Please help with e-ring RB diamond. I also have clarity OCD!

[NDPS]

Hello

About to propose soon but need the diamond first LOL

I did a lot of research the past few weeks and 2 days ago was about to order this 1.78JVS1 H&A for $14370 but it was sold today...

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.78-carat-j-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-277150
It had really good HCA scores too!

It was sold before I was able to buy, partly because I took my time to research about color and J honestly didnt look bad from the goodoldgold videos that compared them face up with G/H/I...only from the side did I see a bit of tint/yellowish...I felt $14370 for something almost as big as 2carat was pretty good and I was willing to sacrifice color since it had H&A cut as well...

Anyways back to my journey and today I found about 9 I like but have a tough time narrowing down simply because I keep comparing them to that 1.78JVS1 I missed out on.

I'm looking for a round brilliant bigger than 1.5carat (I can round down to 1.45 if it saves more money), nothing lower than J and prior to that 1.78JVS1 I was really looking at GHI, the best cut since this is very important to me (ACA,ES,True H&A etc), budget of up to $17K (I can go maybe up to $20K tax/duties included since I am in Canada and will be hit at the border/customs)

This diamond will be set in white gold/platinum solitaire so please help me find the diamond that works best in this setting.

About clarity, I think I have been hit with the 20-40x magnifying 360 degree view bug cause I have become OCD with inclusions even though I know when I went to a physical store here, I couldn't really see anything in the S1/S2 range the store showed me from even 3-4 inches away from my eye unless I paid really close attention to the 10x microscope (and I was looking at 1.5, 1.75 and 2.0 carat from the physical store).

This is why I also included two S1 from whiteflash that were labeled "eye clean" but their blown up pic shows some inclusions I probably can't see it unaided at its normal real size...do I need to get over this magnified clarity thing? I really have OCD about it cause once I spot something, I always see it...

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.63-carat-j-color-vvs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-169035
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.50-carat-i-color-vvs1-clarity-ideal-cut-sku-164440
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.81-carat-i-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-265952

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2953048.htm
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3009312.htm
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2812718.htm
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2937158.htm
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2982232.htm
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2998694.htm

Thanks in advance and if you find anything else, please feel free to provide the diamond link

 

[msop04]

Re: Please help with e-ring RB diamond. I also have clarity

I'm looking for a round brilliant bigger than 1.5carat (I can round down to 1.45 if it saves more money), nothing lower than J and prior to that 1.78JVS1 I was really looking at GHI, the best cut since this is very important to me (ACA,ES,True H&A etc), budget of up to $17K (I can go maybe up to $20K tax/duties included since I am in Canada and will be hit at the border/customs)

This diamond will be set in white gold/platinum solitaire so please help me find the diamond that works best in this setting.

This is why I also included two S1 from whiteflash that were labeled "eye clean" but their blown up pic shows some inclusions I probably can't see it unaided at its normal real size...do I need to get over this magnified clarity thing? I really have OCD about it cause once I spot something, I always see it...
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.81-carat-i-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-265952

Hi NDPS! I think you are doing the right thing by not sacrificing on cut. Try not to dwell on the one that got away... PS members will help you in your search!! Also, focus on the size in mm, not carat weight -- some stones will face up either larger or smaller than their carat weight may indicate.

However, I wanted to make sure you understand that even though a J color may face up pretty white, it will show tint in a solitaire setting. I have a J (much love for J color here!) set in a halo setting that doesn't expose the sides very much, but I'm afraid it would be too tinted for me in a solitaire. As far as clarity... as long as it's eye clean, my advice would be to try to find a good SI stone. The reason is that if a stone is eye clean, no one will know if it's flawless or SI, but if the stone appears "too tinted", it's gonna be hard to escape that... and it may bother her. That said, if she likes a J in a solitaire, then it's a great value! If you look at an image that is magnified enough, you will see things in VVS stones... so I don't know what to tell you about that -- if it's eye clean, it's eye clean (unless you plan on examining her ering under a microscope for regular viewing).

I think I color will be fine -- and an I with fluorescence would be EVEN BETTER!! I really liked the JA stone shown above for three reasons: great cut, color, and it's larger than the rest at 7.8 mm -- at that size, even 0.3 mm or so will be noticeable.

