Looking to upgrade … please help!!

[Grant0830]

Fellow PS, I found you 14 years ago when I purchased a round .84 ct, I, VS2 H&A diamond (with your advise) for my wife’s engagement ring. She has been hinting at an upgrade for some time and I am again coming to you for your advice.

We found a band that she really likes (pictures attached) but I was not impressed with the stores salesman’s advice on their in-house diamonds. I felt like we kept getting shown whole sized stones (2.5/3.0) even when I asked to see some off sized stones (2.34/2.73) he kept steering us back towards the whole sizes. Everything they had was GIA graded and pricing was fair but I really want to get the best bang for my buck. The 3.0 stone (pictured) had a HCA score of 3.4 and medium blue fluorescence which has me questioning the inventory they where showing us.

Please help steer me in the right direction! Questions and advice is greatly appreciated!!

 

[EClove]

Are you set on buying from this store? If not, can you share your budget and the specs you’re looking for? I’m sure some folks here can offer some great suggestions!

 

[Kim N]

Would you consider buying the diamond online and buying just the setting from that store? Like EClove said, we can help you search if you share your budget and size/color/clarity requirements.

This is one example of a superior cut stone in the size range your wife tried on.

Diamond | 2.426 ct I VS2 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond AGS Certified | 4455303

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 2.426 carat I color VS2 clarity loose diamond is graded by the American Gem Society (AGS) Laboratories. | 4455303

www.whiteflash.com

 

[DejaWiz]

Good news: That setting should be an easy one for just about any jeweler to get/make.

Check with Jon (Rhino) at Distinctive Gem, David (@Rockdiamond) at Diamonds by Lauren, and Whiteflash.

A. Jaffe ME3001QB Diamond Engagement Ring - Whit... | 5537

Radiate brilliance with A. Jaffe ME3001QB Diamond Engagement Ring from Whiteflash. Find your dream ring and symbolize your love. | 5537

www.whiteflash.com

 

[Grant0830]

Our price range that we where looking at is …
2.50 ct G/SI1/EX/Depth 62.3/Table 56- $35,300
3.01 ct F/SI2/EX/ Depth 63.0/Table 56 -$44,880
(The 3.01 has medium blue fluorescence)

 

[DejaWiz]

$44,342 wire price...plus another $100 off if you sign up for their newsletter.
Guaranteed super ideal with all the advanced images to prove it.
8.82mm spread.
Recipe for big fire: 15.4% crown height, 53% stars, and 55.8% table width.
Unbeatable lifetime upgrade program.

Hopefully, your search is now over.
If you like what you see, then contact them ASAP and put it on hold/reserve.

Diamond | 2.595 ct H VS1 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond AGS Certified | 4457029

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 2.595 carat H color VS1 clarity loose diamond is graded by the American Gem Society (AGS) Laboratories. | 4457029

www.whiteflash.com

 

[Grant0830]

Is now a good time to purchase a stone? Is market up or down or does it stay pretty consistent?

 

[DejaWiz]

Is now a good time to purchase a stone? Is market up or down or does it stay pretty consistent?

Market seems to still be rising, especially with the turmoil happening in Europe. It does have an affect since there are very active mines in Russia. The ongoing pandemic is another massive factor resulting in supply constraints.

Diamond Price Chart for round diamonds: Prices Update Monthly | PriceScope

Find out Diamonds Prices for Round Cut Diamonds with average and lowest per-carat prices taken from all the (1,000,000+) stones listed here with major 15 vendors.

www.pricescope.com

 

[Grant0830]

Ok, any other great high value stones out there I should consider?

 

[DejaWiz]

Ok, any other great high value stones out there I should consider?

Hi Grant, would you mind sharing the following so that we can provide the best recommendations tailored to your wants and needs?

Budget cap
Minimum carat/diameter
Max color grade
Max clarity grade

 

[Grant0830]

Budget: mid 40k’s
Minimum: 2.5 ct / 8.7
Max Color: G-H
Max Clarity: VS1/VS2

Thank you everyone again!!

 

[Kim N]

Here are a few more options for you.

