Spend my 20K

[Jamie Kutch]

Can you help me buy a Diamond? I have around 20K to spend and would like a round brilliant ideal over 2 cts.

I live in SF and shopped around at the local brick and morter. I posted on a diamond here but am not certain it is the best I can find.
Any thoughts on the below diamonds? Also can anyone recommend any more that are Super Ideal.



Diamond #1

HCA = .9

Light Return: Excellent
Fire: Excellent
Scintillation: Excellent
Spread: Very Good

Diamond #2

HCA = 1.4

Light Return: Excellent
Fire: Excellent
Scintillation: Excellent
Spread: Very Good


Diamond #3

HCA = 1.5

Light Return: Excellent
Fire: Excellent
Scintillation: Excellent
Spread: Very Good

 

[Demelza]

Personally, I would eliminate #3 because it''s too deep for my taste UNLESS neither 1 nor 2 are eyeclean. They should be, but in these larger sizes you might want to make certain by asking the vendors. Given who they are, you''ll get honest answers. Between 1 and 2, I would be more inclined towards 1. It''s a bit bigger and the inclusions seems to be completely off to the side, not under the table. Having said that, 2 is a great choice as well. I don''t think you can go wrong with either. I might be inclined to ask GOG why the stone doesn''t perform as well on white light return. I have no idea whether this is something you would notice, and personally, I am more a fan of fire (colored light return) than brilliance (white light return), but it might be worth asking. Again, these are great options. Can''t wait to see what you decide!

 

[valeria101]

The HCA scores can't help tell these apart - once they are over that threashold, this is as much as the tool can do.

These are darn close (H&A, after all - that's a pretty tight standard). There are small differences of size (8.2 to 8.5mm) and the shorter lower girdle facets of the stone at Excel would probably give a slightly different look than the two others have - not something I would call 'better' or 'worse'.



'Bet this is going to be a long thread

IMO, you could as well guess between these!

 

[Mara]

#1 or #2 for me.

At some point it''s all about preference and how far you want to split hairs. Some people can get pretty detailed. Others dont have the patience for it and just want a sparkly diamond.

I bet all three would be beautiful.

 

[Jamie Kutch]

Thanks Demelza + Valeria + Mara,

I tried to call Goodoldgold and was shocked when I saw the (516) area code.
I grew up on Long Island for most of my life and my parents still live a few towns away from their location.

My girlfriend is their visiting her parents right now. Too bad I can't have her go by and pick it up.


I am surprised there are so few Super Ideals that turn up over 2 cts.
Is it that Super Ideal Brilliant cut stones are really that tough to come by?

Any thoughts on how much it would be to have the diamond shipped with insurance?
I might order all three to compare them.

 

[valeria101]

Date: 9/12/2005 4:21:33 PM
Author: Jamie Kutch

I am surprised there are so few Super Ideals that turn up over 2 cts.
Is it that Super Ideal Brilliant cut stones are really that tough to come by?

Guess the smaller ones are more in demand ... Paul mentioned this some time ago, and perhaps others too if I remember right.

There seem to be enough larger diamonds that could have been cut like this and were not.

 

[ame]

I vote #2.

 

[Mara]

Demand in over 2c is very tight right now. It''s very hard to find them...especially well-cut.

If you order all three then they would just charge your card and ship them with insurance. The hard part is getting them back because you would probably have to pay for the return shipping. What about shipping them to an independent appraiser (who then can ship them back under their own insurance most likely?). I''d talk to the vendors and see what they say about this.

 

[Demelza]

Date: 9/12/2005 4:21:33 PM
Author: Jamie Kutch
Thanks Demelza + Valeria + Mara,
II am surprised there are so few Super Ideals that turn up over 2 cts.

Is it that Super Ideal Brilliant cut stones are really that tough to come by?

I''m not sure about this, but it might be that there is a bigger profit retaining as much weight as possible in stones of this size than there would be in cutting them to ideal specs. Just a thought.

I agree with Mara that, at this point, it''s about splitting hairs. As long as you make certain the SI1s are eyeclean, I would feel certain that any of the stones would be gorgeous. I think if you were to order all three to come directly to you, you might actually have to buy them. Not sure about that. If you can find an appraiser in your area to which all three vendors would agree to send the stones, you would probably have to pay only for shipping. You might want to check with the vendors about that.

 

[laney]

I just got a 2ct stone.. and yeah, there weren''t that many to choose from.

As for your choices... hmm. I like something about each. #3 Brilliance scope results look great! - but something is funky about the hearts at the 4 and 5 oclock regions.. don''t know.. #2 - looks great too - and the inclusions look prong coverable.. but I think I like #1''s inclusion pattern the best. I have one on the edge too and it seems to me more visible than the ones that are closer to the center.. just me though.

Anyone of them looks great tho''

 

[Rockchick]

How about this one? Scores a 1.3 on HCA with 4 X excellent?