I also liked this:
HCA 1.6 (would need to have JA check to see if eye clean)
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-dia...-h-color-si2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-270398

 

[NDPS]

Re: Please help with e-ring RB diamond. I also have clarity

oops i better post the price as i put the diamonds on hold at jamesallen so the prices dont show up...might as well post the whiteflash price too...these are the regular price before wire/ps discount


in the same order as the links

1. $12,330
2. $14,790
3. $16,560
4. $15,948
5. $16,680
6. $13,944
7. $16,811
8. $14,382
9. $15,598

 

[RockyRacoon]

Re: Please help with e-ring RB diamond. I also have clarity

Not to make your life harder, but here are a couple more worthwhile options to consider:

1.573ct, J, VS2
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.573-j-vs2-round-diamond-ags-bl-104068959047

1.504ct, I, VS2
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.504-i-vs2-round-diamond-ags-bl-104068959058

 

[NDPS]

Re: Please help with e-ring RB diamond. I also have clarity

Hi NDPS! I think you are doing the right thing by not sacrificing on cut. Try not to dwell on the one that got away... PS members will help you in your search!! Also, focus on the size in mm, not carat weight -- some stones will face up either larger or smaller than their carat weight may indicate.

However, I wanted to make sure you understand that even though a J color may face up pretty white, it will show tint in a solitaire setting. I have a J (much love for J color here!) set in a halo setting that doesn't expose the sides very much, but I'm afraid it would be too tinted for me in a solitaire. As far as clarity... as long as it's eye clean, my advice would be to try to find a good SI stone. The reason is that if a stone is eye clean, no one will know if it's flawless or SI, but if the stone appears "too tinted", it's gonna be hard to escape that... and it may bother her. That said, if she likes a J in a solitaire, then it's a great value! If you look at an image that is magnified enough, you will see things in VVS stones... so I don't know what to tell you about that -- if it's eye clean, it's eye clean (unless you plan on examining her ering under a microscope for regular viewing).

I think I color will be fine -- and an I with fluorescence would be EVEN BETTER!! I really liked the JA stone shown above for three reasons: great cut, color, and it's larger than the rest at 7.8 mm -- at that size, even 0.3 mm or so will be noticeable.

I also liked this:
HCA 1.6 (would need to have JA check to see if eye clean)
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-dia...-h-color-si2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-270398

thanks msop04

hmm then maybe I dont want a J unless i do a halo as well...she doesnt know anything but I am doing alot of research to try and get the best stone within my budget...i wanted solitaire so that if she wants to change it to pave or halo, we can do it later..instead of me doing pave/halo and she doesnt like it and what would i do with the extra diamonds...

so maybe I should skip all Js in my list and only look at H/I...but not alot of I's have fluorescence and when i look at brian gavins site, the blue series doesnt look like its worth it to me but maybe i need to read more about his diamonds

i dont even have a G in my list just cause I couldnt find the size or price within my budget

 

[SMC]

Re: Please help with e-ring RB diamond. I also have clarity

thanks msop04

hmm then maybe I dont want a J unless i do a halo as well...she doesnt know anything but I am doing alot of research to try and get the best stone within my budget...i wanted solitaire so that if she wants to change it to pave or halo, we can do it later..instead of me doing pave/halo and she doesnt like it and what would i do with the extra diamonds...

so maybe I should skip all Js in my list and only look at H/I...but not alot of I's have fluorescence and when i look at brian gavins site, the blue series doesnt look like its worth it to me but maybe i need to read more about his diamonds

i dont even have a G in my list just cause I couldnt find the size or price within my budget

I think that you should see a GIA J in person to decide how color sensitive you are. I have a 2 ct J and I don't mind the tint that I see.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Re: Please help with e-ring RB diamond. I also have clarity

This one is $15,981 with PriceScope discount and wire payment. It is $16,485 if you pay by CC and just use the PS discount.

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2937158.htm

I honestly would't go below I color. I have looked at I and J, but the tint simply is more visible to me in J in a round. The stone above is ideal cut and a great size. It would be my choice.

 

[Evilsports]

Re: Please help with e-ring RB diamond. I also have clarity

I won't pretend to know enough to recommend a specific stone for you, but I will relay my rationale when I ordered a week or so ago. (For whatever it's worth).

Research here on Pricescope led me to the consensus that I would be smart to sacrifice invisible clarity variations for the sake of visible colorlessness. (Of course this premise is always secondary to Ideal cut)

Eye clean stones at SI1 were my clarity stipulations. I mean, eye clean is eye clean.

I searched for color down to I, but ended up buying H.

My reasoning, aside from advice here, was that if a stone was eyeclean nobody that would be looking at the ring would notice any inclusions with the naked eye. However, if I sacrificed color for invisible clarity improvements, there was a definite chance that somebody might notice a bit of yellow in a J or lower stone.

Aside from that I only searched AGS triple 0 Ideal, and once I realized that I would be buying from Whiteflash I further refined the parameters by only searching Eyeclean, ACA stones.

I made use of the HCA calculator as well as the AGA grading tool when it came down to comparing the final stones. I also did my best to learn what I could about Ideal-Scope and ASET images so that I could at least compare images from different potential stones in a rudimentary manner.

My wife's ring won't be here until the end of the month and I actually feel very confident that I did a good job in selecting her diamond, which I would not have imagined to be the case had you asked me a few weeks earlier.

