shape
carat
color
clarity

How do I find out which color diamond is for me?

iwantsparkle

Shiny_Rock
Joined
May 25, 2016
Messages
308
What I know: I want a round diamond. I am open to OEC, transitional, and whatever else.
But definitely a round stone.

I am going to ask DK to make a halo ring. The quote he gave me suggested "natural G" color stones for the halo/melee.

My plan:
For either myself or BF to contact Adam at Old World Diamonds.
Per previous feedback and advice I've gotten here, I am going to try to keep the melee and center stones within two color grades of each other.

So, I guess I will start out asking about finding a nice I colored stone in my budget?

My question is - how do I know that "I" is my desired color?

Budget heavily influences all of this, of course. But as many are aware, there are a lot of other factors that go into stone selection (size, clarity, etc.)

When I look at pictures online I can't make a huge distinction. So for example, just browsing along on Jewels by Grace or other sites with loose stones - I think they all look pretty nice. I can't see a huge difference in color.

Can anyone steer me as far as what methods they used to narrow things down? Or, sites they looked at to really get a feel as to whether they liked, say, an OEC in I vs K?

I know that my main goal is a round stone that looks good in a platinum halo, looks classic ("white", I suppose - which could mean different things to different people), is eye clean, sparkles, and is around 1.50 but inside my budget.

My budget for the stone only is in the $7k-$9k range.

I guess I am planning to find a stone and send the link to BF so he can buy it or one like it?
 

AdaBeta27

Brilliant_Rock
Premium
Joined
Sep 7, 2004
Messages
1,077
I think it would be difficult to find a range of OECs in colors to compare side by side, unless you are dealing with someone like Singlestone who specializes in antique diamonds. Most of the larger OECs and OMCs, I would hazard to guess, are going to be J or K and lower, simply because for many years OECs were devalued and unappreciated. Most of the larger high color ones were recut into modern RBs because they were saleable at higher prices than if they'd been left as OECs or OMCs.

So, my suggestion is to go to some reputable jewelers and look at GIA graded J/K and higher. If the tint bothers you in a modern RB, it could bother you even more in an OEC because of the high crown and the overall depth of the diamond. Modern RBs wash tint much better than most OECs do.
 

Snowdrop13

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Aug 27, 2011
Messages
2,960
The only really sure way is to go and look at diamonds, in person and in different light situations. Similarly there is a big difference in "flavour" between a modern round and an old cut in the way they perform.

I recently had a similar dilemma regarding colour although my stone is much smaller than you are considering, and was for a pendant. I found several educational GOG (Good Old Gold) videos on YouTube which were hugely helpful. I decided "I" was my sweet spot colour and am frankly amazed at how white it looks. I'm thinking I am probably not very colour sensitive!
 

diamondseeker2006

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jan 11, 2006
Messages
58,547
The very best way is to have one sent to you. You need to see an I color diamond in your own lighting environments and then return it if it is not the one you want to buy. Looking in jewelry store lighting is really a waste of time. I would never limit myself to one vendor for an OEC, because supplies are limited and you need to keep all your options open. You can ask Adam, Jewels by Grace, and Love Affair Diamonds what they have in your budget and specs. I think I color is a good choice, and honestly, there aren't many available in higher colors than that. I would say I and J colors are about the most popular. They are still in the near colorless range. I color should be fine in a halo, especially.

Don't link a stone and tell him to buy "one like it"! Link the exact stone you want, post here first for feedback, and tell him it is THE one you want. All OECs are different, and someone who has no idea what they are doing can make a huge mistake. Unless he is ready to buy, there is not a big point in looking other than for learning purposes. Good stones sell fast. I am thinking of one I really like and would post it if you knew he was ready to buy. You have to see the stone, though, during the return period and before it is sent to be set.
 

rubybeth

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Nov 12, 2007
Messages
2,568
I agree that seeing GIA/AGS graded stones in person in your normal lighting situations (home/work/outside) is the ideal way to know what colors you prefer or can tolerate, but not everyone lives near a place that has multiple graded antique stones (LA, NY).

Another suggestion is just watch a LOT of diamond videos from Old World Diamonds and Good Old Gold. They both do videos of stones for customers to compare. I'm sure Jewels by Grace or Erica at Love Affair Diamonds would also create a side by side color comparison video for you if you wanted to see two stones compared to each other in various lighting environments. And if you know you want a halo, look at videos of stones that are lower colored in halos--some people really love the contrast between the halo and the center stone, others prefer less contrast. You'll have to figure out what you like.

