shape
carat
color
clarity

How much life or death in this ring?

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Shiny_Rock
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Now obviously things could be better, but trying to gauge whether things look 'good enough' on this scope image and/or solicit any other insights from the knowledgeable persons here :)


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lovedogs

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Not my favorite look overall. But the leakage isnt bad. What are the specs?
 

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Shiny_Rock
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Not my favorite look overall. But the leakage isnt bad. What are the specs?

It's a 2.01 H VVS2

62 table
33 crown
41.2 pav
60.2 depth

Not the most ideal angles to be sure, but given what seems to be decent performance, I'm inclined towards the stone given what otherwise seems like an attractive price
 

flyingpig

Ideal_Rock
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What is the price?
 

musicloveranthony

Brilliant_Rock
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Looks fine. Table is larger than I prefer with that depth and there’s a bit of a ring of leakage but it looks like it handles light well.
 

jp201845

Brilliant_Rock
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It's a pancake top, the profile view will not be attractive to most people.
 

Avatar345

Shiny_Rock
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It's a pancake top, the profile view will not be attractive to most people.

Do you think the scintillation and/or brightness would be decent enough though?

I can appreciate the sentiment concerning the pancake top; this forum is frequented by experts, enthusiasts, and industry professionals. Fortunately for me this diamond will be seeing service in an environment where I'm far and away the biggest diamond aficionado around, and that as not even the individual that will be wearing it! :)
 

jp201845

Brilliant_Rock
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Do you think the scintillation and/or brightness would be decent enough though?

I can appreciate the sentiment concerning the pancake top; this forum is frequented by experts, enthusiasts, and industry professionals. Fortunately for me this diamond will be seeing service in an environment where I'm far and away the biggest diamond aficionado around, and that as not even the individual that will be wearing it! :)

I will not comment on performance others with alot more experience can give you a more detailed analysis. I'm just commenting on the aesthetic look from the side profile which will have a " flat top " look.
 

LoveMeDo

Shiny_Rock
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Have you considered going down slightly in clarity to an eye clean VS in order to free up some money for a better cut? Light return aside, you may be sacrificing some of the fire and sparkle that draws the eye if you go with a flatter stone.
 

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Shiny_Rock
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Have you considered going down slightly in clarity to an eye clean VS in order to free up some money for a better cut? Light return aside, you may be sacrificing some of the fire and sparkle that draws the eye if you go with a flatter stone.

The "problem" is that the pricing on this one is so good, and the current inventory of candidate diamonds so thin, that dropping down in clarity hasn't really led me anywhere better. Now... dropping down to an I vs the H, that has yielded better proportions, but I just don't know if it's worth the trade-off since there's a bit of color sensitivity at play. That said I'm waiting on the scope results of a certain well-proportioned I stone that *should* perform really well. And this is a light, light 'I'... really an H- to my eye. With this one though it has an out-of-the-way knot inclusion and an out-of-the-way feather inclusion that although things are completely eye-clean at SI1, I do worry about mind-clean, durability, liquidity, etc. Granted the price on that one is *much* better, in addition to being better proportioned, and they're both great value stones. But will she prefer an H and a VVS2 on that certificate over an I SI1 w/what's likely to be nominally better optical performance? I think the odds are good that she will. But... I'm struggling with it all the same

Plus as a total sideshow consideration (this is how my mind works) if insurance ever needed to kick in for whatever reason, getting a replacement H VVS2 3-EX I know will at least yield a stone that can be lived with and/or reflect an appreciable cash sum. A replacement I SI1 is such a pickers games that the results could be anything (and likely unsatisfactory). Then again, I don't know how realistically I should be worried about insurance ever being needed. (I hope not!!!)
 

Snowdrop13

Ideal_Rock
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I had a quick look using the diamond search tool above, there were 2 H VS2’s with better numbers in the same size/price ballpark at USA Certed. I’ll go and look for I’s......
 

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Shiny_Rock
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I had a quick look using the diamond search tool above, there were 2 H VS2’s with better numbers in the same size/price ballpark at USA Certed. I’ll go and look for I’s......

I think I found the two you were referring to; is USA Certed a company many here have worked with before? I'm sort of figuring in a "risk premium" given the lack of storefront, etc.
 

flyingpig

Ideal_Rock
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I think it is a reasonable choice at that price, though, I rather spend 2k more for a well cut H VS2 with no fluo.
 

Avatar345

Shiny_Rock
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The "I" diamond scope I was waiting for came in (attached) - as I expected the light return looks a little better on this diamond. The specs are:

57 table
33.5 crown
41.0 pav
61.6 depth

That being said... I don't think it's cut as symmetrically as the H, it has a knot inclusion and a feather, and it's an I SI1 vs the H VVS2. There's more to life than just cut of course! But that being said any opinions I'm happy to hear them as these are the two I'm probably choosing between at the moment


11132004.jpg
 

Avatar345

Shiny_Rock
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I think it is a reasonable choice at that price, though, I rather spend 2k more for a well cut H VS2 with no fluo.

Yeah... if it were from WF or BGD for $2K more and still 2ct I would do it for that bit higher for sure... it's just that it's already pushed (way) above where I was originally thinking (which was a 2ct lab). Then I started learning about diamonds and went down an expensive rabbit hole lol...
 

Dancing Fire

Super_Ideal_Rock
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That being said... I don't think it's cut as symmetrically as the H, it has a knot inclusion and a feather, and it's an I SI1 vs the H VVS2. There's more to life than just cut of course! But that being said any opinions I'm happy to hear them as these are the two I'm probably choosing between at the moment


11132004.jpg
No there isn't! ...:silenced::tongue:
 

lulu_ma

Ideal_Rock
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What about a stone like this one?


