Newbie to the world of diamonds~

[monkeyrpn]

Hello everyone,

I''m currently in the process of buying a diamond for an engagement ring. I have only a budget of $3000 USD. I know I''m looking for a round diamond of at least 1 CT.
I found a couple so far on Union Diamond. I read on this forum they seem to have a good reputation.

How does this sound to you guys, for example:

Cut: Premium
Carat: 1.01
Color: H
Clarity: VS2
Regular Price: $3034
Wire Transfer Price: $2946

Measurements: 6.38-6.36-3.99
Depth Percentage: 62.6 %
Table Percentage: 58 %
Girdle: TN
Culet: None (Pointed)
Polish: Very Good
Symmetry: Very Good
Fluorescence: None (Inert)
Special Notes: Beautiful Cut

I emailed them to see if they can also provide photos, crown and pavillion %s, of the diamonds I''m interested from them. Maybe then I''d be able to get a HCA score to better evaluate the stone.

Also... on the forum people talk about, if on a budget, get a stone that''s "eye-clean"... how would I be able to establish if the stone is eye-clean or not when I''m buying over the internet?

Thank you all so much. I''m very new to all this....

 

[stone-cold11]

That stone is graded by EGL Israel. They are known to be the worst of the EGL labs, frequently up to 2 grades off in color and clarity grade which is why the big discount in price when compared to similarly graded GIA/AGS stone. So the stone you are getting probably is a J SI2 if send to GIA/AGS, and then the price is comparable.

I would prefer to get a reliably graded stone, slightly smaller and lower color and clarity than that.

For Eye-clean, you have to get the vendor to eye-ball the stone for you and to your standard as in how close you are look at it from and from where.

 

[the tree sees]

Welcome, Monkeyrpn!

I''m also new, so I won''t venture a guess about the diamond, but I will tell you that it''s very difficult--if not impossible--to assess a stone without an ASET or at least an Idealscope image. The HCA is only to be used to rule out bad diamonds, not to select the right one, as it cannot assess idiosyncracies in a stone. I''m not sure if Union Diamond provides ASET or Idealscope images; you should ask them.

As for eye-cleanliness, just call them up and state your concern. From everything I''ve read, PS-preferred vendors will give you a frank response about whether a stone is eyeclean . . . or suffer the wrath of bad PR!

Good luck.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 6/13/2009 4:07:34 PM
Author:monkeyrpn
Hello everyone,

I'm currently in the process of buying a diamond for an engagement ring. I have only a budget of $3000 USD. I know I'm looking for a round diamond of at least 1 CT.
I found a couple so far on Union Diamond. I read on this forum they seem to have a good reputation.

How does this sound to you guys, for example:

Cut: Premium
Carat: 1.01
Color: H
Clarity: VS2
Regular Price: $3034
Wire Transfer Price: $2946

Measurements: 6.38-6.36-3.99
Depth Percentage: 62.6 %
Table Percentage: 58 %
Girdle: TN
Culet: None (Pointed)
Polish: Very Good
Symmetry: Very Good
Fluorescence: None (Inert)
Special Notes: Beautiful Cut

I emailed them to see if they can also provide photos, crown and pavillion %s, of the diamonds I'm interested from them. Maybe then I'd be able to get a HCA score to better evaluate the stone.

Also... on the forum people talk about, if on a budget, get a stone that's 'eye-clean'... how would I be able to establish if the stone is eye-clean or not when I'm buying over the internet?

Thank you all so much. I'm very new to all this....

Welcome!

It is a bit deep and will look small for the weight looking at the diameter so from that I think you can do better, the crown and pavilion percentages are needed to get a more complete picture but this stone is going to look small for the weight so it is up to you whether you want to bother or not getting more info. Can you post the link if you want us to look at it further please?

If it is EGL graded, they are thought to be less strict on grading than the top 2 labs GIA and AGS, this explains further.

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

As to whether a diamond is eyeclean or not, the only way to know is to have a trusted vendor inspect the stone and to make your expectations clear, for example if you don't want to see any inclusions at close scrutiny from any angle, make sure you let the vendor know that so you are both on the same page.

