I''m disappointed in my ACA

[orbaya]

I received my .576ct J VS2 ACA yesterday and I hate to say it but I''m kinda disappointed in it.

I expected some crazy sparkles and flashes come from the stone in most lighting conditions. However, it seems to "shimmer" more than sparkle, and it looks "dead" to me. I''ve never seen another ACA so I can''t compare. I''m wondering if it''s like this because it''s so small, or if I just got a dud? It scores a .5 on the HCA...could that be part of the problem? I cleaned the diamond and one of my more poorly cut .5ct stud earrings, and the light return was almost the same. The ACA seemed a little better, but not like I expected. Perhaps I was expecting something that just doesn''t exist with them? Like maybe my standards were unrealistic?
The only lighting that I was really impressed with it was the low lighting at a restaurant. Should the ACA''s have a darker gray look to them? I''ve read that most diamonds are darker in sunlight, but it seems like this is darker in a lot of lighting.

I guess I am just disappointed with it. It doesn''t make my heart "sing" as I''ve read here before. This is just the first stone in an upgrade process, so I''m wondering if I should just keep it for now and be more picky in my next selection. What do you think? I feel like I am being overly picky.

Here''s my diamond. Do you see anything possibly wrong with it?

https://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-1958344.htm

 

[Kaleigh]

I am sorry to hear this orbaya. Listen if it doesn''t sing to you return it. You can find one that does. I thought it was going to be a kick ass stone. Others will have more to say I''m sure.

 

[Lorelei]

What a shame

I think you have some serious thinking to do here. Possibly your expectations were a little high, it happens - but the diamond you buy should make your heart sing, maybe this isn''t the one for you. Ideal cut diamonds can look dark in some lights, but it doesn''t sound as if this one is floating your boat so to speak. Give it a day or two and see if you do fall in love with it, if not change it. You want to be able to love it otherwise there is no point. Hope this helps

 

[strmrdr]

return it and get one with a pavilion angle higher than 40.6
WF has a good return policy.
What your seeing is common with shallow/shallow combos.

also get a classic aca you will like it better than the newline.

 

[UCLABelle]

I am so sorry you are not happy with your new diamond. If you don''t like it, I would return it if you can. There is NOTHING worse than keeping a diamond you are not fully happy with!!!! It does look like a nice diamond though, sorry I can''t be of more help.

 

[strmrdr]

40.6 vs 40.95 pavilion with 34.3 crown with the rest of the data the same as your diamond as possible.
WF sarin gives different numbers but the AGS helium scan is way more accurate than the sarin scan.
The AGS numbers are the diamonds official numbers.

 

[sslkrissi]

Why does the higher pavilion angle make the diamond look less dark?

 

[Hest88]

It sounds like you''d prefer a diamond that''s less on the firey side and more on the brilliant side. I agree; return it. You should be in love with your diamond or why bother?

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 1/1/2006 12:36:03 PM
Author: sslkrissi
Why does the higher pavilion angle make the diamond look less dark?

shallow/shallow combos suffer from too much head shadow and not enough light return when they are close to you over a wide range of light conditions making them look dark/grayish.

a 35.2 crown angle would rock with a 40.6 pavilion but aca''s dont tend to come that way so a higher pavilion angle is the answer.

The more typical ~34.8/~40.8 combo ACA and from the classic line would be a better match to you in my opinion based on your observations of this one and what you expressed your looking for.

 

[orbaya]

Date: 1/1/2006 12:07:40 PM
Author: strmrdr
return it and get one with a pavilion angle higher than 40.6
WF has a good return policy.
What your seeing is common with shallow/shallow combos.

also get a classic aca you will like it better than the newline.

How do I which stone is newline and which is classic?

 

[strmrdr]

newline has the all red and black is image
classic has the white contrast marks on the IS.
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/a-cut-above-new-line-vs-classic-line-a-review-of-the-2-cutting-styles.24185/

 

[orbaya]

I wish I had the opportunity to view several ACA''s together to see the difference between them, but that is not possible. It seems like my BIL wife''s diamond has more sparkle than mine, and hers isn''t even an ideal cut. I guess it''s close though.

