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I''m lost. 2 carat, color J, SI1/VS2, Excellent cut GIA

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ringzster

Rough_Rock
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Mar 12, 2010
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Hi,

Admittedly I''m lost. There is so much information about buying a diamond that I''m overwhelmed. The most recent thing that overwhelmed me... I read a thread on here on the angle degrees of the crown and the pavilion. Basically, someone found a good looking ring but the angles were too steep. This prompted me to make my first post.

I''m lost...

I have $15,000 total for diamond and the platinum ring. I want an engagement ring for my girlfriend. I was looking at stones around 2 carat, color J, SI1/VS2, Excellent cut GIA. I can see that this is pushing the limits for my budget. I went to J color because we saw a J color 2 carat and it looked fine to us. After a lot of reading, I''m a little hesitant to go to SI1 and probably want to go with VS2.

So now I''m thinking of getting a 1.7-2.0 carat around H/I color, VS2, Excellent cut.

I''m basically trying to get the biggest looking diamond with the best cut to get the best sparkle, looks,etc.

My girlfriend wanted 2 carats but is willing to go lower.

So after I started looking on line for my stats, then I red a thread on crown and pavilion angles. I am way too new to all this to get everything perfect.

I''m at the point where I just want someone to pick it out for me and be done with this. It''s getting stressful now.

I have three appointments tomorrow with Jewelers in the Bay Area and they''re going to show me 2 carat J, SI1/SI2, Excellent/Very good cut diamonds for around $11k-$13k. I''m obviously a novice and I''ll probably like what I see. My main concern is that I don''t want to pay too much or buy a diamond that is no good.

I think I got the 4Cs down, I didn''t know I needed to know angles for crown and pavilion. What else do I need to know?

I have a feeling, for $15K if I want something nice, I''m going to have to drop down to 1.5-1.7 carats or is it realistic to get a 2 carat J, SI1/SI2 Excellent cut?

I''ve seen a few SI1 and SI2 diamonds. One of them was very easy to see the black line (I guess it was a feather) on the side of the ring. Why wasn''t that ring rated an I1/I2?

Thanks for reading this. I''m basically trying to get the best bang for my buck and would appreciate advice.
 
Hi there!
I''m not the expert here (infact i''m a learner too!)
It may help if you know what type of cut you are looking for? Princess, Cushion etc..There are different experts here - some people can tell you everything about a cushion cut and others will have so much great info about Rounds! I''m currently on the hunt for a chunky cushion so i have learned so much for the lovely peeps here helping.
Good luck!
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oops sorry. We''re looking for a Round diamond
 
you can totally do that. honestly, I would buy from Brian Gavin online. Their customer service, upgrade, and return policies are great, diamonds are amazing, and you won't pay sales tax:-)

here are a few options close to what you want. I'm not sure what setting you are looking for....These are my fave solitare settings:

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/home/ring-details/?product_id=5414 (grace 4 prong)

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/home/ring-details/?product_id=5336 (tiffany-style 6 prong)


I

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamond/diamond-detail/?product_id=AGS-1040397620034 (I'd get this or...)

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamond/diamond-details/?product_id=23375754 (a little over budget)

J
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamond/diamond-details/?product_id=17140553 (I'd get this--this is my fave if you like size:-))

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamond/diamond-details/?product_id=12899849

K (these are also options if you choose a more elaborate/expensive setting...)

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamond/diamond-details/?product_id=24716428

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamond/diamond-details/?product_id=24716478
 
Thanks Bella! I will check these out...

We''re looking in general at Pave style settings or similar. I will post some links later. Have to run to an appointment.

Thanks for the quick responses!
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I have an H/SI2 and it''s eye clean. You can''t see anything at all. I also have a strong blue fluor. stone. This combo allowed me to go bigger and better quality on my tight budget. I wantd 2 ct too but look at the 1.8''s, 1.9''s..they are less $$ than when you hit the 2 mark and I really couldn''t tell the diff. from afar

GL with your search!
 
BGD has several pave settings or they can custom make something for you. Alternately, you can buy the stone from them and have Leon or maytal hannah make your pave setting
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I have to say though, BGD does amazing custom work and their prices are very fair.
 
I agree, it''s quite overwhelming at times, with all the things to consider. One thing that really convinced me that cut was so important was a comparison that I saw in this video at 5:00:

http://www.vimeo.com/917255

It''s amazing how much more noticeable a good cut is there compared to the color difference.
 
Date: 3/12/2010 5:41:29 PM
Author: CushionNovice
Hi there!
I'm not the expert here (infact i'm a learner too!)
It may help if you know what type of cut you are looking for? Princess, Cushion etc..There are different experts here - some people can tell you everything about a cushion cut and others will have so much great info about Rounds! I'm currently on the hunt for a chunky cushion so i have learned so much for the lovely peeps here helping.
Good luck!
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Click to expand...
Hi CushionNovice

Just a quick clarification here, although we do have experts here, the majority of posters, myself included, aren't experts but consumers with a huge interest in diamonds. I just wanted to mention this so that posters requesting advice understand where any advice given is coming from. You can identify experts or those in the trade from their signatures or business logo.
 
