Should I buy this diamond or wait?

[sushi_man]

Hi Everyone,

First of all, I just wanted to say this forum/site is just absolutely amazing - I've learned so much over the last 6 months and thankful for those who have shared their experiences. So thank you everyone!

Okay, my time has come to buy a diamond. I live in Toronto, Ontario and after looking around here are the specs for a round brilliant I am considering. The price is just over $4,200 USD, well within my budget but a .85 stone is about the right size for my g/friend's hand as she wears a small size ring:

The GIA CERT/ MEGASCOPE specs:

Dimensions: 6.02 x 6.05 x 3.70
Carat Weight .821
Colour Grade E
Clarity VS1
Cut Excellent
Polish/Symmetry Excellent
Culet Very small .70%
Fluorescence None
Table Diameter 56.0%
Crown 35.1 (34.9 - 35.4)
Crown Height 14.5% (14.0 - 14.7)
Pavilion Angle 40.9 (40.6 - 41.1)
Pavilion Depth 43.2% (42.7 - 43.5)
Girdle Thin - Med faceted 1.5% (0.9 - 2.2)
Star 55%
Total Depth 61.3%
Certification: GIA
Characteristics Crystal, Needle
The Megascope shows all zeros - what does that really mean?

I ran the above specs through the HCA Cut Advisor and got a score of 2.1 "Very Good - Worth buying if the price is right" The numbers/result almost makes me want to wait for a better stone (I am not in a hurry as I can wait another couple of weeks for a better diamond to enter the supply chain).

I also noticed the diamond was certified Oct 25/05 - silly question but is it possible this diamond is a dog? I would think a great diamond would have been snapped up by now.

Your opinions are most welcomed....Thanks in advance!

 

[kenny]

I like the E VS1.
I don't mind paying for quality.

I like the size.
You are not paying that 1-carat premium - but a well-cut .821 will look like the typical 1 carat. Smart!

Personally I would not buy a HCA 2.1 stone unless you are pressed for time.
There are other stones out there closer to 1.0

 

[StonesThrow]

Hey Sushi-Man,

I came to PS very much convinced that I wanted at least an F VS1. I found out I wasn''t at all color sensitive (and neither is she, really). That fact, coupled with learning how much a stellar cut can do for color, made me eventually choose a J SI1 (eye clean). *Link to my .82 ct stone* I respectfully disagree with the classification of higher color as better quality...I think the color of a stone is very much a personal taste.

From what I''ve read here on PS, I think if you''re a true cut fiend, you''ll probably want to wait for a diamond that performs more in the 1-2 range as Kenny suggests.

Just my inexperienced thoughts

 

[sushi_man]

By the way Stones Throw - nice rock!!

I would have been happy with an F color but that one was sold just before I could request the cert/Sarin. This one was less than $200 more. My girlfriend prefers something whiter / colorless - hence the E/F range. Lucky for me she has slim fingers. My own preference is for VS1 - like kenny, I don't mind paying a few extra bucks for higher quality.

I saw a really nice .81 carat round but it was overkill with D color, VVS2 at about $5K.

I've read conflicting information about the total depth. Some say max 61% others say up to 61.7% is okay but I'll follow my eyes as "seeing is believing".

So, all said I think I will wait for a better performer that scores better on the HCA. I am just glad I have time on my side. I would think a new supply should come into the market over the next couple of weeks now that Valentines has passed???

Thanks again...

 

[sushi_man]

Hi Everyone,

I just found another round brilliant that is a potential buy but am concerned the girdle is a bit too thick. However, it scores well on the HCA cut advisor with 1.2 even though the crown angle is a bit steeper than I would like.

I read from another posting that a faceted girdle can allow light to leak in - is this a concern for thicker girdles? Would that apply in this case for a stone rated with an ideal polish / symmetry?

Thanks again in advance for your help!

Dimensions: 5.96 x 6.00 x 3.71
Carat Weight .821
Colour Grade F
Clarity VS1
Cut Excellent
Polish/Symmetry Excellent
Culet pointed
Fluorescence Negligible
Table Diameter 55.8%
Crown 35.0
Crown Height 15.6%
Pavilion Angle 40.7
Pavilion Depth 42.7%
Girdle faceted 1.7% - 3.8%
Total Depth 61.9%
Certification: AGS

 

[valeria101]

''light leaking in'' is a new concept for me... Chances are I missed something about these endless slight technicals, but if not... there''s nothing there to worry about.

