Opinion on JA Oval - 2.04 D VVS1

[blink182_182]

Hello,

I purchased a lab grown diamond from JA not long ago and wanted to get an opinion from this forum on the stone. It is one of the few that was GIA rated with great specs on paper (D, VVS1, EX/EX and an elongated ratio of 1.46 that I was looking for). I was very excited to recieve it but when I did I felt it didn't sparkle as much as the ones I've seen in person form various jewelers. It could be the lighting, that it's not freshly cleaned, that the stone in fact does not sparkle as much as others or just my mind playing tricks on me. Would be great to get opinions from others that are more experienced.

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/oval-cut/2.04-carat-d-color-vvs1-clarity-sku-12769457

 

[DejaWiz]

It does a appear a bit sleepy overall and mushy in the middle.
If I were in your shoes, then I'd be packing it up and sending it back ASAP for an exchange to a much better performer.
Compare to these examples:

Lab-Created 2.00 Carat oval diamond

This oval cut 2 carat Lab-Created D color vs2 clarity has a diamond grading report from IGI

www.jamesallen.com

Lab-Created 2.03 Carat oval diamond

This oval cut 2.03 carat Lab-Created D color vs1 clarity has a diamond grading report from IGI

www.jamesallen.com

Lab-Created 2.00 Carat oval diamond

This oval cut 2 carat Lab-Created D color vs1 clarity has a diamond grading report from IGI

www.jamesallen.com

Lab-Created 2.01 Carat oval diamond

This oval cut 2.01 carat Lab-Created D color vvs2 clarity has a diamond grading report from IGI

www.jamesallen.com

Lab-Created 2.02 Carat oval diamond

This oval cut 2.02 carat Lab-Created D color vvs2 clarity has a diamond grading report from IGI

www.jamesallen.com

Lab-Created 2.02 Carat oval diamond

This oval cut 2.02 carat Lab-Created D color vvs2 clarity has a diamond grading report from IGI

www.jamesallen.com

Lab-Created 2.05 Carat oval diamond

This oval cut 2.05 carat Lab-Created D color vvs2 clarity has a diamond grading report from IGI

www.jamesallen.com

Ovals are extremely tricky (translation: nearly impossible) to fully assess online...the only sure-fire way to determine performance is with the eyes and an ASET. We can come as close as hitting the large door on the broad side of a barn by looking at pictures and showcase videos (even with the examples that I just posted above) , but nothing as sufficient as advanced images and in-hand viewing.

 

[monipod]

What @DejaWiz said. The middle is about the only area with some clear facets so not a lot of light pinging is happening overall. It's not what I'd consider a nice crushed ice oval either sorry!

Ovals are hard to pick, and if you're struggling to choose even amongst the D's suggested by @DejaWiz, slip down to E and F grades. TBH, I would rather a magnificently cut, sparkly H than a badly performing D.

 

[DejaWiz]

What @DejaWiz said. The middle is about the only area with some clear facets so not a lot of light pinging is happening overall. It's not what I'd consider a nice crushed ice oval either sorry!

Ovals are hard to pick, and if you're struggling to choose even amongst the D's suggested by @DejaWiz, slip down to E and F grades. TBH, I would rather a magnificently cut, sparkly H than a badly performing D.

@monipod what do you think of these ovals?
I'm guessing the 2.05 D VVS1 was likely about $10k tops, so I used that as a max price and these seemed to catch my eye, but ovals are still a bit tricky to me!

Lab-Created 2.09 Carat oval diamond

This oval cut 2.09 carat Lab-Created D color vs2 clarity has a diamond grading report from IGI

www.jamesallen.com

Lab-Created 2.20 Carat oval diamond

This oval cut 2.2 carat Lab-Created E color vs1 clarity has a diamond grading report from IGI

www.jamesallen.com

Lab-Created 2.31 Carat oval diamond

This oval cut 2.31 carat Lab-Created E color vs2 clarity has a diamond grading report from IGI

www.jamesallen.com

 

[blink182_182]

Thanks all for the comments. Although I'm saddened by the responses given I thought I did a very job finding a good one that met my needs (especially the elongated 1.46 l/w ratio) I'm also happy I'm within the return period so the search continues. Thanks for picking out a few above, much appreciated!

 

[DejaWiz]

Thanks all for the comments. Although I'm saddened by the responses given I thought I did a very job finding a good one that met my needs (especially the elongated 1.46 l/w ratio) I'm also happy I'm within the return period so the search continues. Thanks for picking out a few above, much appreciated!

Please don't feel too bad about it...ovals are tough ones to shop for. Plenty of extremely savvy folks here that can help find you some exemplary alternatives as well as provide insight and feedback on any that you find.
BTW, love your username: i got to see B182 perform at a music festival a handful of years ago - was a good show!

 

[monipod]

@monipod what do you think of these ovals?

I like the 2.09 carat the most but they're all nice ovals!

Thanks all for the comments. Although I'm saddened by the responses given I thought I did a very job finding a good one that met my needs (especially the elongated 1.46 l/w ratio) I'm also happy I'm within the return period so the search continues. Thanks for picking out a few above, much appreciated!

