Is this a good 2 ct round for 8k?

[BarbM]

Hi USA1983,

If you, and most important your girlfriend, are open to Old European cut diamonds, this is beautiful and faces up BIG:

http://www.jewelsbygrace.com/2-60ct-transitional-cut-diamond-egl-q-r-si1#.V83IE02LTIU

At just under USD 9000 it is a great option!

 

[n64bomb]

https://www.idonowidont.com/diamonds/reduced-220ct-ags001-polish-platinum-tiffany-style-tapered-solitaire

This is an si2 J but eyeclean and the almost ideal cut makes it face up colorless. Listed at 14k. Could probably get it for 8000-10000 secondhand after negotiating the price down. Its 2.2 carat ags1 (almost ideal) cut. That sounds perfect for what you are looking for. When you have a really close to ideal cut it covers up a slight drop in color. The poster has it listed as an ideal cut, but the ags cert clearly says ags1, which is excellent. So take anything a seller says with a grain of salt.

 

[newjourney]

The reason for a 2 ct is because it seems to be big enough and not crazy expensive.

I hope this statement refers to your original assumption about online vs. bm pricing.
Also hope you're open to other cuts beside mrb's.

 

[kb1gra]

I can't imagine that a 1.9 actually looked "too small." The difference between a 1.9 and a 2 is slight and it's only something you can "see" because you know that one is larger than the other. You're talking about less than half a millimeter in total diameter.

Set, in a ring, both are big stones. I really don't think you or she would notice so unless she's going to dump you if you don't get her 2ct, I'd reconsider. If she would, maybe the two of you need to have a conversation about budget. It's one thing to go into a store and say "I want to see 2ct rings!" and another thing to be able to purchase one that is not "too yellow" or "too cloudy" or whatever.

If you can't afford a good stone, and she's unwilling to accept 1.7 instead of 2 to meet your budget, well, you're at an impasse.

Here's a photo that will show you what I'm talking about. The top ring is my original ring which has a center stone whose largest dimension is 6.98mm and weighs 1.29ct. The bottom is my upgrade ring that measures ~7.7mm and is 1.78. Please excuse the potato quality as I just grabbed this photo with my phone. I think if you showed both rings to a stranger, one would not guess that one was almost half a carat smaller than the other.

 

[n64bomb]

I talked with the person with this listing:

https://www.idonowidont.com/diamonds/reduced-220ct-ags001-polish-platinum-tiffany-style-tapered-solitaire

and they were willing to deal at under 10k for the diamond alone. Just saying...there are deals to be had

 

[fair75]

An ideally cut, GIA/AGS, H/SI2, 2ct diamond typically sells around 14 or 15k, which others already told you. No sellers in their right minds would sell something like that for about $8k. The only time they would do that is they know the diamond isn't what they claim to be or they have no clues about the 4Cs. There are no big sales on ideal-cut diamonds, but there are reasonable prices to be had. Always insist on GIA/AGS graded diamonds because these are the two most reliable labs in the industry.

Focusing almost solely on the carat weight is the most common mistake when people buy diamonds. Carat weight simply refers to how heavy the diamond is, not how big it will appear. Many poorly-cut 2 ct diamonds will not look as big as Ideal-cut diamonds in the 1.8 ~ 1.9 ct range and their light performance is bad. If a deal sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

 

[usa1983]

The old european look great on the pictures I can't even tell them apart but would need to find one to look in person. KB1GRA your rings look pretty much identical in size to me, the 1.9 is not to small, when we looked we looked at one that was 1.7 vs 2.0 and could tell a difference thats why I figured 1.9 would be safe bet. N64BOMB thats a great find, I do like this diamond. Would AGSL J be comparable to GIA J ?

 

[n64bomb]

AGSL J is comparable to GIA J.

H, I, J all will face up the same when mounted. With J, under the right lighting, you will see a little yellow from the side. Better cuts help the stone face up a little whiter. This stone is an AGSL J, but faces up more like an i. And it is about as close as you can get to an ideal cut without being an ideal cut. An ideal cut would have a huge premium. That seller was willing to negotiate. And si2 is fine so long as you make sure it is eye clean.

Your girlfriend said she didn't want to go below H. That is because she saw the stones right next to each other. I and J will look the same as H once mounted. Especially with that cut. Do some teaching If she understands that, then everything else with that ring is fine enjoy I used to be obsessed with G-H for color, and my brother was obsessed with getting his wife an F in color. He paid up for something you can't even notice unless you put the ring next to something white :/

 

[usa1983]

Thanks N64BOMB, I sent seller an inquiry. Just a little concern about the process. It seems like if the ring is not up to my standard I really have no way of getting my money back. Looks like they will issue a store credit after 15% restocking fee which expires in 30 days. So I am basically screwed if something goes wrong.

