Taste Test: which of these two diamonds do your eyes prefer?
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stargurl78
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webdiva
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Re: Taste Test: which of these two diamonds do your eyes pre
I voted for #2 because they're so similar and #2 is whiter (I'm color sensitive, unfortunately!). By your cryptic remark about being surprised about color, I imagine #2 has medium or strong fluor. And in that picture head on - I think #2 IS bigger and spreadier. Good luck, both are beautiful! And I think Mayk is probably a coworker of your fiancee's who probably told her about the site and is watching this all unfold?
I voted for #2 because they're so similar and #2 is whiter (I'm color sensitive, unfortunately!). By your cryptic remark about being surprised about color, I imagine #2 has medium or strong fluor. And in that picture head on - I think #2 IS bigger and spreadier. Good luck, both are beautiful! And I think Mayk is probably a coworker of your fiancee's who probably told her about the site and is watching this all unfold?
stargurl78
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Re: Taste Test: which of these two diamonds do your eyes pre
The OP states in the first thread - " I had a previous thread about these two diamonds, but it had to be deleted because it had a little too much info that my GF might stumble across". Isn't Mayk and other posters asking for this thread to be deleted too by trying to figure out how Mayk knows him?? Just a thought...
webdiva said:
The OP states in the first thread - " I had a previous thread about these two diamonds, but it had to be deleted because it had a little too much info that my GF might stumble across". Isn't Mayk and other posters asking for this thread to be deleted too by trying to figure out how Mayk knows him?? Just a thought...
Dreamer_D
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Re: Taste Test: which of these two diamonds do your eyes pre
First, the HCA is a rejection tool not a selection tool, so the nuances of its score do not matter
THe VG difference in scintillation likely has little impact on how the stones look. Rather they seem to be different flavours of cut and if you posted IS images and the information from the lab reports we could see what the substantive differences are -- the HCA score not being one of the substantive differences, but instead, reflecting one or more substantive difference.
I like number 2 because it looks less tinted.
First, the HCA is a rejection tool not a selection tool, so the nuances of its score do not matter
THe VG difference in scintillation likely has little impact on how the stones look. Rather they seem to be different flavours of cut and if you posted IS images and the information from the lab reports we could see what the substantive differences are -- the HCA score not being one of the substantive differences, but instead, reflecting one or more substantive difference.I like number 2 because it looks less tinted.
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Re: Taste Test: which of these two diamonds do your eyes pre
I have been very quiet up until this thread.. because his first thread was a dead give-a-way for me about who he was.. since I have been reading and felt I was right... I decided there were WAY more people on here that know WAY more than I do... so I just watched him go through the hunt and learn... and he's doing a great job and has gotten awesome advice... No matter which stone he chooses he can't go wrong... He has it figured out by now I'm sure....even though we haven't met and live in different cities.. I'm sure he knows now.. and I've been super quiet at work when it's talked about.. just shaking my head and listening...
BluDevil
.... I got the open table points for dinner tonight.. sorry!
Mystery....She works for me.. she's awesome..he's a lucky guy..and clearly... she's lucky girl!
I have been very quiet up until this thread.. because his first thread was a dead give-a-way for me about who he was.. since I have been reading and felt I was right... I decided there were WAY more people on here that know WAY more than I do... so I just watched him go through the hunt and learn... and he's doing a great job and has gotten awesome advice... No matter which stone he chooses he can't go wrong... He has it figured out by now I'm sure....even though we haven't met and live in different cities.. I'm sure he knows now.. and I've been super quiet at work when it's talked about.. just shaking my head and listening...
BluDevil
.... I got the open table points for dinner tonight.. sorry! Mystery....She works for me.. she's awesome..he's a lucky guy..and clearly... she's lucky girl!
Enerchi
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bunnycat
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Re: Taste Test: which of these two diamonds do your eyes pre
I voted for #2. I think it looked a little lighter in the vid and photos, appeared a little larger (marginally), and it seemed to have a slightly chunkier look to the faceting which I like (though it's a pretty subtle effect). Both are really pretty though, I just have a mild preference for the second one.
ETA- When you do post the info, could you please also post the lower girdle facet lengths on them, out of curiosity?
I voted for #2. I think it looked a little lighter in the vid and photos, appeared a little larger (marginally), and it seemed to have a slightly chunkier look to the faceting which I like (though it's a pretty subtle effect). Both are really pretty though, I just have a mild preference for the second one.
ETA- When you do post the info, could you please also post the lower girdle facet lengths on them, out of curiosity?
