Noobie looking for some reassurance ...

[riceboy22]

long-time lurker, first-time poster.

I am on the verge of purchasing an engagement ring diamond and was hoping to get some opinions from the experts here. I started the process about 3 months ago not knowing what even table and depth were, but thanks in large part to the wealth of information here on the forum and in pricescope, I'm now looking at all sorts of angles, HCA ratings, etc. (I think this is a good thing, although some say ignorance is bliss, and I'm now going about $5k over what I originally planned to spend!

) But I digress ...

Here is the low-down on what I am planning to buy. It is a 1.4 E VVS2 SUPERBcert for $12,320.

Click Me!
Measurements: 7.25 - 7.29 x 4.42
Depth: 60.8
Table: 55
Girdle: THIN-FACETED
Culet: NONE
Polish: EXCELLENT
Symmetry: EXCELLENT
Clarity Characteristics: NEEDLE-PINPOINT
Fluorescence: NONE
Crown Angle: 34.2
Crown Height: 14.6
Pavil. Angle: 41.0
Pavil. Depth: 43.3

Any feedback on this stone would be greatly appreciated, as about 27 years of savings is about to be wiped out for it! I know my girlfriend is worth it, but is this diamond worth it? I saw the stone in person and it looks awesome, but to my untrained eye, pretty much everything looks sparkly and pretty.

Thanks in advance.
Eric

 

[Nicrez]

Eric, quick question. Why an E VVS2? Are you sensitive to color and clarity and don't mind the expense? Just curious...It looks nice, but I'll let the Round specialist comment.

 

[pqcollectibles]

Looks very nice. Is the E, VVS a cultural desire?

 

[riceboy22]

I guess it is partially a cultural thing haha, but it's probably mostly just me.

To be honest, my original plan was to get a H&A in the E/F VS1/VS2 range between 1.3-1.5 for around $10-11k. This was pretty much the case up until yesterday when I found this stone on SUPERBcert. I know to the naked eye, there is no difference between a VVS2 and a VS2 (or for that case even an SI1 in most cases), but I guess it just does something for me knowing it's a VVS2 (how vain)! The other factor is that my girlfriend is very much about the quality of the stone, so I know that it won't be lost on her that the stone is a VVS2.

In the end though, the price seems excellent to me for a SUPERBcert of this quality, so I'm willing to drop an extra $1-2K over what I would pay for say an unbranded H&A with VS2 clarity of similar size.

So does the pricing seem good guys? I guess that is my major concern, as it seems from what I've read here (and seen with my own eyes), I don't really have to worry about the quality of a SUPERBcert.

Thanks again for the advice.

Eric

 

[valeria101]

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On 2/26/2004 10:47:29 AM riceboy22 wrote:



Any feedback on this stone would be greatly appreciated, as about 27 years of savings is about to be wiped out for it! I know my girlfriend is worth it, but is this diamond worth it?

----------------

Could you ask your girl what she thinks ? If these are savings from the FIRST 27 years of your life, why the heck not

The price is not off. It does not stryke me as the most usefull thing money can buy, but a serious proof of ego... Isn't this what diamonds are all about !

Oh well, this is a nice diamond. What happened with D-IF ?

 

[Nicrez]

Hee hee, Ana, you relly want him to get a .05 carat stone then?

Me personally, I would rather the cut be good, and color, but everyone has their priorities. If you want an E VVS2, GO for it. Mine is an E VVS1 as well! And we didn't get the size we wanted, but it happened to be "the stone", so it basically told us that we were buying it. I knew when I saw it.




If you like this one, go for it! If you can ask her that'd be ideal. My guy did, but he'd hidden the ring and is waiting for me to *forget* about it and will surprise me with the proposal, so if the proposal isn't a total surprise, you could get away with showing her the rock...?

 

[riceboy22]

D-IF?! I'm already going to be brown bagging my lunches for the foreseeable future with this E VVS2!

I have showed her the stone specs (along with about a zillion others) but she is under the impression that it is beyond my budget and therefore didn't push too hard for it. I do know that for her, her highest priorities were color and cut as well, and while she was ok with a VS2, I don't think she'll mind the upgrade.

Nicrez, not to be nosey (well I guess I am knowingly being nosey

), but what did you pay for your rock? From what I can tell from PriceScope searches, the price is inline with if not better than most similar stones, with the added benefit of the SUPERBcert cut.

 

[Patty]

It sounds like the VVS clarity will be appreciated by you and your girlfriend. I think the E color is worth it and the SuperbCert cut is excellent. The pics of that diamond are stunning.

