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I'm hopeless - please help me with this stone.

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daveuts

Rough_Rock
Joined
Mar 21, 2012
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Hi all,

I have been thrashing through pricescope for 2 months now, I think I am a diamond pro (I know I am not - I just think I am great). This is by far the best resource on the net, without a doubt.

My query is probably answered in numerous other threads, but I am really searching for personal opinion here.

I am looking to buy a ring for my lady, my budget being about $9k-ish in USD.

I have found a diamond, which I have placed on hold. It is inside my budget, inside my cut and clarity requirements, but outside my initial colour desire.

And I would really like simple information, advice, or even just personal opinion from anyone knowedgable here who would be kind enough to help. Let me explain with some stats:

Stone selected:
1.57 carat
Round
Excellent Cut
VS2
K colour
Fluorescence = Very strong
GIA certificate
Holloway cut advisor at 2.6 (using angles from GIA report)

My previous desired requirements:
At least 1.5 carat (check) :mrgreen:
H-I maximum colour (FAIL) :(
VS2 minimum clarity (check) :mrgreen:
Round (check) :mrgreen:
GIA (check) :mrgreen:
A good Holloway rating (check) :mrgreen:
Under 8.5k for loose diamond (check) :mrgreen:

I just need to get over the K colour factor. The love of my life tells me the following:
1. "I prefer round"
2. "I dont care about size or qualities - as long as its from you, I will cherish it"
3. "I like sparkle!"
4. "I like simple, or classic"

Its just the K, the K! That K!

Queries:

1. So ... K? Thats my question. Am I doing the right thing? Or will it always look like it was dipped in 'pee'?

2. I figured that the strong blue fluorescence will negate the yellowish tint! But there is so much varying opinion on this, online. There is milky cloudiness, and minimal positive effect of fluorescence, and so forth. Is the fluorescence a saving factor for me?

3. I will be putting the diamond in a 2.1mm thick pave set french eternity setting, very simple and elegant, with round diamonds all around, 6 prongs. Will these diamonds all around (G-I colour average) make the diamond look more yellow?

Essentially, all of my queries focus on the letter K! Thats my issue. Every opinion online, almost all material draws a line at J, and starts to rate K poorly. I have seen photos of it from the online seller (reputable store), and it looks great - but nothing will ever compare till it is in my hands.

I also have never shopped nor seen too many diamonds in real life (its tough for me, location wise, to be able to shop in stores where I live)

The issue? I live in Australia. Its going to be a royal nightmare sending things back and forth etc. (plus I have to pay 15% on importation, which I dont even know if I would get back) ... so essentially, I am treating this purchase as 'stuck with it', regardless if there is a money back guarantee from the seller (which there is) or not.

I am therefore sure you will all appreciate my issue. Its a lot of money for me, but I know that this is forever, with my girl. I could write an entire new thesis thread about how great she is.

Help. Please convince me to do this, or to forget it, and sacrifice some size and get the colour into a range i am comfortable with. I dont want to sacrifice size (she, nor I, nor anyone we know are diamond super guru specialists, so an IF, D coloured stone would be a waste - no one would realise or appreciate this, not she, not I, not anyone). I know size doesnt indicate love, but my silly male ego / pride / thick head wants to beam with pride when I present her with this chunk of rock!!!! I just dont want to buy junk.

All opinions, criticism, trolling, flaming, help, insults will be appreciated.

Just help me please. And I promise I will be a fantastic participating member of this site. Diamonds are brilliant, its by far the most interesting thing in my life at the moment! :D

My sincerest gratitude and thanks in advance,

Dave (Aus)
 
Hello and welcome!

My first question is whether or not you've seen a K colored stone? Everyone has different color thresholds - they can all tell you what theirs is but they really can't tell you what yours or your lady's is - know what I mean? At this point, you'd have to rely on your vendor to tell you about the stone and about the effect that the fluro has on it. In looking at what she has said, it doesn't appear that she has her heart set on any particular size diamond. She wants it to sparkle and that would of course be achieved through great cut.