Re: Taste Test: which of these two diamonds do your eyes pre
Long day at work and wow! Look at all these responses. Lots of great insight and observations. Have to really say that this crowd has a truly discerning and sharp eye.
I've been scratching my head all day re Mayk, and I hate to say it, but I think that this might be a case of mistaken identity. Mayk -- I'm located in CA and my girlfriend is in NY. She's been in NY all week and I don't think she's headed to Sawgrass. :-/
Long day at work and wow! Look at all these responses. Lots of great insight and observations. Have to really say that this crowd has a truly discerning and sharp eye.
I've been scratching my head all day re Mayk, and I hate to say it, but I think that this might be a case of mistaken identity.
Mayk -- I'm located in CA and my girlfriend is in NY. She's been in NY all week and I don't think she's headed to Sawgrass. :-/
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Enerchi
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Re: Taste Test: which of these two diamonds do your eyes pre
oh RATS! i was so hoping this was a secret mystery thing that we had already figured out. Bummer...
But the stones are still amazing Txnbludvl. Seems like #2 is the winner. I watched again, and I'm thinking #2 seems larger but #1 seemed brighter - to me.
oh RATS! i was so hoping this was a secret mystery thing that we had already figured out. Bummer...
But the stones are still amazing Txnbludvl. Seems like #2 is the winner. I watched again, and I'm thinking #2 seems larger but #1 seemed brighter - to me.
hearts-arrows_girl
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Re: Taste Test: which of these two diamonds do your eyes pre
I liked the one on the left better, it really caught my eye. It seems sharper, maybe more precise to my eyes. The one on the left looked bigger, but I would choose sharper over bigger or whiter.
My jeweler let me see two 5 carat stones she had called in for a client, and I will ALWAYS remember how I could notice the sharp, precision of the AGS000 over the other stone. If you've never seen that subtle gorgeous, sharpness of a stone with perfectly aligned facets, you would never notice the lack of it. It is truly a beautiful thing!
I liked the one on the left better, it really caught my eye. It seems sharper, maybe more precise to my eyes. The one on the left looked bigger, but I would choose sharper over bigger or whiter.
My jeweler let me see two 5 carat stones she had called in for a client, and I will ALWAYS remember how I could notice the sharp, precision of the AGS000 over the other stone. If you've never seen that subtle gorgeous, sharpness of a stone with perfectly aligned facets, you would never notice the lack of it. It is truly a beautiful thing!
Re: Taste Test: which of these two diamonds do your eyes pre
Hi al -- sorry for the delay. While waiting for the results to roll in -- I decided to do a few things to make this more interesting for the community. First (as will be apparent why shortly), I tracked down a Sarin for one of the stones. Second, I ordered an H&A viewer so that those who believe in "it's all in the hearts" could have a point of reference.
I will lay out the stats on these two stones in the next few posts.
First, the stats:
Next, the high res image, IdealScope and hearts view of Diamond #1:
Hi al -- sorry for the delay. While waiting for the results to roll in -- I decided to do a few things to make this more interesting for the community. First (as will be apparent why shortly), I tracked down a Sarin for one of the stones. Second, I ordered an H&A viewer so that those who believe in "it's all in the hearts" could have a point of reference.
I will lay out the stats on these two stones in the next few posts.
First, the stats:
Next, the high res image, IdealScope and hearts view of Diamond #1:
Re: Taste Test: which of these two diamonds do your eyes pre
...and now I can finally answer everyone's questions and make a few observations:
What I think we're observing:
I've spent a lot of time with these diamonds, and what I think we're essentially looking at is the difference between two kinds of diamonds. The one on the left (#1, 1. appears to be one which is close to what Jon at GOG calls his modified H&A's -- good optical symmetry, good cut, but with longer than normal LGF's. In some of his videos, he notes that he specifically has some stones cut to these particular angles (35, 40. as well. See this video (for a 1.01 G VS2 with similar angles): http://vimeo.com/2310072 The one on the right appears to be a diamond cut to near tolk standards -- with "on the edge" angles -- 34/41 and standard lgf %'s -77%.
I ordered the Sarin for this second stone because it has been noted by some that 34/41 is "on the edge". It turns out that the diamond is fairly tight on cutting tolerances. Both crown and pavilion angles have no more than .3% of an angle across all angles.
