Rookie needs some advice

[doc3]

Been searching for a while & finally found a diamond that I wanted some opinions on. Looking for a 1.4-1.5 ct stone with G-H color and planning on a simple white gold setting. Budget for the stone is ~12k. This one's HCA score is 1.9 with "excellent" fire and "very good" for everything else. The angles/dimensions seem pretty good to me, and I like that the inclusions are all on the periphery. Also a big fan of the stone's overall appearance- seems very bright/clear and has great symmetry. I'm waiting on the idealscope images.

Any red flags or other things I should consider about this one? Based on my (very limited) knowledge, this seems like a very solid stone at my price point.

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...g-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-4723279

Thanks in advance!

 

[Matthews1127]

Been searching for a while & finally found a diamond that I wanted some opinions on. Looking for a 1.4-1.5 ct stone with G-H color and planning on a simple white gold setting. Budget for the stone is ~12k. This one's HCA score is 1.9 with "excellent" fire and "very good" for everything else. The angles/dimensions seem pretty good to me, and I like that the inclusions are all on the periphery. Also a big fan of the stone's overall appearance- seems very bright/clear and has great symmetry. I'm waiting on the idealscope images.

Any red flags or other things I should consider about this one? Based on my (very limited) knowledge, this seems like a very solid stone at my price point.

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...g-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-4723279

Thanks in advance!

Until you get your IS/ASET images, here are some visual aids to help you understand the characteristics of this diamond.
Although, your diamond is graded by GIA as XXX, here is a graph of how AGS grades their angles for cut:



I snatched this from an earlier post from @rockysalamander.
If you look at the CA & PA of your diamond, your diamond would be considered in the “Ideal” cut parameters, according to AGS.
This is a positive for you.
From the video & cert plot, clarity looks really great, aside from the fact that the report notes that additional pinpoints are not shown. From the video, those pinpoints must be along the outside perimeter of the stone, and clear; I cannot see any dark, carbon, obstructive inclusions. It appears bright & white, at a beautiful G color.

This is what your diamond will look like on a size 5.5 finger:
https://www.diamdb.com/diamond/1.5ct-round-7.30x7.24x4.54/

There are also helpful hints attached to that link, under the photo. You can even compare prices.

I am looking forward to seeing the IS image; so far, this diamond is a strong contender.

 

[tyty333]

Ditto Matthews...request and idealscope from JA so we can check leakage.

 

[doc3]

Thank you! I requested idealscope images yesterday and will post when available.

 

[ac117]

Been searching for a while & finally found a diamond that I wanted some opinions on. Looking for a 1.4-1.5 ct stone with G-H color and planning on a simple white gold setting. Budget for the stone is ~12k. This one's HCA score is 1.9 with "excellent" fire and "very good" for everything else. The angles/dimensions seem pretty good to me, and I like that the inclusions are all on the periphery. Also a big fan of the stone's overall appearance- seems very bright/clear and has great symmetry. I'm waiting on the idealscope images.

Any red flags or other things I should consider about this one? Based on my (very limited) knowledge, this seems like a very solid stone at my price point.

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...g-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-4723279

Thanks in advance!

Very pretty stone - you were smart to request the IS. Since you're allowed 3 at JA, I'd at least take advantage and request 2 more. These are also very beautiful:
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...h-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-4703791
Larger: https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...h-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-4632202
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...h-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-4637344
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...g-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-4596697

 

[doc3]

Here is the ideal scope image for the first diamond I posted. Not good at interpreting these but looks pretty good to me. I like the symmetry. Thoughts?

 

[sledge]

**REMOVED SO NOT TO CONFUSE ANYONE**

 

[ac117]

Ideally you want an idealscope image to be bright/dark red, and not have white/pink areas. This stone appears to have light leakage all around. See below. Funny, this article refers to this as "the ring of death", lol.

http://niceice.com/james-allen-ideal-scope-images/

I'd have to disagree - experts here have posted that we are sometimes too critical of these ideal scopes and that the lighter pink areas are due to stronger backlighting. Especially since vendors use different light setups and sometimes also modify the color concentration of their images. Unless you see whiter areas, this is not the ring of death. The ring of death looks like this: https://enchanteddiamonds.com/diamonds/view/R252-503231587?

Here are super ideal diamonds that exhibit the same, to different degrees depending on the color concetration: https://www.victorcanera.com/diamonds/w0dtek-0.952-h-vs1-ideal-hearts-arrows-round
https://www.victorcanera.com/diamonds/7ypxtu-1.081-f-vs1-ideal-hearts-arrows-round

 

[sledge]

Here are some alternates:

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3983288.htm
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3947713.htm
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3980392.htm
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3986357.htm

This one appears to be new to the BGD site, so it doesn't have all the images and videos uploaded yet; however, being a BGD stone it is probably worth calling and inquiring about. See if they can expedite loading that information for you so you can review it.

https://www.briangavindiamonds.com/...1.420-h-vs1-round-diamond-ags-bl-104099782015

 

[blueMA]

I wouldn't say this diamond has a ring of death. They're slight, and the IS image results can vary based on the strength of the back lighting. I tend to see these very slight leakages with depth of 62% or more.