Hi Ringster

Here is a chart you can use as a guide to help you find a well cut round diamond. Bear in mind it is a guide only and other proportion configurations outside of these ranges can work well if you have supporting images. If you work with one of the vendors that offer top cut diamonds with images, then charts and the HCA won''t be needed.

depth - 60 - 62% - although my personal preference is to allow up to 62.4%
table - 54- 57%
crown angle - 34- 35 degrees
pavilion angle - 40.6- 41 degrees
girdle - avoid extremes, look for thin to slightly thick, thin to medium etc
polish and symmetry - very good and above

note - with crown and pavilion angles at the shallower ends ( CA 34- PA 40.6) and steeper ( CA 35- PA 41) check to make sure these angles complement in that particular diamond - eyeballs, Idealscope, trusted vendor input - check as appropriate!


As the above implies, configurations depend on each other. A little give here can still work with a little take there.

From expert John Pollard.

With that said, here''s a "Cliff''s Notes" for staying near Tolkowsky/ideal angles with GIA reports (their numbers are rounded): A crown angle of 34.0, 34.5 or 35.0 is usually safe with a 40.8 pavilion angle. If pavilion angle = 40.6 lean toward a 34.5-35.0 crown. If pavilion angle = 41 lean toward a 34.0-34.5 crown.



GIA "EX" in cut is great at its heart, but it ranges a bit wider than some people prefer, particularly in deep combinations (pavilion > 41 with crown > 35).


 
Wow. Thanks again for all the great replies.

Lorelei--Thanks for posting the detailed info. Much appreciated. We''re going to check some diamonds out today. We''ll be looking at 1.5 to 2 carat diamonds.

I''m taking my cliff notes with me ;)
 
forgot to say. Those Brian Gavin diamonds look nice and the price looks better than most places I''ve seen.
 
Date: 3/13/2010 10:54:24 AM
Author: ringzster
Wow. Thanks again for all the great replies.

Lorelei--Thanks for posting the detailed info. Much appreciated. We''re going to check some diamonds out today. We''ll be looking at 1.5 to 2 carat diamonds.

I''m taking my cliff notes with me ;)
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Glad to help and have fun!!
 
Date: 3/13/2010 10:56:36 AM
Author: ringzster
forgot to say. Those Brian Gavin diamonds look nice and the price looks better than most places I''ve seen.
Click to expand...
They are very nice diamonds, and their settings have excellent quality too. (I have a BGD diamond).
 
Which stores did you go to? I''m from the Bay Area and was checking out 2 carat JSIs in stores to see if I would be comfortable with the color and clarity. I really can''t tell still since the store lights seem to give everything a warm tone.
 
Another vote to Brian Gavin.......their diamonds are STUNNERS and have top performance in EVERY lighting situation. You just cannot go wrong with a BGD Signature stone.

We purchased a 2.45 from BGD and I am anxiously awaiting it's arrival, hopefully this Tues
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I did have BGD send my appraiser 2 stones to choose from and they sent them to her for my approval PRIOR to me paying for them. I got to play around with both of them for about an hour before making my decision.

Since you are in the Bay Area like me, I suggest you call up Nancy Stacy to use as your independent appraiser. BGD works with her a lot so you can have a couple of stones called in to look at before you actually have to pay for it.
 
Kristie--wow thanks for the recommendation! I was going to ask about appraisals, etc.. perfect timing.

SlyCattty--I went to a lot. At this point, I don''t want to say anything negative (not sure if that''s ok).

The positive experiences I had were:
Geoffrey''s Diamonds and Goldsmith in San Carlos--This was the best experience out of all of my store visits. They actually listened to me on the phone, setup an appointment and showed me exactly what I asked to look at. I''m still working with them on a possible purchase.

Joe Escobar--San Jose--This was a good place. Nice people to talk to, seemed straightforward to me. We didn''t see anything we liked but they will look and call us back.

As for negative experiences...there were a lot-- at one store the people we talked to were too defensive about their SI1 stones showing scratches to the naked eye from the back side or pavilion side. They said it''s ok to see the scratches (inclusions) on the pavilion to the naked eye, but you shouldn''t see the inclusions from the crown to the naked eye. Is that true? From what he said, I assumed he is right but not sure. I just told him, hey I''m a novice and I see a scratch and I thought I shouldn''t be able to see anything to the naked eye... he took it too personal hehe. I wasn''t trying to attack his integrity.
 
