Need opinion on diamond

[justaguy14]

Hi,

I''m in the process of trying to find an engagement ring. I''ve been searching a good bit lately. I believe I know kind of what I want.

I''m looking for something around 1 carat with a decent cut (doesn''t have to be ideal, but I think I would like something in the very good category). Other than those requirements, I''m flexible. I''m a college student at the moment and have had to save for quite a while to afford this. I''m trying to keep it around $5,000 for the stone and setting.

I''m looking for a setting that is along the style of the image that I attached to this post.


I found a stone on BlueNile that is as follows:

Carat weight: 1.01
Cut: Very Good
Color: H
Clarity: SI2

Price per carat: $3,940
Depth %: 62.7%
Table %: 59%
Symmetry: Very good
Polish: Very good
Girdle: Slightly thick to thick
Culet: None
Fluorescence: None
Measurements: 6.32 x 6.35 x 3.97 mm

I looked at the GIA report shows that all of the inclusions are twinning wisps. I read up on these, and it appears that they are not something to be concerned about as they seem to disappear when under normal light. Correct me if I''m wrong.


The setting and stone together would be $5,154. Does this sound like a good stone? Or could anyone help me locate something that falls within my budget that is better quality/price? Thanks a lot.

 

[neatfreak]

Do you know the crown and pavilion angles? Unfortunately I would say based on the depth alone that this stone isn''t a good choice. GIA graded "very good" cut stones aren''t often very well cut at all...and cut is really where the sparkle comes from so you want to make sure you get a top notch cut.

 

[justaguy14]

The crown angle is 35.5 deg, and the pavilion angle is 40.8 deg.

Thanks for the reply about the quality of the cut. That''s why I need help with this thing. I''ve read until my eyes bleed, but I''m just not an expert.

 

[neatfreak]

So your budget is roughly $4,000 for the stone right? I''ll see what I can find. Is the setting from BN? If so, I will confine my search to there for now.

 

[neatfreak]

I'd much rather see you get one of these (assuming they are eyeclean). The first one is under a carat, but is also a Hearts & Arrows which is nice:

http://www.bluenile.com/round-diamond-1-carat-or-less-ideal-cut-g-color-si2-clarity_LD01227152?__fun_frm=i&filter_id=0

http://www.bluenile.com/round-diamond-1-carat-ideal-cut-h-color-si2-clarity_LD01447348?__fun_frm=i&filter_id=0

http://www.bluenile.com/round-diamond-1-carat-ideal-cut-h-color-si2-clarity_LD01447342?__fun_frm=i&filter_id=0

 

[justaguy14]

Yes, the setting is from BlueNile. I''m not limited to that particular setting though. I just want one that is in that style.

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[beach]

The H and A inscription is not a GIA thing. THe previous owner likley had it inscribed and then recerted..... THat is why it is noted on the report. ANybody can have that inscribed it does not mean it is H and A. However, it is probaly a nice stone

 

[stone-cold11]

Found this one for you. A F color Strong Blue Fluor, in case you are interested.

http://www.bluenile.com/round-diamond-1-carat-ideal-cut-f-color-si2-clarity_LD01449689?filter_id=1

Also, in case you didn''t know, check if any of your friends bought from Blue Nile before. Ask them to refer you and you can get an extra $100 off your order, they can get $100 off for over $1000 orders too after you complete your order.

Good Luck.

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 11/17/2008 6:15:17 PM
Author: beach
The H and A inscription is not a GIA thing. THe previous owner likley had it inscribed and then recerted..... THat is why it is noted on the report. ANybody can have that inscribed it does not mean it is H and A. However, it is probaly a nice stone

True that it doesn''t necessarily mean it is H&A, but it likely is.

 

[justaguy14]

Date: 11/17/2008 6:25:08 PM
Author: Stone-cold11
Found this one for you. A F color Strong Blue Fluor, in case you are interested.


http://www.bluenile.com/round-diamond-1-carat-ideal-cut-f-color-si2-clarity_LD01449689?filter_id=1


Also, in case you didn't know, check if any of your friends bought from Blue Nile before. Ask them to refer you and you can get an extra $100 off your order, they can get $100 off for over $1000 orders too after you complete your order.


