Please HELP me to make a decision!

[sweatgem]

which one will you choose?

1) 1.00 ct G/SI1 H&A AGS000
HCA 1.7 ex, vg, vg, vg
$ 5490
Table 57%, depth 60.4%, crown: 34.8, pavillion angle: 40.9
measurement: 6.52-6.53x3.94

2) 1.02 ct G/VS2 GIA ex ex, flour: Faint girdle:medium
HCA 1.7 ex, vg, vg, vg
$ 5200
table 55.8%, depth 61%, crown 34.8, pavil 40.9
measurement: 6.54-6.55x3.9

3) 1.05 ct G/VS2 GIA ex (polish) vg(sys), flour: None
girdle:thn-med, faceted
HCA 0.9 ex, ex, ex, vg
$ 5370
Table 55.8, depth 61%, crown 34.5, pav 40.7
measurement: 6.55-6.59x4

My concern is, the first one is heart and arrow of course, and with AGS triple 0, but with 1.7 on HCA only compared with (3) which is 0.9 on HCA. The third one is bigger and with better clarity and better score on HCA, however with vg on sysmetric (not excellent). Actually, (3) is cheaper than (1).
The second one, well, it has GIA ex ex, and price is the cheapest and with not bad quality.
How important is HCA? if it's good score on HCA, does it mean it's good cut or ideal cut? Should I go for (3) and get bigger stone with better HCA? or go for H&A? So which one will you choose? will you choose the H&A or bigger stone with better HCA?
I am very confused now. My boyfriend prefers # 2 in somehow, not because of the price, coz he doesn't know the price exactly for those 3 diamonds, just have a budget limit for me to choose what I want. I don't know what to do now!!!

Please Help!

 

[fire&ice]

Could you provid the measurements, table %, etc.

 

[sweatgem]

table, depth, measurements..etc...have been updated in the orginal post

 

[mike04456]

Those three are so close together that you need to see them to decide. (You need to see them regardless.) On the basis of the numbers, I would go with #2--it will look the largest.




As has been stated in the past, the HCA is not exact enough to make distinctions between 0.9 and 1.7. All Garry has ever said is that going under 2.0 will eliminate the poorly cut stones.

 

[sweatgem]

LawGem,

Thanks so much for your advice. My boyfriend picked # 2 as well.

But for me, it's very difficult decision as you said those 3 diamonds are so close. I want to see them in person, but I live outside US, so it's kinda impossible

So HCA 1.7 ex,vg,vg,vg would be as good as 0.9 ex,ex,ex,vg in somehow, right?

 

[sweatgem]

any more experts can give me advice? Please

 

[valeria101]

Aside clarity, all those number do not indicate any visible difference between the stones. Of course, they can actually look a bit different in one way or another, but whatever that would be it is not captured by the info available. The difference betwee prices is not big enough to mean anything but different pricing practice by different sellers. Between VS and SI, why not VS (if price is the same). The HCAs indicate potentially great cut in all stones. H&A quality, unless demonstrated by something (a picture of H&A viewer or Light scope would do) is a rather loose label not backed by strict trade rules. Basically, you have three better than average stones with great potential to top the charts. Even the difference in size is minimal (not to mention that those measurements are not precise down to o.o1's). Do you have a three-sided coin to toss?

If not, one could take the SI off the list to beging with, then look for whatever number looks different between the remaining two (the HCA is) and go for #3, I guess... Between #2 and #3 tossing a coin would be great.

 

[sweatgem]

hehe...thanks so much for advice, Valeria. Me and my boyfriend agree to elimimate the SI1.
But 2 or 3???...

, can't make a decision by tossing a coin though

Actually, I like #3 better as it scores better on HCA and a tiny bit better, however, my concern is it's graded excellent on polish, but very good on sysmetry in GIA. On the other hand, #2 is graded excellent for both polish and sysmetry....that's why it's so difficult to make a decision. coz, 2 Excellent of course look much better than Excellent and Very good.
Do you mind picking a diamond with verg good for sysmetry instead of excellent?

 

[valeria101]

----------------
On 1/16/2004 6:54:48 AM sweatgem wrote:


On the other hand, #2 is graded excellent for both polish and sysmetry....that's why it's so difficult to make a decision. coz, 2 Excellent of course look much better than Excellent and Very good.
Do you mind picking a diamond with verg good for sysmetry instead of excellent? ----------------

Actually, these would not "look" at all. If you can tell the difference, congratulations ! No way I could. I am not a professional grader, not even a jeweler and under the circumstances, I would probably be able to tell you that a badly distorted stone would be get "fair" or worse for symmetry (forget polish) but above "good" I'm lost. Not that I would be too embarased: most people would need a deap breath and good look to tell the difference. VG is nice enough to allow perfect H&A to form when the proportions of the cut are right. EX? Whatever. VG is just "very good", I would not mind it at all.

And an added argument: VG symmetry is rare among non-round cuts (most are good) and is already a badge of merit for rounds.

 

[Giangi]

I like #2.

 

[warranip]

those 3 stones are so close....I can understand how difficult to make a decision, if I were you, I would choose....don't know actually, 2 or 3

Let some other experts give you more advice instead

 

[BWise]

I will go with #2. Glad to see you eliminated SI1 cause I always find the clarity between VS and SI does make a difference in how the stone actually looks.




#2 and #3 are really close statistically - I bet you won't be able to tell much difference either if you view them side by side. My own experience tells me when everything is alike, the stone with better symmetry looks more dense. Again, HCA score difference is not material on those two. Why would you want to pay to pay more for something that might look no different?

 

[Kay]

Ooh, that's tough because 2 and 3 are so similar. I would probably go with 2 because it is a little bit cheaper,its symmetry is excellent, its diameter measurements are a little tighter (6.54 x 6.55 versus 6.55 x 6.59), and it has faint fluorescense (verify that this is blue fluor -- I like a little blue fluor because it seems to make the stone appear "whiter" to the eye). Despite the slight weight difference, I do not think that 3 will look any bigger than 2 based on their diameters.

 

[ladydia]

Yes, agree and I prefer #2.