In doing a quick search, I came up with this stone that is in your budget range http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1458715.asp?b=16&a=12&c=77&cid=131.. It is smaller and an SI1 grade and you would need to confirm whether or not it was eye clean with the vendor. It is an I color though and a very well cut stone.

As a personal opinion, I would rather have a smaller stone (although a 1.30 stone is nothing to reject!) in a higher color than K. If possible, call some of these PS vendors and discuss the K color stone and ask what they might be able to source for you. I understand that you want to feel very comfortable with what you select to avoid shipping and possible reshipping.

Good luck and let us know if you have any other stones to consider!
 
Personally in a modern round brillant I would go for J color or better in an ideal cut.

IDJ has been known to do wonders with a budget- could you reach out to them with your budget and likes and see what they can come up with? A poster Allieluv got an L colored stone with strong Flouro that she lives from
Them.
 
Hello Dave,

I've been shopping for the last few months as well. I'm by no means an expert on this by here is my opinion.

I would be very careful about a strong fluorescent stone without seeing it - I thought I had picked the perfect stone -it had strong blue fluorescence which my geologist girlfriend would love - and it was guaranteed by the dealer to have no negative light effects from the fluorescence. That was all well and good until I actually went to see the stone in person and I'm very glad I did. The stone was milky. It didn't seem to have the same sparkle as other non-fluorescent stones. This is just one example but if you do a few searches online you will see some people that claim that nearly all strong fluorescent stones are affected.

Also, if you're concerned with the color I would recommend giving up one grade on the clarity. It's very possible to get an "eye-clean" SI1 (and sometimes an SI2 where the inclusion can be covered by a prong) and many online dealers (James Allen for example) will review the stone for free and let you know their opinion on the visibility of the inclusion.

Good luck in your search - I'm sure the right stone is out there!
 
I don't think I'd go for a K in a modern stone. I had one in to look a month or so ago and couldn't get used to the color, though it was very sparkly and well cut. I think the I posted looks really nice, though.

Are you looking for the 1.5 because in your mind it has to be 1.5ct, or are you looking for actual physical size? You might check the physical dimensions of the stone you have on hold versus some slightly smaller ones since every one is cut a little differently and see what you come up with, especially if your gf has already stated that she prefer sparkle over size.

Just a thought, but the 2.6 on the HCA might also suggest you need to do a little more looking at it in terms of light performance perhaps to see if it will do as well as you think.
 
Hello
This may help a little with your budget
If you buy from the USA and ship into Australia there is a free trade agreement (AUSFTA) so you only pay the 10% GST and not the customs duty on top of that.you just need to ask your US vendor to do the paperwork for customs.
Cheers
 
If you had not seen the stone yet, you should at least look at it. Everyone has different color tolerances, but that's definitely too yellow for me. I personally would sacrafice a few points in carats in order to get to at least an I color.
 
MissGotRocks|1332373306|3153833 said:
In doing a quick search, I came up with this stone that is in your budget range http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1458715.asp?b=16&a=12&c=77&cid=131... It is smaller and an SI1 grade and you would need to confirm whether or not it was eye clean with the vendor. It is an I color though and a very well cut stone.

As a personal opinion, I would rather have a smaller stone (although a 1.30 stone is nothing to reject!) in a higher color than K. If possible, call some of these PS vendors and discuss the K color stone and ask what they might be able to source for you. I understand that you want to feel very comfortable with what you select to avoid shipping and possible reshipping.

Good luck and let us know if you have any other stones to consider!


Great choice. I would pick a 1.3 of I over a 1.5 of K as well.
 
Well I haven't even posted pics of my new Vatche yet because I am having the height raised so it is not back in my hands yet, but I have a 1.5 K, GIA EX/EX/EX SI2. I have to say, it looks white as can be to me. Especially in the sun, and I don't even have flourescence. I am sure if I compared it to a higher color I'd see a difference, but that isn't going to be an issue for me. For me, I wanted the size, and I feel lucky to have the size and also a color that no one in real life is going to think looks any more colored than another diamond. Here is one picture head on- and the light in Yekutiel's studio is yellow, so face up, this is as tinted as it is going to get.

IMG_7844.jpg
 
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