Need help to decide if that's well worth the money? 1.08carat

[ashtonkenzhen]

I'm looking to get a ring for my upcoming proposal. I've done several researches and came across this diamond and not sure if the diamond is well-worth the money. Anyone able to explain the cons of this stone here? I had a promise ring i bought last year @ 0.81 carat G VVS1. What do you guys think of this? Or am i better of going slightly smaller @ 0.73 carat?

loose diamonds, round cut, 1.08 carat g color vvs1 clarity true hearts cut sku 5457229

5457229 - This True Hearts^TM diamond, 1.08 Carat G Color VVS1 Clarity has ideal proportions and a diamond grading report from AGS

www.jamesallen.com

0.73 Carat round diamond

This True Hearts TM diamond, 0.73 carat G color vvs1 clarity has ideal proportions and a diamond grading report from GIA

www.jamesallen.com

Thank you in advance

 

[Snowdrop13]

Hi, can’t see the price or the certificate so it’s a bit tricky to give any advice!

 

[ashtonkenzhen]

Hi, can’t see the price or the certificate so it’s a bit tricky to give any advice!

This is the certificate for 1.08 Carat, I am from down under (Australia), price wise it is 13,281 AUD. Thank you

 

[mcosme]

With your budget I would rather go with a CBI. Their cut quality is top and upgrade/buyback policy is excellent. Is there a reason you are looking at such high clarity?

HP Diamonds

www.hpdiamonds.com

 

[monipod]

Hi there (also from Australia). If that's your budget, I'd definitely see what White Flash has got. A well cut WF VS1 or VS2 will probably still outshine the other VVS1 stones. I do like dealing with James Allen too however but for 9K USD, I think you can do better.

 

[ashtonkenzhen]

Thank you guys for your prompt reply. In comparison to JA, what makes WhiteFlash better? Are they good with customer service ? And which method do you use to make payment? Is wire transfer any better (save much more) with Australian bank (I’m with Bankwest)? Cheers mate.

 

[mcosme]

Thank you guys for your prompt reply. In comparison to JA, what makes WhiteFlash better? Are they good with customer service ? And which method do you use to make payment? Is wire transfer any better (save much more) with Australian bank (I’m with Bankwest)? Cheers mate.

Hi,
I am a fellow Aussie too!

Whiteflash and High performance have much better service and their in house stones are top notch. You can also ask them any questions you have and they will be happy to help including photos and videos and you can trust what they tell you. Usually you will deal with one person throughout the purchase.

JA is okay but it can be frustrating as different representatives tell you different things and you will deal with a different person each time. If you want to maximise size for your budget then JA is a good option.

I use OFX for USD for wire transfer.
Much better exchange rate than banks.
You can get up to 5% discount so definitely worth it.

I personally bought from JA but if budget and inventory lined up I would have preferred to go with HPD or WF.

 

[monipod]

Thank you guys for your prompt reply. In comparison to JA, what makes WhiteFlash better? Are they good with customer service ? And which method do you use to make payment? Is wire transfer any better (save much more) with Australian bank (I’m with Bankwest)? Cheers mate.

Ahh - now we fall down the rabbit hole a bit. To be honest, you will get a lovely diamond via JA and much cheaper than via any broker or bricks/mortar store in Australia so if you're looking at bang for your buck, then there's nothing wrong with buying via JA. It does help to understand diamonds a bit before working with their reps to find the right stone. You can find a nice one carat round for way less than 9K USD.

If 9K USD is what you're happy to spend then it's worth investing in a WF or High Performance Diamond stone as their cut is amazing and you won't need to be diamond savvy as much. More sparkle for your buck if you like. It just depends on your priorities. Both JA and WF offer a great upgrade program so it's a win/win in the long term too.

I will be buying a small stone via WF this year but as it won't be a big purchase I'll just wire via CBA. For a bigger purchase, @istase2000's suggestion may be better.

 

[distracts]

I think the 1.08 you have picked out from JA looks great. An AGS ideal in terms of cut, so it has a fantastic cut.

