Opinions on the Diamond Specs I am looking for

[auphex]

Hi everyone,
This is my first post. I''ve been searching for a diamond with the following specs and want to make sure I am on the right trail. I''ve agreed on specs with my girlfriend but neither of us is an expert.

Round Brilliant
1.7-1.8 carats
Color: G
Clarity: VS2

Ideal or nearly ideal cut
Polish: VG-EX
Symmetry: VG-EX

Anything I should think about changing in those specs?

Also, has anyone had experience with "Absolute Diamond Exchange"(www.absolutediamondexchange.com/)? I couldn''t find any info/reviews anywhere. The other place where I found great prices was www.usacerteddiamonds.com. I tried pricescope''s search and coulnd''t find better than what they quoted me. Any other ideas?

Thank you very much in advance.
Sam

P.S. Wink... based on your avatar I''m guessing you''re a whitewater kayaker... so am I

 

[jaz464]

Well, I would just like to say that I would not rule out an SI1. Many are completely eye clean and you can save yourself some money from bringing the clarity down one notch, or get a slightly bigger diamond. Color is a personal choice and I myself bought a "D". Many on this site however have an "H" or lower and they are absolutely stunning. It all depends on how sensitive you are to color. Also, I recently bought my diamond from USA Certed and found Martin to be very prompt and accomodating, not to mention that his prices beat just about everyone else's.

 

[Daniel B]

Also, I dont know about anyone else, but an ideal (or super ideal) diamond is a prerequisite before any other decisions are made on the stone- nearly ideal just wont do. I would sacrifice ANYTHING for a super ideal

Also agree with Jazmine about the clarity

 

[auphex]

Thanks for the great advice. I was thinking about an SI1 although I thought ending up with an eye clean one would be a challenge through the internet...I''ll ask Martin what he has for SI1''s.

Which standards are usually used for ideal or super ideal? I have seen a few of these charts and know about where I want to keep the percentages. Should I go by AGS0 standards? And then when you reference super ideal would that be if it had good HCA scores and a good Idealscope image?

I''m also very happy to hear I live near Martin Haske who is supposed to be fantastic for appraisals.

Thanks,
Sam

 

[EdSkinner]

That seems like a nice stone you are looking for. How much are you willing to spend? Something that is a good light proformer, but not ideal might be in the range of 15000 to 16500 where an ideal or branded stone is going to be about 15% higher. It doesn''t have to be ideal in order to look good. I think that clarity is the most over rated of the 4 c''s. SI1 is a great clarity and even if it had anything that you could see with the naked eye, so what. Most people don''t know if they have a diamond or glass. If there is a small mark that you can see but doesn''t stick out like a sore thumb, it will help you reidentify your stone if you ever have any work done on the ring. Just remember that there are only 2 people who will not like your diamond, the jeweler who didn''t sell it and the girl that doesn''t have it. Shop on.

 

[auphex]

Those are reasonable prices Hammer... I don''t want to pin myself down on a set price.

What are your thoughts of these three which are similarly priced(with the 1.74c considerably lower). I will have pavilion and crown angles along with girdle info tomorrow. Thanks,
Sam

Weight Shape color clarity cert Dep% Table% Fluor Polish Symmetry dims
1.80c Round G VS2 GIA 62.1 56 None EX VG 7.79x7.86x4.86
1.77c Round G VS2 GIA 59.8 59 None VG VG 7.83x7.88x4.70
1.74c Round G VS2 GIA 62.1 58 None EX VG 7.60x7.66x4.74