & have fun!

Hi @kmoro

Yes, that's my point. *An* ideal combo - not *the* ideal combo. One of the best - not 'the best'. I think if we tell people that one specific combination is THE best - we rule out the majority of super-ideal stat combinations - not least of which, all four of mine!

Seriously, tho, that *was* my point; super-ideals come in more than one combination, and to designate one as superior is incorrect. On the other hand....

I have long thought (and I say this realizing a lot of people disagree with me) super-ideal cut stones are not always appreciated. An untrained eye often can't tell the difference between super-ideal and excellent. I did this test with my best friend who recently visited. I showed her a range of diamonds and asked her to rank which were the best cut stones, from best to worst. HUGELY interesting to me was that she ranked them largely in order of size - not exclusively, but in general. Which suggests something I have long suspected; unless bad cut or inclusions are obvious, most women (not all - but most) value size above all things and will unconsciously imbue larger diamonds with positive characteristics the stone may or may not actually have. Of course, there are a BUNCH of people who would choose otherwise, but in general, we value size in our sparklies! (And this is no bad thing, in my book!)

Here's a few threads that explains my point far better then I could:

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/what-is-the-best-crown-pavillion-angle.140563/

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/does-this-crown-pavillion-angle-combo-work.34485/

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/crown-pavilion-angle-combinations.34599/

OP, I hope this helps and doesn't just confuse!

 

[badaren]

Without wanting to get into the whole argument of stats combos - 35 / 40.6 is NOT the "best" combination. There are various combinations that fall within super-ideal proportions. Normally, a lower pavilion angle complements a higher crown angle - eg 35.5 / 40.6. For my tastes, and in the opinion of many others, 34.5 / 40.8 (right in the middle of the ideal parameters for both angles) is the goal, but there are various combos that look very beautiful. And to be honest, I've never heard anyone say that 35 / 40'6 was 'best'.

Having said that, tho, you need to go look at some super ideal stones so you can work out if you can see an appreciable difference. For a purchase of this size, please don't just look at one or two diamonds that your jeweler brings in. Marks under the table, at VS2 grading and even often at SI1 grading, for example, are generally impossible to see. Just because they're there, doesn't mean you'll see them. You have to remember, there is a LOT going on in a round brilliant, and the arrows you see are formed by combinations of light and dark. Your typical VS2 inclusion could be light, dark, a wavy line, a cloud - all manner of things you will probably be unable to see - in any light or at any angle.

Do you have a Hearts on Fire retailer near you? Can you access a Crafted By Infinity retailer? Are you in New York (Good Old Gold)? Texas (Brian Gavin Diamonds and WhiteFlash)? There are many locations where you'd be able to see super-ideal diamonds.

Here's the link for Crafted by Infinity (CBI) diamonds:
http://www.craftedbyinfinity.com/web/locations/index.html

Here's the link for Hearts On Fire's store locator:
https://www.heartsonfire.com/store-locator

Personally, I (and a whole lot of other people here on PS) recommend WhiteFlash because they're 100% reliable and their standards are super-ideal. Anything you get from them will be beautiful with a jaw-dropping cut. But if you're not comfortable going the online route (and remember, there are probably thousands of highly experienced purchasers here who will recommend purchasing online, and that's a result of it being a trustworthy and reliable process), try to get somewhere that deals in super-ideal cut diamonds, and make sure first that you can see the difference. If you can - pursue that path. And if you can't, you'll save some considerable money going with an ideal or GIA triple excellent cut - given that these, also, can be searched for within the same statistical parameters.

Good luck and best wishes for many more years of happy marriage!

sorry i was referring to her 35 ca that a 40.6 would be the best compliment to it

i think it is all personal preference, but seems like the 34.5/40.8 gives you the most leeway if some angles differ because it’s in the middle. seems like a safe option if buying online and have no imaging

seems like op has done her research so i’m not worried about you. as for the fact that you have not seen any super ideals before, that’s up to you to decide. i’ve never seen a super ideal in person, but i knew that i would rather save 25k over what i paid to get a giaxxx within ideal range with good symmetry

 

[mchap]

Thanks everyone! I think I understand what everyone is saying. The jeweler got this diamond from Bijan in NYC>. They are the vendor/cutters. Anyway the diamond will be there tomorrow and they wanted us to go in at 3:30. It is a hike (we would take the train) and I don't want to go if this diamond is not that great. My husband was excited because it seemed clean and was within parameters. But I did not know about 35/40.8 can have leakage, etc. They have an Idealscope but not sure if that would help because we may miss something. So I told him I was not going to go.

http://www.bijandiamonds.com/product/diamond_image_video.php?cert=2314331477

This is so stressful but I am glad everyone gave me advice. It is really hard to find the right diamond.

