Is this a good 1ct diamond?

[nedflanders]

A little backstory. I went ring shopping with my fiance and she's decided she wants a 1ct round brilliant cut in a platinum ring. Apparently she's very color sensitive as she could see yellow in various H and I stones. She could even tell D,F, G stones apart which seemed to impress the clerks. These were GIA or AGS graded stones. So my specs are 1ct(6.5mm),G , platinum ring. Clarity wise SI1 might be okay if eye clean. My budget is only $6000.

Looking online there are very few choices so I've started looking at pawn shops. 1ct, G , SI1 rings can be had for $6000 OTD with a little bargaining. I'm aware of various tools but ASET or IS isn't available. Maybe I can buy a scope and inspect the rings?! Thus I'm relying on HCA scores. Keep in mind I want a good diamond. One that's sparkly and brilliant. It doesn't need to be heart and arrows or some superior cut. Admittedly, my standards are gonna be below that of most PSers here but I have to stay in my budget. So if it's under 2 then it should perform well and is worth buying right? Some of the stones are rated GIA triple Ex but apparently that isn't as tight as the HCA score. There's a few that are AGS ideal cuts but the certs were performed in 2005 and 2006. So maybe AGS has refined their ideal cut since then and the diamond might not qualify?

Anyways here's the diamond I'm looking at. 1.01 ct 6.5x6.5x4mm or there abouts. Report dated Feb 15,2005
Cut Grade: AGS Ideal 0
Polish: Ideal
Symmetry: Ideal
Proportions: Ideal
Color Grade: AGS 1.5 (G)
Clarity Grade: AGS 5 (SI1)
Carat Weight: 1.01
Fluorescence: Negligible
Comments:

Table: 56.0%
Crown Angle: 34.3
Crown Height: 14.9%
Girdle: Faceted, 1.8% to 2.3%
Pavilion Angle: 41.0
Pavilion Depth: 43.4%
Total Depth: 61.7%
Culet: Pointed

It's in a platinum setting and in her size. Other choices were from Zales or Jared and they were pretty dull stones. This is the best option that a pawnshop has and seem to be my best bet. Any opinions on this diamond. I know without pics it's hard to say but this was by far the best looking one I saw. I think it might have been a lazare diamond if that matters any.

 

[Dancing Fire]

It's in a platinum setting and in her size. Other choices were from Zales or Jared and they were pretty dull stones. This is the best option that a pawnshop has and seem to be my best bet. Any opinions on this diamond. I know without pics it's hard to say but this was by far the best looking one I saw. I think it might have been a lazare diamond if that matters any.

The price sounds good, but be sure that the diamond is not damaged, ie .. chipped girdle.

 

[SirGuy]

Also, regarding your bit about an HCA score being under 2 meaning it's a good one: flip that around. The HCA is a rejection tool and not a selection tool. A score under 2 means it's worth further consideration and investigation (Ideal-Scope, ASET, photos, etc.), not that it automatically is a good one by that alone.

 

[nedflanders]

They have a loupe so I can verify it's not chipped. It's in a halo setting so the girdle shouldn't be chipped though.


HCA scores are confusing. There's some AGS 000 and H&A diamonds that score in the 2.x range yet people say it's fine and not to be concerned with the HCA score because the ASET and IS images are good.

Speaking of ASET or Idealscope. They are relatively cheap so can I buy one to assess stones even if they are mounted in a ring? Would halo rings make it much more difficult to evaluate the diamond?


Are there any picture examples of stones with a HCA score under 2 that perform badly?

 

[solgen]

They have a loupe so I can verify it's not chipped. It's in a halo setting so the girdle shouldn't be chipped though.


HCA scores are confusing. There's some AGS 000 and H&A diamonds that score in the 2.x range yet people say it's fine and not to be concerned with the HCA score because the ASET and IS images are good.

Speaking of ASET or Idealscope. They are relatively cheap so can I buy one to assess stones even if they are mounted in a ring? Would halo rings make it much more difficult to evaluate the diamond?


Are there any picture examples of stones with a HCA score under 2 that perform badly?

H&A cut is thrown about loosely so I wouldn't put much stock in that designation. Now if it were a branded cut like Hearts on Fire and the HCA was in the 2.x range then I wouldn't worry about it. They cut for light performance so that should trump the HCA score. Also if a diamond was an AGS000 but again had a HCA score >2 I would still look at the diamond.

You could buy an IS or ASET scope and use them to assess mounted stone. ASET tends to be more accurate IMO. Most pawn shops tend to have less than ideal lighting so if the stone looks to perform well under that lighting that could suffice for you. Use the loupe to verify and inscriptions and check for damage and if it looks good then you might forego IS or ASET. You could also look for an appraiser who might be able to provide you those images. It might cost you a couple hundred bucks but you're saving a couple thousand buying used so just consider it part of the cost. I'd also make sure the pawnshop has a good return policy should the stone not be what they claim.

 

[chrono]

They have a loupe so I can verify it's not chipped. It's in a halo setting so the girdle shouldn't be chipped though.
Do not presume. Please check.

HCA scores are confusing. There's some AGS 000 and H&A diamonds that score in the 2.x range yet people say it's fine and not to be concerned with the HCA score because the ASET and IS images are good.
This is why the HCA is NOT a selection tool but a rejection tool. It is used as a preliminary weeding out tool but the final decision tool is the IS and ASET.

Speaking of ASET or Idealscope. They are relatively cheap so can I buy one to assess stones even if they are mounted in a ring? Would halo rings make it much more difficult to evaluate the diamond?
You can use the IS and ASET on mounted stones but it is admittedly more challenging and probably less accurate. This tool trumps the HCA.

Are there any picture examples of stones with a HCA score under 2 that perform badly?
I've seen several posted here in the past but it will take some time to find the threads.