I have 2 stones that are 2+ carats in VS2 and VS1 I can only find inclusions with a x30 loupe if I look really hard. I think you will love this clarity and you know the light performance will be outstanding. Plus, everyone raves about the upgrade policy.

Here's another I ideal which is not an ACA

 
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Avatar345

Shiny_Rock
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What about a stone like this one?


I have 2 stones that are 2+ carats in VS2 and VS1 I can only find inclusions with a x30 loupe if I look really hard. I think you will love this clarity and you know the light performance will be outstanding. Plus, everyone raves about the upgrade policy.

I've been watching that exact stone as a possible option actually... the problem, such as it were, is that for the purchase into the super ideal cut and the awesome upgrade program vs the "I" stone highlighted here, it's $4,000 more, and then to take advantage of the upgrade program (which I'm a big fan of how it's structured for sure), it'd be like... to get to a VS H sized over 2ct (never mind a VVS) would be an additional $6K one day. When I could simply lock that in now at an even higher clarity for a sacrifice in cut/performance.

Cut is king and that's all good but at the same time I don't see a lot of M colored SI2 super ideal cut rings featured around here ;-)

So there's that balance still... on top of it my GF is fairly color sensitive (as am I) and I've noticed that the AGS color grades are a bit more generous than GIA's (where AGS is of course stricter on cut). So that I stone will have a bit of yellow likely where the GIA I I've chosen really has very little, and likewise the GIA H.

These are my struggles.... but absolutely I've been searching Whiteflash and Brian Gavin every day just sort of tossing the ideas around. Honestly my own personal ideal diamond would be a sub-2ct BGD Blue I VS2. But, first that diamond doesn't presently exist. Second, ultimately this diamond isn't for me :razz:
 
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lulu_ma

Ideal_Rock
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Wait I thought the other stone you were looking at is $17,900? You can always have WF take a side by side of the AGS I next to an GIA H ACA for peace of mind. The AGS I may even be a high I.

A visual comparison definitely helps. For example, PS'er just got a gorgeous 3+ carat J that faces up even whiter than some ACA I's.
 

Avatar345

Shiny_Rock
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Wait I thought the other stone you were looking at is $17,900? You can always have WF take a side by side of the AGS I next to an GIA H ACA for peace of mind. The AGS I may even be a high I.

A visual comparison definitely helps. For example, PS'er just got a gorgeous 3+ carat J that faces up even whiter than some ACA I's.

My point on the ACA though was, if I get the I at $17,700, then what am I ever upgrading it to? Well... likely an H VS above 2ct would be the ultimate midpoint destination... and that'd roughly be an additional $6K or so to stay ACA.

But for that same $17,700 now I can skip directly to that end destination at the sacrifice of the super ideal cut. I actually had them do a video of the I (though the lower carat one) against the GIA H premium select there for the similar ~$17K. The difference in yellow was noticeable; not huge, but noticeable. That larger I stone might be a higher color I - I wish I'd chosen that one instead for the comp video but it is what it is
 

Avatar345

Shiny_Rock
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No there isn't! ...:silenced::tongue:

Wait a minute doesn't your tag line talk about mind clean diamonds??
So there must be *something* else other than just cut... this VVS2 is very mind clean! :D
And the I stone I'm considering instead here... isn't... that's honestly my main mental hold up on it!!! The idea of a knot and/or feather causing future damage/distress
 
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Dancing Fire

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Wait a minute doesn't your tag line talk about mind clean diamonds??
"mind clean" means you are looking at a 100% eye clean SI1 stone but your mind say not clean enough. The stone is "eye clean" but not "mind clean".
 

Dancing Fire

Super_Ideal_Rock
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LoveMeDo

Shiny_Rock
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Exactly. The VVS2 is mind clean

Seems like you’ve made your decision to me! You seem to be leaning strongly toward the original stone, so I’d go with your gut at this point. If both you and the recipient like what you see, that’s all that matters. Share pics once you get the final ring!
 

Dancing Fire

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Here ya go!...H VVS1

 

Avatar345

Shiny_Rock
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If that's what it takes then go for it, but I wouldn't sacrifice the cut.

I'm honestly tortured by it... and then beyond that it's me projecting my preferences onto the diamond. The irony is that I'm the one most concerned by cut as well.

Would you consider the cut on the I to be an appreciable step up from the H?
(The JA I not the ACA I)

I think of the super ideals as kind of like a Ferrari... I want a Ferrari for sure, but given that it's likely not in the cards for this scenario, it's like... what're people's thoughts on this Corvette here lol :)
 
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Avatar345

Shiny_Rock
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Here ya go!...H VVS1


Haha but no that's my point exactly!!
I can have functionally that stone for almost half the price if I sacrifice super ideal for... decent 3-Ex
Yes, that would be my dream stone though (though a 1.95ct I BGD VS2 Blue would be the realistic hope in and around the price range I'm operating in at the moment)
 

Avatar345

Shiny_Rock
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Seems like you’ve made your decision to me! You seem to be leaning strongly toward the original stone, so I’d go with your gut at this point. If both you and the recipient like what you see, that’s all that matters. Share pics once you get the final ring!

I appreciate the sentiment :)

It's because I'm probably 12 hours from final decision that I'm so anxious about it right now
It's the sense that the I stone is the better value in an absolute sense (like has been said, it's totally eye clean SI1 notwithstanding) vs the sense that the H has the better 'specs' on paper and "relative" value

I may be 55/45 towards the H, but... I'm still all over the place in terms of:

a) what I value/prioritize
b) what she values/prioritizes
c) what ye merry diamond experts value/prioritize that I should consider to not regret today's decisions five years from now!
 
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