Need Help Please (HoF vs. Solasfera) long....

[dakavu]

Long time lurker, but first time poster. I need your expert opinion on two things:

A) Deciding between stones:

1) 1.03 D SI1 Solasfera
2) 1.09 F SI1 HoF

Background: My gf and I have been looking at stones in the NYC area for the last two months or so. We''ve narrowed it down to cuts. These are the Solasfera and the HoF. She likes both, but is indifferent between the two. Personally, she comes across as color sensitive, gravitating towards the whiter stones. Luckily for me, she insists that she does not want a bigger stone because it will look too big on her fingers. Her ring finger size is a 4.5. A retailer tried to talk her out of the color thing, saying that the D''s may be too pricey. So, he created a test for her, giving her five stones and asking her to arrange them in the right color order. He didn''t identify the color choices and she was able to arrange the stones in the perfect order. The stones he picked were a D/E/F/H/J and an I. Overall, her preferences are cut and then color. Given her choices - what would you guys pick?

In terms of price - there is a $1k difference between the two! Naturally, I''m inclined towards the lower cost option, but I''d rather pay the difference for a truly better cut vs. a better "perceived" cut!

B) The Setting:

1) HoF Repertoire Setting
2) Generic Setting (copy of option 1)

Background: Again, my gf has her heart set on the HoF Repertoire setting. If I go with the Solasfera, the seller cannot purchase the HoF setting, but has offered to make a copy of it. My gf has a stronger opinion on the setting. She believes that there is a possibility that trying to replicate it may ruin the setting. Do you guys know whether I can just purchase the setting and go with the Solasfera stone? Alternatively, my life is a lot easier if I go with the HoF stone and the HoF setting? Any comments here would be extremely useful?

Also, if you guys have any side/top/angle shots of the setting, I''d be truly grateful.

 

[Sundial]

I can''t help you with the Solasfera diamond as I have never seen one. I do own a Hearts on Fire setting in 18 kt. white gold with Hearts on Fire diamonds. The diamonds are breathtakingly gorgeous, but they are quite pricey compared to similiar ideal cut diamonds that can be purchased from some of the online vendors like Whiteflash and Good Old Gold. The setting is another matter. The Repertoire ring that your girl likes has a lot of tiny pave diamonds as does my setting. I will tell you that I have worn my Hearts on Fire ring daily for nearly three years now and I have cleaned it weekly in an ultrasonic cleaner. I have never lost a stone out of my setting and my ring still looks brand new. As a result I am a huge fan of Hearts on Fire settings especially if you are going with pave. If it were me I would buy the real HOF setting and not try to have it duplicated. Whatever you decide please come back with pictures for us!

 

[RPI.CuervoJ]

i''ve seen both the solasfera and HoF and i like the solasfera much better. it might have been the crummy sales woman who showed me the HoF that ruined it for me, but from the looks of the diamond, HoF just isn''t worth the money.

as for the setting, my thought is.. designs are designs. they''re not made using some secret method that''ll make it better than a replica. usually they''ll show you a wax mock-up that will be used to make the mold. if you don''t like it, you can change your mind.

 

[risingsun]

I agree with Sundial. I have tried on the HOF ring you are considering and it's both beautiful and well made. It will make the center stone look larger because of the halo. I have a number of HOF pieces and the quality of the diamonds is excellent. I'm always surprised when someone states that they have seen them and are not impressed. I've have spent so much time looking at them and trying them on, I can't help but think we're looking at different diamonds

I also have a WF branded A Cut Above diamond and it's a stunner. My opinion, in your case, is to get the HOF in the style your GF likes. She will be very pleased.

 

[Deelight]

I can''t help you on commenting on the Solasfera as I have not viewed them but I have seen the HOF and I am assuming I must have seen not so flash ones

they left me and BF lackluster.

In terms of the setting though I was told you can purchase them without buying the stone. They will sell the setting seperatley and they do have the prices for them you just need to ask them.

