Please give me your opinions on these 4 diamonds :)

[enhasa]

Tell her Harry Winstons diamonds come out of the same mines as all the rest - for that money she could have the same size D IF or go lower and have up to a 6 carat stone. Good old Harry is only putting his stamp on a bit of gold or platinum.

And yep in a few months or years when she sees other peoples diamonds flashing more than hers she will be wanting an upgrade most of us do haha

I pretty much think the same way, but it's hard to convince her

The "perks" that come with buying a branded ring, are pretty much gimmicks. But brand is a big thing back in Asia, so it means quite a big deal to her unless I can get a significantly larger diamond.

 

[pfunk]

Tell her Harry Winstons diamonds come out of the same mines as all the rest - for that money she could have the same size D IF or go lower and have up to a 6 carat stone. Good old Harry is only putting his stamp on a bit of gold or platinum.

And yep in a few months or years when she sees other peoples diamonds flashing more than hers she will be wanting an upgrade most of us do haha

I pretty much think the same way, but it's hard to convince her

The "perks" that come with buying a branded ring, are pretty much gimmicks. But brand is a big thing back in Asia, so it means quite a big deal to her unless I can get a significantly larger diamond.

You CAN get a significantly larger, ideal cut, perfectly eye clean, gorgeous diamond with that kind of budget.

 

[pfunk]

Here is an example of a much larger, ideal cut, gorgeous stone for less. http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-dia...-e-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-123125

 

[RockyRacoon]

You can buy an Idealscope or handheld ASET for a nominal fee.

If it shows you that the less expensive stone is a better performer, you just saved over $7,900, and ended up with a better stone.

Might be worth it, in this case.

 

[Roqsteady]

You can get 2-3 same size and better cut quality (meaning better performance and sparkle) diamonds at E-F VS1/VS2 from other top quality vendors for the same price you're paying, does she realize that?

 

[Travelgal]

Here is an example of a 3 carat E VvS2 that scores <2 on the HCA scale and is within your budget. That said, every culture is unique and if brand is important to her, than that's what you should get. However, I think that others are trying to show you other options because frankly we will 100% notice a perfectly cut white 3+ Carat stone before a 2 carat stone. If both rings were laid side by side and I was told that they were both the same cost, I would pick the 3 carat. However, your girlfriend may be different.

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/3.05-carat-e-color-vvs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-321344

 

[pfunk]

I think now that you know that you can get a 3 carat diamond of equivalent or better cut, color, and clarity for the same or less money, you should at the very least be negotiating the prices on those 4 stones you have picked out. No way you should agree to pay that for those stones, no matter what name brand is attached to the ring.

 

[enhasa]

I think now that you know that you can get a 3 carat diamond of equivalent or better cut, color, and clarity for the same or less money, you should at the very least be negotiating the prices on those 4 stones you have picked out. No way you should agree to pay that for those stones, no matter what name brand is attached to the ring.

There will be concessions, though I don't know how much specifically. I am guessing it will be between 8 to 12%. I heard they have given discounts up to 20%, but those are for pieces that are a lot more expensive.

I will be taking pics of the rings when I take a look at them later today, but I will also be considering the other merchants such as James Allen and WW.

 

[enhasa]

Here is an example of a 3 carat E VvS2 that scores <2 on the HCA scale and is within your budget. That said, every culture is unique and if brand is important to her, than that's what you should get. However, I think that others are trying to show you other options because frankly we will 100% notice a perfectly cut white 3+ Carat stone before a 2 carat stone. If both rings were laid side by side and I was told that they were both the same cost, I would pick the 3 carat. However, your girlfriend may be different.

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/3.05-carat-e-color-vvs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-321344

Yea I think the brand is quite important to her. But if she can get a significantly larger diamond, then that's something that she will consider too. I have not bought diamonds online, so it's harder to make such decisions without seeing them in person though.

At the same time, I also hope to be able to see the final product as well before deciding whether to buy....

 

[enhasa]

You can buy an Idealscope or handheld ASET for a nominal fee.

If it shows you that the less expensive stone is a better performer, you just saved over $7,900, and ended up with a better stone.

Might be worth it, in this case.

The handheld ASET wouldn't work if the diamond is already set onto a ring, right?

HW does not sell any loose diamonds (or at least that's what the SA told me), so all of these diamonds are already set on a ring.

