shape
carat
color
clarity

In need of help with a diamond I just bought

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Date: 10/12/2008 10:42:22 PM
Author: neatfreak

Date: 10/12/2008 10:29:33 PM
Author: gorri8
I am looking at a cushion, what kind of setting would look good with this?

Wait, now you want a cushion? We still don''t know if you are stuck with JA still or if you can go with another vendor...?
Ditto. And I will add that cushions are hard to buy without having a good "eye" to look at it, whom you trust totally. Around PS the cushion man is Mark T at ERD, so I''d go with him if you really want a cushion... you know they face up smaller than rounds right? Since size matters to you this matters.
 
Seriously? You bought that? ~15k for a budget and you buy that?

Sacrifice a little on color say D to F or size 1.72 to 1.55 or so and increase the clarity to SI1 or VS2.

Seriously?
 
Gorri, for 15k you can get one of these stones from NiceIce. I GUARANTEE that it will be much better than what you''ve already ordered from James Allen. Todd at NiceIce personally selects only THE BEST and you can view the pics on their website. they have a gorgeous princess at your price range, and the two largest rounds also. One round has strong blue flourescence too! don''t be afraid to drop in colour. Unless you have super sensitive eyes, you won''t be able to tell the difference especially since these ones will sparkle like crazy.

http://niceice.com/certcopies2008/ags0009098808/index.htm 1.87 ct princess

http://niceice.com/certcopies2008/ags0009015501/index.htm 1.7 round

http://niceice.com/certcopies2008/gia10597224/index.htm 1.5 round
 
Honestly, I''d put the brakes on this purchase first. The optical symmetry isn''t that great and the inclusions look... unpromising.

Second, go to a B&M store to check out different shapes in person. You need to decide what you actually like the look of in person, on your finger.

A princess is very modern/hard/artificial looking, with those sharp corners and square shape and itty bitty facets, and you get a lot of white light sparks (brilliance) as light return but not much fire. They also are smaller looking for the carat weight because they''re cut deep. They are cheaper per carat than a round though.

Cushions vary a LOT. And are hard to shop for. Do you like chunky cushions? Crushed ice ones? Square? Rectangular? Modern? Antique? Modern but antique style? If you decide you need a cushion, Mark at Engagement Rings Direct is a great person to help you out. They do take time to shop for, and also face up small for their weight compared to a round. An antique faceted chunky cushion will tend towards more fire and less white light return, opposite of the princess cut (speaking real generally of course). If you fall for the cushion look, especially the chunky faceted ones, it can be a looooong search and you might have to be pretty flexible on other things like color.

A round brilliant is a classic look and easier to buy online than other shapes. It''s possible to predict light return by the numbers (unlike cushions for sure, and princesses to some extent too). They have a great balance of white light return and fire, and there are just more of them out there to choose from.

Check out what an AGS0 round brilliant or princess looks in person. That will help you decide what color you can tolerate... a great cut masks body color well, and that''ll give you an idea if you really need a D color, or if that''s just overkill.

Finally after deciding on what shape you want, and what color you can tolerate by doing some actual in-person looking, you''ll be a lot better prepared to decide what you want.

What looks neato on a huge pic online can be much different in person. I thought I adored Asschers... and I do, on other people... but on me they looked terrible. A square, cushion or round shape can look very different on your hand than you expect.

Hope that''s some help! You have a great budget to work with- I really think you can get a beautiful, huge diamond with it!
 
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Bruce, she feels bad enough already. Chill out.
 
Date: 10/12/2008 9:09:49 PM
Author: neatfreak


Don''t beat yourself up. But if it isn''t coming for 10 days I don''t understand why you can''t try to switch it out now?

And anyway, you still did a lot better than most people who don''t find PS prior to buying. They all too often end up with frozen spit diamonds from Zales...

I''m wondering if it''s being set in a ring and that''s why it''s taking so long to get it shipped. Reason I say this is because if you look at the link on JA it says if you purchase the stone by 4pm EST today, you''ll receive it tomorrow via Fed Ex.

