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Is this okay to buy? Need help, must buy today or tomorrow!

W

WeddingRose

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jul 30, 2017
Messages
28
We have limited funds, but are looking for an engagement ring. It will be on a rose gold setting with diamond and blue sapphire stones.


James Allen is running a sale, and we want to purchase today, but we looking for your opinion.

Specs are:
Oval
1.05 c
J
SI2
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/oval-cut/1.05-carat-j-color-si2-clarity-sku-3256065

Is this eye clean? Thoughts.
We are looking for an oval diamond close to 1 c, but it does not need to be.

Thank you so much!!
 
A J color in oval is going to show a good bit of tint... That said, I do think it has pretty faceting. How will you set it?
 
msop04 said:
A J color in oval is going to show a good bit of tint... That said, I do think it has pretty faceting. How will you set it?
Click to expand...


Thank you so much for your help. This is one that the online service helped us find. We did think it was a little tinted as well but we read somewhere that rose gold settings can take a warmer diamond. This is our first big jewelry purchase between the both of us, so we honestly have no idea aside from our google research. lol
 
This oval has many problems, but if you must have a near-1ct oval at a $2k budget, you may have no choice but to by an diamond that has problems.

Pros:
  • Doesn't look terribly included in the magnified video, so it might be eye-clean.
  • It has a decent amount of scintillation/sparkle, with a reasonably even distribution through the stone.
  • It does not appear to have a bow-tie.
  • It is priced lower than $2k (whereas 98% of GIA-graded 1ct-J-SI2 ovals are priced above $2k).

Cons:
  • The certificate is from IGI (which indicates color and clarity may be worse than what would be expected for a GIA-graded J-SI2).
  • Its outline is squarish, so that it begins to look more like a cushion and less like an oval.
  • It has a very thick girdle, which means the diamond will look smaller than most 1-ct ovals (i.e., you're paying a premium for the 1.05-ct weight, without getting the benefit of a bigger diamond).
  • It has a chipped culet, which causes some reflections that look like fractures inside the diamond.
  • It only has "Good" polish, which may cause decrease in light-performance (sparkle) compared to a stone with "Excellent" polish.
  • The diamond has two regions (between the "belly" region and each of the tips), where the reflection is of a "crushed ice" nature, where diamond color will be concentrated (due to repeated bouncing of light rays inside the diamond, picking up more color with each bounce). This will cause some parts of the diamond to look even more yellow than one would expect for a J diamond. Combined with the IGI certificate, the color appearance could be way worse than J.
 
drk14 said:
This oval has many problems, but if you must have a near-1ct oval at a $2k budget, you may have no choice but to by an diamond that has problems.

Pros:
  • Doesn't look terribly included in the magnified video, so it might be eye-clean.
  • It has a decent amount of scintillation/sparkle, with a reasonably even distribution through the stone.
  • It does not appear to have a bow-tie.
  • It is priced lower than $2k (whereas 98% of GIA-graded 1ct-J-SI2 ovals are priced above $2k).

Cons:
  • The certificate is from IGI (which indicates color and clarity may be worse than what would be expected for a GIA-graded J-SI2).
  • Its outline is squarish, so that it begins to look more like a cushion and less like an oval.
  • It has a very thick girdle, which means the diamond will look smaller than most 1-ct ovals (i.e., you're paying a premium for the 1.05-ct weight, without getting the benefit of a bigger diamond).
  • It has a chipped culet, which causes some reflections that look like fractures inside the diamond.
  • It only has "Good" polish, which may cause decrease in light-performance (sparkle) compared to a stone with "Excellent" polish.
  • The diamond has two regions (between the "belly" region and each of the tips), where the reflection is of a "crushed ice" nature, where diamond color will be concentrated (due to repeated bouncing of light rays inside the diamond, picking up more color with each bounce). This will cause some parts of the diamond to look even more yellow than one would expect for a J diamond. Combined with the IGI certificate, the color appearance could be way worse than J.
Click to expand...
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/oval-cut/0.90-carat-k-color-vvs2-clarity-sku-3263377
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/oval-cut/0.90-carat-k-color-si1-clarity-sku-1799060
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/oval-cut/0.91-carat-k-color-si1-clarity-sku-3084757

We are also looking at these? We read that the fluorescence on warmer diamonds makes the diamonds look a little clearer. Thoughts on any of these? We would like to stay under $2K, but we do not want to waste our money either. We also made sure the next picks were GIA certified.
 
drk14 said:
This oval has many problems, but if you must have a near-1ct oval at a $2k budget, you may have no choice but to by an diamond that has problems.

Pros:
  • Doesn't look terribly included in the magnified video, so it might be eye-clean.
  • It has a decent amount of scintillation/sparkle, with a reasonably even distribution through the stone.
  • It does not appear to have a bow-tie.
  • It is priced lower than $2k (whereas 98% of GIA-graded 1ct-J-SI2 ovals are priced above $2k).

