My Attempt to Squeeze a Dollar Out of a Dime

[canuk-gal]

I'm not going to lie...it's quite demoralizing. Regardless, thank you (all posters) for your input. GOG confirmed, I am next in line if the sale doesn't go through. Hopefully I will find something comparable, and will most likely consult your expertise again. I will learn from my mistake...all part of the process I suppose. I will just tell myself it wasn't eye clean to trick myself into peace of mind! haha...

On a side note, I went into a local B&M today to see what they had to offer. Wasn't impressed with quality or prices...very pleased with their customer service though.

C_

Oh no! Keep heart! Something will come your way, in the mean time keep looking. Did you get a change to look at the Estate sites? Those will keep you occupied for DAYS! Besides those mentioned there is Lang, Dover, First Dibs....lordy!

That said, did you look at Brian Gavin's Site? Whiteflash? Infinity?

cheers--Sharon

 

[dmz]

BGD Blue, 1.010ct J VS2 medium blue fluorescence
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.010-j-vs2-round-diamond-ags-bl-104055121003

BGD is running a promo with 10% off I,J and K colour diamonds (until Jan 31/2012). Still pushing the upper end of your budget. But you're getting VS2 clarity, and the blue fluorescence will make the J look whiter.

Is that price with or without the 10% discount?

I believe that is before the discount. Send a quick email to confirm what your cost would be.

 

[Amys Bling]

Diamonds cost what the market will bear. EGL is cheaper because their softer grading makes them worth "less" than GIA certed diamonds. If you want to save money, I would start looking for that needle-in-a-haystack eye-clean I1 and keeping my eye on the secondary markets.

great idea.- Infinity/Wink has put out some eyeclean I1 phenomenally cut stones.

 

[Ravinmad]

BGD Blue, 1.010ct J VS2 medium blue fluorescence
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.010-j-vs2-round-diamond-ags-bl-104055121003

BGD is running a promo with 10% off I,J and K colour diamonds (until Jan 31/2012). Still pushing the upper end of your budget. But you're getting VS2 clarity, and the blue fluorescence will make the J look whiter.

Is that price with or without the 10% discount?

I believe that is before the discount. Send a quick email to confirm what your cost would be.

prices listed on their site are before the IJK 10% discount, thou it does NOT stack with any other discounts, aka PS discount. Thats what they said when i called and asked.

 

[milton333]

That's why I consulted this board's input. I was under the impression EGL is usually off by 1 color grade...not SEVEN! Good to know, I will stick with GIA. Special thanks to Milton for the research/time put into the response - all very helpful. I would have no problem with an eye clean 1 carat J SI1 H&A GIA round. Finding it is another story...H&A is the last remaining hurdle...

I can get a 1 carat I SI2 Excellent H&A GIA for <$6K from goodoldgold. Follow-on questions:

H&A worth the extra $$? I'm a bit of a nut when it comes to symmetry...
How uncommon are eye clean SI2's?
Do you pay sales tax when buying a diamond online? Or does it depend on what state you are in...?

Thanks,
C_

On H&A - neither AGS nor GIA actually grade for Hearts and Arrows. I believe it's only a couple of Asian labs that grade for H&A. So H&A is just something that a cutter/jeweler claims. AGS and GIA will note an "H&A" inscription, but pass no opinion on it.

You're never going to see hearts in a set diamond, you can only see those from underneath, and excellent cut diamonds with a 57-facet pattern will have the hearts pattern. As you may have noticed, a diamond with excellent light performance/cut and excellent symmetry will show the arrows pattern if it's 57 facets, even if not marketed as H&A. It's possible to have ideal cuts with different faceting patterns (e.g., Star129), but if you're dealing with 57 facets, hearts and arrows should be present in an excellent/ideal cut stone with excellent/ideal symmetry.

I'm not sure if you looked at the diamonds I posted for you, but they have the arrows patterns. Moreover, I have an ACA H&A diamond myself. You don't normally see the arrows, and never see the hearts. Once in a great while I hold the diamond still enough to see a very faint, kind of silvery arrows pattern. To get the dark arrows pattern you usually need something dark in front of the diamond, like a big black camera.