 

[n64bomb]

They have a gia gemologist verify the stone. It isn't just sent to you. Also, that stone is AGSL graded (IE verified). That stone is awesome. You can even see the idealscope image if you look on the ags certificate, and Brian Gavin (who sold them the stone) personally checks every stone he sells before he sends them out. That website, though, does not offer good returns if you change your mind, so you have to be for sure before you buy. You will lose a ton of money if you decide to return; that stone will 100% be the quality of the ags certificate if you decide to purchase. Just be sure before you buy it

 

[usa1983]

How do you know it was purchased from Brian Gavin ? does it say that somewhere on the certificate?

 

[diamond_newbie15]

They have a gia gemologist verify the stone. It isn't just sent to you. Also, that stone is AGSL graded (IE verified). That stone is awesome. You can even see the idealscope image if you look on the ags certificate, and Brian Gavin (who sold them the stone) personally checks every stone he sells before he sends them out. That website, though, does not offer good returns if you change your mind, so you have to be for sure before you buy. You will lose a ton of money if you decide to return; that stone will 100% be the quality of the ags certificate if you decide to purchase. Just be sure before you buy it

I feel like there are a few things that should be corrected here.

1. Getting a GG from GIA does not make someone a GIA gemologist. If that were the case, EGL and its ilk are filled with GIA gemologists too. My girlfriend is a GIA gemologist because that's who writes her checks.

2. Graded =/ verified.

3. Idealscope images on AGS certificates are computer-generated and really not worth much. Why even mention this?

4. It's not clear to me whether it's a Brian Gavin signature stone, or just one that happened to be sourced through BG. Based on the price and the ding on the polish grade, I bet the latter. And if that's the case, who cares?

5. This site's reviews are mixed at best and a no-return policy should be a non-starter.

Why are you pushing this vendor?

 

[n64bomb]

Actually, the listing says they bought the setting from Brian Gavin. The stone was bought secondhand. So I'm not sure on the stone. I apologize there.

 

[kb1gra]

The owner of that stone was posting on PS in April saying they had just bought it. The original owner of the stone is also on PS as well. Looks like the stone was resold through consignment at JbG.

 

[usa1983]

kb1gra do you happen to have the links to the posts from April and the original seller. I asked the current seller where it was purchased from and she didn't know from where so it might be her partner posting on PS. What is JbG ?

 

[kb1gra]

kb1gra do you happen to have the links to the posts from April and the original seller. I asked the current seller where it was purchased from and she didn't know from where so it might be her partner posting on PS. What is JbG ?

Jewels by Grace. She is a consignment seller who sold the stone on behalf of the original owner. To be clear, that is not where the stone is originally from. It looks like it was sent to AGS when it was consigned.

I found the info by searching the report number, always a wise thing to do when purchasing preowned. Often high-grade stones have been discussed here before being purchased by someone.

 

[mrs-b]

AGSL J is comparable to GIA J.

H, I, J all will face up the same when mounted. With J, under the right lighting, you will see a little yellow from the side. Better cuts help the stone face up a little whiter. This stone is an AGSL J, but faces up more like an i. And it is about as close as you can get to an ideal cut without being an ideal cut. An ideal cut would have a huge premium. That seller was willing to negotiate. And si2 is fine so long as you make sure it is eye clean.

Your girlfriend said she didn't want to go below H. That is because she saw the stones right next to each other. I and J will look the same as H once mounted. Especially with that cut. Do some teaching If she understands that, then everything else with that ring is fine enjoy I used to be obsessed with G-H for color, and my brother was obsessed with getting his wife an F in color. He paid up for something you can't even notice unless you put the ring next to something white :/

This might be true for someone who is extremely color insensitive, but is absolutely NOT accurate for anyone with any degree of color sensitivity. I went from an H to an I when I upgraded my e-ring, and the extra tint bugs the hell out of me.

To the OP: if your girl has said she doesn't want to go below an H, listen to her; the difference between an H and a J is obvious to most people.

 

[BarbM]

Here is the links on the posting from sonice from April:

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/is-this-2-2ct-considered-ags1.221941/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/is-this-2-2ct-considered-ags1.221941/[/URL]

And the original Pre_Loved posting from LadyBlue:

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/forum/preloved-ps-jewels/2-20ct-round-brilliant-diamond-wedding-set-ags-j-si2-t213427.html']https://www.pricescope.com/forum/preloved-ps-jewels/2-20ct-round-brilliant-diamond-wedding-set-ags-j-si2-t213427.html[/URL]

 

[Downsy]

I second Mrs-b. I just upgraded my J for an H. My original e ring is an I so I didn't think a J color upgrade would bother me but I found it did. I upgraded the J for an H.

So color can be a big factor for people! But stay in your budget - go for smaller if necessary. You can always upgrade later in life when you're financially ready.

 

[Madison2]

She can switch settings with a J or K too. They look great as solitaires. And if you actually buy from a reputable vendor you would have an upgrade policy for later.

You are MUCH MUCH MUCH better off with a GIA J.

