Please give your valuable advice to me

[Poshjo]

Dear all,

I am from hong kong and plan to upgrade my engagement ring. My current is a round brilliance 1.55 I vs2 and I wear it almost every single day, I still love it but I want a bigger one with good colour grade, I find my I colour to be a little yellow to me. Due to budget constraint, I can afford 3 carat F si2 at the moment.

After seeing a few 3 carat si2 clarity and I am not so comfortable with si2 as I can always spot the inclusions with naked eyes. I guess I am pretty colour sensitive and can spot inclusions quite easily. As such I am thinking maybe si1 will be more acceptable to me but I am not sure if G colour will make me happy in the future.

I am also thinking if I should choose a 2.5-2.99 range with F/si1, however my hubby and close friends and even sellers all say that I might regret of not getting a 3 carat now. Women tend to want bigger stones. I don't want to spend more than I have planed, just to get a 3 carat F si1 at this point. In fact, people around me don't wear big diamonds on daily basis, I am one of the odds to wear a 1.55 carat no matter where I go. My new ring will only be limited to be worn at weekends or special occasions.

I am currently given two options, 3.01 carat si2, one with a crystal near the table where I can see one little tiny spot near the table edge, it is ex ex vg none. The other one is 3.13 F si2 3 ex none, but I can see very tiny white spots across the bottom of the table. In fact I am more to the 3.01 as the inclusions is just one tiny spot I can see but the cut is not 3 ex.

Any wisdom on my choice and considerations? I have been searing for nearly 3 weeks so far and I can't sleep well with this in mind....
Sound so silly.

 

[MaximusCruiser]

Don't give up. There are eye-clean or prongable SI2s out there.

Do you have a time line to complete this purchase? If not, perhaps you should take a 2-week break and come back to search again.

Are you searching in local jewelers or via online vendors like James Allen? If I am not wrong, HK does not charge taxes for luxury goods import so you are at a great advantage if you hunt for the diamond overseas. Perhaps you should state your budget... some people here can even help you search and offer suggestions.

 

[Poshjo]

Thanks so much for your reply.

In fact I am buying the diamond to celebrate our 17th anniversary which is in September. There is no deadline actually. I just hope to find it sooner so that I can enjoy it earlier.

My budget is $45k. I hope to set in a halo which may cost around hk$10k here.

Will I really regret for not getting a 3 carat today when I look back in five years time?

 

[MaximusCruiser]

Thanks so much for your reply.

In fact I am buying the diamond to celebrate our 17th anniversary which is in September. There is no deadline actually. I just hope to find it sooner so that I can enjoy it earlier.

My budget is $45k. I hope to set in a halo which may cost around hk$10k here.

Will I really regret for not getting a 3 carat today when I look back in five years time?

First of all...congratulations!! 17 years is not easy... that I know.

2nd... "regret" as in getting a less than 3ct diamond vs a 3ct? Honestly... if you get a 2.8-2.9ct... the mm difference is so minimal that I doubt you will notice...especially when your friends around you don't have a 3ct to compare it with. If you find a diamond with thin to medium girdle, the diameter will look the same or larger!

But there should be a price jump at the 3ct mark. So value wise, just under 3ct will be fine. Of course, this is the economics talk... but it does not hold water if you factor in emotions into the picture.

If your question is getting it now instead of later... the answer is no. Diamonds are not an investment class at this range. It is less rare than what the suppliers like to make us believe. So if you can spare more time to search for the right one... do it. Many online vendors update their inventory a few times within the day... so you may have a perfect diamond popping up in the market a week from now. You just never know. All I can say is, unless time is an important factor, don't make the purchase if you are not completely satisfied with the value you are getting.

Hopefully other online folks can give you suggestions based on the criteria and budget you have set. Happy hunting!!

 

[LaraOnline]

If you are patient, you will find what you are looking for.
I have a 3 carat stone graded AGS equivalent to SI2, and I can honestly say with hand on heart that I see nothing going on in my stone.
The grading inclusion is twinning wisps, it is AGS0, gorgeous. A needle in a haystack worth finding!

I have also seen SI1 stones with an inclusion that was visible with only a small amount of searching.
Each individual stone needs to be judged on its merits.
Good photographs can help you decide how you feel about the clarity grading of each diamond as well.

In my view, it pays to work with a vendor you trust and respect, and take your time to find the deal that really works for you.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Dear all,

I am currently given two options, 3.01 carat si2, one with a crystal near the table where I can see one little tiny spot near the table edge, it is ex ex vg none. The other one is 3.13 F si2 3 ex none, but I can see very tiny white spots across the bottom of the table. In fact I am more to the 3.01 as the inclusions is just one tiny spot I can see but the cut is not 3 ex.

Any wisdom on my choice and considerations? I have been searing for nearly 3 weeks so far and I can't sleep well with this in mind....
Sound so silly.

Are they graded by GIA lab?