 

[simon123]

Just reading this thread - was the HW sales lady called Junko? Lovely person and great sales woman. In the end I ended up with a CBI diamond that was better cut, color and clarity and cheaper than the HW.

 

[enhasa]

That is not the SA I am working with. If you don't mind telling me, which store did you go to and how much concessions did they offer you?

Thank you!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

With your budget, I would only consider superideal cut if you don't go with HW. Whiteflash has the 2 ct D IF and they can tell you if they can access larger D-E diamonds. Same with Crafted by Infinity (High Performance Diamonds), and Good Old Gold Signature Hearts and Arrows. All would have to be asked what they can access. They also may be able to custom cut a stone for you. I'd absolutely go with the best diamonds in the world if working with that kind of budget. There is zero reason to settle for less (other than to get a brand name). But I should add that the 3 ct JA stone is likely equal to the diamond quality you'd get at HW.

I look forward to hearing about your visit to HW! I will be curious to see whether she favors brand over size and equal to better quality!

 

[simon123]

It was the NYC store and offering 10-15% if I bought it there and then. Same story D-F stones and FL - VS2 only.

But the PS people are right. You can get so much better out there for the amount of cash your spending.

HW shoppers - have the cash and want the 'HW' experience and the brand name and want it now! (they drive a Ferrari - buy with their hearts).

PS forum shoppers want the best of the best at the right money also (Porsche drivers - buy with their brains)

In a few years if you want an upgrade you have some great vendors you will give so a great buy back policy also.

 

[enhasa]

How long ago was it when you talked to that SA? Were you looking at rings around the same price range (120 to 145k) as me?
I think my store is only offering about 10% for my ring.

I understand that the brand is just nice for the box and when people ask about the brand, but obviously a nicer diamond is going to be much better. hard to convince my gf though.

 

[pfunk]

When you visit to look at the diamonds, I would urge you to also have them pull a well cut 3 ct ring for you to look at side by side, even if it is way out of your budget at HW. Preferably of equal color and clarity as well. She should be able to see what she COULD be getting for that price if she went to another vendor. The 2 ct HW stones will be very lovely, but you will be paying for it dearly. I think if she sees a beautiful 3 ct next to the 2 ct she will be glad to let you shop elsewhere once she sees what she COULD be getting for the same $$$.

I will disagree with DS that you should only look at superideal for your budget. I am curious to know, DS, what exactly will be sacrificed by going with something that isn't superideal vs something cut to great specs like that 34.5/40.8 JA stone referenced above. I imagine the choices at those carat weights and clarities will be very limited. And it seems to me the only reason the OP has stated he would consider other places would be to get a "significantly larger diamond". From the video, the JA stone looks to be very lively as would be expected with numbers like that. If superideal is all he looks at and stays at the same color and clarity, significantly larger may be out of the question.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

pfunk, I think I already expressed that if I were not going for brand, I'd go for the best cut diamond in the world. Why not when the budget allows it and it would still cost FAR less than a branded stone? I get why you push non-superideals for people with limited budgets, and I do my share of posting those, too. But this is one man who CAN afford the best, and I hope that if she can give up brand, he will go for a larger superideal cut and a custom setting by a master ring maker. I don't think a 10% premium (or whatever) is that big of a deal when you could still get a larger stone at a significantly lower price than HW. I had the choice to go larger or superideal for my own diamonds, and my choice was to go with the best possible cut because I could afford it within the size range I wanted. Thankfully I was not looking at D-E VVS or I'd have been looking at much smaller stones.

However, if you notice, I did acknowledge in my post that the JA stone may be as good as the stones at HW. But he'd still need the idealscope and ASET to be sure.

 

[Medical]

When you visit to look at the diamonds, I would urge you to also have them pull a well cut 3 ct ring for you to look at side by side, even if it is way out of your budget at HW. Preferably of equal color and clarity as well. She should be able to see what she COULD be getting for that price if she went to another vendor. The 2 ct HW stones will be very lovely, but you will be paying for it dearly. I think if she sees a beautiful 3 ct next to the 2 ct she will be glad to let you shop elsewhere once she sees what she COULD be getting for the same $$$.