Here are some other JA options that are AGS ideal, if you want to go bigger:

1.38 Carat round diamond

This 1.38 carat round diamond G color si1 clarity has Ideal proportions and a diamond grading report from AGS

www.jamesallen.com

1.20 Carat round diamond

1.20 Carat round diamond

www.jamesallen.com

1.26 Carat round diamond

This True Hearts TM diamond, 1.26 carat F color si1 clarity has ideal proportions and a diamond grading report from AGS

www.jamesallen.com

1.21 Carat round diamond

This 1.21 carat round diamond E color vs2 clarity has Ideal proportions and a diamond grading report from AGS

www.jamesallen.com

 

[ashtonkenzhen]

Thank you guys for such great response. Honestly appreciate it in terms of clarity does it make much difference and does it affect it to sparkle? Sorry I am really new to diamond and I’m learning

 

[ashtonkenzhen]

The only thing keep me off from WhiteFlash is that their settings are limited and really pricey as compared to JA. Unlike JA, they do have less home brand settings. But I really like diamond on WF.
Also, anyone has experience with JA’s setting? Are they up to expectation with great workmanship? Thank you.

 

[lovedogs]

The only thing keep me off from WhiteFlash is that their settings are limited and really pricey as compared to JA. Unlike JA, they do have less home brand settings. But I really like diamond on WF.
Also, anyone has experience with JA’s setting? Are they up to expectation with great workmanship? Thank you.

Workmanship will be better from WF settings vs JA (obviously that doesn't mean JA is bad, but just that WF's customer service is a million times better). You can also ask WF about settings you like from JA, becuase WF has access to many settings and can likely help you find what you are looking for.

 

[distracts]

Thank you guys for such great response. Honestly appreciate it in terms of clarity does it make much difference and does it affect it to sparkle? Sorry I am really new to diamond and I’m learning

If the clarity affects sparkle, it will usually be obvious in the JA video. Clouds can affect sparkle, but shouldn't at Si1 and above. VVS2 is way overkill on sparkle, imo - as long as it is eyeclean, I and probably most women would prefer a bigger stone versus higher clarity. Asian cultures are often the exception to this, so if you or your fiancee-to-be are Asian, higher clarity may be the way to go.

 

[ashtonkenzhen]

loose diamonds, round cut, 1.13 carat f color vvs2 clarity excellent cut sku 8070636

8070636 - This 1.13 Carat Round diamond F Color VVS2 Clarity has Excellent proportions and a diamond grading report from GIA

www.jamesallen.com

1.25 Carat round diamond

This 1.25 carat round diamond G color vvs1 clarity has Excellent proportions and a diamond grading report from IGI

www.jamesallen.com

loose diamonds, round cut, 1.11 carat g color if clarity excellent cut sku 7825886

7825886 - This 1.11 Carat Round diamond G Color IF Clarity has Excellent proportions and a diamond grading report from GIA

www.jamesallen.com

So after several chat with the representative from JA she recommended me the order above. She recommended me to opt for excellent cut instead of True Heart. I have my heart on the 1.11 carat but it’s just a little expensive and it’s dearer than the initial 1.08 carat (however, it is flawless with that stone). She suggested me to go for 1.25 carat, I am not too sure if that’s a good buy, need help selecting the best of these 3 if I were to get from JA ?
Thank you in advance

 

[Sunstorm]

It is such a waste to spend on clarity like this, I always cringe when I see this. Spend on size, superideal cut and customer service. Above you got some great advice. It is also really worth it to get a quality setting and pay a bit more for that.

 

[mcosme]

Neither of those are good choices. Stick with GIA or AGS graded diamonds. Also all those stones are very deep meaning it'll face up small for the carat size.

VS2 or VS1 clarity is usually fully eye clean. A trusted vendor will be able to evaluate that and whether transparency is affected by the clarity.

What's your budget, criteria and setting you have in mind? Maybe we can help you

 

[Snowdrop13]

Diamond | 1.100 ct G VS2 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond AGS Certified | 4065508

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 1.100 carat G color VS2 clarity loose diamond is graded by the American Gem Society (AGS) Laboratories. | 4065508

www.whiteflash.com

 

[ashtonkenzhen]

Neither of those are good choices. Stick with GIA or AGS graded diamonds. Also all those stones are very deep meaning it'll face up small for the carat size.

VS2 or VS1 clarity is usually fully eye clean. A trusted vendor will be able to evaluate that and whether transparency is affected by the clarity.

What's your budget, criteria and setting you have in mind? Maybe we can help you

my budget for diamond is probably @ 9-10k usd at most (AUD 13-14k). I would prefer round, H-D, Clarity = anything above VS1 maybe?, settings I am not too sure but I was looking at this before. Prefer to have pave settings or little diamonds at the side of it?

