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Looking for help with an engagement ring

JonnyBeGood

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jan 1, 2016
Messages
6
I decided that it's time to ask her to marry me and I am hoping to find a good deal on a ring that is worth the money I pay for it. I have done a bit of research on this process, but I like to be very thorough with big purchases and I tend to rely on customer reviews, expert tips, etc. I live just outside of NYC so I spent a few hours in the Diamond District, but I am trying to take all of the negative attitudes towards the DD into consideration as well.

My budget for the stone + setting is around 7-8k.

I am looking for : Round, near colorless, 1.3-1.49ct, VS2+

During my recent trip to 47th street I saw a handful of diamonds that were in my price range, but I am not sure if I can trust what they are telling me. When I looked for online prices everything with my criteria was listed at a much higher price range (sometimes as high as double my budget), but these guys were willing to negotiate on a much more reasonable price than what I found online. I put deposits down on 2 separate stones, but then I found this site and I am beginning to question that decision. None of them had GIA stones and all of them were far too keen on selling me a diamond within minutes of showing it to me. Despite my reservations I did see some stones that seemed reasonable at first glance.

I found a beautiful round, 1.35ct, E, VS1, triple ex that they were willing to sell to me for a small amount over my budget.

I also put a deposit on a round, 1.47ct, D, VS1 clarity enhanced for even less than the above-mentioned stone. I have since learned that it's a good idea to avoid CE stones so I will need to get my deposit back. At that time I thought it was a steal as it was a much bigger diamond with better color although the polish and sym were only Very Good

From my brief time on this site I have found a few names that I will contact in the coming days for appointments if necessary, but in the meantime any other help would be appreciated. Am I realistic with my budget and the type of diamond I am looking for? Can I trust the prices I see online? All of the stones I found in the DD were of equal or better quality and were being offered to me for half of the online price. Although I did notice all of the diamonds they showed me came in packages with massive price tags. They would then offer it to me for much less and then negotiate even further after the fact.
 

Gypsy

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Aug 8, 2005
Messages
40,225
You haven't done enough research if all you are telling is us that the stone is a GIA Ex and its color and clarity.

Please read below. In detail. Study it, in fact. Follow the links. Examine and understand the diagrams and pictures. Then we'll start with helping you out. Okay?


Round Diamonds 101:

The entire purpose of faceting a diamond is to reflect light.
How well or how poorly a diamond does this determines how beautiful it is.
How well a diamond performs is determined by the angles and cutting. This is why we say cut is king.
No other factor: not color, not clarity has as much of an impact on the appearance of a diamond as its cut. An ideal H will out white a poorly cut F. With round diamonds even a GIA triple Excellent is not enough. And you must stick to GIA and AGS only (HPD in Europe is good as well). EGL is a bad option: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/egl-certification-are-any-of-them-ok.142863/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/egl-certification-are-any-of-them-ok.142863/[/URL]
So how to we ensure that we have the right angles and cutting to get the light performance we want?
https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/diamond-cut
Well one method is to start with a GIA Ex, and then apply the HCA to it. YOU DO NOT USE HCA for AGS0 stones generally, though you can. In general, AGS0 trumps HCA though as one examines the actual stone and the other does not.
https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/holloway-cut-advisor
The HCA is a rejection tool. Not a selection tool. It uses 4 data points to make a rudimentary call on how the diamond may perform.
If the diamond passes then you know that you are in the right zone in terms of angles for light performance. Under 2 is a pass. Under 2.5-2.1 is a maybe. 2.6 and over is a no. No score 2 and under is better than any other.
Is that enough? Not really.

So what you need is a way to check actual light performance of your actual stone.
That's what an idealscope image does. https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/firescope-idealscope
It shows you how and wear your diamond is reflecting light, how well it is going at it, and where you are losing light return. That is why you won't see us recommending Blue Nile, as they do not provide idealscope images for their diamonds. BGD,BE, James Allen, GOG, HPD, ERD and WF do.

The Idealscope is the 'selection tool'. Not the HCA.
So yes, with a GIA stone you need the idealscope images. Or you can buy an idealscope yourself and take it in to the jeweler you are working with to check the stones yourself. Or if you have a good return policy (full refund minimum 7 days) then you can buy the idealscope, buy the stone, and do it at home.