With regard to the first diamond you posted, I''m a mind clean person. Even if I couldn''t see all those inclusions with my naked eyes, I''d *know* they were there and that would drive me bonkers. LOL I know not everyone is like me, but because I am the way I am I''d pick a different stone.

For the same reasons stated above, I''d pass on the cushion you''ve listed as well.

What is your target budget for the stone? Do you have a color preference? I notice both stones you''ve posted were D or E, is that the range you want to be in? What carat range do you want to stay in? The people here on these boards are wonderful when it comes to helping find gorgeous diamonds. Give us some specifics and they can point you in the right direction.
 
YAY... I changed my ring this morning and got this one... I am so happy and feel so much better. So what do you guys think??? I will get it on Monday. Thanks for everyone''s help.

Check it out :-)

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamond.asp?find=1&cid=130&item=1139080
 
YAY... I changed my ring this morning and got this one... I am so happy and feel so much better. So what do you guys think??? I will get it on Monday. Thanks for everyone''s help.

Check it out :-)

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamond.asp?find=1&cid=130&item=1139080
 
Nice job.

Much better choice.

I hope you enjoy it.
 
Date: 10/14/2008 12:09:09 PM
Author: bruceb916
Nice job.


Much better choice.


I hope you enjoy it.

Ditto!

So JA was okay with your switching your purchase then?

Make sure to post some pictures!
 
yes, JA were ok with it. The last diamond I''ve order was on friday and then I just switched it to a better one on Monday. I will def. post pics once I get it in my hands. I actually called them again and ask why the other diamond isnt back on the site. I wanted to make sure they had the right diamond and not send me the 1st one I order, I''m a little nervous on buying a diamond ring off the net. All of my girlfriends are shock that I did that. So I am praying that everything is ok. But I love this site and love the fact you guys were such a BIG help!
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I am glad you switched your diamond. Your first choice had way too many inclusions all over the place (at least for my liking). I also did not like the cushion selected - it had no life and didn't sparkle. Your third chioice is much better and I hate to say it but I am not big on the picture. The diamond looks cloudy to me - perhaps just a bad picture or maybe the flourence is giving it a milky look? Also, were you able to verify that it is eye clean. I can clearly see the feather and would be concerned that it is not eye clean (then again, I have very sharp eyes). Either way, that diamond scored 0.9 on the cut advisor which I believe is really good (not an expert but someone can chime in).

May I suggest that you put your options on hold and ask for recommendations before you make the purchase. It's a hassel to ship diamonds back and forth IMHO.
 
Oh No... really it looks cloudy??? JA assured me that it is eye clean. I picked a better clarity then my last one... sheesh picking a diamond is so hard. Well I am going to wait and see it next weekend. I hope I love it. I will post pics. I am looking at it again now... :-(
 
I probably shouldn''t have posted and waited for the experts. I must admit I am a newbie to all this but it does look cloudy to me. There is so much to learn about buying a diamond especially when we go the route of online vendors versus walking into Tiffany, Harry Winston or Cartier. 90% of my guy friends took the easy route and went to Tiffany or Cartier (no Harry Winston yet - my upgrade in 10 years). Good luck and I am sure you will end up with a beautiful diamond!
 
so being the clarity of SI1 doesn''t matter right? and the color is F as well. I am wondering if i see it in person, will it look cloudy. The photo is under a 10x magnification scope.
 
My udnerstanding is that the cloudiness can be caused by clarity or florescence but not color. I would imagine that if a diamond had lots of tiny inclusions (even if not visible to the eye) would have an ultimate impact on the brillance of the diamond. I would also guess that diamonds with clouds can cause a cloudy appearance. Now, your diamond is a SI1 and there is one cloud plotted and additional clouds not plotted. I don''t know if this is enough to cause the cloudiness. I am usually looking at diamonds VS1 or better (because I need it to be mind clean) so I am not sure how many inclusions are typically there for a SI1. My e-ring diamond is a VS1 and the only inclusion is a cloud.