And I will reiterate that shopping for an OEC is much trickier than with a round brilliant--you really have to make sure you prefer the "flavor" of cut, since each stone is unique (no "perfect" numbers). So your idea of telling your boyfriend, "Something like this," won't work at all. You'll need to be very specific and find the exact stone you want, and then he can buy it. No shame in that, that's what I did with my husband many years ago when we did our ring shopping.

Your other option is to pay the premium for a branded newly-cut vintage style stone, like an August Vintage Round from Good Old Gold. These are likely way out of your budget in the size you want (1.5 carat for under $9k). I think you will have much better luck getting close to that budget with a true antique from one of the OEC vendors mentioned on Pricescope.

Personally, I think an I colored stone will appear quite white in a halo, and won't be a ton of contrast with the halo stones. Best way to be sure is to have the diamond sent to you, inspect it under all lighting conditions, even look at it in a halo setting (bring it to a jewelry store and set it on top of an empty setting) and then decide if you want to have it set into the ring by DK. You're going to need to have the stone insured during setting anyway, so you might as well have it sent to you and inspect it for a few days, decide to keep it and then get insurance coverage from Jewelers Mutual, then send along to David Klass for setting. When the finished ring is complete, they can send it to your boyfriend so you still have an element of surprise about when/where the proposal will take place (if you want that surprise element), but you still get the ring you want.

Videos to get started:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YizGfSIisJE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwsMqUcz9S8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NY2Iq56oAY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChZDowQyfcI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-rdY2hTpcU
 

iwantsparkle

Shiny_Rock
Joined
May 25, 2016
Messages
308
AdaBeta27|1469641526|4059890 said:
I think it would be difficult to find a range of OECs in colors to compare side by side, unless you are dealing with someone like Singlestone who specializes in antique diamonds. Most of the larger OECs and OMCs, I would hazard to guess, are going to be J or K and lower, simply because for many years OECs were devalued and unappreciated. Most of the larger high color ones were recut into modern RBs because they were saleable at higher prices than if they'd been left as OECs or OMCs.

So, my suggestion is to go to some reputable jewelers and look at GIA graded J/K and higher. If the tint bothers you in a modern RB, it could bother you even more in an OEC because of the high crown and the overall depth of the diamond. Modern RBs wash tint much better than most OECs do.


Thanks, this is helpful.
 

iwantsparkle

Shiny_Rock
Joined
May 25, 2016
Messages
308
Snowdrop13|1469641620|4059891 said:
The only really sure way is to go and look at diamonds, in person and in different light situations. Similarly there is a big difference in "flavour" between a modern round and an old cut in the way they perform.

I recently had a similar dilemma regarding colour although my stone is much smaller than you are considering, and was for a pendant. I found several educational GOG (Good Old Gold) videos on YouTube which were hugely helpful. I decided "I" was my sweet spot colour and am frankly amazed at how white it looks. I'm thinking I am probably not very colour sensitive!

Thanks! I will check out YouTube. I am thinking based on everyone's posts that I would likely be happy with an I colored stone. (I am going to continue to search on it.)
 

iwantsparkle

Shiny_Rock
Joined
May 25, 2016
Messages
308
diamondseeker2006|1469647038|4059921 said:
The very best way is to have one sent to you. You need to see an I color diamond in your own lighting environments and then return it if it is not the one you want to buy. Looking in jewelry store lighting is really a waste of time. I would never limit myself to one vendor for an OEC, because supplies are limited and you need to keep all your options open. You can ask Adam, Jewels by Grace, and Love Affair Diamonds what they have in your budget and specs. I think I color is a good choice, and honestly, there aren't many available in higher colors than that. I would say I and J colors are about the most popular. They are still in the near colorless range. I color should be fine in a halo, especially.

Don't link a stone and tell him to buy "one like it"! Link the exact stone you want, post here first for feedback, and tell him it is THE one you want. All OECs are different, and someone who has no idea what they are doing can make a huge mistake. Unless he is ready to buy, there is not a big point in looking other than for learning purposes. Good stones sell fast. I am thinking of one I really like and would post it if you knew he was ready to buy. You have to see the stone, though, during the return period and before it is sent to be set.