Good Luck.

So, is the fluorescence anything to worry about? I like the looks of that one anyway.

What are some general guidelines to follow when I'm looking for stones? What numbers for the depth, table, etc should I be looking for?

Also, I'm not limited to just BlueNile. The door is wide open for any place. Honestly, I think that a place that has a good upgrade policy would be great.

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 11/17/2008 7:37:27 PM
Author: justaguy14

Date: 11/17/2008 6:25:08 PM

Author: Stone-cold11

Found this one for you. A F color Strong Blue Fluor, in case you are interested.



http://www.bluenile.com/round-diamond-1-carat-ideal-cut-f-color-si2-clarity_LD01449689?filter_id=1



Also, in case you didn''t know, check if any of your friends bought from Blue Nile before. Ask them to refer you and you can get an extra $100 off your order, they can get $100 off for over $1000 orders too after you complete your order.



Good Luck.

So, is the fluorescence anything to worry about? I like the looks of that one anyway.


What are some general guidelines to follow when I''m looking for stones? What numbers for the depth, table, etc should I be looking for?

Strong blue can be a problem, it can make the diamond look hazy or oily, so you need to make sure that isn''t a problem. But it often isn''t, just a good idea to have a vendor look at it.

Ranges to stay in:

depth - 60 - 62, although you can go deeper if all else is right

table - 54 - 57%

crown angle -shallower 34 - 35% getting a bit steeper = further eval

pavillion angle - shallower 40.5 - 40.9 or 41 getting a bit steeper= further evaluation is a good idea

girdle thin to slightly thick, medium, slightly thin are all fine, avoid extremes such as thin to ex thick.

Then take your numbers and run them through the HCA tool (available under TOOLS above). If under 2, it''s worth considering.

 

[stone-cold11]

Date: 11/17/2008 7:37:27 PM
Author: justaguy14

Date: 11/17/2008 6:25:08 PM

Author: Stone-cold11

Found this one for you. A F color Strong Blue Fluor, in case you are interested.

http://www.bluenile.com/round-diamond-1-carat-ideal-cut-f-color-si2-clarity_LD01449689?filter_id=1

Also, in case you didn't know, check if any of your friends bought from Blue Nile before. Ask them to refer you and you can get an extra $100 off your order, they can get $100 off for over $1000 orders too after you complete your order.

Good Luck.

So, is the fluorescence anything to worry about? I like the looks of that one anyway.

What are some general guidelines to follow when I'm looking for stones? What numbers for the depth, table, etc should I be looking for?

Also, I'm not limited to just BlueNile. The door is wide open for any place. Honestly, I think that a place that has a good upgrade policy would be great.

Strong Fluor could be a problem but is quite rare. I had a very strong fluor stone and it is just clear as any stone, only becoming slight blue in sunlight.

So, just ask BN to eyeball it for you in sunlight to make sure it is not the rare type that will go hazy/oily in the presence of UV.

What is the min color grade you can accept?

 

[justaguy14]

Date: 11/17/2008 8:01:58 PM
Author: Stone-cold11



Strong Fluor could be a problem but is quite rare. I had a very strong fluor stone and it is just clear as any stone, only becoming slight blue in sunlight.


So, just ask BN to eyeball it for you in sunlight to make sure it is not the rare type that will go hazy/oily in the presence of UV.


What is the min color grade you can accept?

I have been looking at I or better, but I will at least consider up to J if everything else is spot on.

 

[stone-cold11]

I think we are concentrating on BN mainly because a halo ring is going to cost a lot more from other vendors.

JA usually have cheaper stones but their halo rings are expensive.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 11/17/2008 11:01:23 PM
Author: justaguy14

Date: 11/17/2008 8:01:58 PM

I have been looking at I or better, but I will at least consider up to J if everything else is spot on.

J can be a great choice if the cut is good, try to view some J colour in person if possible ( suggest AGS0 cut grade or Hearts on Fire brand if a dealer near you) then you can get an idea of your preferences.

 

[stone-cold11]

Found a 1.0ct, J SI1, $3563

If you can change your ring requirement to a simple solitaire, vendors with upgrade policy could be found for your budget.