 

[Poshjo]

Thanks to all for the advice. Thank you so much.

Yes the 3.01 F si2 is GIA grades and cert is 5151036062.

 

[delight]

You will hardly find eye clean SI diamonds at such carat sizes. If they are really eye clean, the inclusions will most likely pose other issues.

 

[Poshjo]

Yes it is hard to find eye clean si2 or maybe have a better chance with si1 clarity. Thats why I am also wondering if I should change my search to 2.5-2.8 ct F si1 or G vs2. My jewellers said its hard to find 2.7-2.9 ct diamond. They all encourage me to get a 3 ct.

 

[LaraOnline]

You will hardly find eye clean SI diamonds at such carat sizes. If they are really eye clean, the inclusions will most likely pose other issues.

Is that true? Is mine truly a 'needle in a haystack'?
I've seen other large and beautiful SI diamonds on this forum, as well, so they definitely are out there!

 

[LaraOnline]

Yes it is hard to find eye clean si2 or maybe have a better chance with si1 clarity. Thats why I am also wondering if I should change my search to 2.5-2.8 ct F si1 or G vs2. My jewellers said its hard to find 2.7-2.9 ct diamond. They all encourage me to get a 3 ct.

I think if you are prepared to wait long enough and look long enough, you will get what you want....eventually.
Although having made the decision to buy, it can be hard to play the waiting game.

Something will catch your eye soon, I'm sure of it.
Why not search on the online inventories - if you haven't already done so - and see what's there?

You may find your tastes changing as you continue your search, also, which can be interesting.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Thanks to all for the advice. Thank you so much.

Yes the 3.01 F si2 is GIA grades and cert is 5151036062.

This stone is little deep at 62.2%, see if you can find a 2.5- 2.8ct between 60.7- 61% in depth.

 

[Christina...]

You will hardly find eye clean SI diamonds at such carat sizes. If they are really eye clean, the inclusions will most likely pose other issues.

Is that true? Is mine truly a 'needle in a haystack'?
I've seen other large and beautiful SI diamonds on this forum, as well, so they definitely are out there!

As the ct weight increases so do the size of the allowable inclusions. I'm sure that there are some larger stones with well placed inclusions making them eye clean, but yes, they will be harder to find at this weight.

 

[Poshjo]

I was given this 2.75 E SI1 (cert 3145706502) and I quite liked it but the price was close to a 3 ct F si2. This stone is as big as a 3 ct diameter. Is this a good stone?

 

[lynetteiam1982]

Dear all,

I am from hong kong and plan to upgrade my engagement ring.

Hi Poshjo, I was in a similar position as you recently.

If you're in HK you can try asking Vincent from Prosumer Diamonds **edited by moderator due to policy violations**. He gave me some free advice when I was looking for my upgrade ring recently. Although I was not looking for a 3ct+, I know how it feels to battle with the thought about whether to get the biggest diamond possible with my budget. Good luck!

 

[yssie]

Dear all,

I am from hong kong and plan to upgrade my engagement ring.

Hi Poshjo, I was in a similar position as you recently.

If you're in HK you can try asking Vincent from Prosumer Diamonds **edited by moderator due to policy violations**. He gave me some free advice when I was looking for my upgrade ring recently. Although I was not looking for a 3ct+, I know how it feels to battle with the thought about whether to get the biggest diamond possible with my budget. Good luck!

Vincent from Prosumer Diamonds rather desperately needs a refresher on crediting sources and asking permission to re-use - both text and photography, it would seem. Oh dear.

 

[LLJsmom]

Poshjo, I know the feeling of wanting a certain carat weight when upgrading, and being color sensitive. I thought I wanted to upgrade to a 2 carat. When I received my 2, I thought it looked small. So I guess I'm saying that if you are already wondering if you will regret NOT getting a 3 carat, when you haven't even bought it yet, you're mentally committed to at least a 3. Go for a 3. Also, you seem to be very careful about looking at inclusions, which if it matters to you, you should be. I am too. I examined so many stones, even ones that were VS2, and actually saw some inclusions with the naked eye, though NOT from a top down view. I would look under the diamond, from the side, and keep looking and looking. So I the lowest I would go was a VS1. Given my super Type A personality, I needed to know that I could not see it with my naked eye, from ANY direction. It was mental for me. Color was the one thing I found I wasn't as sensitive to, and I thought I was. I bought an F, but I now know I could have lived with an H. I could only see the color difference when it was next to another stone.

Given your budget, and I know how OVER priced diamonds are in HK. (Almost twice the US price) I was there last month and did my share of diamond shopping. I would consider an internet retailer that ships to HK and has a reasonable return policy. The US prices are ALMOST half. Be mentally ready to return the stone if it does not meet your standards. Open up a wider net and consider the internet retailers out there. And you will find that you have more options. Maybe an H VS2, 3 carats?? Some are within your price range if you don't mind fluorescence. You get a lot more bang for your buck. I know Bluenile ships to Hong Kong. I bet others too, maybe James Allen, Brian Gavin. It's worth it to check. But don't rush it. Stick to your guns and keep looking for what you want. Don't settle just because you are impatient. I know how hard it is.

