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Help with oval ASET stone on hold for short time

I like it...oval asets arent pretty but this one looks pretty decent. You may have a area of bigger facets through the center and smaller pin facets
outside of that area. This is typical for a lot of ovals (most?) If you are worried about it you can have it sent to you loose for a look. You'll have to
pay the extra for sending it back and forth though.

Just FYI...Here is the size of the stone on a size 6 finger, 2mm shank.

oval105.PNG
 
The red areas at the tips will be bright and chunky (not crushed ice), which is better than the average oval. However, the video reveals that those facets (at the tips) do not have any life (scintillation) to speak of -- i.e. they will produce fairly static reflections, like a mirror.

There are four spots of prominent crushed ice (with no crisp facets) at NE, SE, SW, and NW, where the ASET also suggests a fair amount of leakage -- so it is possible you may perceive those spots to be darker than the rest of the oval. However, as I've said, it is still above average for an oval, especially a non-chubby one (this one has L/W = 1.42).

If you share your budget, and preferences for size (i.e. length) and aspect ratio (L/W), we may be able to find other alternatives for you.
 
Drk I agree with he tips not having much going on, it was my main concern.
 
meely said:
This was a thread for a particular aset, the original thread is below. I have already had some helpful responses but I would appreciate as many opinions as possible, especially from the oval experts!

https://www.pricescope.com/communit...lp-looking-for-a-diamond.233304/#post-4204420
Click to expand...

I guess I missed that thread because it didn't use the word "Oval" in the title...

Here are some options that are better than the stone above:

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/oval-cut/1.01-carat-e-color-vvs2-clarity-sku-3213048

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/oval-cut/1.01-carat-f-color-vvs2-clarity-sku-3305549

There will be additional options out there, as you have a healthy budget, but I don't have time right now to do extensive searches. @tyty333 might provide some assistance.
 
A final note: JA has a limit of 3 ASETs (at least they did last time I checked), so you should not be requesting ASETs until you have a shortlist that is fairly final. We can get most of the info we need from the videos, anyway.
 
Thank you for taking the time on those suggestions drk, I will look carefully tomorrow when I have access to a desktop and can go through with my husband.
 
Ok despite what I said in my previous post I decided to get on with this as I've been agitating over it!
I decided to ditch the G, I agree with Drk's comments about the colour being too low and also regarding the tips (sorry If I have misphrased that)

Drk I looked at the Blue Nile options, the first one did sparkle a lot but the confused facet pattern not for me. I struggled with working out which of the others I particularly liked and decided to stick with James Allen as I found their videos easier to interpret.

Of the three stones you listed (one was a repeat) I liked the E best and also the f vvs2. I wasn't so keen on the shape of the D

I also liked an fvs2 that Valeria found in my other thread.

So what do you think of these three?


3346524 - 1.0 f vs2
https://www.jamesallen.com/mobile/loose-diamonds/oval-cut/1.00-carat-f-color-vs2-clarity-sku-3346524
3213048 - 1.01 e vvs2
https://www.jamesallen.com/mobile/l...t/1.01-carat-e-color-vvs2-clarity-sku-3213048
3305549 - 1.01 f vvs2
https://www.jamesallen.com/mobile/l...t/1.01-carat-f-color-vvs2-clarity-sku-3305549

They are all overseas and no aset available unless I buy - I can only afford to buy one.
I spoke to two gemologists or highly trained staff (It differed on who you spoke to). They all said all three were really great. One preferred the FV2 (more sparkle) the other the EVVS2 (can't remember why)

Thoughts?! I need to sort this out asap as I am becoming half crazed! Thanks to everyone who has replied I really value your help, expertise, contributions!
 
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tyty333 said:
I like it...oval asets arent pretty but this one looks pretty decent. You may have a area of bigger facets through the center and smaller pin facets
outside of that area. This is typical for a lot of ovals (most?) If you are worried about it you can have it sent to you loose for a look. You'll have to
pay the extra for sending it back and forth though.

Just FYI...Here is the size of the stone on a size 6 finger, 2mm shank.

oval105.PNG
Click to expand...

Tyty sorry I meant to reply before but have been a bit overexcitable ha. Thanks for the finger comparison I have long fingers, 4.75 and like a lot of finger coverage so I am doing a modern take on an Edwardian double halo. Here is my original post where I describe the plan.
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/oval-diamonds.232273/
This photo is of an Edwardian ring in my finger that I ultimately decided against as I wasn't happy with some aspects however the overall shape I think looks good. IMG_9701.jpg
 
@meely , the F VS2 proposed by @valeria101 is an amazing oval and clearly the best of the three. It is shown as "Not Available" on the JA website (as is the E VVS2). Did you put these on hold?
 