As long as the stone I get doesn't look super yellow - I think I will be happy.
You are right - I prob need to link an exact stone. It's the safest way to go.
 

iwantsparkle

Shiny_Rock
Joined
May 25, 2016
Messages
308
rubybeth|1469710908|4060158 said:
I agree that seeing GIA/AGS graded stones in person in your normal lighting situations (home/work/outside) is the ideal way to know what colors you prefer or can tolerate, but not everyone lives near a place that has multiple graded antique stones (LA, NY).

Another suggestion is just watch a LOT of diamond videos from Old World Diamonds and Good Old Gold. They both do videos of stones for customers to compare. I'm sure Jewels by Grace or Erica at Love Affair Diamonds would also create a side by side color comparison video for you if you wanted to see two stones compared to each other in various lighting environments. And if you know you want a halo, look at videos of stones that are lower colored in halos--some people really love the contrast between the halo and the center stone, others prefer less contrast. You'll have to figure out what you like.

And I will reiterate that shopping for an OEC is much trickier than with a round brilliant--you really have to make sure you prefer the "flavor" of cut, since each stone is unique (no "perfect" numbers). So your idea of telling your boyfriend, "Something like this," won't work at all. You'll need to be very specific and find the exact stone you want, and then he can buy it. No shame in that, that's what I did with my husband many years ago when we did our ring shopping.

Your other option is to pay the premium for a branded newly-cut vintage style stone, like an August Vintage Round from Good Old Gold. These are likely way out of your budget in the size you want (1.5 carat for under $9k). I think you will have much better luck getting close to that budget with a true antique from one of the OEC vendors mentioned on Pricescope.

Personally, I think an I colored stone will appear quite white in a halo, and won't be a ton of contrast with the halo stones. Best way to be sure is to have the diamond sent to you, inspect it under all lighting conditions, even look at it in a halo setting (bring it to a jewelry store and set it on top of an empty setting) and then decide if you want to have it set into the ring by DK. You're going to need to have the stone insured during setting anyway, so you might as well have it sent to you and inspect it for a few days, decide to keep it and then get insurance coverage from Jewelers Mutual, then send along to David Klass for setting. When the finished ring is complete, they can send it to your boyfriend so you still have an element of surprise about when/where the proposal will take place (if you want that surprise element), but you still get the ring you want.

Videos to get started:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YizGfSIisJE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwsMqUcz9S8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NY2Iq56oAY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChZDowQyfcI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-rdY2hTpcU

Thanks, rubybeth! I read and re-read this a couple of times already.

I am in Denver, and I don't think I can go see much in person. (With my criteria.)

Somehow I feel like this is all so tricky to navigate - especially because I am instructing someone else on where to get the setting, what it should look like, what kind of stone, where to get it - etc etc.

But the alternative is to let him just go on his own to find something and I am not sure I will like it as much. :/

Since he doesn't mind me telling him exactly what I want - I should just KOKO. Lol.

I am glad to hear that folks here think an I colored stone is good in that it doesn't generally seem too yellow to most, etc. And that it likely wouldn't clash with my halo stones. It sounds like I could maybe find one in 1.30-1.50 carats and have it work for my vision.

I'll keep searching stones and maybe ask for opinions once I find something.
 

Brit

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jul 30, 2014
Messages
25
Just as a caution. When searching for OEC's and asking for advise here. If you find a stone that you really like and want to see in person, contact the seller and put the stone on hold FIRST, then post a link here. There are so many lurkers and with nice OEC's being hard to find it would be awful to have a stone that you have fallen in love with get sold out from underneath you because you posted a link here before you put a hold on it.

Other than that I say, as always follow the advise of the sage OEC lovers here on the board. They will help you find a absolutely fabulous stone in your budget. And just do what they tell you, trust me, you will be so happy in the end!
 

iwantsparkle

Shiny_Rock
Joined
May 25, 2016
Messages
308
Brit|1470143634|4061611 said:
Just as a caution. When searching for OEC's and asking for advise here. If you find a stone that you really like and want to see in person, contact the seller and put the stone on hold FIRST, then post a link here. There are so many lurkers and with nice OEC's being hard to find it would be awful to have a stone that you have fallen in love with get sold out from underneath you because you posted a link here before you put a hold on it.

Other than that I say, as always follow the advise of the sage OEC lovers here on the board. They will help you find a absolutely fabulous stone in your budget. And just do what they tell you, trust me, you will be so happy in the end!

ack! You are so right, Brit. I didn't even think of that - that someone else could lurk and be tempted to snag it.

I will definitely be careful. Thanks!
 
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