Picking Between 3 Diamonds...Would Love Some Advice

[Dawson]

First, I love this website, I've learned a lot here and avoided making a buying mistake on a poorly cut diamond. Thanks.

So right now I'm choosing between three round cut diamonds, all about the same price, and wondering which one you would pick:

1) 0.96 carat, Round-cut GIA Certified Diamond, E color, VS2 clarity, Good Polish, Very Good Symmetry, Very Good Cut Grade, 60.0% Depth, 61% Table, Faint Fluorescence, Measuring: 6.39x6.45x3.85 mm.
2) 1.05 carat, Round-cut GIA Certified Diamond, F color, SI1 clarity, Very Good Polish, Very Good Symmetry, Very Good Cut Grade, 61.2% Depth, 58% Table, None Fluorescence, Measuring: 6.49x6.52x3.98 mm.

3) 1.00 carat, Round-cut GIA Certified Diamond, E color, SI1 clarity, Excellent Polish, Very Good Symmetry, Very Good Cut Grade, 61.4% Depth, 59% Table, None Fluorescence, Measuring: 6.37x6.39x3.92 mm.

Both #2 and #3 are "eye clean" or so I've been told, but #2 does have a inclusion near the center of the table on the chart, where as #3 has a clean table. #3 also has an H&A inscription, though I've learned from poking around here that may not mean anything.

Secondly, cut is most important to me, then color and clarity. I would ideally love a D-F, VS2 or better, but I've seen that there is a lot more in my price range if I go down to G color or to SI1. So, wondering if most here would pick a stone that is say G color and VS2, or one that is E or F color and an eye clean SI1?

Thank so much!

 

[hedarud]

I think i would look for a stone with an excellent cut instead of good or very good, and then run the numbers thru HCA, if the HCA suggests it may be a good stone, then I would ask for pics of the stone, idealscope, look at the cert carefully, and go from there

https://www.pricescope.com/cutadviser.asp

Do you have the certs so you can post more specific info (crown and pav angles)

 

[SpeedracerII]

I agree, go for the cut first. When I started my shopping I also looked at color and clarity as do most people because I think these are things you can easily understand. Cut is much more difficult but the most important. Going for a D-F color IMHO is a waste of money. Put that money into the cut, not the color. An ''ideal'' cut stone will look whiter than a lessor cut stone of the same color. A G, H or even I ideal cut stone will look fantastic. You will be hard pressed to tell the difference between a D-E-F and an G-H-I stone unless you are comparing them directly to each other. Even then it is a very slight difference. But put an ideal cut next to a Good cut and it is night and day. Find a place to set your eyes on an ideal cut stone and compare it to a Good cut and you will see for yourself. You will never look for a good cut again. You can easily go G-H-I in color with little impact at all to the beauty of the stone.

 

[Dawson]

Thanks, and here is the info with crown and pav. angles:

1) 0.96 carat, Round-cut GIA Certified Diamond, E color, VS2 clarity, Good Polish, Very Good Symmetry, Very Good Cut Grade, 60.0% Depth, 61% Table, Crown Angle- 33, Pav. Angle- 41.6, Faint Fluorescence, Measuring: 6.39x6.45x3.85 mm.

2) 1.05 carat, Round-cut GIA Certified Diamond, F color, SI1 clarity, Very Good Polish, Very Good Symmetry, Very Good Cut Grade, 61.2% Depth, 58% Table, Crown Angle- 34.5, Pav. Angle- 40.6, None Fluorescence, Measuring: 6.49x6.52x3.98 mm.

3) 1.00 carat, Round-cut GIA Certified Diamond, E color, SI1 clarity, Excellent Polish, Very Good Symmetry, Very Good Cut Grade, 61.4% Depth, 59% Table, Crown Angle- 36, Pav. Angle- 40.4, None Fluorescence, Measuring: 6.37x6.39x3.92 mm.

 

[Ellen]

I would definitely go for 2 based on this info.

It has been said by experts that we wouldn''t see anything with the naked eye between Good and Excellent Polish and Symmetry. Very Good is just fine, and can often get you a more affordable, nice stone.

Are these online or in a B&M?

 

[Dawson]

Online. Thanks for the advice. I would do #2 in a heartbeat except it makes me nervouse that there is an inclusion in the middle of the table. They say it's eye clean, but still, that's what is holding me back. Should it not?

I will look for excel/ideal cut stones as well online, but I have looked in stores and honestly I can't see difference between anything "very good" to "ideal" cut, but that is perhaps my own untrained eye.

 

[Dawson]

Using the cut adviser (thanks hedarud) it looks like #1 is out, and #2 got a .9, and #3 a 1.3...

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Your search will be much easier if you stick to AGS0 (ideal) or GIA Excellent cut, if cut is most important to you. Clarity is very personal. Mine is VS over SI, but most here like SI for the value.

 

[Dawson]

I ended up getting an GIA "excellent" cut stone from whiteflash and feel great about it. Thanks to everyone for the input!!

 

[Ellen]

Congrats!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

very wise decision!!! Better to do it right the first time than to have regrets later!

 

[Dawson]

Thanks so much. I was able to view Ideal-scope readings as welll, for added comfort.