should I avoid areas of inclusion when setting the diamond?

[dryice]

hi, I just purchased a diamond with lots of help from the good netizens in this forum. Now I need your help once more.

my diamond is a round cut, 1.10 carat, GIA rated VS2 (and confirmed by an individual appraiser). When I look at the inclusion plot, I see there are 7 ''needles'' in close proximity of each other, 3 of which appear to touch the edge with the rest of them very close to the edge. When I showed this plot to a local jeweler (whom I''m buying the setting from), she casually mentioned that diamonds with needles close to the edge have the possibility of developing cracks. Luckly I remembered reading a long (too long) thread on this forum about strain and knew this is an unsettled issue in the professional field. So I didn''t freak out. But just to be on the cautious side, I want to avoid exposing this area to ''outside forces''. I''m buying a Tiffany six-prong, solitaire setting. The question is, should I tell the setter to avoid letting the prong make contact with this area of the diamond to reduce pressure on it, or should I tell him to cover up this area with a prong to protect it from the outside? Anybody care to comment?

 

[Mara]

First off, get insurance!

Then you won't have to worry, regardless. Our stone has a somewhat thinner girdle, and with the insurance I don't worry about banging it around.




Secondly....I am not too sure about placing the feathers DIRECTLY under a prong as that may put extra pressure on it...but exposing it to a possible high-impact area could be tricky--with one good knock you could have a nice-sized chip.




What about having them set it so that the area is actually set flush next to a prong, but not underneath it and not a very exposed area? My small inclusion is actually set right next to the prong, easy for location and harder to hit. Some food for thought.

 

[dryice]

Hi Mara, I know I can always count on you for a reply

About insurance, I can only get insurance after the diamond has been set into the ring. I was told that (most?) insurance companies will not insure loose diamonds.

Anyways, since I get to watch as the setter sets the stone, I'll discuss this with him. I just want to walk in there armed with lots of info. I like your idea of positioning the inclusion right next to a prong. Thanks!

 

[Mara]

Yes actually most insurance co's will not insure a loose stone. I meant to get insurance for after the setting...so in case it does get knocked and/or chip LATER while being worn...you are covered.

Hopefully someone else will chime in about setting...but I like the idea of placing next to a prong as well.




BTW which stone did you end up getting and are you happy with how it looks?!

 

[fire&ice]

----------------
On 1/21/2004 3:05:41 AM dryice wrote:

Anyways, since I get to watch as the setter sets the stone, I'll discuss this with him. ----------------

You need to ask a professional about this as there are inherent risks in setting any stone.

As far as insuring a loose stone, ask your insurer. Mine insured my loose stone - reluctantly - but non the less they did insure.

Good luck.

 

[dryice]

Hi Mara,
I bought a 1.10, F, VS2 USA Certed Diamonds. So far I've been very pleased with its appearance (based on my experience of seeing other diamonds in person in some of the B&M stores). There are however some small discrepancies between the cut measurements listed by the vendor and those from my appraiser. The vendor has a Sarin report which rates it at AGS000 (or AGA 1A). But the numbers from my appraiser put it in AGA 2A. The main difference is in the crown angle. There's a 0.9 degree difference between the Sarin and the appraiser. So just for fun, my local jeweler run the stone through their Sarin machine. The numbers came out AGS000. But in either case, I'm not too concerned. The bottom line is that the stone sparkles very nicely! And Martin at USA Certed Diamonds offered me a price that I just can't resist

. Now I have shifted my attention from the diamond to the ring and the actual proposal.

Fire&Ice, thanks for your info on insuring the loose diamond! I'll keep that in mind.

 

[dryice]

okay I have an update on this. My jeweler, who is also a gemologist, told me that if those are indeed needles, then it doesn't matter. But, if those are feathers, then what I worry could become true. In that case, they'll use a prong to cover up that area to pretect it.

Since I don't have the certificate in front of me at the moment, I can't be 100% sure that those were needles. Now I'm worried....

Maybe I should sneak out of my office and drive home to take a look

 

[dimonbob]

Do yourself and the setter a favor and keep your mouth shut while he is setting your diamond. Most setters do not like someone watching over their shoulder while they work and constant chatter and questions might distract him. Save it until the job is complete.
Just my two cents.

 

[dryice]

hi dimonbob, thanks for your advice. I already worked out that detail. I knew that the setter won't like it if someone like me walks in there and tells him to do this and do that. So, I'll present my list of concerns to the store manager. She will communicate my wishes to the setter. She already told me that I can not speak to the setter while he works. I'll simply observe the whole process.