 

[kmoro]

Hi @kmoro

Yes, that's my point. *An* ideal combo - not *the* ideal combo. One of the best - not 'the best'. I think if we tell people that one specific combination is THE best - we rule out the majority of super-ideal stat combinations - not least of which, all four of mine!

Seriously, tho, that *was* my point; super-ideals come in more than one combination, and to designate one as superior is incorrect. On the other hand....

I have long thought (and I say this realizing a lot of people disagree with me) super-ideal cut stones are not always appreciated. An untrained eye often can't tell the difference between super-ideal and excellent. I did this test with my best friend who recently visited. I showed her a range of diamonds and asked her to rank which were the best cut stones, from best to worst. HUGELY interesting to me was that she ranked them largely in order of size - not exclusively, but in general. Which suggests something I have long suspected; unless bad cut or inclusions are obvious, most women (not all - but most) value size above all things and will unconsciously imbue larger diamonds with positive characteristics the stone may or may not actually have. Of course, there are a BUNCH of people who would choose otherwise, but in general, we value size in our sparklies! (And this is no bad thing, in my book!)

Here's a few threads that explains my point far better then I could:

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/what-is-the-best-crown-pavillion-angle.140563/

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/does-this-crown-pavillion-angle-combo-work.34485/

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/crown-pavilion-angle-combinations.34599/

OP, I hope this helps and doesn't just confuse!

Oh I understand now! Thanks!!!

 

[kmoro]

Thanks everyone! I think I understand what everyone is saying. The jeweler got this diamond from Bijan in NYC>. They are the vendor/cutters. Anyway the diamond will be there tomorrow and they wanted us to go in at 3:30. It is a hike (we would take the train) and I don't want to go if this diamond is not that great. My husband was excited because it seemed clean and was within parameters. But I did not know about 35/40.8 can have leakage, etc. They have an Idealscope but not sure if that would help because we may miss something. So I told him I was not going to go.

http://www.bijandiamonds.com/product/diamond_image_video.php?cert=2314331477

This is so stressful but I am glad everyone gave me advice. It is really hard to find the right diamond.

Maybe do some research about ideal scope before you go ... it can help a lot in detecting leakage.

 

[mchap]

We have been reading about Idealcope, Heart & Arrows, etc and think we understand it. The jeweler has ideal scope but I am not sure we would miss something.

Before I wrote on the forum I thought getting the diamond within the parameters and scoring a 1.6 on the HCA would be okay. But I learned a lot and found that the diamond could still have issues.

I am not feeling good about this diamond anymore. Does anyone like the diamond or should we pass on it?

 

[lovedogs]

I think it could be a great stone, but it's not guaranteed to be great because we don't have all the info about light performance, etc. If you want a *guaranteed* great stone, then stick with the branded super ideals (white flash ACA, HP diamonds CBI, etc).

 

[bmfang]

Look at the stone and see if it sings out to you. Don’t make a decision on purchasing yet while you are there. Let calm heads prevail. While well cut diamonds are rare, they aren’t THAT rare and you have a whole PS community to help you out with finding your upgrade stone if this one doesn’t work out.

 

[mchap]

I think it could be a great stone, but it's not guaranteed to be great because we don't have all the info about light performance, etc. If you want a *guaranteed* great stone, then stick with the branded super ideals (white flash ACA, HP diamonds CBI, etc).

Look at the stone and see if it sings out to you. Don’t make a decision on purchasing yet while you are there. Let calm heads prevail. While well cut diamonds are rare, they aren’t THAT rare and you have a whole PS community to help you out with finding your upgrade stone if this one doesn’t work out.

Outside of the parameters:

Table 55
Crown 35
Depth 62.3
Pavilion 40.8

HCA 1.6

What else do I look for? Is it just looking at in with an ideal scope? I know from this forum that the 35/40.8 can be a hit or miss.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a great 2 carat? Maybe a well cut 1.80-2.0 would be great. I have always wanted a beautiful diamond. I had my heart set on a great cut. D-F and VS1 or better.

 

[rockysalamander]

Does anyone have a recommendation for a great 2 carat? Maybe a well cut 1.80-2.0 would be great. I have always wanted a beautiful diamond. I had my heart set on a great cut. D-F and VS1 or better.