 

[MissGotRocks]

Re: Please help with e-ring RB diamond. I also have clarity

This one is $15,981 with PriceScope discount and wire payment. It is $16,485 if you pay by CC and just use the PS discount.

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2937158.htm

I honestly would't go below I color. I have looked at I and J, but the tint simply is more visible to me in J in a round. The stone above is ideal cut and a great size. It would be my choice.

This is a great stone DS found - you would be in the same size range but have an I color instead of a J. I would definitely consider this stone!

 

[c-k]

Re: Please help with e-ring RB diamond. I also have clarity

All of the A CUT ABOVE....but the Whiteflash 1.737 I SI1....just make sure it is eye clean....beautiful stone.

 

[NDPS]

Re: Please help with e-ring RB diamond. I also have clarity

thanks for the suggestions

do you think ppl reserve diamonds based on what ppl have found here? cause most of the diamonds posted in this thread all of a sudden got reserved/placed on hold

i have an excel table with all my diamond stats and the AGA/NAJA and HCA scores so i can pinpoint all the variations along with my discounted price + canadian tax...wont be sharing this after hours of me inputting everything...

 

[msop04]

Re: Please help with e-ring RB diamond. I also have clarity

This one is $15,981 with PriceScope discount and wire payment. It is $16,485 if you pay by CC and just use the PS discount.

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2937158.htm

I honestly would't go below I color. I have looked at I and J, but the tint simply is more visible to me in J in a round. The stone above is ideal cut and a great size. It would be my choice.

This is a great stone DS found - you would be in the same size range but have an I color instead of a J. I would definitely consider this stone!

This is a GREAT find -- best yet! I'd put it on hold ASAP before a lurker grabs it!!!

 

[msop04]

Re: Please help with e-ring RB diamond. I also have clarity

thanks for the suggestions

do you think ppl reserve diamonds based on what ppl have found here? cause most of the diamonds posted in this thread all of a sudden got reserved/placed on hold

i have an excel table with all my diamond stats and the AGA/NAJA and HCA scores so i can pinpoint all the variations along with my discounted price + canadian tax...wont be sharing this after hours of me inputting everything...

ABSOLUTELY.

 

[msop04]

Re: Please help with e-ring RB diamond. I also have clarity

OP, maybe it would benefit you to call WF and let them know your parameters... or just ask them to recommend similar stones, put them on RESERVE, then post for opinions. This way, you can get some insight without risk of losing the diamond, yet not be obligated to purchase if you change your mind.

 

[msop04]

Re: Please help with e-ring RB diamond. I also have clarity

I think that you should see a GIA J in person to decide how color sensitive you are. I have a 2 ct J and I don't mind the tint that I see.

That would be a great idea -- and have the FF see the J color as well (if at all possible)... She may love it after all!! Also, a J with fluorescence would be even better than none. Mine doesn't have fluorescence, but I wish it did!

Here are a few shots of mine in several lighting conditions -- 2.43 ct, GIA XXX, J/SI1 (eye clean), 8.7 mm (sorry they are larger photos...) The photos with the grey counter are as tinted as it looks. These are taken at work with bad lighting and the grey background. The last was taken in Mexico when it was just a bit overcast.


BTW, gorgeous setting, sortmon!!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Re: Please help with e-ring RB diamond. I also have clarity

Yes, it is a good idea to reserve any stone you are serious about, because there may be hundreds of lurkers here. Plus, there aren't as many stones available in a size like the 1.7 range as there are 1.5's, for example. So don't delay too long when you find a good stone! Was there something you didn't like about the one I posted at WF? Because color, clarity, and cut were all great on that one.

 

[teobdl]

Re: Please help with e-ring RB diamond. I also have clarity

I think the James Allen videos do the best job--better than GOG-- at showing color of Js (and big variation among Js!). I was comparing in person J and H BGS diamonds--the performance was almost identical (if not a little swayed toward the J) but I could not stand the yellow tint in the J so I decided to go H. i color is more borderline but H is definitely safe for most. It's very important to see these differences in person in diffuse lighting and other situations, as color can really really affect someone's liking of a diamond. I will never recommend a J again unless the wearer is knowingly comfortable with the color.

 

[NDPS]

Re: Please help with e-ring RB diamond. I also have clarity

Yes, it is a good idea to reserve any stone you are serious about, because there may be hundreds of lurkers here. Plus, there aren't as many stones available in a size like the 1.7 range as there are 1.5's, for example. So don't delay too long when you find a good stone! Was there something you didn't like about the one I posted at WF? Because color, clarity, and cut were all great on that one.

The one you recommended I also had on my original list. Just still undecided....but really appreciate all the feedback and advice from everyone in this thread so far!