is this a good diamond for the price?

[tehotu]

I've been looking around for a diamond with all of my researching being done over the internet. I've found several diamonds at diamonds-usa.com that are fairly cheap, but that is because they are laser drilled and clarity enhanced. All I care about is what it looks like to the naked eye. What it looks like under a microscope doesn't matter because no one will be viewing my wife-to-be's ring under a microscope. She just wants to get married and doesn't care how big or what the diamond looks like ... but of course I'd like to give her something that looks good. Anyway, all that to say, is this a decent buy? I want something cheap, but big and beautiful (or is that impossible?). Here are the proportions of a diamond I was looking at and the site where it is located:

WEIGHT: 1.31 Cts

Shape and Cut:
Round Brilliant
Measurements: 6.91-6.87x4.38 MM.

PROPORTIONS
Total Depth: 63.6
Table Width: 60%
Crown Height: 14%
Pavilion Depth: 44%
Girdle Thickness: Medium ,Faceted

FINISH
Polish: Good To Very Good
Symmetry: Very Good
Culet: None

CLARITY GRADE:* SI2

Graining: Nill

COLOR GRADE:** J

Fluorescence: Very Slight Blue

Comments: Premium Cut,Clarity Enhanced,Laser Drilled

This is an EGL cert. and as I understand they are broader in their grading. There is a picture of this diamond at diamonds-usa.com and here is the exact link:

http://www.diamonds-usa.com/CatalogSearchAction.asp

and here is the link to the magnified picture:

http://www.diamonds-usa.com/DiamondDetails.asp?id=1262

The price (as can be seen at the site) is $2,554.50 (I can afford more - up to about $3000, but I don't have a huge budget). What do you think? I don't need the best, but just something that will turn heads. Can anyone help me with this decision?

Thanks for everyone's help!

 

[ChetLaura]

Hi! I entered the dimensions that you posted for this diamond on the HCA advisor, and it gave the following message:

Pavilion is to deep - Should not be considered for purchase

You will find that most of the people on here find that the cut is the most important when purchasing a diamond. I am not sure what the opinion is of the clarity enhanced diamonds. I hope that this helps you somewhat - I think that if you do a search on this site using the quality search you will find something worth purchasing.

Keep us posted and let us know what you purchase!

 

[pricescope]

Tehotu,

I agree with ChetLaura on cut. As for the price, it is difficult to compare with other diamonds since this stone is laser-drilled to enhance clarity.

 

[proposer]

you will find this site extremely useful. I made the same mistake. Even though I made a post here about the dimensions of the stone before the purchase, AND I was warned that the stone was too deep, I am stubborn. Fortunately for me I was able to return the stone. The depth is EXTREMELY important. I had a princess cut stone that was 1 carat but overly deep. Next to a better proportioned .75 carat the .75 looked MUCH bigger A better quality diamond is easily attainable in your price range...take a few days and read the posts on this page.

 

[tehotu]

Aloha and thanks everyone!

Thank you for the heads up on the "extreme" importance of the cut. I thought that because it was listed as a "premium cut" diamond, that that already meant it was a good cut.

By the way, I tried entering some figures into the HCA, but everytime I clicked "go" it returned to the original figures. Am I doing something wrong? Hope you can help me out so that I can you it as a tool in my search for the right diamond.

Thanks once again for everyone's help! Chetlaura, Leonid, and the rest! Aloha!

Humbly yours,
Tehotu

 

[tehotu]

... by the way, are there any online sites that sell clarity enhanced diamonds that are good diamonds in terms of their cut (i.e. ideal cut diamonds, hearts and arrows, etc)? Just curious - I'm trying to go the cost effectve route... thank you!

Tehotu

 

[Jess]

Here are a few that I found on the search page by searching by cut quality. All get excellent scores on HCA and are in your price range. These are so well cut that they will look as big or bigger than a poorly cut 1+carat rock. I personally would love to have any of these diamonds. The fire and sparkle you will get will definitely turn heads... The other thing I would do, is to call some of the vendors (Jonathan at goodoldgold.com comes highly recommended, dirtcheapdiamonds.com, etc). Tell them that you want a well cut diamond with lots of sparkle and fire, just under a carat (price jump at major size markers--a .95carat is not noticably smaller than 1.0 but cost is usually lower). I can handle down to a J in color (most here say get an H) and eye clean (usually SI1). I hope this helps! Just coming from a girl who would love to have the same!
Jess

 

[Jess]

Ok, I can't make the Edit option work. I forgot to post the stones that I found!

Carat:.82
Color:J
Clarity: VS1
0 (H&A)
SuperbCert
HCA score: 1.2-EX
ex-vg-vg-vg
Depth: 61
Table: 55
Crown:34.2°
Pavilion: 43.1%
Lab: GIA
Girdle: 1.3
Culet: vs
Symm: ex
Polish: ex
Flour: no
Price: $2467


0.82
J
VS1
0 (H&A)
SuperbCert
1.2-EX
ex-vg-vg-vg
61
55
34.2°
43.1%
GIA
1.3
vs
ex
ex
no
$2467


0.782
I
VS1
0
1.3-EX
ex-ex-vg-vg
61.5
57
34.9°
43.1%
AGS
m-sk-f
pt
id
id
no
$2890


0.788
G
SI1
0 (H&A)
1.5-EX
ex-vg-vg-vg
61
55
34.4°
43.4%
AGS
n-m-f
pt
id
id
no
$3110

 

[tehotu]

Thanks Jess ... or as we say in Hawaiian - mahalo! What you're saying pretty much jives with all the posts that I've read in this forum so far: a smaller ideal cut diamond will look better and bigger than a poorly cut diamond of a bigger carat weight. Now I know what to look for in specifics. Thanks so much for your help. Is "J" color noticebly different from "H" to the eye if the diamond is set in platinum?

Still hunting,
Tehotu

 

[Jess]

Larry's right. You might not notice the yellow if it was set in yellow gold, but you probably will in platinum.