How do I know if it''s a good deal?

[ashleyvictoria]

I am planning to buy an engagement ring in the near future. Our budget for the stone is $3-4k (my soon-to-be-fiance and I are looking for rings together). I am very much a newbie to this whole diamond thing....Where can I get the most bang for my buck? I am open to buying online or B&M store, but am especially concerned about warranties and getting a good quality stone. I know very little about the finer details of diamonds. We are looking for a minimum of 0.75 karats (of course, the bigger, the better!). I know that I want a very white stone, either D or E. And I want something that has a lot of sparkle, which I assume comes from a good cut and good clarity? It doesn''t have to be the absolute best quality stone, but quality is more important to me than size. If I buy a loose diamond, is Blue Nile an okay place to look? Or are there better online retailers (or B&M) that I could get a better deal for a loose diamond? What are the most important things to look for and how do I know whether I am getting a good deal? I have read some through quite a few other postings over the last few months, but the more I read, the more confused I get! I guess understanding diamonds just doesn''t come naturally to me!

Any help would very much be appreciated!

 

[Dancing Fire]

to give you an idea...this is a well cut .75ct E SI1 H&A for $3465.

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/5050/

 

[ashleyvictoria]

Thanks Dancing Fire.

If a diamond has a GIA or AGS certification, and it is excellent cut and at least SI1 clarity...am I ok to assume it will be a good diamond that will be clear and sparkly? Or do I still need to look at all the other dimensions (the ones that I don''t understand!....like depth, angles, etc...)? And what is meant by fluorescence?

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 8/9/2009 4:49:30 PM
Author: ashleyvictoria
Thanks Dancing Fire.

If a diamond has a GIA or AGS certification, and it is excellent cut and at least SI1 clarity...am I ok to assume it will be a good diamond that will be clear and sparkly? Or do I still need to look at all the other dimensions (the ones that I don't understand!....like depth, angles, etc...)? And what is meant by fluorescence?

No....you can't always go by cut grades to rely on getting a good cut. If you find a diamond you like, post the following which will be on the report. Cut quality is crucial towards getting a beautiful diamond so very important to concentrate on that. Clarity and colour, this is a personal preference but make sure the diamond you buy is well cut and eyeclean ( some SI clarity grades can be eyeclean) and you will have a pretty stone.

lab report and cut grade if applicable
depth%
table%
crown and pavilion angles
girdle thickness
polish and symmetry grades
diameter in MM
star and lower girdle facet percentages

Some diamonds will be fluorescent and show a faint to discernible bluish glow in some lighting, this page elaborates.

http://diamonds.pricescope.com/fluor.asp

Normally the only time to be concerned is with strong or very strong blue, rarely these diamonds can look cloudy in some lighting but this is rare. Medium or faint fluorescence should not be an issue and you may or may not notice any effect from these grades anyway. Some consider blue fluorescence a bonus in the near colourless grades as it is thought this can help a diamond face up a bit whiter.

Blue Nile are a good vendor, the trouble is they are what are called a drop shipper and don't have all their diamonds in house, nor do they supply images such as Idealscope and ASET that discerning buyers want. Read more on these below.

http://www.highperformancediamonds.com/index.php?page=education-performance

Popular vendors are listed below who do supply lots of info on their diamonds and have them in house

www.highperformancediamonds.com

www.briangavindiamonds.com

www.goodoldgold.com

www.niceice.com

www.whiteflash.com

www.jamesallen.com