Date: 3/15/2010 12:47:58 PM
Author: ringzster
As for negative experiences...there were a lot-- at one store the people we talked to were too defensive about their SI1 stones showing scratches to the naked eye from the back side or pavilion side. They said it''s ok to see the scratches (inclusions) on the pavilion to the naked eye, but you shouldn''t see the inclusions from the crown to the naked eye. Is that true? From what he said, I assumed he is right but not sure. I just told him, hey I''m a novice and I see a scratch and I thought I shouldn''t be able to see anything to the naked eye... he took it too personal hehe. I wasn''t trying to attack his integrity.
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Many SI diamonds will have inclusions that are visible to the naked eye face up. As diamond grading is done face up and not from the pavilion or from the side, I would wager than most SI diamonds will have inclusions that are eye visible from that direction at some distance. If you want a diamond that is eye clean from every which way, then you will most likely need a VS2 or higher grade.
 
Ahh ok. Thanks Dream_d.
 
How funny. I was at Joe Escobar on Saturday looking at 2 Carat JSIs as well. They didn''t have anything I wanted but will look for me. They did have an idealscope in the store, though it was quite difficult for a newbie like me to use.

Did you decide on the lowest color/clarity you are going with?
 
ok after even more research, I found a diamond and setting I like on whiteflash. From everything I''ve read on these forums, this is a trusted merchant and has a good reputation. Do I really need to get the diamond checked out by an appraiser? we''re probably not going to insure it. Can I just trust that the GIA certificate will be legit? I can go through the appraiser and insure if I have to but just wondering what are people''s thoughts on this?
 
Date: 3/16/2010 12:41:17 AM
Author: ringzster
ok after even more research, I found a diamond and setting I like on whiteflash. From everything I've read on these forums, this is a trusted merchant and has a good reputation yes . Do I really need to get the diamond checked out by an appraiser? no, you don't have to do anything... an appraiser can look at your setting too and make sure there are no issues, but I'd trust wf with checking out the stone itself. we're probably not going to insure it your choice. 'course, you'll regret it the minute something goes wrong - your intended snaps a prong and loses/injures the diamond, chips the girdle, loses the ring, you get robbed...unless of course you can just shell out another 15k out of pocket for a replacement. Can I just trust that the GIA certificate will be legit? yes. If the stone has an inscription you can check it with a loupe, or even better match the clarity plot w/ a loupe I can go through the appraiser and insure if I have to but just wondering what are people's thoughts on this?
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Highly recomend insuring your diamond. HIGHLY recomend it.
 
^^^ITA...Insurance is NOT something to skip on a $15k ring.......you will regret it. All it takes is a hard knock at the right angle to get a chip.....no matter how careful your fiance is....accidents and theft do occur. Jewelry insurance is relatively inexpensive. I have a GREAT policy that covers around $30k for my e ring and wedding band and it is around $45 or so a month additional on my renters insurance. It will be even less when we buy a home in the next few months and it is on my homeowners insurance.

PLEASE insure your ring!

Also, was the stone from Whiteflash an ACA diamond? If not, it will be one in their "virtual" inventory..meaning the diamond is not currently in house and will have to be brought in for you. At that point, it is up to you to have an independent appraiser view it with you or not(with Nancy she lets you participate in the process, showing you how to use the IS, ASET, etc. It is actually quite a fun time to "get to know" your stone
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) I believe WF will inspect it though before they ship it even if it is not in house.....they are very reputable for being forthcoming in their stone quality to make sure you are happy.

Personally, you just can't beat the service with BGD.....hands down the best IMO. It also helps that their stones are simply incredible.
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ok I will get appraisal and most likely insurance. Thanks for your thoughts on that.

so now I need more expert advice please!

I want to go with the lowest price of these diamonds so I can afford a setting and matching band. Do any of you see any red flags with any of these diamonds or are they all ok? They seem ok to me. Thanks again in advance!




http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamond/diamond-detail/?product_id=AGS-1040381680019

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamond/diamond-detail/?product_id=AGS-10408203

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamond/diamond-detail/?product_id=AGS-1040399230022

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamond/diamond-detail/?product_id=AGS-1040397620025
 
Date: 3/16/2010 6:13:46 PM
Author: ringzster
ok I will get appraisal and most likely insurance. Thanks for your thoughts on that.

so now I need more expert advice please!

I want to go with the lowest price of these diamonds so I can afford a setting and matching band. Do any of you see any red flags with any of these diamonds or are they all ok? They seem ok to me. Thanks again in advance!




http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamond/diamond-detail/?product_id=AGS-1040381680019

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamond/diamond-detail/?product_id=AGS-10408203

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamond/diamond-detail/?product_id=AGS-1040399230022

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamond/diamond-detail/?product_id=AGS-1040397620025
Click to expand...

all look good!
 
Thanks!
 
Just so you know, insuring the ring will cost you less than $200 per year on most policies. It is not a big expense.
 
There is no such thing ads a "red flag" on any BGD Signature cuts.....they are all perfection. However, obviously, if it is an SI stone, confirm it is eyeclean.
 
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