I'm also personally more into technical excellency and proficiency in cutting and polishing than I am in things like coming out of the ground D IF. For me, "mind clean" means super ideal in terms of the best that modern cutting techniques can accomplish. So we may be coming from a similar perspective. I would not place a big monetary value on H&A, it's a marketing ploy, but would look for the best cut and symmetry I could afford with an eye clean, untinted stone.

I'm reposting a couple of stones that I think you should consider.
1.01ct I SI1 AGS 000 ideal $5890 http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1452958.asp The inclusions look a bit scary, but many of them are twinning wisps, which are typically only visible under magnification. May be worth determining if this is acceptably eye clean.
1.01 ct J SI1 HCA score of 1.2 $5260 http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/J-SI1-Premium-Cut-Round-Diamond-1437758.asp Inclusions are twinning wisps, which are usually not visible except under magnification (could be eye clean).

Also, if you buy by Jan. 31, there's 10% off I, J, and K colored stones at BGD if you pay by bank wire (8% off if you pay by any other method). This looks good, would be $6,131 with the discount: http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.010-j-vs2-round-diamond-ags-bl-104055121003
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamond/special-offers/

 

[callaway29]

Thanks Milton. Yes, I have reviewed/considered all recommendations. The H&A info is well-received. I decided to bring my girlfriend in on the search. I really wanted it to be a surprise, but we have been together for 4.5yrs...so it would never be THAT big of a shock. Plus, she makes as much money as I do, and she wants to contribute in order to have a larger stone (an additional $5K).

This has now bumped the budget/possibilities up considerably. I have found another candidate. I will NOT be posting a link! Apologies, I know reviewing stats is quite mundane. Hopefully the information below is enough to go off of...they don't have an actual picture, but I have e-mailed them to see if it's eye clean.

Shape: Round
Report: GIA
Carat: 1.420
Color: J
Clarity: VS1
Measurements: 7.17 x 7.22 x 4.47
Lab Cut Grade: Excellent
Light Performance: -
Polish: Excellent
Symmetry: Excellent
Table %: 58.0
Depth %: 62.1
Crown %: 13.5
Crown Angle: -
Star %: -
Pav Angle: -
Pavillion %: 44.5
Lower Girdle %: -
Culet: -
Fluorescence: None
Girdle Min-Max %: -
Girdle: Medium-Slightly Thick \
PRICE: ~$7K

My largest concern is the HCA calculator spit out a 4.6!! That sounds freaking awful. Keep looking?
Thanks,
C_

 

[callaway29]

Found another one guys/gals, one that I think is a better candidate at $8K and an HCA of 1.9. Assuming eye clean, good buy?

Shape: Round
Report: GIA
Carat: 1.500
Color: J
Clarity: VS1
Measurements: 7.26 x 7.31 x 4.58
Lab Cut Grade: Excellent
Light Performance: -
Polish: Excellent
Symmetry: Very Good
Table %: 55.0
Depth %: 62.9
Crown %: 16.0
Crown Angle: -
Star %: -
Pav Angle: -
Pavillion %: 43.0
Lower Girdle %: -
Culet: None
Fluorescence: None
Girdle Min-Max %: -
Girdle: Medium-Slightly Thick

 

[slg47]

VS1 will be eye-clean. I am surprised that GIA report doesn't have crown/pavilion angle? when is the report from?

 

[callaway29]

VS1 will be eye-clean. I am surprised that GIA report doesn't have crown/pavilion angle? when is the report from?

2009

 

[callaway29]

This is the first setting I have seen that "called my name". It's ImpatientOne's ring/pic:

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/show-us-your-h-i-j-color-diamonds.121830/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/show-us-your-h-i-j-color-diamonds.121830/[/URL]

Thanks to ImpatientOne, hope you don't mind me referencing your picture. Any info on this setting?

Thanks,
C_