Please Help, going to propose in September and dont have a diamond ring yet!

[jet2ks]

Date: 6/26/2009 9:32:50 AM
Author: slumdog
Yes i was worried of the slight leakage. How will this affect the diamond's brilliance? I want to make sure i get the perfect stone for her but there are so many choices out there. Thats why maybe if she picks out what she likes then she will be 100% satisfied.

Thanks

I agree with Lorelei that the slight leakage is not reason to reject, if everything else fits what you want. All diamonds are a trade off of some kind, in this case it is size vs. performance. With this stone, you have larger size and overall very good performance, or you could keep looking and get smaller size and slightly better performance. It's not like this diamond is a chunk of rock salt or frozen spit, it is a very nice stone. I don't know if you would notice the performance IRL. JA does have an excellent return policy so you could purchase the stone and look at it in as many lighting conditions as possible before deciding to keep or return.

Please keep in mind that PS can give a distorted perspective. We spend so much time talking minute technical details with highly magnified images that it is easy to question decisions. I would venture to say that the diamond you are looking at is in the top 10% of those on the market in that size, maybe even the top 5%.

Proposing with no ring at all is certainly an option, but I'm old fashioned enough that I think at least having the diamond makes it more special, even if it isn't in a permanent setting. She is going to love whatever you choose, because it is from you. Whether you decide to purchase this stone or keep looking, we are here to help.

Good luck.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 6/26/2009 9:54:26 AM
Author: jet2ks

Date: 6/26/2009 9:32:50 AM
Author: slumdog
Yes i was worried of the slight leakage. How will this affect the diamond's brilliance? I want to make sure i get the perfect stone for her but there are so many choices out there. Thats why maybe if she picks out what she likes then she will be 100% satisfied.

Thanks

I agree with Lorelei that the slight leakage is not reason to reject, if everything else fits what you want. All diamonds are a trade off of some kind, in this case it is size vs. performance. With this stone, you have larger size and overall very good performance, or you could keep looking and get smaller size and slightly better performance. It's not like this diamond is a chunk of rock salt or frozen spit, it is a very nice stone. I don't know if you would notice the performance IRL. JA does have an excellent return policy so you could purchase the stone and look at it in as many lighting conditions as possible before deciding to keep or return.

Please keep in mind that PS can give a distorted perspective. We spend so much time talking minute technical details with highly magnified images that it is easy to question decisions. I would venture to say that the diamond you are looking at is in the top 10% of those on the market in that size, maybe even the top 5%.

Proposing with no ring at all is certainly an option, but I'm old fashioned enough that I think at least having the diamond makes it more special, even if it isn't in a permanent setting. She is going to love whatever you choose, because it is from you. Whether you decide to purchase this stone or keep looking, we are here to help.

Good luck.

Ditto Jet. It is so easy to get wrapped up in images and think they are the be all and end all of diamonds, they aren't. Yes they are very useful but do not tell the whole story. It is an excellently cut stone, like I said I don't even know if the very slight leakage would be perceptible to the human eye, if you like the diamond but are worried ask for the gemologist to look at the diamond for you, they would be able to give an accurate answer as to whether the leakage can be seen or not, rather than us speculating with images. Also bear in mind we are consumers not experts and as such we do not have a balanced knowledge or experience with diamonds only enough to tell you that yes the image is good and worth further investigation if you want a large diamond for the money. Take all opinions offered to you here with a grain of salt and consider what you truly want and think is right. If you want a perfect superideal h&a cut then this isn't the one but for the budget something will have to give and you might not get that sort of size. The gemologist at James Allen's name is Julianna, if you are still interested in the diamond and want a true expert opinion from someone who has seen the stone and inspected it then request she looks at it for you, and give her opinion on whether the leakage is an issue or not. If not then decide what you want, whether it is a cream of the crop cut or other then go from there.

The bottom line is this diamond is far better cut than very many you will see and is likely to be a great looking stone. The size, 2 carats in reality is very small if you think it is just a bit bigger than a pencil eraser, that puts things into perspective a bit rather than huge images on computer screens! It is easy to get hung up on images doing this all the time but now and then a reality check is a good thing!

 

[Mrs W]

I thought I would check in again to see how you have been doing...so here are some more:

http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/Whiteflash-ACA-cut-diamond-2133622.htm PS discount $17359

http://www.whiteflash.com/round/Round-cut-diamond-2119041.htm PS discount $16927

http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/Whiteflash-ACA-cut-diamond-1466928.htm PS discount $16732

 

[slumdog]

Sorry, i been out of touch, took a long much needed vacation.

