Newbie on a search for a diamond

[Whit92]

My fiancé and I are both very new to this whole ring search and we'd love some help! We found a setting we love at Shane co. But from reviews I've read on here, it may not be the best place to buy from.

We're looking for a round cut around 3,000. I don't want the color too low and he doesn't want any visible feathering. Cut is important obviously. Suggestions for where to buy/look? We live in Utah if you know any stores or if we'd be better off online. Thanks for the help!

 

[MarionC]

You are better off doing your research online and deciding what you are looking for.
You might be able to find what you want in your local stores but the chances are great that you will pay more and the quality probably won't be as good.

Try using the search function at the top of the Home page to get started.
You can also go to James Allen and see videos of diamonds.
They are many good vendors here, but that might be a good place to start.
Just for the sake of having comparisons, here are 2 diamonds in your price range:

Neither has a great HCA score, but will perhaps raise some questions. I'm still looking but haven't seen anything yet that I would highly recommend. Do you have a size in mind?
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.70-carat-h-color-vs1-clarity-ideal-cut-sku-281026

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.65-carat-f-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-281627

Here is one that looks better:
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.62-carat-g-color-vvs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-76625

 

[Roqsteady]

Here's a very eye-clean H SI-1, AGS 000 True hearts from JA that looks like a winner

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-dia...arat-h-color-si1-clarity-ideal-cut-sku-306960

Make sure to check out some other PS recommended vendors like Whiteflash, Good Old Gold, High Performance Diamonds, Brian Gavin Diamonds, and Victor Canera.

 

[MarionC]

and here's one more:

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3059447.htm

 

[Gypsy]

The entire purpose of faceting a diamond is to reflect light.
How well or how poorly a diamond does this determines how beautiful it is.
How well a diamond performs is determined by the angles and cutting. This is why we say cut is king.
No other factor: not color, not clarity has as much of an impact on the appearance of a diamond as its cut. An ideal H will out white a poorly cut F. And GIA Ex is not enough.
So how to we ensure that we have the right angles and cutting to get the light performance we want?
https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/diamond-cut
Well one method is to start with a GIA Ex, and then apply the HCA to it. YOU DO NOT USE HCA for AGS0 stones.
https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/holloway-cut-advisor
The HCA is a rejection tool. Not a selection tool. It uses 4 data points to make a rudimentary call on how the diamond may perform.
If the diamond passes then you know that you are in the right zone in terms of angles for light performance. Under 2 is a pass. Under 2.5-2.1 is a maybe. Over 2.5 is a no. No score under 2 is better than any other.
Is that enough? Not really.
So what you need is a way to check actual light performance of your actual stone.
That's what an idealscope image does. https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/firescope-idealscope
It shows you how and wear your diamond is reflecting light, how well it is going at it, and where you are losing light return. That is why you won't see us recommending Blue Nile and similar vendors, as they do not provide idealscope images for their diamonds. James Allen, BGD, GOG, ERD, HPD, and the other regularly recommended vendors do .

The Idealscope is the 'selection tool'. Not the HCA.
So yes, with a GIA stone you need the idealscope images. Or you can buy an idealscope yourself and take it in to the jeweler you are working with to check the stones yourself. Or if you have a good return policy (full refund minimum 7 days) then you can buy the idealscope, buy the stone, and do it at home.


Now if you want to skip all that... stick to AGS0 stones and then all you have to do is pick color and clarity and you know you have a great performing diamond. Because AGS has already done the checking for you. That's why they trade at a premium.

 

[Gypsy]

It is important to remember is that color is graded FACE DOWN. Where there is NO light return. Not face up where there is light return and refraction. You wear diamonds set. FACE UP.

Within one color grade, even the labs can't agree on the color grades of stones and something could be a "high" H or a "low" E. So... no. Not really. Within 2 color grades it is hard. Not impossible. But very hard. And it gets harder once set. If you are talking ideal rounds, or any stone with ideal light return and no sharp corners it gets harder still because the ideal light return masks body color.

Generally we say to be conservative stay above H. But many people find I's very white and are very happy with them especially on modest budgets I's can be the best value.

If you are talking fancy shapes without ideal light return (because there is no 'ideal' for EC's Radiant, etc) it's a bit different.

This is how I think of it.

Ever gotten one of those HUGE paint fan decks? Where there are literally 100s of colors of whites? And when they are RIGHT next to each other you can TOTALLY tell that one is bluer/colder and one is a bit warmer and which one is one is TOTALLY warmer. One there's one that's slightly greener. One that's slightly pinker? But really. They are all white?

Then you pick one after agonizing over this white or that white and when it's on the walls and people are like: Oh. You painted again. And it's STILL white. Great.

And you're all... BUT it's BLUE white. Or it's a WARM white now. It used to be ____ white. It's TOTALLY different.

It's like that. You are talking about shades of white. D is colder... J is warmer. But it's all white.

YES. If you have an accurately graded F and an H THAT HAVE THE SAME PERFORMANCE you are going to be able to tell them apart when you compare them. Just like you would be able to tell if you painted your walls a warm white, but painted the crown molding a cold/straight white. But both are STILL white.


I want you notice all the qualifiers thought. I'm talking about stones with the SAME performance. An ideal H will out white an F that has compromised light performance from a poor cut.

NOTHING impacts the appearance of a diamond as much as cut. CUT is king.

You want the shinest whitest and brightest diamond out there: Cut is King. No other factor, not color or clarity or anything else impacts how white bright an shiny a stone is.

And that BGD stone is at the VERY TOP of the line with cut. As confirmed by all the images (idealscope, hearts, arrows, etc) and the AGS lab report with the 0 in the light return (ideal).

 

[Cricketcat]

This is strictly my opinion and from my experience. I, too, live in Utah. Four years ago, prior to my knowledge of Pricescope, I purchased a diamond at Jared's which I am extremely pleased with (off of their on-line loose diamond database). If I were purchasing a diamond again though, I would look strictly at one of the PS vendors, specifically Whiteflash or Good Old Gold, for a top cut diamond, plus you'll get a better deal monetarily Shane co. has a large selection of settings, and I have purchased a couple over the years. I have liked the settings, but when I've had their jewelers set diamonds or size rings, I've run into issues. My advice to you would be to look at Whiteflash or Good Old Gold.