Looking for one carat round, please help!

[Yoga]

I am looking for a one carat (can be slightly under to get the price break), round, at least SI 1, H, for around $3000.00-$3,500.00. I am ordering this for my aunt who is on her second marriage and neither she or her fiance know anything about diamonds. I said I would get it for her. She wants a simple setting with one small round on each side and it can be set in white gold as opposed to platinum in order to get side diamonds.

She is looking to pay a total of $4,500 when it''s all said and done. Any suggestions of websites to order from where I can get the diamond and the setting for this price?

 

[Yoga]

Oh, and I am willing to chip in for an "engagment gift" $500.00 for the setting. I rather her spend the $1,000.00 on the side diamonds. I think she can get .25's for around $400-$500.00 each.

 

[Yoga]

I just did a quick search on Abazias.com

They give only basic info at first
These are ALL GIA and RB:

(1)
.96
F,SI1
Depth: 61.8
Table: 62
$3065.00

(2)
.96
F, SI1
Depth: 54.1
Table: 66
$3065.00

(3)
.96
G, VS 1
D: 63.7
T: 59
$3396.00

(4)
.96
G, SI1
D: 61
T: 57
$3667.00

(5)
1.00
G, SI1
D: 61.2
T: 62
$3419.00

Which would you choose?

 

[niceice]

You're trying to "buy a car" without popping the hood to see what size the engine is... In other words, you're only looking at 1/2 of the factors by only considering the total depth and table measurements of the diamonds... You need to also know the crown and pavilion angle measurements to know the "full picture" and for any of the dealers here on PS to actually provide you with an opinion that is accurate... Ask the seller for a Sarin / OGI computerized proportions analysis on the diamonds and then you'll have this information... Make sure to get the full page proportions report and not the simply avery type mailing label version because the latter option is missing a lot of information...

 

[Fancy]

So much information, so little time!

 

[Yoga]

Thanks niceice! Is there a site that readily provides this information and would also have what I'm looking for in my price range?

I will check and see if I can get the sarin report on those diamonds and then post them.

Thank heavens for this forum!

 

[Mara]

Hmmm well I did a search on Pscope for H&A stones, then just AGS0 stones, then 'excellent cut quality' stones and found almost nothing within your price range. Alsmost everything from .90-1c F-H VS1-SI1 was around $4000-6000. So you may be hard pressed to find an excellent cut stone for $3500 around 1c.

I did find this stone for $3616 (pscope pricing). It's an AGS 0 but that does not mean its a well cut stone. However it's a good place to start--along with the stones you found.

http://www.dirtcheapdiamonds.com/diamond_detail.cfm?did=1498614

As R/T noted, its hard to give any info without knowing more. However, I will offer my two cents on a few of the stones you mention. Stay away from the one with the 66% table and 54% depth. Sometimes larger table stones will be gorgeous, mine is a 61.4% table and 57% depth, but IMO a 66% table is WAY too big for a good looking stone. The light will bounce off the table rather than enter the stone. Also, try to stay away from stones with a depth larger than 63% or possibly even 62%. The larger the depth of the stone, the smaller your stone will look, because some of the carat weight is lost in the depth of the stone, and not in the diameter where it should be. Out of all the ones you mentioned, stone #4 seems as though it has the best chance of being great. The other ones have some odd table/depth combos. But again..the Sarin will tell you the information that the numbers below cannot.

Definitely get the Sarin #'s on the stones you are considering as well as the one above. This will tell you much more than the regular GIA specs. However you MAY find that it will cost a bit more $$ to get a well-cut stone in around a 1c weight. If she cannot up the $$, and cut is important, then you may have to drop carat weight slightly OR get a bigger center stone and no side diamonds, etc.

Good luck!! Let us know the Sarin info.

 

[barry]

Sarin or Megascope data is definitely the way to go.

Both machines can also provide you with detailed cut analyses
of Crown and Pavillion facets so you can see how
precise the diamond has been cut.

Barry
www.superbcert.com

 

[Giangi]

Most probably you won't find an SI 1 H+ 1Ct ideal cut diamond priced within 3500... Why don't you start looking at SI 2s... Also, you might want to look for a nice diamond with 60% +/- 2% table with a super make...