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New Member Needs Your Help Picking a Diamond!

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Scott Sterrett

Rough_Rock
Joined
Apr 3, 2018
Messages
9
Hello everyone! This is my first post on the forum but I've been reading and doing some research for several weeks looking for the perfect engagement ring. I'm hoping you can chime in with your expertise to help me pick the best diamond within my budget. I appreciate everyone's response because I know how much work it takes to evaluate these!

I'd like a classic six-prong, knife-edge setting in platinum. I'm thinking: https://www.jamesallen.com/engageme...ife-edged-solitaire-engagement-ring-item-2426

Looking for a round diamond with
Cut: GIA excellent or AGS 0
Carat: 1.35 - 1.6
Color: I or better
Clarity: VS2 or better
Budget: $12,000 all-in with the setting

Here are the diamonds I'm currently looking at. In general I'm not sensitive to color at I or above, but I have a very keen eye for inclusions and must avoid. I'd appreciate feedback on them and which you think is best. You'll notice that all diamonds are from JA. I really love the setting above and thought their diamond prices seemed more reasonable than some other sites. I also know it's possible to obtain a discount by mentioning PS. If you can find a better/cheaper diamond from another vendor who offers a very similar setting, I'm still happy to entertain it. If any of these are worth considering, please let me know what steps I should take next in evaluating.


1. 1.4 carat, I, VVS2: https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...-color-vvs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-4578799
  • GIA Excellent cut
  • HCA Score 0.8
  • 7.22x7.25
  • $9,510
2. 1.45 carat, I, VS1, JA True Hearts: https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...color-vs1-clarity-true-hearts-cut-sku-4403981
  • AGS 0 cut
  • ASET on the report looks good to my (very novice) eye
  • HCA Score 0.6
  • 7.35x7.38
  • Crown angle of 33 with corresponding pavilion of 41 a concern?
  • $10,340
3. 1.46 carat, I, VS1, JA True Hearts: https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...color-vs1-clarity-true-hearts-cut-sku-4297763.
  • AGS 0 cut
  • ASET on the report looks good to my (very novice) eye
  • HCA Score 0.8
  • 7.36x7.39
  • Crown angle of 33.1 and pavilion of 40.9 a concern?
  • $10,410

4. 1.51 carat, I, VS2: https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...i-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-4514206
  • GIA Excellent
  • HCA Score 0.8
  • 7.45x7.47
  • $9,460

5. 1.52 carat, I, VS1: https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...i-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-4290515
  • GIA Excellent
  • HCA Score 1.8
  • 7.32x7.37
  • $9,590

6. 1.6 carat, I, VS2: https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...i-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-4584205
  • GIA Ideal cut
  • HCA Score 1.5
  • 7.53x7.48
  • All the stats look pretty good to me and I like that it's the biggest of the group.
  • $10,860

All comments and feedback are appreciated! I'm also interested to know if you think these prices would be considered good, average, or poor compared to what else you see in the market of comparable quality. Thanks so much!!
 
1 crown height is shallow, it'll favor white light return over fire. but out of the 6, this is my favorite.
2 crown shallow
3 ditto (i know it's AGS ideal but not loving it)
4 again a shallow crown. shallow stone with a larger table, it's almost a 60/60 style which i like but i'm not loving this one.
5 nothing wrong with angles, the arrows at 5, 7 and 7 o'clock show very little contrast tho. meh.
6 nothing wrong with the angles, i do prefer fatter arrows

Please take the above with a grain of salt. it's all a matter of opinion. i tend to like stones with small tables and a high crowns.

I know, this is JUST under 1.35ct that you so wanted but it's a G with VVS clarity!
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...-color-vvs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-4628537

another G
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...-color-vvs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-4637540

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...i-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-4511351

An H AGS Ideal option but at the upper end of the budget
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...color-vs2-clarity-true-hearts-cut-sku-4536489
 
Thank you for your opinions! I see a lot of the diamonds I had posted originally have shallow crowns, but I was filtering on what I thought were proportions for a super ideal cut: table 55-57, depth 60-62, triple-x, etc. I really like the first one posted...I will have to investigate further!
 
 
Scott Sterrett said:
Thank you for your opinions! I see a lot of the diamonds I had posted originally have shallow crowns, but I was filtering on what I thought were proportions for a super ideal cut: table 55-57, depth 60-62, triple-x, etc. I really like the first one posted...I will have to investigate further!
Click to expand...

try using these parameters:

depth: 60-62.3
table: 53-58
crown: 34-35 (35.5 sometimes works with a pavillion of 40.6. i do personally like up to 36)
pavillion 40.6-40.9

the HCA tool is widely used as a rejection tool to weed out poor performers/non complimentary angles. just because the stone scores well doesn't mean it'll be a great performer.
 
Great advice Farrah!
 
farrahlyn said:
6 nothing wrong with the angles, i do prefer fatter arrows
Click to expand...

Farrahlyn - In doing some more research on the stones above and the recommendations you provided, I noticed that my #6 stone had a star length of 50% and lower half length of 80%, which seems to be in the sweet-spot of what many recommend for all-around light performance. It's also the same as the 463750 JA stone you provided. Is there something else I should be looking at as far as how fat the arrows are? Sorry for all the questions, I just realize there is so much more for me to learn! The more I look at #6, the more I like it since it faces up the largest and the numbers seem to be right. I just don't want to make an un-wise decision.
 
