Okay-- now I''m SAD :(

[niku414]

I have my e-diamond get a updated GIA -- and well it''s done -- and now i got all the info I need to plug into the Cut Advisor== only to find out that that it''s NOT VERY GOOD..

it''s a 6.6!! here are the specs :

Measurements: 7.52 - 7.59 x 4.75 mm

Carat Weight: 1.70

Color Grade: F

Clarity Grade: SI1

Cut Grade: Very Good

Proportions:

Depth: 62.9 %

Table: 61 %

Crown Angle: 34.5°

Crown Height: 13.5 %

Pavilion Angle: 41.8°

Pavilion Depth: 44.5 %

Star length: 60 %

Lower Half: 85 %

Girdle: Medium to Thick, Faceted

Culet: None

Anyhow... I remember looking at the stone in the stores-- and it looks really sparkly ... BUT have no idea how it looks in natural light -- of course, according to the cut advisor... it has poor fire and poor scillation....

The only good thing is that I know I can change it to another stone with the jeweler...

 

[luckystar112]

Awww.

Well if you originally loved it and you thought it was sparkly isn''t that all that matters?
I can understand your disappointment though.

 

[tanalasta]

Are you sure your pavillion angle is 41.8? This is where your stone is really considered ''too deep'' and failing on the HCA.

If it was 40.8 then it would be spot on.

 

[niku414]

luckystar112: thank you for ur support -- yah, i told my bf ( who was going to call the jeweler to stop the setting and go pick another diamond) to just let them set it ... and see what it really looks like in real life.... afterall= we did spent more than 5 hours picking the stone out....

tanalasta : well, i checked and checked..and unfortnately that's what's listed on the Updated GIA report

--- the orginal GIA report was 2002 - -and it did not come with all the info i needed... so i had the jeweler send the diamond to get a updated report... and i checked on the report today-- and it was updated with all the info.....

 

[Unearthed]

Everything sparkles in the jewelry store. Don''t be sad, better to find out now than later.

 

[mrssalvo]

If you love the diamond and you paid a fair price for what it is why worry about the paper or HCA score. my OEC didn''t do well in the HCA either but it was a gorgeous stone. you''re wearing the stone, not the cert and if you spent 5 hours and love it, keep it. If you paid for something other that what you got, that''s a different story. It''s nice that you have the option to change though if that''s what you really want to do

 

[niku414]

mrssalvo:
you are right.... the jeweler did tell me that it was not ideal cut when i picked out the stone -- being that I looked at a lot of his SI1 stones and can see the inclusions (with my naked eye) ... I guess i'm just caught up with the POOR fire and POOR scillation from HCA

I have not seen the diamond in the natural light, so I don't know how sparkly it will be .... afterall I don't live in the store lighting...
Anyhow, nothing much I could do now-- except to see it in person, after it's mounted.... and decide *sigh if i want to keep it or not ...

 

[ebonykawai]

Oh, poo, that stinks. I came across a few stones that I wanted to consider, but same deal, the old cert didn''t have the info I needed so I passed them by. Well, look on the bright side: you can still make your decision personally based on how it performs, and you can always trade it in if you don''t like it. Nothing''s written in stone. Don''t feel too badly.

 

[MiniMouse]

Date: 3/16/2007 9:51:37 PM
Author: mrssalvo
If you love the diamond and you paid a fair price for what it is why worry about the paper or HCA score. my OEC didn''t do well in the HCA either but it was a gorgeous stone. you''re wearing the stone, not the cert and if you spent 5 hours and love it, keep it. If you paid for something other that what you got, that''s a different story. It''s nice that you have the option to change though if that''s what you really want to do

Mrssalvo, I agree with your post entirely. Sometimes we get hooked on numbers when the most important aspect is what you find pleasing to the eye. Niku, can you ask the jeweller to come up with a diamond that falls within the parameters that you think you want (that scores well on HCA) and compare the two? If you still like the first diamond, then you''ll probably feel comfortable going ahead with it, as it would be your own visual preference, rather than what you think is good on paper.

 

[niku414]

Date: 3/16/2007 11:32:37 PM
Author: MiniMouse

Date: 3/16/2007 9:51:37 PM
Author: mrssalvo
If you love the diamond and you paid a fair price for what it is why worry about the paper or HCA score. my OEC didn''t do well in the HCA either but it was a gorgeous stone. you''re wearing the stone, not the cert and if you spent 5 hours and love it, keep it. If you paid for something other that what you got, that''s a different story. It''s nice that you have the option to change though if that''s what you really want to do

Mrssalvo, I agree with your post entirely. Sometimes we get hooked on numbers when the most important aspect is what you find pleasing to the eye. Niku, can you ask the jeweller to come up with a diamond that falls within the parameters that you think you want (that scores well on HCA) and compare the two? If you still like the first diamond, then you''ll probably feel comfortable going ahead with it, as it would be your own visual preference, rather than what you think is good on paper.

Minimouse
Thank you for your support and actually did see three diamond contenders the first time when we were looking -- and even though the other two had the ideal cut... when all three were placed side by side .. i didn''t see a differences or could tell the differences ... (reason I chose the one I did). I don''t feel so badly now seeing that you guys are correct-- it is only numbers and off 1 degree (per tanalasta''s comment).
My bf on the other hand now is more upset than me -- cuz he was going to surprise me with the ring...hearing now that i''m not sure I want to keep this diamond..it spoiled his surprised for me.... (so he just informed me) ....

