Mind Clean

[Dreamer_D]

I struggle with this dreaded affliction, unique I suspect to crazy PSers.

Please share -- what stats (all 4 C's) would be truly mind clean to you -- meaning no lingering doubts or "what ifs" about your diamond at all? Is you present diamond different from those ideal stats? And if so, how do you cope?

If you have a totally mind clean stone, lucky you and don't rub it in too much

 

[yssie]

Clarity is currently my biggest peeve w/ my stone.

We stuck the main inclusion under a prong - it has others, but they aren't visible and so don't bother me. What *does* bother me is the fact that to cover the grade-making inclusion under the prong the stone had to be oriented a certain way, and the arrows don't line up nicely with the prongs in any nice pattern.

Of all the things to be irritated by if I was to do it again right now (and prices were as they were back then!) I'd go with a K of higher clarity, so I can have the darn arrows line up properly!

 

[centralsquare]

For me, my pet peeve is color. I have a GIA H color stone and I think it's pretty darn white. But a few months ago a friend's spouse saw it and wanted to look at it...so I indulged by holding my hand out. She made some comment about it being yellow...in a positive manner...like 'it's unique because it's a bit yellow." We were in office-type of lighting so, perhaps, it had some yellow...but it's not yellow!! But, if I had a higher color I don't think I would be so annoyed.

 

[wannaBMrsH]

I am most sensitive to cut. I really hate to see leakage when I look at diamonds.

I am not too sensitive to clarity or color, but I think that is only because I am not looking for those flaws and it would be really hard for me to be able to tell the difference just by sight.

I am very fortunate that my ER is very beautifully cut and even though I know where the inclusions are and I know my diamond is H colored, it catches the light and reflects it almost magically. I've only had my ER for almost three years and I STILL love it and sometimes sit and stare at it.

 

[CharmyPoo]

E, VS1, as well cut as humanly possible ... cost I tend to forget about after a while

 

[OCgirl]

Personally F VS2 is my sweet spot. I like the color (not icy white like D; but I can see the tint in an H stone) and VS2 saves me the trouble of second guessing SI1's "eye clean" status.

My current stone is a Brian Gavinf Blue G SI1 (medium blue fluor). We weren't willing to compromise our budget or carat (1.2 - 1.3) at the time and that was back in March when the price made its first nasty jump. I knew I wanted to find an eye clean SI1 stone to save some money but I had to go down a color grade to keep to the budget.

I LOVE my stone but of course it wasn't my "mind clean" preference. I guess I come to realize your stone is like your guy. We all have a picture of what a "perfect" guy should be like and what characteristics should he possess. Then we find the guy. He's not everything you initially hoped for but somehow he's the love of your life? Or maybe I'm over-analyzing this. Ah I digressed

 

[chamois]

E VVS1 1.00ct RB + J SI1 (eye clean)1.82ct AVC, love both.

 

[yssie]

I am most sensitive to cut. I really hate to see leakage when I look at diamonds.

I am not too sensitive to clarity or color, but I think that is only because I am not looking for those flaws and it would be really hard for me to be able to tell the difference just by sight.

I am very fortunate that my ER is very beautifully cut and even though I know where the inclusions are and I know my diamond is H colored, it catches the light and reflects it almost magically. I've only had my ER for almost three years and I STILL love it and sometimes sit and stare at it.

I don't mind a diffuse ring of slight "leakage" under the table that's actually visible w/ both eyes, etc. My MIL's new stone is this way and the coloured light return in a variety of conditions is quite spectacular, to my eyes, and given that I like coloured light return above all else... one way to 'make up for' the reduction in fire potential that a large table and therefore less spready crown yields, at any rate. Assuming the stone is attractive in appearance.

Leakage around the edges thanks to overly steep upper girdle facets or something - no.

 

[Dreamer_D]

E, VS1, as well cut as humanly possible ... cost I tend to forget about after a while

You tend to forget about... words? Something is missing m'dear and I want to know what you forget about!

EVS1 sounds dreamy to me.

 

[Dreamer_D]

I struggle with this dreaded affliction, unique I suspect to crazy PSers.

Please share -- what stats (all 4 C's) would be truly mind clean to you -- meaning no lingering doubts or "what ifs" about your diamond at all? Is you present diamond different from those ideal stats? And if so, how do you cope?

