Is this stone worth the money???

[Ashley-Sarah]

I looked at the stone again today. They are getting better with letting me see the cert. They seem to think that it has info that I don''t understand. But I had a cheat sheet, thanks to you guys/girls on the forum. So here goes again!!! Round ideal cut 1.502 Cert. by AGS on 4/6/09.... cut grade excellent p/s IDEAL measurements 7.23x7.27x4.55 total depth 62.8 table size 56.4 crown angle 36.0 height 15.9 pav angle 40.5 pav depth 42.6 culet none girdle is thin to sl. thick I color si2 no fluoroesence. On the cert it walso stated twinning wisps and surface graining are not shown. That is all the info I have. The asking price for this stone is 10,700 my final price will be 5760.00 due to trade in value and appreciation. My question is. Is this stone worth the money?? Or should I keep looking. It is a mall store (B+M) Thanks

 

[Lorelei]

Hi Ashley,

The diamond falls within fiery ideal cut range which means it can show extra fire if the lighting is right. However like some of this type it has extra depth and will look small for the weight, it won't look as large face up as some other 1.5ct diamonds as it is hiding weight where you can't see it.
So it depends on your preferences, yes it could be a good looking diamond but there are trade offs with the depth.

 

[Ellen]

Hi ashley,

It's kinda hard to say. Doing a price search, prices run from 5700 to 7900. But, your stone is an FIC (Fiery Ideal Cut), which would lower the price some, but how much I don't know. It's just hard to compare it to a regular round. I wouldn't say it's a horrible price for sure.


*typing while Lore posted*

Ditto her on performance.

 

[soocool]

I just bought a J color VS1 1.51 RB for much much less than that through one of the PS vendors.

 

[Ashley-Sarah]

I am a little worried about buying on line. The diamond specs I posted seemed to fall in the catergory of being a good diamond. But it looks smaller than it should ( something about hidden weight). So, buying on line makes me a bit nervous. Although the feed back on some of the vendors have been positive. I guess I have to start over. Which vendor did you purchase from and have you received it yet. If yes, what do ya think???? Thanks

 

[Gypsy]

Ashley, where are you located? Some of the PS vendors have physical stores, and many of the ones that don''t have actual jewelery stores, still do entertain customers on an by appointment only schedule.

I''ve personally bought things from three vendors on here. Pearlmans Jewelers, HighPerformanceDiamonds (WinkJones), and Brian Gavin Diamonds. But there are many I would personally purchase from without hesitation. But if you are nervous maybe we can see if there is one near you that you could go to.

 

[Ashley-Sarah]

I live in the Boston, MA area. After reading the forums I though I finally found a diamond . However you guys are right the B+M stores just don''t have decent stones. I originally wanted a 1.33- 1.50 round si1 I color with good specs. I also want it to look like it is the size it should. Thanks for your help

 

[Gypsy]

Can you make it down to New York? I''d highly recommend GoodoldGold and EngagementRingsDirect if you can.

 

[stone-cold11]

GoodOldGold is in Long Island, about 4hrs drive from Boston.

 

[Gypsy]

Jeff is a PS appraiser, he may be able to point you in the right direction. Though most independant jewelers don't do referrals.

http://www.metrojewelryappraisers.com/about.html


Here's a list of appraisers though:

https://www.pricescope.com/appraisers_MA.aspx

 

[Ashley-Sarah]

Hi. Thanks for you input. Do you know how much I would expect to pay for a stone that has decent proportions . I though I was on the right track but, I am getting more confused. I thought the specs fell in the guidelines. If I buy online will I have the same problem. How can you tell weight vs. size (hidden weight) that would make the stone look smaller than it should. ( I hope I explained it right) Thanks for your help

 

[girlie-girl]

Hi Ashley-Sarah

If you wanted to try Good Old Gold, here are a couple examples:

1.6ct J VS2 - $10,167 by bank wire

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/5839/ (not sure how you feel about J color)


1.3ct I SI1 - $7,627 by bank wire

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/I290906/ (a little smaller than the other and you'd have to inquire for pics etc.)

