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Ideal_Rock
- Joined
- Nov 2, 2003
- Messages
- 3,302
Per request (thank you!) from another thread, edited for typos, and updated...
Super excited about my new diamond! RB 2.01, GIA 3x, SI2... E color!
After many years of wanting to do this, I had the opportunity to trade in my previous diamond of almost 16 years (3.29 RB, SI2, I color, not ideal cut, with the dreaded EGL Israel lab report... need I say more?!) for something smaller of significantly greater quality.
I had wanted an H & A/super ideal in a VS but that nasty word “budget” reared it’s ugly head! What I initially felt were concessions were, ultimately, definitely NOT given I ended up with a beauty.
I had an excruciatingly difficult struggle choosing between the diamond I ultimately chose and another stone with a just slightly better cut with its crisper optical symmetry but G color, not the E color I chose.
The carat weights were only 1 point apart but the one I didn’t choose faced up larger.
But I just felt I could not leave a 2 carat E color diamond on the table (no pun intended!). I mean, how often does one have the ooortunity to get a GIA E color? I wanted something really RARE... and to have a color that comprises less than 1% of all the diamonds in the world... well, if that doesn’t equate with rare I don’t know what does. It is still a triple excellent so it certainly is no “dog”!
It was really important to me to have a GIA lab report, something I didn’t have with the previous. Also, I wanted a small table (55%)... I just love the visual of that and, after having a table on my previous of 61, this is really exciting for me (the one I didn’t go with had a 58% table, certainly still great, but that 55% was really something I liked). Also, this new stone has a small center “stop sign” which I wanted.
This diamond is laser inscribed and also was newly cut... not that it matters but it just seems special to me. The date of the GIA report was 8 days after my father passed away... so I’m assuming it was cut during the time he was on hospice... I’m sure I’m still mourning but I just feel something about that (although I didn’t notice that on the report until after I had made my selection).
I was proposed to almost 30 years ago (this Fall will be our 30th wedding anniversary). My husband proposed with a stunning 1.01 marquise SI1 in D color. Perfect marquise ratio and minimal bow tie. But I was 24 and immature and wanted BIG and traded that perfect D color diamond for something larger, a RB 1.51, H color, SI1 clarity. And then that wasn’t large enough and I traded up for the 3.29 RB SI2, I color. I cannot even convey how much I regret letting go of that 1.01 marquise D stone, both for its quality and also the sentimentality. Like what’s wrong with me! My husband selected the best he could afford at the time to propose with and I gave it away.. I’m so sad about it.
That played a big role in my choosing to go with the E 3x vs the more precise cut in the G color. Not that a G is anything to take for granted by any means whatsoever, but I wanted the rarity of the colorless. I wanted to get as close to what I so stupidly gave up so many years ago. I know people would think I’m nuts to give up a 3.29 very spready stone for a 2.01 with a small table that faces up on the small side for its carat weight, 8.01mm so it just squeaks in at the measurement but I had been regretting an unfortunate purchase for so long and yearned for a stone of high quality in rare colorlesss grade so I made a significant reduction in size. Also, my lifestyle has changed and I’ve changed, and I just didn’t feel the need for the big diamond anymore (not that a 2 carat is small!). After being so all about big for so long, I grew to be a bit embarrassed about it. I don’t judge others for having larger, there was just a change in me.
So now the task at hand (another pun!): To get a decent photo. That will take me some time. I just can’t seem to capture what I’m seeing in person. So I’ve included some quick photos until I have time to devote to PS-worthy ones!
Also note of interest is I have gone through a number of mountings throughout the years of various styles (3 stone, halo, etc.) all in platinum as I thought that was the be all, end all. But I have some hand issues with bone spurs and larger knuckles, weak joints, etc., so I opted to go with 14kt white gold as it’s so much lighter in weight. Wow, I am loving fhe brightness of the white gold. I went for a solitaire. I wanted the diamond to be the main event. What’s so awesome, something I had not anticipated, is the brightness of the white gold color blends so beautifully with the “white” (colorless) diamond. It’s like seamless tone-on-tone. The mounting is the Classic Solitaire by Cliq... the mountings that open up so you can get a perfect fit if your knuckle is larger than the place where your ring sits on the finger. It is so comfortable, the most comfortable mounting I’ve ever had. And very timeless, classic, elegant. My previous mounting was a heavily embellished large halo crown with all pave’ and engraving everywhere... certainly a work of art but I’m loving the simplicity of this new mounting. I’m all for the embellished mounting but, for me, the motivation for the fancy mournting was to detract from what I felt (knew) was a less than desirable diamond.