Now if you want to skip all that... stick to AGS0 stones and then all you have to do is pick color and clarity and you know you have a great performing diamond. Because AGS has already done the checking for you. That's why they trade at a premium. Some AGS0's are better than others though, so pay attention to any ASET or IS provided.

In general with rounds, you will want a table 60% or less. A depth between 59 and 62.4. Crown angle 33.5-36. Pavilion Angle: 40.6-41 (there is a little give on this). And the crown and pavilion angles must be complimentary which is what the HCA checks for you.

ON COLOR:

It is important to remember is that color is graded FACE DOWN. Where there is NO light return. Not face up where there is light return and refraction. You wear diamonds set. FACE UP.

Within one color grade, even the labs can't agree on the color grades of stones and something could be a "high" H or a "low" E. So... no. Not really. Within 2 color grades it is hard. Not impossible. But very hard. And it gets harder once set. If you are talking ideal rounds, or any stone with ideal light return and no sharp corners it gets harder still because the ideal light return masks body color.

Generally we say to be conservative stay above H in a round. But MANY people have happily bought white I or even J diamonds when trying to eek out a little more size.

This is how I think of it.

Ever gotten one of those HUGE paint fan decks? Where there are literally 100s of colors of whites? And when they are RIGHT next to each other you can TOTALLY tell that one is bluer/colder and one is a bit warmer and which one is one is TOTALLY warmer. One there's one that's slightly greener. One that's slightly pinker? But really. They are all white?

Then you pick one after agonizing over this white or that white and when it's on the walls and people are like: Oh. You painted again. And it's STILL white. Great.

And you're all... BUT it's BLUE white. Or it's a WARM white now. It used to be ____ white. It's TOTALLY different.

It's like that. You are talking about shades of white. D is colder... J is warmer. But it's all white.

YES. If you have an accurately graded F and an H THAT HAVE THE SAME PERFORMANCE you are going to be able to tell them apart when you compare them. Just like you would be able to tell if you painted your walls a warm white, but painted the crown molding a cold/straight white. But both are STILL white.


I want you notice all the qualifiers thought. I'm talking about stones with the SAME performance. An ideal H will out white an F that has compromised light performance from a poor cut.

NOTHING impacts the appearance of a diamond as much as cut. CUT is king.

You want the shinest whitest and brightest diamond out there: Cut is King. No other factor, not color or clarity or anything else impacts how white bright an shiny a stone is.

ON CLARITY:
http://www.goodoldgold.com/4Cs/Clarity/SI/ and http://www.goodoldgold.com/4Cs/Clarity/VS/ Generally we say that eyeclean SI1 and VS2 are as high as you need to go with round brilliants, have your vendor check the diamond for this. VS1 will always be eyeclean, but they do cost more and an eyeclean SI1 and a VS1 will look the same to the unaided eye.

:wavey:
 

RissaLou

Brilliant_Rock
Premium
Joined
Nov 6, 2008
Messages
923
If there's something that's holding you back and just doesn't seem right, trust your instincts. I'm not an expert, so my only piece of advice is to not buy from the DD without a GIA certification. Maybe check out some similar stones and their prices from trusted vendors (you can search diamonds on the home screen of this site), and if the prices you have been offered are more than about 30% less, it's probably too good to be true, (lower stats then the salesperson is telling you, etc.).

And Congratulations!!! :wavey: You're off to a great start as far as caring so much about this significant purchase, and doing your research.
 

Gypsy

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Aug 8, 2005
Messages
40,225
Do not buy a stone without a lab report unless that stone is under 25 points and you get a sarin and an idealscope of it and it is from a trusted vendor like HPD or GOG.

If you are in New York go to Brilliantly Engaged and ID Jewelry. And then take the train up to Long Island to Good Old Gold.

You'll be in good hands and not get ripped off.

And the other vendors, they ARE ripping you off, make no mistake.
 

MollyMalone

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jun 2, 2013
Messages
3,413
The Diamond District is a veritable shark tank for novices. So it's good you merely put down deposits, rather than making an outright purchase. Read, e.g., this horror story from a year ago:
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/need-advice-diamond-dealer-wont-honor-return-policy.209574/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/need-advice-diamond-dealer-wont-honor-return-policy.209574/[/URL]

As a general fyi: it's a mistake to believe that "all of the diamonds shown [you] were of equal or better quality" "for half of the online price" of what you think are online comparables because I predict all of the stones whose listings you retrieved through the PS database have GIA or AGS reports -- whereas "none of the ones [you viewed in the DD were] GIA stones." So you are actually comparing apples and oranges (diamonds graded by GIA or AGS) to mystery fruits. By any chance, do you remember what lab report comes with the 1.35 ct stone -- was it a EGL International/Israel report (blech)?