I would categorize this diamond in the range of Fiery Ideal Cut (crown angle > 35.5), and it is at the very edge of AGS ideal proportions. It has a decent optical symmetry and it'll probably perform admirably, but you'll see more Fire at the expense of some brilliance/brightness. If the price was right, then it's not a bad choice for RL performance.

 

[sledge]

I'd have to disagree - experts here have posted that we are sometimes too critical of these ideal scopes and that the lighter pink areas are due to stronger backlighting. Especially since vendors use different light setups and sometimes also modify the color concentration of their images. Unless you see whiter areas, this is not the ring of death. The ring of death looks like this: https://enchanteddiamonds.com/diamonds/view/R252-503231587?

Here are super ideal diamonds that exhibit the same, to different degrees depending on the color concetration: https://www.victorcanera.com/diamonds/w0dtek-0.952-h-vs1-ideal-hearts-arrows-round
https://www.victorcanera.com/diamonds/7ypxtu-1.081-f-vs1-ideal-hearts-arrows-round

I wouldn't say this diamond has a ring of death. They're slight, and the IS image results can vary based on the strength of the back lighting. I tend to see these very slight leakages with depth of 62% or more.

I would categorize this diamond in the range of Fiery Ideal Cut (crown angle > 35.5), and it is at the very edge of AGS ideal proportions. It has a decent optical symmetry and it'll probably perform admirably, but you'll see more Fire at the expense of some brilliance/brightness. If the price was right, then it's not a bad choice for RL performance.

My apologies ladies. I have removed my initial comments and will defer to those with higher knowledge. I will state I don't like seeing the pink and would feel more comfortable spending $12k of my own money on a stone that doesn't exhibit that. Perhaps I am being too picky, but there appears to be ample supply that I don't have to take unnecessary risks buying a diamond online.

I followed up in a different post above and I think I provided some alternates of a super ideal cut that do NOT have these type of image misunderstandings, and still fits the OP's budget.

 

[blueMA]

My apologies ladies. I have removed my initial comments and will defer to those with higher knowledge. I will state I don't like seeing the pink and would feel more comfortable spending $12k of my own money on a stone that doesn't exhibit that. Perhaps I am being too picky, but there appears to be ample supply that I don't have to take unnecessary risks buying a diamond online.

I followed up in a different post above and I think I provided some alternates of a super ideal cut that do NOT have these type of image misunderstandings, and still fits the OP's budget.

If the stone decision is not solid, @sledge is right and you probably can do better to aim for stones with a more balanced proportions and better light performance.

One thing I didn't mention earlier is that the diamond has a grade setting cloud, and I don't like to combine that with medium florescence because the chance of it looking hazy under sun increases unless the stone is carefully vetted by the seller.

We all know Sledge is spoiled by his awesome BG diamond, nothing but perfection would do!

 

[ac117]

My apologies ladies. I have removed my initial comments and will defer to those with higher knowledge. I will state I don't like seeing the pink and would feel more comfortable spending $12k of my own money on a stone that doesn't exhibit that. Perhaps I am being too picky, but there appears to be ample supply that I don't have to take unnecessary risks buying a diamond online.

I followed up in a different post above and I think I provided some alternates of a super ideal cut that do NOT have these type of image misunderstandings, and still fits the OP's budget.

I totally get where you're coming from and I do like the options you presented! It is a LOT easier to buy from a super ideal vendor - the OP did state that he's fine with 1.4-1.5 so he has lots of options. I just don't want posters being afraid of minor back lighting differences and passing up on potentially really great stones. If JA were to alter the saturation of their images, we wouldn't even be having this discussion bc those lighter pink areas would barely be lighter.

 

[doc3]

One thing I didn't mention earlier is that the diamond has a grade setting cloud, and I don't like to combine that with medium florescence because the chance of it looking hazy under sun increases unless the stone is carefully vetted by the seller

I couldn’t see cloudiness on the video. My understanding was that haziness is usually only with strong fluorescence. Is there any way I can tell by looking at it? The video made the stone look very clear in all directions

 

[blueMA]

You won't be able to tell from the video or magnified photos.
Check out the below link for what florescence would look like, and the chance of haziness increases when combined with grade setting cloud.

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/transparency-in-diamonds-vs-strong-fluorescence.162847/

 

[doc3]

You won't be able to tell from the video or magnified photos.
Check out the below link for what florescence would look like, and the chance of haziness increases when combined with grade setting cloud.

