Opinions Please: Should I be excited about this diamond I just bought?

[BrandonInDC]

Hi everyone. This is my first post, but I''ve been lurking around for a few weeks. What a great site!

After reading as much as I could (here and elsewhere), visiting a few B&M jewelers, and using Pricescope vendors, I finally purchased a stone I am pretty confident in.

I had set aside a total budget of $5k including a simple 14k cathedral setting (which she picked out). My fiancee-to-be has small, narrow fingers - so we determined that a 1+ carat solitaire looked best on her. I purchased the following stone for $4675 and, until it arrives, I was hoping that some of the resident experts could weigh in about my purchase. I''ve copied the details from the GIA report, as well as included a photo of the inclusions.

1.12 carat E-color SI2 Round Brilliant diamond
6.75-6.80 x 3.99 mm
Cut Grade: Very Good
Polish: Good
Symmetry: Very Good
Fluorescence: None

Table: 58%
Depth: 58.9%
Crown Angle: 32.5 degrees
Pavillion Angle: 40.4 degrees
Culet: None

I put these into Ideal Scope''s HCA page and it returned a Total Visual Performance of 1.2 - Excellent (within TIC range). Subdetails are:
Light Return: Very Good
Fire: Excellent
Scintillation: Excellent
Spread: Excellent

With that said, and until the diamond arrives, I''d love to hear what others think of this stone. Can I hope to do better given my budget? I will say that I really like the E-color and the size (well above my 1 carat minimum). In addition, the report shows minimal inclusions - something I''m very sensitive to.

Thank you in advance for any help!

 

[BrandonInDC]

Also, I wanted to mention that I purchased the 6x Ideal Scope and look forward to using it to evaluate the diamond. So far it has been very helpful at the B&M retailers - some of which were not at all familiar with it.

Are there any other tools I should consider to help me make an informed decision?

 

[supersash]

I''m no pro, but I think it looks good. Especially if it is an eye-clean SI, which it seems it is! Looks like you''ve done homework, as many come on after they purchased, and know nothing about the HCA, table, depth, etc.

Would you mind sharing where you found the stone?

 

[BrandonInDC]

Also, here is a screen grab of the HCA report in case it helps.

 

[Ellen]

Hi Brandon,

While your stone got an acceptable "numerical" grade, ideally one wants the x falling in the overlap area of both labs, or at least close to. If you did not notice where your x fell, maybe try it again. ETA, you posted the screen shot while I was typing.

This is an all over shallow stone. Gary, who invented the HCA writes:

A shallower stone, on the lower part of the chart, will look darker when viewed from close up, they are not for everyone. Shallow stones have the advantage of a bigger spread. They are better suited for use as pendants and earring stones where they are not usually viewed from very close proximity (a close observers head obstructs light sources that would otherwise be returned).

I do not mean to burst your bubble here, but I really feel you could do better. You would need to go down in color/size, to stay at that price. The reason this one is priced as it is, is partly due to the cut, which is not the greatest.

Just my sincere .02.

 

[BrandonInDC]

Interesting. Thank you for the posts.

Ellen, I appreciate your candid advice. I figured that there had to be some sort of "catch," so I''m even more anxious to see how this looks in person.

I made sure to buy from a vendor with a 30-day full refund guarantee - so at least I have the option of sending it back

 

[Ellen]

Date: 1/7/2008 3:01:23 PM
Author: BrandonInDC
Interesting. Thank you for the posts.

Ellen, I appreciate your candid advice. I figured that there had to be some sort of ''catch,'' so I''m even more anxious to see how this looks in person.

I made sure to buy from a vendor with a 30-day full refund guarantee - so at least I have the option of sending it back

Good deal!

Do a seach on here for "shallow/shallow", and you will understand more how these types of stones can behave. And good luck!

 

[BrandonInDC]

In the meantime, I received an offer from another vendor for the following stone for $4245:

1.15 carat I-color SI1 Round Brilliant Diamond
6.67-6.80 x 4.14 mm
Cut Grade: Excellent
Polish: Very Good
Symmetry: Very Good
Fluorescence: None
Comments: Additional clouds are not shown; surface graining is not shown

Depth: 61.5%
Table: 59%
Crown Angle: 35°
Pavilion Angle: 40.5°

The HCA report looks better, much closer to the overlap. The color went down to an I, so I''m not sure about that.

Given all of these things, should I reconsider my purchase, return it, and get this one?

 

[Jenn5504]

I think the 2nd stone you posted about looks like a better cut. For me, I would rather the better cut I than a shallow E. I am a J/SI2 owner, not for everyone, but a great cut does an amazing job on helping mask color.

 

[BrandonInDC]

Thanks, Jenn. I suspected the same thing - and it''s nice that the 2nd stone is $400 less! I''ve included the diagram of the diamond from the GIA report since I forgot to include it above.

I''m glad that I went with a vendor with a 30-day full refund! For those of you curious, I ordered from www.angara.com.

 

[Ellen]

That second stone is better, but still not what you can get for your money. (better)

If you don''t mind, here''s a few I would rather see you end up with.

Need to check on eyecleaniness on these of course. And you could request an IS pic to post here if you wanted to, although these are much "safer". Also, prices do not reflect the PS discount.

This first one already has the IS, which looks good.

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-SI2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1108474.asp


http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-SI2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1123150.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-SI2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1123148.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-SI2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1123143.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-SI2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1123136.asp

 

[BrandonInDC]

Thanks again, Ellen. I appreciate the suggestions.

Is the difference in cut that significant? I thought I was very particular about the visibility of inclusions - but should I be lowering that as a priority?

You''ve been a great help, thanks again.

BTW, I think it might be worth looking more at the 1st one (1.08 carat).

 

[BrandonInDC]

If you don''t mind my asking, if cut is that important - would I be fine with a j-color stone that measures better?

For example, this one: http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-150440.htm

 

[EricaR]

I think most people here would agree that a well cut stone looks much whiter than the cert might show. For myself, I was OK going down to a J color ACA from Whiteflash because I knew from numerous people and photos here that it would face up much better than the "J" color might lead you to believe.

From all the stones I''ve seen I would much rather have a well cut stone with a lower color and clarity (as long as it was eye clean) than I would a larger size/color/clairty but with a less than ideal cut.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 1/7/2008 9:27:05 PM
Author: BrandonInDC
If you don't mind my asking, if cut is that important - would I be fine with a j-color stone that measures better?

For example, this one: http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-150440.htm

Hi Brandon, as to your prior question, you were picking stones with iffy crown and pavillion angles, which are very important in the big picture. So that's why I suggested others with "safer" numbers. Cut does make a difference, and the better the cut, the more inclusions will be masked, and as Erica pointed out, so will color. So, I would definitely go with a better cut, lower color/clarity stone.

As for the ACA you picked, the cut really doesn't get much better than those, so I'd love to see you get one if you can swing it. However, as for the color grade, while they do face up whiter than you'd think, a color sensitive person could very well have trouble with it. Do you know if your girl is? And if you don't, is there any way to find out? Have you been shopping together? She may be just fine with this stone, but at J I can't just tell you she will be.

On the clarity, if it's eyeclean, there's no sense paying for what you can't see. Just make sure when you ask about eyecleanliness, (with any stone) that you and the vendor are on the same page as to what that means. For instance, they usually give details of the diamond face up (looking down on the table view), but if you don't want to see anything, from any angle, at any distance, be sure and tell them that. Many diamonds in the lower clarities are this eyeclean.