There are some respected vendors (and PS sponsors) who -- in addition to offering online sales -- have retail operations in the DD that we can recommend, if you'd like. Good Old Gold, another PS sponsor & online vendor who's earned great respect from PSers, also has a brick-and-mortar store in Massapequa Park (Long Island), easy enough to get to from the Babylon LIRR train station, if you don't have a car. :)) You won't experience the sleazy, high pressure, sales tactics in either GOG or the DD places we'd suggest.

ETA: I now see that Gypsy has already recommended ID Jewelry and Brilliantly Engaged in the DD; you might also make an appointment with Eternity by Yoni.
 

JonnyBeGood

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jan 1, 2016
Messages
6
MollyMalone|1451715098|3969539 said:
The Diamond District is a veritable shark tank for novices. So it's good you merely put down deposits, rather than making an outright purchase. Read, e.g., this horror story from a year ago:
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/need-advice-diamond-dealer-wont-honor-return-policy.209574/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/need-advice-diamond-dealer-wont-honor-return-policy.209574/[/URL]

As a general fyi: it's a mistake to believe that "all of the diamonds shown [you] were of equal or better quality" "for half of the online price" of what you think are online comparables because I predict all of the stones whose listings you retrieved through the PS database have GIA or AGS reports -- whereas "none of the ones [you viewed in the DD were] GIA stones." So you are actually comparing apples and oranges (diamonds graded by GIA or AGS) to mystery fruits. By any chance, do you remember what lab report comes with the 1.35 ct stone -- was it a EGL International/Israel report (blech)?

There are some respected vendors (and PS sponsors) who -- in addition to offering online sales -- have retail operations in the DD that we can recommend, if you'd like. Good Old Gold, another PS sponsor & online vendor who's earned great respect from PSers, also has a brick-and-mortar store in Massapequa Park (Long Island), easy enough to get to from the Babylon LIRR train station, if you don't have a car. :)) You won't experience the sleazy, high pressure, sales tactics in either GOG or the DD places we'd suggest.

ETA: I now see that Gypsy has already recommended ID Jewelry and Brilliantly Engaged in the DD; you might also make an appointment with Eternity by Yoni.

The 1.35 was EGL-USA from what I recall. The 1.47 I currently have a deposit on is definitely EGL. The reason they dont have GIA is because those cost them more money and his rent is 60k a month lol. I have the EGL number on my receipt, but I just tried to view that report online and it's not coming up.

The reason I am averse to comparing online prices vs in-store pricing is because you cant haggle with the online dealer. I know I can get a stone that fits my criteria and within my budget if I work with an actual person somewhere. I also just want to be able to see it with my own eyes since it's such an expensive purchase.

I will definitely check out IDJ and BE. Any other DD retail suggestions are welcome as I will probably be going back tomorrow to the DD tomorrow to do more browsing. I will also schedule an appointment with GOG as well. As long as I dont have to deal with the sleazeball tactics I will be happy. I went there knowing that they would behave that way, but I wasnt aware they would be trying to sell a stone that isnt properly graded. This time I wont settle for anything but GIA-graded stones and I will also make sure the place offeres a no-questions asked refund after I get it appraised on my own
 

Rhino

Ideal_Rock
Trade
Joined
Mar 28, 2001
Messages
6,340
Hey Johnny,

Thanks for your post and welcome to the forum.

JonnyBeGood|1451710015|3969519 said:
I decided that it's time to ask her to marry me and I am hoping to find a good deal on a ring that is worth the money I pay for it. I have done a bit of research on this process, but I like to be very thorough with big purchases and I tend to rely on customer reviews, expert tips, etc. I live just outside of NYC so I spent a few hours in the Diamond District, but I am trying to take all of the negative attitudes towards the DD into consideration as well.

My budget for the stone + setting is around 7-8k.

