Please help assess this diamond before purchase!

[rorodiamant]

Hi,

I am new to the community and it's my first post! I spent hours just reading others' experiences in reselling/upgrading journey.

I am on the same boat. Trying to upgrade my current ring to a larger stone. I am not seeing it in person, just via online/video/photos.

The stone is IGI certified 1.6(7.53 - 7.59 x 4.58 mm)/D/VVS2/Ideal-ex-ex. It is eye clean but on the certificate, it does have a tiny inclusion on the window. And I am wondering whether the proportion might be too shallow. The HCA tool says it is an okay stone but I wanted to get more opinion on it.

Also I am not sure whether there is much discrepancy between GIA and IGI. Looking forward to hearing everyone's opinion!

 

[Jax172]

Is this a natural mined or a lab grown diamond? I ask because it pretty typical for a diamond to have an IGI cert if it’s lab grown. If that’s the case this post belongs in the lab grown forum.

 

[sledge]

A few thoughts:

1. It’s VVS2 clarity. That means it’s going to be hard to detect under a microscope @ 10x, and not visible to the naked eye at all. So it’s a very safe assumption it’s eye clean. To put this in perspective a good portion of SI1 and most VS2 stones will be eye clean in this size range.

2. Playing off #1, I personally love high color & clarity stones, but you need to be aware there is a huge premium for those preferences. Most people will struggle to see a color difference between D-F and staying at VS2+ would save you some serious bucks. I’m okay with paying for things I like & prefer as long as I understand that premium exists and it’s worthwhile to me.

3. If you want to hear a tragedy about why the lab matters, have a read of this thread. Short version is OP bought 2 stones that were EGL graded F/G color and SI1 clarity for $14k. She tried for years to sell and no bites. Local store won’t take a trade due to a BS excuse. She gets the stone regraded at GIA and they come back at J/K color and I1/I2 clarity. Street value on adjusted specs is about $5k! With a GIA report you have reasonable assurance what you are buying is true. You don’t end up overpaying for potentially over inflated grades. So there is 0 times I am going to recommend anyone buy a stone without a GIA or AGS report. Possibly HRD if you are abroad.

4. I would not recommend the stone in general or the proportions in general for a ring. Big table, shallow depth and flat top will equal lifeless stone with lots of bright white light return. Better suited for a pendant or earring. Aside from that I disagree with with their grade of “ideal”. To obtain closer to true ideal cut stay within these ranges:

54-57 table
60-62 depth
34-35 crown
40.6-40.8 pavilion
75-80 lower girdle facets
GIA 3X or AGS000
HCA score 1-2

 

[tyty333]

Can you post a link to the stone? (put it on hold first if you are still interested in it)

 

[rorodiamant]

Is this a natural mined or a lab grown diamond? I ask because it pretty typical for a diamond to have an IGI cert if it’s lab grown. If that’s the case this post belongs in the lab grown forum.

It is mined. I am purchasing the stone from abroad and there is shortage / backlog of GIA certs due to covid in India. Decided that it is fine to go with IGI after reading reddit threads but not sure that is a good idea after reading a thread in here..

 

[rorodiamant]

A few thoughts:

1. It’s VVS2 clarity. That means it’s going to be hard to detect under a microscope @ 10x, and not visible to the naked eye at all. So it’s a very safe assumption it’s eye clean. To put this in perspective a good portion of SI1 and most VS2 stones will be eye clean in this size range.

2. Playing off #1, I personally love high color & clarity stones, but you need to be aware there is a huge premium for those preferences. Most people will struggle to see a color difference between D-F and staying at VS2+ would save you some serious bucks. I’m okay with paying for things I like & prefer as long as I understand that premium exists and it’s worthwhile to me.

3. If you want to hear a tragedy about why the lab matters, have a read of this thread. Short version is OP bought 2 stones that were EGL graded F/G color and SI1 clarity for $14k. She tried for years to sell and no bites. Local store won’t take a trade due to a BS excuse. She gets the stone regraded at GIA and they come back at J/K color and I1/I2 clarity. Street value on adjusted specs is about $5k! With a GIA report you have reasonable assurance what you are buying is true. You don’t end up overpaying for potentially over inflated grades. So there is 0 times I am going to recommend anyone buy a stone without a GIA or AGS report. Possibly HRD if you are abroad.

4. I would not recommend the stone in general or the proportions in general for a ring. Big table, shallow depth and flat top will equal lifeless stone with lots of bright white light return. Better suited for a pendant or earring. Aside from that I disagree with with their grade of “ideal”. To obtain closer to true ideal cut stay within these ranges:

54-57 table
60-62 depth
34-35 crown
40.6-40.8 pavilion
75-80 lower girdle facets
GIA 3X or AGS000
HCA score 1-2

Thank you for all the insights. So in short it is probably sensible to go with DEF/VS2/ with GIA/AGS/HRD.

I read about the 80 facets called INESTIA or something similar like that. It sounded like it didn't matter much and it is another premium. Did I misunderstand?

I did spend long time reading that thread last night and decided to make a post for advice. I know that we are supposed to expect 30% back for resale but I just couldn't believe such discrepancy between 2 different company. Of course, I also heard that old GIA stones often get re-certified and gets lower spec back too. Regardless, I think diamonds are just luxury not an investment item so I am not too concerned about the resale value. I do want to buy a good stone for nice fire/scintillation/dispersion though. The problem is I dont have enough knowledge to know even if I see it in person especially when the lights are all set to make it look great in shops.

I will do some more search based on these parameters. Thank you!

 

[rorodiamant]

Can you post a link to the stone? (put it on hold first if you are still interested in it)

I am getting the info from a dealer directly so there is no link to share other than what I get via message.

 

[oncrutchesrightnow]

I am getting the info from a dealer directly so there is no link to share other than what I get via message.

Yeah, that might be a nope.

 

[sledge]

Diamonds are not good investments. They are LUXURY items and should be treated as such when purchasing. There are rare exceptions if you buy something extremely unique. But that is not the case here.

In regards to labs, they are supposed to instill confidence. IGI is known for "soft" grading which erodes confidence and also creates risk you are overpaying for a stone, as it may not be the color and/or clarity the IGI report says it is.

I would stick with a GIA or AGS graded stone.

 

[musicloveranthony]

I wouldn't choose that stone because I don't like how large and low the table is. I know this forum is an HCA based forum, but I don't agree with the HCA preference for shallow stones. I'd look for a different one.