Noticable Difference between .75 and 1ct?

[surand1]

Hi,

I''ve been a long time lurker getting info from you guys, and I''ve finally decided that it''s the right time to buy. My price range for the diamond is around $3000 - 4000. The most important things I''m looking for is a well cut round diamond. I found that I can buy ideal cut 3/4 ct stones for around $3000 or I could get bigger stones (around .9) for $4000. I wanted to know if there was any visible difference between the size of these stones. I know the difference between a .9 and a 1 carat is only about 2 mm (the thickness of a paper), but would the difference between a .75 and a 1 carat be much more noticable? Appreciate the help.

 

[Regular Guy]

This was posted yesterday; too bad lines 2 & 3 aren''t continuous; maybe scissors or creative graphics could help, but as is, it may help a bit.

 

[cflutist]

.75 ct should be about 5.8 mm in diameter

1.00 ct should be about 6.5 mm in diameter

There is a template I posted HERE that might help also.

 

[Patty]

I can tell the difference between a .75c and a 1.00c stone.

If you go with an ideal cut, though, your .75 will look bigger than most "mall" stones.

Why not shoot for something like .80c or .85c?

HERE is a pretty .86, G, SI1 for $3675

 

[JCJD]

What size is your gf''s ring finger? Also, what size diamond is usually sold to young couples in your area - you can ask the store associates. If there are a lot of .3 ct stones in your area, then a 1ct might make her self-conscious - not good when you want her to be showing that thing off! However, if there''s mostly 2 ct stones (like NYC perhaps), then a .75 might make her self-conscious in the other direction. But, what''s important to her? The size of the rock, or the fact that it is a symbol of your love and commitment?

In my area (Nebraska), erings for girls my age average .5ct for a RB. My .38 pear faces up like a .8 RB (pears are a shallow cut and are longer), which made me kind of self-conscious at first. I also have a size 4.5 finger, so it looks especially big on my little hand.

Back to your question at hand, yes, I see a difference between a .75 and a 1ct RB, but only if they''re side-by-side or I''m really thinking about it. Normally, I notice whether or not it sparkles like diamonds should!

 

[belle]

i guess it would depend on who is noticing!

to most people, not seeing them side by side, there won''t be a *huge* difference. get what you will be comfortable with.

 

[jellybean]

You can always get the smaller stone and put it in a halo setting. That too will make the diamond appear larger.

There''s a whole thread on the halo settings under Show Me the Ring, but I don''t know how to link it.

To answer your question directly, assuming both stones are ideal cut you can tell the differance b/t a 0.75 and 1ct.

 

[michela002]

Short answer - yes, there is a visible difference between a .75 and a 1 carat stone. It''s not an enormous difference like between a .5 and a 3 carat! But there''s a noticeable difference. I think anything that is .10 different (i.e. .75 and .85) will look a bit different - a .25 difference is definitely noticeable.

However, if the choice is between an ideal .75 and a poorer cut 1 carat, go the smaller. The sparkle will compensate for the slightly smaller size! At the end of the day - pick your budget, figure out how much the setting will cost, and get the best, biggest stone you can afford within your budget. You can always upgrade the stone later if its that important to her, but you shouldn''t go over your budget - if she''s anyone you''d want to marry she won''t want you to!

What colour/clarity combo are you considering? You might be able to afford something bigger than .75 (even if it is smaller than 1) by getting an eye clean SI1 or SI2, in an H-J colour. Some people on PS have amazingly white J''s - you just need to make sure the cut is fantastic. An H or an I is slightly safer but good value and in an ideal cut stone, should face up white. (However, none of this applies if you or she is very colour sensitive.)

Also keep in mind that the price-per-carat jumps at 1 carat - you can save money by getting a .95 or something that won''t look any different to a 1 carat!

For excellent value I''d recommend checking out Whiteflash''s Expert Selection. They give you tons of details about the stone so you can check it out and enter it into the PS Cut Adviser (under "Tools" in the top navigation bar) and pics of the stone. Many are near-perfect H&A, but for less than a perfect H&A would cost, and you probably won''t be able to see the difference.

How are you planning on setting it? Keep in mind the thinner the band, the bigger the stone will look.

How big her fingers are also matter ... a .75 will look huge on tiny fingers, whereas if she has bigger fingers it will look smaller ... just a simple fact of life.

Good luck!!

 

[Hest88]

Yes, if they''re similarly cut, there''s quite a visual difference between the two.

 

[surand1]

Thanks for the help. My girlfriends ring size is 5.5. I''m not sure if that is small or big. I don''t think she is overly concenred with having a 1c stone, she just wants one that sparkles.

I guess my dilema is that she''s had a couple of friends that have been engaged recently and I think most of their rings were around a carat. So I wouldn''t want to put her in a situation where her''s is noticebly smaller. I don''t think they''re going to sit there and compare carat weight, but I just want to make sure her diamond was a good size visually and for her finger.

I guess the best idea is to find ideal or close-to-ideal cuts and see how large I can go without compromising color or clarity too much.

 

[belle]

if your gf wants a sparkler, get her one! you can find a well cut diamond in the 1ct range that will probably look way better than any of her friends diamonds

and the good news is....you CAN sacrafice on color and clarity. sparkle doesn''t come from high color or clarity. it comes from the cut. focus on finding a well cut diamond and you (and your gf) won''t be dissapointed.

 

[Regular Guy]

Date: 5/5/2005 3:16

6 PM
Author:surand1
Hi,

I''ve been a long time lurker getting info from you guys, and I''ve finally decided that it''s the right time to buy. My price range for the diamond is around $3000 - 4000. The most important things I''m looking for is a well cut round diamond. I found that I can buy ideal cut 3/4 ct stones for around $3000 or I could get bigger stones (around .9) for $4000. I wanted to know if there was any visible difference between the size of these stones. I know the difference between a .9 and a 1 carat is only about 2 mm (the thickness of a paper), but would the difference between a .75 and a 1 carat be much more noticable? Appreciate the help.

Surand1,

I see a baker''s dozen between .8 and .99 carats, with qualities constrained between G and I (no Js available today), and VS2 and SI2, found here, including this one, with 5 below $3K and 8 more below $4K. GOG may have sold the one listed above .9 carats, since it doesn''t appear here, but as they have several presenting on the search by cut database, you may want to check with them.

Best,

 

[surand1]

Thank you so much. This Cut Quality Search is the greatest!!! I was spending so much time trying to find diamonds from different sites and I couldn''t even compare them easily like this. Whoever came up with this is a genius.

 

[belle]

Date: 5/6/2005 10:50:25 AM
Author: surand1
Thank you so much. This Cut Quality Search is the greatest!!! I was spending so much time trying to find diamonds from different sites and I couldn''t even compare them easily like this. Whoever came up with this is a genius.

now you are on the right track!

best of luck!