If you have a totally mind clean stone, lucky you and don't rub it in too much

And I should answer my own question.

Mind clea -- G VS2 1.7ct. Not gonna happen, costs way too much for me to ever justify. I have a 1.67 ct J VS1 now. Two out of three ain't bad? Color is occassionally my bugaboo. I recently got a new ring that has the most gorgeous G VS2 diamond in it, a lovely 0.31ct beauty, and it has me thinking about color all over again It does not help that I have not worn my J in about 2 months because it does not FIT right now (post baby)! But I have been contemplating a downsize in carat to get the G VS2 I crave. But then I would just obsess about carat again And with the diamond prices the way they are, I will *never* own a diamond this size again in my life. So it would be crazy to make a switch! Still. DOCD persists.

 

[LGK]

I'm the sort that isn't terribly bothered by inclusions- ironically my larger OEC doesn't have any, it's *internally* flawless... the grade-making "inclusion" is a chip. Which did bug me for months! You can't see it with the naked eye, but you can feel it. And in the original prong setting I'd fidget with it. At first I'd intended to get the chip polished out, but, after awhile (and after bezeling it) I decided I didn't care enough to risk the x-thin girdle anyway. So I got over it, eventually. Out of sight/out of mind worked pretty well for me

Color, I could care less about. I find light cream/off white to be attractive against my skin, so... as long as it's not brownish yellow I don't care what color a stone is; top light brown is also attractive to me... at least in an antique cut. (I suspect I'd forgive an ideally-cut modern RB of a lot of color too, though.)

 

[Frenchgirl]

My pears are F color and IF or VVS1. It's very important to me "mind clean".

 

[Imdanny]

I struggle with this dreaded affliction, unique I suspect to crazy PSers.

Please share -- what stats (all 4 C's) would be truly mind clean to you -- meaning no lingering doubts or "what ifs" about your diamond at all? Is you present diamond different from those ideal stats? And if so, how do you cope?

If you have a totally mind clean stone, lucky you and don't rub it in too much

I'm not not hard to please. My "mind clean" states are:

O or whiter. (Yep, you read it right, O).

.05 or heavier ( )

cut? many different ones, but for RB, no compromise.

VS2, but better VS1. Even better, VVS2.

I guess everyone has a different idea of mind clean. I guess that's sort of the point.

 

[Phoenix]

Interesting discussion and surprisingly, no-one has asked the Q in this precise manner before. I like it.

Hmmm...I have several mind-clean issues with my various stones, including:

- my 3.50ct H Si2 pear ring: love it on the whole, except that the cut is not ideal so in certain lightings it is a tiny bit yellowish and has a very slight bow-tie. Neither really bothers me too much though.

- 3-stone ring: love love love the 2.374ct BGD G Si1 "blue" centre diamond, but wish it was a bit bigger. Wish sidestones of 1.5ct each a bit smaller but super-ideal cut with medium-blue fluor. The arrows in my stones are also not aligned properly (in fact, they're all over the place) but I try not to look at them with the loupe too often and thus don't really think abt this issue too much.

- 3.02ct F VS2 ering: wish the cut was super-ideal and the stone larger, like a 4-4.5ct. Used to wish for a 5ct or larger RB but I don't any more. This 3ct is still plenty beautiful!

- 2.656ct BGD H Si2 pendant, which I absolutely *adore*. Can't see a "dicken" (I hope that's the right word, lol) despite its Si2 grading, which doesn't bother me at all day-to-day.

- 4.646ctw BGD J VS2 stud earrings: wish they were 3ct each (6ctw) and a bit whiter (like a H or an I). I just have to accept that it's going to be a dream; and I do love wearing them every day.

- hoops with dangles: centre stones in dangles a bit too small and not ideal cut, but they used to be my mom's and DH bought them from her to give to me as a wedding present; so not complaining really.

All my other diamonds are all E-F VS-VVS and ideal-cut; all a bit too small but hey you get what you pay for, right?!

So, all in all, I don't really have much of a mind-clean issue; but if I was pushed, I'd say I'd *LURVE* a 4.5ct super-ideal cut E-F, VS1 RB or a 5-6ct Octavia of the same colour and clarity specs. Guaranteed no mind-clean issue!

 

[yennyfire]

For me, I think it would be G, VS1....