I will disagree with DS that you should only look at superideal for your budget. I am curious to know, DS, what exactly will be sacrificed by going with something that isn't superideal vs something cut to great specs like that 34.5/40.8 JA stone referenced above. I imagine the choices at those carat weights and clarities will be very limited. And it seems to me the only reason the OP has stated he would consider other places would be to get a "significantly larger diamond". From the video, the JA stone looks to be very lively as would be expected with numbers like that. If superideal is all he looks at and stays at the same color and clarity, significantly larger may be out of the question.

Lots of good points here. Just gonna insert this warning: showing her the 3 ct HW stone may backfire and cause her to feel less satisfied with the 2 carat HW yet still want a branded stone now in the 3 ct range haha. Human beings are incredibly relativistic, so we tend to want something that is comparatively good (thus seeing something even bigger and better makes what we're looking at worse), rather than having specific parameters of good, great, bad, etc.

 

[pfunk]

pfunk, I think I already expressed that if I were not going for brand, I'd go for the best cut diamond in the world. Why not when the budget allows it and it would still cost FAR less than a branded stone? I get why you push non-superideals for people with limited budgets, and I do my share of posting those, too. But this is one man who CAN afford the best, and I hope that if she can give up brand, he will go for a larger superideal cut and a custom setting by a master ring maker. I don't think a 10% premium (or whatever) is that big of a deal when you could still get a larger stone at a significantly lower price than HW. I had the choice to go larger or superideal for my own diamonds, and my choice was to go with the best possible cut because I could afford it within the size range I wanted. Thankfully I was not looking at D-E VVS or I'd have been looking at much smaller stones.

However, if you notice, I did acknowledge in my post that the JA stone may be as good as the stones at HW. But he'd still need the idealscope and ASET to be sure.

With the super limited number of 2+ carat D-E, VVS-VS diamonds I think he will have a hard time finding a superideal, but the custom cut option might work in his case. I am not against recommending the superideals for someone with a budget like this, but if you see the stones he is currently considering they are no better than the JA stone looking at the numbers. And they will very likely all be beautiful as will the JA. What I think the OP should know, if you say he should only look at superideal, is what he should expect to be giving up. What is the visual difference he will expect to gain? It would likely be 2.5 carat or lower, and will it still manage to be more beautiful with more visual impact vs a nonsuperideal 3 carat?

 

[Travelgal]

Enhasa- you said that you were working with the New York store. Can you visit The US? Based on your budget, it seems like it would be worthwhile to visit the US if you wanted to see other stones in person. I am not sure if you have the time available to be away from work, but something potentially to consider. Maybe you already travel extensively, but would your girlfriend think its cool to travel to the US to choose her stone? Seems like a fair amount of bragging rights and you could get a fun trip out of it. Just a thought.

 

[simon123]

Yes this was back in December 2014, and there are two projects almost finished and the third is a 3CT RB Super Ideal - you want the stone to sparkle. The whole PS forum got me obsessed with CUT CUT CUT. When you see a few diamonds beside each other with different cuts it is much more noticeable than colour / clarity. I could not tell the difference between a D and G or an FL-VS2 without an eye loupe (even then I have no idea what to look out for). I can see sparkle though, last thing I want is a 3CT that is dead looking. HW was too expensive and not worth the extra $$$. Yes if money was no object and I didn't care sure would have just bought it. But that is not me, half the fun is doing the research and looks like I am heading down that route to have a stone cut from rough to exactly my requirement (and at no extra cost to me.)

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Sorry, meant to add these links that should be helpful to the original poster or anyone else to learn about superideal cut diamonds.

Here is a write up about the 2 ct D FL stone:

http://www.whiteflash.com/about-diamonds/diamond-education/pure-perfection-d-flawless-a-cut-above-923.htm

http://www.whiteflash.com/a-cut-above-diamonds

http://www.whiteflash.com/about-diamonds/diamond-education/what-hearts-and-arrows-patterning-does.htm

(and all of that applies to Crafted by Infinity and GOG's superideal cutter as well)

pfunk, personally, I would choose a 2.5 ct superideal cut over the 2 ct HW or the 3 ct James Allen stone (however I am still open to that one subject to seeing the other images. You know GIA numbers are rounded, right? So you have to have idealscope or ASET to see how well cut the stone really is. That one was not designated True Hearts by JA, so it is not top cut quality even by their standards.) But if she would rather have a 3 ct stone, then I think we need to help them find the best 3 ct stone we can whether it is the JA stone or another. If she wants a 2 ct stone, then to me, the WF D IF is likely the best in the world.

