Please help me choose which stone to keep!

[Skidiamond41]

Hello all!! I have three diamonds I need to choose from and I only have the weekend to decide cause one needs to go back on Tuesday.

After a while staring, getting the stones mixed up (thank god for laser inscriptions!), a million pictures later and getting the pictures mixed up I think I finally got a method to share images and videos of each one. I will do a separate post for each diamond then another post for all three next to each other. I suck at making decisions hence why I will probably post way to many pictures and videos.

When I look at them I can barely see a difference beside the ever so slightly size difference. To me they are all sparkle bombs. And honestly I can’t truly see the color difference between H and F. I am the opposite of color sensitive. Also both the VS2 and SI1 are eye clean. Please help me decide!! And please ignore the nasty nails, I need a mani!

Diamond 1: 3.46 H vvs2 $3,100ish

Loupe360

loupe360.com

Diamond 2: 3.51 F SI1 $2,900ish

Loupe360

loupe360.com

Diamond 3: 3.55 F VS2 $3,500ish

Loupe360

loupe360.com

 

[Skidiamond41]

Diamond 1: 3.46 H vvs2

3.46 H video

 

[Skidiamond41]

Diamond 2: 3.51 F SI1

3.51 F video

 

[Skidiamond41]

Diamond 3: 3.55 F VS2

3.55 F video

 

[Skidiamond41]

All three together:

Diamond 1 3.46 on my middle finger
Diamond 2 3.51 on my knuckle of pointer finger
Diamond 3 3.55 on the bottom of pointer finger

All three together 3 videos

 

[Skidiamond41]

All three together
Diamond 1 3.46 on the right (I think!)
Diamond 2 3.51 middle (I think!)
Diamond 3 3.55 left (I think!)

All three together




Color comparison 3.46 (left) 3.51 (middle) 3.55 (right)

 

[DejaWiz]

All three look great.
I have my preference out of the three.
Which one are you leaning towards the most after spending time with them in your own day to day environments?

 

[Skidiamond41]

Oddly the 3.51 and I think that’s cause I got the best ASET images from it, but I’m an armature. I am not 100% on The 3.51. I wonder if it’s cause I know it’s SI1 and in the magnified video I see graining. But I like them all and what to keep them all hahahaha but hubby won’t let me do that

I need to wear them around the house some more I think. I was hoping I could tell from the videos and pics I took in all my environments at home. It just make me nervous in the temp settings!

 

[momofive]

I am leaning towards the H. I am not an expert, but something about the warm flashes draws me. But, tbh, they are all beautiful. The 3.55 would be my favorite of the F's. It is true that there must be one that speaks to you. You should ask someone to hand you different ones, one at a time, without telling you which one it is, and see which one draws you in the most.

 

[Skidiamond41]

This is a great idea but I’ll need to get my husband on board to help. He is very not interested in the diamond part.

 

[Skidiamond41]

The other thing I am thinking is I got the 3.46 first and was super excited about the crown and pavilion that in my mind that is my favorite. Then when I compared the Asets I saw more blue in the pavilion so I was worried down the road I wouldn’t like it down the road because I’d know there was some leakage out the pavilion. But again I’m a total asset amature.

With the 3.51 it’s the biggest in measurement and the cheapest. But the SI1 is not mind clean for me. But what brings me back to it is the ASET and knowing it’s the cheapest.

With the 3.55 I really like it but it’s the most expensive and more than what husband and I discussed…

I think what I need to do is what you recommended a blind test.

 

[momofive]

Well, I know the experts here can pick SI's where the inclusions don't affect the sparkle, based on their type and location, So, don't let that stop you.
I started with looking at EGD and then came over here to MMD. When I asked people what they thought about the difference, it seemed to come down to "mind clean". I realized, I was OK with mind clean MMD because everyone said the composition of the diamonds and the characteristics are the same. So in MY mind, why pay thousands more??

Let me know how you make out and I'm interested to see what the experts say as well.

 

[kathness]

They all look gorgeous! I’m not an expert but love the 3.55, then 3.46 then 3,51!

Keep them all and make a pair of earrings too

 

[Kim N]

I like the 3.55, then 3.51, then 3.46. But momofive's blind test idea is the true test IMO. If you can do it in your most common lighting environment, that's even better.

 

[Skidiamond41]

So I spent the last hour staring at diamonds. I had my husband mix them up. I took them individually around the house and then outside. It didn’t work I liked them equally!