I just got from seeing the James Allen diamond in nyc. Boy oh boy, i dont know if it is because i know the color is I but i do see the yellow. I wasnt able to compare it to a G or H though. Cost ~ $16000

My friend went with me to one of her jewelers in the diamond district, 47th and 6th ave in nyc...we were able to see a bigger selection.

These are all GIA certified. Please let me know which one i should go with, i will put down the prices as well. FYI, it might have been the lighting but i couldnt see the yellowness in the I diamond below, however i saw that in the diamond from James Allen.

Dia 1 - GIA 2105643148 - $15,950
Round Brilliant
8.25 - 8.29 x 5.05mm
Carat - 2.13
Color - I
Clarity - VS2
Cut - Excellent
TBL:58%
TD: 61.1%
CA: 35.0 degrees
PA: 40.6 degrees
ST: 50%
LH: 80%
Girdle: MED to STK, F
Culet: Non
Polish: Excellent
Symmetry: Excellent
Fluorescense: None

Dia 2 - GIA 2101306581 - $19,950
Round Brilliant
8.36 - 8.41 x 5.22mm
Carat - 2.23
Color - H
Clarity - VS2
Cut - Excellent
TBL: 56%
TD: 62.3%
CA: 35.0 degrees
PA: 41.4 degrees
ST: 50%
LH: 80%
Girdle: THN to MED, F
Culet: Non
Polish: Excellent
Symmetry: Excellent
Fluorescense: None

Dia 3 - GIA 11545088 - $22,500
Round Brilliant
8.22 - 8.30 x 5.08mm
Carat - 2.11
Color - G
Clarity - VS2
Cut - Excellent
TBL:58%
TD: 61.5%
CA: 34.0 degrees
PA: 41.2 degrees
ST: 55%
LH: 80%
Girdle: THN to MED, F
Culet: Non
Polish: Very Good
Symmetry: Very Good
Fluorescense: None

Thanks again for everyones help!!!
My friend said i can talk down these prices a little more since she purchased for this person many times before. She said maybe 3-4k off.

 

[Lorelei]

If you can see warmth in an I colour then I would stick with H or better, so out of these the last one might be the best one, pass on the middle diamond as it is what we call a steep deep and will likely leak light and not sparkle as well as it could. The I colour is well cut but I would make sure of the colour grade first that it is to your liking. Take the diamonds outside away from the store lights to get a better idea of the colour grades and whether they show colour in more natural lighting as this will give you a better idea. If an I colour still doesn't look good stick to G or H or better, an I colour is where some believe the lay person begins to detect some warmth so you could be one of those folks who are colour sensitive.

 

[stone-cold11]

Were you wearing anything yellow on the day you went to JA? And the other store also on the same day or different day different attire?

From the 3 you posted, I prefer #1.

 

[slumdog]

Thanks for the quick responses.

Stone-cold, i was wearing the same attire since it was today when i saw all 4 diamonds.

I tried moving the 3 diamonds in the store to a darker hall with less light and dia 3 looked the best to me. Im not sure how to decribe it in diamond terms but i can clearly see the "<" angles more clear on dia3 vs dia1. Dia1 wasnt as clear. The jewerler gave me a blind test to see the diamonds and pick the G, H, and I out, i was able to easily pick them out. H was easier since it was bigger, but I and G rather than color i saw the "<" angles better on the G.

Hope im not too confusing regarding the angles, im referring to the inside of the diamond, my friend said they were called fulcets, falcets? sorry just guessing.

Lorelei, do you think it is a good price for Dia3 or i should continue shopping around? I think the best i can get for Dia 3 is probably $17-18, this was based off of past negotiating with the same dealer.

thanks again!

 

[joelly]

Hi Slumdog,
I think if you pricescope your diamond using the link provided by pricescope, you will know what is the other vendors price on your diamond, if any. The tool is at the top of the page of this forum. I hope I am clear enough.
Good luck!

 

[slumdog]

I have another question, should i be asking for the ASET/IS images of the diamond before purchasing? Im not sure if these dealers in the diamond district supply them. Of course dumb me didnt ask when i was there yesterday.

and if they dont have it, should i walk out and find someone that does? are these images that important to see if it is a good diamond or not?

Last question, for now , the cut from JamesAllen showed an ideal cut from AGS, however the GIA ones i saw were only excellent, is that the best i can get for GIA rating?

thanks as always.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 7/22/2009 1:06:17 PM
Author: slumdog
I have another question, should i be asking for the ASET/IS images of the diamond before purchasing? Im not sure if these dealers in the diamond district supply them. Of course dumb me didnt ask when i was there yesterday.

and if they dont have it, should i walk out and find someone that does? are these images that important to see if it is a good diamond or not?

Last question, for now , the cut from JamesAllen showed an ideal cut from AGS, however the GIA ones i saw were only excellent, is that the best i can get for GIA rating?

thanks as always.

