Learning:
I spent 3 hours daily for months reading and studying online almost everything I could about diamonds. I have a background in engineering and I have always liked diamonds so I wanted to buy the best cut diamond out there with my budget. I dug almost every important post here on price scope from years ago and went on reading other technical documents online until I felt ready to buy something.
Searching:
I had been looking at the inventories of all the super ideal vendors like White Flash, Brian Gavin, Victor Canera, HPD to name a few. I watched silently as their inventories moved month to month and started talking to them and asking questions. I had made my mind on something around 2-2.5 carats, D-F color,Vs1-Vs2 clarity with a $40,000 to $50,000 USD budget. I wanted a flawless ASET and Idealscope. Flawless proportions as well.
Buying:
Most vendors were a pleasure to work with and wish them the best. In no particular order and without naming the ones I did not buy from:
Vendor A:
Their prices were a bit higher than average and they had some good options. After some days the salesperson was only interested on knowing when was I going to pay and did not care much about my questions. They did offer me to talk directly to the cutter but our schedules never aligned. They were so incredibly pushy I just stopped talking to them.
Vendor B:
They had great inventory. Good prices. Great service. I grilled them with questions and got straight honest answers. For example, one of their diamonds had some of the arrows visibly shorter than the others: visible on the picture, asset, IS and confirmed by the computer-generated aset on the certificate. When I asked about it, they replied that was real. Same with defects on hearts. You buy what is published. I did not buy with them but I would buy any other time without thinking about it.
Vendor C:
They have the reputation here on the site for the best cut diamonds. They have many options and I did talk to them for quite a while and grilled them with many questions. They have impeccable service and great persons to deal with. I had a diamond on hold with them and was about to pay it. I stopped because I felt something was not right. In contrast with vendor B, they told me the defects seen on hearts were issues in photography even if the same defects were present on the computer-generated asets on the certificates. They clearly stated to me they cut for performance and not for heart and arrows but then asked myself: if they have such good cutting abilities, they should be able to cut for H&A and performance at the same time. Why sell a diamond with visible clefs or non-symmetrical hearts if you can cut so good for performance? This, some white lies along with the not so great asset put me off to cancel the order. It was the deal of a lifetime but setting price aside I was not convinced this was the best performing diamond out there.
Vendor Victor Canera:
I ended buying a 2.48ct F VS2 diamond along with the classic pave setting with H&A melee. I talked to victor for literally weeks. Every question I shot he replied back with an honest and very technical answer. I requested like 8 videos of several diamonds he had in different lighting conditions. He always delivered them. Why did I end up buying with Victor Canera? From all the available diamonds from all vendors withing my requirements this was what I think is the best performing one. The asset is flawless and very symmetric. Every single heart is perfect. Arrows are also perfectly symmetrical. AGS certificate is flawless. The proportions are flawless. The VS2 clarity is nearly a VS1, very clean. A plus was also the LGF of 75. I was looking for big fat arrows and not skinny ones. I did compare that diamond to some others and the way it performed was something else, hard to describe with words. Also, the service from Victor and his team was impeccable.
After sending the wire transfer Victor had the ring ready in around 2 weeks. He shipped the ring and nervously picked it up at the local Fedex. It came in a regular carton box, then inside with a sealed security bag with the Victor Canera white box inside. Everything went perfect as expected.
Here are the specs:
Carat: 2.48 cts
Color: F
Clarity: VS2
Table: 56.8%
CA: 34.4
PA: 40.7
Depth: 60.3%
Dimensions: 8.77 – 8.82 x 5.30 mm
AGS 000
On an interesting note: Its one of the few diamonds I’ve seen with quadruple Excellent on the HCA tool including spread.
Here are some of the videos I have captured with my phone while inspecting the ring.
I spent 3 hours daily for months reading and studying online almost everything I could about diamonds. I have a background in engineering and I have always liked diamonds so I wanted to buy the best cut diamond out there with my budget. I dug almost every important post here on price scope from years ago and went on reading other technical documents online until I felt ready to buy something.
Searching:
I had been looking at the inventories of all the super ideal vendors like White Flash, Brian Gavin, Victor Canera, HPD to name a few. I watched silently as their inventories moved month to month and started talking to them and asking questions. I had made my mind on something around 2-2.5 carats, D-F color,Vs1-Vs2 clarity with a $40,000 to $50,000 USD budget. I wanted a flawless ASET and Idealscope. Flawless proportions as well.
Buying:
Most vendors were a pleasure to work with and wish them the best. In no particular order and without naming the ones I did not buy from:
Vendor A:
Their prices were a bit higher than average and they had some good options. After some days the salesperson was only interested on knowing when was I going to pay and did not care much about my questions. They did offer me to talk directly to the cutter but our schedules never aligned. They were so incredibly pushy I just stopped talking to them.
Vendor B:
They had great inventory. Good prices. Great service. I grilled them with questions and got straight honest answers. For example, one of their diamonds had some of the arrows visibly shorter than the others: visible on the picture, asset, IS and confirmed by the computer-generated aset on the certificate. When I asked about it, they replied that was real. Same with defects on hearts. You buy what is published. I did not buy with them but I would buy any other time without thinking about it.
Vendor C:
They have the reputation here on the site for the best cut diamonds. They have many options and I did talk to them for quite a while and grilled them with many questions. They have impeccable service and great persons to deal with. I had a diamond on hold with them and was about to pay it. I stopped because I felt something was not right. In contrast with vendor B, they told me the defects seen on hearts were issues in photography even if the same defects were present on the computer-generated asets on the certificates. They clearly stated to me they cut for performance and not for heart and arrows but then asked myself: if they have such good cutting abilities, they should be able to cut for H&A and performance at the same time. Why sell a diamond with visible clefs or non-symmetrical hearts if you can cut so good for performance? This, some white lies along with the not so great asset put me off to cancel the order. It was the deal of a lifetime but setting price aside I was not convinced this was the best performing diamond out there.
Vendor Victor Canera:
I ended buying a 2.48ct F VS2 diamond along with the classic pave setting with H&A melee. I talked to victor for literally weeks. Every question I shot he replied back with an honest and very technical answer. I requested like 8 videos of several diamonds he had in different lighting conditions. He always delivered them. Why did I end up buying with Victor Canera? From all the available diamonds from all vendors withing my requirements this was what I think is the best performing one. The asset is flawless and very symmetric. Every single heart is perfect. Arrows are also perfectly symmetrical. AGS certificate is flawless. The proportions are flawless. The VS2 clarity is nearly a VS1, very clean. A plus was also the LGF of 75. I was looking for big fat arrows and not skinny ones. I did compare that diamond to some others and the way it performed was something else, hard to describe with words. Also, the service from Victor and his team was impeccable.
After sending the wire transfer Victor had the ring ready in around 2 weeks. He shipped the ring and nervously picked it up at the local Fedex. It came in a regular carton box, then inside with a sealed security bag with the Victor Canera white box inside. Everything went perfect as expected.
Here are the specs:
Carat: 2.48 cts
Color: F
Clarity: VS2
Table: 56.8%
CA: 34.4
PA: 40.7
Depth: 60.3%
Dimensions: 8.77 – 8.82 x 5.30 mm
AGS 000
On an interesting note: Its one of the few diamonds I’ve seen with quadruple Excellent on the HCA tool including spread.
Here are some of the videos I have captured with my phone while inspecting the ring.
Congratulations on making an amazing selection... your diligent efforts definitely paid off!
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