Scott Sterrett said:
Farrahlyn - In doing some more research on the stones above and the recommendations you provided, I noticed that my #6 stone had a star length of 50% and lower half length of 80%, which seems to be in the sweet-spot of what many recommend for all-around light performance. It's also the same as the 463750 JA stone you provided. Is there something else I should be looking at as far as how fat the arrows are? Sorry for all the questions, I just realize there is so much more for me to learn! The more I look at #6, the more I like it since it faces up the largest and the numbers seem to be right. I just don't want to make an un-wise decision.
Click to expand...

Scott, questions are good! most stones recommended are above average. You chose some nice stones that are proably nicer than what most of your friends have, just by using some parameter filtering. Angles are a great way to weed out stones but you still have to use your eyes. though those two stones both have good angles, #6 looks to have some symetry issues which would bug me and the table is a bit larger than what i like for my personal tastes. (which is the reason for my disclaimer on my post. lol!) However, it is considerably bigger than your other options and its not a bad stone at all. Probably much nicer than a majority of your peers. You can always ask for an Idealscope on the stone to check it out further. JA will let you get an IS on 3 stones, so simply choose your favorites, this puts the stone on hold so no one can swipe it from you.

just found this one, it's $1k less than the 1.6 and just slightly smaller. really, REALLY LIKE THIS ONE

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...i-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-4690082

found it on EC for even cheaper and they have a H&A and ASET on it:
https://enchanteddiamonds.com/diamo...5-Carat-I-Color-VS2-Clarity-Diamond-7278501Z9
 
Farrah, thanks so much! I REALLY like both of the stones you sent to me (apparently I like fatter arrows, too). I put the 1.5 on hold with JA and requested an Idealscope. I realize the ASET, available through EC, is likely a better measure of performance than the IS, but I wanted to hold the diamond to give myself some time to think. Any concerns with the ASET/H&A images, or anything I should be aware of?

Also, do you think either the 1.5 or the 1.7 is clearly better? Angles seem to be good on both, although the depth % of the 1.7 is slightly lower so it faces up larger. Any concerns with the medium-thick girdle on the 1.5 stone? Does it face up well compared to other 1.5s, or does it lose too much diameter to the girdle/depth?
 
i really like both but the 1.7 is a good bit bigger and even though, yeah.... the table is bigger than my preference, it's REALLY nice. I might lean toward it just due to size. Maybe ask for IS or ASET? comparing them side by side, this is the size difference on a size 6 finger, 2mm band:
Comps 1.5 1.7.JPG
 
I contacted EC and the diamond is no longer available, so that makes the decision easier. Any concerns with the ASET/H&A on the 1.5 stone?
 
Scott Sterrett said:
I contacted EC and the diamond is no longer available, so that makes the decision easier. Any concerns with the ASET/H&A on the 1.5 stone?
Click to expand...

there are a few other nice options on ED but i think this hits every checkbox. Beautiful stone
 
Received the Idealscope back from JA.
4690082.jpg
As far as I can tell, light performance and symmetry looks like it will be good. Any other thoughts? Farrah's input has been invaluable! I'd appreciate anyone else's comments as well! Thanks
 
Scott Sterrett said:
Received the Idealscope back from JA.
4690082.jpg
As far as I can tell, light performance and symmetry looks like it will be good. Any other thoughts? Farrah's input has been invaluable! I'd appreciate anyone else's comments as well! Thanks
Click to expand...

absolutely beautiful stone. :love: Ask if JA will match ED price. doesn't hurt to ask????

where is @rockysalamander for a second opinion? Rocky's much better at nit picking. lol!
 
I'm on a really low signal area. Can you post the specs that match the IS. Is this the same o e from above where ED had an aset?
 
Another question for the forum: if I have the stone on hold through JA, could someone still theoretically purchase it from Enchanted? Or does my hold protect purchases from other sites as well?
 
Lovely numbers. Chubby arrows are divine. Hold should be with supplier via JA and not pose risk of losing. I can't get to video for a few hours. What I recall of ASET was good but some leakage, but looked overly backlite. Lemme page others on stronger signal.

@gm89uk @diamondseeker2006 @Lorelei @TreeScientist @SimoneDi
 
Scott Sterrett said:
Another question for the forum: if I have the stone on hold through JA, could someone still theoretically purchase it from Enchanted? Or does my hold protect purchases from other sites as well?
Click to expand...

Virtual stones may be listed in dozens of sites. So sometimes stones are purchased and sites haven’t had a chance to update. I’ve helped a guy in the last few days and two stones are selected from two different vendors were sold prior to his vendors getting through. So having a stone on hold does not mean you get it unless you’re dealing with in-house stones with vendors such as Whiteflash who do not sell their stones through other sources. I’ll look at your stone when I get back to my computer.
 
diamondseeker2006 said:
Virtual stones may be listed in dozens of sites. So sometimes stones are purchased and sites haven’t had a chance to update. I’ve helped a guy in the last few days and two stones are selected from two different vendors were sold prior to his vendors getting through. So having a stone on hold does not mean you get it unless you’re dealing with in-house stones with vendors such as Whiteflash who do not sell their stones through other sources. I’ll look at your stone when I get back to my computer.
Click to expand...
Better said than I!
 
Beautiful stone, hope you manage to get it.
 
Thanks for everyone's input and help picking this stone! I placed the order through JA yesterday and haven't heard anything to the contrary, so I'm assuming it's mine!
 
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