Loose Diamond Opinion - For Engagement Ring

[Niel]

I'm sure they are busy on a Friday. Give them until tomorrow?

 

[jjspierx]

That diamond was out of stock. The search continues.

 

[tweeter8177]

Bummer! Have you tried doing a diamond search through Pricescope on the homepage? The only reason I mention it is it allows you to look by "HCA Cut Grade". I believe only BC2 diamonds will pop up with that particular selection field because they are the only ones that complete it (maybe JA does too). Then at least you don't have to go through every BC2 diamond in your criteria and calculate the HCA score, since it will already be calced.

This is also a good search engine for all the PS vendors (providing you don't use the HCA Cut Grade filter), but I know finding other vendors doesn't help you with the ring you want.

Maybe it is worth having the diamond and ring shipped to you from separate vendors and you pay to have it mounted by a local jeweler?

 

[Niel]

Do you still have that JA one on hold? What did they say about that setting??

 

[jjspierx]

JA never got back to me about the setting. I have B2C looking into a few more stones for me that I should be hearing back about today. All of them excellent cuts between 0.75-0.83 carat, with HCA's around 2 or less. I am having them checked for clarity and color comments. If any of them come back eye-clean I think I will probably go ahead with the purchase of whichever ones has the lowest HCA.

Stock # Carat Cut Color Clarity Depth % Table % Crown Angle Pavilion Angle Fluorescence HCA
3593249 0.76 Excellent J VS2 62.1 57 35 40.6 None 1
2713016 0.8 Excellent J SI1 62.6 57 35 40.8 None 1.8
3535329 0.83 Excellent I SI2 64.3 54 36 40.6 Med. Blue 2.1
3564298 0.8 Excellent J VS2 62.5 56 35.5 40.8 Med. Blue 2.6

I've used PS's diamond searched and filtered for B2C, but there are lots of diamonds that I find in B2C that do you not show up in the PS's search. Probably just a time delay from when B2C gets their diamond database updated, to when PS get's B2C's updated database information or something.

 

[jjspierx]

Stock # 3564298 from above seems to be my best choice. 3593249 from above is out of stock and the other have quite visible inclusions. #3564298 has a very small inclusion in the pavilion and white feathers in the crown, although I am told they are barely detectable to the gemologists eyes, which means it probably wont be detectable to me or my girls eyes at all. I feel pretty safe about this diamond. It is an excellent cut with a very good HCA (2.6). If it isn't to our satisfaction when it arrives, we have 30 days to return it. I think I will sit on this for a day and see if anybody has any comments about the diamond and if nothing too negative comes up I will make the purchase. Thanks for all the comments and help everybody.

 

[Niel]

Did they comment about the Fluor at all? I'd bet at VS2 it's eye clean and if the gemologist recommended or that's a good sign. Is just want to make sure the Fluor doesn't make it milky. At that level it probably wouldn't, but still worth asking. If you're comfortable getting it home with the slight chance you may have to return it, then go for it.

 

[tweeter8177]

I really hope this one works out for you...agree with Niel it is worth asking to make sure the stone isn't milky (rare from what I understand). For what it is worth, I just purchased a stone (although it is still being set right now) with very similar stats as the one you have selected...mine is triple ex, depth 62.4, table 56, crown 36, pavilion 40.6, HCA 1.8. I got to compare it in person with 4 other stones and it was the favorite for me, my husband and the seller. I am not an expert, but hopefully your stone will perform similarly.

Keep us updated and post pictures when you get it!!!

 

[jjspierx]

I am asking them about the fluorescence, but I don't expect it to be milky with only a medium blue fluorescence. Of the 4 diamonds I asked about they said it stood out as the top performer. I think that is a positive sign, because B2C has been brutally honest about a couple other diamonds I asked them about. This has been the first one that they actually recommended, so I feel pretty good about it.

 

[jjspierx]

Well I did it! I purchased the diamond and the setting. Can't wait to receive it. I will take pictures of it when it arrives to share. Thanks so much for the help everybody who participated in this thread. It is such a relief to be able to sit back and wait for it to arrive now. It almost felt like a full time job for several weeks researching and browsing for diamonds and settings. I enjoyed the process very much, but I am glad it is over for now. Hopefully the diamond will look as nice as it was described by B2C and I won't have to send it back and start the process over again. I feel pretty confident about it though, B2C steered me away from several other diamonds I inquired about and this was the first one they actually approved of as a good diamond when I inquired about it.

 

[tweeter8177]

Can't wait to see the pictures!

 

[jjspierx]

Ok, the ring arrived yesterday. Here are some pictures. These are just cell-phone pictures in bad lighting, I will get some better ones with my camera at home later in better lighting. I am quite pleased with the ring, it is exactly what I was expecting. Being a J colored diamond there is a touch of light yellow-ish, but its barely noticeable, especially when looking at it from the top view. The pictures show a bit more yellow than I see with my naked eye. I cannot see any visible inclusions in the diamond. I am not good at knowing how brilliant or sparkly a diamond is/should be as I haven't looked at many, but it seems to reflect light very well to me. I am nearly certain my girl will fall in love with it. I am very pleased with the band as well. B2C was very honest in my opinion of their assessment of the diamond. They shipped it overnight mail via UPS. Anyway, here are the pictures.

 

[Niel]

Oh it looks lovely! How do you feel?

 

[jjspierx]

 

[jjspierx]

Oh it looks lovely! How do you feel?

I feel very good about it, now I just have to plan a proposal...no big deal, right?

 

[jjspierx]

Ok, just two more. I am getting a little better at photographing it, but still just my cell phone camera.

 

[Niel]

Oh that looks very white! Lovely. I hope you start a smtb thread, especially after you propose so we can get hand shots.

 

[jjspierx]

Yeah, those first shots I took were in the red box it came in, and the red was reflecting off the diamond, so that 2nd and 3rd set of pics I took on just white piece of paper with a BIC pen holding the ring in place, and the yellow'ish that was noticed in the pics went away. The yellowish was much more noticeable in the pics than it actually looked through my own eyes which was weird, but that is possible because the camera lens was looking at the diamond from a very different view than my eyes.

 

[Niel]

No I understand I have that k and I cannot take a picture that accurately shows the color. I don't ever see yellow, its like a bone color, I find it very beautiful. White white diamonds seem very Hollywood, colors in this range seem more romantic.