Is SI3 really bad? I couldn''t see any marks in person but is it the lighting?

[kris30]

Did it just look eye clean because of the lighting in the store? I did look through the loop and saw a couple of very minor marks. Less than I saw in the other SI1 stone I looked at. Here is a link to my post with specs. What do you think?

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/i-found-my-engagement-ring-please-tell-me-if-this-is-a-good-deal.54930/

 

[jaz464]

Since GIA or AGS (the two most respected labs) don't give out SI3 grades, you must be looking at EGL, IGI, or something else less trustworthy. For me, SI3 is the equivalent of an I1 diamond and I would not consider it. I suppose anything is possible and it could be eye clean but it would be verrrry unlikely.

SI3s were discussed here:

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/si2-vs-si3-what-the-difference.53551/=

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/what-is-si3.27312/=

 

[oldminer]

SI3 is supposed to be the top end of I1 and the low end of SI2. It just isn't the way it works. Show me one diamond dealer who would pay to have one of his diamonds graded SI3 when it could get a GIA SI2 grade. Dealers are far from fools. If paper can sell a stone, then getting an SI3 instead of an I1 might make sense. The diamond is no different regardless of the lab's grade.

If you love an SI2, and SI3 or an I1 its all the same to retailers and dealers. You should keep an open mind and look at any stone before you simply dismiss it. I have seen super looking I1's many times and have seen SI2 and SI3 stones which I wouldn't care to recommend. There is no totally objective grading system being enforced, so there are overlaps in each grade. Some SI3's do look just fine, too. What you don't want to do is believe SI3 is somehow a definite step in the SI2/I1 world. It is a further refinement but without much integrity or objectivity. It does no harm and no good, so it has not become important to most dealers.

 

[zhuzhu]

David is absolutely right. Here is a SI3 that is amazingly beautiful to me. https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/glowing-princess-pendant-pics.54926/

 

[:)]

Hi Kris30 - as others have mentioned, you really just have to look at the stone to tell if it is okay. I know there is someone on PS who has an I1 stone who notes it is completely eyeclean. I can''t recall who it was - it was a comment made a few months ago. (I think the person got the stone from Wink Jones?) That said, I have seen stones that look just fine (meaning eyeclean) in indoor lighting, but the I grade inclusions showed up dramatically when taken outdoors - a great stone to wear inside, but looks horrible outdoors! Just ask the vendor to take you outside with them to look at it in both direct sunlight and shaded outdoor light so that you can see it in a variety of light settings to see if anything pops out at you. The alternative is to make sure the vendor has a good return policy (in writing!), and you can buy it if you love it, and then run it around all over the place in different lightings to see if you still enjoy it! Then, if something popped out during the return period you could just return it.

 

[kris30]

Thanks everyone. After some research it looks like I can get a better cut and clarity diamond from whiteflash or james allen for the same money. I''m going to pass on the local jewelers SI3 and just buy my center diamond online. I will still buy their setting so they can set it for me.