 

[ame]

Hi there! I got your message, and saw this way too late, but I am so glad others chimed in for you.

ON PAPER #2 is my top pick of those listed. I totally get the desire to hit the 3 ct mark unbranded, I guess my priority would be: is it more important to her to have the size or is it more important to have the brand and the assumed perks of the name. I would want the size, but I am gathering based on communication that she REALLY wants the name. I know Tiffany is basically out...and really, for that setting style, I would rule them out anyway. For the price range, I would rather have HW if I was going to buy a name. I mentioned this to you separately but you can still get that "experience" of HW if you go with them for wedding bands. My concern is that she's going to realize later "man I couldve had a 3 ct stone". NOt that on her hand this thing is going to be in any way tiny. (ENVY.)

Whiteflash is reputable, another you could check out is Brian Gavin Diamonds, as well as High Performance Diamonds and Good Old Gold. All are going to give you a KNOCKOUT stone.

I know she's in the loop, so maybe put #2 on hold if possible, and have her weigh out whether or not she'd be disappointed with a 3ct unbranded monster on her hand with an HW band vs a 2ct HW engagement ring...

 

[heididdl]

Whiteflash is extremely reputable! My diamond studs are from there (plus a couple of custom pieces like a long diamond by the yard platinum necklace) and a friend of mine recently got a 4.5 ct diamond from them!

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-4-5-ct-whiteflash-aca.210847/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-4-5-ct-whiteflash-aca.210847/[/URL]

I will tell you that the WF stone is likely more technically perfect than the ones at HW. HW and other high end brands do not specialize in top cut diamonds, although they are certainly usually very nice diamonds. I would buy a WF diamond unseen easily, because their cut quality is so consistently high that you just don't need to see them. As you can see in the diamond image and video, the stone is perfect.

As far as the setting goes, we know high end ring makers that make rings of the quality of HW, easily. I highly recommend Victor Canera who certainly does pave rings at the quality level of HW or better. I will look and see if he has any tapered baguette settings pictured.

https://www.victorcanera.com/

I have no problem with buying HW if the brand is that important to her. However, sometimes people think by paying those prices you are getting the very best quality. But that is absolutely not true in terms of diamond rings. That WF D IF is more valuable than any of those HW diamonds, and I'd bet the cut quality is better, too.

But #2 is still your safest choice of the diamonds above, and no, there is very little visible size difference between 8.1 and 8.2mm. I'd choose larger if the cut was exactly the same, but without idealscope images, #2 is least risky as GIA rounding means all of the angle measurements are not exact.

DS is so right. the HW or Tiffany is in the name and the fact that you are wearing a branded item. WF has an amazing reputation for high quality stnes. They are not cheapl. I would rather have the Ideally cut WF than a HW.........even if money were no object

 

[Dancing Fire]

Whiteflash is reputable, another you could check out is Brian Gavin Diamonds, as well as High Performance Diamonds and Good Old Gold. All are going to give you a KNOCKOUT stone.

Yup ...

 

[pfunk]

Sorry, meant to add these links that should be helpful to the original poster or anyone else to learn about superideal cut diamonds.

Here is a write up about the 2 ct D FL stone:

http://www.whiteflash.com/about-diamonds/diamond-education/pure-perfection-d-flawless-a-cut-above-923.htm

http://www.whiteflash.com/a-cut-above-diamonds

http://www.whiteflash.com/about-diamonds/diamond-education/what-hearts-and-arrows-patterning-does.htm

(and all of that applies to Crafted by Infinity and GOG's superideal cutter as well)

pfunk, personally, I would choose a 2.5 ct superideal cut over the 2 ct HW or the 3 ct James Allen stone (however I am still open to that one subject to seeing the other images. You know GIA numbers are rounded, right? So you have to have idealscope or ASET to see how well cut the stone really is. That one was not designated True Hearts by JA, so it is not top cut quality even by their standards.) But if she would rather have a 3 ct stone, then I think we need to help them find the best 3 ct stone we can whether it is the JA stone or another. If she wants a 2 ct stone, then to me, the WF D IF is likely the best in the world.

Yes, I understand the GIA rounding. The angles are to the center of ideal though, so how worried should you be about GIA rounding? At worst it is 34.74/40.9? I started a thread about good numbers, bad idealscope results not long ago that I am sure you read. I didn't see any examples of poor IS images for stones cut to numbers like the JA stone. What would you say the chances are that it has a poor IS? Also, the video shows it to be a very lively stone that looks great.