Cons:
  • The certificate is from IGI (which indicates color and clarity may be worse than what would be expected for a GIA-graded J-SI2).
The color will most likely be warmer than J, as long as the OP knows it will be warm. Clarity is what it is...
  • Its outline is squarish, so that it begins to look more like a cushion and less like an oval.
I don't see this as a negative at all... in fact, I prefer a this shape and a chubbier oval.
  • It has a very thick girdle, which means the diamond will look smaller than most 1-ct ovals (i.e., you're paying a premium for the 1.05-ct weight, without getting the benefit of a bigger diamond).
The difference would be negligible with a medium girdle. I don't think this is a big deal, esp given the budget and less than great comps.
  • It has a chipped culet, which causes some reflections that look like fractures inside the diamond.
I don't think this will be apparent IRL viewing.
  • It only has "Good" polish, which may cause decrease in light-performance (sparkle) compared to a stone with "Excellent" polish.
  • The diamond has two regions (between the "belly" region and each of the tips), where the reflection is of a "crushed ice" nature, where diamond color will be concentrated (due to repeated bouncing of light rays inside the diamond, picking up more color with each bounce). This will cause some parts of the diamond to look even more yellow than one would expect for a J diamond. Combined with the IGI certificate, the color appearance could be way worse than J.
Again, the diamond will likely be equiv to a GIA K/L... the faceting is nice for an oval, especially when considering the budget.
Click to expand...

I have looked on JA, BN, and a few other sites, and couldn't find anything even remotely close to this one for the price. Granted, there are whiter, less included ovals out there, but at smaller sizes and much steeper prices. If the OP is good with the color, then this is a nice oval for the price.
 
WeddingRose said:
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/oval-cut/0.90-carat-k-color-vvs2-clarity-sku-3263377
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/oval-cut/0.90-carat-k-color-si1-clarity-sku-1799060
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/oval-cut/0.91-carat-k-color-si1-clarity-sku-3084757

We are also looking at these? We read that the fluorescence on warmer diamonds makes the diamonds look a little clearer. Thoughts on any of these? We would like to stay under $2K, but we do not want to waste our money either. We also made sure the next picks were GIA certified.
Click to expand...

The first oval you picked has much nicer faceting and doesn't appear to be any warmer than the three posted above.

WR, are you okay knowing it will be a warm stone (not white, but like antique lace)?
 
Here are a few GIA-graded ovals at JA that are slightly (~5%) above $2k in price, and are only slightly (2%-6%) smaller in spread (visual size) than the IGI diamond:

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/oval-cut/0.80-carat-g-color-si2-clarity-sku-3008564
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/oval-cut/0.80-carat-g-color-si2-clarity-sku-2875374
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/oval-cut/0.81-carat-i-color-vvs1-clarity-sku-3213742

None of these are perfect (don't think OP's budget allows for perfect), but I would prefer any of the above to the IGI diamond.
 
msop04 said:
The first oval you picked has much nicer faceting and doesn't appear to be any warmer than the three posted above.

WR, are you okay knowing it will be a warm stone (not white, but like antique lace)?
Click to expand...

We really do not know what a warm stone looks like in person, but I have a medium-dark brown complexion which we read can pull off warmer stones. I adore pink stones similar to the morganite, but we have read that they get dirty super fast. So, we think we wouldn't mind a warm diamond knowing these things, but we* are no experts. That is why we* came on this forum. :lol: What is your honest opinion?

**learning that it is no longer I, but we. lol
 
msop04 said:
I have looked on JA, BN, and a few other sites, and couldn't find anything even remotely close to this one for the price. Granted, there are whiter, less included ovals out there, but at smaller sizes and much steeper prices. If the OP is good with the color, then this is a nice oval for the price.
Click to expand...

Thank you so much for the extra research! So much more helpful to have a set of eyes knowing what they are looking at. We sure didn't. :wall:lol
 
drk14 said:
Here are a few GIA-graded ovals at JA that are slightly (~5%) above $2k in price, and are only slightly (2%-6%) smaller in spread (visual size) than the IGI diamond:

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/oval-cut/0.80-carat-g-color-si2-clarity-sku-3008564
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/oval-cut/0.80-carat-g-color-si2-clarity-sku-2875374
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/oval-cut/0.81-carat-i-color-vvs1-clarity-sku-3213742

None of these are perfect (don't think OP's budget allows for perfect), but I would prefer any of the above to the IGI diamond.
Click to expand...

Wow, thank you so much! We will definitely take a look at these!
 
drk14 said:
Here are a few GIA-graded ovals at JA that are slightly (~5%) above $2k in price, and are only slightly (2%-6%) smaller in spread (visual size) than the IGI diamond:

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/oval-cut/0.80-carat-g-color-si2-clarity-sku-3008564
This one will most definitely be whiter than the IGI... it's a little mushier, but should perform about the same. This would be my choice if you could spend the extra $100.

