losing sleep and sanity :)

[blumoon]

After 10 years of being married we are going to buy a diamond. I would like to get close to 1ct. to set in a plain platinum band.
I checked out some library books for educating myself..as well as hanging around here.
Our budget is 5 k for the diamond. I found a nice 1 ct. stone J color and showed it to my husband. He didn''t like it and felt I should look for something in a higher color. I found a beautiful diamond which is a .84 ct, H&A , F VS1. The price is $4,500. I have found some other diamonds which seem nice that are 1 carat but are I in color. Should I keep looking? From what I have read here the yellow is noticable and I think that may bother me. The .84 may bother me as well....you know not being a carat and all. I have absolutely no idea what to do.Do I go for the quality or go for the bigger bang? I really have been losing sleep and my sanity. Please give me any thoughts you may have.
I know many will say it is all a matter of what I prefer but give me your opinion anyway.....Please!

 

[Kaleigh]

Oh no don''t loose any sleep, or your sanity!!! You''ve come to the right place and we will be more than happy to help you. First I would read the tutorials they are very helpful. Cut is the most important C, then if you are color sensitive you can go from there. For 5K, you shouldn''t have a problem finding a nicely cut stone that is white and eye clean. Good luck and welcome to Pricescope!!!

 

[LadyluvsLuxury]

Hey Blumoon! Welcome!

I am in no way an expert but I do know the cut of the diamond is a big factor on how colorless a stone may appear. If you go with an H&A stone for example, you may not see the color in a G-I stone that you might in a poorly cut stone. Also, once set the stone will appear whiter face up. I would lower my color grade from an ''F; to a G, H, I if you truly want to go into the 1 carat range and remain in budget! Goodluck!

 

[blumoon]

I have read the tutorials but will read them again. I understand that cut is the most important C. I think that is whay I am attracted to the H&A, I really like the symmetry. I think I have some emotional 1 carat ideal as well. I know that there are diamonds not "branded" H&A that will look just as good. I have read to go a little lower in color to get the 1 ct. I have a small ring size 4 or 4.5 so I think that will make a smaller diamond pop. I would also like the idea of having something of more value...I dont know am I awnsering my own questions here? I wouldn''t be surprised

 

[ame]

I would stay I or above I think. Mine is below one carat and isn''t far from looking like one. Don''t obsess about the size. Get what looks good.

 

[Kaleigh]

You can also go for a stone that is just shy of the one carat mark and save some money as well. Like a .90- .95 size stone.

 

[ame]

Excellent point. The difference to the eye is so minimal you will never know.

 

[MissAva]

Bless your heart, and welcome to PriceScope. I agree with Kaleigh cut is vital to a pretty stone. May I ask why to one carat mark is important to you? What shape are you looking for? I am assuming rb but I was not sure from your post. Each diamond is different and so will the size even if it has an identical ct weight. You mentioned that you wanted the stone set into a plain plat band. That sounds lovely, but does plain mean 2mm or 4? I think you might be helped by going into a local store and getting a feel for what mm you like best on your hand. If you have read the Under 1ct thread? There are people who find that larger stones look "off" somehow on their hands. It is a matter of prefrence of couse but I hope this helps you. Good Luck and lets us know how it goes.

 

[Sunni79]

IMO, if you don''t get the size diamond you want, you will never be satisified with it. When my now husband and I got engaged, he said he wanted a smaller carat weight with higher color and clarity. I agreed at the time. It didn''t take long for me to realize that I still wanted a larger stone. I finally got my upgrade ring and couldn''t be happier. I love the color and clarity.
size is no longer an issue for me!

.

 

[blumoon]

Wow thanks for the welcome! I like the round shape and as far as the band, a 2mm is the ideal. I have been to the stores to look at rings to see what appeals to me. I went to one the other day because they have the Vatche settings which I thought I would like. I tried them on and decided I like more of a Tiffany setting. They didnt have the Vatche Royal Crown setting which I would have liked to see. Anyways I have done as much research as time allows (3 kids) but I still have doubts. The difference between 1 ct. and .84 is noticable but not huge.
As for the size doesn''t everyone envision the 1 ct.? Maybe not. I think I am really leaning towards the .84. I don''t think I will know how the difference in size will affect me until it is on my hand. I guess I could go back to the jewelry store. For some reason I really don''t like going to the jewelry store I feel like shark bait. I also feel like I am taking up their time. Maybe that is because I know I am not going to buy anything!

 

[Kaleigh]

I know that some stores can make you feel uncomfortable what with pressure tactics and all. But you really need to try on different carat weights to see what will make you happy in the long run. You have waited 10 years for this so take your time and see what really speaks to you as far as size goes and go from there.

 

[MissAva]

I agree, also make sure you ask the dimensions then you can decide how small you can go and still think it looks pretty one your hand. Then you can do a price search here on PS and use that size as a guideline.

 

[northstar_78]

Here''s my two cents...yes you have come to the right place! I started my own diamond hunt here and I''ve learned SO much! Great supportive people frequent this place too!

