My final choice

[dazed_confused]

I posted a few diamond specs a week or so ago and have narrowed it down to the first old one and another I just saw. Would really appreciate any insight you have into the choice.

One:
Round Brilliant
Weight: 1.56
Depth: 61.7%
Table: 57%
Girdle: Med
Culet: None
Polish: VG
Symmetry: EX
Clarity: SI1
Color: F
Fluor: N
Meas: 7.43 - 7.49 x 4.60
Price: $11,700

Two:
Round Brilliant
Weight: 1.66
Depth: 60.7%
Table: 57%
Girdle: Thin to Med
Culet: None
Polish: EX
Symmetry: EX
Clarity: VS2
Color: E
Fluor: N
Meas: 7.69 - 7.74 x 4.60
Price: $16,200

I have been trying to find somebody here with a Sarin scope to get the angles, but have had no luck (and even searched the archives.) Both look great in person and the SI1 is eye clean. Just wondering if you guys thought the second, larger one was worth the price differential. It looks a bit larger and maybe a bit whiter and a bit more fire, but do you think the step up in size, color and clarity is worth the $4700 difference? I can do either but I always want to feel as though I am getting value. Need to decide soon -- thanks very much for your help!

 

[magna2]

dazed,

Are these B&M store prices? Both seems to be on the high side with the E/VS2 more overpriced than the F/SI1. Assuming that the F/SI1 is eye-clean, it is the better value of the two. This however does not take into consideration on how well the two may actually perform absent the angle informations.

Of the two, which one looked better to you? If they both look about the same to you than go with the F/SI1. If yhe E/VS2 looked slightly better, then go with the F/SI1; however, if the E/VS2 looked a whole lot better than go with the E/VS2 or continue looking until you find a better priced option.

 

[fire&ice]

Yes, price seems very high. Also, have you considered a G/SI. Those are the best value stones without sacrificing much visual appeal.

 

[dazed_confused]

Thanks both of you for the replies. For #2, the same basic stone is about $17,500 on Blue Nile so I thought it might be an okay deal, but relative to the first one, it didn't seem as much so. I wasn't totally blown away with the difference in appearance between the two, other than the 2nd looking larger. And I am speaking with a gemologist who is a dealer for other gems but does diamonds as a side business based on referrals. He gets the stones from places like Olypic and Ladd and adds on a portion for his time.

Assuming I got the angles on them and they achieved a greta score on the HCA, would the prices still seem a little high? I saw that Rap for the larger one was $9900/ct, so the price would be right at that number (hence my concern over value.) Really torn here but have a bit of a time crunch, so I can't go look at more.

As a proxy for price, I checked with NiceIce and they have two stones similar to my 2nd option, about the same ct weight, clarity, EX/EX, but F color, not E, and they are asking approximately $14,500. Would the step up in color (assuming all other things equal) mean a step-up in price of $1,700?