I1 clarity

[Perkins]

I''m not sure if you remember but I am looking to buy a ring for my girlfriend and my budget is limited to under $1000 for the diamond.

I would like your opinion on these two options:

1) Buy this diamond I found:
AGS
.64 carats, G, I1
5.59x5.63x3.42
61% depth, 55% table
34.4 crown, 40.9 pavilion
HCA score 1.4
medium blue fluorescence
$884

Buy this despite the I1 clarity. It is very well cut and the vendor said that will mask a lot of the inclusions

OR

2) Keep looking and buy a diamond that is SI2/eyeclean, but will probably be smaller size (in carats and dimensions) and maybe not as well-cut

Any suggestions??

 

[Giangi]

Looks very pretty... Also, I 1 is not that awful, but in your case, being the diamond on the smaller side, I would consider an I/SI 2, maybe a 55-59pointer... At this size the color difference won't be too obvious, and the SI 2 should be very eye-clean. If we were talking about a 1ct++, I would have advised you to get the I1(you know, the inclusions shouldn't be too big) because of the color difference (which IS noticeable), but below 1ct, I color looks great!
Let us know what you end up getting!

 

[valeria101]

HUH! The inclusions in an I1 would surely make it look hazy-for the many they are.

In that size, the high color is completely insubstatial: go I-J. I am not sure who would cary a substantial collection of these smaller stones (the PS search engine is of little help). But how about Whiteflash?

Actually, for this weight I would get a marquies given that they give a bigger 'presence' and they tipically cost less than rounds too. Of course, this does not apply for inveterate RBC lovers...

 

[valeria101]

GOT it.

I would be quite amazed if you did not find your ideal diamond on the H&A search engine of the Good Old Gold site. There are a bunch and you can set the budget limit there and easiy chech HCA scores too..

HERE

If you run a search for a set budget, a loose weight range to account for the effect of the cut depth on size (which should be signifficant), all colors down to K and clarities down to SI2, you should get quite a list.

Hope this helps!

 

[canadiangrrl]

It looks like it might be a nice stone.

I have a 1.18 AGS graded I1, that was purchased online, sight unseen.

We got exactly what we were told we'd get, and we couldn't be more pleased. And it sure as heck ain't hazy.

Can you find out more about the nature, size, and location of the inclusions? Mine are white (little feathers & twinning wisps) and I prefer them to black inclusions.

There are a lot of cruddy I1's out there, but there are also some that merit attention. I would personally rather have an eyecleanish G I1 than a J SI2...the former represents less compromise to me than the latter does...

 

[Mara]

Yes but Scoob, you trusted your vendor. Also did they tell you that the cut would mask 'most' of the inclusions or did they tell you that it was eye-clean because of the white inclusions? That to me is the difference. I am not interested in the cut hiding 'most of the inclusions'....especially if they are easily visible.

 

[canadiangrrl]

You're right Raphne, we did trust our vendor, and that makes all the difference. We also trusted our appraiser, and that made even more of a difference, because he had no vested interest in the outcome of the appraisal, and we would still have been within our return window if the stone barked.

They told us what the nature of the inclusions were, along with their location, and that the broker who held the stone said, to his estimation, that it would be eyeclean. The vendor himself (Jim at DCD) also examined the stone and gave it a heads up.

The cut in an RB can mask inclusions, though. Mine has a feather smack in the middle of the table, and you can't see it without a loupe - because the cutter wisely chose to cut the stone in such a way that the inclusion would be minimized. Plus, a well cut stone will sparkle like mad, and that helps to hide inclusions, too.

Perkins, if you like this stone, and you feel your vendor is trustworthy (and it is a feeling, more than anything else) buy it and get it independently appraised during your return window.