Okay.. it''s my turn and I''m um... scared.

[rfath]

I've greatly enjoyed learning about diamonds from y'all here on the boards. I used to feel pretty confident about the stones that I saw here and online and able to understand what was good about them and what was questionable... and now it's my turn to start looking for a diamond and all knowledge goes out the window! I no longer trust myself to know what looks good!

So I was wondering if I could trouble some of you to help me search for a stone. Preliminary budget is somewhere around $3,000 for the stone (preferably less, of course!). I'm addicted to a fabulous cut (I'll admit it!). I've seen a Lazare stone, J color, in person, and wasn't able to readily detect the color, so something lower on the color scale is just fine. Something eye-clean as well. I'm looking somewhere in the 0.75-0.85 carat range, but would go slightly less for an exquisite stone (the Lazare was 0.74 and $3200, but no possibility to see the stone with other scopes).

Right. Edited to add that I'm thinking of a RB. That might help, eh?

Any suggestions?

Rachel, nervous!

 

[alexah]

There's also THIS $2305 .82 J SI1 Superbcert, complete w lots of scope shots

 

[aljdewey]

 

[quaeritur]

oh, be quiet, aljdewey!

 

[rfath]

Well, I knew I was a bit of a dunce, but *man*, to render aljdewey speechless... I must be REALLY bad!

 

[rfath]

I've emailed Barry at SuperbCert about the glowy stone. I won't be able to get an image of the inclusions until Monday (*sob*). I wish I hadn't seen the pic posted here recently of the K stone from GOG, because there's one of those there, too!

Also waiting for some images from Wink at some point today... soon, I hope! Also waiting to hear back from Whiteflash.

Here I thought that I had all the time in the world, then boyfriend takes a look at the setting that I like and decides that he wants to do everything MUCH sooner. *eek*

Thanks, and please keep them coming!

 

[Todd07]

Hi,


I just received a J SI1 from WF, A cut above, that is tremendous. It had an HCA rating of 1.4. I agree, go for cut over color and clarity/idealbb/images/smilies/appl.gif.




Did you see the "search by cut" link: https://www.pricescope.com/sift.asp


This is a great tool to narrow your search to the best cut stones in your target specification. I just found two .9c that meet your price and have an HCA rating of div>

0.91 J VS2 $2783*S

0.91 J VS1 $2924*S

 

[aljdewey]

----------------
On 8/27/2004 1:05:29 PM rfath wrote:

Well, I knew I was a bit of a dunce, but *man*, to render aljdewey speechless... I must be REALLY bad! ----------------

BLASPHEMY! Please know that aljdewey is *never* rendered speechless....hehehehehehehe

No, I posted a stone and then realized that it was a bit deep for my liking, so I removed it.

 

[alexah]

Funny, i was going to post that WF .801 J SI2 but the idealscope shot freaked me out a bit - i wonder if it was simply a bad photo?

Also, that .91 J VS2 from WF seemed a bit deep at 63.1 - or am i just bein too picky?

 

[rfath]

Very odd... something ate my message. I suppose it didn't like the rtf...

Anyway, Barry at SuperbCert isn't helping to make things easier. I had him compare the J/SI1 to the K/SI2 listed on the website - his thought was that the J is exquisite. But there's no difference in performance and appearance between the two and that I should go with the cheaper stone. Hmm...

*sigh*

 

[quaeritur]

Well, if Barry says one is "exquisite" -I'd go with the one that merited the adjective!

 

[Shay37]

Then, I would take the cheaper one. If Barry says it's fab, then it is.

Shay

 

[alexah]

I had a feeling you'd go with (one of) the superbcerts

isn't it great to have two fab stones to choose from?!

 

[rfath]

but boyfriend is nervous that it's just TOO cheap!

It's a little over half the price of the Lazare that I looked at. It's also larger (but who could really tell..).

edited to correct spelling: sniffed a few too many sharpies today...

 

[Patty]

I like the J Superbcert because it has medium blue fluorescene and the K stone has none.

 

[rfath]

but the $500 question remains.. is it worth the difference in price? Perhaps so.. I wanted something different...

 

[quaeritur]

Tee hee... well, if the boyfriend is thinking it's "too cheap," then by all means, go with the $500 more!!!

 

[rfath]

well, see, he's re-thought that. Right about the time I said that sure, the J sounded great..

