Recommendation among these four

[Kargoth]

Hi, there, first time doing (kind of) so I would rather get the input of people with a bit more experience

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...i-color-si2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-6858909

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...i-color-si2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-6784689

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...j-color-si2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-6115203

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...f-color-si2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-6460117

It would be really nice if the two listed in the 5k range could be what is considered as eye clean or closest to eye clean and as white as possible.

Thanks

 

[sledge]

Without being a ball buster, I'm just going to say I'd reject all these. First, they all have IGI certification which if you read is unreliable at best. This means you can't trust the color, clarity or proportions being reported on the certification.

Worse yet, if I could trust the data, these stones have very unfavorable proportions. I know in your initial comments you indicated you would like the biggest and whitest diamond for the money. But what about the cut quality?

When you get a stone with the right proportions it will sparkle and be very beautiful. A smaller ideal cut stone can actually look bigger than a larger poorly cut stone. Why? Because when the angle proportions are correct, light bounces in & out of the diamond properly and lights it up so you can get edge to edge brightness. In a poorly cut stone, light leaks out and you miss that edge to edge performance so the stone looks darker and consequently smaller.

What is your maximum budget for the stone? What is your minimum size? What is your minimum color?

Generally speaking you want to find stones with these proportions to maximize beauty:

• 54-57 table
• 60-62.4 depth (prefer 62 or less)
• 34-35 crown angle (maybe 35.5, if paired with a 40.6 pavilion)
• 40.6-40.9 pavilion angle (maybe 41, if paired with a 34 crown)
• 75-80 lower girdle facets (LGF)
• Crown and pavilion should have an inverse relationship (i.e. steep crown/shallow pavilion or vice versa)

 

[Kargoth]

Ok thanks, I will take another look and make a new thread, increasing my budget slightly to 9,500 although I would love to be in the 8's including the setting for 1.40ct or higher.

 

[lovedogs]

Agreed that none of these are good choices .

 

[farrahlyn]

Ditto @sledge no to ALL. THey're all IGI Certs which means that J SI2 could actually be a an L I2 by GIA standards. their grading is not as stringent as GIA. What kind of setting are you looking at getting?

 

[Kargoth]

Ditto @sledge no to ALL. THey're all IGI Certs which means that J SI2 could actually be a an L I2 by GIA standards. their grading is not as stringent as GIA. What kind of setting are you looking at getting?

Just a slim solitaire for round style so max $500.

 

[farrahlyn]

a few stones i found and with JA, if you purchase a stone over $5k right now, you'll get 25% off the setting.

disclaimer: i did not run these through the HCA tool.

1.52 J VS2 $7700 this stone does seem to have a brown vs yellow tint. some like it (i do) and some dont. I personally like stones this color set in rose gold.

1.50 G SI2 $8340 i think this could be a really great find, it's a G color (!!!) and AGS ideal stone. really lovely stone. You'd want to make sure that the feathers in the stone are nothing to worry about (ask if a gemologist can examine it) and you'd want to put a prong to hide those inclusions between 1 and 2 o'clock.

1.57 J VVS2 $8481 a little outside recommended parameters but i think it's still a nice looking stone.

1.52 J VS2 $8097 not my favorite crown/pavillion pairing but still worth a mention.

 

[lovedogs]

a few stones i found and with JA, if you purchase a stone over $5k right now, you'll get 25% off the setting.

disclaimer: i did not run these through the HCA tool.

1.52 J VS2 $7700 this stone does seem to have a brown vs yellow tint. some like it (i do) and some dont. I personally like stones this color set in rose gold.

1.50 G SI2 $8340 i think this could be a really great find, it's a G color (!!!) and AGS ideal stone. really lovely stone. You'd want to make sure that the feathers in the stone are nothing to worry about (ask if a gemologist can examine it) and you'd want to put a prong to hide those inclusions between 1 and 2 o'clock.

1.57 J VVS2 $8481 a little outside recommended parameters but i think it's still a nice looking stone.

1.52 J VS2 $8097 not my favorite crown/pavillion pairing but still worth a mention.

I would put that AGS on hold NOW. Looks like a unicorn that everyone wants to find but rarely can.

 

[sledge]

Here are a few alternate considerations:

1.33 J VS2 @ $6,170
https://enchanteddiamonds.com/diamonds/view/R133-25359647Z?utm_source=rarecarat&utm_medium=cpc

56 table, 62 depth, 34.5 crown & 40.8 pavilion. Ignoring carat weight, physically measures 7.05 x 7.06mm.