Platinum Common Prong Round Shaped Diamond Engagement Ring

Featuring a single row of round shaped diamonds in an ethereal setting with side stones, this ring offers a simple yet elegant display of glittering diamonds across her finger. While not a true Pavé ring, the prong set diamonds offer a delicate look with extraordinary sparkle.

www.jamesallen.com

Thank you very much )

 

[monipod]

If you like the JA settings, it may be worth getting the stone set as it's not cheap getting a pave band done in Australia and some jewellers can be finicky about the stone they set. I'd look into some quotes in Australia and weight up the cost.

As for the stones, unless you have a need for clarity, do consider a VS1 or even VS2 stone if you also want to maximise size. An IF is amazing but so very expensive compared to a VS1 that may have some minor inclusions that can be hidden by prongs.

 

[rainydaze]

Personally I would go for something like this diamond:

https://www.hpdiamonds.com/en-us/diamonddetail/HPD10917

or if you absolutely must have VS1 this:

https://www.hpdiamonds.com/en-us/diamonddetail/HPD9574

or this (it's on hold though)

https://www.hpdiamonds.com/en-us/diamonddetail/HPD10876

In this setting:

HP Diamonds

www.hpdiamonds.com

The cut on these diamonds will make your eyes pop with its performance, all are a very nice size and within your budget. F VS2 is an amazing sweet spot for a lot of people, myself included. Beautifully white and clean, mind clean on both counts and eye clean too (always ask about eye-clean but with VS2 it's unlikely not to be). I have had VVS1... it was overkill. I can't do SI1s bc it's just not mind-clean for me. I landed with a VS1 because everything else was perfect but even that is unnecessary. I would have loved a VS2, no worries about seeing anything and that's where one can save a little. (I have an OEC so I couldn't cherry-pick my diamond like you mostly can with MRBs.)

HPD has a fantastic buyback & upgrade policy, excellent customer service. Reviews of their settings here have indicated that they take great care with they settings, polishing all the nooks and crannies that others often neglect. Being in Australia, having the diamond and the setting come from the same vendor is, I believe, a significant benefit.

I have dismissed a vendor's upgrade/buyback policy thinking I would never need it, only to find later that I wish I had that flexibility. And if you never want or need it, you still have one of the most amazing rings you could have purchased to admire for a lifetime.

No, I have no affiliation though I sure sound like it. Lol. Just a few years of experience and diamond mulling under my belt.

 

[Sunstorm]

Great advice and that’s what I mean. Unless it is cultural why pay for something you can’t see? You can most definitely see cut. A lot. It makes a huge impact. You can see color but it is subjective. It is not good or bad, it just is. You are always safe with F-G perhaps even H even if you do not know her preference.

But clarity? You cannot see inclusions when it is an eye clean stone. Stay at SI or VS2 perhaps. Yes, you can see inclusions with a loupe but it is kind of fun. You do need to ascertain you get an eye clean stone where light return and the stone’ integrity are not affected, this is one area where customer service comes in. Then just get the largest size your budget can afford you and bingo!

BTW, the larger the stone, the more impact every factor would have even clarity. Over 2 carats it is harder to find really good SIs. And of course you should stay away from clarity based on clouds, some other types and placement of inclusions. Again customer service you can trust will help you here. As to pronging inclusions, never prong a weak area of a stone such as feathers, some crystals, naturals, etc. Again a trustworthy craftsman will know.

good luck 2u!!!

 

[ashtonkenzhen]

Thank you very much with all your replies! Can’t thank you guys enough, making my journey to proposal NOT alone ! I am impressed with HPD and WF. Which one do you guys think has a better customer service especially for people like me from Australia (Perth to be specific) . I’ve heard good things of Jogia Diamonds in Perth, anyone has any experience with them? Another concern I have with overseas vendor like WF and HPD are the services can be troublesome (resizing, cleaning etc), require us to post them back to US?

Cheers

 

[Dancing Fire]

https://www.hpdiamonds.com/en-us/diamonddetail/HPD10876

[/QUOTE] I'll take this one...

 

[monipod]

Thank you very much with all your replies! Can’t thank you guys enough, making my journey to proposal NOT alone ! I am impressed with HPD and WF. Which one do you guys think has a better customer service especially for people like me from Australia (Perth to be specific) . I’ve heard good things of Jogia Diamonds in Perth, anyone has any experience with them? Another concern I have with overseas vendor like WF and HPD are the services can be troublesome (resizing, cleaning etc), require us to post them back to US?

