Seeking advice - ~1CT Round Engagement Ring

[dheffer07]

Hi Everyone!

Long time "lurker" finally ready to pop the question. Wanted to get some advice / recommendations - basically want to see if I am heading in the right direction.

A little background on the GF - 28, down to earth, practical. 5" tall with size 5 ring. Has told me a few times that she does not want anything giant or showy.

Budget: $4,000- $5,500 excluding setting
Setting: Basic platinum/white gold - TBD
Cut: Round Brilliant
Size: 0.90CT ~ 1.1CT
Color: I, J (I keep reading that J is a great value choice, but I'm afraid!)
Clarity: Eye-clean... have been looking at VS1 - SI1

Here are a few that I like so far:

0.91 Carat J-VS2 Excellent Cut Round Diamond - $4,120 HCA = 1.7
http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-...-j-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-177998

1.09 Carat J-VS1 Excellent Cut Round Diamond - $5,220 HCA = 1.6
http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-...-j-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-176204

1.01 Carat I-VS1 Excellent Cut Round Diamond - $5,390 HCA = 0.7
http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-...-i-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-169023
Are the little spots on the surface a big deal?

I would love recommendations! I am not committed to JA, but I do love being able to see before you buy. Noticing that there are quite a few SI1 that look better than VS1, to my eye, makes me really avoid a place like BN.

THANK YOU in advance - I sincerely appreciate any help I can get!

 

[SMC]

What about this one?
http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.02-carat-h-color-si1-clarity-sku-206017

I'd ask JA to confirm if eye clean.

If you go J or I, I'd try to look for stones with fluorescence so they look whiter in the presence of UV light.

 

[SMC]

Here's another option: http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2909301.htm

Hearts and Arrows.

 

[dheffer07]

What about this one?
http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.02-carat-h-color-si1-clarity-sku-206017

I'd ask JA to confirm if eye clean.

If you go J or I, I'd try to look for stones with fluorescence so they look whiter in the presence of UV light.

Thanks! I really like this one and will be sure to check to see if it's eye-clean.

 

[dheffer07]

What about this one?
http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.02-carat-h-color-si1-clarity-sku-206017

I'd ask JA to confirm if eye clean.

If you go J or I, I'd try to look for stones with fluorescence so they look whiter in the presence of UV light.

Thanks! I really like this one and will be sure to check to see if it's eye-clean.

I was told that it would be eye clean for 8 out of 10 people.

Focusing more on:
H, I color
VS2, SI1 clarity
HCA under 2.0
Grade 1A or 1B

Appreciate any further recommendations! Thanks

 

[SMC]

This one is a little bit smaller than 1 ct, but has H&A: http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.93-carat-h-color-si1-clarity-sku-197653

 

[dheffer07]

This one is a little bit smaller than 1 ct, but has H&A: http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.93-carat-h-color-si1-clarity-sku-197653

This is gorgeous, and a great find. My impression is that the difference b/w 0.93 and 1.00 is negligible. Right?

I'm not as familiar with H&A, but have done a bit of research. Any issues with the H&A readouts that I should consider?

Plugging this data into some tools on pricescope, I get:
-HCA of 1.8
-Cut grade of "1B" (Crown angle is the only factor not "1A")

These aren't quite as high as some others I am considering, but it is definitely a good looking stone. Since the H&A cut is not factored into the above, is it safe to say it will perform relatively better?

This might be the one!

 

[SMC]

This one is a little bit smaller than 1 ct, but has H&A: http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.93-carat-h-color-si1-clarity-sku-197653

This is gorgeous, and a great find. My impression is that the difference b/w 0.93 and 1.00 is negligible. Right?

I'm not as familiar with H&A, but have done a bit of research. Any issues with the H&A readouts that I should consider?

Plugging this data into some tools on pricescope, I get:
-HCA of 1.8
-Cut grade of "1B" (Crown angle is the only factor not "1A")

These aren't quite as high as some others I am considering, but it is definitely a good looking stone. Since the H&A cut is not factored into the above, is it safe to say it will perform relatively better?

