Find your diamond
Find your jewelry
shape
carat
color
clarity

N suprise

bright&shiny

bright&shiny

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
May 11, 2009
Messages
1,259
I thought I'd post this as an avid ideal cut admirer, who took an unexpected (and happy) detour.

My DH took me to a local jeweler to see if they had anything for an anniversary present. Turns out they were having a sale - a fairly good sale. I spotted a bezel set slider necklace - which has been on my wish list for years. After reviewing all the sale items, we kept coming back to the necklace. It's clearly not an ideal cut - and I knew not even triple X, but it outperformed all the other diamond pieces we considered. I knew it was warm, but you could have knocked me over with a feather when we learned it was a N. I'm super color sensitive - but then I remembered (and pulled up my photo of) Gary's chart for parameters to consider for earrings and pendants. LOVE that chart. It just doesn't read that warm face up and especially once worn.

Here are the specs:
GIA certified N vs1 1.33
Parameters are all "good"
Table is 64 (big and off Gary's chart)
Crown 35.5
Pavillion 40.6
Depth 59.3

So, it is bright, light and performs well in all light. I never would have considered this stone if I'd not seen it in person - so reinforcing the notion that if its not an ideal, high performance stone, you have to see it in person. I also NEVER would have paid the retail, but as I said, the sale was good.

Here are some pics - I'm so happy with this find. The price and look were right :-)

Ideal scope image for fun

tempImageqR3AO1.pngtempImage8vfxns.png


Here it is next to my POH ER and studs- you can definitely see more warmth here - as expected - but I still wouldn't have guessed N
tempImagek22QcA.png

Ideal Scope image for fun.
tempImageDKaHu7.png
 
It’s lovely and looks great in the yellow bezel with the yellow chain. Good find...enjoy it!
 
I can think of many people whose eyes would choose your new stone over the typical PS preference.

Seeing stones in-person is truly SO important. I’m glad you posted this. It’s too easy to take PS zeitgeist as gospel, and to begin to quote others’ preferences as an objective “best” without validating one’s own opinions... We see that happen here over and over.

You took the time to educate your eyes, and then you let your eyes make an informed and personal judgment. This is what every single PSer should strive to do. Congratulations on your new stone and on a mind-clean purchase :))
 
yssie said:
I can think of many people whose eyes would choose your new stone over the typical PS preference.

Seeing stones in-person is truly SO important. I’m glad you posted this. It’s too easy to take PS zeitgeist as gospel, and to begin to quote others’ preferences as an objective “best” without validating one’s own opinions... We see that happen here over and over.

You took the time to educate your eyes, and then you let your eyes make an informed and personal judgment. This is what every single PSer should strive to do. Congratulations on your new stone and on a mind-clean purchase :))
Click to expand...

Thank you - and you’ve said it perfectly: it is truly a mind clean purchase. I debated posting anything at all (with myself) and decided to go ahead for exactly the reasons you’ve stated so eloquently. I hope it is valuable to others and contributes to the varied perspectives on this great site!
 
It’s stunning, I love the charm of lower colours.
 
Oooooo that’s just so dang classy! I love it! And the stone looks great! I love the yellow gold with a warmer diamond. Congrats! Thanks for sharing. Sometimes I feel a little down with all the “super ideal warriors” on PS since I don’t own one yet. I really appreciate this post because at the end of the day the only thing that matters is that we love our diamonds!
 
I love it ! You made a good choice , enjoy your beautiful new necklace :)
 
SO beautiful! And happy anniversary!
 
Congrates!
The IS shows the cutter knew what they were doing and reduced the star% so the upper girdles are not over steep.
For a big tabled stone its interesting and as you describe it bright is no surprise.
But here is the deal..
Another diamond with those same numbers on the report could be a train wreck.

I love n m o p-q s-t stones.
 
I would have guessed J. It certainly doesn't take a back seat to your other beautiful pieces. How smart of you to get this! Thank you for showing us how lovely an N can be.
Neck shot?
 
lovely pendant. Enjoy wearing it.
 
Happy Anniversary! What a fortuitous find, and so beautiful!
 
@Austina - Thank you - it is charming and I love the warmth of the stone. If I could see it, the side view would show quite a bit more warmth, but it is almost completely enclosed.

@Sprinkles&Stones - I'm glad you like it in yellow gold. I only wear YG because it looks best with my skin, so I was thrilled to find this because almost everything is in white gold nowadays. To be honest, I love the ideal cuts, too: my ER is a Princess of Hearts (branded) - now called a radiant square if not branded. But you are absolutely correct - its all about what we love (just like wine). As I said, if I had been shopping online using my preferred specs, I never would have selected this stone - and I would have missed out on its beauty. Thank you for your kind words - your avatar ring is absolutely beautiful!!!
 
@Jax172 - it really is a beautiful size and goes to show how a bezel can in fact help a stone face up larger. There were a few other pieces I considered, but none had the performance or presence this one had. Thanks for your kind words.

@AllAboardTheBlingTrain - you've nailed it: bright and spready - so much so that even though it was in the corner of the display, it caught my eye. I don't know if it has a particular name - it is not a branded item as the jeweler made it for the store - but I think I've mostly seen this style called a bezeled solitaire slider. :-)

@Vanilla Bling - Thank you! I plan to add it to my everyday collection (which is generally seasonal).

