Is Brian Gavin Advance Selection risky?

[tm87]

Hi everyone,

First a big thanks to this community. Reading this forum has been an amazing help in my ring search!

I'm considering buying a diamond through Brian Gavin's Advance Selection, where you can buy diamonds that are still in production. So the main qualities of the stone are guaranteed (color, clarity, BGD cut quality, and a minimum carat weight) but you don't know all the details when buying. In particular, I won't have any images of the stone. I normally wouldn't dream of doing this but BGD has such a great reputation. You can also always return the stone if you don't like it, however I'm really hoping to avoid that outcome.

The diamonds I'm looking at are mostly VS2s but I'm hesitant because some VS2s are not eye-clean and this is impossible to tell in advance without an image. Is this a reasonable fear? I know I can return the stone for free but I have to wait a few weeks for shipment to see the diamond and I'd hate to be right back at square one after that. In general I want the best cut possible and people seem quite happy with BGD but going in blind especially for VS2s makes me nervous.

Another question - Here is one of the diamonds I am considering:

https://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.146-i-vvs2-round-diamond-bfg-785378

It looked promising but I was surprised to see a Depth Percentage of 60.3 which seems a little low to me. I thought BGD was pretty picky about what dimensions qualified as Hearts and Arrows though so I'm a little confused.

I really appreciate any thoughts or opinions! Thanks so much!

 

[doberman]

To the naked eye a VS2 is eye-clean. You'd need a loupe to pick out the inclusions, so I wouldn't worry about clarity.

 

[rockysalamander]

My depth range is usually 60-62.3, so there is not issue with that number.

I usually think of this option when you can't find your wants in a stone on the market. With I-color being a wide color band, I'd personally be unwilling to buy a stone unseen. If you were looking at higher colors, I might be more willing personally. If you buy from an existing cut stone, the vendor can show you comparisons to other stones and colors.

Assuming a $8k budget, you can find plenty that are "eye clean" in your price and color.
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3963051.htm {1.202 I VS2}

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3872128.htm {1.218 I SI1)

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3942012.htm {1.172 I VS1)

https://www.hpdiamonds.com/en-us/diamonddetail/HPD7853 {1.12 I SI1}

https://www.hpdiamonds.com/en-us/diamonddetail/HPD9923 {1.09 G SI2, eyeclean. A great way to get a high color from a super-ideal vendor. Several PS member have eye-clean SI2, with the high color, I'd jump on this one}

https://www.briangavindiamonds.com/...1.081-h-si1-round-diamond-ags-bl-104092458046 {1.081 H SI1)

 

[OoohShiny]

To the naked eye a VS2 is eye-clean. You'd need a loupe to pick out the inclusions, so I wouldn't worry about clarity.

I was looking at the BG Advance stones as a potentially cheaper way to get really good earring stones <0.4ct, but it did seem (when I looked) that a lot of the VS2 stones in stock had the sort of black inclusions that would bug me as a clarity-freak, so I felt that I'd have to go to VS1 on an Advance stone to be safe.

 

[doberman]

@OoohShiny Did you look at them in person or magnified online? Big difference.

 

[OoohShiny]

@OoohShiny Did you look at them in person or magnified online? Big difference.

Only online, so your point is noted lol, but I will freely admit I need things 'mind-clean'!

 

[doberman]

Only online, so your point is noted lol, but I will freely admit I need things 'mind-clean'!

Well that's a different story lol. The knowledge of the inclusions overshadows your inability to see them. You're definitely not alone in this.