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/transparency-in-diamonds-vs-strong-fluorescence.162847/

I get that with more included stones. But shouldn’t the VS1 clarity make the cloud impact much smaller than say an “eye clean” SI stone?

Also how can you tell when cloud is ‘grade setting’? Most of the inclusions in the diamond I posted seem to be peripheral by the GIA report, but I also don’t fully inderstand all the inclusion types and their reporting

 

[blueMA]

Clarity grade is made with a 10X loupe and won't necessarily detect the micro diffused particles that affect the haziness when combined with florescence.

Grade setting simply means the clarity characteristics noted on the GIA report, usually in the significance of the order.

Generally speaking, when a cloud is mentioned as a main grader in combination of florescence, you should have the seller vet the stone.

 

[doc3]

Here are some alternates:

This one appears to be new to the BGD site, so it doesn't have all the images and videos uploaded yet; however, being a BGD stone it is probably worth calling and inquiring about. See if they can expedite loading that information for you so you can review it.

https://www.briangavindiamonds.com/...1.420-h-vs1-round-diamond-ags-bl-104099782015

Thoughts on this BGD stone? Obviously don't have images of the diamond available, but seems like this may be better than the original JA diamond I posted within my budget. I know BGD is highly regarded on here and stones in that size, color, and clarity seem to go fast- they don't have any others in inventory.

An ideal cut is my top priority, which is not a concern in this diamond. The H color should look even better with the blue flour. Seems like I may not be able to do much better for $12k.

 

[rockysalamander]

1) I really like that JA stone (1.5 G VS1). So much, I had recommended it for another poster. I love that high crown angle and the IS is what I expected.

2) The BGD stone is great (1.42 H VS1). The ASET is modeled, so I'd expect it to be similar IRL.

3) I like size, so within your budget is this stone.
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3947713.htm

Similar in size and such.
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3986360.htm

This is just over your budget from HPD.
https://www.hpdiamonds.com/en-us/diamonddetail/HPD10128

You have lots of nice choices. I'm partial to WF's and HPD's customer care and more generous upgrade policy.

JA=the new stone needs to be 2x cost of the old to get 100% of the value of the old toward the new
HPD & WF=new stone must cost $1 more than old stone, 100% of value of old toward the new
BGD=new stone must increase 2 of 3 color, clarity, carat to get 100% of value of old toward the new

What kind of setting did you want? If you give us some ideas, we can look on the sites. Maybe that will be the tie-breaker so you can get a setting and stone you like from the same vendor.

 

[doc3]

Luckily she wants a pretty simple setting, so most places should have a good options. 4 prong solitaire, non-cathedral, solid band without additional stones. She likes simple, quality jewelry. But good idea, I'll show her some settings from each website to see if she falls in love with a particular one- may make my choice easier!

I have seen the WF diamond you posted (https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3947713.htm) and like that one a lot too. It's barely behind the other 2 stones.

Anyone else concerned with the clarity-setting cloud combined with blue flour in the JA stone?

Really appreciate all the input- I'm learning a lot in the process.

Edited to add: I've also had much better customer service with BGD- emails and calls immediately after I request info. Had to fight for timely IS images for several JA stones. So that certainly plays into my decision as well. I think the service is a reflection of the product quality.

 

[rockysalamander]

Luckily she wants a pretty simple setting, so most places should have a good options. 4 prong solitaire, non-cathedral, solid band without additional stones. She likes simple, quality jewelry. But good idea, I'll show her some settings from each website to see if she falls in love with a particular one- may make my choice easier!

I have seen the WF diamond you posted (https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3947713.htm) and like that one a lot too. It's barely behind the other 2 stones.

Anyone else concerned with the clarity-setting cloud combined with blue flour in the JA stone?

Really appreciate all the input- I'm learning a lot in the process.

Edited to add: I've also had much better customer service with BGD- emails and calls immediately after I request info. Had to fight for timely IS images for several JA stones. So that certainly plays into my decision as well. I think the service is a reflection of the product quality.

For the cloud. Always ask, but at that clarity level, it be very very very unusual to be an issue.

For a setting. Some education for both of you to ponder. The kind of setting you describe is popular. But, I will note that you are relying on a single soldered joint (yellow) to keep the head attached to the setting in most of these. This is a ring to be worn daily and she will bang it on walls, car doors, floors...you name it. Its just reality of wearing a ring all the time.



A setting like this one, which is not as elegant as some, has multiple points of contact between the prong base and the head. That means that with a hard blow, you have more metal to help keep that head attached.


This setting still have four prong, but the prongs have a wider base (more contact with shank) and the low cathedral actually touches the cross-bar. That is a very good and solid setting.


