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I''M going INSANE! ! !

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Daniel B

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Sep 27, 2005
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1) I don''t know why, but this is keeping me up at night (it is now 1:20am) and it''s killing me
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.

All i want is to know (if it''s possible) the "perfect" porportions to an ideal cut diamond that will

give off the most brilliance and fire. I know about the HCA, but are there porportions out there that is the best and none other can beat it? I want a good balence of fire and brilliance. Thats all, I know, but it''s frustrating me to no end!


and 2) if i go with a 1 carat RB, would a H in color be noticeable?

Thanks you guys, i need help bad.
 

strmrdr

Super_Ideal_Rock
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brilliance and fire is a balance.
Too much brilliance and fire suffers. Flat crowned diamond.
Too much fire and brilliance suffers. FIC

Then you get into trade-offs of being better in direct or indirect light.

Where the best balance is the hardest question and is what makes different super-ideal diamonds different from one another.

Some of the best diamonds iv ever seen for my taste in round diamonds where in the 34.4 crown range and 40.8 pavilion range with 80%-81% LGF and around 52%-55% stars.
I like bright round diamonds and that combo in an h&a diamond did it for me.

I didn't like 8*s and the 8* like diamonds with 34.4-34.8 and 40.7-40.9 and 45%-50% stars and 75%-76% LGF.
While they have a ton of fire they arent bright enough for my liking when looking directly at the diamond.
They do however put on an awesome light show and some people love them.

A lot of cutters target someplace in the middle of those where they feel is the best compromise point for what they feel is the best balanced diamond.
 

strmrdr

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H is fine in an well cut RB and most other shapes for most people.
Some people are more color sensitive than others however.
 

Daniel B

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style="WIDTH: 95.78%; HEIGHT: 62px">Date: 10/1/2005 1:46:31 AM
Author: strmrdr
I didnt like 8*s and the 8* like diamonds with 34.4-34.8 and 40.7-40.9 and 45%-50% stars and 75%-76% LGF.
Thanks strmrdr
I didn''t quite understand this part of your response, and also what is LGF and stars- i dont think i''ve ever heard of that before?
But thank you for responding-- very informative--
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strmrdr

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http://www.goodoldgold.com/minor_facets.htm

LGF and star facet info.

Ill rewrite because I used short hand.

I didn't like 8*s and the 8* like diamonds with 34.4-34.8 crown angles and 40.7-40.9 pavilion angles and 45%-50% stars and 75%-76% LGF.

Generally when you see 34.x someone is talking about the crown and 40.x they are talking about the pavilion.

edit> got in a hurry and forgot spell check too, that should be better.
 

Daniel B

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Oooh, thanks!
 

strmrdr

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Date: 10/1/2005 2:08:28 AM
Author: Daniel B
Oooh, thanks!

Welcome,
Im off to bed but feel free to post any other questions, there are a few other night owls around.
Ill check back in the morning also.
 

Daniel B

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Ok, goodnight. Thats some really good stuff on that GOG link you gave me, you can really see the difference in the the 81% LGF! BTW, Does the upperGF have as much of an effect of the overall beauty like the LGF, and does that information appear on the Sarin report?
 

valeria101

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IMO, unless you get to choose among these diamonds for yourself, thre's no way to split hairs to such degree and be sure that is exactly the 'best' diamond out there for you. It is also not clear where exactly tweaking proportions hits decreasing returns - it may not be that you can see what is 'better' between H&A and close but not quite (see WF's ACA and Expert Selections) etc.

Until then, everyone will probably tell you one version of what is the best. GoodOldGold, Eight Star, HOF, ACA whatever other seller of H&A says their diamonds are 'the best' because they are H&A or because they are a select breed of H&A. It still is up to you to guess where the substantial differences end and splitting hairs begins.
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It is not worth a headache though...

Just a thought.
 

strmrdr

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Val raises an interesting point and one that there isn''t an answer to that everyone agrees with.
From the diamonds Iv seen in person the differences in personality between the 2 proportion sets I listed is huge.
To my eyes they look to a very large extent different and I strongly prefer one over the other.
There are some experts here that object to the word huge saying that huge is the difference between the run of the cutting bench diamonds and the super-ideals/ideals. I cant say they are wrong. They just look at it different than I do.