This might be the one!

You don't need to use the HCA calculator for AGS000 or GIA H&A stones. I think that H&A is pretty much the cream of the crop in terms of round brilliant cuts. This isn't saying that H&A will necessarily perform better than non H&A stones (or be distinguishable in terms of performance), but I think it is safe to say that this is definitely not a dud.

The Idealscope image on this diamond looks pretty good. JA allows you to pick 2 more stones and ask the gemologist to compare, so you should pick 2 more and get some help from them.

One more thing - the HCA is not really a sliding scale and is meant to be used as an elimination tool, not a selection tool. You just want the diamond to score below 2.0. A diamond that scores 1.1 on the HCA doesn't mean that it will be a better performer than a 1.8. Idealscopes provide the most info.

I think well cut 0.90 diamonds are great because they look almost like 1 carat diamonds, but you don't have to pay the price premium for a 1 carat stone. Stones jump in price at every half carat mark. Some people think that it's important that stones hit the 1 carat mark, but I don't.

Edit: The difference in diameter between this stone and a 1 carat stone is about the thickness of 2 sheets of paper.

 

[JulieN]

http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-...023,206291,191446,205555,204958,203055,173118

 

[dheffer07]

This one is a little bit smaller than 1 ct, but has H&A: http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.93-carat-h-color-si1-clarity-sku-197653

This is gorgeous, and a great find. My impression is that the difference b/w 0.93 and 1.00 is negligible. Right?

I'm not as familiar with H&A, but have done a bit of research. Any issues with the H&A readouts that I should consider?

Plugging this data into some tools on pricescope, I get:
-HCA of 1.8
-Cut grade of "1B" (Crown angle is the only factor not "1A")

These aren't quite as high as some others I am considering, but it is definitely a good looking stone. Since the H&A cut is not factored into the above, is it safe to say it will perform relatively better?

This might be the one!

You don't need to use the HCA calculator for AGS000 or GIA H&A stones. I think that H&A is pretty much the cream of the crop in terms of round brilliant cuts. This isn't saying that H&A will necessarily perform better than non H&A stones (or be distinguishable in terms of performance), but I think it is safe to say that this is definitely not a dud.

The Idealscope image on this diamond looks pretty good. JA allows you to pick 2 more stones and ask the gemologist to compare, so you should pick 2 more and get some help from them.

One more thing - the HCA is not really a sliding scale and is meant to be used as an elimination tool, not a selection tool. You just want the diamond to score below 2.0. A diamond that scores 1.1 on the HCA doesn't mean that it will be a better performer than a 1.8. Idealscopes provide the most info.

I think well cut 0.90 diamonds are great because they look almost like 1 carat diamonds, but you don't have to pay the price premium for a 1 carat stone. Stones jump in price at every half carat mark. Some people think that it's important that stones hit the 1 carat mark, but I don't.

Edit: The difference in diameter between this stone and a 1 carat stone is about the thickness of 2 sheets of paper.

THANK YOU for all of your help! I put this on hold I totally understand what you mean about the HCA now. Just looking at this stone visually, it looks a solid letter grade better than the others I have been looking at, regardless of this or that. Your "2 sheets of paper" comparison is very helpful also.

The only thing that I can really knock on this diamond is the "SI1" rating, but to my eye, it looks better than many VS2... just one little dark dot in the center that is too small to be seen unaided according to JA. Should I be seeing other reasons as to why this is a SI1?

Am I missing something or should I go for it??

 

[SMC]

The only thing that I can really knock on this diamond is the "SI1" rating, but to my eye, it looks better than many VS2... just one little dark dot in the center that is too small to be seen unaided according to JA. Should I be seeing other reasons as to why this is a SI1?

Am I missing something or should I go for it??

Can you ask the JA gemologist to confirm that it is eye clean? I'm pretty sure you won't be able to see it, but it doesn't hurt to ask.