Lost in the world of carats...buying advice needed

[h2009]

Hello,

I'm still looking for the right match to buy, and looking for some help please.
I've shortlisted the following diamonds but could do with some help picking the best one.

Originally I was looking for a 3-3.5 carat diamond, however the actual measurements of this weight vary so much I don't think 3 carat is the right way to go about. Googling '3 carat diamond size' shows that it should be between 9-9.5mm but thats a pretty big variation! So now I'm looking from 2.5carat up on my searches. (Thank god that Pricescope looks at supplies across the market!)

Sparkle is king for me
Followed by clarity (VS2* or better) and colour (G or better)
Note: I can see VS2 marks on a diamond if its on the table/face, so keep that in mind.
I would like a diamond around (0.5-/+0.5) 9x9mm regardless of its weight.

https://enchanteddiamonds.com/diamonds/view/R250-1YUWAZ
https://enchanteddiamonds.com/diamonds/view/R253-A7SD95
https://enchanteddiamonds.com/diamonds/view/R290-CR6YCF
https://enchanteddiamonds.com/diamonds/view/R304-4M4K5H
https://enchanteddiamonds.com/diamonds/view/R325-LSA374
https://enchanteddiamonds.com/diamonds/view/R332-6XWMXF
http://www.b2cjewels.com/dd-7682652-3.30-carat-Round-diamond-G-color-VVS1-clarity.aspx
http://www.b2cjewels.com/dd-6351046-3.32-carat-Round-diamond-G-color-VS2-clarity.aspx
https://www.ritani.com/diamonds/round-diamond-3-01-Carat-G-color-GIA-certified/D-WR79R2

My next question: Is buying a diamond like buying a car - in the sense that you have to haggle for the best price and if so what % can I expect to have it reduced by off the wire price.

Thank you.

 

[Gypsy]

No buying a diamond is not like buying a car. At least not from an online drop shipper like Enchanted Diamonds. The price listed is what you pay.

https://enchanteddiamonds.com/diamonds/view/R332-6XWMXF This one is a beauty. The best of the bunch.

You can try googling the GIA number to see if it's listed for less anywhere else. IF so, they may price match. But with the larger diamonds, it's unlikely.

 

[ADN]

Hello,

I'm still looking for the right match to buy, and looking for some help please.
I've shortlisted the following diamonds but could do with some help picking the best one.

Originally I was looking for a 3-3.5 carat diamond, however the actual measurements of this weight vary so much I don't think 3 carat is the right way to go about. Googling '3 carat diamond size' shows that it should be between 9-9.5mm but thats a pretty big variation! So now I'm looking from 2.5carat up on my searches. (Thank god that Pricescope looks at supplies across the market!)

Sparkle is king for me
Followed by clarity (VS2* or better) and colour (G or better)
Note: I can see VS2 marks on a diamond if its on the table/face, so keep that in mind.
I would like a diamond around (0.5-/+0.5) 9x9mm regardless of its weight.

https://enchanteddiamonds.com/diamonds/view/R250-1YUWAZ
https://enchanteddiamonds.com/diamonds/view/R253-A7SD95
https://enchanteddiamonds.com/diamonds/view/R290-CR6YCF
https://enchanteddiamonds.com/diamonds/view/R304-4M4K5H
https://enchanteddiamonds.com/diamonds/view/R325-LSA374
https://enchanteddiamonds.com/diamonds/view/R332-6XWMXF
http://www.b2cjewels.com/dd-7682652-3.30-carat-Round-diamond-G-color-VVS1-clarity.aspx
http://www.b2cjewels.com/dd-6351046-3.32-carat-Round-diamond-G-color-VS2-clarity.aspx

My next question: Is buying a diamond like buying a car - in the sense that you have to haggle for the best price and if so what % can I expect to have it reduced by off the wire price.

Thank you.

Hey mate - I can't comment on the stones you've selected as I'm in the trade and it's against forum rules.
But in general, with round brilliants, you'll get a mm size difference in stones of the same ct weight as it relates to their 'cut' - variations in depth/crown height/girdle thickness/etc all affect the face-up mm outline of the stone -- stones with top make will be pretty consistent (among similar carat weights) - so if for you "sparkle is king" focus on stones that fall into both the GIA Excellent & AGS Ideal 'cut' grades. However, keep in mind that what is aesthetically pleasing for some may not be for all - there are areas on pricescope with what parameters you can look for when selecting cut, and how the differences affect the light performance of the stone.
Regarding 'haggling'...the diamond world is ALL about haggling ...right from producer all the way down the line to you...so if you don't ask you won't know - - regarding discounts...it depends on how well you can haggle
Hope this helps

 

[egemnoel]

Hello H2009,

I was in your shoes this time 18 months and spent the last 12 months searching hard and found a brilliant vendor.