Part of the problem is that while the tools are improving, no one has came up with a sure fire way to display the differences and to find out which you prefer online.
That is one of the reason many cutters and many vendors cut/select diamonds somewhere in the middle in the hopes it will appeal to the widest possible amount of customers.

If some want to call that hair splitting and some do then thats kewl they are entitled to their opinion :}
 

belle

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Nov 19, 2004
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hey danielb, sorry to hear of your frustrations.
as far as the hca goes, diamonds scoring under 2 are considered ideal. you can''t use this tool to pick ''the best'' diamond for you however, it merely narrows your search. most people look for diamonds that score around 1 but you should keep in mind that a lower score does not mean a better diamond. if you use the ''pricescope your diamond'' feature above, make sure you click on the ''cut quality search'' button. that way all of the diamonds will show up with the hca result already calculated.
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i think ''h'' color diamonds are a great value. for me, a good h/si2 is a winning combination. best of luck to you!
 

Daniel B

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Thanks everyone i''ll continue on my searching!
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Mara

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I have to say personally that if you are already going nuts with the info out there on finding the ''perfect'' stone then don''t get TOO hung up on things like lower girdle facets etc. That kind of minutiae can drive you REALLY insane! I remember what it was like when I was learning and it''s taken me a few YEARS to really understand some of this stuff (and some of it I still don''t).

Anyway, I would say focus on finding something with good specs, within your color and clarity comfortability range, and then with a good IS or LS or FS image, a good looking close up 40x of the stone or similar, good HCA score, and a BS report if available etc. Just get as much info as you can...I have to say that even my first few purchases based on just the above turned out great. So I tend to not get TOO hung up on the small details unless I really feel the need.

Good luck and don''t worry, there is no need to go INSANE!!!! to find a great diamond. Oh and an H SI2 is my fave combo..find an eye-clean one graded by GIA or AGS and you are golden with a nice price break too.
 

Scintillating

Brilliant_Rock
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Aug 10, 2005
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Folks -
Is there anyone in his next of the woods - cleveland OH - that he could go visit and look at some H stones?
This might ease his mind a little.

Scintillating...
 

surfrgrl

Rough_Rock
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Apr 18, 2005
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Yes, Scintillating.

Daniel, you might try a visit to Alson''s Jewelers (on Cedar Road in Beachwood) or to IMG (on Mayfield Road in Lyndhurst). They are among the better jewelers in town and I''m sure would be happy to help you look at some diamonds in person. IMG, in particular, is a small but high-quality operation and I know from experience that they are very helpful and patient.

Good luck!
 

Daniel B

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Sep 27, 2005
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Thanks surfrgirl
I live in Solon, so thats just a 20 minute ride to Beachwood, i''ll check it out thanks!
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Maya Moonstone

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Apr 7, 2005
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Hi

How may stones have you seen in person? Or have you been "viewing" the diamonds exclusively on your PC monitor and with the specs next to them?

Remember - everything you learn on PS should be used as tools to choose between good and bad cuts. But in the end you have to trust the most sofisticated tool everyone has - your eyes, to know if the stone fulfill all your requirements or not.


Maya
 

Daniel B

Shiny_Rock
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Sep 27, 2005
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Hey Maya!
I''ve been to one jewlery store and looked and some stones and I learned i am NOT color sensitive (Or maybe the lights in there tricked me
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!) An H looked just like an E to me. But i know i will buy off the net, its just so much less expensive- no middle man to go through. I wish i could just get 4 or 5 stones mailed to me and compare then ship back the remaining but they dont let you do that i think.
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Scintillating

Brilliant_Rock
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You gotta step out of the jewelers lights - it's best to view in natural day light so you get an idea of color.
It's tough to see ANYTHING in most jewelers - they light them up so a piece of coal will sparkle!
I've heard of one store/jeweler that will actually turn off those pesky lights - I wish more would do this.
Some jewelers will walk out with you to examine a stone in the natural light.
Others have rooms to view pieces out from under the "lights"
Just some ideas.


Some diamond dealers will ship multiple stones (before purchasing) to an independent appraiser for viewing.
Some require a deposit on each stone. Some ask you to pay the shipping. This could be a good option for you to see before buying. - Just a note from personal experience, if you're going bother to send one stone, send another to compare it with.

Scintillating...
 
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