noob needs help

[greyjoy]

hi guys, i hv absolutely no idea about diamonds and will appreciate any inputs that i can get... i live outside US so the price of the rock is abit expensive than the ones that i found in pricescope.com.Initially i'd like to get a 1.0x carat f vvs1 3ex, but after i read somewhere that some ppl wont spend money for clarity but rather for the size, they got me thinking..., so here we go....

1. what should i get?a bigger carat or high clarity ?
2. i went to some jewellers and checked the diamonds myself, and of course they all blink gorgeously . but when i got home and analyzed the rock based on the infos on the GIA certificate, the results are mostly above 2 or 3....so how accurate is the holloway adviser?
3. any other tips to buy a diamond?

any inputs will be appreciated

 

[flyingpig]

1. Most popular color and clarity grades are J-G and SI1-VS1. Some do F/E if colorless is priority. Some do VVS as long as there is no significant premium attached to it. Some do SI2 for value.
2. You dont rely on a single tool. What you need to look for is GIA ex stone that is less than 2.0 in HCA. Also the proportions should be within the following ranges
Table 54-58, crown 34-35, pavillion 40.6-41, depth less than 62.3. Numbers can be slightly off, as long as they are complimentary to each other.
So thats three screening tools. GIA, HCA, Proportion ranges.
3. What does your lady like?

 

[ADN]

hi guys, i hv absolutely no idea about diamonds and will appreciate any inputs that i can get... i live outside US so the price of the rock is abit expensive than the ones that i found in pricescope.com.Initially i'd like to get a 1.0x carat f vvs1 3ex, but after i read somewhere that some ppl wont spend money for clarity but rather for the size, they got me thinking..., so here we go....

1. what should i get?a bigger carat or high clarity ?
2. i went to some jewellers and checked the diamonds myself, and of course they all blink gorgeously . but when i got home and analyzed the rock based on the infos on the GIA certificate, the results are mostly above 2 or 3....so how accurate is the holloway adviser?
3. any other tips to buy a diamond?

any inputs will be appreciated

Hey mate - there is no right or wrong with what you want in a stone - some want the best possible (D IF) even if there isn't a noticeable difference between it and one of a lower quality (other than the price tag ). Most on PS will advise VS-SI for clarity - you can get some nice SIs that are eye clean and will be easier on the budget; or you can stick with VS if you're a bit unsure or maybe buying sight unseen - VVS is fine, but can be a bit of overkill and extra cost, however they're worth considering as there are some VVS goods on the market that are well priced (simply because VS are so in demand).
Colour is a bit more personal - it really depends on what your (her?) tolerance is to colour. In general, most people won't notice much of a difference between D-F or F-H face-up and when set in a ring - and you're not likely to see much colour in anything H+ --- and if you don't mind a bit of tint, I/J is a good option.
To answer question 1 - it's up to you - - if you drop a bit in colour/clarity, then you can go up in carat weight without sacrificing anything visually. To give you an example of different market preferences, many Asian markets prefer very high colour and clarity, and are willing to sacrifice carat weight to get it. In my market (Australia), in general, F/G is the big winner for colour, and eye-clean SIs are very much in demand so that a bit more carat weight can be achieved.
The Holloway cut advisor is a very rough rejection tool and shouldn't be relied on for selection - - this isn't just my opinion...it clearly states its purpose and limitations - it can be useful if used as it should be (also, it does unfortunately reject allot of stones that are perfectly fine because it tends to favour a slightly shallower cut ).
Cut is very important - not all GIA triple Ex are created equal, and there are some that will perform better than others - there are some pretty rigid parameters that are preferred here on PS, but ultimately, you'll want to make sure that all of the parameters are balanced so that the diamond is returning light to the best of it's ability.
With the help of PS members, you should be able to find exactly what you're looking for.
Hope this helps

 

[Niel]

My take has always been that I'd rather put my money where I will see it. If I won't notice clarity, I won't go out of my way to get it. Sometimes, the best stone in budget just happens to be a high clarity. And if that happens if happens. But usually you can be pretty specific with rounds.

 

[Dancing Fire]

I like the G-H VS2 combo of course it must be well cut.

 

[greyjoy]

thx u so much for all the inputs...

 

[diamondseeker2006]

VS1 is usually totally clean with inclusions hard to see even with a 10x loupe. So to me, it is almost a waste of money to pay for anything above VS1. VS1 is a very good place to be for someone who desires high clarity without overpaying for invisible attributes.

Jewelers lights are often very deceptive. They are designed to make all diamonds sparkle and look good, but that doesn't always equate to what you'd see in real life. Cut is absolutely the most important factor in a diamond's beauty.

These are measurements to help you stay in ideal cut territory with a GIA excellent cut stone.

table: 54-58

depth: 60-62.3

crown angle: 34-35.0

pavilion angle: 40.6-40.9 (sometimes 41.0 if the crown angle is close to 34)