Please help me choose the perfect diamond for my wife!

[miryal]

First of all I am so thankful that I found this forum while trying to make one of the biggest purchases of my life. All of you are so awesome and knowledgeable! Appreciate your guidance folks.

I am looking to buy a diamond for my wife for our 15th wedding anniversary. I would like to buy a stone between 2-2.5 carats and my max budget is 25K. I have been looking and have shortlisted some rocks that I thought were good based on what I have read here and would like your expert opinion. Diamond1 and 2 are from retailers in my area and Diamond3 is from an online vendor.

Diamond1:
Carat 2.27
Cut X
Color J
Clarity VS2
Depth 62.4
Table 55
Crown 35.5
Pavilion 40.6
HCA 1.4
Flourescence Faint
Price $23,700
Light return Excellent
Fire Excellent
Scintillation Excellent
Spread Very Good

Diamond2:
Carat 2.24
Cut X
Color I
Clarity SI1
Depth 60.5
Table 59
Crown 33.5
Pavilion 41
HCA 1.4
Flourescence None
Price $23,000
Light return Excellent
Fire Excellent
Scintillation Very Good
Spread Very Good

Diamond3:
Carat 2.4
Cut Ideal
Color J
Clarity VS2
Depth 61.7
Table 55.8
Crown 34.8
Pavilion 40.8
HCA 1.4
Flourescence Negligible
Price $22,772
Light return Excellent
Fire Excellent
Scintillation Excellent
Spread Very good

Are any of these worth it? Or should I continue looking? Would like to finalize soon as I don't have too much time before the big day

Many thanks in advance!

 

[c-k]

All have potential, but need much more info...Lab reports, Idealsscopes, picture images, etc.

The 2 at local retailers, did you like the color, the clarity, the brightness, the contrast, the sparkle, did both look the same, maybe different, or maybe something you did not like in them? Did you look at them in all light conditions, sometime the lights at the stores make everything look good.

You have a great advantage in the fact you have looked at those in person, with any additional information this will help to determine if these are worthwhile, however seeing in person is the true test. The 3rd stone will be harder to determine this, but again, if you can provide additional info will most certainly help.

 

[miryal]

Thanks ck. Yes the two at the stores looked very similar to our untrained eye in different light conditions. I did ask for idealscope images and was told that they dont provide that. They insisted that these are GIA XXX and we should not have any problems with them. The 3rd diamond is an ACA diamond from Whiteflash. However the stores said that with an online purchase you may get a stone with a brownish tinge etc. and if the prices are very comparable they strongly recommended to not try to go the online route as you dont know what you may get. This is where its getting extremely confusing for me. Your help is greatly appreciated.

 

[c-k]

Thanks ck. Yes the two at the stores looked very similar to our untrained eye in different light conditions. I did ask for idealscope images and was told that they dont provide that. They insisted that these are GIA XXX and we should not have any problems with them. The 3rd diamond is an ACA diamond from Whiteflash. However the stores said that with an online purchase you may get a stone with a brownish tinge etc. and if the prices are very comparable they strongly recommended to not try to go the online route as you dont know what you may get. This is where its getting extremely confusing for me. Your help is greatly appreciated.

The 2 at the store, one is a J/VS2 is a step down from I in color and a step up with a VS2 Clarity....if you could not see any color from the J to the I in the store, the J/VS2 from Whiteflash will be just as white and it has the top of the line cut with ACA AGSL Ideal.

The I & J color are at the lower range of the whites, and if you are ok with either the Whiteflash ACA will be the better cut stone. I have a ACA in a I color and love it.

I would also want to make sure all the diamonds are 'eye clean' for inclusions to your definition of eye clean. Stones of this size even in a VS2 clarity may have visible inclusions, so you would need to ask & look if you can and make sure any inclusions you are ok with.

I think that that J/VS2 Whiteflash would be a beautiful diamond...post the link if you can.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

This is easy. I'd take the ACA 1000 times before I'd take one of the others with no idealscope images, etc. Before I knew it was an ACA, I was going to tell you that the third stone had the safest numbers, and then I found out why! Not to mention it is larger and costs less!!! I would personally prefer an I VS2, but I am only seeing this one:

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2962087.htm ($21,327 with PS/wire discounts)

If she wants larger size over color, though, then I'd go for larger the J ACA.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

In regard to risks with online purchases, I totally agree when you are talking about a drop shipper such as Blue Nile who provides few photos of the stones and no idealscope images. That is a risk I personally won't take. But WF does not choose brown tinted stones for their ACA line to my knowledge. And their ACA line would be equal to the top few percent of GIA Ex stones, so the odds are it is better cut than the other two diamonds.

 

[miryal]

Thanks for the advice. I was personally inclining towards the ACA as well but my wife did not like the online idea as well. I called in this morning to reserve that from WF and am unable to see that in the search now. Probably they took it out. I will find it out and post.

I have 2 other related questions that would appreciate help with:
1. Is it advisable to get the setting from WF as well along with the stone or do folks normally get it set locally? My wife would definitely like to personally see the settings before deciding. Any recommendations on chain stores for getting the setting locally in the Boston area?
2. If we have to return the stone for some reason, how easy/hard is it within the 30 day period. How much money do we typically lose in this process? Looking for any experiences (positive or negative) on this.

 

[GreenBling]

Hi OP, if you prefer to buy in store and only hesitating as they do not provide idealscope image, have you considered buying an ideascope? It's US$25, a small investment for a peace of mind.