Need expert''s help

[lakss]

Hi All:
I am new to this forum. I am planning to buy a diamond ring for my wife. My budget is $1500. My requirement is that the diamond should be brilliant. I am ready to compromise on the size for brilliance and fire.

After a lot of reading on the 4 Cs, I figured out that the sequence of C for my requirement would be:
1. Cut
2. Clarity
3. Color
4. Carat
Please correct me if I am wrong.

I checked some of the big brick and mortar chains, and most of them don''t carry ''Ideal Cut''. Especially, H&A type cut. That''s when I turned my attention to web. After, some research work, I zeroed in on the following:

Specs
Shape: Round
Cut : A cut abouve H & A
Carat: 0.38
Color: F
Clarity: VVS1
Depth: 61.9
Table:55
Crown Angle: 34.1
Crown%: 15
Pavilion Angle:40.9
Pavilion%:43
Girdle: Faceted 1.1% to 1.9%
Polish: Ideal
Symmetry: Ideal
Culet: Pointed

Have the following questions:
1. The quoted price for the above diamond is $1400. Is this a resonable price?
2. How reliable it is to buy diamond online?
3. If it reliable to buy, could you please send a list of reliable websites?
4. Does the above spec meet my requirement of high brilliance?
5. I read a couple of postings about apprasing the diamond. I am in WA, is there any website that gives that of registred appraisers?

Thanks,
Laks

 

[Mara]

Did a quick Cut Quality Search (all excellent stones with HCA scores under 2.0 and most are H&A) and found the following. As you can see, your budget can get you alot more than a 0.38. Even an F SI would get you a bigger stone. Can't stress enough how I feel exceptional clarity in a stone this small is a waste of money.

Good luck!

 

[am470]

I am not an expert, but just a recently engaged woman. I agree with the above posters. The diamond is way too small to stand alone on a ring. All you will see will be the prong. Definitely sacrifice the other C's for a bigger stone. You might want to consider a sapphire instead of a diamond considering your price range.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Hi,

My eng. ring is .42 and it IS pretty enough to stand on it's own, BUT, I do agree that you can get a slighly larger stone and go down in color one and clarity, to a VS2/SI1 and still get an amazing diamond. FWIW, I have a .38 diamond and next to my .42, it's visably smaller. It's surprising what four points can do to the diameter of the diamond.

Michelle

 

[lakss]

Thanks you, Mara, am470 and Michelle. I would refine my search based on your inputs and would post my findings shortly. My revised priority sequence:
1.Cut
2.Color
3.Size
4.Clarity

Should I swap 2 and 3, or is the above sequence okay?

Michelle, may I ask the specification of your ring?

Regards,
Laks

 

[Mara]

The order of your priorities is really your decision. My personal preference for something like this in order to get a bit more size, which will be visible....would be switching 2 and 3....but then again I have some size minimums in mind...hee hee.

I do think that keeping clarity low though is a wise choice...you can get a bigger stone with a great color and exceptional cut and no one will know that it's not a VVS.

My motto is why pay for what you can't SEE. That is why I could do something like G/H color, SI clarity and get a .60c stone or similar--you SEE the size.

 

[Hest88]

Agreed with the others.

Also, to get a more substantial ring, have you thought about flanking the diamond with colored stones? Two years ago we had a budget of $2k and we got my mom an unbranded H&A that was just under .5 flanked by two slightly smaller tsavorites. It was a white gold ring and I think we ended up at about $1700 or so. It made for great sparkle!

 

[lakss]

Hi All:
I refined my search I got the following list:
0.425 G VS1 AGS Ideal H&A $1,190.00 View
0.470 G VS2 AGS Ideal H&A $1,332.00 View
0.480 G VS1 AGS Ideal H&A $1,563.00 View
0.475 F VS2 AGS Ideal H&A $1,446.00 View
0.470 F VS1 AGS Ideal H&A $1,678.00 View
0.471 F VS1 AGS Ideal H&A $1,678.00 View
0.508 G VS2 AGS Ideal H&A $1,814.00 View
0.508 F VS2 AGS Ideal H&A $2,080.00
I am trying to hit the sweet spot. I am not getting VS1 and F in H & A, size 0.42 - 0.44 b/w $1350-1450. Any pointers?

Cheers,
Laks

 

[Mara]

Pointers? Yes

Drop the clarity to SI. Per my chart post yesterday, you'll see tons of larger stones.

If you confirm that the stone is eye-clean with the vendor, it's the same from a visual perspective as VVS or even IF! No one knows the difference...

 

[lakss]

Thanks, Mara. I dropped clarity to VS2 and here is what I found:

Price: $1,446.00
Report: AGS
Shape: A Cut Above H&A
Carat: 0.475
Color: F
Clarity: VS2
Depth: 60.7
Table: 57
Crown Angle: 34.6
Crown %: 14.8
Pavilion Angle: 40.8
Pavilion %: 42.7
Girdle: Faceted 1.0% to 2.0%
Polish: Ideal
Symmetry: Ideal
Culet: Pointed
Fluorescence: Negligible
Measurements: 5.04-5.07X3.07

Could you please critique the above stone? Especially, from brilliance perspective. Also, any pointers on appraising the stone?