Have you thought about a setting? I'd get it set so you can appreciate that clarity from the side...A setting that really shows a LOT of the diamond! I don't like looking at a diamond from the side and seeing inclusions. Having said that, though, I bought an I1 from SuperbCert! But mine is set in a basket setting and you can't see much of the stone from the side view.

 

[Nicrez]

Ahhh. nosey indeed! Put it this way, I know about what was paid, but it wasn't my wallet that came out of the pocket on this one... My lovely boyfriend did the honors. I also got a radiant (square modified brilliant cut), which is less expensive than a round, but this was helpful since it allowed us to get a larger stone than if we went with a round. If our stone WAS round, with our specs, I would say for sure it would be well over $13!




Thankfully it's not! Also, we needed clarity and color to be higher, since it's shaped and the color and sometimes the inclusions can not be masked by the brilliance a round stone has. Also, we got a Radiant Cut branded diamond, so we paid a premium over market price for it, but are so happy with it, so it was worth it. Not a Tiffany's premium, but enough to see a difference.




Does this answer your question?

or have I eluded you enough?

 

[NewShiny]

Dear Rice,
If you're looking for amazing quality, you've found it! But, I just wanted to let you know that my BF just bought me an F VS2 1.34 ct for $3K less (you can find the cut specs & more details if you do a search on my username). $3K seems like a big price to pay for a difference in .06 point size. Then again, you need to decide what the most important characteristics are to you. I started off looking at E VVS stones in your same size range too, and after looking at E-VVS's next to F-VS's, I realized the difference was negilible for ME, and the price difference (BTW, my BF was willing to pay) wasn't worth it. So, I guess my advice to you is to go out there and look at stones in your local area (they're hard to find in this size/quality range at B&M's, but you'll get the idea), so you know what you're getting even if you do decide to buy online. Good luck and PM me if you have any more questions!

 

[pqcollectibles]

As many have pointed out, you can get equal size and color for less money by dropping the clarity level to VS. Clarity costs money. The higher the clarity, especially in D and E colors, the more significant the pricing/grade.

If VVS is important to you and your sweetie, you have picked a dazzler.

I asked if your choice was cultural, because D/E, VVS/IF, are highly sought by persons of Asian decent.

 

[riceboy22]

Nicrez, that was a great politician's answer!

I went back to the SUPERBcert office last night to take a look at the diamond again (I work just down the street from them). Barry and Judah humored me for almost 2 hours, answering my MANY questions (often unrelated to my purchase), showing me the diamond under the H&A viewer, the microscope, and the analog BrillianceScope. To their credit, they both separately pointed out to me that I could buy something that would be equally visually appealing for less money by moving down in color or clarity. I left still enamored with this particular diamond, but thinking that maybe one more night of sleep would make the rational half of my brain kick in!

Well this morning I woke up and that particular sparkly stone was still in my head, so I called up SUPERBcert and decided to take the plunge! I guess in the end for me there is an emotional aspect attached to buying such a high clarity and color (or maybe it really is cultural haha) even though I could get more "value" for my $ with something else. Funny how that works, especially for me as an engineering grad having taken several materials science courses and knowing that I'm buying a little lump of carbon.

THANKS to all of you for your advice. It is greatly appreciated!

Whew. Now I have to find myself a good appraiser and pick out a setting!

 

[pqcollectibles]

Many Congrats, Riceboy!!

You've picked a dazzler that will knock the socks off a very lucky lady!!

 

[Nicrez]

Riceboy22, I have to agree with you. This was a totally great purchase (emotionally) if you are dreaming and thinking of that stone, it basically called out to you! And you heard it! It's your baby now, take care of him!

My guy and I really liked the quality of our stone. He studied engineering as well, and is such a technical guy that he said, "If I am spending all this money that I worked hard for, i want something of the kind of quality I can be proud of." He's not big on speding for no rason, but he's a quality guy, so I have to agree with him. I COULD have gotten a bigger rock, but my rock is perfect, I wouldn't change it. And I am sure your gall will be just as excited! Who wouldn't?!




As for my politician's answer, I have been in the political arena in my younger years and I suppose that is sort of stuck... Perhaps it's just everything around me, but it seems to work when called for!

 

[Patty]

riceboy, Congrats! I'm sure it's a beauty!

 

[NewShiny]

Rice,
Congratulations! Let us know how the rest of the process goes (picking the setting, the proposal, etc. . .)!