From what I have read, a milky or cloudy appearance in certain light can also be caused by fluorescence. Your diamond does have faint fluorescence but I am not sure if that is enough to cause a milky look.

Anyways, please take my comments with a grain of salt. I am sure some of the experts on the forum can chime in and give you a better assessment.
 
as long as it doesnt look cloudy I am happy :-(
 
Fluor would only rarely cause cloudiness in the VSB range, so a FB is definitely safe, you will not notice it anyway unless in a dark room with only UV lighting.
 
Based on the plot it isn't the clouds that are causing the picture to be cloudy. I think it's probably the photography. It seems that the only really nice photos JA has is of their signature "H&A" stones. I assume they do that to make them look better so they sell more of them...but that is pure speculation.
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Charmy It's very very rare that a cloud would cause the entire diamond (or even most of a diamond) to look cloudy. We're talking like a cloud that is the major grade maker in an SI2/I1 *maybe*. When there is an inclusion that is noted only in the notes (like additional clouds) it means it wasn't worth plotting, so it's not something to worry about generally.

And only strong or very strong fluor. is really strong enough to potentially cause a negative effect, and even then it's rare.
 
Thank you for the clarification Neatfreak. It makes sense.

I am glad to hear that it is probably photography that is making it look cloudy. Good luck with your purchase and I hope it turns out to be a winner!
 
Date: 10/13/2008 1:06:03 AM
Author: bruceb916


Seriously? You bought that? ~15k for a budget and you buy that?


Sacrifice a little on color say D to F or size 1.72 to 1.55 or so and increase the clarity to SI1 or VS2.


Seriously?

That''s a bit harsh
38.gif


How about some constructive help? Have you considered that A. this OP isn''t too sure of what he/she wants or B. the OP may actually like the icy white of a D! I got a smaller stone as I wanted the D colour, bigger is not necessarily better!
 
sheesh... now I''m freaking out and waiting until my engagement ring comes in the mail... yikes.
 
Nothing to worry about - it will be fine! If it makes you feel any better, I only saw my diamond for 5 minutes and I haven''t seen it in a month! I won''t be able to see it again for many more months or years (until the boyfriend proposes).
 
just really nervous... is there any tread on JA diamonds, and how they look in real life view?
 
Date: 10/14/2008 10:43:39 PM
Author: honey22
Date: 10/13/2008 1:06:03 AM

Author: bruceb916



Seriously? You bought that? ~15k for a budget and you buy that?



Sacrifice a little on color say D to F or size 1.72 to 1.55 or so and increase the clarity to SI1 or VS2.



Seriously?


That''s a bit harsh
38.gif



How about some constructive help? Have you considered that A. this OP isn''t too sure of what he/she wants or B. the OP may actually like the icy white of a D! I got a smaller stone as I wanted the D colour, bigger is not necessarily better!

Harsh? Absolutely! People who have the knowledge to find this site to enrich their knowledge when it comes to buying diamonds, should know better than to buy something that ugly.

If you read further down the thread, you''ll see I came back and supported her with her new choice.

ps: I LOVE the way you spell colour! Very British - my favorite accent.
 
Bruce - Canadians also spell color with a u. We take after british english.
 
Date: 10/17/2008 2:13:06 AM
Author: CharmyPoo
Bruce - Canadians also spell color with a u. We take after british english.
As do Australians, which is what Honey is. And don''t mean to get into the "u" debate Bruce, but I believe colour is the Correct way.
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Gorri8, pls don''t sweat your purchase too much - you will know once you see it, and can always return it - just make sure you take note and adhere to JA''s policies.
let us know how you go!
 
Date: 10/17/2008 12:32:11 AM
Author: bruceb916


Harsh? Absolutely! People who have the knowledge to find this site to enrich their knowledge when it comes to buying diamonds, should know better than to buy something that ugly.
If you truly want to help out here, it would behoove you to temper your posts a bit.
 
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