So anyone have thoughts about the stones..? For some reason I can't add links or images for the scope pics, but the numbers are:

The SI2/K/0.81:
Measurements: 6.03 - 6.05 x 3.68
Depth: 60.9
Table:55
Girdle:THIN TO MEDIUM
Culet:NONE
Polish:EXCELLENT
Symmetry:EXCELLENT
Clarity Characteristics: CRYSTAL-CLOUD-NEEDLE
Fluorescence:NONE
Crown Angle:33.9
Crown Height:14.7
Pavil. Angle:40.9
Pavil. Depth: 43.1

And the other is a J/SI1/0.82:
Measurements:6.07 - 6.09 X 3.70
Depth:60.9
Table:56
Girdle:THIN
Culet:NONE
Polish:EXCELLENT
Symmetry:EXCELLENT
Clarity Characteristics:CRYSTAL - FEATHER
Fluorescence:MEDIUM BLUE
Crown Angle:34.2
Crown Height:14.8
Pavil. Angle:40.9
Pavil. Depth:42.9

 

[Jennifer5973]

Barry is top notch. You can trust his opinion. Plus, if you don't like it--very unlikely--he'll exchange it wihtin 10 days.

 

[alexah]

At $2300, the J comes in under your budget & how could you pass up that "exquisite" stone w med blue fluor?

 

[alexah]

And since you wanted the links, the J i linked to above (HERE it is again) & HERE's the link to the K

 

[WinkHPD]

----------------
On 8/27/2004 1:10:04 PM quaeritur wrote:

0.76 G VS2 at Wink's store [Edit: this came up on the PS search by cut quality, but I couldn't find it on Wink's site, you might want to give him a call]

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

It's there at the office, I have just been so busy it is not yet listed on the site, but it will be soon!

Thanks for including me in your list!

Wink

 

[WinkHPD]

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

Also waiting for some images from Wink at some point today... soon, I hope! Also waiting to hear back from Whiteflash.

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

Images got delayed from this morning, sorry, and I was out of the office all afternoon. I have been sick for a few weeks and the sun was shining, so it was kayaking time. Man does not live by email and internet alone...

I will be going into the office and will send you your pictures tomorrow.

Wink

 

[Richard Sherwood]

-----------
I have been sick for a few weeks and the sun was shining, so it was
kayaking time. Man does not live by email and internet alone...
-----------

Now THERE is a man who has his priorities straight!

Wink, you are my role model.

 

[rfath]

----------------
On 8/27/2004 10:51:22 PM Wink wrote:
Images got delayed from this morning, sorry, and I was out of the office all afternoon. I have been sick for a few weeks and the sun was shining, so it was kayaking time. Man does not live by email and internet alone...


I will be going into the office and will send you your pictures tomorrow.
----------------

No worries, Wink. If I had the time, I'd be out there too... though the Charles River is about as exciting as it gets for kayaking in the Boston area. I'm consoling myself by taking the car to the track this weekend instead.

Whenever you get the pics is fine...

 

[alexah]

Awwww Wink - ya know, i was going to list that stone earlier but when i didn't see it on your site, i thought it was gone - you tricked me!
Sheesh - kayakin when rfath's havin a diamond emergency...... da noive!

 

[Rhino]

In looking at the 2 SC stones, while the $500 cheaper tag is appealing (and the pics do not really show the imperfections clearly), you can't help but notice that bugga in the K SI2 right smack under the table. The J SI1 should be a safe eye clean stone over the SI2.

However with Wink's G VS2 I think I'd wait for his pics before moving forward on anything and Wink is an outstanding person to deal with.

 

[valeria101]

May I place just one vote for "K/SI" as a starying point? Not sure if the inclusion in this particular K will be ok with you (same for the J/SI2 ACA, btw.), but there must be other pieces like this around. There is nothing detracting in the J's pictures.

Keep us posted

 

[rfath]

Rhino - thanks for the comments.. that's sort of what I was thinking about the inclusion. I really do want to see what Wink's got hidden over there. It's unnerving that boyfriend is suddenly so interested in getting a stone soon, but I'll spend some time educating him about cut and the rest of the C's and that should buy me some more time to make sure I get the stone that I want.

Of course it was the stone that mrs jam posted that she got from you that started this K madness...

I was sad to see none in the inventory on your website

 

[WinkHPD]

Once again Jonathon shows his class! Thank you for the kind words.

I am going to take the G-VS2 outside and try getting a high res shot with lots of light to see what happens, my indoor shots kind of do OK, but they do not excite. You can expect an idealscope shot, and maybe an outdoor shot, but for sure a 10x shot also. Say within two hours.

Wink