Looking for Advice GIA 2.03C F SI2

[Tony S.]

Please advise me if you think this is a good deal (see GIA cert info below). I am currently shopping at a very reputable jeweler in the Philadelphia area who owns 5 GIA stores with high volume and buy their diamonds directly from cutters in Antwerp. My budget was between $15-$20k and I was looking for about 1.75 carat F color VS2 with the best cut possible. The jeweler I was working with really felt that if I was willing to spend up to $20k that she could find me something slightly over two carats that was in that price range but I would have to be willing to sacrifice clarity. While she had a few 1.75 F,VS2 ranged diamonds in inventory she went out and found the diamond described above with SI 2 clarity which was just cut and GIA certified in March. The interesting thing about that diamond was that there are all colorless inclusions and they are pretty much either on the crown or so deep in the diamond you cant see them which is consistent with the GIA cert I received. I looked at the diamond on up to 40 times magnification and saw no black inclusions and there are no inclusions visible to the eye.

Now most importantly I evaluated the cut. I decided against a Hearts on Fire diamond but I was able to bench mark this diamond against a few Hearts on Fire. Although there is something extra special about a HOF diamond I can honestly say that this diamond stood up strong and really had a lot of pop from all angles. I looked at it inside, outside, smudged it...still looked excellent. I was lucky enough to meet the diamond buyer who bought this for the store one day and he said that if this were to get the AGS certification it would probably fall out between a zero and one but no worse than one.

Overall, this store is very reuptable and the people I have been dealing with seem really excited about this specific diamond. Quality is really important to me I am not hung up on buying a 2 carat diamond for bragging rights. They have other diamonds in inventory that are 1.75 F color VS2 but the sales person is telling me I am crazy to pass this one up b/c it isnt worth paying for a VS2 when the SI2 she is showing me has no inclusions on the table and not black/colored inclusions.

The original price was $20,750 and I got them down to $19,500 which includes a platinum setting which has a retail value of about $900. I put a deposit down!!!

The GIA Cert info is below.
Shape and Cutting Style...Round Brilliant
Measurements...8.08-8.13X5.06 mm
Weight....2.03 carat
Proportions
Depth...62.4%
Table 54%
Girdle...Medium, Faceted
Culet...None
Clarity Grade...SI2
Color Grade...F
Flourescence...NONE

 

[esqknight]

Given the amount of money that you are going to be spending (and even if it were less) you'll certainly want more information about the cut than the fact that someone at the store "said that if this were to get the AGS certification it would probably fall out between a zero and one but no worse than one". You could/should ask them to run a sarin on the stone to get the extra information that would allow you to tell just how good the cut is.

You'll probably want to have the sarin run on the other 1.75 carat diamonds you're considering if they have a GIA report rather than AGSL.

I'm not an expert, just a consumer here (also in the market).

Good luck,

Eric

 

[Tony S.]

ESQ...Thanks a lot for your input...the person at the store who commented on the cut is the diamond buyer for their five stores....but you make a really good point. I am new to the process and I was not familiar with the Sarin option...I will definitely look into it.

 

[valeria101]

Date: 4/28/2005 3:34:5 PM
Author:Tony S.

Now most importantly I evaluated the cut. I decided against a Hearts on Fire diamond but I was able to bench mark this diamond against a few Hearts on Fire. ... I looked at it inside, outside, smudged it...still looked excellent

What you describe is a much better tests than Sarin or any other tool can provide. All these just try to guess what the diamond might look like and compare it to a standard (which HOF and the other H&A come darn close to). Of course direct observation is better than any approximation of it.

By my 0.2 worth IMO, there''s no point to bother with any further investigation. Unless it makes you feel better about the purchase.

 

[Rank Amateur]

Tell them you will "probably" give them between eighteen and twenty thousand dollars for the stone but no less than eighteen thousand.

 

[Patty]

Yes, a Sarin would be good to have on a purchase that expensive, but I do think that you should also trust your eyes. You say it''s beautiful and that it "stood up strongly" against the HOF. Does that mean it was AS pretty as the HOF, or just "close?"

I also think you should heed your jeweler''s advice on going with an SI2 if it really is eye-clean. They are going to sell you a diamond for 20k no matter what...She is probably pushing the SI2 because it really is a good deal and eye-clean! I''m all for NOT paying for a higher clarity grade than you need. If you can live knowing it''s an SI2 and you can''t see any inclusions, then I''d go for it.

 

[Mara]

My two cents...

I love SI2''s if they have white inclusions or even if they have a black or two but it''s tiny. My SI2 stone is excellent and I can only see the tiny black inclusion at the right angle with my face up close. If it was all white inclusions, a great deal, definitely. I also agree don''t pay for what you can''t see which is why I like SI''s over VS''s if they are graded correctly.

Secondly, get that Sarin report on that stone. Don''t take ANYONE''S word that the stone is an excellent cut but the machine who runs the numbers. I''m sorry but Im cynical with $20k on the line and of course the store is going to tell you it''s excellent esp if you spend more money with them...and just because someone buys for 5 stores doesn''t make them an expert in anything but spending the store''s money. The Sarin will tell you what the numbers are and then you can judge for yourself.

I *will* say regarding cut from what you gave us so far that the table is a tiny bit small for the depth for a very ideal stone...so I would venture to say this could be a very good cut stone but not ''excellent'' or ''ideal'' for my standards. With a 54% table, I''d prefer a stone with a 60-61% depth. Anything over 62% I don''t really consider, but you do need more numbers to be sure what kind of cut this is. Once your depth gets higher up, you start to lose a bit of carat weight, which you can see in the diameter which is average of 8.10mm, an excellent ideal cut 2c stone would be 8.20mm in diameter, so you are buying a stone that looks a tiny bit smaller than 2c from a visual perspective. Not BAD but just the facts.

Good luck!!

 

[Tony S.]

Thanks again for your input. At this point I am going to get the Sarin report. To tell you the truth there were a bunch of hearts on fire diamonds I compared it to and it actually looked better than some especially from a color perspective. You have all been a big help!!!

 

[Cath]

It sounds like you have a winner, but I guess we''ll wait and see what the Sarin report says. With an eye-clean SI2 at that carat weight, I''d want to jump all over it!

Mara, I thought Garry and Leonid once said that a smaller table should have a larger depth? I like smaller tables so that was one fact that stuck in my mind. If so, this diamond would seem to be okay based on the numbers we have to date.

 

[Jennifer5973]

The Sarin is good to be sure you are getting what you pay for and their assessment is justified.

But I agree with Ana--you''ve seen other stones and if this one really pops, then you know you''ve found "the one." I am a big supporter of the "numbers" and the quality of cut being the number-one thing in a diamond''s beauty...but I personally balance that with what my eyes tell me. Cover your "investment"--20k is a lot of money... but as an educated consumer (far more than most people) I think you can also trust your eyes and your heart . Good luck.

 

[Tony S.]

While we are on the topic...where on earth do I get a Sarin report...lol?

 

[Kaleigh]

I agree with Ana and Jennifer. The numbers are just that, you are not buying a piece of paper. At some point you''ve got to trust your eyes. If it looks beautiful to you then you may have found the one. Good luck!!!

 

[esqknight]

Good morning.

Whether you really need a Sarin in this case, given all the other data and your own senses, I''ll let the advise of those with more experience stand. However, if you do want a Sarin, the jeweler should be able run it on the stone(s) upon request and provide you with the results.

TGIF,

Eric