Please help me narrow selection

[cbear]

Hello all. I'm new to this community and I'd like your help narrowing down some choices for an engagement diamond. After reading the pricescope wiki, learning a bit, and searching around I've come up w/quite a few choices. I'd like your help narrowing down which of the bunch look good (I'm having a bit of a hard time judging which idealscope images look great vs good, etc). My budget is around $20-$24k. My girlfriend told me she'd be happy with anything I choose. I'd like to go for a H&A Ideal Cut AGS0, Color anywhere between F - I, Clarity anywhere between IF - VVS2, and carat I'm hoping between 1.2 - 1.4 (although I'd like the biggest I can get within my budget after prioritizing the previous C's). I've come up with a few lists here:

https://www.pricescope.com/diamond-search-results/1380167
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/compare.aspx?idnos=2649051,2618012,2661533,2672991

After looking at the james allen bunch, this one stood out to me by looking at the HCA & IdealScope image. Although I readily admit my eyes are not trained to read idealscope images very well at all:
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/F-VVS1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1195050.asp?b=16&a=12&c=77&cid=131

And of the whiteflash bunch, this one looked pretty good to me. Although looking at whiteflash, all the idealscope images look the same to me
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2649051.htm

What do you think? Which ones should I look at further? Sorry if I missed any details. If I did please let me know. Thank you for your help!

 

[Gypsy]

I would not go for I color and IF or VVS clarity. What on earth made you decide on that as your balance of the 4 C's. As long as a stone is eyeclean you cannot SEE the difference, without a loupe, between an SI1 and an IF stone. But you can DEFINITELY see the difference between a D,E,F and an I. No one will EVER ask you the clarity of your stone. They WILL ask you about the size. And they might ask you about color.

I would re-evaluate your priorities on what you think you want. I would shoot for an F-G stone in an eyeclean VS2 clarity. Best possible light performance.

 

[Gypsy]

Here are a few nice stones to consider for your budget:

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.547-f-vs2-round-diamond-ags-104052954002
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.500-g-vs1-round-diamond-ags-104051364011

And maybe this H:
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.700-h-vs2-round-diamond-ags-104051364008

And then there is this Blue Line F SI that if eyeclean I would absolutely consider, and then save part of your budget for other expenses such as the wedding, a wedding band or the honeymoon: http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.553-f-si1-round-diamond-ags-104054186010

 

[hearts-arrows_girl]

Here are a few nice stones to consider for your budget:

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.547-f-vs2-round-diamond-ags-104052954002
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.500-g-vs1-round-diamond-ags-104051364011

And maybe this H:
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.700-h-vs2-round-diamond-ags-104051364008

And then there is this Blue Line F SI that if eyeclean I would absolutely consider, and then save part of your budget for other expenses such as the wedding, a wedding band or the honeymoon: http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.553-f-si1-round-diamond-ags-104054186010

That 1.70 H VS2 Gypsy found, would be my pick. White and eyeclean AND big! (Gypsy, I still love your kitty photo)

 

[cbear]

I would not go for I color and IF or VVS clarity. What on earth made you decide on that as your balance of the 4 C's. As long as a stone is eyeclean you cannot SEE the difference, without a loupe, between an SI1 and an IF stone. But you can DEFINITELY see the difference between a D,E,F and an I. No one will EVER ask you the clarity of your stone. They WILL ask you about the size. And they might ask you about color.

I would re-evaluate your priorities on what you think you want. I would shoot for an F-G stone in an eyeclean VS2 clarity. Best possible light performance.

Thanks for your help. I'm still learning about diamonds and the 4 C's but I will re-evaluate and look at different diamonds according to your specs. Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[cbear]

After doing more searching I found the following stones in addition to the ones suggested by gypsy (thank you!):
https://www.pricescope.com/diamond-search-results/1384651

From my not so good judging eyes, the Ideal Scope & ASET images on these look good.
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.547-f-vs2-round-diamond-ags-104052954002
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.500-g-vs1-round-diamond-ags-104051364011
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2632191.htm

What are the expert's thoughts on any of the ones in the search or of the 3 above? It's hard to judge the james allen ones because as far as I can tell they don't show ASET images on their site. Thank you all for your help. Sorry if I missed anything.

 

[Gypsy]

From my not so good judging eyes, the Ideal Scope & ASET images on these look good.
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.547-f-vs2-round-diamond-ags-104052954002
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.500-g-vs1-round-diamond-ags-104051364011
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2632191.htm

What are the expert's thoughts on any of the ones in the search or of the 3 above? It's hard to judge the james allen ones because as far as I can tell they don't show ASET images on their site. Thank you all for your help. Sorry if I missed anything.

Any of these are excellent choices. I'd go for the F color one myself. Which vendor between the two has the setting that appeals to you most? You're looking at equally nice light performance and stones that are cut to very similar specs. If one vendor has a setting you prefer, over the other then that is one way to decide.

 

[VRBeauty]

That 1.70 H VS2 Gypsy found, would be my pick. White and eyeclean AND big! (Gypsy, I still love your kitty photo)

And it's marked "sold!" That was fast! I wonder whether the OP or a late night lurker got it?