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snickers1101

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jan 20, 2009
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I''ve recently been looking at engagement rings and love the Leo Diamond, but not the price. All retailers have their own "specialty" diamond, such as Helzberg with the Radiant Star. They all look spectacular but the Leo does have that extra sparkle. What is the difference between all these specialty diamonds and is it worth the price? I''m new to this site and have read some of the posts. The general consensus is that the retail stores are not the place to go. I would be very hesitant to buy a diamond online, especially after seeing the brilliance of the Leo. Are there diamonds out there that compare to the Leo, and if so, how do I find them? Any help would be appreciated. I''m driving my fiancee nuts!!
 
I actually had a down payment on a Leo until I saw what else was out there, then I asked my fiance to get his money back. Leo''s have extra factes, so their sparkles are smaller flashes of light. I found that I''d rather have the regular amount of facets, but cut to very tight proportions for extra sparkle. Leo''s also tend to face up smaller for their weight, so you could get a 1 ct. and it may look more like a 3/4. I know for me, if I''m buying a 1 ct., I want it to look like a 1 ct. GoodOldGold.com has something called a Solasfera. I don''t know if it''s the exact same idea as a Leo, but I do know it''s another specialty round with extra facets, and Good Old Gold''s prices are very competitive and their fan base (especially on pricescope) is HUGE! I would definitely not hesitate to buy from them, or any other trusted ps vendor. I personally have experience with Whiteflash and also couldn''t recommend them enough. They both have return policies AND trade up policies so there''s really nothing to be concerned about with buying online. Do a search on Good Old Gold and Whiteflash, then do a search on Leos. You''ll get the picture:)
 
Also, forgot to add, I''ve seen Leos in real life and I must say my diamond is more sparkly. And for around the same $ as I would have spent on the Leo, I got a bigger, more well cut stone.
 
I think you should do a search on "Leo" as a first step.
 
I did do a lot of research on the Leo. Of course, at Jared, they had me convinced that there are no other diamonds that will sparkle like the Leo. After visiting this site, I''m certainly changing my tune on that. I want to stay away from the branded names like the Leo or Radiant Star. Where do I begin in looking at "regular" diamonds, if you will? Should I be looking for a certain type of cut, or just a better color/clarity? Pardon my ignorance on this subject as this is all new to me. Thanks for the responses!
 
If you want the most bright and sparkly round brilliant, try a Hearts and Arrows diamond. Try whiteflash.com or goodoldgold.com. I know there are others but these are the most mentioned on here. Whiteflash has a brand of diamonds called A Cut Above, or ACAs, as they''re called around here. They are STUNNING, and each one is cut to such tight parameters that they will ALL have that awesome sparkle you are looking for. That would be the first place I''d look. If you don''t choose an ACA, sticking with AGS-0 diamonds will ensure great light return. Be careful with GIA excellents, their cut grading system is not so good. I originally bought a GIA "excellent" that wasn''t such a hot performer. When I realized I could have done better it was right out of my return period, so I sent the diamond to Whiteflash and had them recut it by the team of cutters who make the ACAs. The difference is unbelievable, but it would have been so much easier to just buy from them in the first place. I''ll find a picture of my ring just as an example.
 
Color and clarity are not what will make the diamond sparkle (unless the diamond is an I2 and the inclusions are actually interfering with the light return) - you want the best angles and proprotions to maximize light return (in other words, cut is what makes the diamond sparkle). You can go with a hearts and arrow optical symmetry, or one of the non h&a diamonds that are cut to the right proportions. Start with reading the basic and advanced tutorial under the knowledge button at the top of the page. There are cut charts near the end of it. We will help you if you need it.
 
In addition to the great options of Whiteflash and GOG, I am going to through some more options out here. If you like the Solasfera, you can also go to David S Diamond (www.davidsdiamonds.com) who I believe created the cut. Perhaps you can contact Brian Gavin (http://www.brianthecutter.com/) and have him cut you a pretty H&A diamond.
 
Kelli, your ring is gorgeous! Thanks so much to all of you for your help. I''m definitely learning a lot more about diamonds. GOG and Whiteflash look like good, reputable vendors. It''s kinda scary buying off the internet without actually seeing the diamond. But I think I''ll take that chance because this forum has been so helpful.
 
Date: 1/21/2009 12:32:05 PM
Author: snickers1101
Kelli, your ring is gorgeous! Thanks so much to all of you for your help. I''m definitely learning a lot more about diamonds. GOG and Whiteflash look like good, reputable vendors. It''s kinda scary buying off the internet without actually seeing the diamond. But I think I''ll take that chance because this forum has been so helpful.
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We will help you through the process snickers
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You can also try James Allen and Engagement Rings Direct and Wink Jones at Winfields as reputable internet vendors who get very good reviews here is PS. There are others, but these plus WF and GOG seem to pop up most often.

