Looking at a 1.12 carat H IF 3x cut diamond - worth it?

[ac667]

I've been doing lots of research in advance of purchasing an engagement ring, and I've narrowed down the setting (from James Allen), now it's a matter of finding the right stone. My budget is $8,000-$10,000 and I'm looking for something around 1 carat round brilliant (it's going into a halo setting) and while my obvious priority is cut, I do like the concept of an IF stone (as foolish as that may be). I haven't had a strong color preference amongst the H to D stones I've seen in person, but that's just me.

I came across this in my browsing of JA's stock: http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.12-carat-h-color-if-clarity-ideal-cut-sku-1064080

Table: 55.10%
Depth: 61.90%
Crown: 34.50
Pavilion: 40.60

I'm obviously a novice at this, but it seems to hit on a lot of my preferences and nothing seems terribly wrong with the general symmetry or what's going on in the H&A view. Is this something worth pursuing or asking for an Idealscope? I've been looking elsewhere as well, such as (http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3597932.htm#) so I'm open to other ideas. I feel like now that I'm in the game of actually finding the stone, it's more challenging than I thought.

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[Dancing Fire]

Both are beautifully cut ..

 

[Gypsy]

Why are you looking at such high clarity? Are there cultural reasons, or is it just inexperience? I know you say you like the idea of an IF but are you the wearer? No. So... a more balanced stone is highly recommended when you are buying for someone else.

I wouldn't ever buy an H IF. Or even a VVS stone. An eyeclean Si1 will be identical to a VS1 to an IF to the naked eye. Even if you want higher clarity, I wouldn't go beyond VS clarity.

You can get a stunning G VS or F VS stone, over a carat and in budget.

And though you may not see the difference between a D and an H there is a difference and the WEARER may be able to see tint. So I recommend you Your budget is a great one, so not getting over a carat is plain silly just for high clarity.

One of these is a much better choice:
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3644857.htm
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3664936.htm

Whiteflash has much nicer settings than JA so I recommend them over JA. Brian Gavin is another great vendor, but I am having issues loading their diamonds right now (site seems to be having an issue tonight) so I couldn't post any of theirs. Actually, their setting selection is even nicer than WF's.

What type of setting does the wearer want? Does the person have a Pinterest Board you can snoop on?

 

[ac667]

Thanks for the reply!

The clarity component is entirely psychological, I know its not going to matter, but sometimes you get stuck on something (especially when you're new at it and looking at all these 20x photos). So entirely fair point, I was looking for a sense check.

And the color is something that I've discussed with the wearer, and it wasn't high on her priority list, but I get what you're saying and will keep it in mind. Probably inexperience coming in to play here.

Those are both beautiful options, thanks for picking them out. I think I'll have to keep what you said in mind regarding clarity and take a dive into these inventories.

And good to know about the settings. She originally was interested in a solitaire and plain band, but after trying some on, she realized she preferred the look of the halo on her hand. So, she's looking for a halo setting with a thin, plain band (no pave, etc), which JA has a version of.

 

[ADN]

...My budget is $8,000-$10,000 and I'm looking for something around 1 carat round brilliant (it's going into a halo setting) and while my obvious priority is cut, I do like the concept of an IF stone (as foolish as that may be). I haven't had a strong color preference amongst the H to D stones I've seen in person, but that's just me.

Hey mate - - here's a bit of a different perspective - - H IF (even VVS) is a colour/clarity combination can be pretty hard to move - there are some goods on the market in an H IF/VVS which are priced quite competitively - - remember...it's all about supply and demand...and H VS/SI goods are in more demand than H better clarity goods.
So you may not want to dismiss your original colour/clarity combos too quickly as you might be able to find a...forgive me PS regulars ...I'm even loath to use the word ...bargain
Hope this helps

 

[Dancing Fire]

A top cut F/G VS1 is an Ex combo.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

A top cut F/G VS1 is an Ex combo.

I agree. VS1 is extremely clean, as in, you will have difficulty finding the inclusions with a 10x loupe. That actually is my preferred clarity because I do like a high clarity stone but there is no point in paying for higher than that since the inclusions are almost impossible to see in a VS1.

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3644857.htm

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3664939.htm

 

[Gypsy]

Actually WF is vendor who has the best selection of stock plain shank halos (that's what the style she likes is called) on PS, so they are a great vendor for you. Here they are:

http://www.whiteflash.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/selene-solitaire-engagement-ring-1591.htm
http://www.whiteflash.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/guinevere-solitaire-engagement-ring-180.htm
http://www.whiteflash.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/ritani-endless-love-solitaire-engagement-ring-2059.htm

Personally I really like the Selene.
They are much better quality than the JA one. And with pave halos, quality really matters.

 

[Gypsy]

Hey mate - - here's a bit of a different perspective - - H IF (even VVS) is a colour/clarity combination can be pretty hard to move - there are some goods on the market in an H IF/VVS which are priced quite competitively - - remember...it's all about supply and demand...and H VS/SI goods are in more demand than H better clarity goods.
So you may not want to dismiss your original colour/clarity combos too quickly as you might be able to find a...forgive me PS regulars ...I'm even loath to use the word ...bargain
Hope this helps

This is a very good point. I have found high clarity lower color combos for a steal before. Especially I-J color stones. Keep an eye on it.