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/oval-cut/0.80-carat-g-color-si2-clarity-sku-2875374
I like the other G/SI2

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/oval-cut/0.81-carat-i-color-vvs1-clarity-sku-3213742
Nope.

None of these are perfect (don't think OP's budget allows for perfect), but I would prefer any of the above to the IGI diamond.
Click to expand...

Drk is right... for the budget, you won't find a "perfect" oval, but the G/SI2 is worth the extra $100 for color alone, IMO.
 
MR, what is your finger size? I will show the (very little) difference in size of the IGI compared to the G/SI2. The IGI is a tiny bit chubbier, but I honestly don't think you'll be able to tell that much difference.
 
WeddingRose said:
Wow, thank you so much! We will definitely take a look at these!
Click to expand...

Please note that the first one has a twinning wisp as a grade-setting inclusion, so you should ask JA to have their gemologist assess whether there is any dulling effect on the brilliance. Read this thread for some discussion about twinning wisps (TL;DR: @Wink loves them, @Garry H (Cut Nut) hates them).
 
msop04 said:
MR, what is your finger size? I will show the (very little) difference in size of the IGI compared to the G/SI2. The IGI is a tiny bit chubbier, but I honestly don't think you'll be able to tell that much difference.
Click to expand...

I am a size 9
 
**with a G color oval, you don't need to set in rose gold, unless you just like it. :)
 
Here ya go... L is IGI, R is GIA G/SI2 (first link)
IGI vs G.SI2 GIA.jpg
 
Last edited:
msop04 said:
**with a G color oval, you don't need to set in rose gold, unless you just like it. :)
Click to expand...


that is gorgeous! :clap:

I really love the rose gold with my skin tone, it'll pop even more with this too!
 
WeddingRose said:
that is gorgeous! :clap:

I really love the rose gold with my skin tone, it'll pop even more with this too!
Click to expand...

Agreed! I wish I could wear RG, but it just blends in to my skin. LOL
 
WeddingRose said:
So, we think we wouldn't mind a warm diamond
Click to expand...

Buying a low color ("warm") oval is different than buying a low color round. Elongated fancy cuts like the oval cut tend to concentrate color in certain regions. This means that when you look at the diamond, some parts will appear white, while other parts will appear yellow/brown. For example, at some angles, half the diamond will look white, while the other half will look yellow/brown.

There are many who don't mind (or even prefer) low-colored diamonds, but mostly this is in regards to round diamonds, which do not exhibit color-concentrating effects like the ovals do. Thus, a round G may look white, while an oval G looks yellowish. A round J may have a warm-off-white appearance uniformly throughout the diamond, while an oval J will have uneven coloring.

Caveat emptor.
 
A comparison of the 0.75 BN (L) vs. the 0.80 JA (R)
BN vs JA.jpg
 
drk14 said:
Buying a low color ("warm") oval is different than buying a low color round. Elongated fancy cuts like the oval cut tend to concentrate color in certain regions. This means that when you look at the diamond, some parts will appear white, while other parts will appear yellow/brown. For example, at some angles, half the diamond will look white, while the other half will look yellow/brown.

There are many who don't mind (or even prefer) low-colored diamonds, but mostly this is in regards to round diamonds, which do not exhibit color-concentrating effects like the ovals do. Thus, a round G may look white, while an oval G looks yellowish. A round J may have a warm-off-white appearance uniformly throughout the diamond, while an oval J will have uneven coloring.

Caveat emptor.
Click to expand...

Exactly what drk said... I wouldn't go lower than H in ovals for this very reason.
 
msop04 said:
A comparison of the 0.75 BN (L) vs. the 0.80 JA (R)
BN vs JA.jpg
Click to expand...

Maybe something is wrong with me, because I really do not see the difference. :confused:
Why do people dislike IGA certification? Are they less reputable?
 
WeddingRose said:
Maybe something is wrong with me, because I really do not see the difference. :confused:
Why do people dislike IGA certification? Are they less reputable?
Click to expand...

Nothing wrong with you... it is a negligible difference. And yes, IGI is very loose when compared to GIA or AGS, making them less accurate in grading.
 
If you can't tell the difference in size, I like the BN stone a little better, if I'm being honest. Of course, I also understand wanting to get everything from the same vendor. :)
 
msop04 said:
Not to add confusion, but I wanted to throw this out there... Hold down Ctrl when clicking on BN links.
https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-details/LD08485127 (a little smaller, seems brighter, and $1925)
Click to expand...

In my opinion, the lighting in BN videos is misleading, and the difference in lighting setup makes it impossible to compare overall brightness of a BN diamond vs a JA diamond. What can be compared is the faceting, and in particular the presence and distribution of chunky/crisp virtual facets (VFs with large area, short pathlength, and sharp transitions between light and dark states under rotation of the stone). I see no evidence that this BN oval has a larger number (or better distribution) of chunky/crisp virtual facets than do any of the JA ovals previously proposed.
 
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