How far from "super ideal" is this round brilliant?

[lerna]

Hi all - total diamond newbie here, and I'm fascinated by the ideal of "super ideal" cut diamonds.

I'm hesitant to post this thread because I completely recognize that "super ideal" means something different to each person, and diamonds must be evaluating visually beyond just paper stats. I'm wondering if someone can help me to understand how my stone compares to "super ideal" stats as well as anything about how the cut affects light performance.

In particular, I notice that stone in ring produces huge flashes of white light, but produces less fire than other stones I've seen, including another GIA XXX F color half carat pendant I own. When buying this ring, my husband had a preference for brilliance when purchasing the ring, so I think this choice was intentional, especially paired with the lower "I" color grade. I also don't see a clear hearts and arrows pattern in the stone, but I'm not sure if that's to be expected--is GIA "excellent" symmetry stringent enough?

The bottom line is, if you were to "upgrade" this stone for color, is there anything you would change about the cut for a more balanced perception of brilliance and fire?

 

[gm89uk]

Your diamond has ideal stats and it is impossible to comment on cutting accuracy without videos photos (ideally unset). You will not see hearts in a set stone. You will not see 8 clear black arrows like the photos, they only appear like that if you know how to look at them specifically with certain environmental factors coming into play.

Fire depends on what lighting you are reviewing diamonds in, and the size of the stone plays a big part aside from stats. Identical stats stones, the bigger one will display larger perceptible fire.

Between superideal stones, some will have more fire, some will have more brilliance, some more brightness. There is always a compromise with proportions and most aim to have a good balance of all attributes.

 

[lovedogs]

The stats look nice, but of course that doesnt mean it's your "ideal " in terms of performance. Can you show us a picture? If you do upgrade, I might suggest going w a vendor who has an upgrade policy in case your first upgrade isn't your last (lol most of us here know that well). If the color bothers you, I would target a G color with lower clarity, since you cannot see the difference between VS and VVS with the naked eye.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

The top supa dupa ideals that some companies list and sell on Pricescope have a lot of boxes ticked.
They will have superior tolerances than GIA grades to on such features as:
Symmetry
polish
round ness
transparency
less girdle thickness variation
precise proportions (GIA rounds data way too much)

So if you want a super ideal then you really have to pay for it.
For e.g. if the stone has less fire then that can indicate all or some of the above working in concert. But it may be a great stone - we have no way to tell

 

[lerna]

These are all great points, and a helpful reminder that the only true way to evaluate an ideal photo is visually.

@lovedogs asked for a photo of the stone. Unfortunately I don't have any unset, but here is one in outdoor lighting--I'm sure this is not the most helpful. I can take a video tomorrow of the ring by itself if someone has a suggestion as to the best lighting for evaluating the stone.

If I were to be serious about an upgrade, would a trusted vendor be able to help me to understand how a different stone would perform in comparison if I weren't able to see them side-by-side in person?

 

[lovedogs]

These are all great points, and a helpful reminder that the only true way to evaluate an ideal photo is visually.

@lovedogs asked for a photo of the stone. Unfortunately I don't have any unset, but here is one in outdoor lighting--I'm sure this is not the most helpful. I can take a video tomorrow of the ring by itself if someone has a suggestion as to the best lighting for evaluating the stone.

If I were to be serious about an upgrade, would a trusted vendor be able to help me to understand how a different stone would perform in comparison if I weren't able to see them side-by-side in person?

Are you in the US, and could you get to Texas to visit WF or Idaho to visit HPD? I know HPD used to let you see one of their stones in your own house (you pay shipping only if you dont decide to keep the stone). I would consider that if you arent close enough to view "ideal" stones in person

 

[lerna]

Are you in the US, and could you get to Texas to visit WF or Idaho to visit HPD? I know HPD used to let you see one of their stones in your own house (you pay shipping only if you dont decide to keep the stone). I would consider that if you arent close enough to view "ideal" stones in person

That’s great to know! I’m in the NY area so not near either of those locations.

 

[lovedogs]

That’s great to know! I’m in the NY area so not near either of those locations.

Heres the webpage about it!

HP Diamonds

www.hpdiamonds.com

Edit. Policy is even better than I thought. You pay zero out of pocket even if you return the stone (only for 1 stone, which makes sense)