Don't be sad! Ovals are seriously tricky. The only oval I bought was vetted by Alex Parks - It's an M, I1 with a tiny garnet growing inside it, and then some. He called it a 'bluffy' stone because it looked way better than it should. If I went by the stats, I would have given it a wide berth but I love it so much: lovely sparkles and brings me much joy. It's satisfying to do your own hunting but if all else fails, it's worth going through Alex, or Rhino at Distinctive Gems to find the 'One'. Rhino also has the Elyque which is a cut that eliminates the bow-tie effect: https://www.distinctivegem.com/collections/opulence

I think you'l find your perfect oval yourself but it'll take time. Also, don't forget that an oval won't sparkle as much as an MRB, which can be cut specifically to be a disco ball. Good luck and let us know if you find your stone

 

[blink182_182]

I reached out to JA and will be sending it back this weekend. The return authorization process was very easy. I too like the 2.09 from above - very nice find and what I’ll do next time with JA is request 3 stones for in person viewing before buying them sight unseen. Although the return policy is great it’s still a bit of a hassle!


I had another jeweler (ADA) show me a couple of elongated ovals at the 1.45 ratio range or so. I’ve seen these in person and really liked them but I no longer trust myself haha. I posted the links below. What do you think of these?

https://media.adadiamonds.com/loose...G6412932638/2-01-D-VVS2-Oval-LG6412932638.mp4

https://media.adadiamonds.com/loose...l-LG497185965/2-11-E-VS1-Oval-LG497185965.mp4

 

[DejaWiz]

Bryan Boyne (Texas Leaguer) has a wonderful write-up about ovals:

Mastering the Oval Cut: Your Complete Diamond Buying Guide

Unearth the secrets of Oval Cut Diamonds with our expert buying guide. Learn about cut quality, pricing, and where to find your ideal oval diamond.

www.whiteflash.com

 

[tyty333]

I reached out to JA and will be sending it back this weekend. The return authorization process was very easy. I too like the 2.09 from above - very nice find and what I’ll do next time with JA is request 3 stones for in person viewing before buying them sight unseen. Although the return policy is great it’s still a bit of a hassle!


I had another jeweler (ADA) show me a couple of elongated ovals at the 1.45 ratio range or so. I’ve seen these in person and really liked them but I no longer trust myself haha. I posted the links below. What do you think of these?

https://media.adadiamonds.com/loose...G6412932638/2-01-D-VVS2-Oval-LG6412932638.mp4

https://media.adadiamonds.com/loose...l-LG497185965/2-11-E-VS1-Oval-LG497185965.mp4

Did JA agree to bring in 3 stones for you for in-person viewing? That would be great. Where are you viewing them?

From your first post...no stone will sparkle as much at home as it will at a jewelry store. Those lights in the jewelry store can
make almost anything sparkle so its not a good comparison unless you took the JA stone into the jewelry store for comparison
and in that case, you must make sure its absolutely clean and oil-free.

What to look for...the best stones have more nice (distinct, well-defined) facets pop up as the stone turns radiating from the
center to the longer ends of the oval. As stated above, these stones are hard to find.

The green area is nice distinct facets. The red areas are considered "mushy" because the light gets bounced around too much
before it returns to the eye or gets leaked out the sides/bottom. What you need to find are stones were more nice facets pop
up in the red area as the stone turns.



So compare the one you posted with the following stones and see if you can tell a difference. The other stones are not
perfect...they have inclusions and other things but just look at the faceting and see if you can see a bit of a difference.

Lab-Created 1.20 Carat oval diamond

This oval cut 1.2 carat Lab-Created E color vs2 clarity has a diamond grading report from IGI

www.jamesallen.com

Lab-Created 1.19 Carat oval diamond

This oval cut 1.19 carat Lab-Created E color si1 clarity has a diamond grading report from IGI

www.jamesallen.com

Lab-Created 1.01 Carat oval diamond

This oval cut 1.01 carat Lab-Created F color vs1 clarity has a diamond grading report from IGI

www.jamesallen.com

A few that might be worth look

Lab-Created 2.05 Carat oval diamond

This oval cut 2.05 carat Lab-Created G color vvs2 clarity has a diamond grading report from IGI

www.jamesallen.com

Lab-Created 2.04 Carat oval diamond

This oval cut 2.04 carat Lab-Created D color vs2 clarity has a diamond grading report from IGI

www.jamesallen.com

 

[blink182_182]

Did JA agree to bring in 3 stones for you for in-person viewing? That would be great. Where are you viewing them?

Yes I can select three stones and have them shipped to their NYC location for a private viewing. It takes about a week or so for them to move through the logistics and set up an appointment time - they did inform me that they don't have any settings available for viewing so this would be for the stones only.

 

[blink182_182]

Bryan Boyne (Texas Leaguer) has a wonderful write-up about ovals:

Mastering the Oval Cut: Your Complete Diamond Buying Guide

Unearth the secrets of Oval Cut Diamonds with our expert buying guide. Learn about cut quality, pricing, and where to find your ideal oval diamond.

www.whiteflash.com

Thanks for the guide - very informative!

 

[blink182_182]

These aset images all look very different to me but they are all apparently high performing diamonds. Based on the JA diamond I had what would I see different vs. the images below? How would I pinpoint what is described as "mushy"?

In general, the second one from the left is the one that looks the most desirable for me.

 

[blink182_182]

Can anyone comment on this ASET image? I was expecting there to be greens as well as per the referenced article so wondering if this was a different process vs. a true ASET image?

 

[Diamond Girl 21]

Can anyone comment on this ASET image? I was expecting there to be greens as well as per the referenced article so wondering if this was a different process vs. a true ASET image?

That's not an aset image (maybe using an IS), but it appears there are significant areas of leakage, i.e., the parts you can see through.