Help with diamond selection and sidestones for small ring sizes

[nth_79]

Hello,

I''ve learned so much by pouring over all the tutorials and the forums and I really want to thank everyone out there who has put so much time and effort into educating people like me. Even so, I''m still not confident that I can select a diamond based on its certificate specifications. I have a few diamonds that I''ve found and was wondering what people thought in terms of value and quality:

#1 - GIA Cert. 1.09 carat, H, VS1, Ex Cut, Ex Polish, VG Symmetry, Fluorescence: None. Comments: Clouds not shown. Additonal Inscription: H&A
54% Table, 61.3% Depth, 34.5 deg Crown, 40.8 deg Pavilion, thin to medium girdle, HCA 1.3, $6544
#2 - GIA Cert. 1.10 carat, H VS1, Ex Cut, Ex Polish, EX Symmetry, Fluorescence: None. Comments: None.
57% Table, 61.4% Depth, 35.0 deg Crown, 40.8 deg Pavilion, medium (faceted) girdle, HCA 1.6, $6373
#3 - GIA Cert. 1.03 carat, H VS1, Ex Cut, VG Polish, VG Symmetry, Fluorescence: None. Comments: None. Union Diamond gives it a "Select Ideal" cut.
57% Table, 60.7% Depth, 33.5 deg Crown, 40.8 deg Pavilion, thin to slightly thick (faceted) girdle, HCA 0.9, $5624

My next question is about whether or not a platinum setting with 0.16 carat t.w. baguette sidestones will look good on a ring sized to 3.75. I''ve seen some settings with 0.4 carat t.w. baguette side stones on a size 6 ring and it really seemed like the baguettes would be unattractively large and extend down the sides of a ring sized down to 3.75.

Finally, are there specific questions I should be asking the e-tailers so that I can be more confident about my purchase?

Thanks!

 

[shiatsu]

Well, the first one's angles meet the specs of both GIA's Excellent cut and AGS's Ideal cut, but they skimped some on the symmetry. The last one's obviously the best deal, and scores the best on HCA. They're all VS1 in clarity so you're not gonna see any inclusions with the naked eye (you could pay less for a VS2 and only a grader with a loupe would be able to tell the difference, and sometimes even they can't) and are all H in color.

Honestly, you take the three and set them all side by side and you wouldn't be able to tell the difference without a weighing scale. The smallest one is 97% the size of the largest one. And with the cuts all being similar, and the clarity and color exactly the same... I'd save myself $1000 and go for the cheapest one. Then buy myself a plasma TV with the money saved

Those baguettes are gonna be very small, next to a one carat rock they're gonna look even smaller- almost pave-like. They shouldn't make a difference.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Let me just say that it is not true that a lower HCA number is better than another once you go below 2. I wouldn''t want a 33.5 crown.

#1 has desirable numbers, #2 is probably nice, and #3 does not have enough information to decide. I''d want to see idealscope pictures of the first two.

 

[belle]

Date: 2/1/2007 3:03:35 AM
Author:nth_79

Finally, are there specific questions I should be asking the e-tailers so that I can be more confident about my purchase?

idealscope pictures
return policy

 

[Ellen]

Any of those could be nice. I thritto the IS pics, and ditto that below two is what you want on HCA, after that, there is no better score, then it''s just time to get more info and pics.