If you can live with the J color (some find it too warm/tinted) then this stone has lovely proportions. Medium sized 56 table and that lovely 34.5/40.8 angle combo will provide a nice firey stone that is well balanced with white light return.

I am having problems pulling up the GIA cert so I cannot comment on the inclusions but generally speaking a VS2 will be eye clean to most people.

FYI, this stone is part of virtual inventory. That means a 3rd party supplier owns the stone and makes it available to multiple retailers like ED, and possibly others. As such, sometimes the information you can get on the stone is a little limited. But as you will notice there are no pictures, videos, etc of this stone. If you are interested, you should call ED and request them. Also, while requesting ask them to get you ASET, idealscope and hearts & arrow (H&A) images, which will tell us a great deal about the light performance and symmetry of the stone. The proportions looks very promising but these images will help confirm and provide reassurance it's a well performing stone.


1.26 J SI1 True Hearts @ $5,950
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...color-si1-clarity-true-hearts-cut-sku-6792119

57 table, 61.5 depth, 34.5 crown, 40.8 pavilion & 75 LGF. Physical measurements of stone are 6.92 x 6.94mm.

Being part of JA's TH collection this means this stone is supposed to have H&A symmetry. I do not see the H&A images uploaded on their site like they usually provide, so you need to request those.

Overall, the stone looks like it should be a good performer. What concerns me is the crystals. Of course, the magnified view makes it all look worse than it really is, but I do question if this would be eye clean or not. You would need to ask JA to confirm this.

Assuming color is okay, the H&A images come back good and the stone is eye clean this appears to be a good value.

WF ACA 1.293 J SI1 @ $7,092
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4092509.htm

54.9 table, 61.4 depth, 34.6 crown, 40.7 pavilion & 77 LGF. And physically this stone measures at 7.02 x 7.05mm.

If you have some flex in your budget, this is a stone I'd pursue. Freakin' love that small table. If you aren't aware, as table size decreases the upper girdle facets get larger which is where rainbow light (fire) is produced. Additionally the crown/pavilion angle is quite lovely.

This is a true H&A stone cut to ideal proportions and will be a complete fireball of awesomeness. This is evidenced in the video, and also is confirmed in the ASET, idealscope and H&A images they have posted.

FYI, this stone has an AGS certification where the other 2 stones had GIA certification. For those seeking the finest cut quality, AGS is highly recommended and even preferred over GIA (at least by the enthusiasts here).

A final perk is WF is a vendor that actually OWNS and STOCKS their diamonds in their personal vault. They have qualified gemologist to pull the stone and analyze on your behalf, take additional pictures, etc. They are very honest, well respected and trusted. Additionally their ACA stones are the best of the best and come with a lifetime upgrade policy that gives you full credit of the original spend if you spend $1 or more upgrading. No other restrictions whatsoever. Very flexible and the best in the industry.

 

[farrahlyn]

I would put that AGS on hold NOW. Looks like a unicorn that everyone wants to find but rarely can.

ITA, it looks AMAZING! Ideal cut, great color, eye clean SI2... they don't come around often like this.

 

[sledge]

ETA: Removed my comments about budget. Saw the OP listed a budget above that I missed. Sorry if my previous set of suggestions was off base. I was under the assumption you preferred a lower budget. Regardless, that G SI2 is a find. Hope you get it secured while you decide.

1.52 J VS2 $7700 this stone does seem to have a brown vs yellow tint. some like it (i do) and some dont. I personally like stones this color set in rose gold.

I also like this one. But heed @farrahlyn's disclaimer about the brown tint. Many people dislike brown tint. Unless you know your girl is okay with this, or she is part of the review process so she can weigh in on the decision then I'd proceed very cautiously with this.

1.50 G SI2 $8340 i think this could be a really great find, it's a G color (!!!) and AGS ideal stone. really lovely stone. You'd want to make sure that the feathers in the stone are nothing to worry about (ask if a gemologist can examine it) and you'd want to put a prong to hide those inclusions between 1 and 2 o'clock.

Wow, 1.5 carat G and AGS certified. Assuming your budget supports this, place on immediate hold while you get questions answered and make a final decision. These type of stones don't fall out of the sky every day.

Great find @farrahlyn!