Need to choose a diamond for under $5000

[trex]

Hello,

Since more than 3 months I am looking for a stone and I was completely lost until I found this forum. The NYC Diamond Distric is worst than a used car dealer lot.
Thanks to this forum and its members

I am now able to judge a stone.
In the last view days I visited couple of stores and the first board recomended one, GOD. At this point I now what I want:

I am looking for a round cut, AGS0, G-H, S1, 0.80 to 0.95. All for arround 4000.
In addition, I saw an 0.86 Eighternity at GOD (not listed on their site) that hand some serious sparkle compared to a regular cut. Should i consider something like this, also?

I will try to post shortly some of the stones I found. At the same time if you guys can help me with a couple of suggestions I would appreciate it.

Thanks,
.Trex

 

[Todd07]

Trex,


PS has two great search engines that will answer your question.




The Search by Cut tool helps pick a beautiful cut. Just plug in G-H, VS2-SI1 and select "only AGS0" I found 7 stones that all have great HCA scores, between .8 and .9 carats




The search engine on the home page also allows you to select AGS0. I found 31 stones between .8 - .95carats that are AGS0.

 

[alexah]

I'm more partial to this .803 F SI1 from WF as it's a better value, tho I'm not sure why they don't have the idealscope shot up (it's one of their expert selections so I'm sure they'd supply a pic if you asked).

Regarding the eighternity, there's been a few interesting threads about it... this one. If you run a PS search on eighternity, you'll find a few more...

 

[aljdewey]

I like this one from DCD, too.....cut proportions look beautiful!




.82, F, SI1 for $3607


http://www.dirtcheapdiamonds.com/diamond_detail.cfm?did=7251812

 

[phoenixgirl]

0.843 G SI1 H&A for $3595

0.86 G SI1 H&A for $3909

0.86 D SI2 H&A for $3765

 

[trex]

Thanks alot for the suggestions

.

My current choices are:
- .82 F SI1
- .803 F SI1

I will contact the stores tomorrow and get more info.

.Trex

 

[katrina_33]

Trex, since you saw the Eighternity in person, would you mind describing how it looked compared to an H&A round? Do you know if the cost is comparable? I assume there's a bit of a premium just because it's branded?

Thanks!

 

[Kamuelamom]

Kmom has never heard of the Eighternity.........

Someone, anyone, please help me out. What is that? Is it a new branded cut?

 

[trex]

Katrina,

I am no expert in diamonds. I give you the perspective of a regular "joe".

We took two 1 carat diamonds a regular H&A and an Eighternity. We placed them side by side and we started to ply with different lighting.
- Right of the bat the Eighternity had more scintillation if you would move the diamond around.
- There was more colored light coming at me and more fire in the Eithernity. Definitely more sparkly, and a bit brighter.
- The regular H&A had bigger surfaces and so would have larger spots of color, and based on the angle of movement you would either see big ones or almost none. The Eighernity no mater how you would move it, it would spark with color, though the spots were a lot smaller.
- As we took the light away I was able to see all the diamond cuts. The Eighternity has a lot more facets and in the 1 crt size, looked busy to me. The table of the Eighternity was also smaller.
- The facet sizes of the H&A looked proportionate to the stone size. The Eighternity looked like it had to many surfaces. The surfaces seemed too small for the rock size.
- There was no overall size difference between the two.

Personally, I like the proportions of the H&A. On the other hand the Eighternity has a lot more scintillation and fire, but it's distributed on small surfaces. Both are absolutely beautiful.

If I would not have red this forum I would have chosen the Eighternity.
If you buy with your heart the rock is awesome. On my end, I am also thinking of the resell value as I might be interested to upgrade in the next couple of years. As the Eighernity is a "modified" round I do not know if it will survive the test of time.

I see myself split between a proven cut and a new "better to the eye" cut. Something tells me that I should wait and let the industry decide if the Eighternity is a winner and if that is the case I would definitely buy one.