If you are still reading, thank you for doing so, and thank you for your time. I haven’t been on PS for so long, literally years, because I had such a sub-standard diamond and was both embarrassed about it as well as felt inferior.
I have heard that the HCA is not considered a reliable tool anymore, but I did run the numbers and it came up as Excellent for light return, fire, and scintillation, within TIC range. So, a good start! Then there’s its 3x grading... so far, so good!. In some lighting it is like a continuous explosion of colors! In other lighting the scintillation is mesmerizing. In other lighting it has great contrast and the small table that I love really pops. In other lighting it is so white (colorless) it leaves me breathless. In dark cloudy weather (like just before a winter rain) its a beacon of bright white light. Even in ugly office lighting it looks great. There is only 1 lighting situation where I don’t find it particularly pleasing, especially after seeing its stellar performance in the other settings, but other diamonds I have look less than desirable in that same setting so I’m guessing it’s just bad light.
Some quick photos:
So not H & A with the perfect pattern, but in person gorgeous. I guess it’s old school style lol... when diamonds were described “like snowflakes... everyone is unique”. This stone doesn’t have that bold look... it’s more delicate, which seems more my style. I was initially bummed about not getting a super ideal (h&a/AGS 0), but ultimately it boils down to the PERFORMANCE and I finally have it... so absolutely fabulous after my lifeless previous stone.
I also had hoped for a VS2, but budget being what it was, I had to go with SI2 but this is very clean, mostly SI2 due to feather that’s now hidden under a prong. Any other little specs are not visible to the eye in real life size and they’re white. My previous stone was a mess, full of blotches of yuck and as if someone shook black pepper all over it!
I’m really loving the 6-prong and how it makes the solitaire look so ROUND!
I apologize for my ugly hands - definitely looking like the almost 54 that I’ll be in June!
I will work on getting some “glamour shots”!
Super excited about my new diamond! RB 2.01, GIA 3x, SI2... E color!
After many years of wanting to do this, I had the opportunity to trade in my previous diamond of almost 16 years (3.29 RB, SI2, I color, not ideal cut, with the dreaded EGL Israel lab report... need I say more?!) for something smaller of significantly greater quality.
I had wanted an H & A/super ideal in a VS but that nasty word “budget” reared it’s ugly head! What I initially felt were concessions were, ultimately, definitely NOT given I ended up with a beauty.
I had an excruciatingly difficult struggle choosing between the diamond I ultimately chose and another stone with a just slightly better cut with its crisper optical symmetry but G color, not the E color I chose.
The carat weights were only 1 point apart but the one I didn’t choose faced up larger.
But I just felt I could not leave a 2 carat E color diamond on the table (no pun intended!). I mean, how often does one have the ooortunity to get a GIA E color? I wanted something really RARE... and to have a color that comprises less than 1% of all the diamonds in the world... well, if that doesn’t equate with rare I don’t know what does. It is still a triple excellent so it certainly is no “dog”!
It was really important to me to have a GIA lab report, something I didn’t have with the previous. Also, I wanted a small table (55%)... I just love the visual of that and, after having a table on my previous of 61, this is really exciting for me (the one I didn’t go with had a 58% table, certainly still great, but that 55% was really something I liked). Also, this new stone has a small center “stop sign” which I wanted.
This diamond is laser inscribed and also was newly cut... not that it matters but it just seems special to me. The date of the GIA report was 8 days after my father passed away... so I’m assuming it was cut during the time he was on hospice... I’m sure I’m still mourning but I just feel something about that (although I didn’t notice that on the report until after I had made my selection).
I was proposed to almost 30 years ago (this Fall will be our 30th wedding anniversary). My husband proposed with a stunning 1.01 marquise SI1 in D color. Perfect marquise ratio and minimal bow tie. But I was 24 and immature and wanted BIG and traded that perfect D color diamond for something larger, a RB 1.51, H color, SI1 clarity. And then that wasn’t large enough and I traded up for the 3.29 RB SI2, I color. I cannot even convey how much I regret letting go of that 1.01 marquise D stone, both for its quality and also the sentimentality. Like what’s wrong with me! My husband selected the best he could afford at the time to propose with and I gave it away.. I’m so sad about it.