 

[susimoo]

I am in the same boat as you Dreamer.

I have a 1.7 H&A RB from GOG. It is an I colour and VS2

It is a beauty. I regularly get compliments on it. I love it and truly it is more than I ever thought possible to have.

But it is not my ideal. I am at my most comfortable with G and VS1. I also really, really wanted a 2 carat stone. I am not so far away on either but I am also not quite where I want to be. Mainly because it is competing with my large eternity, which has 7 @ 30pointers, which are GIA F/VS1, but not ideal cut. This ring was custom made for me prior to finding PS. My I colour solitaire more than outshines them because of cut and the colour isn't so apparent to me either. I would like a more mind clean match in both colour and size, though.

My old, not so well cut, one carat was a G/VS1 and I yearned for an upgrade. So I embarked on a long journey with a few changes till I got to what I believe will be my forever stone.

I think it is forever stone because with the increases I cannot envisage the day I will have to cash and be WILLING to hand it over for such a small change in colour size and clarity. That, however, does not stop me wanting it.

In an upgrade situation I would be $10,000 more to get to an I/VS2 2 carat and $20,000 more to get to a G/VS2 2.07 carat.

That is NEVER EVER gonna happen!!!

Now I am on the holy grail of my forever setting. 3 stone, halo, whatever, who can tell!!!

 

[Amys Bling]

I have a D-- so I don't know if that has jaded me-- but I prefer colorless D/E in color. As for clarity- I have an eyeclean SI2 but wod say that for mind clean I prefer VS2. Cut has to be excellent or ideal. As for carat-- doesnt everyone always think they can go bigger??? I have a 1.55 which I love/ I could go up to 1.75-2.0 but I think that is my max.

 

[Natylad]

When we bought my current (upgraded) ER a few months before our wedding, i realized that this might be my forever ring...So i insisted on getting the color, clarity and cut that i thought were perfect for me. It's a .90ct, E, VVS2, triple ex (GIA certified) stone. My ideal size would be 1 ct but there was no way that we could afford a diamond of that size with the above specs, so i sacrificed the thing that mattered to me the least and that was...the size!!! I know, it sounds insane to most pricescopers but to me the "mind clean" issue is very important. With the prices having gone up so much, i don't think that i'll upgrade again but i really don't mind that. I feel that my .90ct stone is less than a carat but absolutely perfect in every possible way and that makes me really happy.

 

[Regular Guy]

though maybe...

F, VS1

I'll add on.

(good cut, as evaluated by)...AGS0, good reflector image(s)...edited to add...possibly also branded (ACA, BGD, G0G, Infinity...and even HOF, Lazare)...

ethically sourced (i.e., not just non-conflict, but some sort of representation of fair traded), by some effort to establish this.

Ira Z.

 

[Circe]

I have a J, VS2 of 1.46, and that's pretty much my sweet spot: the big changes I'd make would be size, and SBF. I couldn't afford the former when we bought, and I didn't know how cool I'd find the latter in diamonds!

What I find interesting, though, is how almost everybody on here stretched in one way or another, and wound up with almost their perfect stone. As a society, are our eyes bigger than our wallets? Or is it just a case of self-selection and/or not wanting to hurt feelings, so everybody out there who's permanently satisfied is, a) not even on PS, b) on PS but not clicking on this thread, or, c) on PS, clicking this thread, and obeying the injunction not to rub it in?

 

[Amys Bling]

I do think that people tend to want more than they can afford! I love love love my stone and would never trade it in- but being honest- I would want to bump up the clarity and size. It's eyeclean top down, but I can find the inclusions from the side. A really good friend just got engaged last night and her FI, also a good friend of mine- makes big money and she demands the best--- so I'm curious to see this ring on Wednesday (and try to squelch my envy over what I am sure is to be big and beautiful!)

 

[centralsquare]

I think it's human nature to always want more. Otherwise, there would be limited motivation to do anything. And, I think there is a tendency amongst the PS folks to want more in terms of their diamonds vs other people.

 

[Laila619]

I don't really have any mind clean issues with stones, I'm not picky. The two diamonds I own are SI1 and SI2, although the inclusion plots are pretty clean. I don't like clouds, feathers, or twinning wisps. Clarity is my least important 'c' because I think inclusions make the stone unique and you can use them to identify your stone. It might be nice to have a bigger diamond, or higher color though! I've always wanted to have a super white diamond, like a D or E color. I would not go below a J for color in a modern round brilliant. In an antique stone though, I'd love a L or M color even!