 

[MiniMouse]

Date: 3/16/2007 11:55:36 PM
Author: niku414

Minimouse
Thank you for your support and actually did see three diamond contenders the first time when we were looking -- and even though the other two had the ideal cut... when all three were placed side by side .. i didn''t see a differences or could tell the differences ... (reason I chose the one I did). I don''t feel so badly now seeing that you guys are correct-- it is only numbers and off 1 degree (per tanalasta''s comment).
My bf on the other hand now is more upset than me -- cuz he was going to surprise me with the ring...hearing now that i''m not sure I want to keep this diamond..it spoiled his surprised for me.... (so he just informed me) ....

Niku, remember, we all find different diamonds more appealing, for different reasons, we all have different tastes. I personally think since you saw three diamond contenders side by side, including two ideal cut, and you didn''t notice any difference, then perhaps you have picked the right stone for you. However, only seeing the three diamonds in the same artificial lighting situation, doesn''t give you the full picture, different diamonds perform differently in different lighting situations. I previously had a diamond which wasn''t as good a cut as my WF Expert Selection stone, but in dim lighting, it certainly outsparkled my WF stone, but then the WF stone outsparkled the other stone in all other lighting situations.

I think what you and your boyfriend need to seriously think about is the ''mind clean'' aspect of this purchase. If you go ahead and buy this stone, will it always bug you that it scored so low on HCA? I say this because I once had a diamond that I absolutely adored, but years later, when I found it was a really low color (M), it really bugged me and from then on the ''M'' word always bothered me whenever I looked at my diamond. I know it sounds ridiculous as I''d loved it all those years, but the ''mind clean'' thing can have a bad impact, so don''t underestimate it. If you think the low HCA will continue to bother you, look for another diamond, but if this stone really speaks to you and you love it, go for it, and forget what''s on paper, it''s irrelevant if the stone is beautiful to you. You just need to be sure you can overcome the ''mind clean'' issue.

GOOD LUCK!!!

 

[niku414]

Date: 3/17/2007 12:32:19 AM
Author: MiniMouse

Date: 3/16/2007 11:55:36 PM
Author: niku414

Minimouse
Thank you for your support and actually did see three diamond contenders the first time when we were looking -- and even though the other two had the ideal cut... when all three were placed side by side .. i didn''t see a differences or could tell the differences ... (reason I chose the one I did). I don''t feel so badly now seeing that you guys are correct-- it is only numbers and off 1 degree (per tanalasta''s comment).
My bf on the other hand now is more upset than me -- cuz he was going to surprise me with the ring...hearing now that i''m not sure I want to keep this diamond..it spoiled his surprised for me.... (so he just informed me) ....

Niku, remember, we all find different diamonds more appealing, for different reasons, we all have different tastes. I personally think since you saw three diamond contenders side by side, including two ideal cut, and you didn''t notice any difference, then perhaps you have picked the right stone for you. However, only seeing the three diamonds in the same artificial lighting situation, doesn''t give you the full picture, different diamonds perform differently in different lighting situations. I previously had a diamond which wasn''t as good a cut as my WF Expert Selection stone, but in dim lighting, it certainly outsparkled my WF stone, but then the WF stone outsparkled the other stone in all other lighting situations.

I think what you and your boyfriend need to seriously think about is the ''mind clean'' aspect of this purchase. If you go ahead and buy this stone, will it always bug you that it scored so low on HCA? I say this because I once had a diamond that I absolutely adored, but years later, when I found it was a really low color (M), it really bugged me and from then on the ''M'' word always bothered me whenever I looked at my diamond. I know it sounds ridiculous as I''d loved it all those years, but the ''mind clean'' thing can have a bad impact, so don''t underestimate it. If you think the low HCA will continue to bother you, look for another diamond, but if this stone really speaks to you and you love it, go for it, and forget what''s on paper, it''s irrelevant if the stone is beautiful to you. You just need to be sure you can overcome the ''mind clean'' issue.

GOOD LUCK!!!

I completely agree with you on the "MIND clean" aspect -- which is what i''m afraid of.... cuz if i never knew about the HCA -- i probably would have been ECSTATIC about the diamond.... but now that i know... it''s a different story--- but of course I will take the advice and see the ring in different lighting to make a final decision. My bf already told me that if i truly don''t like it.... we will just have to look for another diamond

I am almost 100% sure that the jeweler I am working with will have no issues with me changing my mind and looking for another.

 

[pricescope]

Niku414, sorry you're disappointed... Folks here gave you good advice.

Even by GIA system this is not an "Excellent" cut stone. It doesn't mean it is not pretty - after all it is still a diamond.

Would it bother you that it has no "Excellent" grade on the paper? Experts argue that GIA grading system is rather lenient (see e.g. this thread). You can also find GIA Excellent graded diamonds that will not be ideal by HCA nor AGS...

Perhaps it can help to put your mind at ease ("mind clean") if you could find a classic ideal cut diamond (e.g. close to Tolkowsky) of similar diameter or carat size and compare it side by side to your diamond in different lighting so you can decide for yourself whether you see a difference and it worth the price difference.

You might also enjoy videos in this thread and Surveying Diamonds in New York.

 

[C Smith]

That pavilion angle is pretty crummy. That said, if it looks good to your eye, numbers don't always tell the whole story. I've seen a few stones that are pretty on paper that just do not look so good in person and vice-versa.