My 1ct diamond is rather poorly cut (this was waaaay before PS...8 years a go) and the "shimmer" is almost the same. If an ACA is going to look just like my current diamond, then I might as well save my money and just buy an eternity band or something. Does an ACA have a different look than a regular Ideal stone?

Hubby thinks I''m nuts....and so do I! I think I''m the only person ever to not be happy with an ACA.

I''ll keep it for a few days and see if it does grow on me.

 

[fire&ice]

Are you sure you are not reacting to the "warmth" of the J?

 

[AndyRosse]

Orbaya, I''m so sorry to hear that you are not entirely happy

.

If you are unhappy, I would contact with WF and tell them what you are feeling and seeing.

 

[orbaya]

Date: 1/1/2006 1:13:26 PM
Author: fire&ice
Are you sure you are not reacting to the ''warmth'' of the J?

I had thought about that. I was surprised at how white the J is, and my 1ct is a little warmer than my new ACA, so I don''t know.

Could the problem be the size of my stone? The stone is smaller, so the facets are too? When I got larger would I get more flashes, etc?

 

[jimk]

I''m not an expert, but here''s what I think: this is a MAJOR purchase. Whether or not you can afford a gigantic stone or a tiny stone is irrelevant. You should be thrilled with your diamond whatever the size or specs. If you''re not, by all means send it back and find another one! One thing I''ve learned in my few days on this board is that there are TONS of stones from which to choose. Call your rep at WF and tell them you''re unhappy. They will help you find a stone more suited to your needs. Best of luck.

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 1/1/2006 1:20:55 PM
Author: orbaya

Date: 1/1/2006 1:13:26 PM

Could the problem be the size of my stone? The stone is smaller, so the facets are too? When I got larger would I get more flashes, etc?

My .15 h&a is very sparky and so is my wifey2b's .23
While they do have smaller sparkles in smaller sizes it should still look sparky/bright.

 

[MissGotRocks]

Can you show us a picture of this ring in different lighting so that we can see what you are referring to?

 

[Lynn B]

Hmmmm, interesting thread.

Is there any way you can get to a jewelry store that carries ideal cut stones so that you can browse and compare? Maybe you just need to see with your own eyes exactly what is reasonable and achievable from a well-cut diamond?

Personally, the stone looks like a KNOCK OUT to me (BTW, it's less "shallow/shallow" than Demelza's, and her diamond is [IMO] one of the most GORGEOUS on PS!) Plus I can't imagine any ACA being a "dud". I suppose it is POSSIBLE that one flew under Brian's radar, but I think that's HIGHLY unlikely!

Sometimes I think we can have "unrealistic expectations"... I mean, to hear us PSers talk
sometimes about our diamonds, a newbie could begin to think that they "glow in the dark"!!!

But, which or whatever... you should LOVE it. I think taking a few days is a very good idea... but if it still doesn't rock your world, then definitely return it!

(And FWIW, I seriously doubt if any part of the problem is the "J" color!)

 

[jennyt]

I also would love to see some photos!

It''s hard to say without seeing the diamond in a variety of light, but (in my limited knowledge) different cuts perform differently under dif. conditions. It sounds like this may be a great diamond, just not what you were looking for. In the case of personal preference, it''s probably best to select a diamond by looking at a variety of cuts and seeing what appeals to you.

I am suprised, though, to find that your new diamond doesn''t seem to perform much better than your poorly cut diamond.

 

[Demelza]

Date: 1/1/2006 2:09:05 PM
Author: Lynn B
Hmmmm, interesting thread.


Is there any way you can get to a jewelry store that carries ideal cut stones so that you can browse and compare? Maybe you just need to see with your own eyes exactly what is reasonable and achievable from a well-cut diamond?


Personally, the stone looks like a KNOCK OUT to me (BTW, it''s less ''shallow/shallow'' than Demelza''s, and her diamond is [IMO] one of the most GORGEOUS on PS!) Plus I can''t imagine any ACA being a ''dud''. I suppose it is POSSIBLE that one flew under Brian''s radar, but I think that''s HIGHLY unlikely!