ETA: my ideal 100% mind clean stone would be a 2.7 carat F SI1 hearts and arrows round. Never gonna happen.

 

[confusedaisy]

Great Question-

For me- the ideal stone would have been G VS2 and 1.5 carats. My stone (which is lovely!!) is an H SI2 1.32. I seriously, seriously cannot see anything face up in my stone. At the right angle, held up to the light, I can see a tiny feather under a prong. That slightly bothered me when I first got it, but now I'm more bothered by the label "SI2". When the fiance got it appraised the appraiser told him we should send it to GIA where it would definitely be an SI1. That was a nice compliment but it doesn't help that I know that stone was rated, by AGS, as an SI2. I like that its an AGS 0 though- that helps to soften the blow some. It is a very, very well cut stone.

The other thing that really bothers me is that it's not close enough to the 1.5 range. It's a lot closer to the 1.25. And- it's proportions are more that of a 1.29-1.3 so that makes it a little more sour for me too. It looks great on my hand and no one would ever call it small by any means (4.5 finger!!), but I don't think anyone, especially in NYC where I'm at, would call it big. And more than appearances for others, it just doesn't seem big to me. The FH got annoyed when I first got it and he would always say- its so huge- and I would say "really?" or "it looks bigger in photos". I stopped doing that. And again, I love my ring. It's really a great find for what we paid for it, but even still, an SI1 and 1.4 would have completely had me over the moon.

I'm a dummy... I know...

 

[Dreamer_D]

E, VS1, as well cut as humanly possible ... cost I tend to forget about after a while

You tend to forget about... words? Something is missing m'dear and I want to know what you forget about!

EVS1 sounds dreamy to me.

Whoops, I read your sentence wrong... COST you forget about. I thought it said "cuz" I forget about... Sorry!

 

[Sundial]

This is an interesting topic. Only on Pricescope do we even understand the term "mind clean" with regard to diamonds! My center stone is a 1.24 carat F eye clean SI1. I would have preferred a 1.50 carat VS1 and I would have been willing to go as low as H in color. It really doesn't bother me anymore though as I have accepted that the differences would be barely noticable. It is a super ideal cut which is my first priority. However my new five-stone ring has ideal cut E/F VVS2 stones and I must admit that they are perfectly mind clean to me!!!

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Honestly? I don't fixate on inclusions. Or even think about them. I want IF stones b/c of "exclusivity"; b/c I can. But that only means something "to me".

cheers--Sharon

 

[m-2-b]

I think it would have to be at least a G SI-1 to get the size diamond I've been looking for in light of rising diamond prices. I've had a F VS-2 (my original engagement ring stone), a D VS-2 upgrade and now a G VS-2 center stone. Recently, I changed my mind on a F SI-2 diamond, then considered getting a H VS-1. I think it was a "mind clean" thing about the SI-2 stone and the H color that would have bothered me in the long run. I eventually went with a G VS-2 diamond that met all of my requirements--thanks again to DH who increased my budget!

 

[Gypsy]

For step cuts... GIA G or higher in color and Vs2 or higher in clarity. H color would be on a case by case... and is likely but you asked for 'no doubt' mindclean.

For brilliant cuts FOR A RING SI2 eyeclean to my definition by a vendor I trust or higher (I1 is okay for something other than a ring as long as it is a really "clean" I1 or a prongable I1 is okay with me as long as I have examined it with my own eyes). I'm don't worry about clarity.

As for color. Well, it depends. For an old cut... I'm good down to L depending on light return and setting I want. For modern cuts... I don't know. I color is very likely to be fine, honestly. But for COMPLETELY mindclean H or higher is where I'm likely to look.

I've seen MANY J's I've loved though. I can't say I wouldn't go for a J. But I don't tend to like RBs or square hearts and arrows for solitaire rings for myself-- cuts that are AGS0 for light return, I'm a fancy fan... so H or higher is safer for me. But in something with ideal light return and under 1.5 carats J would be fine... if I cared for the cut.

 

[slg47]

I think my G, VS2 is mind-clean for me although sometimes I wouldn't mind it being slightly larger