Diamond | 2.718 ct H VS1 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond AGS Certified | 4420494

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 2.718 carat H color VS1 clarity loose diamond is graded by the American Gem Society (AGS) Laboratories. | 4420494

www.whiteflash.com

Diamond | 2.442 ct H VS1 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond AGS Certified | 4457046

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 2.442 carat H color VS1 clarity loose diamond is graded by the American Gem Society (AGS) Laboratories. | 4457046

www.whiteflash.com

Diamond | 2.463 ct H VS1 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond AGS Certified | 4457044

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 2.463 carat H color VS1 clarity loose diamond is graded by the American Gem Society (AGS) Laboratories. | 4457044

www.whiteflash.com

Diamond | 2.441 ct H VS2 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond AGS Certified | 4422547

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 2.441 carat H color VS2 clarity loose diamond is graded by the American Gem Society (AGS) Laboratories. | 4422547

www.whiteflash.com

 

[DejaWiz]

I'm sticking to my guns with this one.

Diamond | 2.595 ct H VS1 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond AGS Certified | 4457029

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 2.595 carat H color VS1 clarity loose diamond is graded by the American Gem Society (AGS) Laboratories. | 4457029

www.whiteflash.com

 

[Diamond_Enthusiast]

Here is a F color super ideal cut stone if you are ok with medium fluorescence:

2.512 F VS2 Brian Gavin Blue

Buy diamonds online - AGS Graded 2.512 carat F VS2 super ideal cut Brian Gavin Blue Round Cut diamond. Lifetime Upgrade Policy!

www.briangavindiamonds.com

BGD has a sale for April and the price works out to be at the lower end of your budget post discount code: APRDIA22

Special Offers on Loose Diamonds, Engagement Rings, & Jewelry

Discover Loose Diamond, Engagement Ring, & Earrings offers and specials. Shop now at Brian Gavin Diamonds!

www.briangavindiamonds.com

 

[DejaWiz]

Here is a F color super ideal cut stone if you are ok with medium fluorescence:

2.512 F VS2 Brian Gavin Blue

Buy diamonds online - AGS Graded 2.512 carat F VS2 super ideal cut Brian Gavin Blue Round Cut diamond. Lifetime Upgrade Policy!

www.briangavindiamonds.com

BGD has a sale for April and the price works out to be at the lower end of your budget post discount code: APRDIA22

Special Offers on Loose Diamonds, Engagement Rings, & Jewelry

Discover Loose Diamond, Engagement Ring, & Earrings offers and specials. Shop now at Brian Gavin Diamonds!

www.briangavindiamonds.com

Is it bad that this one also induces the side effect of drooling?
Beautiful diamond - nice find, Diamond_Enthusiast!

 

[Grant0830]

Help me understand a medium blue fluorescence. The good & bad?

 

[AprilBaby]

All fantastic options!

 

[Grant0830]

How would you compare the Brian Gavin Blue to this GIA stone... https://www.gia.edu/report-check?reportno=5211940919

 

[DejaWiz]

How would you compare the Brian Gavin Blue to this GIA stone... https://www.gia.edu/report-check?reportno=5211940919

The numbers look great, but we will need pictures and/or videos at a bare minimum, while advanced images (ASET or Ideal-Scope) would tell us everything we would need in order to properly assess it.

 

[Grant0830]

any advise on medium blue fluorescence

 

[DejaWiz]

any advise on medium blue fluorescence

Likely zero problem, since it's a Brian Gavin diamond. You can contact him and ask him to confirm that the MBF has zero impact on transparency and optical performance.

 

[Kim N]

Help me understand a medium blue fluorescence. The good & bad?

Being a Brian Gavin Blue, there should be no issues visually. They stand behind their Blue line with their upgrade and buyback policies. And because of the fluorescence, you'd be getting a discount. The disadvantage is public perception of it.

 

[Grant0830]

So I asked the local retailer where we found the setting My wife liked if they had any ideal scope images of the stones we looked at and got a long story about how GIA doesn’t recognize this and it’s all marketing hype. Why do these retailers carry only GIA stones and put down the AGS cert stones?