Cheers

Hey - I'm in Perth too lol One of the reasons why I ended up here and buying from overseas vendors is that the price of stones and rings are ridiculously high here

I think the diamond brokers like Jogia in Australia are all reputable but they do charge another few hundred dollars minimum on the same diamond. They don't generally keep diamonds in stock so they have a shared inventory with other brokers. In other words, a GIA stone I quite liked was 3000 USD on one US based broker's site, but 3500 USD on an Australian broker's site. Some Australian brokers will price match to an extent but trust me, it is just cheaper to buy via the US, even with the 10% GST and that entrance fee thing slapped on it.

All of the major US or overseas based brokers/vendors have had a lot of experience with Australian buyers so you can't go wrong with WF, HPD, JA or Blue Nile and others. Once you have a stone or ring here, you will need someone here to look after re-sizing and cleaning. Cleaning isn't really an issue. JA offers one free resizing/resend so even with the cost of FedEx to send a ring back to them, it's cheaper then getting it resized here (typical cost to resize is 70 AUD).

My JA ring is lovely but now that it's here, if I need anything done to it, I have a great jeweller to turn to. Of course, if there is a fault with the setting etc. all vendors are pretty good with getting the ring back and fixing it.

 

[distracts]

Another concern I have with overseas vendor like WF and HPD are the services can be troublesome (resizing, cleaning etc), require us to post them back to US?

Well, you should be cleaning your ring regularly at home. Also, in my experience, basically any jeweler will clean your rings while you browse. If you buy from overseas, it's a good idea to find a reputable local jeweler to do basic work like resizing, tightening prongs, and yearly checking for issues. None of these services are too expensive so it's easier to just do them locally if your ring is a pretty basic type. Having your ring worked on locally will void any warrantee, but I think it's worth it to not have to ship it back and forth. I have bought rings from multiple jewelers in the US and though I'm in the US, I still have it worked on by someone in my city if I need something basic done rather than shipping it back and forth, because to me the risk of my ring being lost in transit isn't one I'm willing to take for work most jewelers can do.

 

[rainydaze]

Cleaning you can and should do at home: every night put the rings in a little dish with warm water and a drop of Dawn dish soap. In the morning scrub with a soft toothbrush or the like, rinse well, and wipe with a lint-free cloth or, even better, a q-tip dipped in rubbing alcohol.

You can buy your own ultrasonic for deeper cleans.

 

[ashtonkenzhen]

Just to sum up this thread, I have successfully purchase my engagement ring for my girl from HPD CBI with the help of @Winks_Elf and @Wink! They are great to deal with & I think I’ve made the right choice (even though it’s still pretty pricey after including 10% GST & additional surcharge by FedEX, compared to Jogia Diamond’s). But hey, it is a superb ideal cutting that I am getting & the stone is flawless for its spec. With HPD CBI diamond, you do not need to look at specification as they really blow your eyes off regardless!

@Winks_Elf Melissa is the best person to talk to @ HPD. Her service is beyond expectations! And @Wink constantly educates us with diamonds !

And of course huge credits to all of you here for recommending me to HPD CBI diamond! I’ve not propose to my girl yet but I truly hope she’ll appreciate the efforts I took to get such beautiful diamond It was indeed a hard & painful process (the time difference me & @Winks_Elf had to deal with (applause to her) and of course my wallet!!) Not to forget, I’ve encountered hiccups with FedEx with custom clearance (it was really hard to deal with as they’re pushing me around and they did not called back as promised !!) hence delay of my delivery! I’ve called more than 10 times for the past two days just to make sure everything in place.

At the end of the day, I honestly think it’s worth it! So if you’re from Aussie, definitely give HPD a shot & you’ll never turn back!

I’m just hoping their return policy & after sales service would be as good (not that I want that to happen but *touchwood*) !! @Wink @Winks_Elf

I’m a happy man & now it’s the proposal part that need to be done! Thanks guys!

 

[erislynn]

So happy you found the perfect stone! You won’t be disappointed with HPD’s after sales service either. They value their customers with an integrity that’s extremely rare these days. I’d love to see pics of your final ring if you’d like to share. Good luck with the proposal!

 

[Sparkles88]

Hello from another Perth Aussie .
The diamond you have chosen sounds spectacular, would love the see the finished ring too.
Good luck with your proposal.