GL with whatever you choose

 

[chrono]

I haven''t seen a Solasfera in person but I have seen the HoF in my local store. The HoF is comparable to GOG''s handpicked stones, WF''s ACA and ES stones or even JA''s AGS0 rounds for less $$$. So to me, the HoF stones are overpriced.

 

[sandylr]

I love the heart on fire diamond!! I just got one and it is amazing!! I looked at the Solasfera and it is not a brilliant as the Hearts on Fire. I also bought mine NYC and there is NO comparision between the two. I went back to the store with the Solasfera after I got my ring. The is NO comparision! Mine is so much more brillant!! We got my ring at Michael C Fina. They are so helpful and have so many different diamonds and rings to choose from. The woman who helped us is Libby. She was so patient and helpful! She was also really knowledgable and was able to explain all the differences to us concerning the different diamond brands out there because it is so confusing with all of these different cuts! The whole expiriance was really great from start to finish! If you are in the Tri-State area looking for a diamond, I would HIGHLY reccomend Michael C Fina and Libby!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

You can get the exact same cut as HoF for thousands less. I looked at HoF to see what a hearts and arrows stone looked like, but we bought my perfect hearts and arrows stone from Good Old Gold on Long Island. You are drastically overpaying if you buy a HoF stone because you are paying for that name and all the advertising they do. While I understand the appeal of the HoF setting, there are so many options for very fine quality settings that I personally would not let that be the deciding factor. I''d decide on the diamond first. Good Old Gold does happen to carry Solasfera and hearts and arrows stones. You should compare prices on their site. Be aware that they can also call their suppliers and find other stones according to your preferences. If you are in the NYC area, I would highly recommend making an appointment at Good Old Gold before making a decision. It could save you a LOT of money!

Compare these:

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/3495/ 1.03 D SI1 $7091

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/3518/ 1.02 D VS2 $7529

 

[strmrdr]

If your in the NYC area and considering these 2 stones you have too make a trip out too GOG you can save thousands.
http://www.goodoldgold.com

 

[tanuki]

I have a Solasfera in the 2 carat range and am very satisfied with it. I thought having the larger stone the overall appearance would benefit from an increased number of facets - which turned out to be true. The scintillation is proportionate in my mind. If you are buying a 1 carat stone the increased number of facets between the Solasfera and the HOF will make each facet a little smaller and at some point the cut can possibly get too "busy" to some people.

I bought mine online from Good Old Gold and if I had lived in the New York area I would probably have made the trip to the store to compare in person.
If you can''t make the trip there may be some video on the GOG website comparing them.

 

[cutes814]

Date: 3/6/2008 4:43:57 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
You can get the exact same cut as HoF for thousands less. I looked at HoF to see what a hearts and arrows stone looked like, but we bought my perfect hearts and arrows stone from Good Old Gold on Long Island. You are drastically overpaying if you buy a HoF stone because you are paying for that name and all the advertising they do. While I understand the appeal of the HoF setting, there are so many options for very fine quality settings that I personally would not let that be the deciding factor. I''d decide on the diamond first. Good Old Gold does happen to carry Solasfera and hearts and arrows stones. You should compare prices on their site. Be aware that they can also call their suppliers and find other stones according to your preferences. If you are in the NYC area, I would highly recommend making an appointment at Good Old Gold before making a decision. It could save you a LOT of money!

Compare these:

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/3495/ 1.03 D SI1 $7091

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/3518/ 1.02 D VS2 $7529

yep yep. when i first joined PS i was planning to buy a HOF stone as well, since i saw them in the store and they are gorgeous!!!

but you can get basically the same cut for a lot less. that''s exactly what i did. i went with a non-branded H&A stone.


i would recommend taking a trip to GOG so you can compare the solasfera and their ideal H&A stones. oh and i second what tanuki said about how the solasfera can look too "busy" for some people esp in a smaller size stone. the "extra busy" look is not for everybody. some people prefer bigger flashes of light. just keep that in mind when viewing the stone.

have you tried asking HOF if their setting can be sold seperately?


but whatever you decide, make sure to come back and post pics.