As for buying "sight unseen", well all of the vendors listed here so far will give you tonnes of pictures and information about the diamonds, and all have excellent worry free return policies if you don''t like the diamond once it shows up!
 
Thanks Snickers! My fiance thought I was crazy when I wanted to get our money back for something else, but I'm the one wearing it and now he's happy because I'm so happy. He seems to like showing it off to people as well:)

Good luck in your search, it should be a really fun time. Have you thought about your color/clarity/size preferences much?
 
I know the size will be about 1 ct. As far as color/clarity, I have no idea. Since I''ve only seen the Leo and Radiant Star in person, I''m not sure what the better quality diamonds look like in comparison to the sparkle. The Leo and Radiant Star I believe were SI1-SI2/HI. From what I''ve read, those are average in quality, I think. I need to look at other stones with maybe an E, F or G color and VSS1-VSS2 just to compare the fire, brilliance, etc.
 
One other question...In the Hearts and Arrow diamond, can you see the dark design with the naked eye?
 
Date: 1/21/2009 3:33:41 PM
Author: snickers1101
I know the size will be about 1 ct. As far as color/clarity, I have no idea. Since I've only seen the Leo and Radiant Star in person, I'm not sure what the better quality diamonds look like in comparison to the sparkle. The Leo and Radiant Star I believe were SI1-SI2/HI. From what I've read, those are average in quality, I think. I need to look at other stones with maybe an E, F or G color and VSS1-VSS2 just to compare the fire, brilliance, etc.
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You could try Jareds again, they stock AGS0 cut grade round diamonds which you could view, this would give you a comparison of how a well cut diamond looks and acts, alternatively try Hearts on Fire brand if there is a dealer closeby.
 
Date: 1/21/2009 3:35:51 PM
Author: snickers1101
One other question...In the Hearts and Arrow diamond, can you see the dark design with the naked eye?
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If you mean the arrow patterning, in some lights you can make them out but the arrows themselves often look more silvery - its not like you have black looking wheel type spokes with spear heads looking obvious in your diamond, mostly with a top cut h&a all you will see is sparkle!
 
The AGS0 at Jareds is not part of the Leo collection or their "branded" collections? I guess that''s what is throwing me off. The look of the Leo is gorgeous but after a lot of reading on this site, it''s not worth the money. But I want that same sparkle.
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Date: 1/21/2009 3:33:41 PM
Author: snickers1101
I know the size will be about 1 ct. As far as color/clarity, I have no idea. Since I''ve only seen the Leo and Radiant Star in person, I''m not sure what the better quality diamonds look like in comparison to the sparkle. The Leo and Radiant Star I believe were SI1-SI2/HI. From what I''ve read, those are average in quality, I think. I need to look at other stones with maybe an E, F or G color and VSS1-VSS2 just to compare the fire, brilliance, etc.
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Remeber, these variables of colour and clarity are completely independent of fire and brilliance etc. Many people consider the sweet spot for ideal cut diamonds in terms of price to be G-H and VS1-VS2 because you will not see any body colour in these diamonds (some can see body colour and thus prefer DEF for various reasons) and you cannot see any inclusions with the naked eye, and perhaps not with a 10X loup. So you aren''t paying for anything in terms of colour and clarity that you cannot see! But you need to go see a range of H&A diamonds to know how you feel about this, as Lorelai suggested.
 
Date: 1/21/2009 3:48:17 PM
Author: snickers1101
The AGS0 at Jareds is not part of the Leo collection or their 'branded' collections? I guess that's what is throwing me off. The look of the Leo is gorgeous but after a lot of reading on this site, it's not worth the money. But I want that same sparkle.
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I am not sure if all the branded Jared diamonds are also AGS0...But I would definitely check or look at some HoF to see if you get the sparkle you want that way. If maybe it is something in the extra faceted cuts which appeals to you, then you could consider Solasfera as Kelli mentioned, although it isn't the same as seeing a diamond in person, I will try to find a video for you to get some idea.

Back in a sec...

Here you go, scroll down to the Solasfera video.

http://www.goodoldgold.com/Diamond_Videos/
 
I will be going to some different jewelers this weekend. Do I ask to see an ASG0 diamond? I want to make it seem like I know what I''m talking about! LOL
 
Date: 1/22/2009 10:04:00 AM
Author: snickers1101
I will be going to some different jewelers this weekend. Do I ask to see an ASG0 diamond? I want to make it seem like I know what I'm talking about! LOL
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Yes, just say you would like them to show you some AGS0 cut grade diamonds, here is some homework for you so you can read up a bit LOL!!

http://www.agslab.com/main.php
 
Date: 1/21/2009 3:48:17 PM
Author: snickers1101
The AGS0 at Jareds is not part of the Leo collection or their 'branded' collections? I guess that's what is throwing me off. The look of the Leo is gorgeous but after a lot of reading on this site, it's not worth the money. But I want that same sparkle.
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Click to expand...

