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Looking for a 2.5 carat round brilliant!

PipersMom

PipersMom

Rough_Rock
Joined
Sep 9, 2012
Messages
17
Hello PriceScopers!

I am a first time poster, looking for help buying a diamond.

When my husband and I got married 12 years ago, we had very little money for engagement/wedding rings, so we got married with plain gold bands. We are now ready to buy a diamond for a new wedding ring, and I am so excited!!

I've been doing some homework on PriceScope, trying to educate myself, and now I feel like I know just enough to get into trouble :)

I really have no experience in buying a diamond, and would appreciate your expert help!

I'm willing to spend around $40K - $45K for the diamond, and I'm looking for:

2.5 carat round brilliant
G color
VS1 to VS2
Excellent or Ideal cut

My jeweler has suggested a couple of diamonds; the GIA certificates are attached (both are priced at $41K) . . . what do you think?

Thank you very much!!

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/125046/gia-2dot5.jpg

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/125046/gia-2dot51.jpg
 
Thank you very much for replying so quickly MissGotRocks!

Do you think that the stone you suggested is a lot better than those recommended by my jeweler? And if so, how? I apologize for so many questions, but I'm still trying to learn . . .

Thanks!
 
I am sure the experts will be filtering in shortly. There is a cheat sheet with parameters on how to rule out certain diamonds, but it might have found itself out of favor here, so I wonder whether to post it.

On your first diamond with 34 /40.6 crown/pavilion angle, I question whether that combo might make a diamond a bit shallow, and cause some obstruction, causing the diamond to go dark.
 
MissGotRocks|1347204125|3264688 said:
Here is a top of the line cut stone - a bit more than your quote but excellent quality!

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2763542.htm
Click to expand...

I'd have to choose this one. This is the top of the top as far as cut quality goes. The other two you posted are possible, but it would help to see idealscope images to see if they have any leakage. I'd feel better buying a stone that I know for sure is top cut quality.

You were very smart to wait until you could get what you really wanted!!!
 
Yes, I second Ruby on the shallow stone. The second one you posted is much better in terms of cut. Whiteflash's A Cut Above line is a branded cut of stone and it has an AGS0 certificate which means that it has been evaluated for light performance by AGS - a grading lab that is on par with GIA. Some would argue that their cut analysis is a bit better inasmuch as GIA rounds their numbers. However, the GIA stone would probably be a great performer as well.

Could I say for sure which one is better? Probably not as I like the numbers on the second stone too. The one I linked would be a sure bet though but you'd have to decide if the extra $$ is worth it to you for a top of the line cut stone. Do you want a great performing stone with H&A or are you good with just a very well cut stone that doesn't necessarily promise hearts and arrows? This is something that you might not necessarily see with your eyes but to some people it is worth knowing that they've got a top performer in terms of cut.

Is your jeweler able to provide idealscope or ASET images of the stone? You can look at the WF listing to see these images posted for the stone that I linked. Whiteflash also offers a great return and trade up policy - not sure how your jeweler stands on these things. It might not seem important to you now but there could be a big bonus in your future where you would perhaps consider trading up to an even larger stone - just make sure that wherever you purchase you can do this!

The size you are looking at definitely makes the wait worthwhile - you're gonna have a great ring!!
 
MissGotRocks|1347212972|3264758 said:
Whiteflash also offers a great return and trade up policy - not sure how your jeweler stands on these things. It might not seem important to you now but there could be a big bonus in your future where you would perhaps consider trading up to an even larger stone - just make sure that wherever you purchase you can do this!
Click to expand...

Yes, I definitely would choose, if making a large diamond purchase, to purchase from somewhere that doesn't require me to spend twice the original purchase price to get a new one. That's fine if it's a $2000 diamond, but much more dicey if it's a $45,000 diamond... in order to trade up at many places, you'd have to be buying a $90,000 diamond! The original purchase price + $1 places are definitely my preference.
 
I know you said round brilliant, but just wanted to say that if I had $40k to spend on a round, I'd get an August Vintage Round:

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/9582/

Good luck, I'm sure the round brilliant experts will be of great help! :appl:
 
Thank you all for posting such quick and helpful responses. I love the WhiteFlash diamond that MissGotRocks found and yes, it is a bit over budget, but I like the quality very much and may be able to swing it :naughty:

Ruby59 - Thanks for your opinion on stone #1. It seems that MissGotRocks agrees with you, so that one is out of the running.

diamondseeker2006 - Thanks for your response. I'm not sure if I can get idealscope images or even if it is worth, as everyone seems to like the WhiteFlash diamond better for various reasons.

