Okay gang... getting down to the nitty gritty and I need

[arnotke]

your expert advice (yet again). I'm narrowing my search down and I like the looks of these stones.

#1) Shape: A Cut Above H&A
Carat: 1.258
Color: H
Clarity: SI2
Depth: 60.6
Table: 56
Crown Angle: 35.1
Crown %: 15.3
Pavilion Angle: 40.9
Pavilion %: 43.1
Girdle: 1.1% - 1.7%
Polish: Ideal
Symmetry: Ideal
Culet: Pointed
Fluorescence: Negligible
Measurements: 7.00-7.02X4.25

PS Price: $5,462 ($4,342/CT)

I ran it through HCA and got a 1.8 (VG/VG/VG/VG). I have yet to check on whether it's eye clean from all angles but that's my next step.

Here's the linky with all the pertinent details and images:
Linky:

#2)Shape: A Cut Above H&A
Carat: 1.266
Color: I
Clarity: SI1
Depth: 61
Table: 56
Crown Angle: 35
Crown %: 15.4
Pavilion Angle: 40.9
Pavilion %: 43.2
Girdle: 1.0 to 1.7
Polish: Ideal
Symmetry: Ideal
Culet: Pointed
Fluorescence: Negligible
Measurements: 7.02-7.03X4.28
PS Price: $6,089 ($4,810/CT)

Linky #2


Please let me know what y'all think.

Thanks again.

Ken

 

[bling]

seems to be a great stone.. but id definitely check with WF about the inclusions.. however, if its made it past Brian and is an ACA, its probably eye clean and a stunner! good luck! nice combo of H/SI2...sweeetttt..

 

[arnotke]

Thanks! I checked those ones out and also found another at W/Flash that I like.

 

[aljdewey]

Ken, I've purchased a completely clean SI2 from Whiteflash, so perhaps my perspective will help.

It seems that many vendors have noted recently that AGS (who grades the ACA stones) is rather stringent on clarity....a bit more so than GIA or other labs. That said, what AGS calls an SI2 may be as clean as other labs' SI1 stones. You won't really know without asking Brian.

Ask Brian to pull these stones (since they are inhouse stones) and ask him to compare them. Ask which is more "eyeclean" and ask where the inclusions are located. Ask what color the inclusions are (black, dark, white, etc).

In my case, the SI2 I bought was cleaner than the SI1 I initially called about, and I saved a TON of money. SI2 really offers some GREAT potential as long as you work with a vendor who will tell you the straight dope about the stones. I can personally attest that WF is one of those vendors. If the SI2 isn't clean, Brian will tell you it isn't clean. Therefore, an SI2 isn't really risky from WF as long as you get hte info.

 

[arnotke]

Thanks for the great feedback. They have been fantastic to work with. So much so, in fact, that I expect I'll be buying an e-ring from them... and very soon!

Thanks for your report.

 

[Regular Guy]

Sounds like you have some excellent options, and have been given some particularly good advice, above, like speaking with the folks at WF for their suggestion. Just to review some details, though, for your option #1...not sure how much this really matters, but both redoing the math, and looking this diamond up on the Pricescope "search by cut quality," shows this option as being 2 on the HCA, as against your option #2, which is 1.8, checking both manually, and on the same chart.

One other option you'll see by pulling up that "search by cut quality," if you decide to constrain your search to 1.2 to 1.3 carats, is this one:

http://www.whiteflash.com/diamonds/diamond_Details.aspx?itemcode=AGS-5196409

...not leaving you the bragging rights of a diamater of quite 7, but clearing with an HCA of 1.3, and parameters of EX EX EX VG, and still with WF.

Just some thoughts. Looks like you've optimized pretty well, though.

Best of wishes!

 

[arnotke]

That one does look good. I hadn't noticed it before.

Just when I thought I had it narrowed down... Thanks alot!