Need your expert advice on a diamond please...

[diamondringseeker]

Hi,

Like many on this forum, I am a newbie looking for a diamond. I learned the basics of what to look for but still need advice from experts like you to give me a bit of guidance. Please share your knowledge...

I am looking for something in the range on 0.8 c to 0.99 c, ideally above 0.9c. quality over quantity. to give you an idea here are the parameters i am searching for:
color E-G
clarity VVS1 - S1
cut H&A or ideal/excellent
price $ 4000-4800

brilliance and fire are important so i try to pay attention to the HCA.

i found a diamond that i like, but it is just a bit small: http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/E-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1360523.asp?b=16&a=12&c=77&cid=131

Aside from it being only 0.81 c, everything else seems pretty good.
What do you guys think of the diamond and the price?

Should I wait for something better?

i am also considering whiteflash but i think it costs $ for a visual inspection (free with james allen). can anyone confirm this? do you know what price?

Thanks in advance for your input.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I would not call in virtual stones from WhiteFlash. WhiteFlash has their own stones cut and they specialize in ideal cut and hearts and arrows stones. So I would go to WF to look at their in-house stones for that reason. They provide a lot information on their website and certain will examine those stones at no charge.

The stone you linked looks good, but I'd rather go to G color and get a little more size.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

After looking a little, however, I think the stones above .90 with your specs are going to be more than your price limit. And unfortunately, there currently aren't many stones period with your specs. Here is an example:

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2361277.htm

 

[minmin001]

the diamond shows currently on hold so there is no price showing

 

[diamondringseeker]

oh, I put it on hold. It goes for $4570.

diamondseeker2006: thanks for your comments - the one you suggested is nice but too expensive probably because it is a D.
WF has a nice selection of in house diamonds with plenty of info, but most of them are btw 0.7 and 0.8c. within the 0.8-0.99 range, there are only a handful...

Thanks!

 

[minmin001]

if it's eye clean this one may work, you can have their experts exam the two stones and tell you which one they think is better
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/E-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1241755.asp?b=16&a=12&c=77&cid=131

 

[diamondringseeker]

minmin001

Nice choice, it might not have been something i could have picked out myself. The image quality really turned me off. But HCA scored pretty well and you are pretty bang on for the specs.

How would you compare that to this one: http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/E-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1192351.asp

They are both very very similar. I am thinking of getting the 3 mentioned in this thread inspected. What do you think?

Thanks again for your input!

 

[diamondringseeker]

Hi,

I have narrowed down my choices to these 3 diamonds. Please let me know what your opinion is and how you compare these 3:

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/E-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1192351.asp ($4610)
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/E-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1241755.asp ($4850)
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1373874.asp ($4870)

These choices are based on the criteria that i have established in the 1st post up top. They all scored btw 1.6 and 1.7 on the HCA...

Thank you for your input!

 

[slg47]

request IS for 1 and 3, also ask if 1 and 2 are eye-clean to your standards.

 

[yssie]

request IS for 1 and 3, also ask if 1 and 2 are eye-clean to your standards.

Ditto, also 1 & 2 have older reports so you'll want to ask if they're trade-ins, and plan for an independent appraisal w/in JA's return period if they are, to confirm that the 'official' report accurately describes the current condition of the stone. Wonkiness in hearts pic in #2 I would guess b/c of photography as the anomalies look symmetric, but it can't hurt to confirm since you're paying the H&A premium.. You won't see any diff in size once they're set, but you may see the colour difference if you have super vision for that sort of thing, and if they're all eyeclean to your requirements

I personally like fat arrows so of the three #2 is my pick. May or may not be your preference, obviously

 

[diamondseeker2006]

The eyeclean issue would determine this for me. I'd almost lean toward the G VS2 for this reason. As long as they are very clear on the stones being clean from top and sides, then any of them would be fine.

 

[diamondringseeker]

request IS for 1 and 3, also ask if 1 and 2 are eye-clean to your standards.

Ditto, also 1 & 2 have older reports so you'll want to ask if they're trade-ins, and plan for an independent appraisal w/in JA's return period if they are, to confirm that the 'official' report accurately describes the current condition of the stone. Wonkiness in hearts pic in #2 I would guess b/c of photography as the anomalies look symmetric, but it can't hurt to confirm since you're paying the H&A premium.. You won't see any diff in size once they're set, but you may see the colour difference if you have super vision for that sort of thing, and if they're all eyeclean to your requirements

I personally like fat arrows so of the three #2 is my pick. May or may not be your preference, obviously

Yeah, I was wondering about the year of the reports. If they are trade-ins, how would that affect its value? or is that a topic for negotiation?
These 3 will be inspected this week. Other than the issues mentioned above, are there questions I should be asking the gemologist?

Thanks

 

[diamondringseeker]

Anybody care to throw in their 2 cents on this?

thanks

 

[yssie]

request IS for 1 and 3, also ask if 1 and 2 are eye-clean to your standards.

Ditto, also 1 & 2 have older reports so you'll want to ask if they're trade-ins, and plan for an independent appraisal w/in JA's return period if they are, to confirm that the 'official' report accurately describes the current condition of the stone. Wonkiness in hearts pic in #2 I would guess b/c of photography as the anomalies look symmetric, but it can't hurt to confirm since you're paying the H&A premium.. You won't see any diff in size once they're set, but you may see the colour difference if you have super vision for that sort of thing, and if they're all eyeclean to your requirements

I personally like fat arrows so of the three #2 is my pick. May or may not be your preference, obviously

Yeah, I was wondering about the year of the reports. If they are trade-ins, how would that affect its value? or is that a topic for negotiation?
These 3 will be inspected this week. Other than the issues mentioned above, are there questions I should be asking the gemologist?

Thanks

It will not, on the primary market, from retailer to third-party private consumer, as long as the stone is in precisely the condition described on the GIA/AGS report. If it's not you should insist on a new report that details its current condition (chips that aren't polished off that may lower clarity grade, it's a *really* old report from an earlier cut grading scheme, etc.)