Help!

[Wozzawarhead]

I'm looking to buy my girlfriend an engagement ring obviously I haven't done this before I was shopping yesterday and found the following and I need your advice:

Solitaire
Palladium ring
D colour
I1
.51 carot

£1800

I had a look under there eye microscope thingy and I couldn't see the carbon or the feathering. I'm not a gemologist but it should be visible.

To me it sounds to good to be true. I went around to all the other jewellers and had some were amazed and some weren't as impressed.

It's too good to be true. It's like a car dealer selling me a merc for £500 something's got to be wrong with it.

Your advice is appreciated.

 

[diamondloveaffair]

who graded the diamond?

 

[Wozzawarhead]

GIA

 

[chrono]

You seriously cannot see a thing under the microscope even when comparing it to the GIA plot? What are the rest of the numbers on the GIA report?
Full mm measurement
Table
Depth
Pavilion angle
Crown angle
Girdle
Culet

 

[JulieN]

That is hecka expensive. Not a good deal at all. You can get better prices by buying online from the US.

 

[Niel]

How much is that american? Google said like 2700. If that's true that's super expensive. Even any changes you might have shipping overseas still seems like a better deal to go with a US vendor.

 

[ruby59]

Did a quick search on the Pricescope database, and similar diamonds are priced at between $500 and $900.

 

[TC1987]

To evaluate cut:
Search here for "cheat sheet" for rounds, and then find HCA at the top of the page under Tools. You can take numbers off the grading report and plug them in and look for a score 2 or below. it's a rejection tool to weed out diamonds that are likely to have less-than-stellar light performance (a 1 is not better than a 1.5 or whatever; just look for below 2). That works for modern round brilliants. If you have an old-cut diamond, then look at ASET and more or less do a visual inspection of the performance.

They we also ask for ASET image because that shows leaks and also helps evaluate the cut quality. Hearts & arrows is a pattern, and not all diamonds have it, and not all people want it.

Take your time and do your research first, then buy. Walk away if the seller is giving you too much pressure. There are not really very many ways to get a deal on an above-average diamond, unless you buy one secondhand and the seller is willing to lose a lot of money to get rid of it.