 

[niccia]

I have a HOF and love it. My fiance and I looked at a lot of stones before he finally chose one, and nothing I saw compared to them. Keep in mind I am in Canada and never saw the GOG or WF stones. I would definitely consider that option if I were in NY before I decided. I did ask to see premium cut stones at all the jewelers we went to, and nothing had the same amount of sparkle or fine lines of the HOFs and it was very hard to consider anything else after that. I did die a little when I got the appraisal back from the jeweller and realized how much money he spent though! They are definitely pricy. Its a good thing she doesn''t want a huge rock though. I wanted a fairly substantial stone but the setting he chose for me had a size limit and he went as big as he could. The HOFs stones are also cut shallower apparently so they face up bigger. So thats my view on HOFs! Very expensive but beautiful and if you can get the same beauty in a cheaper stone then I would have no problem without the branding.

As for color, my stone is an i color, which I would never have even considered before seeing one. I thought I wanted a d or e , but to get size he had to lower something! I cannot see any color in it at all and I am very happy with the stone. I also consider myself to be very color sensitive, and if I saw several side by side unset I am sure I would do a pretty good job of lining them up also. Now that I own one, however, I don''t mind it a bit and I have looked at it in great detail to make sure there was no yellow (believe me lol!) and I am very happy he went up in size instead of down in color .

Hope that helps a bit!

 

[sandylr]

You can''t get the same diamond as a hearts on fire if it''s not a hearts on fire diamond. If anyone has told you otherwise they are lying and just trying to sell you something that have. My fiance and I did ALOT of shopping around and ALOT of research before buying my hearts on fire ring. There is a reason we purchased the best and from the store we did. When I went to Michael C Fina, Libby let me compare a traditional ideal cut to a hearts on fire. After my appointment I went home and research everything they told me and it was the truth. If you talk to just industry people (not sales people at places that can''t get hearts on fire) they will tell you it''s the best. If you are shopping just on how much it costs and not how amazing it looks and how special it is, I can see that this would not be the diamond you. I would suggest going to see one before you let a sales person who works at a store that hearts on fire won''t sell to, tell you what it is and isn''t.

 

[elle_chris]

Date: 3/9/2008 12:11:11 PM
Author: sandylr
You can't get the same diamond as a hearts on fire if it's not a hearts on fire diamond. If anyone has told you otherwise they are lying and just trying to sell you something that have. My fiance and I did ALOT of shopping around and ALOT of research before buying my hearts on fire ring. There is a reason we purchased the best and from the store we did. When I went to Michael C Fina, Libby let me compare a traditional ideal cut to a hearts on fire. After my appointment I went home and research everything they told me and it was the truth. If you talk to just industry people (not sales people at places that can't get hearts on fire) they will tell you it's the best. If you are shopping just on how much it costs and not how amazing it looks and how special it is, I can see that this would not be the diamond you. I would suggest going to see one before you let a sales person who works at a store that hearts on fire won't sell to, tell you what it is and isn't.

I have to disagree.
I'm also from NYC and have been to Michael C. Fina many a time. I've seen their HOF and yes, they're beautiful stones.

I've aslo been to GOG on Long Island and purchased an H&A there as well as WhiteFlash. Based on my comparision, I would not say that the HOF out performed
the ideals H&A's that GOG or Whiteflash carries. I'm sorry but I just didn't see it.

I don't know what kind of "Ideal" cut stone Libby showed you to compare, but I doubt it was a true ideal because the true ones, look just as great as the HOF.
Also, there would really be no reason for her to show you an amazing stone since they're trying to sell you the Hearts on Fire brand.
I don't doubt your stone is a beauty, I've seen them, yes they're lovely. But the H&A's from the vendors I mentioned are just as beautiful. If I honestly thought that the HOF was nicer, I would have bought it. But that's simply not true.