I am looking for : Round, near colorless, 1.3-1.49ct, VS2+

During my recent trip to 47th street I saw a handful of diamonds that were in my price range, but I am not sure if I can trust what they are telling me. When I looked for online prices everything with my criteria was listed at a much higher price range (sometimes as high as double my budget), but these guys were willing to negotiate on a much more reasonable price than what I found online. I put deposits down on 2 separate stones, but then I found this site and I am beginning to question that decision. None of them had GIA stones and all of them were far too keen on selling me a diamond within minutes of showing it to me. Despite my reservations I did see some stones that seemed reasonable at first glance.

That's because what you're being offered in the DD are generally what many refer to as "bluff" stones. They are likely either ...
  • brown
    have surface breaching inclusions
    have graining issues that impact transparency
    fluorescence that may impact transparency
    compromised in cut
    graded by a liberal lab
    or all of the above

The diamond world can be quite a maze and generally the primary reason starts with the fact that none of them were accompanied by a conservative lab Report (like GIA). When it has no report there can be a plethora of things wrong. :)

I found a beautiful round, 1.35ct, E, VS1, triple ex that they were willing to sell to me for a small amount over my budget.

I also put a deposit on a round, 1.47ct, D, VS1 clarity enhanced for even less than the above-mentioned stone. I have since learned that it's a good idea to avoid CE stones so I will need to get my deposit back. At that time I thought it was a steal as it was a much bigger diamond with better color although the polish and sym were only Very Good

From my brief time on this site I have found a few names that I will contact in the coming days for appointments if necessary, but in the meantime any other help would be appreciated. Am I realistic with my budget and the type of diamond I am looking for?

Not really. A good quality gem in the 1.3xct - 1.4xct, VS+ range is going to cost notably more than unless perhaps you get a superior cut I/J color. When I say a superior cut I not talking just GIA Ex but a GIA that also *at the very least* has AGS Ideal Light Performance.

Can I trust the prices I see online? All of the stones I found in the DD were of equal or better quality and were being offered to me for half of the online price. Although I did notice all of the diamonds they showed me came in packages with massive price tags. They would then offer it to me for much less and then negotiate even further after the fact.

Because of the fierce competition online many in the DD are offering precisely what you are seeing. Are they better deals? No. I've been buying here in NY for the past 35 years with the most sophisticated technologies on the planet. Believe me when I tell you you'd be getting what you're paying for. Coming here is a good start and there are many resources available to you when you start clicking on the more educational links.

Kind regards,
Jonathan
 

flyingpig

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Nov 7, 2015
Messages
2,975
Any other DD retail suggestions are welcome as I will probably be going back tomorrow to the DD tomorrow to do more browsing.
Good old gold. Check out their youtube videos. Alot of amazing information. Just search good old gold in youtube. Check out their website and look at the shear amount of information and reports they provide for each stone.

In fact, the above poster is a gemologist at good old gold
 

centrifuge41

Rough_Rock
Joined
Nov 7, 2015
Messages
25
Yeah, some of those diamond district stories don't sound too terribly good...

When a vendor gets some particular stone, if they are gonna send it to EGL or IGI or whatever for certification, they've made a conscientious decision to do so, to maximize profit. They feel that the hit from having a softer certification is going to be more than made up for via overgrading of color and/or clarity. There's more than likely no real "deal" to be had. Diamonds are somewhat of a semi-commodity: once a stone/vendor combination is competitively priced, there's not really a sizeable discount to be had beyond that.

EGL-USA is decent, as it turns out. EGL-International and EGL-Israel are said to overgrade color and/or clarity by 1-2 grades each.

Good thing you are getting the deposit back on the clarity enhanced stone. Maybe the 1.35 E VS1 is worth a closer look. But do look at other GIA certified stones if available, so you know what a GIA E (or F or G) and GIA VS1/VS2/SI1 looks like.
 

MollyMalone

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jun 2, 2013
Messages
3,413
Jonny, will you and your future wife be shopping together for the ring setting (I honestly think it best that an e-ring -- center stone & setting -- be a couple's project, but I know there are women who want the ring to be a total surprise), or are you planning to present her with a complete ring; if the latter, what is your budget for a setting & do you know what styles most appeal to her? That info would have a bearing on additional suggestions-comments we would offer you.

P.S. One reason, which the DD merchant didn't tell you, the clarity-enhanced stone does not have a GIA report is because GIA has a policy of refusing to grade diamonds with filled feathers a/k/a fracture filling:
http://www.4cs.gia.edu/en-us/lad-diamond-treatments.htm
 

gr8leo87

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Apr 24, 2015
Messages
381
centrifuge41 said:
Yeah, some of those diamond district stories don't sound too terribly good...