I did indeed drk14 I noticed the better ovals came and went very quickly! Lovely to have an positive further opinion on Valeria's find.
 
@meely , that's great. The F VS2 is really outstanding, I seldom see such full coverage of chunky/crisp facets in an oval, especially one with L/W > 1.3. Normally I would have advised you to take your time, as there are literally hundreds of candidate stones within your budget, but this one is so extraordinary that pulling the trigger should be a no-brainer. Congrats, and kudos to @valeria101 for this great find!
 
@drk14 ... the pick was a stab in the dark ! Looking forward to first hand impressions and ASET, perhaps.
 
Ive bought the stone, fingers crossed that there are no issues! I have requested an aset.
@valeria101 i think you have a very good eye, I had totally missed that one but you found the chunky facets and lack of mush I was looking for!
 
IMG_9712.JPG
Aset for the fvs1 (now purchased) has arrived, earlier than expected. Thoughts?
Thanks
 
@meely, although some aspects of this ASET are not great if assessed out of context (i.e., if the ASET was all we had to go on, we might have some concerns), I am still confident based on the 360-video that this will be a very attractive oval.

The ASET does confirm that there are a large number of crisp facets (with sharp edges), which are distributed evenly throughout the stone. Even the mushy areas between the belly and the tips are interspersed with crisp facets that will break up those regions and add scintillation. I think the only surprise for me in this ASET is that there are a number of facets in the belly which display leakage (white) when the stone is viewed from this angle. However, a static ASET image (like this one) does not give the full story. A small tilt of the stone will change everything, so really, ASETs should best be seen as videos (as shown in these examples), but this service is not offered by vendors. The 360 video on JA confirms that the "leaky" belly facets do in fact scintillate (alternating dark and bright flashes) as the stone turns, which proves that there is only a specific angle (looking straight down on the diamond when it is perfectly still in the face-up position) at which those facets may darken (or possibly window out) due to leakage.

I would have the JA gemologist provide an assessment of the diamond before it is set/shipped, and ask them to verify that there is no negative visual effect in those areas that appear leaky from the ASET.
 
Well, I'll repeat my mantra...Oval asets aint pretty. Anyone remember the commercial "Tires aint pretty"? Its an old commercial and maybe it was
only a local tire dealership but that's where my saying comes from.

The videos tell tell more of the real story.

I also like the G that you found in your first post. It is also larger. Too bad you can get both of them and compare...
 
@tyty333
I realise ovals don't always do so well on the ASETs, I have looked at all the old threads I can find and discovered it's the consensus! However it's still disheartening, you want the diamond you have chosen to be perfect and better than all the rest!
The G has sold, I took it off reserve yesterday evening when I reserved the FVS1, so someone else has bought it. The spread was better but with the design I'm going for that isn't the be all and end all. I still like this diamond best. Do you think the ASET for the G is better ? (not strictly relevant as it's no longer available but I'm curious). The ASET for this stone is certainly different to other oval ASETs. Whats your opinion of the stone? Just to confirm I'm not in a position to purchase another stone to compare.
 
drk14 said:
@meely, although some aspects of this ASET are not great if assessed out of context (i.e., if the ASET was all we had to go on, we might have some concerns), I am still confident based on the 360-video that this will be a very attractive oval.

The ASET does confirm that there are a large number of crisp facets (with sharp edges), which are distributed evenly throughout the stone. Even the mushy areas between the belly and the tips are interspersed with crisp facets that will break up those regions and add scintillation. I think the only surprise for me in this ASET is that there are a number of facets in the belly which display leakage (white) when the stone is viewed from this angle. However, a static ASET image (like this one) does not give the full story. A small tilt of the stone will change everything, so really, ASETs should best be seen as videos (as shown in these examples), but this service is not offered by vendors. The 360 video on JA confirms that the "leaky" belly facets do in fact scintillate (alternating dark and bright flashes) as the stone turns, which proves that there is only a specific angle (looking straight down on the diamond when it is perfectly still in the face-up position) at which those facets may darken (or possibly window out) due to leakage.

I would have the JA gemologist provide an assessment of the diamond before it is set/shipped, and ask them to verify that there is no negative visual effect in those areas that appear leaky from the ASET.
Click to expand...

Thanks @drk14 I will speak to James Allen regarding the ASET and get them to check the stone when they have it on hand. Do you think I should be considering other options or does it still look good to you?
 