Here are the Sarin angle for the 1.88 stone:
Size:
For those that noted that the right stone was bigger (alene, MissGotRocks, ChrisES, distracts, gypsy, armywife13, sparkle524, fridays_child, luvnlife, stargurl78, webdiva, bastetcat)-- it IS! But as you can see from the above measurements, it's only 0.06mm bigger than the other. I confirmed the relative differences using a caliper (I know, geeky). I find this interesting, because everyone usually says that the smallest size difference most people can see if 0.1mm. I thought maybe it was because of the cut, lighting, etc., but when I posted a photo with almost no lighting, and there were a few people who noted they still thought the 1.88 looked bigger.
Whiteness/Brightness:
Some (marymm, distracts, diamondseeker2006, gypsy, armywife13, sparkle524, luvnlife, stargurl78, webdiva, dreamer_d, bastetcat) noted that the right diamond (#2, 1.8 seemed whiter, brighter (The diamonds have been seen by a number of people in person, and for those of you who noted the 1.88 looked whiter, you're in agreement with everyone who saw it in person. I'm personally not color sensitive, but it's interesting that everyone was so consistent.
Fire:
A few of you (distracts) also noted that the left diamond seems more firey. This is the most apparent thing in person. The actual difference between the two is not tremendously great, but it does appear there is a bit more fire in the left diamond (#1, 1.8 ). Looking at the angles, I note that it has a 35 degree crown angle. Many say that a higher crown produces a more firey stone -- so I found this comment interesting.
Pinfire vs Broad Flashes:
Kudos to those of you who notices the lgf difference in scintillation (steelmagnolia, bastetcat). The right diamond (#2, 1.8 has a shorter lgf% and indeed does have broader flash versus the left diamond (#1, 1.8 )'s pinflash. Looking at the arrows and the hearts view, I wouldn't be surprised if the 1.8 has 81 or 82% lgf. So, an effective 4-5% difference in lgf's.
ariel144 made a very astute observation that there is more sparkle under the table for the first diamond (#1, 1.8 ). That's how I see it the most. The second diamond (#2, 1.8 isn't a slouch, but where the difference is most perceptible is under the table.
Star Facets:
One other thing that is noticeable in person is the physical difference between the 45% and 60% star facets. The proportion differences of table to star/upper girdle facets is apparent, but the net effect between the two isn't that much. I was surprised by that.
Optical Symmetry/Preciseness of Cut:
I would say that the diamond on the left (#1, 1.8 ) is more optically symmetrical than the diamond on the right (#2, 1.8. But, the diamond on the right has more traditional clefts. I find it interesting that people prefer #2 to #1 almost 2:1, given how much discussion there is that optical symmetry helps a diamond in terms of scintillation, etc. Anyone have any thoughts on this?
Hearts-Arrows_Girl: Really observant eyes! It does look like the diamond #1 (1.8 ) is more tightly cut, as evidenced by the high res images, etc.
ChrisES, marymm: It's interesting that y'all noted that the right diamond was bigger and attributed it to a larger table, because it DOES have a larger table (56% vs 57% (or 57.9% per Sarin). Is it common for diamonds with larger tables to look larger?
Webdiva: Interesting that you noted the flourescence. There IS faint flourescence and the lighting for this video was indirect flourescent light.
Stargurl78: Shortly before posting this thread, I came to agreement with my girlfriend that she would stay off of PS. She knows how much I'm struggling with this decision and understands that this forum really is invaluable in helping make the final decision. So, I think we're ok. The problem with the first thread was that it had a little too much personal identifying information. But, there's not enough to accurately identify me (as evidenced by MayK's posts. ).
MayK: Sorry to disappoint, but I think we may not know each other. The details seem eerily similar though. I appreciate your taking so much interest -- whoever your friend is, it sounds like she's got a great guy looking for a diamond for her.
Enerchi, stargurl78: Agree, I'm desperately in need for a manicure. I took that video after coming off the mountain after a full day of snowboarding and my hands were pretty beat up.
...and now I can finally answer everyone's questions and make a few observations:
What I think we're observing:
I've spent a lot of time with these diamonds, and what I think we're essentially looking at is the difference between two kinds of diamonds. The one on the left (#1, 1.
appears to be one which is close to what Jon at GOG calls his modified H&A's -- good optical symmetry, good cut, but with longer than normal LGF's. In some of his videos, he notes that he specifically has some stones cut to these particular angles (35, 40. as well. See this video (for a 1.01 G VS2 with similar angles): http://vimeo.com/2310072 The one on the right appears to be a diamond cut to near tolk standards -- with "on the edge" angles -- 34/41 and standard lgf %'s -77%. I ordered the Sarin for this second stone because it has been noted by some that 34/41 is "on the edge". It turns out that the diamond is fairly tight on cutting tolerances. Both crown and pavilion angles have no more than .3% of an angle across all angles.