Yes.

BTW, if you saw "yellow" in the I color at JA but not in the I color diamonds that you viewed at the other store, then I would bet very very good money that the tint you saw at JA was not in the diamond but was in the environment. AGS and GIA are very strict in grading color and it seems highly unlikely to me that and AGS "I" is yellow whereas a GIA "I" is not. Perhaps the walls were beige or had yellow wood or the sales clerk wore yellow or taupe or brown. All of these colors will be picked up from the environment and will make a diamonds appear tinted when it is not.

I only bring this up because I personally would rather make a large purchase form a company like JA that has a very good reputation here on PS for client after-care and customerservice than purchase from a random diamond distract supplier. I've heard too many bad stories of people dealing with the latter. So if it was the "yellow" of the JA stone throwing you off, I'd encourage you to perhaps go look again and compare to a higher color in the same environment.

 

[jet2ks]

Date: 7/22/2009 1:06:17 PM
Author: slumdog
I have another question, should i be asking for the ASET/IS images of the diamond before purchasing? Im not sure if these dealers in the diamond district supply them. Of course dumb me didnt ask when i was there yesterday.

and if they dont have it, should i walk out and find someone that does? are these images that important to see if it is a good diamond or not?

Last question, for now , the cut from JamesAllen showed an ideal cut from AGS, however the GIA ones i saw were only excellent, is that the best i can get for GIA rating?

thanks as always.

Most B&M stores do not have IS and ASET scopes, you can still ask, but don't expect a yes from the store--you might even get a blank look in reply. It is certainly possible to find a good diamond without these tools, but you need to have some idea of what to look at and for.

AGS is the only lab that has ideal as a cut grade, GIA's highest grade is excellent. Don't go just by the grade with GIA, as some stones rated excellent may not have good light performance. GIA's range for excellent is a little broad and can include some steep/deep combos.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 7/22/2009 3:52:44 PM
Author: jet2ks

Date: 7/22/2009 1:06:17 PM
Author: slumdog
I have another question, should i be asking for the ASET/IS images of the diamond before purchasing? Im not sure if these dealers in the diamond district supply them. Of course dumb me didnt ask when i was there yesterday.

and if they dont have it, should i walk out and find someone that does? are these images that important to see if it is a good diamond or not?

Last question, for now , the cut from JamesAllen showed an ideal cut from AGS, however the GIA ones i saw were only excellent, is that the best i can get for GIA rating?

thanks as always.

Most B&M stores do not have IS and ASET scopes, you can still ask, but don''t expect a yes from the store--you might even get a blank look in reply. It is certainly possible to find a good diamond without these tools, but you need to have some idea of what to look at and for.

AGS is the only lab that has ideal as a cut grade, GIA''s highest grade is excellent. Don''t go just by the grade with GIA, as some stones rated excellent may not have good light performance. GIA''s range for excellent is a little broad and can include some steep/deep combos.

Ditto. Also with the colour it is just possible you are one of those colour sensitive people who can discern tint in an I colour, as I said previously this is where some in the industry believe the layman can begin to notice warmth, so check out any I colour extremely carefully to get a good idea of your colour perception or if in doubt stick with H or better.

 

[slumdog]

Thanks guys.

Lorelei, didnt notice that was you with the new icon .

I am heading to see another guy today in the diamond district and since i cant see an is image, i am wondering what are the perfect tables and dimensions i should be looking at? And how far should i go from those perfect numbers?
thanks

 

[slumdog]

quick update, i saw the "wholesaler" yesterday and he showed me a diamond that had a GIA certificate number engraved on it however when i looked it up on the gia website, they couldnt find it. Does anyone know why this happened?

FYI, the number is 2016336891 2.01 carats.

thanks

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 7/24/2009 8:10:13 AM
Author: slumdog
quick update, i saw the 'wholesaler' yesterday and he showed me a diamond that had a GIA certificate number engraved on it however when i looked it up on the gia website, they couldnt find it. Does anyone know why this happened?

FYI, the number is 2016336891 2.01 carats.

thanks

Hi slum

I will take a look for you...

Can you check the report number please and the exact carat weight? Sometimes the report check function can be down, if we still aren't getting a result I would call them directly to check.

For a guide, you can use these figures to help you if needed.

depth - 60 - 62% - although my personal preference is to allow up to 62.4%
table - 54- 57%
crown angle - 34- 35 degrees
pavilion angle - 40.6- 41 degrees
girdle - avoid extremes, look for thin to slightly thick, thin to medium etc
polish and symmetry - very good and above

note - with crown and pavilion angles at the shallower ends ( CA 34- PA 40.6) and steeper ( CA 35- PA 41) check to make sure these angles complement in that particular diamond - eyeballs, Idealscope, trusted vendor input - check as appropriate!

