Lower Color Stone Lovers - J vs. K?

[jill_s]

I am currently looking into upgrading my current stone, a J, to a larger K stone. My original ering was a G (probably more like an H or I since it wasn''t certed), and I now have the J. I''ve had the J for about a year, and I did notice a *slight* color difference when I got it, but over the last year, I''ve really come to like the stone and the color doesn''t bother me at all now. So my question is, if I don''t mind a J color, will I see much difference if I upgrade to a K color (assuming that both the J and K are excellent cut stones)? I have been to some jewelry stores, but I haven''t seen an AGS/GIA graded K in person. I did see a J which is what prompted me to go with my J in the first place.

 

[stone-cold11]

You saw this video? http://vimeo.com/3288695

Use you own J as a reference to what you see on the video and you should get an idea of what a K will look to you.

 

[jill_s]

Date: 7/23/2009 12:18:28 PM
Author: Stone-cold11
You saw this video? http://vimeo.com/3288695


Use you own J as a reference to what you see on the video and you should get an idea of what a K will look to you.

Thanks for your post. I just found that video this morning and was watching it. I really didn''t notice much difference between the j and k. Am i insane for thinking of purchasing this stone not having seen a K in person?

 

[stone-cold11]

Well, as long as the vendor has a good return period and policy, no harm taking it for a test drive.

 

[Upgradable]

I love the warmer colors!! I think the color you see and love with your J would just be a little more candlelight colored in the K.

 

[LadyLilac]

I say go for the K, if the jeweler has a good return policy that will let you return the stone if you see it and don''t fall in love with it for any reason.

Also (and depending on how you feel about flouresence- some (me) love it, and some don''t), a K color stone with Medium Blue flouresence will likely look more white under most lighting conditions than an identical J stone that has no flouresence. Do you want noticeable warmth or do you want your stone to appear pretty much white?

 

[makemepretty]

I''d stick with J just because you''ll have a better chance at finding bands to mix and match with it. With a K, especially larger size, smaller diamonds in bands naturally seem whiter and compared to a K will be too much of a contrast IMHO.

Also, trade in, resale, etc. a J is a much better option for keeping it''s value and is still considered "near colorless".

 

[Lula]

The poster who goes by Dreamer-Dashie has a K. There are many great photos of it on the Show me the Ring forum (search for her name). Also, if you look through this post by me, you will see she made some great comments about owning a J and K and the differences between them. Her comments were really helpful to me now that I''m considering going from a J to a K or lower color stone.

post on comparing J, K, M

 

[jill_s]

Date: 7/23/2009 1:12:01 PM
Author: LadyLilac
I say go for the K, if the jeweler has a good return policy that will let you return the stone if you see it and don''t fall in love with it for any reason.


Also (and depending on how you feel about flouresence- some (me) love it, and some don''t), a K color stone with Medium Blue flouresence will likely look more white under most lighting conditions than an identical J stone that has no flouresence. Do you want noticeable warmth or do you want your stone to appear pretty much white?

I ideally wanted to find a K stone with some florescence, but there weren''t any available in the size I''m looking. I would prefer the stone to look white, but I''m not against seeing a little color. I''m thinking that I might go ahead and try this one I''ve found to see what I think about the color. The good part is that I''m with Whiteflash, so I can always upgrade the stone if I wear it and it isn''t quite what I was hoping.

 

[jill_s]

Date: 7/23/2009 1:12:55 PM
Author: makemepretty
I''d stick with J just because you''ll have a better chance at finding bands to mix and match with it. With a K, especially larger size, smaller diamonds in bands naturally seem whiter and compared to a K will be too much of a contrast IMHO.


Also, trade in, resale, etc. a J is a much better option for keeping it''s value and is still considered ''near colorless''.

Excellent point about wearing a K with another diamond band. I, too, wondered about that. I think I might give it a try and see what I think. I hate to rule out the K just because I''m not sure. I think the only way for me to know *for sure* how I feel about it is to see it in person.

 

[jill_s]

Date: 7/23/2009 1:34:52 PM
Author: sarap333
The poster who goes by Dreamer-Dashie has a K. There are many great photos of it on the Show me the Ring forum (search for her name). Also, if you look through this post by me, you will see she made some great comments about owning a J and K and the differences between them. Her comments were really helpful to me now that I''m considering going from a J to a K or lower color stone.


post on comparing J, K, M

sarap333 - thanks for reminding me of DD''s threads. I just did a search and found it. I also just found Wink''s video of the K that you''re looking at, and it appears to be a knockout stone. Seeing stuff like that make me think that K stones really are beautiful when cut to the right proportions!