@PreRaphaelite - Thank you - and thank you! It is a rainy and unseasonably cold weekend here, so our celebrations may wait until it warms up, but this has added some additional sunshine to the gloomy conditions ;)2
 
Karl_K said:
Congrates!
The IS shows the cutter knew what they were doing and reduced the star% so the upper girdles are not over steep.
For a big tabled stone its interesting and as you describe it bright is no surprise.
But here is the deal..
Another diamond with those same numbers on the report could be a train wreck.

I love n m o p-q s-t stones.
Click to expand...

Thank you! I am so glad I determined its performance and then - much later - reviewed the GIA cert. As you said, it could have been a train wreck - but I'm so glad it isn't.

Years ago my not yet DH and I passed on a stunning set of N and O studs (2.5 or 3 tcw) that were similarly cut and had fantastic performance. We both still regret it, but it was a financial stretch for a casual find. Someday, we'll find another set we like as much.

It is bright, but also has a fair amount of fire - more than I expected given the size of the table. In fact, in the shop display, it was the fire that caught my eye first. When they took it out of the case, it just lit up bright and beautiful DH wouldn't let the SA (the lovely Jennifer) put it back in the case as we looked at every other interesting piece.

I'm curious about what you see in the IS that shows the star% reduction and the upper girdle length. I can tell some of this better in an ideal cut, but not so clearly in this. I also have ASET images that I took - if that makes it any easier. If you are inclined, I'd love to learn more.

Thanks again!
 
oncrutchesrightnow said:
@bright&shiny Pretty pendant! Thanks for posting. The best jewelry photos are more jewelry photos.
Click to expand...

Thank you - I'll post more. Its so gloomy here, but I took a few while out and about this week. I'll cull through them and post a few. I agree, I can't get enough pics in other people's threads! :-)
 
Ibrakeforpossums said:
I would have guessed J. It certainly doesn't take a back seat to your other beautiful pieces. How smart of you to get this! Thank you for showing us how lovely an N can be.
Neck shot?
Click to expand...

Pics will be coming up below - but I've become vain about my neck - I'll try some edits..... Its super gloomy, but I took a few during the week - such as the photo with some other bling. I was amazed how well it held its own! Its fairly enclosed, but I'm curious how much color is visible from the side. Of course, that's were we see the most color, but I'm curious. Thanks for your kind words!
 
@Queenie60 Thank you - I've worn it since we brought it home :)

@springerspaniel - Thank you for the kind Anniversary thought. You've got it right - it really was an unexpected and fortuitous find. I feel blessed for many reasons but am happy to include this as one of them.
 
More pics -

How did my neck become the oldest thing about me? Where has the time gone? OK - venting over.

tempImageNHQ8oi.png

ASET - not perfect because camera was at a bit of an angle, but not too far off.

tempImageQxZs0O.png


Sorry - those below all loaded sideways - but that's not how they were taken or saved...

In some non-led light - the worst angle possible - an still not bad.
tempImageXMoyoi.png


Super bright - but not in focus.
tempImagefO7cPU.png

Next to ER - but angles not quite lined up so you can see the warmth more clearly.
tempImageUZfVvX.png
 
@Garry H (Cut Nut) - I hope it's ok to post this. I keep it in a special album so I can reference when I need it.

This is the chart I mentioned in the first post - great reference for expanding considerations when looking for earrings or pendants.

IMG_5307.JPG
 
It looks great!

Had you seen lower color GIA-graded stones in person before? Here are my thoughts on the N color - look at something like Heidi's thread where her "F" and "G" diamonds were K and J, respectively, according to GIA. Now imagine what something like an off-brand lab or ungraded "J" or "K" is! Possibly below a GIA N! I think a lot of diamonds we see out in the wild on other people's hands are lower colors than most would guess.
 
distracts said:
It looks great!

Had you seen lower color GIA-graded stones in person before? Here are my thoughts on the N color - look at something like Heidi's thread where her "F" and "G" diamonds were K and J, respectively, according to GIA. Now imagine what something like an off-brand lab or ungraded "J" or "K" is! Possibly below a GIA N! I think a lot of diamonds we see out in the wild on other people's hands are lower colors than most would guess.
Click to expand...

Yes, indeed I have seen quite a few lower colored stone - and many with more color (and lower clarity) that than the vendor or cert identifies. This stone, because it is only visible face up, really took me by surprise because it is so bright.

Heidi’s thread is indeed a good read - I have followed it with interest. Also amazing are the threads regarding differences between GIA and AGS certifications in the same stone.

I’m sure you are correct about the true color of most stones IRL!
 
Lovely pendant! Sounds like you found a unique and beautiful diamond. I also really like the bezel slider setting and chain. A classic piece!
 
RunningwithScissors said:
Lovely pendant! Sounds like you found a unique and beautiful diamond. I also really like the bezel slider setting and chain. A classic piece!
Click to expand...

Coming from you that’s quite a compliment! I tend to classic timeless pieces and it’s been on my wish list - I’d always assume it would be an ACA, but now I can’t imagine that. I’ll save it for a ring!
 
GET 3 FREE HCA RESULTS JOIN THE FORUM. ASK FOR HELP
Jewelry Blog
PriceScope-Concierge-Ad
Find prime cuts.
Top