I will go back to GOD, if they have something in my size and parameters, and compare it to a regular H&A again.

.Trex

 

[katrina_33]

Thanks, that's super helpful.

One more question (which has actually become a series of questions!) - do you think that if someone were wearing an Eighternity in a ring, other people looking at the ring would be able to tell that there was something different about the stone? Mounted in a ring, would it look like a typical round diamond, but just with smaller sparkles, or does it look like a whole different animal? Does this diamond look like a radiant in a round package? Does it have that full on 'crushed ice' look? Or more of a subtle varaition on the RB theme?

I don't want anything too 'out there' that will look really new and different to people, but I love tiny sparkles and scintillation.

Thanks for your input...I really want to see one of these in person, but I'm in LA alas. I'll have to start looking for a local dealer who carries them!

 

[trex]

Katrina,

The diamond looks exactly the same (a subtle RB), just more tiny sparkles and fire. You need to look at it closely in order to notice that it has more facets. I think that in a restaurant it will get more attention. To a regular Joe it will look as a very "firery" and sparkly diamond, which is how people judge a stone's quality. There is abosulutely no credibility issues with it...it's just a diamond with a "je ne sais quoi".

To a professional, I have no clue (as I am not one)...he might be able to say that it's too sparkly.

Personally, I think that it is worth looking at one and see for your own eyes.

.Trex

 

[trex]

All,

I received today all the information from the 2 diamonds I am researching online.

Whiteflash updated profile with the AGS, Sarin and Firescope. The jewler also stated that there are no visible inclusions. Only at 10x.
WF diamond profile

DCD Just emailed me the Firescope and Sarin (attached). The link to the DCD AGS and diamond. The jewler also stated that there are no visibile inclusions.
On the sarin of the DCD it says that Propotion=1, whereas on the WF Proportion=0. What does it mean?

What do you guys think?

.Trex

DCD Firescope

 

[trex]

DCD Sarin

 

[alexah]

I'd def choose the WF stone - it looks like a great stone at a terrific price (over $400 cheaper than the DCD stone w the PS discount)... but you probably can't go wrong w either stone

Edited to add: the numbers on the DCD stone look like an AGS 0 but it's probably the wide variance in the crown angles that gave it the final AGS 1 grade...?
Also, on the crown & pav portion of the pic, it says "offcenter" - that may have something to do w it too?

 

[Dancing Fire]

----------------
On 10/11/2004 6:51:47 PM alexah wrote:

I'd def choose the WF stone - it looks like a great stone at a terrific price (over $400 cheaper than the DCD stone w the PS discount)... but you probably can't go wrong w either stone

Edited to add: the numbers on the DCD stone look like an AGS 0 but it's probably the wide variance in the crown angles that gave it the final AGS 1 grade...?
Also, on the crown & pav portion of the pic, it says 'offcenter' - that may have something to do w it too?----------------

alexah
that's strange the DCD stone should be a 0 cut.it can't be the crown angles because it say 0 on the ogi.

 

[alexah]

----------------
On 10/11/2004 8:08:30 PM vtigger86 wrote:

----------------
alexah

that's strange the DCD stone should be a 0 cut.it can't be the crown angles because it say 0 on the ogi.

----------------

dunno - just taking a stab at it

could be the sarin AGS 1 is incorrect... but the crown angle variance does go slightly outside of the AGS 0 range... anyone else care to venture a guess as to why it might be an AGS 1 instead of 0?

 

[BBJAP]

About the resell value of the eighternity from GoodoldGold / Rhino.... don't they have that trade up policy where in if you get tired of the Eighternity look in the future you could always trade up into a H&A? Go with what ever your heart says... My guess if you go with the heart and get the eigthernity and are not satisfied or wanna sell it down the road and it isn't something that has caught on... then you could always trade it back to goodoldgold and then get a H&A right? then sell that one haha...

Do they offer trade up with the Eighternity from GoodoldGold?