Newbie needs help..

[rinkyb]

I am a daily lurker on this board, my solitaire was purchased from a mall store before I knew PS existed...I have since become a lot wiser and have been drooling over the stones you ladies own...I would like to upgrade to a better quality stone now...I am tied to the store, since I do not want to loose the value of my prior purchase...I know they only carry EGL certified stones and am looking for a 1 ct in the $6000 price range...please tell me what I should look for...I know what size, shape to look for..what else?? Please help...please give me some pointers on cut, clarity, color etc..especially cut..

Thanks in advance..

 

[rinkyb]

Any advice??

 

[JulieN]

http://diamonds.pricescope.com/round.asp

 

[Finding_Neverland]

You didn't say what shape you are looking for, so that might be part of the problem getting assistance. The answers you'd get for a Round are not the same you'd get for a Princess or an Asscher.

Color and Clarity are gonna be personal choices.

If you're color sensitive, you're probably gonna want to stay G color and above. If you're not color sensitive, then you might consider H/I and even J color diamonds. Depending on the shape and quality of cut.

Clarity is totally up to you. Do you want a diamond you KNOW is gonna be eye clean?? A "mind clean" diamond?? If that's the case, you might want stick to VVS and VS. If you don't care about inclusions as long as the diamond is eye clean, you could consider SI's.

Since the store you're dealing with only carries EGL Certed stones, look for EGL USA Certs. EGL USA is much more consistent than the other EGL Labs. And ask the jeweler to run a Sarin on any diamond you are seriously considering. You'll get a better idea of the quality of Cut than just the %'ages off the Cert.

Also, the 1 carat mark carries a premium. If you can find a diamond in the .90-.99 range, you'll have the look of 1 carat without the price premium.

Here's some links for you:

The Price Scope Diamond Tutorial

If you're considering a round diamond, you can plug info into the HCA Cut Adviser to get an idea of how candidates rate:

Holloway Cut Adviser

And,

Accredited Gem Appraisers

You can use the DIY system at AGA to check the quality of cut of diamonds you are considering. I'm not sure if Dave Atlas has upgraded the DIY system since the new cut criteria came out or not. But even if he hasn't, the DIY calculator should give you a good idea if you're considering a nice stone or not.

 

[rinkyb]

Thank you for your advice, I am looking for rounds only..

 

[Finding_Neverland]

Julie gave you a very good link for Rounds measurements to look for.

One thing I would suggest,...........

If you live where you have a PS recommended appraiser available, or,.......... If you have an appraiser in your town that does not sell jewelry,.........

Make the trade deal contingent upon a satisfactory evaluation by an independent appraiser that you hire.

If the appraiser gives you a thumbs up on the stone, you''ll move forward. If not, then the jeweler will have to find you another stone.