okay ... is this diamond worth it?

[tehotu]

I apologize for the bombardment of posts and questions, but it's a lot of money to shell out and a firefighter's salary ain't the greatest...

Is this diamond worth it? It came up "excellent" on all four factors of the HCA and "0.6 - Excellent - within BIC range" however it's a clarity enhanced diamond from diamonds-usa.com. Here is the info on it and the site:

WEIGHT: 1.01 Cts

Shape and Cut:
Round Brilliant
Measurements: 6.63 - 6.59 x 3.85 MM.

PROPORTIONS
Total Depth: 58.2
Table Width: 60%
Crown Height: 12%
Pavilion Depth: 43%
Girdle Thickness: Thin, Faceted

FINISH
Polish: Very Good
Symmetry: Very Good
Culet:

CLARITY GRADE:* SI1

Graining: Nill

COLOR GRADE:** D

Fluorescence: none


Is it worth it? Is it H & A because it comes up "excellent" on the HCA? Or should I just get a diamond that's not clarity enhanced with H & A and one of the sites linked to this one? Thank you for all of your help... you guys are wonderful (Jess, leonid, larry, and the rest)...

 

[Jess]

Tehotu,
Ok, I just have nothing better to do in my spare time than hang around this forum...if I can help another girl get a beautiful diamond, I am all for it though!

Ok, here is my take on clarity enhanced diamonds:
I kind of have an aversion to them. I think on your budget (~$3000, right?) you can get a great .85-.95c stone that has not been enhanced. However, I have seen an expert's answer to a similar question on this forum, and he said that if you like it, go for it. What I would do is see what the return policy is like for the vendor, get them to send it to you, take it to an independent appraiser (or get them to send it to David Atlas) and see what YOU think. If it looks good and you think she will like it, buy it! On the particular stone that you posted, if it scores a .6 on HCA then you will probably be blown away with the light return and color dispersion that the rest will be trivial.

The other thing is, Hearts and Arrows refers to the internal symmetry of the diamond. It will show the H&A pattern. HCA tells you how much light will be returned to your eye. It could have poor internal symmetry and still be extremely beautiful, even more beautiful than some H&A diamonds. Good luck in your search and keep us updated. I love it! I hope my boyfriend has enough sense to hang around here for a few months (weeks, days, whatever) before he pops the question!
Jess

 

[Caratz]

I would not consider a clarity enhanced diamond for an engagement ring. For any other item of jewelry I would consider it only if I could get it at a huge discount.

I'm with Jess on this one. I'd rather go with a smaller stone that is not enhanced and that has been graded by a major lab.

 

[tehotu]

Thanks Jess and Caratz!

The clarity enhanced diamond from diamonds-usa.com is listed at $3,535.00. Though the HCA brings it up as "excellent" the certification is EGL, which from what I've read is a bit broader in their grading. Don't know if that's true or if I can trust such certification. Honestly, maybe about $3500 to $4000 is what I can spend, since I have to save some for the platinum setting.

I'd like to be able to get a 1ct. diamond or something very close to that if possible, that is of a great cut. I just thought that H&A diamonds were the best looking. I'd like it to turn some heads, ya know? As far as the clarity enhanced diamonds go, I don't mind getting such a diamond if the only noticeble difference is on the certification or under a loop. Any suggestions? I'm beginning to think that a clarity enhanced diamond is not the way to go, but I so much want to get her a big rock that is well cut also. Just want her to have the "best", ya know? Or at least "look" like the "best."

Once again, thanks so much and of course I will keep you guys posted. Mahalo (thank you) and aloha!

Sincerely,
Tehotu

 

[tehotu]

... oh yeah, by the way, JESS, diamonds-usa offers a lifetime warranty on all clarity enhanced diamonds that they sell... is it still a deal or should I go somewhere else?

 

[Caratz]

How about this one:

Pricescope shows a 1.01 ct. J color SI-1 clarity AGS-0 cut for $3842. The color is not a D like the clarity-enhanced diamond, but if you mounted it in 18K gold, the J color would not be an issue. And you would have what appears to be a great cut (I haven't plugged it into HCA yet).

Personally I'd rather go this route for an engagement ring rather than go with a clarity enhanced diamond.

 

[tehotu]

Sounds good Caratz, but I was gonna have it set in platinum... I think someone said "J" in color would show up slightly tinted in white gold or platinum ... any others? I'm still searching too, but some of these sights don't have the crown/pavillion angles/% readily available... thanks for helping me with the hunting!

 

[Caratz]

If you are willing to drop under a carat, you can move up the color scale and get a stone that will look great in platinum.

There is a .85ct G SI-1 AGS-0 for $3407.

There is a .86ct H SI-2 AGS-0 for $2713.

Good luck! Let us know what you end up finding!

 

[larry]

These guys are manufactures of clarity enhanced diamonds:

http://www.yehuda.com/

Check out their information and see if it helps in making a decision. They do have a lifetime guarantee on their product. Clarity enhanced diamonds can normally be recognized under a 10x loupe.

 

[Cola]

Don't forget that you're using percentages, not crown and pavilion angles. The HCA score may or may not be correct because of this. You should, as always, have anything you buy appraised.

 

[Jess]

Tuhotu,
I did a search from the main page:
Round, H & A, 0.85-1.05 cts, E-H color, IF-SI2 clarity, 58.7-62.3% depth, 53-58% table.
I got a page and 1/2 of listings under $4000. Several of these are AGS certified, so it would just be a matter of emailing or calling a vendor to get the crown and pavilion angles to put in. The ones that are not AGS stones, call anyway and get them to get you a Sarin report sent. Honestly, if I got a .85 diamond, I would probably call it a carat! I don't think ANYONE will know the difference.
Jess