Helpful Solasfera Info

[solasferafan]

Hi All,

Just purchased a beautiful 1.22 F/SI1 solasfera on a harry winston inspired classic halo setting from David S Diamonds. I have noticed that there are several threads on Solasfera and David S diamonds in the past. Just wanted to let you know that David So, who owns David S Diamonds, is the cutter/creator of solasfera diamonds. I'm in no means trying to promote, but I think this information will help those in search of solasfera diamonds. If you are a lover of solasfera such as myself, who better to get your info than from the cutter himself.

I live in NY and looked at over 50 diamonds in my price range, and none of them compared to the solasfera. For example, I have looked at 1.21 F/VVS2 Triple Ex (not an H&A), but my solasfera still outperformed it. And guess what, since my solasfera was only a SI1, it was still considerably cheaper. In my opinion, most people focus so much on paper info rather than performance. You can get a lower grade diamond (I-G, SI1 -VS1), but if cut to perfection like a solasfera, will outperform traditional cut diamonds without hurting your pockets.

 

[kenny]

I have a Solasfera too.
While I agree they are absolutely superb I also feel there are other fine round cuts that can be equally beautiful, different in character, but equally fine.

I suspect Solasfera is a play on Mr. So's last name.

And yes, a diamond's beautiful light show is dependent on cut not clarity or color. (within reason)

 

[stone-cold11]

Any pics? Else you sound like a shrill.

Not comparing apples to apples here as solasfera is not a standard 57 facet round, comparing between different color and clarity grade.

Try comparing the price between a standard 57 facet round with the same color and clarity and see if it is still a deal to you.

 

[solasferafan]

I know I was comparing 2 different diamonds stone_cold. But for the sake of argument, the diamond I compared it to is a 1.21 57 faceted F/VVS2, which was actually my first choice. When I ran into the 1.22 F/SI1 solasfera, it was definitely much cheaper and much brighter. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to disclose price comparisons, but let's just say there was about a $1500 difference. It was a no brainer.

But everyone is different, since there are those who prefer 57 faceted RB and will pay more simply because it's a VVS2. All I'm saying is that you can get a SI1 solasfera and pay less, but you will have a much brighter diamond.

 

[kenny]

You didn't pay less because it is a Solasfera.
You paid less because you bought an SI1 instead of a VVS2.

This wide difference in clarity at that size and color has a HUGE effect on price.
Go to Bluenile.com and search for these two specs in otherwise identical Signature Ideal rounds.

I'm pretty sure an otherwise-identical Solasfera is more expensive than an unbranded HCA<2 round with a fine Idealscope image - at least that was the case when I bought mine a few years ago.
Solasfera is not an inexpensive diamond, but IMHO it is certainly worth the premium.

 

[solasferafan]

You are absolutely right. It is significantly cheaper because it is an SI1. And yet, I can attest that it looked far more beautiful and brighter than the VVS2 traditional 57 facet RB in my eyes. If compared to a regular si1, it is obviously more expensive because of the premium.

Again, I'm just sharing my experience to those who might be looking for a solasfera. You have to see it in person for you to understand and appreciate it. Many thanks to the people at david s diamonds. Truly the best jeweler in the jungle of ny.

 

[stone-cold11]

Maybe the modern RB is not that well cut by our standard. GIA Ex cut allows for proportions that are not necessary have the best light return.

https://www.pricescope.com/journal/laboratory_cut_grades_what_report_doesn’t_show

Still no pics?

 

[TristanC]

I have a Solasfera too.
While I agree they are absolutely superb I also feel there are other fine round cuts that can be equally beautiful, different in character, but equally fine.

I suspect Solasfera is a play on Mr. So's last name.

And yes, a diamond's beautiful light show is dependent on cut not clarity or color. (within reason)

Really Kenny? So is that why its called the Tolkowsky diamond as well? Ok... Solasfera is more obscure i admit it.

Actually threads like this, if the OP is being genuine, are detrimental to the Solasfera - which honestly to me is my favorite colourless diamond in the round brilliant shape even if it is a modified brilliant.

You need to be objective so that you don't sound like you're over promoting a brand/jeweller right off the bat with your first post otherwise there will be an instinctive resistance to what you are "selling".

Good old gold has excellent videos on solasfera performance.

And for the record, I was looking to buy them as well, and the premium on a solasfera vs a triple ex round brilliant (weight, colour and clarity being equal) DOES carry a premium. From my own measures it is 18-30% higher depending on the individual stones.

I would pay the premium in a heartbeat because I like the performance, but your thread is misleading on cost.

 

[solasferafan]

My point exactly Stone_cold. Btw, i will post some pics of the finished product once its done.

During my search before I came across Solasfera, I looked at diamonds based on the information that was given to me which is basically the GIA certificate. With the help of pricescope, I also did my due diligence and used the HCA to evaluate the diamond's brightness and scintillation. I EXLUSIVELY only looked at RB diamonds with G or higher in color, VS2 or higher in clarity, and with VG to EX in cut and symmetry. Most diamonds over 1.20 were well beyond my budget, and I didn't want to compromise performance by going higher in Carats. When I ran into the Solasfera diamond, I was amazed at how much more I didn't know about light return and performance. Like many, I was definitely leary about going below VS2, but I had to maintain a strict budget.

In conclusion, which is basically the point I'm trying to make in this thread - going down to an SI1 is ok, and even though I paid the solasfera premium, it was still surprisingly cheaper/comparable to those diamonds I described above (the F/VVS2 was just one example that I wanted to share). Basically, the performance makes up for the clarity downgrade. Again, I don't know much about pricing, but this is what I've gathered when I was shopping around.

My intention is not to mislead about pricing, but rather enlighten future buyers. You don't necessarily have to stick to GIA standards. You can tinker a bit with color, clarity and carats (to drive price down), but definitely get a modified cut like a solasfera (there are others of course). Because ultimately, it is the brilliance and performance that matters the most in my opinion.

 

[stone-cold11]

Again, that depends on taste. For the stones I got, 1 carat, 57 facets RB is busy enough for me, any of the other modified seems to busy for me.

 

[PCMusicGuy]

Thanks for the info. Solasfera diamonds sure look good. In my search I found that all of the other "cut for performance" diamonds such as Crafted by Infinity, FireMark, and dare I say it, even the Peerless from Jared, all looked similar to the Solasfera stones.

 

[Eskiez]

I looked into Solasfera's with GOG last year and my bf loved them. I'd also love to see a picture of your purchase to drool over!

 

[RayEarth]

I also wondered about getting a solasfera in the early days, but decided against it because while it is brighter, it has less fire than the traditional RB because of smaller flashes.

Question is whether you are willing to pay for a Solasfera premium. The other issue with Solas is that the range is much more limited. During my 3 months looking for a RB, there was no Solasfera produced for what I wanted (1.8ct+). So that may be a factor to some as well.

But purely a matter of taste.

 

[RayEarth]

You can get a lower grade diamond (I-G, SI1 -VS1), but if cut to perfection like a solasfera, will outperform traditional cut diamonds without hurting your pockets.

I'm not sure if it would be true to say that solasfera will "outperform" a traditional cut diamond. A Brian Gavin Signature or WF ACA with lower clarity (eg, SI) will also perform better when viewed face up compared to your normal B&M stones.