I can''t decide!! Help!

[John2729]

Hello Everyone,

I''m new to this site and the subject of diamonds, but I''m having a hard time deciding between two stones. The first stone is 2.06 carats, G color, VVS2 and Very Good Cut (the highest level for HRD certified diamonds). The second stone is 2.40 carats, H color, SI1, and Very Good Cut (also certified HRD). However, the 2.06 is much more expensive and a little out of my price range, while the 2.40 is in my budget. When I compared the stones side by side I could not see any difference and even found the 2.40 to be better seeing as it was bigger and more ''wow''. But I''m aware that size doesn''t make a diamond good and Im worried to buy a bad quality diamond and wanted to ask you experts! Some people told me H can appear yellow, but that was not evident to me at all while I looked at it. Thanks so much,

John

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 8/30/2008 12:38:14 PM
Author:John2729
Hello Everyone,

I''m new to this site and the subject of diamonds, but I''m having a hard time deciding between two stones. The first stone is 2.06 carats, G color, VVS2 and Very Good Cut (the highest level for HRD certified diamonds). The second stone is 2.40 carats, H color, SI1, and Very Good Cut (also certified HRD). However, the 2.06 is much more expensive and a little out of my price range, while the 2.40 is in my budget. When I compared the stones side by side I could not see any difference and even found the 2.40 to be better seeing as it was bigger and more ''wow''. But I''m aware that size doesn''t make a diamond good and Im worried to buy a bad quality diamond and wanted to ask you experts! Some people told me H can appear yellow, but that was not evident to me at all while I looked at it. Thanks so much,

John

Welcome John!

A well cut H will in no way be yellow, so I wouldn''t worry about that too much, especially as you have seen the diamond and liked it. If you could post the proportions listed for each diamond on the HRD report, or better yet ask the vendor if he can get a Sarin report on each diamond, that gives detailed measurements of the stone. However if you like the 2.40 and the price is right, it is definitely worth consideration. Ask if you can look at the diamonds in natural lighting to make sure you like how they look away from the store lights.

 

[Skippy123]

Ditto, Lorelei and I agree an H won''t be yellow at all.

 

[John2729]

 

[John2729]

So I got all the info about the 2.40 carat diamond, although it means nothing to me as I can''t understand it! Please note this is HRD certified, so it seems a lot of it is different from GIA. Anyways, here goes:

Carat: 2.40
Cut/Finish- Good
Proportions- Very Good
Clarity- SI1 (Eyeclean)
Culet- Pointed
Dimensions- 8.71 x 8.80 x 5.15
Girdle- Medium, 3.5 %
Table- 61%
Height- 12 %
Depth- 43.5%
Fluorescence- Slight

These are just a bunch of confusing numbers to me! But I thought I''d see what you guys have to say about it. Thanks so much again

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 9/2/2008 8:23:24 AM
Author: John2729
So I got all the info about the 2.40 carat diamond, although it means nothing to me as I can't understand it! Please note this is HRD certified, so it seems a lot of it is different from GIA. Anyways, here goes:

Carat: 2.40
Cut/Finish- Good
Proportions- Very Good
Clarity- SI1 (Eyeclean)
Culet- Pointed
Dimensions- 8.71 x 8.80 x 5.15
Girdle- Medium, 3.5 %
Table- 61%
Height- 12 %
Depth- 43.5%
Fluorescence- Slight

These are just a bunch of confusing numbers to me! But I thought I'd see what you guys have to say about it. Thanks so much again

HRD info doesn't give angles for crown and pavilion unfortunately, if the vendor could get a Sarin report, that would be very helpful. It looks like the depth is shallow according to my figures.....

What you could do is order a beginner Idealscope, that would help you judge the cut quality, link here -

http://www.ideal-scope.com/cart_zoom_item.asp?Id=2&ShowAdd=Y

The table is on the large side on this diamond, but the main thing is if you have looked at some diamonds and you like this one. Like I said before, check it out away from the store lights if you can to make sure it still appeals to you, check it out for any dark areas and at different angles. Do you have any others in mind?

 

[Paul-Antwerp]

The HCA-score on the 2.40 is 1.8 (bear in mind that HCA is less correct and more forgiving when entering percentages instead of angles).

It does not apply for GIA-EX or AGS-0, but it could just be within the new (as of 01/01/09) Excellent cut-grade of HRD.

All in all, it depends on what you are looking for and what you are happy with.

Live long,

 

[John2729]

Thanks for all the help and advice! So I''m not too good on diamond language, but I''m guess a 1.8 HCA score is good right? I saw online that 0-2 is supposed to be the best, but I''ll take into account that it might not be quite so accurate. Lorelei I''ll ask about the Sarin report. As for other diamonds, I did see one somewhere else I think it was a 2.26, G, SI1 that was cheaper than the one I''m looking at. I don''t remember its exact dimensions but it was around 8.50, or 8.55 or something. I haven''t had a chance to compare these two stones side by side. Would there be a noticeable difference in size between them?

 

[John2729]

Oh also, is it bad if its on the shallow side?

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 9/2/2008 9:59:56 AM
Author: John2729
Thanks for all the help and advice! So I''m not too good on diamond language, but I''m guess a 1.8 HCA score is good right? I saw online that 0-2 is supposed to be the best, but I''ll take into account that it might not be quite so accurate. Lorelei I''ll ask about the Sarin report. As for other diamonds, I did see one somewhere else I think it was a 2.26, G, SI1 that was cheaper than the one I''m looking at. I don''t remember its exact dimensions but it was around 8.50, or 8.55 or something. I haven''t had a chance to compare these two stones side by side. Would there be a noticeable difference in size between them?

There may not be much of a difference between the two, probably more noticeable with direct comparison, but get the info on the other if you can. If my maths is correct, then the diamond in question was about 58. something % depth but I can''t remember exactly. Ideally you want a balanced depth of around 60 - 62% give or take, the shallow depth may not be an issue but can''t really say without seeing the diamond or an Idealscope image preferably.

 

[John2729]

Well I called to ask for the specifications and it turns out he has another one, its a 2.48, color is F, cut is very good, clarity is SI2 (he says eyeclean but I haven''t seen it yet). No fluorescence.Its dimensions are 6.63 x 8.67 x 5.34. I didnt manage to get all the other info over the phone. Isn''t it weird that the 2.40 is bigger than the 2.48??

 

[John2729]

Sorry was meant to write 8.63 x 8.67 x 5.34

 

[bgray]

So--what did you decide?