MissGotRocks - I looked at all the WhiteFlash diamond images, and to my inexperienced eye, they do look great. Plus I love the upgrade policy as well. (And yes, the wait was worth it!)

distracts - You have a great point on the upgrade policy, because you never know . . . :)

rubybeth - Since I'm new to this, I'm not sure what the difference is between a round brilliant and an August Vintage Round . . . why do you prefer the latter?
 
If you are truly interested, I would put the stone on hold. There are many lurkers around that might jump on the stone. Again, if you received it and didn't love it (can't imagine!) you can always return it.

Best of luck to you - there is plenty of reading here to be found for educational purposes and there is always someone here as well to help if you need it. Don't hesitate to call the folks at WF either - they'll be happy to look at the stone and talk to you about it. Keep us posted!
 
Well, if you want to see the difference in a round brilliant and an August Vintage Round, I will show you a picture. I am in the process of getting an AVR. But they are in very short supply in comparision to a round brilliant, even a top cut quality rb like the WhiteFlash ACA. In fact, that I VS stone linked is the closest to the specs you are looking for. They cost more than ideal cut round brilliants. The AVR is good for people who like antique style settings because the cut is an old style cut.

(round brilliant on the left and AVR on the right)

avr1_img_3.jpg
 
diamondseeker2006|1347221264|3264819 said:
Well, if you want to see the difference in a round brilliant and an August Vintage Round, I will show you a picture. I am in the process of getting an AVR. But they are in very short supply in comparision to a round brilliant, even a top cut quality rb like the WhiteFlash ACA. In fact, that I VS stone linked is the closest to the specs you are looking for. They cost more than ideal cut round brilliants. The AVR is good for people who like antique style settings because the cut is an old style cut.

(round brilliant on the left and AVR on the right)
Click to expand...

Love the larger picture - it really shows these two stones well!
 
MissGotRocks|1347222625|3264826 said:
diamondseeker2006|1347221264|3264819 said:
Well, if you want to see the difference in a round brilliant and an August Vintage Round, I will show you a picture. I am in the process of getting an AVR. But they are in very short supply in comparision to a round brilliant, even a top cut quality rb like the WhiteFlash ACA. In fact, that I VS stone linked is the closest to the specs you are looking for. They cost more than ideal cut round brilliants. The AVR is good for people who like antique style settings because the cut is an old style cut.

(round brilliant on the left and AVR on the right)
Click to expand...

Love the larger picture - it really shows these two stones well!
Click to expand...

So weird how this site sizes pictures! I didn't know it would post that big!
 
MissGotRocks said:
diamondseeker2006|1347221264|3264819 said:
Well, if you want to see the difference in a round brilliant and an August Vintage Round, I will show you a picture. I am in the process of getting an AVR. But they are in very short supply in comparision to a round brilliant, even a top cut quality rb like the WhiteFlash ACA. In fact, that I VS stone linked is the closest to the specs you are looking for. They cost more than ideal cut round brilliants. The AVR is good for people who like antique style settings because the cut is an old style cut.

(round brilliant on the left and AVR on the right)
Click to expand...

Love the larger picture - it really shows these two stones well!
Click to expand...
Wasn't the OP wondering what the difference between an AVR and a RB was? And that's why DS posted a pic of her diamonds side by side.
 
Ok, I think I posted before you edited your comment
 
diamondseeker2006|1347222905|3264828 said:
MissGotRocks|1347222625|3264826 said:
diamondseeker2006|1347221264|3264819 said:
Well, if you want to see the difference in a round brilliant and an August Vintage Round, I will show you a picture. I am in the process of getting an AVR. But they are in very short supply in comparision to a round brilliant, even a top cut quality rb like the WhiteFlash ACA. In fact, that I VS stone linked is the closest to the specs you are looking for. They cost more than ideal cut round brilliants. The AVR is good for people who like antique style settings because the cut is an old style cut.

(round brilliant on the left and AVR on the right)
Click to expand...

Love the larger picture - it really shows these two stones well!
Click to expand...

So weird how this site sizes pictures! I didn't know it would post that big!
Click to expand...

But sometimes that is a good thing!
 
Thanks diamondseeker2006 for posting that comparisan shot of the two diamonds. They are both beautiful and yes,I can see the difference. I think I still like the round brilliant best though.