Another helpful thing Good Old Gold has is the ability to make videos and they're good about answering any questions you may have about one of their stones.

Good luck in your quest!

 

[rickster123]

I think most of us have that fear of buying online, sight unseen. Educating yourself here and picking a reputable online vendor and as a result saving yourself big bucks far outweighs overpaying at a B&M. I never dreamed of buying online until I found this site and learned a little diamond knowledge. Good Luck.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 4/30/2009 6:47:29 PM
Author: Ashley-Sarah
Hi. Thanks for you input. Do you know how much I would expect to pay for a stone that has decent proportions . I though I was on the right track but, I am getting more confused. I thought the specs fell in the guidelines. If I buy online will I have the same problem. How can you tell weight vs. size (hidden weight) that would make the stone look smaller than it should. ( I hope I explained it right) Thanks for your help

You can use these numbers as a guide Ashley.



depth - 60 - 62% - although my personal preference is to allow up to 62.4%
table - 54- 57%
crown angle - 34- 35 degrees
pavilion angle - 40.6- 41 degrees
girdle - avoid extremes, look for thin to slightly thick, thin to medium etc
polish and symmetry - very good and above

note - with crown and pavilion angles at the shallower ends ( CA 34- PA 40.6) and steeper ( CA 35- PA 41) check to make sure these angles complement in that particular diamond - eyeballs, Idealscope, trusted vendor input - check as appropriate!
From expert John Pollard.
As the above implies, configurations depend on each other. A little give here can still work with a little take there.

With that said, here's a "Cliff's Notes" for staying near Tolkowsky/ideal angles with GIA reports (their numbers are rounded): A crown angle of 34.0, 34.5 or 35.0 is usually safe with a 40.8 pavilion angle. If pavilion angle = 40.6 lean toward a 34.5-35.0 crown. If pavilion angle = 41 lean toward a 34.0-34.5 crown.

GIA "EX" in cut is great at its heart, but it ranges a bit wider than some people prefer, particularly in deep combinations (pavilion > 41 with crown > 35).

Ashley you can also centre your search around AGS0 and GIA Excellent cut grade diamonds and use the HCA especially with GIA Excellent to see which are the most promising, those which score below 2.

If GOG is a 4 hour drive from you and that is too far for you to drive, Jon can also do videos for you as GG suggests.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 5/1/2009 12:04:06 AM
Author: rickster123
I think most of us have that fear of buying online, sight unseen. Educating yourself here and picking a reputable online vendor and as a result saving yourself big bucks far outweighs overpaying at a B&M. I never dreamed of buying online until I found this site and learned a little diamond knowledge. Good Luck.

Agreed. I was very apprehensive before I fianally bought online. It's natural, when you're buying something so important and expensive, sight unseen. I read up about the vendors and process until I felt comfortable (and did my homework on rounds). Then I made the first leap with GOG, and got a stunning stone at a great price! I've since made other purchases, from another vendor with no problems.

If you don't want to do the homework on all the numbers, etc., we can help you find one, we do it all the time and don't mind.

There are several very reputable vendors on here to choose from. And, you can always take it to an independant appraiser after purchase to verify it is what it's supposed to be, and that you got a good price for it.

 

[Ashley-Sarah]

This is the problem. I have had this diamond for ten years. The (B+M) where I purchased it has a trade in policy. They will give you exactly what you paid plus 5% appreciation. So, I have 4.500 towards a new stone. They have 90 day return policy and a lifetime guarantee on the stone. (So they say) . They have ordered many stones for me to look at. The one I posted was the only one so far to come close. But, I am on a new diamond search. Other than the leo diamond being a branded stone. Is it worth looking into if the price is right. Also, I am going to check GOG. Thanks to everyone