 

[Demelza]

Is it just me or did WF just get in a bunch of new 2 and 2+ carat ACAs?

 

[valeria101]

Perhaps this is not a very good question.... but, how far is 23k from 20?

I was just looking casually to see what else could be out there in this database... when

THIS turned up.

 

[Demelza]

That looks like a neat stone, Val. I don''t know if it''s just me, but the stone looks quite blue in the photo. Must be the strong blue flourescence??

 

[valeria101]

Date: 9/12/2005 7:01:04 PM
Author: Demelza
That looks like a neat stone, Val. I don''t know if it''s just me, but the stone looks quite blue in the photo. Must be the strong blue flourescence??

No... there is something about it on my computer screen and most likely in person. It might be an unusual choice - but this is what Pricescope therads are for.

It just so happens that there is another thread about D/VS with strong fluorescence going on (THIS THREAD). I am a bit biased towards unusual things, so David''s comments on this other thread are useful here too IMO. Fluorescence is just there - neglijable (maybe, maybe not - it is ''strong'' after all), or interesting (for me) or whatever. Between this and I it is an unusual choice... perhaps worth looking into. Hence the post.

WF did a great job with the picture, as usual. To me, these are ''suprarealist'' pictures of a diamond - showing allot more detail in an intricate anaytic scheme than direct observation implies. Keeping this in mind, the diamond just kept begging to be posted, for better or worse

 

[kenny]

I think comparing the stones in your own home is ideal.

If you have the credit limit or the liquid funds, and don't mind footing the bill for some return shipping, go for it.

Read the venor return policies carefully and follow their guidlines to the utmost.
It is a bit unerving having 60,000 dollars in loose rocks in your shirt pocket, and check with your homeowner policy (I'm virtually certain that you are not covered for this) as you are responsible for them.

I think that you can return the stones via Registered Insured Express U.S. mail.
It takes only about 2 or 3 days and is MUCH cheaper than UPS or FedEx.

You can get them examined by an appraiser and show them to your trusted friends for their opinions.
You can compare them in your home and work lighting.
Buy an Idealscope and the lighted stage for loose stones; mine arrived in just a few days.
Be sure to ask the vendors for one of those clamp rings so you don't have to hold them in a tweezer.

I'll bet one will stand out.

 

[Demelza]

Wow! Buying all 3 to view would require a very high credit card limit!! I''d be scared toting all 3 diamonds around to and from work and home.

 

[Giangi]

The stone Ana posted looks GREAT and is a fabulous deal for a D/SI1. Out of the 3 stones you initially picked out, I''d go with no.2. Looks fabulous in terms of numbers, inclusions location and IS image.

 

[Jamie Kutch]

One question I have in regards to #1.
Is white light return the light in the middle of the diamond? Demelza wrote that it didn''t perform as well with white light return.
When I click on that stone to enlarge it, the outside is super clean white but the middle, inside, is cloudy looking. Also the black arrows inside are not as sharp.

Sorry for my lack of technical words.

On Diamond #2 under the Ideal Scope I can see crystals and at 10X''s magnification I can see the crystal at 6:00 o''clock.

 

[hoorray]

I would ask Brian at Whiteflash to eyeball any stones that they have that meet your criteria while on the phone to you and talk you through the differences. I would do the same with Jon at GOG. Then I would find a local appraiser and have 1 to 3 of the top contenders shipped to that appraiser so that you can view them in person with some expert advice. THere seem to be lots of great choices all of a sudden, so letting your eyes pick after the experts help narrow the selection would be a great way to go.

 

[Demelza]

Date: 9/13/2005 11:13:08 AM
Author: Jamie Kutch
One question I have in regards to #1.

Is white light return the light in the middle of the diamond? Demelza wrote that it didn''t perform as well with white light return.

When I click on that stone to enlarge it, the outside is super clean white but the middle, inside, is cloudy looking. Also the black arrows inside are not as sharp.

Sorry for my lack of technical words.

White light return (aka brilliance) simply refers to the flashes of white light that is reflected from within the diamond as opposed to fire which refers to the rainbow color flashes you see when looking at a diamond. All diamonds do both, and depending on cut, some do one more than the other. A very shallow diamond with a large table, for instance, might have better white light return than colored light return. The GOG diamond scored better on colored light return than white light return. Personally, I like this because I love seeing fire in my stone. I''m sure I was just splitting hairs (something I don''t really like doing), but I noticed that it scored a bit lower on white light return than some other stones I''ve seen. It still scored high, though, and it woudn''t at all discourage me from purchasing the stone. Talk to Jonathan at GOG about it and see what he says. At this point, I would highly recommend getting the vendors involved and asking them to be your eyes for you until you can see 1 or more of these stones. Sorry for adding to the confusion. From what I can see, all of these stones are winners, so now it''s just a matter of deciding what is most important to you.

 

[Stephan]

I saw the number 2 and it''s a beauty !