This thread explains further about the matter of ' eyecleanliness' in diamonds.

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/clarity-eye-clean-definition-interpretation-and-taste.30483/

 

[monkeyrpn]

Wow! Thank you so much for pointing out the differences in grading system~ I will definitely keep this in mind.

I live in Canada. I was looking around at the mall and so many jewelers are telling me that Canadian diamonds are the greatest diamonds out there. That they have 100 facet instead of say... I forget the number, 80? of other diamonds. Is this bogus?

 

[stone-cold11]

Bogus. Canadian diamonds have also been cut in the standard 57 facets round brilliant.

 

[the tree sees]

Bogus. But is it possible that the person was talking about a different cut? Watch the "Product comparison" videos at GoodOldGold here.

As you see, it''s possible to cut a diamond with more than 57 facets. That doesn''t make the diamond better, only different.

 

[monkeyrpn]

Thank you once again! I''m so glad I found this forum, you guys are godsend!

Anyone know if the jewelery chain Michael Hill is reliable or not? Their current 18 months no interest payments promotion would allow me have more buying power.

 

[the tree sees]

Monkeyrpn,

Sorry, I can''t attest to Michael Hill''s reputation, but I ran a search and saw that a few other PSers have mentioned the jeweler in earlier threads. Maybe some of them will return to share their thoughts with you here, but in the meantime, check out what they''ve said. I also want to suggest that you take a look at what''s being offered on the preferred sites of participants in this forum--including WF, GoodOldGold, High Performance Diamonds, James Allen, Brian Gavin (e-mail inquiries), etc. I believe all of them have very generous upgrade policies, and even buyback policies, so you don''t have to worry about going broke on your first purchase and you''ll be able to develop a relationship with a reputable vendor that can last a very long time. Some of them also offer discounts to PSers. And I''m sure plenty of ppl on this forum would be happy to help you pick something beautiful out that will meet your budget.

Best of luck!

 

[serenitydiamonds]

Date: 6/13/2009 4:21:35 PM
Author: Stone-cold11
That stone is graded by EGL Israel. They are known to be the worst of the EGL labs, frequently up to 2 grades off in color and clarity grade which is why the big discount in price when compared to similarly graded GIA/AGS stone. So the stone you are getting probably is a J SI2 if send to GIA/AGS, and then the price is comparable.


I would prefer to get a reliably graded stone, slightly smaller and lower color and clarity than that.


For Eye-clean, you have to get the vendor to eye-ball the stone for you and to your standard as in how close you are look at it from and from where.

While I will agree that EGL Israel can be very inconsistent, it is unfair to assume they always grade poorly. With a very honest vendor it is possible to get an nice EGL graded stone at a tremendous bargain by asking what the stone really would grade as. There is a tremendous premium for AGS/GIA stones because of the brand recognition and consistency they offer. However, a grading report is only an OPINION of a diamond grade and never an exact science. And a piece of paper does nothing for accurately describing how attractive or unattractive a diamond may be. I have acquired clients incredible makes of stones (H&A, Tolkowsky Ideal, 0.7 HCA, etc) from cutters who specialize in superior makes, but don''t want to wait for a AGS/GIA grading report, at a tremendous value. If you trust your supplier enough to be able to get a straight answer on what the diamond really is, I consider this a great choice for budget and size minded clients. I have witnessed poorly graded GIA''s, EGLs, and even AGS''s. Like any company, there are those working for it that are performers, and those that just want to make it through the day. Not everyone has the passion we share for beautiful diamonds. The odds of a stone being loosely graded are higher with EGL Israel, but that doesn''t mean it''s not possible to find a good grade, superior make, at a very very good price.

At $3000, it would be hard to find a GIA/Ideal/Near Colorless Eye-clean 1+ct Diamond . However, if you wanted an EGL Stone that was eye clean, would grade at H Color and close to VS2, real Ideal Hearts and Arrows, with an EGL stone it is quite possible.

I think the most important thing is choosing an individual or company you trust that is well educated in diamonds and communicate exactly what your needs are. I''m sure anyone on PS would have a million suggestions as to vendors with those qualifications.

--Joshua