 

[Lula]

Glad to help, Jill. I love the warmer colors! I''m having the M in those videos shipped to me next week. I agree with you about needing to see it in person, though the videos did help me decide on the M.

The K is gorgeous and it''s still available, so don''t be shy about contacting Wink about it if you''re curious about it or have questions. He''s very easy to work with.

 

[jill_s]

Date: 7/23/2009 3:08:15 PM
Author: sarap333
Glad to help, Jill. I love the warmer colors! I''m having the M in those videos shipped to me next week. I agree with you about needing to see it in person, though the videos did help me decide on the M.


The K is gorgeous and it''s still available, so don''t be shy about contacting Wink about it if you''re curious about it or have questions. He''s very easy to work with.

Sara - What exactly did you see in the videos that made you want to go with the M? Just curious how you came to your decision.

 

[swingirl]

I think the lower colored stones need to be seen in person before they are set. Everyone feels differently about the warmth.

And it''s hard to say how much warmer the K would be because you''ll current stone could be a high J and the one you want to buy a low K. There''s just no way to tell what your eyes are going to accept.

 

[Lula]

Hi, Jill,
I have an Infinity stone now, color I, clarity VS2. To me, the K looks very much like my I, very creamy and sparkly, with lots of white, blue, and yellow flash, along with the reds and greens you see in direct light. I guess I would say the main reason I went with the M is that I wanted to wear something more different from my I than a K would be! Or I should say, more different from my I than that particular K would be.

But I also liked the slightly more golden tint of the M, and I liked how the flashes of color in the video seemed to have more warmth to them than the K's flashes. And I think the M will look stunning in yellow gold.

Now, I should say that the light in the video probably does play up the warmth in the stone. In real life, I know the M will look creamy white in most lights and not golden, but under certain types of lights my J would take on this warm glow, and I am hoping the M does that a bit more than a K will. I won't know for sure until I see the stone in person and I will definitely post pictures (cuz if I don't, certain PS'ers would hunt me down!).

Hope that helps!

ETA: I just read Swingirl's post and I completely agree -- somewhere in one of Dreamer's posts she mentions that the lower colors have broader color ranges, so you can get lighter and darker J's and K's. That's why you may need to talk to Wink or one of the other vendors who stocks the lower colors and and take a look at the stones in person if you can to determine your personal color preference.

 

[D&T]

I had a J 1.01 ct from White Flash ACA, then I traded it in within a month for a 1.21ct K ACA - love it, The only difference that I notice is not the tint actually but more because my arrows were fatter on the K, which actually I felt made a bit of a difference to me. No Regrets whatsover love it! you won''t regret it!

 

[Lula]

Oh, D&T, I am so glad I am not the only PS''er who traded her stone in in less than a month!

 

[jill_s]

Date: 7/23/2009 3:27:26 PM
Author: D&T
I had a J 1.01 ct from White Flash ACA, then I traded it in within a month for a 1.21ct K ACA - love it, The only difference that I notice is not the tint actually but more because my arrows were fatter on the K, which actually I felt made a bit of a difference to me. No Regrets whatsover love it! you won''t regret it!

D&T - so you''re saying that you really didn''t notice a color difference at all - more of what you noticed was due to how the stone was cut (i.e. the arrows looked different)? That''s good to know!

 

[D&T]

Date: 7/23/2009 3:27:26 PM
Author: D&T
I had a J 1.01 ct from White Flash ACA, then I traded it in within a month for a 1.21ct K ACA - love it, The only difference that I notice is not the tint actually but more because my arrows were fatter on the K, which actually I felt made a bit of a difference to me. No Regrets whatsover love it! you won''t regret it!

but you''re going for a larger carat weight

difference, I was trying to push to see how far I would be comfortable with and I have absolutely no regret and all it cost me was about $100 and the cost of a new gemstone for RHR. I was quite pleased. I m excited to see what you will get the M? or will it be a K?

