Is carat or color more important?

[anxiously_waiting]

I'm trying to decide between:

1.32 ct
VVS1
F
Very Good

1.49 ct
VVS1
G
Very Good

I haven't compared the 2 yet but do you think the color will make a huge difference? Will the G look yellowish? The price will be about the same. I would like a bigger diamond

 

[mrswahs]

G's don't honestly look yellow at all until you compare them to a D.

If you want bigger, go bigger!

For me it's all a matter of personal preference and the way the diamond looks to you. I preferred the look of my .74 to larger princesses because mine is a unique cut and I love the way that it reflects the light. It just so happens to be an F color, but I think even if it was lower on the color scale I would have still chosen it because I love the cut!

 

[kristi2011]

I say go for the G. They are so close in color that you wont even notice the color difference. I bet if you had the two next to each other it would be hard to tell which is the F and which is G. I have an H color (GIA certified) and is very happy w it. Not yellow at all. My very first stone was an F and to me it was a touch too white that it looked fake. Personal preference. But I would say there are no huge difference between F and G.

 

[slg47]

what about getting a VS1-VS2 F color?

 

[dreamingoftacori]

Are these round stones?

I would decrease clarity to VS and up cut quality. VVS is excessive for me and I'd take a higher color over VVS.

I'm pretty color sensitive and can tell warmth pretty easily so I went with an F. I'd take color over clarity or carat. It's not as important to me to have a larger diamond as it is for me to know that it's icey white. I love the look of how white it is on my hand and enjoy it more than I would a larger stone.

But between those two, I would go with the F. Also, it depends on the face up measurements of the carat weights. There is a chance it might be close enough to not justify the color drop.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

You can't see the inclusions in a VS1 (I can't see anything in mine with a loupe), so I'd definitely drop to that clarity and go up in size. I'd also be fine with G color.

Oh, and I wouldn't consider a stone that wasn't excellent for cut. That would be #1 in priority!

 

[Amys Bling]

I agree with this. You can easily go down to VS2 and not be able to see any inclusions with the naked wye or even a loupe depending on the type of inclusions and location. Also, I would compare that size and colirvdifference in person... You may find that the size difference is way less noticale than the color difference. It reallyvdepends on your preferences and what you see and prefer.

 

[iota15]

Ditto the other girls. G is more than fine for me (excellent cut of course), but I'd drop it down to VS1 at least - just for the savings.

 

[Haven]

Are these RBs? If so, I think neither is the better choice because I'd want an excellent cut round.

As the other ladies advised, I'd drop the clarity to a VS1 or VS2 and the cut up to excellent, and see what your budget will get you carat and color-wise, then.

As for color, I prefer warmer stones myself, so I'm no help there.

 

[kristi2011]

Are these RBs? If so, I think neither is the better choice because I'd want an excellent cut round.

As the other ladies advised, I'd drop the clarity to a VS1 or VS2 and the cut up to excellent, and see what your budget will get you carat and color-wise, then.

As for color, I prefer warmer stones myself, so I'm no help there.

Haven is right. You want a diamond that has excellent cut with the right proportions. For instance a diamond that is cut too deep or too shallow will let light escape through the side or bottom so if the F doe not have a well cut it will face up darker than the G. Many thing to think about. Make sure you post pictures of the one you pick. Cant wait to see it.

 

[marcy]

I agree maybe look at a G VS1 or VS2 (ideal cut of course) and you will get a great diamond.

 

[lknvrb4]

I agree maybe look at a G VS1 or VS2 (ideal cut of course) and you will get a great diamond.

I would do this as well.

 

[anxiously_waiting]

Thank you so much for your suggestions. I'm going to go with your advice on going down on the clarity and getting an excellent cut. Here is a pic of the 1.3 I tried on yesterday.

 

[MyDiamondSparkles]

Oooh, I love it!

I'd never be able to notice a G from an H. I have both of those colors and can't tell at all. I also have an I color and I can tell the difference bettween the G and the I color.

I am always a "go for the larger diamond" girl.

HUgs,
MDS

 

[tyty333]

Very pretty!

 

[dreamingoftacori]

I remember you had an earlier post comparing the novo to split shank lucida? Did you decide against them?