So I took all three around the house at the same time and did a ranking system in each room and outside.

The 3.55 was the winner followed by 3.46 and then finally 3.51. I’ll take them around this evening to compare evening lighting. My basement is under construction right now and it’s our primary hangout spot. So I’m hoping the current lighting is what it will be when it’s done. At one point I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to make a decision because they look like identical triplets! I asked my husband to choose and after looking at them a while he laughed and said someone sent me three of the same diamond!

 

[momofive]

Good luck!

 

[lovedogs]

I honestly don't have a consistent favorite of the three, so it's hard for me to choose between them to be honest. I'm sorry that I'm not more helpful.

 

[DejaWiz]

So I spent the last hour staring at diamonds. I had my husband mix them up. I took them individually around the house and then outside. It didn’t work I liked them equally!

So I took all three around the house at the same time and did a ranking system in each room and outside.

The 3.55 was the winner followed by 3.46 and then finally 3.51. I’ll take them around this evening to compare evening lighting. My basement is under construction right now and it’s our primary hangout spot. So I’m hoping the current lighting is what it will be when it’s done. At one point I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to make a decision because they look like identical triplets! I asked my husband to choose and after looking at them a while he laughed and said someone sent me three of the same diamond!

To add to my earlier post: the 3.55 looked the best (to my eyes) in your videos. Yes, nearly impossible to fully assess and appreciate between live viewing with binocular vision versus viewing with monocular video recording equipment, but the fire seemed to pop just a little bit more from the 3.55 compared to the other two.

You mentioned price as being a factor: very important, for most of us. Have you pro/con'd each diamond, including price per carat as one of the data points?

You also mentioned that the SI1 isn't clean in your mind...that's probably way more important than just being clean to the eyes for a lot of folks (especially as carat weight and diameter start getting up there). Is this still a concern now that you've viewed them in a randomized manner?

 

[Skidiamond41]

To add to my earlier post: the 3.55 looked the best (to my eyes) in your videos. Yes, nearly impossible to fully assess and appreciate between live viewing with binocular vision versus viewing with monocular video recording equipment, but the fire seemed to pop just a little bit more from the 3.55 compared to the other two.

You mentioned price as being a factor: very important, for most of us. Have you pro/con'd each diamond, including price per carat as one of the data points?

You also mentioned that the SI1 isn't clean in your mind...that's probably way more important than just being clean to the eyes for a lot of folks (especially as carat weight and diameter start getting up there). Is this still a concern now that you've viewed them in a randomized manner?

After the blind test and a blind test with my girls friends via pictures and videos. I am feeling like I will go with the 3.55. In most lighting in my house the first one I gravitated towards was the 3.55. I mixed them up each room so it was sort of a blind test in each room.

I never once noticed the color or clarity in any of them during the test. Had the 3.51 came on top I think I would have been ok with this one.

In addition after some more thought the $500 more is just fine with me, and in reality it’s only $400. And for a life time of happiness with a ring I will never want to upgrade it’s so worth it. Plus to ease my husbands comfort I gave up my next two hair appointments.

I took the diamonds around tonight and still love them all but just feel like the 3.55 is the winner.

You all have been amazing and I truly appreciate your help!! 3.55 is the one!!

Now I need to wait until December to wear it!!

 

[Kim N]

After the blind test and a blind test with my girls friends via pictures and videos. I am feeling like I will go with the 3.55. In most lighting in my house the first one I gravitated towards was the 3.55. I mixed them up each room so it was sort of a blind test in each room.

I never once noticed the color or clarity in any of them during the test. Had the 3.51 came on top I think I would have been ok with this one.

In addition after some more thought the $500 more is just fine with me, and in reality it’s only $400. And for a life time of happiness with a ring I will never want to upgrade it’s so worth it. Plus to ease my husbands comfort I gave up my next two hair appointments.

I took the diamonds around tonight and still love them all but just feel like the 3.55 is the winner.

You all have been amazing and I truly appreciate your help!! 3.55 is the one!!

Now I need to wait until December to wear it!!

Wonderful, so glad you found the one! You chose it in the best possible way--in person with your own eyes!

 

[momofive]

Congratulations! Great choice. Now put the rest away and just keep looking at that one.

 

[Skidiamond41]

Well the 3.46 and 3.51 got shipped off back to the stores. I’m very happy with my decision!! It is perfect. Now I need to find a setting for it but I have 10 months for that!