Here are the Sarin angle for the 1.88 stone:
Size:
For those that noted that the right stone was bigger (alene, MissGotRocks, ChrisES, distracts, gypsy, armywife13, sparkle524, fridays_child, luvnlife, stargurl78, webdiva, bastetcat)-- it IS! But as you can see from the above measurements, it's only 0.06mm bigger than the other. I confirmed the relative differences using a caliper (I know, geeky). I find this interesting, because everyone usually says that the smallest size difference most people can see if 0.1mm. I thought maybe it was because of the cut, lighting, etc., but when I posted a photo with almost no lighting, and there were a few people who noted they still thought the 1.88 looked bigger.
Whiteness/Brightness:
Some (marymm, distracts, diamondseeker2006, gypsy, armywife13, sparkle524, luvnlife, stargurl78, webdiva, dreamer_d, bastetcat) noted that the right diamond (#2, 1.8
seemed whiter, brighter (The diamonds have been seen by a number of people in person, and for those of you who noted the 1.88 looked whiter, you're in agreement with everyone who saw it in person. I'm personally not color sensitive, but it's interesting that everyone was so consistent.Fire:
A few of you (distracts) also noted that the left diamond seems more firey. This is the most apparent thing in person. The actual difference between the two is not tremendously great, but it does appear there is a bit more fire in the left diamond (#1, 1.8 ). Looking at the angles, I note that it has a 35 degree crown angle. Many say that a higher crown produces a more firey stone -- so I found this comment interesting.
Pinfire vs Broad Flashes:
Kudos to those of you who notices the lgf difference in scintillation (steelmagnolia, bastetcat). The right diamond (#2, 1.8
has a shorter lgf% and indeed does have broader flash versus the left diamond (#1, 1.8 )'s pinflash. Looking at the arrows and the hearts view, I wouldn't be surprised if the 1.8 has 81 or 82% lgf. So, an effective 4-5% difference in lgf's.ariel144 made a very astute observation that there is more sparkle under the table for the first diamond (#1, 1.8 ). That's how I see it the most. The second diamond (#2, 1.8
isn't a slouch, but where the difference is most perceptible is under the table.Star Facets:
One other thing that is noticeable in person is the physical difference between the 45% and 60% star facets. The proportion differences of table to star/upper girdle facets is apparent, but the net effect between the two isn't that much. I was surprised by that.
Optical Symmetry/Preciseness of Cut:
I would say that the diamond on the left (#1, 1.8 ) is more optically symmetrical than the diamond on the right (#2, 1.8
. But, the diamond on the right has more traditional clefts. I find it interesting that people prefer #2 to #1 almost 2:1, given how much discussion there is that optical symmetry helps a diamond in terms of scintillation, etc. Anyone have any thoughts on this?Hearts-Arrows_Girl: Really observant eyes! It does look like the diamond #1 (1.8 ) is more tightly cut, as evidenced by the high res images, etc.
ChrisES, marymm: It's interesting that y'all noted that the right diamond was bigger and attributed it to a larger table, because it DOES have a larger table (56% vs 57% (or 57.9% per Sarin). Is it common for diamonds with larger tables to look larger?
Webdiva: Interesting that you noted the flourescence. There IS faint flourescence and the lighting for this video was indirect flourescent light.
Stargurl78: Shortly before posting this thread, I came to agreement with my girlfriend that she would stay off of PS. She knows how much I'm struggling with this decision and understands that this forum really is invaluable in helping make the final decision. So, I think we're ok. The problem with the first thread was that it had a little too much personal identifying information. But, there's not enough to accurately identify me (as evidenced by MayK's posts.
).MayK: Sorry to disappoint, but I think we may not know each other.
The details seem eerily similar though. I appreciate your taking so much interest -- whoever your friend is, it sounds like she's got a great guy looking for a diamond for her. Enerchi, stargurl78: Agree, I'm desperately in need for a manicure. I took that video after coming off the mountain after a full day of snowboarding and my hands were pretty beat up.
webdiva
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Re: Taste Test: which of these two diamonds do your eyes pre
Ha! Awesome results, thanks for posting the results - I enjoyed reading them! What can we say? We have good eyes and picky taste in diamonds! I'm pretty color sensitive, so I'm surprised both are Gs. That's a pretty big difference in color - wonder if the GIA inspector had an off day?