I bought a 2.16 G VS2 a few months back from Crafted By Infinity / High Performance Diamonds (a Pricescope vendor) and my wife thought it was a 3CT. Not only did it look big but the sparkle was mind blowing. Their attention to detail, integrity and of course the finished product is really what makes this special.

Have a look at this diamond below.

http://highperformancediamonds.com/shop/diamonds/HPD7618/?shop=yes

But read this first and this will answer a few of your questions.

http://highperformancediamonds.com/270-299-carats/

Good luck in your search.

 

[Gypsy]

Yes, but a woman who asks for a 9mm stone is a different kettle of fish.

This may help you;

 

[diamondseeker2006]

The stone Gypsy is great if totally eyeclean from top and sides.

These are measurements to help you stay in ideal cut territory with GIA excellent cut stones.

table: 54-58

depth: 60-62.3

crown angle: 34-35.0

pavilion angle: 40.6-40.9 (sometimes 41.0)

Also, yes, Enchanted Diamond's prices are at rock bottom already. You can definitely try negotiating with higher priced jewelers who have the stones in-house. Some will and some won't, and it may depend on the particular stone.

 

[h2009]

Just wondering if someone could advise which diamond they believe is better from the following.
A few online stores I've spoken with are saying the HCA are outdated and shouldn't be trusted. So what I've done is look at the Cut Score from Enchanted diamond and the HCA but they tell difference stories I think?


https://enchanteddiamonds.com/diamonds/view/R308-JMHF1W
CS 96.9 / HCA 1.1 - 9.35x9.39x5.72

https://enchanteddiamonds.com/diamonds/view/R303-1668QR
CS 97.2 / HCA 3.2 - 9.27x9.22x5.73

Thanks

 

[AdaBeta27]

In my experience, the brick & mortar jewelers have been lagging far behind Pricescope vendors in getting on board the high performance bandwagon, and the HCA is kept evergreen, as far as I know. I'm not sure what online vendors are dissing the HCA, but it is true that there is such a thing as "good enough" and that there are some diamonds that people find pleasing in spite of getting a HCA score over 2. There are people who don't like modern H&A RBs. There are people who like diamonds that are not what most PS people would choose. Garry revises the HCA whenever AGS or GIA change their criteria, but the RB criteria have been defined for a few years now. It's a rejection tool. You run it and look for score 2 or less. Lower is not better. You look at the plot HCA makes and see where the stone falls (AGS 000, GIA ex, or both) and you can look at the colors and see whether or not the stone is likely to be firey. The general idea with the modern H&A RB is you get superb performance in a variety of lighting, the symmetry aids the performance, and the diamonds are proportioned to create a good balance between fire and brilliance, under all lighting conditions. The "superideals" as a group are more homogeneous and less quirky and easier to buy over the Internet than older diamonds and lower cut grades.

If you look at diamonds with large tables, like in the 60s, you start to see that the diamonds are biased more toward brilliance (white light) than dispersion (fire). If you look at the opposite extreme, the "Firey Ideal Cut" (FIC), you have a deep stone with tall crown and small table that make more dispersion (fire) but at the expense of brillinace (white), and the FIC diamonds can look "darker" some of the time. (eta: We have discussions of TIC, BIC, FIC, 60/60 diamonds, and shallow "pendant stones" and "head obstruction" in threads on this board.)

There's a thread on here, Cheat Sheet for Rounds. I recommend reading it. I also recommend reading Todd Gray's NiceIce.com section "The Fast Track" under Education section. Those should summarize why PS generally recommends stones that conform to the "cheat sheet." Good Old Gold has articles that explain how minor faceting can affect a diamond's character. Most of what people worry about there is LGF%, which at 80% makes "slivery" arrows, and at something like 75-77% makes fatter ones, which is just personal preference. I like smaller tables 55-56% and fatter arrows best. I found that Good Old Gold was offering diamonds whose look I like, and I have purchased from them twice.

Look at the vendor's policies on returns and exchanges, and do they offer a buyback. How long do you have to return/exchange, etc.

The prosumers on here don't have any secret agenda. They are just trying to assist you to get a peak performer that fits your budget and other criteria.