Regards,
Laks

 

[Mara]

The stone, as probably 99% of ACA stones, should be exceptionally lovely. The numbers are very good! I would email WF for IdealScope image, closeups of the stones and inclusions, Sarin and other information. They are great about getting back to you but are really busy right now, so you may have to wait a day or so....maybe calling is faster.

I would still consider SI1..WF has a AC G SI that is around .52c for $1500...there will be a visual difference there...the smaller stones seem to have the biggest visual differences even with a few points, IMO.

 

[lakss]

Thanks all, for your suggestions. I tried HCA on


Shape: A Cut Above H&A
Carat: 0.475
Color: F
Clarity: VS2
Depth: 60.7
Table: 57
Crown Angle: 34.6
Crown %: 14.8
Pavilion Angle: 40.8
Pavilion %: 42.7
Girdle: Faceted 1.0% to 2.0%
Polish: Ideal
Symmetry: Ideal
Culet: Pointed
Fluorescence: Negligible
Measurements: 5.04-5.07X3.07


I left the culet as 0 (default) on the HCA page, as didn't know what to enter there.




Results

Could you please help me interpret the score? Also, could you please help me understand why a 'A cut above H&A' is scoring 'Very Good' on Spread. As it is an ideal cut, I was expecting an 'Excellent' there!

Cheers,

Laks

 

[Mara]

Most stones you run through HCA will have VG for Spread. It's just the way it is. If you run through 10, you may find 1 that is EX. It really shouldn't be a determining factor in your purchase IMO. Other items are so much more important.




The HCA should have been under 2.0, right? All EX's and a VG is great if that is what it got.

 

[lakss]

Oops, my results did not get pasted at all. So, trying it with 'normal text'.

I left the culet as 0. Is that okay?

Regards,

Laks

 

[lakss]

Sorry, it used Rich Text again, and didn't paste.
Regults
Factor Grade
Light Return Excellent
Fire Excellent
Scintillation Excellent
Spread
or diameter for weight Very Good
Total Visual Performance 1.3 - Excellent - within TIC range
I left the culte 0. Is that okay?

Regards,
Laks

 

[Mara]

Excellent score. Yes culet is fine at 0 since the culet doesn't even get factored into the HCA unless it's something like 1.5% which most of the round brilliants today won't have--especially not an ACA.




Are you looking at lower color/clarity or is this diamond really hitting your sweet spot?

 

[lakss]

Hi Mara,
Thanks for your response. I am looking at this because:
My wife is more concerned about color and clarity. Maybe, that as do with our(Indian) culture. Most of the Indians beleive that the diamond should be 1. Flawless 2. Colorless. I know that it is superstitious belief, but that could have been one of the reasons that would have influenced my wife, to believe that clarity is equally important.

As color one of the factors influencing brilliance(Theoritically), I would like to draw the line in DEF.

As for clarity, though I am not getting a 'flawless', I am trying to not go further down beyond VS2, and also I am trying to make sure that there are no black inclusions, which is again a belief in south indian culture..

Bottom line is wify dear should be happy

Cheers,
Laks

 

[Mara]

Sounds like this stone may be a good candidate to fit the bill then!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

I'm a bit late here in replying. . .but, my eng. ring is just a plain four prong solitaire set with a G color VS2 clarity, GIA graded, very well cut diamond. It's a nice stone and a very pretty ring. With it, I wear an ArtCarved band that has flowers carved into it, purchased at an Estate jewelry store.

The cut of the diamond does make a huge difference, especially in smaller stones. They do need every bit of help to stand out and a H&A half carat, more or less, will sparkle like crazy when it's well cut, and most importantly, CLEANED OFTEN

!

Michelle

 

[lakss]

Thanks everyone, for your suggestions and inputs. I have few more questions, please bare with me:
1. I read lots of postings about cleaning diamond. Any pointers on the best approach to clean diamonds?
2. Any idea how much insurance would cost for $1500 stone?
3. Who should be contacted for insurance and what is the process?
4. What all would be covered by insurance, or is that something customizable?
5. Inputs on independent appraisers in WA.

Regards,
Laks

 

[DEVO]

You really should go to a B&M store and check out what an SI looks like. You will be amazed that they are not visible. G/SI as many have already said is the a great combo. So make clarity your lowest priority.

This is how I started:

1. Cost
2. Cut
3. Caret
4. Color
5. Clarity

but didn't end up that way... but it was a good start.

 

[lakss]

Need expert's help again..

1.I read lots of postings about cleaning diamond. Any pointers on the best approach to clean diamonds?
2. Any idea how much insurance would cost for $1500 stone?
3. Who should be contacted for insurance and what is the process?
4. What all would be covered by insurance, or is that something customizable?
5. Inputs on independent appraisers in WA.

Regards,
Laks

 

[Mara]

Run an archive search on cleaning diamonds. You will find lots of threads with lots of information people have already given.




Run an archive search on insurance. You will find lots of threads with lots of information people have already given.




As for WA appraisers, click on Appraisers at the top of this page and see if you find anything. If not, suggest a separate post...