Sometimes I think we can have ''unrealistic expectations''... I mean, to hear us PSers talk

sometimes about our diamonds, a newbie could begin to think that they ''glow in the dark''!!!

But, which or whatever... you should LOVE it. I think taking a few days is a very good idea... but if it still doesn''t rock your world, then definitely return it!


(And FWIW, I seriously doubt if any part of the problem is the ''J'' color!)

Thanks, Lynn, for the compliment! My diamond is blushing

Orbaya -- sorry to hear about your disappointment. I agree with Lynn that it might be a good idea to go to a store that has ideal cut stones (hopefully there is one nearby) to compare. I do think that the way we talk about our superideals here on PS might lead one to believe that not only do they outsparkle anything and everything, but that they cook and clean as well. This is not to say that an ideal cut diamond isn''t an amazing thing to behold -- it is -- but maybe you were expecting something more??? Having said that, if it doesn''t sing to you (and not every diamond will), you should definitely get another one!!!!

Regarding the suggestion that the crown/pavilion angles might be off -- there''s been much discussion and debate surrounding the assertion that certain combos within the ideal range don''t result in beautiful diamonds. Initially, I was terrified that my diamond was somehow less than because it had a pavilion angle of 40.6. Would it look substantially different if it had a pav angle of 40.7? Doubt it. Remember Al and Mara''s Pepis taste test at WF -- they picked out the stone with a pav angle of 40.6 as the most beautiful over several others. I''ve seen a lot of ideal cut stones (used to work in a jewelry store that carried an extensive line of superideals) and mine performs just as well as those with so-called "better" combos. It is not AT ALL dark or lifeless. This is not to invalidate your observations one bit!! Perhaps your stone just isn''t a winner for whatever reason. But I wouldn''t write off a stone because of a tenth of a degree here or there. To most people, the differences are inconsequential at best. I would definitely talk to WF about your concerns and see if perhaps they could send you another stone for comparison??

 

[Lynn B]

Date: 1/1/2006 4:45:36 PM
Author: Demelza
I do think that the way we talk about our superideals here on PS might lead one to believe that not only do they outsparkle anything and everything, but that they cook and clean as well.

HAHA!!!

ROFLMHO! Hilarious, Dem!

 

[strmrdr]

yes Demelza your diamond is very nice.
Not all diamonds with 40.6 pavilions have the problem.
The description given here is almost word for word the description I used when I saw saw a diamond with my own 2 eyes that had the problem.
If you recall Mara said they saw one with the problem and one without both with 40.6 average pavilions.
What is in the average counts and sometimes the facets align just right and one that might be a problem by the numbers isnt.
What is in the average counts.
In this ones case the sarin is suspect because it isnt close to the more accurate helium scan so we have no clue whats in the averages.
So that brings us back to the description.

What I find not so funny is everyone says use your eyes and then when someone does and dont like a super-ideal from a PS vendor they are accused of looking at it wrong.

There are differences in the personalities of the various super-ideals no matter what some would like to believe they are eye visible to some people.
There are some better suited for any given persons preferences than others.

 

[Demelza]

Date: 1/1/2006 5:17:47 PM
Author: strmrdr

What I find not so funny is everyone says use your eyes and then when someone does and dont like a super-ideal from a PS vendor they are accused of looking at it wrong.

There are differences in the personalities of the various super-ideals no matter what some would like to believe they are eye visible to some people.

There are some better suited for any given persons preferences than others.

I completely agree that if the stone doesn't look good to Orbaya's eyes, then that's the bottom line. I don't think anyone is accusing Orbaya of not looking at it correctly, as if this is her fault somehow. I just think that people are trying to figure out what the problem is. Yes, there are a variety of superideals out there, not all of which will sing to every person. But it seems interesting that this stone doesn't significantly outperform other, poorly cut stones. So, I think people are just curious as to what exactly is going on here. At least I am. But, again, bottom line is, Orbaya should be thrilled with her stone and this one isn't working. I do think it would be valuable to compare it to other Superideals to help pinpoint what the problem is. Any chance of doing that?