Getting back to the whiteflash diamond, I have what is probably a very silly question regarding the Hearts and arrows cut of this stone. When wearing it, and looking at it, do you actually "see" the arrows in the diamond or do you just see a lot of pretty sparkles? I have obviously never seen one before and do not know the difference. :?
 
The hearts can only be seen when the stone is in the face down position so when it is set, you can't see them at all. The arrows are sometimes apparent but you usually only see them as silver. All you usually see is the sparkle of a very well cut stone. I'm guessing that you could see the arrow images in the second stone you linked as well even though it is not sold as a hearts and arrows stone. This is due to the precise cutting of the angles of the stone. They are most apparent through a hearts and arrow viewer or an idealscope which would give you the image you see in red on the WF stone. That is not, however, what you see most of the time so no worries there. Your question is a good one though - when I first saw these stones I thought I don't want a diamond with black arrows in it! That is not what you'll see though - you'll see a stone with optimal light return making it very sparkly with great light return from edge to edge of the stone. A well cut diamond is a beauty to behold!
 
Yes, as MissGotRocks said, what you see is a bright, symmetrically cut stone. Look at my stone above on the left. You can make out some arrows even though the stone is turned slightly to the left. But that picture is blown up 100 (?) times more than the actual size! So you don't see those arrows as clearly in normal viewing, but it is symmetrical rather than having very random facets.
 
Thanks so much everyone for all the great and helpful information! The video was enlightening and I'm learning so much here on this forum. :read:
 
Thanks to everyone here on PS, I now have the Whiteflash diamond on hold and and hope to have it soon! =)
 
Fantastic! That is a great diamond and I hope you'll come back with pictures! Are you having it set?
 
Yes, we are having it set and that brings up a new question. Is it best to have the stone sent directly to the jeweler to have him look at it (and then set it) or do I have it shipped to me so I can see it and then ship it on to the jeweler?

I really do not know what my next step should be. Any advice would be much appreciated!
 
PipersMom|1347304766|3265399 said:
Yes, we are having it set and that brings up a new question. Is it best to have the stone sent directly to the jeweler to have him look at it (and then set it) or do I have it shipped to me so I can see it and then ship it on to the jeweler?

I really do not know what my next step should be. Any advice would be much appreciated!
Click to expand...

Where are you getting the setting? If you aren't having Whiteflash set it, then you'll likely need to get it appraised and insured as a loose stone during the setting process, since most jewelers don't accept responsibility for what might happen to the stone during setting. This is why I usually tell folks to get a setting from the vendor where they are getting the stone, it is a lot less hassle, and Whiteflash has a huge number of settings of all kinds, plus they do custom work.
 
Thanks rubybeth

I am planning to have Victor Canera set it for me as I like his work and I live only about an hour and a half away from his office. I really do not know much about the process of insuring loose stones. Any suggestions? :confused:
 
Call your insurance company and find out what their requirements are. Many won't insure loose stones but you might want to give Jewelers Mutual a call. I think they will insure a loose stone for you.

So excited for you and your new stone - let us know when it arrives! Victor will certainly make a gorgeous ring for you - any ideas about the style you are interested in?
 
PipersMom|1347304766|3265399 said:
Yes, we are having it set and that brings up a new question. Is it best to have the stone sent directly to the jeweler to have him look at it (and then set it) or do I have it shipped to me so I can see it and then ship it on to the jeweler?

I really do not know what my next step should be. Any advice would be much appreciated!
Click to expand...


Does anybody have some guidelines concerning this question? I feel like a fish out of water! :?
 
Are you planning on having the stone appraised? I'm guessing that you at least want to see it and play with it a day or two to make sure that it is what you want. I'd have it shipped to me first to check it out and get it appraised if I wanted to do so (although that's probably not really necessary), make sure it was insured and then maybe take it to Victor yourself since you are in such close proximity to him. Do you know what type of ring you want him to make or do you need to sit down with him and discuss it all?
 
Thanks MissGotRocks!

My husband and I met with VC just this past saturday-super nice guy. We had a tentative setting decided upon, he gave me a quote and then the next day I changed my mind! I have now sent him a new picture of a ring I like and we are discussing the details. He likes thin delicate bands and I like them a little thicker as I have large hands and a size 7 3/4 finger(I'm also quite tall and not a petite pixie either!)

I hope we can design a ring that we are both proud of!
 
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