I too have a smaller finger (3.5ish) and not only was finding the diamond important but finding the setting was just as important if not more! To make it pop I found a lovely four prong solitaire in white gold that tapers inward on each side of the center stone. It REALLY showcases the stone, I don''t have it on my finger yet but the ring I saw at the vendor looked beautiful!

I don''t have a great eye for color but I LOVE sparkle and brilliance and that can make the stone appear larger...a good thing! My choice for color would be G-H possibly a sparkly I that faced up nice and white. I found some AGS Ideal cuts that I LOVED! In all honesty the I and the H were impossible for me to tell apart and only when I saw the G and I from the side could I tell the difference.

You have a lot of flexibilty with your budget...I''d go see some Ideal cuts in person to check out the different color grades and spend some time looking at rings white gold settings really make stones ''pop'' and you can always upgrade! Good luck!

 

[pearcrazy]

To me where you should compromise the most is in clarity. If you can go down to an SI1 clarity you''ll get more diamond for your money and you won''t be able to see the inclusions. There are some eye clean SI2''s out there too if you are up for some hunting. Just let the online merchants be your guide, many will send you 40x pictures and the ones I''ve dealt with are very honest about the stones being eye clean or not. I have an I colored diamond and I don''t see any yellow. It''s a VS2 but that''s only because the price was right. I''d been hunting for an SI1 or SI2. If you are color sensitive then stay above an I but maybe closer to an H would be a good compromise.

 

[aljdewey]

Date: 6/11/2005 7:47:01 PM
Author:blumoon

Our budget is 5 k for the diamond. I found a nice 1 ct. stone J color and showed it to my husband. He didn't like it and felt I should look for something in a higher color. I found a beautiful diamond which is a .84 ct, H&A , F VS1. The price is $4,500. I have found some other diamonds which seem nice that are 1 carat but are I in color. Should I keep looking? From what I have read here the yellow is noticable and I think that may bother me.

I think your husband's reluctance on the color stems from the probability that the J stones he's seen aren't of the best cut quality. Poorer cut stones don't mask body color well, so if he's looking at J stones in the mall that are horribly cut, then sure....they will look yellow. That doesn't mean a well-cut stone will look that way.

When I got engaged, there was the normal furor among my coworkers to see the ring. In this group of ten or so people, one of them remarked how white my stone was and how she wished she had been able to get a colorless stone. I said, "nope - this isn't colorless - it's near colorless. It's an H." EVERYONE gasped - they couldn't believe it was an H, because their perceptions of H were based on poorly cut stones in the chain stores. That's just now how well-cut stones look.

In top-shelf cut stones, I and J stones *don't* look "yellow".....rather, they may have a slight warmth to them. Further, that warmth will not show face-up; you'll only see it when you them from the side in profile.

The suggestion to consider the .90-.95 range is a good one in theory, but if you can't find them, it's not going to help you. I cannot find anything among the vendors here in the .9x size range in F/G color that is well-cut. Great suggestion, but doesn't help you presently since there is no stock in that size.

That leaves you with choosing between 1.00-1.10 H/I stones, or choosing the smaller F stone.

I think a great compromise is the 1.03 H, SI2 stone I posted for you in the other thread....as long as it's eyeclean. I own an H.....I can tell you emphatically it's NOT yellow.....not from any angle. If it isn't, I'd really go with the bigger I stones than the smaller F. That's my two cents.

This may help you decide. Go to one of the fine jewelers in your area....not a mall jeweler, but someone who has access to AGS0 stones. Ask them if they have an I or J stone in stock that you can see. I think once you SEE a well-cut I stone, you'll know if you will be okay with it.

I also agree with the poster who said, "If you get the smaller size, you won't be happy with it because you already know you want the larger size". She's right.

 

[aljdewey]

Date: 6/12/2005 11:39:23 AM
Author: valeria101

And then there is this - great brilliance as much as pictures can tell, but not quite H&A: 0.91 F Si1 $3800 at WF.

Did you look at the Idealscope on this one, Val? I saw that stone, too, but I wouldn''t say it''s of the best cut. Part of what makes the diamond flash is the arrows being well-defined, and they aren''t on this one.

Yes, it''s a good value for the money, but if the goal is a well-cut stone, I think some of the other options are better.

 

[blumoon]

What do you think?
1.0 Ideal cut
H SI1 $-over budget
Depth 61.8
Table 56
Crown angle 34.6
Pav. angle 40.7
HCA score 1.1
I e-mailed them for an Ideal Scope picture

 

[aljdewey]

That one looks nice, but I don't see why you'd want to pay over budget for this H, SI1 when the 1.03 H, SI2 looked clean. Didn't you say "if I can't see it without a microscope, I don't care."?

Your call, though....if you want to spend more than budget, the H, SI1 looks nice, too.

 

[blumoon]

I have sent an e mail to request pictures of the diamond you are referring to. I plan on calling there in the morning. I appreciate your help, Thanks!

 

[jrock78]

pearcrazy, you said:

(I shows to be over 5k on the site but the PS discount should bring it down under 5000.)

please clarify what you mean by "PS discount"

thanks!