 

[momof3crazykids]

I have been a lurker for about a year and I thought I should explain my experience with ACAs from whiteflash. My first purchase was a .512 VS2 F, classic line and it was an amazing, sparkly diamond. My husband was never a fan of diamonds (he preferred sapphires) and wanted me to have a big sapphire to replace my original engagement ring and not a new diamond. Anyhoo, we decided to do a five stone ring and the stone listed above was the first stone bought for my five stone ring. Well, we loved the diamond and decided that we would get a new, larger stone to be my new e-ring. My new diamond is an ACA, 2.62ct, SI1, and new line. I can tell a difference between the classic and the new line. I don''t think one is better than the other, just different. The new line does have broad flashes of sparkle and looks like it is lit by an internal light source. It is great in low light (which is most of the time here in the midwest

) and looks beautiful in bright light but with broad flashes of color. The classic line looked better in bright light and not as great in low light.

My opinion is that you should explain your situation to your rep at WF and exchange for another diamond that is classic line. They are very helpful and should be able to make you happy.

 

[Mara]

Orbaya, it's simple, if you don't like the stone, return it!

Get another one! Try one with less shallow of a pav angle, maybe your eye does not like it. Storm is right when he says that different diamonds have different personalities and not everyone loves the first one they choose. Numbers do mean alot, but nothing trumps your eyes, even if the numbers are stellar. Lucky for you there are other diamonds out there and just because it's an ACA does not mean it looks like the other ACA's on the site. Each diamond is different.

It could be that you are seeing alot of fire and darkness in your stone rather than the white brilliant light, again, a preference thing. Having done my upgrades actually has given me a great opportunity to see super ideal stones on my hand, in my ring etc and I have been lucky enough to love both my diamonds from WF....the next one who knows. I'm keeping my fingers crossed but you never know. Buying online can be hit or miss sometimes even if the numbers are excellent!

So I'd use the numbers to guide you, maybe look for a stone with a more typical 40.7 or 40.8 pav angle and see how you like that next one! Keep trying it til you get it right. Try classis vs new line possibly...the classic is more of a firecracker scintillating look while the new line is more broad flashes of arrow light. It's hard to explain but the difference is subtle.

Anyway, keep looking! You should love the stone that you end up with!!

 

[MissGotRocks]

Madison - do you have pictures of that 2.62 stone? We would LOVE to see them - sounds great!

 

[valeria101]

H&A is cool but it doesn't make diamonds light from within... we must be some way too enthusiastic fan club

Generally speaking, Strm is right in that some different set of proportions may serve you better. As of what, you can always drop a line at WF - it isn't common that a show has an expert diamond cutter around, but they do.

My 2c

 

[orbaya]

Date: 1/1/2006 1:56:40 PM
Author: MissGotRocks
Can you show us a picture of this ring in different lighting so that we can see what you are referring to?

I will try to take some pictures tomorrow.

 

[orbaya]

Wow! I go away for a few hours and this thread has been active! There is one store around here that sells HOF that I could go check out. How would I go about that? I''d feel silly bringing in my stone and taking up a salesperson''s time knowing that I won''t even think of purchasing anything. I suppose I could just go look and leave my stone home, but I''d like to see both in the same lighting.

I showed my new diamond to my parents and they loved it. My mom said it was sparkly...maybe I''m just nuts? I''m beginning to think that I had my expectations set way too high. I am wondering if part of it could be that I''m used to having a 1ct on, and now I''m wearing a diamond half that size?

I''ve got an email into WF, so hopefully I''ll hear something Tuesday. I''m just afraid that if I send this stone back, that I won''t like the next one either. I don''t want to keep switching stones to find the right temporary stone. If this were my engagement ring, I''d have no qualms about it.

I just think I''m being overly picky, and expected too much. I wish we could do movies...I could show you the ACA next to my other diamonds so you could agree with me, or tell me that I''m smoking something.