 

[Lula]

Date: 7/23/2009 5:00:56 PM
Author: D&T

Date: 7/23/2009 3:27:26 PM
Author: D&T
I had a J 1.01 ct from White Flash ACA, then I traded it in within a month for a 1.21ct K ACA - love it, The only difference that I notice is not the tint actually but more because my arrows were fatter on the K, which actually I felt made a bit of a difference to me. No Regrets whatsover love it! you won't regret it!

but you're going for a larger carat weight

difference, I was trying to push to see how far I would be comfortable with and I have absolutely no regret and all it cost me was about $100 and the cost of a new gemstone for RHR. I was quite pleased. I m excited to see what you will get the M? or will it be a K?

Yes, I'm almost doubling my carat weight and going down 3 color grades

and as it has been mentioned, the J and K color grades contain a wide range of variation from light to dark

But I wanted to go with the M, just to see if it would have that lovely warm glow more intensely and in more lighting conditons than my J displays. Plus, it was a super reasonable price, too, since it's an S12

Can't wait to see the M -- it should be here sometime next week!!!

 

[LadyLilac]

Date: 7/23/2009 2:38:07 PM
Author: jill_s

I ideally wanted to find a K stone with some florescence, but there weren''t any available in the size I''m looking. I would prefer the stone to look white, but I''m not against seeing a little color. I''m thinking that I might go ahead and try this one I''ve found to see what I think about the color. The good part is that I''m with Whiteflash, so I can always upgrade the stone if I wear it and it isn''t quite what I was hoping.

You may or may not know--if Whiteflash doesn''t have what you want, but you find it elsewhere (i.e. not "in house" elsewhere, but in the online "virtual diamond database." www.usacerteddiamond.com has a good search feature for searching the for diamonds, and most of them are not currently in house anywhere) then you can talk to your Whiteflash representative. WF will take a look at the stone''s numbers and will let you know what they think. They will bring it in for you if you still like it--and if it''s a diamond that they give their "stamp of approval," then I believe that they do not charge you the shipping for bringing it in (I could be wrong...it''s been awhile since I visited with them...maybe they apply the shipping to your purchase price instead? You''d probably need to confirm this last part with WF.)

Anyway, all that to say that if you would like a K stone with some flouresence, there is a good chance you can get one through WF even if a search of the WF website doesn''t show that they have one.

Also, if there is anything we can help you look for, just post your parameters. There is nothing I have come to enjoy more than browsing for diamonds

 

[jill_s]

Date: 7/23/2009 6:42:02 PM
Author: LadyLilac

Date: 7/23/2009 2:38:07 PM

Author: jill_s


I ideally wanted to find a K stone with some florescence, but there weren't any available in the size I'm looking. I would prefer the stone to look white, but I'm not against seeing a little color. I'm thinking that I might go ahead and try this one I've found to see what I think about the color. The good part is that I'm with Whiteflash, so I can always upgrade the stone if I wear it and it isn't quite what I was hoping.

You may or may not know--if Whiteflash doesn't have what you want, but you find it elsewhere (i.e. not 'in house' elsewhere, but in the online 'virtual diamond database.' www.usacerteddiamond.com has a good search feature for searching the for diamonds, and most of them are not currently in house anywhere) then you can talk to your Whiteflash representative. WF will take a look at the stone's numbers and will let you know what they think. They will bring it in for you if you still like it--and if it's a diamond that they give their 'stamp of approval,' then I believe that they do not charge you the shipping for bringing it in (I could be wrong...it's been awhile since I visited with them...maybe they apply the shipping to your purchase price instead? You'd probably need to confirm this last part with WF.)


Anyway, all that to say that if you would like a K stone with some flouresence, there is a good chance you can get one through WF even if a search of the WF website doesn't show that they have one.

Also, if there is anything we can help you look for, just post your parameters. There is nothing I have come to enjoy more than browsing for diamonds

LadyLilac - funny you should mention that, because that's exactly what I did! I actually found this stone on another vendor's website, so I called WF and they were able to get it for me. I should be in tomorrow or Monday and then I'll have all the images. I wanted something in the slightly under 2 ct. mark, so my pickings were slim. I guess I could have waited, but this stone seemed good and the price was good too. Hopefully the stone I'm looking at will be a killer! It scores a 0.7 on the HCA - Ex, Ex, Ex, Ex!

 

[Lula]

That''s great news, Jill! I hope the K works out for you.

