I REALLY need someone''s advice on this stone

[ftrain]

GIA certified
Round, ideal cut
Carat Weight: 1.02
Color: H
Clarity: SI1 (with a clean table)
Depth: 60.8%
Table: 57%
Measurements: 6.55x6.60x4.00
Polish: excellent
Symmetry: very good
Girdle: Thin-Medium, faceted
No culet
No fluorescence
Price: $4300

Does this sound like a good deal to anyone? Is that enough info to at least have an idea if it''s good? It''s roughly the specs I''ve basically determined I am looking for. And it''s in my price range. But I don''t really know much about diamonds--first time buyer, trying to pick an engagement ring. I could use any advice you could offer. Thanks in advance.

 

[squirerad]

Your post is missing some vital information that will help to determine the CUT, including the crown and pavilion angles. Looks like that you're probably in the beginning stages of looking for an ering. If so and if I were you, I would spend a couple extra months reading about cut and looking at the offers on the internet as well as in brick and mortar stores.

As for whether your stone is a good purchase, punch in the same numbers you have on the pricescope main page and get an idea of the range for a 1 carat H SI1. From my own personal experience, don't buy the first stone that you like...there are bound to be better ones out there.


squire

 

[ftrain]

I guess I'm frustrated because I haven't just started looking. I keep looking, and keep looking and keep looking, and they just keep all looking the same. I feel like my eyes are blurring over. I've read a lot of threads on this board for a while, trying to figure out which ones of the online places are reputable. If I'm looking with a reputable dealer, one of the places you guys frequently rave about, am I still not safe to assume that if they say it's "ideal" then it's ideal?

No, you're right, I don't have the crown and pavilion angles. But when I've spoken about the diamonds with several of these guys, they never bring those up. If they're so important to the quality of the stone (and I'm not questioning that they are--I believe you) why don't they tell me what they are without me asking? If I ask, will they be able to tell me? And then once I have them, what do I do with them?

Thanks for the reply. I look forward to more.

 

[valeria101]

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On 6/12/2004 9:16:45 AM ftrain wrote:



If they're so important to the quality of the stone (and I'm not questioning that they are--I believe you) why don't they tell me what they are without me asking?

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The way to communicate cut quality is not exactly established either - since jeweler do not explain how other pieces of their inventory are made, why woudl they explain how diamonds are cut? You do not often find a professional cutter in a jewelry shop

If you try to go through pieces of literature such as the "cut" tutorial here (other examples reside at OctoNus, GoodOldGold or PreciousMetals, for example) you may find the matter to be quite arcane.

Besides, the prevailing certification lab (GIA, that is) is only know developing it's cut grades, why would every jeweler bother to stay ahead of the trend? Besides, is cheaper to label diamonds "ideal" based on two numbers rather than a backoffice packed with technology. Wether it makes sense is yet another story...


hope this little note makes sense

 

[ftrain]

It does make sense. Thanks for the post. But to answer your question, while I know that jewelers don't explain how other pieces of their inventory are made, I haven't found forums full of people (like this one) debating how those pieces were made, whereas cut quality of diamonds is very clearly a point of considerable concern for many people buying diamonds, and clearly should be a concern for everyone buying them.

Your post helps, but it doesn't get me any closer to understanding what all that data will mean even if I get it. For example, I found the Holloway Cut Advisor, and I know how to punch numbers into it. But I've found innumerable threads on this forum and over at DiamondTalk debating what HCA numbers actually mean.

I guess that's why, at the end of the day, I wonder why I wouldn't just pick a jeweler that people seem to trust and take their word for something being "ideal" cut. They seem to know as well as anyone. I mean, maybe posting a question about it wasn't really helpful, because no matter what data I post, everyone will have a different interpretation. I don't know. All I do know, is that I want to propose to my girlfriend, I have set up the perfect scenario in which to propose. I've been planning it for months. And I've been shopping for diamonds off and on since December, and my perfect scenario is now exactly three weeks away and I still don't have a diamond ring.

And please don't misunderstand. I'm not bothered by your post--I appreciate your honesty and candor and I do understand what you're saying. But I'm just generally now getting frustrated because, honestly, as unromantic as this may be to say, I'm sick of shopping for this thing. If you lined up 700 diamonds that were round, H or I in color, and VS2 or SI1 in clarity, I absolutely I assure you I wouldn't be able to tell them apart. Not a chance. They would all look the same.

(sigh) Sorry for the rant. I'm just tired and worn out. This isn't fun anymore.

 

[chialea]

Well, if you don't want to think about it anymore, you could always go with a placeholder ring, and go shopping with your intended. Or you could get one of those "send it to me in 24 hours" Blue Nile rings... they have some nicely cut diamonds (you just might not be able to be picky about getting the very best cut). Or, you might just use the "search by cut quality" thing on PriceScope (if you're looking for rounds), find something with an excellent cut in your price range, and have them set it in some simple setting they have on hand, and ship it to you quickly. I, myself, feel more comfortable going with a vendor who already has the diamond in-hand, so they have looked at it and determined it's beautiful for me. It takes a lot of the worry out of the decision.

Basically, I'm just saying that there are quick ways of getting something really good. Most people on here are looking for "really insanely perfect" and are willing to spend hours and hours and months to do so. If you don't want to do that, there are certainly other ways, and some of these ways are a lot more reliable than going to a random mall store and pointing.

 

[kkeen15]

I definitely empathize. That final decision is a tough one!

One possibile way to make the selection easier...post your specs and price range here in a new thread. People will give you links to the diamonds they would choose within your selected ranges. You could pick a diamond that an "Ideal Rock" selects for you, and you could trust that it would be a great stone.

Also, I understand how you could be confused w/ the HCA and what it means. Some newer people who post here sometimes don't know that it only eliminates MOST known poor performers, but there are about 5% who pass through this first cut. Also, it doesn't take into account symmetry b/c it assumes ideal symmetry.

I'd say your safest bet is an H&A stone through a Pricescope vendor. These vendors can email you pictures and information that will help you know whether it is a beautiful diamond without ever seeing it.

Good luck! Hope your diamond-buying mood takes a turn for the better

 

[pqcollectibles]

If you are chatting with a Vendor about a "List" diamond, they probably don't volunteer the Sarin info because they don't have it readily available. The Vendors I chatted with about "List" stones would contact their wholesalers for Sarin info after I asked for it. Sometimes, the Vendor got back to me the same day. Other times, it took the Vendor a day or 2 to get the info that I requested.

If you are discussing a diamond that a Vendor physically has in their inventory, and they don't volunteer the Sarin info,......... Ask for it. Don't be shy.

Re the HCA,......... It is not the end all, be all of diamond grading. It's a tool for you to use in the screening process. The HCA helps you weed out poor performers so you can focus your attention on the better performing candidates. The HCA will also give you an idea of what to expect in the way of performance from a diamond. Is the diamond more brilliant or firey. Nothing will replace your eye. What you see that appeals to you.