I don't blame you for picking superideal stones if that is what you prefer to do. But the OP seems to either A) want the best of the branded HW stones or B) look elsewhere if it means a significantly larger diamond. So I don't think it is in his best interest to limit himself to a very very small selection of superideal stones to choose from. Maybe a superideal in 2.5 carat is available, and if that is significantly large enough for him then that's a fine option. But perhaps to some people, the additional 0.5mm or better to go from 2.5c to 3c is more noticeable than the differences between ideal or superideal cut. Regarding the JA stone, for an E color diamond of that clarity, it is cut extremely well and much better than a very large percentage of diamonds with similar characteristics.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

pfunk...I imagine the IS will be good on it and I'd ask for hearts images as well. I wouldn't buy a $5k diamond without one, much less a $150k diamond (especially since he is out of the country and the diamond will be shipped unseen)! This all boils down to what her preferences are. In reality, I do not want to wear a 3 ct round in my real world. So it would be a no brainer for me to go superideal cut in the 2 ct range (although I would make a different choice altogether if I had that budget). But in this case, the HW name may mean more to her than size. She may have a tiny finger and a 2 ct is all she wants. In that case, the choice would be between branded E VVS or having one of the rarest diamonds in the world at D IF and superideal cut. Those are two fabulous choices! If her true dream is to have 3 cts, then they could choose the JA stone or have a superideal cut stone cut. They are lucky because they have more options than most people. I have been on here over 9 years and it is extremely rare to have someone with this kind of budget. He is very smart to be getting some outside information, though, because now he knows what all his best options are.

 

[ame]

Primary concern is WHAT DOES SHE WANT. If she's really wanting the brand, at the expense of truly ideal cut quality and size, get the branded ring. #2 of this batch is my top pick of all the ones we've discussed in this thread and in private. Ultimately the end goal is for HER to get what she wants above all, and the experience, the "mind cleanliness" that she gets knowing she has an HW on that hand, regardless of other options, that seems to be what matters more than anything else. She IS semi in the loop on this. He isn't 100% blind on this purchase, she's got input.

 

[pfunk]

Primary concern is WHAT DOES SHE WANT. If she's really wanting the brand, at the expense of truly ideal cut quality and size, get the branded ring. #2 of this batch is my top pick of all the ones we've discussed in this thread and in private. Ultimately the end goal is for HER to get what she wants above all, and the experience, the "mind cleanliness" that she gets knowing she has an HW on that hand, regardless of other options, that seems to be what matters more than anything else. She IS semi in the loop on this. He isn't 100% blind on this purchase, she's got input.

Yep! If it's the brand she wants most, get the branded ring for sure. If she decides she'd prefer something else over the branding, whether that be superideal cut or extra size, you now know you have some alternative options. I too prefer #2 of the stones in the thread. Just go in with an open mind and if there isn't any one that jumps out as the favorite, then get the cheapest option.

 

[enhasa]

When you visit to look at the diamonds, I would urge you to also have them pull a well cut 3 ct ring for you to look at side by side, even if it is way out of your budget at HW. Preferably of equal color and clarity as well. She should be able to see what she COULD be getting for that price if she went to another vendor. The 2 ct HW stones will be very lovely, but you will be paying for it dearly. I think if she sees a beautiful 3 ct next to the 2 ct she will be glad to let you shop elsewhere once she sees what she COULD be getting for the same $$$.

I will disagree with DS that you should only look at superideal for your budget. I am curious to know, DS, what exactly will be sacrificed by going with something that isn't superideal vs something cut to great specs like that 34.5/40.8 JA stone referenced above. I imagine the choices at those carat weights and clarities will be very limited. And it seems to me the only reason the OP has stated he would consider other places would be to get a "significantly larger diamond". From the video, the JA stone looks to be very lively as would be expected with numbers like that. If superideal is all he looks at and stays at the same color and clarity, significantly larger may be out of the question.

This sounds great!
I will definitely try comparing with a 3 carat.

I don't need a super ideal diamond, just something that is good enough to be eye clean (VS and up), and not look yellow (so I guess D to F is a safe bet, preferably D and E?). Cut is important because Ame taught me on how important it is for the fire and brilliance, and I really like that over a "dull" diamond.