Please help! Did I get a good deal?

[isthree00]

Well after much research I have made the plunge. The dealer is a wholesaler in NYC who is a friend of a very trusted friend. I had to buy sight unseen which I was nervous about being that it''s an SI3, however I have 30 days full return and the option to upgrade at no cost in the future.

Here are the specs:

EGL USA Cert (NYC Lab)
Weight: 2.15CT
Shape: Round Brilliant
Measurements: 8.47-8.44x5.02mm
Depth: 59.4%
Table: 58%
Crown: 14%
Pavilion: 42.5%
Girdle: Thin to medium faceted
Culet: none
Polish: good
Symmetry: good
clarity: SI3
Color: I
Flourescence: Medium blue
Comments: none

Platinum 6 prong solitaire setting and I paid $7,900. Face up, the stone is gorgeous and inclusions are not visible. Obviously, you can see them when looking in the side or from the bottom. The cut is supposedly ideal and gets great scores using the HCA.

Did I overpay? I''d love some more expert opinions please. Thanks!

 

[pricescope]

Isthree00, welcome to the forum.

Based on the numbers, price is in line with similar EGL graded diamonds listed online. The fact that it's EGL-USA is a good thing.

 

[isthree00]

Thanks for the welcome.

My friend said that this guy supposedly gets great deals and can save me several thousand dollars. It seems as if that was not the case. . .

Is the cut of this stone ideal? (by numbers alone) Would I be better off putting my $8,000 towards something a little smaller (1.9-2.0) and of better quality? Any and all help is VERY appreciated! Thanks.

 

[NewYorker]

That is a personal preference - to get something smaller and better quality. Personally, I think quality should be more important than size but again, that is a personal preference. I also would not consider a diamond below SI1 for that size. Good luck and post pics when you get "the one."

 

[isthree00]

Tanya,

Even if it is "eye clean" face up? My fiance to be looooves the 2.15 size and thinks it's perfect, however those don't come cheap

What I want to know is who will ever notice that her diamond is SI3 as opposed to VS2 or SI1? You have to hold the diamond an inch from your eyes and look in the side to see anything. . . will anyone ever do that?

And how do i go about taking a picture if i don't have a macro lens?

 

[fire&ice]

If the stone looks good to you & your financee is willing to sacrifice a bit of quality, then go for it. The med. blue may enhance the color.

The price is in line - a good deal but not the deal of the century. From the numbers, you got a nice stone w/ alot of bang for your buck. Most people will just notice the size & "pretty" nature of the stone b/c of the cut.

 

[fire&ice]

BTW, for a hundred or so bucks, I'd get the piece of mind an independent appraisal will provide.

 

[hoorray]

The person who will see the inclusions, if anyone, is your fiancee. She'll look at the diamond off and on all day long, forever. If she loves it and is happy, end of story. If the inclusions will bug her since she'll know they are there, maybe you need to keep looking. Others won't see of care. It's about the wo of you being happy with it.

 

[NewYorker]

It's hard for me to believe you can't see inclusions in an SI3 of that big size, but maybe I'm wrong. Have you discussed it with your girl?
It's true, most will just notice the size and since it is a good cut it should sparkle and since it's med. blue flour. (like mine) it should look much whiter too!

If you're happy with it - buy it! It sounds like she wants that size too so something smaller might not please her. (though I can't believe someone wouldn't be please with a 1.5 carat diamond!)

I'm just a very hard person to please. Mine is VS1 or 2 (lost the appraisal - can't remember) and I remember when we got it (5 yrs ago) thinking, "Man! It's not even VVS quality!" I couldn't believe it either since it looks so clean to the naked eye. But, I just got the ideal scope and

to my horror it shows all the nasty inclusions.
From one side of mine without magnification I can see a few tiny black dots, but that's it.

It's only .69ct. but that's all he could afford at the time and sometimes you gotta be happy you even got one!

 

[fire&ice]

I have a large EGL SI1stone. The GIA "appraiser" said maybe closer to SI2. Didn't care. Can't see. No one, so far, has been able to see the flaws. In fact, I have had - too my face "it's perfect" - behind my back - that must have cost her a FORTUNE. In a well cut stone, someone who knows there is a flaw has to look for it. 99.9% of the time that is not the case.

Good luck!

 

[fire&ice]

As an aside, I viewed a 1.5 great cut stone SI3 in a setting - on my own - not on someones finger. All I saw was the awe of the sparkle & the contentment of the wearer. Truly, no flaws.

 

[isthree00]

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On 9/5/2003 6:56:22 PM fire&ice wrote:

I have a large EGL SI1stone. The GIA "appraiser" said maybe closer to SI2. Didn't care. Can't see. No one, so far, has been able to see the flaws. In fact, I have had - too my face "it's perfect" - behind my back - that must have cost her a FORTUNE. In a well cut stone, someone who knows there is a flaw has to look for it. 99.9% of the time that is not the case.

Good luck!
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That's my opinion - the stone really is good looking and I doubt anyone will ever say, gee when i put your wife's hand up to my face and look at her stone on the side i can see an inclusion. As someone before said, if she's happy, that's all that matters.

Can anyone verify that this stone is indeed well cut based on the specs i posted initially??

Also, how much does polish affect the way a diamond shines? This one is good polish. What kind of difference would a very good or excellent polish make?

I need to take a picture of this thing. . .

 

[NewYorker]

I'll look up the cut tomorrow. (yawn) As far as the polish goes - I read that it makes no difference and does not affect the price either. Frankly, if that is the case I'm not sure why it's even rated. I guess just stay clear of 'poor' polish.