Overwhelmed - what to choose?

[tt604]

Hi everyone,

New to the site and been reading for the past few days and it seems that the more I read, the more undecided I get when choosing a diamond. I'm from Canada and looking to spend around 10K CAD before taxes for a diamond, I guess that would be around 7230 USD at today's conversion.

I'm torn between getting something in a .9 range or getting a lesser quality 1.1 but I don't want to sacrifice too much to get the size as I don't think it's a substantial gain for the price difference, if only money wasn't an object.

I've looked through a few of the diamond sites and picked 2, can you please tell me what you think of these? Or any other suggestions within the price range.

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3590802.htm

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/0.968-g-vs2-round-diamond-ags-104083953028

I've mainly been looking at G and VS2 diamonds, I don't know if dropping down to H/S1 would be a drastic difference, as long as it's not yellow and eye clean from close up, I would be happy.

She's not decided on how she wants it set yet, either a solitaire that tapers slightly towards the diamond for a nice clean look or something sparkly with a thin channel, like the Tiffany Harmony with the Bead-set band. She has a 4.25-4.5 ring finger that is skinny and long if that helps with deciding which diamond would look best.

Thanks for any replies and happy holidays!!

 

[Gypsy]

H SI1 will not be yellow, and as long as the stone is eyeclean, it will be clean too. I think it's a smart choice with your budget.

I like this stone:
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3569940.htm PUT ON HOLD NOW (it's the best deal they have right now and our lurkers steal stones).

And either of these two settings:
http://www.whiteflash.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/legato-sleek-line-solitaire-engagement-ring-728.htm
http://www.whiteflash.com/engagement-rings/diamond-settings/legato-sleek-line-pave-diamond-engagement-ring-422.htm

 

[Medphysdave]

I feel your agonizing. I'm in the process, and just made a purchase. Now I'm agonizing over settings.

It the two you picked above, I like the WF diamond. I would wait to hear from someone that knows more about what they are looking at though.

I like florescence, and really like this stone. It will get a little more size. Be sure to ask for the wire price even if paying with a CC.

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.142-i-vs2-round-diamond-ags-bl-104083536024#!prettyPhoto[gallery2]/2/

Here is how I felt with my experience. I could by from Brian Gavin and know I was going to be impressed. I actually chose a WF diamond, and I'm going to get it in hand to check out. If it's not what I want, then I'm going BGD, and not looking back.

The WF customer service was amazing. If you want to try to save a few more dollars. Call WF and have Becca search for a nice expert selection. I picked one of those that missed the ACA rating by a hair, and saved a few dollars.

My choice came down to an agonizing on the fence decision.

 

[tt604]

H SI1 will not be yellow, and as long as the stone is eyeclean, it will be clean too. I think it's a smart choice with your budget.

I like this stone:
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3569940.htm PUT ON HOLD NOW (it's the best deal they have right now and our lurkers steal stones).

Thanks for the suggestion, I actually had that one short listed as well but then I got scared of the color and if I didn't like it, returning it from Canada would be a pain. I was more concerned of H color on a AGS cert but I see this one is GIA certified.

I haven't gone pass browsing websites yet, if I put a diamond on hold, what does one do after? Have their geologist check over the stone, are there particular questions that I need to inquire about?

I feel your agonizing. I'm in the process, and just made a purchase. Now I'm agonizing over settings.

It the two you picked above, I like the WF diamond. I would wait to hear from someone that knows more about what they are looking at though.

I like florescence, and really like this stone. It will get a little more size. Be sure to ask for the wire price even if paying with a CC.

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.142-i-vs2-round-diamond-ags-bl-104083536024#!prettyPhoto[gallery2]/2/

Here is how I felt with my experience. I could by from Brian Gavin and know I was going to be impressed. I actually chose a WF diamond, and I'm going to get it in hand to check out. If it's not what I want, then I'm going BGD, and not looking back.

The WF customer service was amazing. If you want to try to save a few more dollars. Call WF and have Becca search for a nice expert selection. I picked one of those that missed the ACA rating by a hair, and saved a few dollars.

My choice came down to an agonizing on the fence decision.

It is a daunting task, while it does seem like lots of these vendors mentioned on their site are quite reputable, it's hard to spend thousands of dollars without being able to see at it in person, though I guess it could always be returned but still a hassle.

Thanks for your recommendation, I'm on the fence with florescence but maybe I'll take a look at some more since I could save some money there or upgrade to a bigger stone.

Also, thanks for the tip about the wire price, I'll be sure to check with that when I'm ready to purchase.

I'll be sure to get in touch with Becca to help me if my search continues, hope your WF diamond is the one!

 

[Gypsy]

H SI1 will not be yellow, and as long as the stone is eyeclean, it will be clean too. I think it's a smart choice with your budget.

I like this stone: thi
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3569940.htm PUT ON HOLD NOW (it's the best deal they have right now and our lurkers steal stones).

Thanks for the suggestion, I actually had that one short listed as well but then I got scared of the color and if I didn't like it, returning it from Canada would be a pain. I was more concerned of H color on a AGS cert but I see this one is GIA certified.

I haven't gone pass browsing websites yet, if I put a diamond on hold, what does one do after? Have their geologist check over the stone, are there particular questions that I need to inquire about?

Yeah, basically. Ask them to describe the inclusions for you and how visible they are. Ask if there is anything about the stone to be concerned about. Pick a setting and go from there.

I don't think you will be disappointed. It's going to be a firecracker.

 

[Gypsy]

This is my second choice for you:
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3602750.htm It is a more conservative stone in terms of inclusions. It is AGS certified.

You can ask them to compare them side by side and pick one for you. Let you which one is whiter and which one they recommend in terms of performance and overall value.

There is no bad choice.

 

[Medphysdave]

I really can't express how positive my experience has been with WF. Becca spent all the time I wanted on the phone answering my questions. Even when I asked the same question three times just to be sure she wasn't going to change her response. Just ask if a stone is eye clean from any distance or angle. Becca described the inclusions, where they were, and the ease that they were spotted with 10x magnification.

It made me feel a lot more comfortable after I spoke with someone. With the available pictures, and all of the help on this forum. I think it is hard to go wrong. I just learned I was worrying about nothing with one of my ASET images. It's sooooo easy to get caught up in the paper comparisons.

 

[solgen]

You could stick with a G VS2 signature line Ideal cut and get a great performer. It probably will be under 1ct though.

A >1ct H SI1 near ideal cut could be a little iffy but a lot the members here can help you pick one that is a winner. WF's ES line might lack the precision of cut of the ACA but it's performance will be similar. Heck, other brands would likely label them as ideals.

There are some things to consider though. Will you notice a size difference from .9 to 1.1ct? Probably not. But it is nice to say you have a 1ct diamond. You could tell them a .9 is 1ct and people would never know the difference though. Initially I would never consider a SI1 diamond because I was used to seeing so called SI1 department/chain store diamonds. If specs are important to her then that could possibly put her off. Or just say it's a VS1 or 2 and people won't really know.

 

[Gypsy]

H Si1 in a near ideal is not IFFY with a "lot" of members. MOST Psers have stones at or below H themselves !!

That's a nice way to scare a newbie.

H SI1 is conservative. Will be white. And especially at a carat and with this budget, is the right call.