Jared's sells AGS0 stones as their "Peerless" collection. They have a strange pricing system, though. They price by the size instead of individual prices based on size, color, clarity, etc. They are beautiful diamonds but I would not buy there because you can do better with an online seller that sells AGS0 stones. I would definitly recommend looking there, though.
 
Wow! I just saw some Hearts On Fire diamonds which, according to the salesperson, are their ASG0 diamonds. It was perfect! The one I saw was .91 carat and sold for $12,000. Whiteflash was about $8300 for the same characteristics. Do people really pay $12,000? What fools they are! But it did have the "sparkle/fire" I''m looking for. It was much clearer looking than the Leo. Would Whiteflash''s diamonds look the same? I have to say, I''m astounded at the price difference.
 
Date: 1/22/2009 7:22:01 PM
Author: snickers1101
Wow! I just saw some Hearts On Fire diamonds which, according to the salesperson, are their ASG0 diamonds. It was perfect! The one I saw was .91 carat and sold for $12,000. Whiteflash was about $8300 for the same characteristics. Do people really pay $12,000? What fools they are! But it did have the ''sparkle/fire'' I''m looking for. It was much clearer looking than the Leo. Would Whiteflash''s diamonds look the same? I have to say, I''m astounded at the price difference.
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Yes Whiteflash''s will!
Do what I (and others) have done...
Buy your well cut diamond, then take it with you back to look at those HOF branded diamonds (knowing that you can return your diamond within the return period if it doesn''t compare favorably to the HOF).
Walk away ''snickering'' (hee hee couldn''t resist the play on your screen name!) at your great deal!
 
Date: 1/22/2009 7:22:01 PM
Author: snickers1101
Wow! I just saw some Hearts On Fire diamonds which, according to the salesperson, are their ASG0 diamonds. It was perfect! The one I saw was .91 carat and sold for $12,000. Whiteflash was about $8300 for the same characteristics. Do people really pay $12,000? What fools they are! But it did have the 'sparkle/fire' I'm looking for. It was much clearer looking than the Leo. Would Whiteflash's diamonds look the same? I have to say, I'm astounded at the price difference.
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When I went to Jared's, the only stone I was really drawn to in their case turned out to be part of their Peerless collection. I asked to see the certificate expecting some paperwork from a lab with random initials, but was surprised when he brought out an AGS certificate and the diamond was and AGS 0. However, you could find the same elsewhere without their markup. For me I ended up finding a local jeweler who had gorgeous GIA and AGS stones because it was important to me that I could see and compare stones before making my purchase. I found him through an online search and by reading on here about the vendors in my city. But I did visit Jared and every other jeweler in town multiple times to educate myself on what good diamonds and blah diamonds look like to be able to judge for myself.
 
Date: 1/22/2009 8:36:58 PM
Author: :)

Date: 1/22/2009 7:22:01 PM
Author: snickers1101
Wow! I just saw some Hearts On Fire diamonds which, according to the salesperson, are their ASG0 diamonds. It was perfect! The one I saw was .91 carat and sold for $12,000. Whiteflash was about $8300 for the same characteristics. Do people really pay $12,000? What fools they are! But it did have the ''sparkle/fire'' I''m looking for. It was much clearer looking than the Leo. Would Whiteflash''s diamonds look the same? I have to say, I''m astounded at the price difference.
Click to expand...
Yes Whiteflash''s will!
Do what I (and others) have done...
Buy your well cut diamond, then take it with you back to look at those HOF branded diamonds (knowing that you can return your diamond within the return period if it doesn''t compare favorably to the HOF).
Walk away ''snickering'' (hee hee couldn''t resist the play on your screen name!) at your great deal!
Click to expand...
Ditto and ditto the '' snickering'' LOL!!!
 
Hee-hee! Snickers is the name of my cat. Figured you could appreciate that one.
 
Date: 1/23/2009 10:32:32 AM
Author: snickers1101
Hee-hee! Snickers is the name of my cat. Figured you could appreciate that one.
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Oh yes!!!
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It's funny, I just saw this thread again and thought to suggest that you go see some Hearts on Fire diamonds in person, because they will look the same as ACAs, but with a much bigger price tag. If you like the look of them, I HIGHLY recommend the ACAs:)

Like the others have already mentioned, color and clarity won't affect the sparkle, unless you're talking about some hideously included rock or something, which you're not. I stuck with VS2, because I didn't yet know how trustworthy some of the vendors are about eye cleanliness, but you can save money, or more importantly, maximize SIZE for your budget, by going with an eye clean SI1 or 2. I actually saw an H or I diamond next to a D in Jared while I was looking and preferred the lower color. It didn't look any less white to me, just somehow more firey. After seeing that, I'd never pay more for a colorless stone.
 
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