When a vendor gets some particular stone, if they are gonna send it to EGL or IGI or whatever for certification, they've made a conscientious decision to do so, to maximize profit. They feel that the hit from having a softer certification is going to be more than made up for via overgrading of color and/or clarity. There's more than likely no real "deal" to be had. Diamonds are somewhat of a semi-commodity: once a stone/vendor combination is competitively priced, there's not really a sizeable discount to be had beyond that.

EGL-USA is decent, as it turns out. EGL-International and EGL-Israel are said to overgrade color and/or clarity by 1-2 grades each.

Good thing you are getting the deposit back on the clarity enhanced stone. Maybe the 1.35 E VS1 is worth a closer look. But do look at other GIA certified stones if available, so you know what a GIA E (or F or G) and GIA VS1/VS2/SI1 looks like.
Please do not put IGI and EGL in the same category.

No reputable lab (IGI, HRD, AGS, GIA) overgrades stones like EGL does.

In some demographies IGI or HRD is a lab of choice. (middle east, India, Europe). IGI is more often than not pretty consistent with grades.
 

JonnyBeGood

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jan 1, 2016
Messages
6
MollyMalone|1451807297|3969940 said:
Jonny, will you and your future wife be shopping together for the ring setting (I honestly think it best that an e-ring -- center stone & setting -- be a couple's project, but I know there are women who want the ring to be a total surprise), or are you planning to present her with a complete ring; if the latter, what is your budget for a setting & do you know what styles most appeal to her? That info would have a bearing on additional suggestions-comments we would offer you.

P.S. One reason, which the DD merchant didn't tell you, the clarity-enhanced stone does not have a GIA report is because GIA has a policy of refusing to grade diamonds with filled feathers a/k/a fracture filling:
http://www.4cs.gia.edu/en-us/lad-diamond-treatments.htm

She has given me the basics and I am picking the stone based on what she told me. She definitely wants a round with a halo setting. I am trying to spend 7-7500 on the stone and up to 1k for the setting.
 

MissGotRocks

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jun 23, 2005
Messages
16,269
No one here will ever advise you to get a diamond with subpar cut. Your budget for the stone must increase or your parameters for size must change to get a well cut stone in your budget range. You can opt for a smaller stone if she truly wants a halo as it will increase the overall size of the ring on her finger. You could also find the largest, best cut stone within your budget and set it in a simple setting for now and perhaps reset in a halo for an anniversary.

Do not, however, be lured into the Diamond District. When they offer you amazing prices, they are also offering you inferior stones. There are really no bargains to be had in diamonds so don't let them fool you into thinking that. It's about like walking into a shark tank and of course they want to sell you a stone within your first five minutes there. It's a done deal before you even realize what has happened. People that sell quality items for a fair market price don't operate like that. They want you to know exactly what you are buying and they want you to be happy with the purchase.
 

Diamond_Hawk

Brilliant_Rock
Trade
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Messages
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JonnyBeGood|1451744330|3969618 said:
The reason I am averse to comparing online prices vs in-store pricing is because you cant haggle with the online dealer. I know I can get a stone that fits my criteria and within my budget if I work with an actual person somewhere. I also just want to be able to see it with my own eyes since it's such an expensive purchase.

JonnyBeGood,

You are getting invaluable advice here!

Take time to really read Gypsy's post. Several Times.

The reason there is little to no flexibility in 'haggling' with the online dealer is that the diamonds listed online are often from a virtual inventory to which several vendors have access. What does that mean? Often times the exact same diamond is available from several different sellers - the. exact. same. diamond.

So if vendor A lists Diamond X ( maybe I should say "Triple X" :lol: ) for $5,000 suddenly vendor B says, "um... list it for $4950", then vendor A says... "no way - list it for $4900" - and this continues on and on until both vendors have the diamond listed for the bare minimum that they can afford. Most will also offer a Price-Match just in case.

This is all done with pricing algorithms based on market conditions and what value add-ons the company may have (trade-up policies, return windows, etc...). This means, essentially, you can feel confident that online diamonds have been "Pre-Haggled" for you. Even then, you may find some flexibility in price when you call and speak with particular online vendors if you find the right diamond and the right market conditions.