I am still very optimistic about F VS2. If I were you I would ask if it is possible to schedule a time so that you can be on the phone with the gemologist when they do their assessment of the diamond. Otherwise you only get 2-3 written sentences relayed by the gemologist to the sales associate. If you have the gemologist on the phone, you can make sure that they address the specific concerns you have, and ask them questions while they have the diamond in front of them. This is what I did when I purchased the diamond for my wife's e-ring a few years back.

By the way, when you posted the ASET, you wrote:
meely said:
Aset for the fvs1 (now purchased) has arrived
Click to expand...
Did you mean F VS2? Just making sure you got the right stone!
 
drk14 said:
I am still very optimistic about F VS2. If I were you I would ask if it is possible to schedule a time so that you can be on the phone with the gemologist when they do their assessment of the diamond. Otherwise you only get 2-3 written sentences relayed by the gemologist to the sales associate. If you have the gemologist on the phone, you can make sure that they address the specific concerns you have, and ask them questions while they have the diamond in front of them. This is what I did when I purchased the diamond for my wife's e-ring a few years back.

By the way, when you posted the ASET, you wrote:

Did you mean F VS2? Just making sure you got the right stone!
Click to expand...

Thank you for the reassurance. I was waiting on them regarding the gemologist, I don't think it has arrived with them as yet - they don't seem that great on sending out automated updates. I did indeed mean the vs2.
 
So as an update, I spoke to the gemologist at James Allen a couple of hours ago.

The gemologist described it as 'average - 5/10'. 'Big dark band across the belly as opposed to a traditional black tie.' 'Plenty of crushed ice'. Overall 'quite dark'. There were positives as well but with regard to these nothing I didn't already know unfortunately - 'faces up quite white', 'no visible inclusions', 'nice shape'.

Needless to say my order is cancelled and I am awaiting my refund and considering my options:

1. Get a round. I know I can get find something with optimum performance much easier. But it isn't what I had my heart set on and I doubt I can get to a carat whilst being mind clean.

2. Go vintage - there is an Edwardian cushion halo ring that has caught my eye, it is local enough to view in person. The colour is lower than I hoped for and I would have to totally trust my eyes. I do really like old cuts though.

3. Employ the services of GOG to search for an oval for me. I'm worried I won't get the specs I want for my budget and I can't find the cost of this service on their website which puts me off as it makes me think it's too much for me.

4. Don't get an engagement ring (already successfully done for 5 years, this is what happens when you are a picky customer with more limited funds I guess!)

5. Get a cushion, this would potentially work with my setting idea but I'm not convinced this would be any easier.

I would be grateful for some friendly thoughts, this isn't really important I know but it would be nice to have it resolved one way or another.
Thank you to everyone who has replied to my various threads relating to this search so far :razz:
 
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I'm sure the experts will find you some lovely fresh options but I had great luck with Yekutiel at IDJ after exhausting (and confusing) myself with online oval shopping. He has a good eye for ovals and can sometimes beat JA prices in my experience! :dance:
 
@oval_seeker what did you end up getting? I'n just worried I am never going to get the kind of performance I might like out of an oval. What's the best way to communicate with Yekutiel?
 
@meely My specs were definitely less stringent than yours, but I ended up with an H SI1 stone from Yekutiel, its eye clean and has strong blue fluor, so it faces up very white. The video doesn't do it justice, the thing sparkles like crazy in every type of lighting, but you can see it below, we got a much bigger diamond than we set out thinking we could afford :D: https://enchanteddiamonds.com/diamonds/view/O205-152506350

Yekutiel is much better via phone than email. If you email him he will just call you, but he is truly interested in finding you the stone of your dreams. Don't be afraid to call or email him to bug him after your first call if you're waiting for him to source you options. He's a busy guy, just stay on him.

I did also work with GOG, if you're interested. They sourced me some beautiful stones, though my options were more "pin-firey" than is preferred by most on PS. All my options were smaller than what Yekutiel showed me and more expensive. They may charge a small fee ($100) for calling in and videoing stones for you, but because none of our options fit the specs/price range we gave, we didn't end up paying the fee. Their "favorite" was the highest priced/most out of budget stone which made us feel unexcited about the other stones actually IN budget, even though I'm sure they were great stones. They are also very nice to work with if you go that route!

I spent over a month looking online too before contacting any PS vendors, I was so overwhelmed and constantly second guessing myself. Working with GOG and Yekutiel really made the decision process so much less confusing/stressful for me. Don't give up on ovals! I know you'll find something beautiful!
 
Here's our GOG video, if you're interested in seeing how their options compared:
 
@ovalseeker do you know if IDJ has an upgrade policy for ovals purchased through him? I would like to contact him for my oval search but need a good upgrade policy.
 
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