And you should be looking at 1.7 carats.

A well cut diamond looks bigger than a poorly performing one.

You know nothing about diamonds and are not listening to us. It's just sad.

If you go with an EGL H you are getting a GIA J anyway. The seller isn't telling you the truth on the color. They have no reason too. If they were reputable to begin with they wouldn't even carry EGL.

I agree with Gypsy!
You are better off buying a GIA 1.70 well cut J diamond than EGL.
For example, I own a 1.70 GIA J VS2 diamond. My girlfriend has a G VS2 round brilliant. Because mine is well cut, I often get asked why is your diamond brighter? why does yours look larger?
My J well cut round out performs her G color. And in a Halo, my diamond looks larger than hers.
Here is mine for reference and to give you an idea of how a well cut J color diamond can look like a 2 ct diamond ring.

 

[soxfan]

Has this been suggested?

http://www.jewelsbygrace.com/new-additions/1-72ct-old-european-cut-diamond-ags-k-vs1#.V87X7VdlmRs

 

[ChristineRose]

Used stones privately sold are one of the few ways to get a real bargain in diamonds, however the reason there are bargains is that most people (buyers and sellers) aren't capable of evaluating diamonds.

The usual advice in this situation is that if you are really enamored of a stone, you ask the seller to send it to GIA. If the stone comes back H SI2 (or even I I1) you agree to pay full price and the cost of the GIA certificate.

 

[Dancing Fire]

$10K budget?..I would buy her this stone and then upgrade in the future.
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3719442.htm

 

[usa1983]

Why does this diamond from idonowidont looks so cloudy? Also, wouldn't these inclusions be visible with a naked eye?

 

[lovedogs]

Why does this diamond from idonowidont looks so cloudy? Also, wouldn't these inclusions be visible with a naked eye?

Which one is this? And it depends on people's definition of "eye clean". Some vendors say that if you can't see the inclusions at 10inches away then it's "clean", others say 6 inches, others say more than 10. So I don't know how far away you'd have to be in order to not see those. I really think that for this big of a purchase I'd stay away from these secondhand sites unless you: 1) know the diamond the person is selling from previous threads here, or 2) they post the details of the GIA (or AGS) report and it looks like a solid stone. Because there aren't any returns for these places, and that's a sizable risk.

 

[usa1983]

Its the one N64BOMB posted: https://www.idonowidont.com/diamonds/reduced-220ct-ags001-polish-platinum-tiffany-style-tapered-solitaire

It seems to look good from a distance but up close it looks cloudy to me for some reason... maybe its the picture?

 

[usa1983]

The seller provided this link with pictures: http://jewelsbygrace.smugmug.com/Estate-Rings/220ct-Round-Brilliant-Cut/

 

[lovedogs]

Its the one N64BOMB posted: https://www.idonowidont.com/diamonds/reduced-220ct-ags001-polish-platinum-tiffany-style-tapered-solitaire

It seems to look good from a distance but up close it looks cloudy to me for some reason... maybe its the picture?

I honestly expect that the inclusions are visible since it's graded SI2. But at least that fact that it was with Grace makes me feel significantly better. But the fact that the person is now selling privately means you dont get any of the advantages of being able to inspect, return, etc.

Have you looked at Grace's other options?

This one is EGL certified rather than GIA, but she would likely send it to GIA for a report for you--plus she's a trusted seller so I'd just ask her what she thinks about the accuracy of the color/clarity rating: http://www.jewelsbygrace.com/loose-diamonds/2-01-to-3-00/2-60ct-transitional-cut-diamond-egl-q-r-si1#.V893amXK1ds

This one is GIA certified: http://www.jewelsbygrace.com/loose-diamonds/2-01-to-3-00/2-13ct-old-european-cut-diamond-gia-q-r-vs2#.V893X2XK1ds

Both will definitely show color and look more "vanilla" than white. So that's just something to be aware of and make SURE that your intended is ok with. I just think going with a trusted vendor is SO much safer because you have the option to return and see it in person before committing 100%.

 

[usa1983]

Yes, i looked at Jewels other options but J is the lowest I can go ( I would prefer above J). Its def. strange that the seller bought the diamond used 9-10 month ago and now selling it. It seemed the original seller sold it for financial reasons and the current one wants a lower size now sure how much of this is actually true.... can't believe what everyone says

 

[wildcat03]

Yes, i looked at Jewels other options but J is the lowest I can go ( I would prefer above J). Its def. strange that the seller bought the diamond used 9-10 month ago and now selling it. It seemed the original seller sold it for financial reasons and the current one wants a lower size now sure how much of this is actually true.... can't believe what everyone says

I do feel like this happens a fair amount on Pricescope - just look through loupe troop and see how many pieces are brand new. Also, I can totally see a 2 ct being too large for daily life for some people. Or perhaps the buyer discovered they were color sensitive after the purchase and wanted a higher color.