 

[DejaWiz]

So I asked the local retailer where we found the setting My wife liked if they had any ideal scope images of the stones we looked at and got a long story about how GIA doesn’t recognize this and it’s all marketing hype. Why do these retailers carry only GIA stones and put down the AGS cert stones?

Because they want to fill their cash register with your money, and do so by any means they deem necessary.

It's a very old-school approach of selling diamonds: make it glitter and dance under the dazzle lighting of the showroom and say something along the lines of "if it looks good to you, then that's all that matters."

The whole point and purpose of the ASET (and Ideal-Scope) is to protect the buyer from getting a poorly cut and proportioned diamond with inadequate light return and performance, because that dazzle lighting dancing diamond will look way different out in the real world, and not for the better.

Something like 70% of all diamonds graded by GIA get their top Excellent cut grade, merely because their (GIA) criteria is far too broad. That only benefits the cutters and sellers by giving an illusion of being great diamonds to the unknowing end customer.
AGS revolutionized the industry with their superior grading methodology by utilizing all three dimensions to analyze a diamond and determine overall light performance.

 

[Diamond_Enthusiast]

Help me understand a medium blue fluorescence. The good & bad?

Here is a video that will help you understand fluorescence and the Brian Gavin Blue range:

I personally like fluorescence. There is a mix of people who like and dislike it here.

 

[Diamond_Enthusiast]

How would you compare the Brian Gavin Blue to this GIA stone... https://www.gia.edu/report-check?reportno=5211940919

I would personally go for F since it is two color grades higher, super ideal cut with advanced images to prove it. BGD also offers an upgrade program if you decide to upgrade again down the track.

So I asked the local retailer where we found the setting My wife liked if they had any ideal scope images of the stones we looked at and got a long story about how GIA doesn’t recognize this and it’s all marketing hype. Why do these retailers carry only GIA stones and put down the AGS cert stones?

As @DejaWiz mentioned, they want your business and it is easier to sell you a diamond under store lighting designed to make the diamonds look better. Far easier to tell you to go with your eyes than supply evidence of light performance - extra effort that may actually make their diamonds less marketable to you.

If they don't carry AGS stones, they have no incentives to speak favorably about AGS and it is best for them to push the GIA stones only. Consider AGS 000 a more precisely cut subset of GIA XXX stones. Both are highly reputable labs but you need to work harder to find a well cut GIA XXX and know what to look for.

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

There is no reason for you to eschew a diamond simply because it is AGS graded, as others have mentioned. AGS has tighter cut parameters than GIA, so an AGS000 is going to score GIA 3Ex. Some people DO think that AGS can be a bit 'softer' on colour as compared to GIA, however this difference, if it exists, is more likely to pop up in the lower colours and not in colourless stones, I believe. I don't have enough experience to know if that is a meaningful concern. The only time an AGS cert may work against you is in the small chance you want to sell the stone in a non-US environment (since AGS is not very well known outside of the US). However, at that point you could always get it graded by GIA. You don't lose out in any real way by going for the AGS cert in my opinion.

One way you can ease your mind that you do have is to ask BGD to give you their opinion on whether the stone is a 'low F' or 'high F'. If you're very particular, you can also pay for them to have the stone re-graded by GIA (check that this means that the stone will still be eligible for upgrade, you'll be able to return it if you're not happy with the grade etc).

Personally, I would go for the BGD in this case.

 

[Grant0830]

Awesome! Thank you everyone!! Now, on the A. Jaffe setting my wife likes. Would BGD be able to get this setting? Or have it made to fit the stone? The local store said they would have to order the setting and I worry that if I get the stone not from them they won’t set it

 

[WDWDiamond]

I would reach out to BGD. They are super awesome to work with (I have diamond studs from them).

Just fyi, WF does have A. Jaffe settings on their website if you decide to go with them.

A. Jaffe Engagement Rings: Timeless Elegance & Craftsmanship

Explore the exquisite beauty of A. Jaffe Engagement Rings. Experience the blend of timeless design and exceptional quality that defines every piece.

www.whiteflash.com

 

[Grant0830]

One more ask for help… do you all see any high value stones 2.5 ct vs2-si1 I/H/G around $35k?