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Need help deciding on a Pear

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Tylerokc

Rough_Rock
Joined
Sep 4, 2017
Messages
7
Hi all,

I have spent quite a long time reading these forums and the website in general and getting my knowledge of pear stones where it needs to be where I think I'm comfortable making a purchase. I'm pretty indecisive by nature and now that I've actually got to the point where I want to pull the trigger I was hoping to get a second opinion from all the experts on here.

My girlfriend of 7 years wants a pear shaped diamond. The city I live in does not exactly have the greatest selection, so I've decided to buy online and can always send back if it comes in and I'm unhappy with it. I am currently looking at two stones:

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/pear-shaped/1.60-carat-e-color-vs2-clarity-sku-3350509
and
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/pear-shaped/1.62-carat-d-color-vs1-clarity-sku-3341880

I have obtained ASET's for these two stones and will also attach them. My current thoughts are:
  • Leaning towards 0509. It's ASET looks markedly better in my opinion and even though it's a VS2, it looks really clean to me, even under 10-20x magnification. I've seen a lot worse in VS2's.
  • I've tried to basically use a lot of recommended proportions charts for pears to narrow it down to stones that should be in a ideal/excellent type range, and from there use ASET's and magnification images to see how far the facets extend North/South on the pear. I think both of these options are pretty good... but my eye is obviously untrained compared to you all.
My questions are:

  • 0509's girdle is listed as thin/very thick. Is this a concern? Some places say it is. 0509 also has some feathering towards one of it's edges, which I read could indicate a pretty serious plane of weakness. I don't expect my girlfriend to be slamming the ring around or anything, but is this something that would concern you?
  • The price difference (~$400) isn't a big deal to me, but in general do you think the difference in these two stones are significant enough that it warrants the price? I'm just kind of wondering how different these two stones would be in you all's eyes.
  • What is you all's opinions on these two stones?
  • If you have a suggestion for another stone or see something critical that I am missing, please let me know. My price range is somewhere in this $12,000 - $14,000 range. Any feedback is much appreciated.
Thank you all so much for your help. Pricescope's website and these forums have been an invaluable tool in this whole process.


3350509aset.jpg This one is 3350509.
3341880aset.jpg This one is 3341880.
 
Tylerokc said:
I've decided to buy online and can always send back if it comes in and I'm unhappy with it.
Click to expand...
Smart strategy.

From both ASET and video, I like the 0509 (E-VS2) better than the 1880 (D-VS1).

I wouldn't worry about the "thin" parts of the girdle. I believe girdle durability is not a concern unless you get into the "very thin" or "extremely thin" range. The main feather does not extend to the girdle, although it is located in the tip region, which can experience elevated stress during setting.

The price difference is curious. There is a premium for D (vs E), VS1 (vs VS2), and Ex/Ex (vs G/G), and even though there may be a discount for Medium fluor (vs none), I would expect the D-VS1 diamond to be more expensive than the E-VS2 diamond, given that the weight and spread is similar. Looking at comps, it seems to be that the price of the D-VS1 is lower than average, while the price of the E-VS2 is close to average. Not sure what is driving the additional discounting of the D-VS1.
 
Thank you drk14 for the feedback :) It helps a bunch!
 
Hey Niel - That one seems to just popped up and I was interested in it too so I went ahead and requested it's ASET. It's attached to this post. It's hard to tell when comparing the 3350509 to the 3332709 ASET images though, as it looks like they may have been taken with different equipment.. at least to my eye.

I'm really on the fence now between the 3350509 and 3332709. It looks like they are really comparable.

I don't exactly have a hard line in the D - E - F color range, but it just seemed like that dropping below that was starting to bring some pretty pronounced color into the pear's i was looking at. On James Allen now are a couple of pretty clear G's, but their bowtie's seem more significant than what we have here.

Any other input is appreciated. Thanks all
3332709aset.jpg 3332709 ASET
 
I really like that last aset. Rather than just green, it seems to have good contrast with red and blue in the tip of the pear. That's usually what I'd look for.

I did not comment on your color choice because I completely agree. Due to the unusual cutting off the pear, color becomes prominent easily. And it's not just noticable, as that wouldn't be such a big issue, but it's noticable in some areas more than others. The tip can look more concentrated in color than the "butt". Because of that I think staying in the colorless range is the right choice.
 
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ETA: I preferred 509 until Niel posted 709.

Oh, i like the F VS1 Niel posted, :love: looks nice and crisp throughout and i prefer the slightly chubbier shape of it. very nice!
 
What setting are you thinking?
 
Awesome guys thanks for the info! I think I am going to pull the trigger today :)

On the setting Niel, I know some of the basics my girlfriend likes: 18k white gold or platinum, solitaire setting,. We both like the thinner bands. On most websites I only see 6 prong settings for pears, which I suppose I understand. I was hoping for a 4 prong setting with the tip covered that didn't create a "boxy" effect, but it seems to not be out there.
 
If you have the money go for platinum. It is the superior metal if you're going for white metal and it doesn't need to be repolished. I'm not sure how you would do a 4 prong Solitaire on a pear. Would the be NSEW orientation and the bottom prong be a v? I'll have to look for some examples for you who will be doing the setting for you ?
 
I have to admit in looking for solis for pears I find a lot of them quite clunky. Would she consider something like this? It's practically a soli and for whatever reason the addition of baguettes elevates the whole look img-thing.jpg
 
I really like the first one Farrah. Yeah, something that had smaller prongs showing on the face of the diamond was ideally what I had in mind you are right. The second one's prongs are a little sharper then I imagined, but the general idea is there.

Niel, I really like yours too. It's great. We were looking for the solitaires, but this isn't nearly as bad as the three-stone looks we were comparing it too. I think she just might go for something like that. Is that setting from a different site other than James Allen?

Thanks all!
 
Yes that setting is not from James Allen. We may be slightly limited if you want both the diamond and setting from James Allen. Let me see if they have a similar setting available.
 
Yeah, I think I'm going to just order the diamond first and then work on the setting. I don't want to lose the chance on the diamond.
 
Definitely order that diamond it's beautiful. Ordering the setting all in one place is definitely easier if they have what you want, but when they don't I wouldn't order a setting too just for convenience
 
JA is capable of daintier prongs, you won't get the claw prongs like i posted above but sounds like you don't want any that sharp either. But you will have to specify dainty and i would also ask for pictures before they ship it out just to be sure the prongs are what you like.

check out the prongs on the picture of the yellow gold, 2.01ct ring here:
https://www.jamesallen.com/engageme...dern-tulip-diamond-engagement-ring-item-50622
I'd take a snapshot of that ring and refer to it when you are specifying dainty prongs.

If you're not confident that JA can create the look you want, you could contact David Klass about a custom solitaire. You can see some of his work HERE
 
Thank you everyone for all the information and help. I visit lots of different forums for lots of reasons from time to time (home improvement, tech, etc) and this community has been far and away the kindest, most helpful and most knowledgeable group I've come across. Thank you!

I went ahead and ordered the diamond last night :) I'm excited about it. I decided to just go ahead and explore my setting options some more before making that commitment. I will check out my options and let you all know which way I go with some pictures. Thank you!
 
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