 

[tlroza]

I love my 2.12 K! We just got it back and it''s set in a engraved platinum Scott Kay.

 

[LadyLilac]

Yay!!! I''m really excited to see how she looks...my fingers are crossed that you''ll love her!

 

[jill_s]

Date: 7/23/2009 11:13:52 PM
Author: tlroza
I love my 2.12 K! We just got it back and it''s set in a engraved platinum Scott Kay.

I was just reading about the stone that you found - what a great find! How exciting! I hope you''re going to post pics soon!

 

[Dreamer_D]

What size leap are you considering? I went from a .80J to a 1.17K and I am very happy with the result. To be honest, though, I think I will go back to a J on my next upgrade, but that will depend a little on the $$ difference between a J and a K. Ever practical I am! Its mostly a "mind clean" thing since in reality I don't think there is a difference in visual appearance between the two.

If you love a J you will love a K. I see you already saw some of my threads, I recommend you also check out my "Death match" thread where I compare an F to a K in a bunch of different lighting environments: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/photographic-death-match-f-versus-k.116295/

And don't worry about diamond bands... one color grade (J to K) won't make a difference and small mellee *always* look whiter than larger diamonds, it is the nature of the light return. I have an H/I diamond band and wear it with my K (seen here in pics https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/dreamers-baby-ring.118045/ ) and although the K sometimes looks more tinted, I suspect that a J would look exaclty the same. Larger diamonds are more chameleon like and pick up ambient colors more than small diamonds.

Anyways, if you want a bigger diamond and going to a K will get you there (there are HUGE price savings going to J or K in larger rocks) then I say go for it. You won't be sorry, and if you are for some reason, you can always exchage for a J.

PS: Thanks for the shout out Sara

 

[ts44]

I have always loved warmer stones, the kind of eggshell or candlelight reflections they give off are very pleasing to me. My boyfriend actually bought Dreamer''s .80 J for my engagement ring, he showed it to me briefly before he sent it off to be set and it was so beautiful. I would have no problem going from J to a K at all!

This thread makes me want to see my diamond again! (no eta on when, he said I am officially "out of the loop" until he proposes)

 

[tlroza]

jill_s - I''m going to take some pictures this week end and I''ll post them!

 

[jill_s]

Date: 7/24/2009 10:18:43 AM
Author: dreamer_dachsie
What size leap are you considering? I went from a .80J to a 1.17K and I am very happy with the result. To be honest, though, I think I will go back to a J on my next upgrade, but that will depend a little on the $$ difference between a J and a K. Ever practical I am! Its mostly a ''mind clean'' thing since in reality I don''t think there is a difference in visual appearance between the two.


If you love a J you will love a K. I see you already saw some of my threads, I recommend you also check out my ''Death match'' thread where I compare an F to a K in a bunch of different lighting environments: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/photographic-death-match-f-versus-k.116295/


And don''t worry about diamond bands... one color grade (J to K) won''t make a difference and small mellee *always* look whiter than larger diamonds, it is the nature of the light return. I have an H/I diamond band and wear it with my K (seen here in pics https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/dreamers-baby-ring.118045/ ) and although the K sometimes looks more tinted, I suspect that a J would look exaclty the same. Larger diamonds are more chameleon like and pick up ambient colors more than small diamonds.


Anyways, if you want a bigger diamond and going to a K will get you there (there are HUGE price savings going to J or K in larger rocks) then I say go for it. You won''t be sorry, and if you are for some reason, you can always exchage for a J.


PS: Thanks for the shout out Sara

DD - thanks for your post. I am currently at a 1.63 and going to 2 cts. I have been pouring over your many very helpful threads. That''s part of what prompted me to consider the K. I''m still not sure about the whole mind-clean thing (going from near colorless to faint on the color scale is slightly scary), but this K is ~$2k less than a similar J, so I thought I could at least give it a try. Since WF has a great upgrade policy, I thought I could always upgrade the color later if it really bothers me. And funny you should mention your new BGD diamond band, I just emailed Lesley yesterday for a quote on it. I think it''s beautiful with your solitaire. By the way, are you liking those two ring together any more, or do you still have the same feelings? I thought they looked beautiful together! I''m probably going to set this stone in either the Legato setting you have or have BGD make their Truth setting for it. Still haven''t decided yet.