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 3/9/2008 12:11:11 PM
Author: sandylr
You can''t get the same diamond as a hearts on fire if it''s not a hearts on fire diamond. If anyone has told you otherwise they are lying and just trying to sell you something that have. My fiance and I did ALOT of shopping around and ALOT of research before buying my hearts on fire ring. There is a reason we purchased the best and from the store we did. When I went to Michael C Fina, Libby let me compare a traditional ideal cut to a hearts on fire. After my appointment I went home and research everything they told me and it was the truth. If you talk to just industry people (not sales people at places that can''t get hearts on fire) they will tell you it''s the best. If you are shopping just on how much it costs and not how amazing it looks and how special it is, I can see that this would not be the diamond you. I would suggest going to see one before you let a sales person who works at a store that hearts on fire won''t sell to, tell you what it is and isn''t.

have some more brand cool-aid.
An ideal cut diamond by any name is still an ideal-cut diamond within the variation of the ideal label.
Sure hof has some nice diamonds but they are not all created equal either.
The best of them are as good as the best from GOG, Niceice, WF, or Infinity or other suppliers/vendors of super-ideals but you sure do pay for it.

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 3/9/2008 12:11:11 PM
Author: sandylr
You can't get the same diamond as a hearts on fire if it's not a hearts on fire diamond. If anyone has told you otherwise they are lying and just trying to sell you something that have. My fiance and I did ALOT of shopping around and ALOT of research before buying my hearts on fire ring. There is a reason we purchased the best and from the store we did. When I went to Michael C Fina, Libby let me compare a traditional ideal cut to a hearts on fire. After my appointment I went home and research everything they told me and it was the truth. If you talk to just industry people (not sales people at places that can't get hearts on fire) they will tell you it's the best. If you are shopping just on how much it costs and not how amazing it looks and how special it is, I can see that this would not be the diamond you. I would suggest going to see one before you let a sales person who works at a store that hearts on fire won't sell to, tell you what it is and isn't.

btw welcome to PS
and stop callin me us liars and fyi no one that posted in this thread sells diamonds :}

 

[mandyd]

This is the link to my 3.42 GOG H&A that has no equal! I am sure he has equally astonising SolaF

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/3-42-h-a-cushion-square.47723/

 

[arjunajane]

Date: 3/9/2008 12:11:11 PM
Author: sandylr
You can''t get the same diamond as a hearts on fire if it''s not a hearts on fire diamond. If anyone has told you otherwise they are lying and just trying to sell you something that have. My fiance and I did ALOT of shopping around and ALOT of research before buying my hearts on fire ring. There is a reason we purchased the best and from the store we did. When I went to Michael C Fina, Libby let me compare a traditional ideal cut to a hearts on fire. After my appointment I went home and research everything they told me and it was the truth. If you talk to just industry people (not sales people at places that can''t get hearts on fire) they will tell you it''s the best. If you are shopping just on how much it costs and not how amazing it looks and how special it is, I can see that this would not be the diamond you. I would suggest going to see one before you let a sales person who works at a store that hearts on fire won''t sell to, tell you what it is and isn''t.

Just fyi, not one person in this thread sells diamonds or has any vested interest in telling the OP about ideal cut diamonds that aren''t hof. If someone is "in the industry" it will be denoted under their avatar and in their signature, as per forum policy.

It is my personal opinion after viewing the HOF that they are overpriced. They could possibly be *as well cut* as other ideal diamonds from the vendors mentioned in this thread, but not enough to warrant the premium.(IMHO)

To the OP, I was told that HOF will only sell their settings with their centre diamonds. But then again i don''t live in the US. I think you''ve been given some sound advice in this thread - perhaps you can consider ideal diamonds that don''t carry the HOF name and premium?
Most will tell you they will be equally as gorgeous if not more so.