That picture you just posted is of a round correct? If so then absolutely up the cut to excellent or h&a if that's what you like in terms of cut style. I'd take that over size and the 1.3 still looks substantial on you. you may have to sacrifice a little more size and clarity to get the cut but it would be worth it for me personally.

 

[anxiously_waiting]

I remember you had an earlier post comparing the novo to split shank lucida? Did you decide against them?

That picture you just posted is of a round correct? If so then absolutely up the cut to excellent or h&a if that's what you like in terms of cut style. I'd take that over size and the 1.3 still looks substantial on you. you may have to sacrifice a little more size and clarity to get the cut but it would be worth it for me personally.

Yes, I'm still considering the Novo and Lucida. Its so hard to decide! They all look so beautiful and I haven't seen a diamond that sparkles like the Novo.

Yes, the pic is a round brilliant. What is H&A?

 

[motownmama]

Beautiful!

 

[anxiously_waiting]

I got another quote from the jeweler:

Cut: Excellent
Polish: Very Good
Symmetry: Very Good
Clarity: VS1
Color: F
1.34 ct.

By upgrading the cut and downgrading the clarity the price dropped $2000!

 

[dreamer_dachsie]

I got another quote from the jeweler:

Cut: Excellent
Polish: Very Good
Symmetry: Very Good
Clarity: VS1
Color: F
1.34 ct.

By upgrading the cut and downgrading the clarity the price dropped $2000!

Does this have a GIA grading report? Can you post the crown and pavilion and depth and table numbers?

I would go ever further for a G VS2, personally, because it is white and clean and you could get a larger stone or save some money.

 

[slg47]

do you have the GIA report number? there is some variation within GIA Ex cut grade

 

[anxiously_waiting]

I won't see the report until Friday. She just quoted me over email.

 

[anxiously_waiting]

do you have the GIA report number? there is some variation within GIA Ex cut grade

The report # is 2135023136.

 

[slg47]

the proportions on this one do not look good, I don't think you upgraded cut in this case.

HCA gives 5.9 (want to look for stones that score under 2)

the main thing hurting this stone is the 41.8 pavilion angle, look for pavilion angle 40.6-41.0

ETA it is possible that the longer lower girdle will mitigate any issues caused by steep pavilion angle, but there is no way to tell without an idealscope image.

 

[Amys Bling]

the proportions on this one do not look good, I don't think you upgraded cut in this case.

HCA gives 5.9 (want to look for stones that score under 2)

the main thing hurting this stone is the 41.8 pavilion angle, look for pavilion angle 40.6-41.0

Ditto, there can be a lot of variation within a GIA cut grade of excellent, you can even find stones "deemed" very good that will according to the HCA score in the excellent/ideal performance range.

here is a link to the HCA tool.

https://www.pricescope.com/tools/hca

info on cut and how it affects beauty of a stone...
https://www.pricescope.com/wiki

 

[Lula]

There's a lot of variation within the GIA Excellent range.

One way to check the cut quality of a diamond is to use the HCA.
http://www.diamond-cut.com.au/holloway_cut_adviser.htm

We typically recommend you look for diamonds that score under 2 on this tool. However, stones that score higher than 2 on the HCA can be nice diamonds; it just depends on how the diamond's proportions work together. The stone you are considering scored a 5.9, "worth considering if price is right." I found the angles of your stone by going to the GIA website where there's a report verification option. You enter the report number and the carat weight and it brings up the full report for your stone with all the cut details.

Again, you need to compare this stone to other diamonds in all lighting conditions to see if it goes dull in certain lighting. It has a larger table, a flatter crown, and a deeper pavilion, which means it *may* show less colored fire and more white sparkle than other stones, and it *may* be a little dull or dark in the center. No way for us to know for sure, though, without photos or an Idealscope image.

You might want to ask the moderators to move this thread to Rocky Talky where it will be seen by more people who can address the cut quality. To answer your question, cut quality is the most important; carat, color, and clarity are individual preferences (affected by your budget, too).

 

[anxiously_waiting]

Thanks everyone for your feedback!

 

[confusedaisy]

The 1.3 looks HUGE on your tiny hands- stick with that and go for the EX cut!