Let us know how it goes!!

 

[diamondspectator]

Vincent from Prosumer Diamonds rather desperately needs a refresher on crediting sources and asking permission to re-use - both text and photography, it would seem. Oh dear.

Thank you Yssie for bringing this to my attention, as the webmaster for that site, I am ensuring that permission is being sought for previous material and future material.

 

[GreenBling]

Hi Poshjo,

Congratulations! I'm from HK too. Can I ask if you have to buy from this vendor? I bought from Good Old Good, an online vendor from USA just a year ago when my jeweler here couldn't find me a stone that fit my specs. GOG were willing to source and call in diamonds based on my specs. There were more than a few candidates for me to chose from. I was provided microscopic images showing inclusions, light return reports, comparison videos etc. I actually received much more information about the diamonds buying online than in HK. It was a well informed and objective buying experience. Nothing against buying in HK, I still do. But it sounds like you aren't 100% sure about the diamonds you are presented, and with such major purchase, I thought you deserve more options.

 

[GreenBling]

Given your budget, and I know how OVER priced diamonds are in HK. (Almost twice the US price) I was there last month and did my share of diamond shopping. I would consider an internet retailer that ships to HK and has a reasonable return policy. The US prices are ALMOST half. Be mentally ready to return the stone if it does not meet your standards. Open up a wider net and consider the internet retailers out there. And you will find that you have more options. Maybe an H VS2, 3 carats?? Some are within your price range if you don't mind fluorescence. You get a lot more bang for your buck. I know Bluenile ships to Hong Kong. I bet others too, maybe James Allen, Brian Gavin. It's worth it to check. But don't rush it. Stick to your guns and keep looking for what you want. Don't settle just because you are impatient. I know how hard it is.

Let us know how it goes!!

Rent here is among the highest in the world so buying at retail outlet will never be cheap. Plus big retail chains tend to recommend VS and G above stones so you can imagine the price tags. Still a lot less expensive than Tiffany but yes do expect to pay much more than online. There are a lot of independent jewelers that locals go to for better price and more personal service. Their prices can be very competitive.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Hi Poshjo,

Congratulations! I'm from HK too. Can I ask if you have to buy from this vendor? I bought from Good Old Good, an online vendor from USA just a year ago when my jeweler here couldn't find me a stone that fit my specs. GOG were willing to source and call in diamonds based on my specs. There were more than a few candidates for me to chose from. I was provided microscopic images showing inclusions, light return reports, comparison videos etc. I actually received much more information about the diamonds buying online than in HK. It was a well informed and objective buying experience. Nothing against buying in HK, I still do. But it sounds like you aren't 100% sure about the diamonds you are presented, and with such major purchase, I thought you deserve more options.

Ex advise... Jon is a good guy..

 

[Christina...]

Dear all,

I am from hong kong and plan to upgrade my engagement ring.

Hi Poshjo, I was in a similar position as you recently.

If you're in HK you can try asking Vincent from Prosumer Diamonds ( **edited by moderator due to policy violations**. He gave me some free advice when I was looking for my upgrade ring recently. Although I was not looking for a 3ct+, I know how it feels to battle with the thought about whether to get the biggest diamond possible with my budget. Good luck!

Vincent from Prosumer Diamonds rather desperately needs a refresher on crediting sources and asking permission to re-use - both text and photography, it would seem. Oh dear.

PriceScope IS he source! He's been kicked out of here a billion times for trolling!

Bye Vincent.....I mean diamondspectator!

 

[diamondspectator]

Christina,

I'm glad you find my display name hilarious. Regarding the site, the majority of lurkers here can make up their own decision. The only reason I created this account to make the above post is because the name of the site that I am a webmaster of was mentioned and I felt the need to clear things up. Please do not reply as it may create additional spam if I feel compelled to respond, and it may actually have the unintended consequence of promoting that site further on here which is not my intentions. I have been courteous in my posts, I simply ask other members to show the same respect.

I apologise to the original poster in this thread.

 

[Ella]

PS has not given permission for outside websites to use our content. We will be pursuing the illegal use of our content outside the forum, but for now please do not quote their posts as it makes it harder for us to moderate.

 

[yssie]

Oh - he's THAT guy!! I'd forgotten. Add poor reading comprehension and a misguided superiority complex to my list of objections.

ETA: Sorry Ella, I hadn't read your post yet and I can't seem to delete. I'm going to report this and hopefully you'll get rid of it for me!

 

[Christina...]

PS has not given permission for outside websites to use our content. We will be pursuing the illegal use of our content outside the forum, but for now please do not quote their posts as it makes it harder for us to moderate.

Thanks Ella!