As for 'seeing it with your own eyes' - understood. This is why the online vendors offer such generous return policies - BUT, it goes beyond that. If you have read Gypsy's post and researched the concepts of eye-clean, and color sensitivity you may have determined that the color and clarity differences of a diamond can be indecipherable to the naked eye. The light performance images relative to cut, and the lab which has issued the report can be instrumental in helping you refine the diamonds you wish to see in person.

Once you have refined your choices whether you go into a store, or purchase online, I recommend ALWAYS insisting on an ASET image (at the very least an Ideal-Scope image) of the diamond.

Best wishes!
 

JonnyBeGood

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jan 1, 2016
Messages
6
Diamond_Hawk|1451836263|3970001 said:
JonnyBeGood|1451744330|3969618 said:
The reason I am averse to comparing online prices vs in-store pricing is because you cant haggle with the online dealer. I know I can get a stone that fits my criteria and within my budget if I work with an actual person somewhere. I also just want to be able to see it with my own eyes since it's such an expensive purchase.

JonnyBeGood,

You are getting invaluable advice here!

Take time to really read Gypsy's post. Several Times.

The reason there is little to no flexibility in 'haggling' with the online dealer is that the diamonds listed online are often from a virtual inventory to which several vendors have access. What does that mean? Often times the exact same diamond is available from several different sellers - the. exact. same. diamond.

So if vendor A lists Diamond X ( maybe I should say "Triple X" :lol: ) for $5,000 suddenly vendor B says, "um... list it for $4950", then vendor A says... "no way - list it for $4900" - and this continues on and on until both vendors have the diamond listed for the bare minimum that they can afford. Most will also offer a Price-Match just in case.

This is all done with pricing algorithms based on market conditions and what value add-ons the company may have (trade-up policies, return windows, etc...). This means, essentially, you can feel confident that online diamonds have been "Pre-Haggled" for you. Even then, you may find some flexibility in price when you call and speak with particular online vendors if you find the right diamond and the right market conditions.

As for 'seeing it with your own eyes' - understood. This is why the online vendors offer such generous return policies - BUT, it goes beyond that. If you have read Gypsy's post and researched the concepts of eye-clean, and color sensitivity you may have determined that the color and clarity differences of a diamond can be indecipherable to the naked eye. The light performance images relative to cut, and the lab which has issued the report can be instrumental in helping you refine the diamonds you wish to see in person.

Once you have refined your choices whether you go into a store, or purchase online, I recommend ALWAYS insisting on an ASET image (at the very least an Ideal-Scope image) of the diamond.

Best wishes!

Yes I think I realized that I need to come down on my criteria a bit. I am fairly confident I want to stay with 1.3ct minimum. Perhaps I just havent seen enough halo settings, but anything in the 1.0-1.2 range just seems so lost in there. Using the search tool on this site and from my prior convos with jewelers in the last few days it seems like I'll need to settle for a G/SI1,GIA 3x, HCA ex, table under 60% stone.

If I want to stay in F+/VS2+ range then I will need to get something under 1.15ct. I was actually not aware that the online vendors were very generous with their return policy. I feel much more comfortable knowing I can return something no questions asked so I will definitely give them more serious thought
 

Asscherhalo_lover

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Aug 16, 2007
Messages
5,703
flyingpig|1451750002|3969648 said:
Any other DD retail suggestions are welcome as I will probably be going back tomorrow to the DD tomorrow to do more browsing.
Good old gold. Check out their youtube videos. Alot of amazing information. Just search good old gold in youtube. Check out their website and look at the shear amount of information and reports they provide for each stone.

In fact, the above poster is a gemologist at good old gold

He's the owner :)
 

JonnyBeGood

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jan 1, 2016
Messages
6
After a short break I finally decided to make the plunge. I am currently looking at 2 diamonds although I have a deposit down on one. I think they both look great in person but I am having a hard time making the final decision. I am hoping i can upload those pics here and see what the community has to say about both of them. In this post are the images for the 1st diamond - it is a VVS2 clarity with great HCA score

Also, they are available for about the same price so that is negligible for comparison sake.

1_aset.jpg

1_normal.jpg

1_idealscope.jpg

1_hearts.jpg
 

JonnyBeGood

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jan 1, 2016
Messages
6
And here we have a similar size and HCA score, but a VS2 clarity. I wasnt able to detect anything in person, but after viewing these images I believe I understand why one is a VVS2 and another only a VS2.

2_aset.jpg

2_normal.jpg

2_4.jpg

2_arrows.jpg
 
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