As the above implies, configurations depend on each other. A little give here can still work with a little take there.

From expert John Pollard.

With that said, here's a "Cliff's Notes" for staying near Tolkowsky/ideal angles with GIA reports (their numbers are rounded): A crown angle of 34.0, 34.5 or 35.0 is usually safe with a 40.8 pavilion angle. If pavilion angle = 40.6 lean toward a 34.5-35.0 crown. If pavilion angle = 41 lean toward a 34.0-34.5 crown.

GIA "EX" in cut is great at its heart, but it ranges a bit wider than some people prefer, particularly in deep combinations (pavilion > 41 with crown > 35).

 

[litebrite]

My boyfriend and I decided to get married after 8 years, and he let me custom design the ring. I had a great deal of fun doing so, and then after it arrived, he figured out a proposal, dinner, and outdoors activity.

Not for everyone, but I got exactly what I wanted. Although pricescope has me wanting more and new things everyday

 

[slumdog]

Hello again everyone!!!

Sorry to keep you guys out of the loop. I just placed a deposit for the following ring,Click here

Please let me know what you think.

Its pretty pricey and the SI2 got me scared. But the hearts and arrows and all the other specs were ideal. I could barely tell theres that feather on the top of the diamond with a loop, but of course im not an expert. It was very brillant and sparkled in all lighting. Do you think this diamond is worth the price?

Thanks!!! hope to hear from you guys soon.

 

[Upgradable]

Man alive!!! I think you''re going to be blown away!!!! And I hope you wait for your answer before you show her the ring, otherwise she may be so entrance that she forgets you are there!!!!!

 

[ts44]

Wow that''s a great looking diamond, slumdog. I think she''s going to fall out of her chair when she sees it! Also, Good Old Gold is a great vendor to work with and they will do everything in their power and more to make sure you are completely satisfied. Good job, and good luck with the proposal!

 

[Lynn B]

Date: 8/29/2009 8:44:54 PM
Author: slumdog
Hello again everyone!!!

Sorry to keep you guys out of the loop. I just placed a deposit for the following ring,Click here

Please let me know what you think.

Its pretty pricey and the SI2 got me scared. But the hearts and arrows and all the other specs were ideal. I could barely tell theres that feather on the top of the diamond with a loop, but of course im not an expert. It was very brillant and sparkled in all lighting. Do you think this diamond is worth the price?

Thanks!!! hope to hear from you guys soon.

Oh, you done good, REEEEEEEEEEEAL good!

LOVE. IT!!!

 

[vespergirl]

Wow, that diamond is GORGEOUS! Congrats on picking a ring! Your girlfriend is going to LOVE it. That is just a perfect stone. Can''t wait to see pictures of it on her hand!

P.S. You definitely did not overpay - that seems like a very fair price for that stone - it''s gorgeous!

 

[vespergirl]

I forgot to ask - what type of setting will you be putting the diamond in?

 

[tyty333]

That is a gorgeous stone you have picked out! Please provide us with some pictures to drool over when
you get it set!

 

[slumdog]

Here is the setting she likes from tiffany http://www.tiffany.com/Engagement/item.aspx?GroupSku=GRP10018&selectedSku=23628031#f+4/0/0/0/0/0...goodoldgold showed me something very similar..but the price is $3000...arg! so pricey.

So total price of the ring with diamond is roughly $25k.

What do you guys think?

Im heading to diamond district today to check it out and see whats the best they can do.

im still worried about the si2 clarity

, if its eye clean and loop clean to newbies like me, is that okay?

 

[elle_chris]

That''s a gorgeous stone and setting. You did great.

In fact, based on the pics, the chances of you seeing an inclusion is pretty slim. First time I''ve ever seen such a clean SI2. Wow, I''d even consider it.

 

[Lula]

Hi, slumdog -- I agree with the others -- you did great!! It''s a beautiful stone. And the setting style you chose is perfect for it.

If you like the setting at GOG, I think it''s the easiest and least stress-free to have the vendor set the stone. There won''t be any sales tax for you, right? And no setting fee.

As to the SI2, if it is loupe and eyeclean to you, I think it would be unlikely that other non-expert eyes could pick out the inclusions.

I have an SI2 and I cannot see a thing, even up close, and it''s hard for me to pick out the inclusions in my stone even with a 10X loupe. I can find them under the loupe if I know where to look, but no way just casually observing the stone.

You got a wonderful stone.

 

[vespergirl]

LOVE that setting. I don''t know if you''ve checked his prices, but I''ve seen that same setting on Leon Mege''s website (he''s a pricescope vendor). He does excellent work, so you may want to get a quote from him. Check out his website to see that ring.