Do you have a budget in mind? I like this one...
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4018647.htm

If you have the budget for it, this would more than meet your brief.
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2681951.htm

If you are open to considering VS2, you can drop the price by as much as $10k.

 

[kmoro]

Do you have a budget in mind? I like this one...
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4018647.htm

If you have the budget for it, this would more than meet your brief.
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2681951.htm

If you are open to considering VS2, you can drop the price by as much as $10k.

omg those are so beautiful!

Here’s another another one with the magical 34.5/40.8 that people like:

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4006547.htm

Anythibg ovee the 2.0 mark is going to have a jump in price per carat ...

 

[blueMA]

I have long thought (and I say this realizing a lot of people disagree with me) super-ideal cut stones are not always appreciated. An untrained eye often can't tell the difference between super-ideal and excellent.

You're not wrong @mrs-b. This is in fact the majority of the general population. People should know that no one will scope and "examine" your diamond to quickly determine that it's not a "superideal" unless you allow them to, and even so only a rare few may have the ability to discern naked eye. Unless you have a diamond with noticeable leakage or poor proportions/symmetry next to an ideal stone for direct comparison, people won't be able to tell the difference so easily between two decent stones, especially if the proportions and optical symmetry are similar. When diamonds get larger, the facet patterns simply become increasingly recognizable more appreciably along with mesmerizing crisper bigger sparkles. The diamonds with lower pavilion such as 40.6 have more visible darker arrow patterns, and some tend to prefer this while others prefer higher pavilion for the brighter look.

 

[kal2021]

Personally I don’t think you need to limit yourself to VS1 or better. I would be shocked if you saw something at VS2 especially if it’s an ideal cut. I just bought a 2 carat SI1 super ideal (ACA) from Whiteflash and I can’t see a thing and I have hawk eyes!

 

[mchap]

Thanks so much for the links and information. These diamonds are beautiful! We wanted to keep our budget below $35K if possible. I would do a VS2 if it was eye clean. But how would I know buying online? I think we are going to buy online. We are anxious about it but it seems to be the way to go.

Is any online site better/more trustworthy than the other? Do you buy the diamond and have someone here set it?

Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I do not have much jewelry and currently have a .65. But I know I always wanted a high quality diamond if I was every going to upgrade. Any more suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[mchap]

Do you have a budget in mind? I like this one...
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4018647.htm

If you have the budget for it, this would more than meet your brief.
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2681951.htm

If you are open to considering VS2, you can drop the price by as much as $10k.

These are beautiful. This is exactly what I would love! We love the both and really like the first one. Do you see any like these that may be closer to 35K? Would I need to go VS2?

 

[mchap]

omg those are so beautiful!

Here’s another another one with the magical 34.5/40.8 that people like:

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4006547.htm

Anythibg ovee the 2.0 mark is going to have a jump in price per carat ...

Thanks Mrsb. This is also beautiful and what I would love to have! We are hoping to stay below $35K but will go higher if we have to. Would I go down in clarity? VS2? Stay with a F color?

 

[blueMA]

These are beautiful. This is exactly what I would love! We love the both and really like the first one. Do you see any like these that may be closer to 35K? Would I need to go VS2?

Yes, definitely consider VS2 or even SI1 (some can be really nice), and you can safely drop to F or even G in color. Since you're not sure of what to look for and want a guaranteed performer, I highly recommend Whiteflash. You also have a wonderful upgrade option that way, and you never know what you may desire for the 50th!

This video may be interesting.

 

[kal2021]

A trusted vendor such as Whiteflash will tell you honestly if it’s eye clean. You can ask them to check for that based on your idea of eye clean. Is it from 6 inches away, 10 inches away, etc. You can absolutely trust them. Others will chime in I’m sure with other vendors as well. The ones we see the most on here for super ideals are Whiteflash, High Performance Diamonds / Crafted by Infinity, and Brian Gavin though there are others. Mine is from Whiteflash. They were very honest about what stones they could see inclusions in. They can also send you videos of stones you are interested in and compare them side by side. In their descriptions they will say yes to eye clean or inquire. Their definition I believe is 10” away from your eye, but you can always ask what they see at say 6”. Don’t worry I know it seems foreign to but something so expensive online but it’s totally safe if you use the right company. They also have easy return policies if you get it and change your mind.

 

[blueMA]

5 options under the budget

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/compare.aspx?idnos=4049800,3970294,3999632,4047013,4059369

 

[Evian]

This could be a decent stone, but would need to further investigate.

i.e. buy it, examine it, and if its no good, return it,

https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-de...AMONDS&track=viewDiamondDetails&action=newTab