That played a big role in my choosing to go with the E 3x vs the more precise cut in the G color. Not that a G is anything to take for granted by any means whatsoever, but I wanted the rarity of the colorless. I wanted to get as close to what I so stupidly gave up so many years ago. I know people would think I’m nuts to give up a 3.29 very spready stone for a 2.01 with a small table that faces up on the small side for its carat weight, 8.01mm so it just squeaks in at the measurement but I had been regretting an unfortunate purchase for so long and yearned for a stone of high quality in rare colorlesss grade so I made a significant reduction in size. Also, my lifestyle has changed and I’ve changed, and I just didn’t feel the need for the big diamond anymore (not that a 2 carat is small!). After being so all about big for so long, I grew to be a bit embarrassed about it. I don’t judge others for having larger, there was just a change in me.
So now the task at hand (another pun!): To get a decent photo. That will take me some time. I just can’t seem to capture what I’m seeing in person. So I’ve included some quick photos until I have time to devote to PS-worthy ones!
Also note of interest is I have gone through a number of mountings throughout the years of various styles (3 stone, halo, etc.) all in platinum as I thought that was the be all, end all. But I have some hand issues with bone spurs and larger knuckles, weak joints, etc., so I opted to go with 14kt white gold as it’s so much lighter in weight. Wow, I am loving fhe brightness of the white gold. I went for a solitaire. I wanted the diamond to be the main event. What’s so awesome, something I had not anticipated, is the brightness of the white gold color blends so beautifully with the “white” (colorless) diamond. It’s like seamless tone-on-tone. The mounting is the Classic Solitaire by Cliq... the mountings that open up so you can get a perfect fit if your knuckle is larger than the place where your ring sits on the finger. It is so comfortable, the most comfortable mounting I’ve ever had. And very timeless, classic, elegant. My previous mounting was a heavily embellished large halo crown with all pave’ and engraving everywhere... certainly a work of art but I’m loving the simplicity of this new mounting. I’m all for the embellished mounting but, for me, the motivation for the fancy mournting was to detract from what I felt (knew) was a less than desirable diamond.
If you are still reading, thank you for doing so, and thank you for your time. I haven’t been on PS for so long, literally years, because I had such a sub-standard diamond and was both embarrassed about it as well as felt inferior.
I have heard that the HCA is not considered a reliable tool anymore, but I did run the numbers and it came up as Excellent for light return, fire, and scintillation, within TIC range. So, a good start! Then there’s its 3x grading... so far, so good!. In some lighting it is like a continuous explosion of colors! In other lighting the scintillation is mesmerizing. In other lighting it has great contrast and the small table that I love really pops. In other lighting it is so white (colorless) it leaves me breathless. In dark cloudy weather (like just before a winter rain) its a beacon of bright white light. Even in ugly office lighting it looks great. There is only 1 lighting situation where I don’t find it particularly pleasing, especially after seeing its stellar performance in the other settings, but other diamonds I have look less than desirable in that same setting so I’m guessing it’s just bad light.
Some quick photos:
So not H & A with the perfect pattern, but in person gorgeous. I guess it’s old school style lol... when diamonds were described “like snowflakes... everyone is unique”. This stone doesn’t have that bold look... it’s more delicate, which seems more my style. I was initially bummed about not getting a super ideal (h&a/AGS 0), but ultimately it boils down to the PERFORMANCE and I finally have it... so absolutely fabulous after my lifeless previous stone.
I also had hoped for a VS2, but budget being what it was, I had to go with SI2 but this is very clean, mostly SI2 due to feather that’s now hidden under a prong. Any other little specs are not visible to the eye in real life size and they’re white. My previous stone was a mess, full of blotches of yuck and as if someone shook black pepper all over it!
I’m really loving the 6-prong and how it makes the solitaire look so ROUND!
I apologize for my ugly hands - definitely looking like the almost 54 that I’ll be in June!
I will work on getting some “glamour shots”!