Please help to pick and comment on online vendors

[Blanche]

After I decided to own diamond ring and pendant, I started to search information from Google. I learn so much from the great informative post in this forum and Good Old Gold! I have a general ideas on 4Cs, portions and so as the concepts on fancy shapes. I intended to search around 0.35ct round diamond for ring and around 0.4ct pear diamond for pendant. With some searches (actually I searched on and off for more than several months ) for round and pear shape stones, I have a few candidates and would like to ask your opinions.

Round diamond
(1).US $747
Carat weight: 0.33
Cut: Signature Ideal
Colour: H
Clarity: VVS2
Depth %: 61.6%
Table %: 57%
Polish: Excellent
Symmetry: Excellent
Girdle: Medium to Slightly Thick
Culet: None
Fluorescence: None
Measurements: 4.44 x 4.47 x 2.75 mm

(2). US $604
Carat weight: 0.31
Cut: Ideal
Colour: G
Clarity: VVS2
Depth %: 62.4%
Table %: 57%
Polish: Excellent
Symmetry: Excellent
Girdle: Medium
Culet: None
Fluorescence: Strong
Measurements: 4.35 x 4.36 x 2.72 mm

As a layman, I feel (1) & (2) are so close to each other, except the fluorescence characteristics. Both of them seem to have a good table and depth ratio. Indeed (1) is less blind buy than (2) as it's blue nile signature cut line which includes the ASG certificate.

Pear diamond
(1) US $465
Carat weight: 0.39
Cut: Very Good
Colour: H
Clarity: IF
Depth %: 58.9%
Table %: 59%
Polish: Excellent
Symmetry: Very Good
Girdle: Slightly Thick to Very Thick
Culet: None
Fluorescence: None
Measurements: 6.44 x 4.16 x 2.45 mm
Length/width ratio: 1.55

(2) US $837
Carat weight: 0.40
Cut: Very Good
Colour: H
Clarity: VVS2
Depth %: 60.8%
Table %: 59%
Polish: Very Good
Symmetry: Very Good
Girdle: Medium to Very Thick
Culet: None
Fluorescence: None
Measurements: 6.48 x 4.13 x 2.51 mm
Length/width ratio: 1.57

I understand it is very difficult for anyone to tell if a pear shape diamond is good or not. Bow-tie effect is never able to predict from above numbers. I would still like to ask if your opinion on these two pear stones. The ratio and table % looks fall into the good cut class.

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Besides, I would like to ask your comment on online vendors,blue nile, james allen, white flash and ritani. I think them are:
1. Blue nile: cheapest diamonds, seems tons choices (but probably are massive not in house diamond), no actual image available and average customer service.
2. Ritani: a little bit expensive than blue nile, less choice as BN, with actual image (some diamonds), I don't hear them much before but they seems to be a repute retail in US from their web-site. Same CS experience as BN.
3. James Allen & White Flash: more expensive than BN, with actual image or even 360 degree of view, further information available upon request on virtual inventory. Good CS (much better than I experienced from BN, I feel like to talk to real people than machine-like in BN)

BN definitely offers the best price but I am a bit concern the actual quality as I am not able to view the images. Ritani seems to be a cheaper price alternative but I really don't hear them before, especially concern stone quality as well as after sell service. For JA and WF, I previously read posts recommended them in this forum as they provide actual image of the stones. What do you think about them all?

 

[ariel144]

4mm x 6 mm is very small stone. In a stone that tiny you could get a good I1 clarity and it would not be seen with the naked eye. I would suggest that you need to go with a lower color and clarity for your budget or find a nice estate or antique cut on ebay. There are PSrs that can help you with that as well.

I would go with this pear on GOG, it is quite bit larger 5.5 x 7.2 which will make a very nice statement for the $800.

Also the ASET on this pear is quite nice so it will perform well ...this is your best stone for a low budget.

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/5590/

hope this helps.

 

[Blanche]

Thank you so much, Ariel. As a first thought of the pear pendant, I think of a small pear stone because I am kinda like petite and simple classic pendant . But you really point the size problem out, I checked the measure of my everyday pendants, they are all around 1.5cm, thus the pear diamonds are truly too small even after set. I am now searching for those 0.4 - 0.6ct pear stones, I think the pendant will be around 1.5cm in pave bail set.

After hard work of searching diamonds, I finally able to find a local chain jewelry shop sell loose diamonds. I checked their website and certainly interested in some round diamonds, however their pear and oval diamonds stock is too limited. I may still need to go online for buying fancy shape stone for my pendant.

I will go to shop to check the stones first and come back to ask for help. Thanks in advance! : )

 

[Niel]

you cannot judge a pear by its stats. it could have the biggest bowtie youve ever seen, or it could have a dead tip, you have to see them.

i can say those prices seem high
here are a few higher color and still high clarity.
http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/pear-shaped//CaratFrom:0.29|CaratTo:0.37|PriceFrom:400|PriceTo:999000|Sort:Carat%20asc,%20DefaultOrder|TabSelected:3||DiamondID:58805,31422,116064,40160,195212,195211

eta i didnt see you were going bigger now

ill take another look