If you wanted D-E, why not, but ... chances are you could not tell them apart from the current F is asked to do a blind test. However, this is simply based on what I can see - and you may have better talent grading diamond color. On a larger diamond I would dare claim I could tell the F apart, not below 1 carat - that may take a bit and definitely require proper conditions (right lighting and white background, diamonds unmounted etc.)

The ''crown to steep'' part I don''t understand either - ''cause it is not much about how steep the crown is, but how the crown and pavilion angles match. And this is what the cool HCA score is about. Perhaps extremes are not desirable (60 degrees crown anyone? or 15?) but 35 is a mainstream number. As far as I know.

All in all, it looks like the current find is a winner by all accounts. But it is all about your choice

 

[valeria101]

Btw... I looked up D-E/VS2 for fun... and one D-VS1 just happened. Would it work? Anyway, 'you might want to take a look at the darn 'bells and whistles' in that presentation - the poor diamond went though about every cut grading loop known to men, and then some

D-VS2 fits the budget better, but Blue Nile doesn't do the H&A thing - so there's no way to know whether this stone has a pattern (i.e. tops optical symmetry) before touching it.

Unless it is a 'virtual list' item and another seller can call it in and check for you (which BlueNile does not do either). Even if not listed by other sellers, this may still be feasible.

HCA 1.2
Crown: 34.9
Pavilion: 40.7
table 56.1
depth 62
girdle 0.8-1.8

 

[sushi_man]

Ana,

Thanks for your help.

I didn't see the D VS1 as it would have fallen outside my search original criteria: F color, VS1, depth 60 - 61.9, crown 34.5 - 34.7, pavilion 40.7 - 40.8, star 50-55%, med. girdle, .80 - .86 ct. As I plan to get a platinum setting, I figure it would help make an F stone look whiter like an E. However, the D VS1 might do the trick too! Being a H&A cut I would expect it to be more brilliant than the one on Blue Nile, and with an HCA score of 1.3 it's definitely a winner too! oh oh - now which one?

For the crown angle, I just meant I would prefer a 34.5 / 40.8 crown/pavilion angle combo. I'll admit I was pleasantly surprised about the HCA score.

I've requested the Sarin for the F VS1. Is the girdle thickness of .80 - 1.8 for the Blue Nile stone? ooh - that seems too thin for my comfort. I'll guess this is a virtual listed stone as it does not have a Blue Nile serial # on it.

 

[Paul-Antwerp]

Date: 2/27/2006 11:38:40 PM
Author:sushi_man

The GIA CERT/ MEGASCOPE specs:

Dimensions: 6.02 x 6.05 x 3.70
Carat Weight .821
Colour Grade E
Clarity VS1
Cut Excellent
Polish/Symmetry Excellent
Culet Very small .70%
Fluorescence None
Table Diameter 56.0%
Crown 35.1 (34.9 - 35.4)
Crown Height 14.5% (14.0 - 14.7)
Pavilion Angle 40.9 (40.6 - 41.1)
Pavilion Depth 43.2% (42.7 - 43.5)
Girdle Thin - Med faceted 1.5% (0.9 - 2.2)
Star 55%
Total Depth 61.3%
Certification: GIA
Characteristics Crystal, Needle
The Megascope shows all zeros - what does that really mean?

Something is wrong with this measurement. A table of 56.0 and a crown angle of 35.1 do not fit with a crown height of 14.5%. Then again, I see a lot of serious variation in the angles and heights.

Live long,

 

[Paul-Antwerp]

Date: 3/5/2006 2:28:05 PM
Author: sushi_man
Hi Everyone,

I just found another round brilliant that is a potential buy but am concerned the girdle is a bit too thick. However, it scores well on the HCA cut advisor with 1.2 even though the crown angle is a bit steeper than I would like.

I read from another posting that a faceted girdle can allow light to leak in - is this a concern for thicker girdles? Would that apply in this case for a stone rated with an ideal polish / symmetry?

Thanks again in advance for your help!

Dimensions: 5.96 x 6.00 x 3.71
Carat Weight .821
Colour Grade F
Clarity VS1
Cut Excellent
Polish/Symmetry Excellent
Culet pointed
Fluorescence Negligible
Table Diameter 55.8%
Crown 35.0
Crown Height 15.6%
Pavilion Angle 40.7
Pavilion Depth 42.7%
Girdle faceted 1.7% - 3.8%
Total Depth 61.9%
Certification: AGS

This girdle is not thick at all. You are confused by the new way, in which AGS notes the girdle thickness. The 1.7% is the thinnest part at the girdle in the valleys (comparable to how AGS used to measure depth), and the 3.8% is the thickest part of the girdle at the facet-joints (comparable to where HRD measures depth).

Live long,