Not recommending any of these particular settings, just pointing out features to look for when deciding on a setting.

You also have to look at that same area of the ring when thinking of a wedding band. If she wants a straight band, they you want to look for something that allows a flush or near-flush fitting. All three of these examples should.

Also -- 6-prongs will always be safer than 4-prongs also. If you bend 1 prong of 4, the diamond is lost. With a 6-prong, you have more prongs to help you out.

 

[blueMA]

3) I like size, so within your budget is this stone.
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3947713.htm

My preference goes to this one among what @rockysalamander recommended, over BG

If you're willing to go a bit over, the CBI specs looks good too, because I like G and above myself, but it's a bit smaller

 

[doc3]

For a setting. Some education for both of you to ponder. The kind of setting you describe is popular. But, I will note that you are relying on a single soldered joint (yellow) to keep the head attached to the setting in most of these. This is a ring to be worn daily and she will bang it on walls, car doors, floors...you name it. Its just reality of wearing a ring all the time.

You also have to look at that same area of the ring when thinking of a wedding band. If she wants a straight band, they you want to look for something that allows a flush or near-flush fitting. All three of these examples should.

Also -- 6-prongs will always be safer than 4-prongs also. If you bend 1 prong of 4, the diamond is lost. With a 6-prong, you have more prongs to help you out.

Thanks for the advice. I'm pretty much decided on the BG blue diamond (https://www.briangavindiamonds.com/...1.420-h-vs1-round-diamond-ags-bl-104099782015). I like the H color that may appear even more white with the medium fluorescence. The VS1 is a big plus, and the size difference of 0.02 cts was not significant enough to push me toward the WF stones with lower color/clarity. Also a big fan of the strong BG reputation for quality. She does not want to upgrade (for sentimental reasons) so that policy is not a factor. Any concerns with this diamond? And would this one likely be BG "hearts & arrows" in terms of cut quality if not for the blue fluorescence?

As far as settings, I've tried to convince her to go 6 prong but she is pretty adamant about the 4. Leaning toward one of these 2 options:

https://www.briangavindiamonds.com/...assic-style-half-round-18k-white-gold-5540w18
I think they can do this in a 4 prong style.

https://www.briangavindiamonds.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/minnie-sholdt-18k-white-gold-5771w18
I personally like the look of this one.

She wants whichever one shows off the diamond more, I want something that is stable. Thinking both of these should be similar in both regards, just a matter of preference.

 

[blueMA]

Regarding the ring setting, yes it's a matter of preference. I do agree with your preference if you're going with a 4 prong style.

The reason I recommended the Whiteflash and the CBI diamond over the BG was because of the cut angles of the stones. BG brand is very well known for excellent cut diamonds, but that particular one has a slightly shallow crown for the 40.6 pavillion (translates to less fire), and the other two were closer to ideal proportions for better light performance. However, the ASET looks great on the AGS report for the BG, and I'm sure the stone will perform better than the majority out there in the market.

 

[sledge]

Hey all, just catching up from a long weekend of camping. I see BGD uploaded photos, videos and a cert of the stone I mentioned early on and it's reserved (guessing by @doc3). I didn't see the actual ASET and IS images as they don't appear to be loaded. If I were buying I'd call BGD and request they post them so we can view & confirm them.

Based on the chart below it falls in the green with bold text indicating it is one of the best cut in the H&A category (table 56.7%, crown 34.2*, pavilion 40.6*). In fact, I believe all characteristics but the star facets (54% vs 45-50%) fall within the optimum value range. Someone double check me?

http://www.heartsandarrows.com/hearts-arrows-diamond-ideal-cut-dna.aspx

I do like BGD, but I am partial to them because that is where I purchased. Like you, upgrading is probably not a major concern; however, I can certainly say the WF diamond suggested by @rockysalamander is gorgeous and WF is also a very highly respected vendor that does things equally as good as BGD. In fact, if you weren't aware Brian co-founded WF and then departed and started BGD.

https://www.briangavindiamonds.com/home/about/

Last, but not least, as far as the settings I personally like 6 prongs for reasons already stated. Also, and this is just MY preference I think the additional prongs follows the round shape better. Not that a 4 prong makes a round diamond look square by any means but to me the 6 prongs just looks better. By the way, I looked at both those settings and like them both; however, my girl wanted something much, much different. LOL, but that's a different story altogether.

 

[doc3]

Updated to add light performance images

Really appreciate the advice from everyone!

 

[sledge]

Updated to add light performance images

Really appreciate the advice from everyone!

Did they give you a picture of the hearts image too?

 

[doc3]

Did they give you a picture of the hearts image too?

They did after I asked. Typically don't include them for blue collection. Cannot say enough good things about the customer service at BGD.

 

[rockysalamander]

Gorgeous.

 

[blueMA]

Looks awesome.