Sooooo...are you keeping us in the dark about which one you chose? Based on your responses, it sounds like you're leaning toward the numbers on #1 along with the increased fire? Based on the clarity, I imagine diamond 1 is more expensive than diamond 2. If you get Diamond 1, just send #2 over here. It'll have a good home...
Ha! Awesome results, thanks for posting the results - I enjoyed reading them! What can we say? We have good eyes and picky taste in diamonds!
I'm pretty color sensitive, so I'm surprised both are Gs. That's a pretty big difference in color - wonder if the GIA inspector had an off day? Sooooo...are you keeping us in the dark about which one you chose? Based on your responses, it sounds like you're leaning toward the numbers on #1 along with the increased fire? Based on the clarity, I imagine diamond 1 is more expensive than diamond 2. If you get Diamond 1, just send #2 over here.
It'll have a good home...Re: Taste Test: which of these two diamonds do your eyes pre
Apologies, it looks like I posted the same IdealScope twice. The 1.88's IdealScope is here:
luvnlife: To be honest, I haven't decided yet but I've got to decide very soon (like in the next 72-96 hours). I've flip flopped back and forth on which diamond to pick. I've read so much on PS that I think I've spun myself silly.
To the PS community: now that you've have seen the stats, does everyone still feel the same way based on how they voted? Feel free to change your vote above, I've taken a snapshot of the vote prior to the stats.
As of my post with the stats, it was:
Apologies, it looks like I posted the same IdealScope twice. The 1.88's IdealScope is here:
luvnlife: To be honest, I haven't decided yet but I've got to decide very soon (like in the next 72-96 hours). I've flip flopped back and forth on which diamond to pick. I've read so much on PS that I think I've spun myself silly.
To the PS community: now that you've have seen the stats, does everyone still feel the same way based on how they voted? Feel free to change your vote above, I've taken a snapshot of the vote prior to the stats.
As of my post with the stats, it was:
Gypsy
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Re: Taste Test: which of these two diamonds do your eyes pre
no change of vote here, still #1 for me. i could see the one on the right was larger and whiter, but the performance/appearance of #1 still won me over regardless. it's interesting to understand the technicalities behind my preference! thanks for such a great comparison, can't wait to see which you choose!!
no change of vote here, still #1 for me. i could see the one on the right was larger and whiter, but the performance/appearance of #1 still won me over regardless. it's interesting to understand the technicalities behind my preference! thanks for such a great comparison, can't wait to see which you choose!!
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Re: Taste Test: which of these two diamonds do your eyes pre
I'll have to agree with Gypsy and MGR...#2 looks (and is) bigger, brighter, and whiter, and I will disagree with your analysis of #1 having better optical symmetry because I think #2's hearts images are better than #1. There is really nothing that would make me choose #1 over #2...and especially because #2 appears whiter/brighter and larger (almost 2 cts.)! Easy decision for me!
I'll have to agree with Gypsy and MGR...#2 looks (and is) bigger, brighter, and whiter, and I will disagree with your analysis of #1 having better optical symmetry because I think #2's hearts images are better than #1. There is really nothing that would make me choose #1 over #2...and especially because #2 appears whiter/brighter and larger (almost 2 cts.)! Easy decision for me!
webdiva
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Re: Taste Test: which of these two diamonds do your eyes pre
All stats aside, which one looks more pleasing to YOUR eye? Or what do you think your lady would prefer? Out in real world lighting, which makes your heart sing?
Cuz ladies usually don't carry around their Sarin report with them "But MY diamond is more symmetrical, girls!!!".
All stats aside, which one looks more pleasing to YOUR eye? Or what do you think your lady would prefer? Out in real world lighting, which makes your heart sing?
Cuz ladies usually don't carry around their Sarin report with them "But MY diamond is more symmetrical, girls!!!".
bunnycat
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Re: Taste Test: which of these two diamonds do your eyes pre
Thanks for posting such an in depth analysis! The lgf length were about as I suspected. My choice would still be the second one, but they are both lovely and it really comes down to a matter of what flavor of stone she's going to like best rather than one stone is better than the other.
Thanks for posting such an in depth analysis! The lgf length were about as I suspected. My choice would still be the second one, but they are both lovely and it really comes down to a matter of what flavor of stone she's going to like best rather than one stone is better than the other.
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Re: Taste Test: which of these two diamonds do your eyes pre
Before I saw the statistics, I voted for #1 (left diamond) based on the video only. Reasons are that 1. it is more crisp/sharp (pleasing), and 2. it gives off more fire.
In the entire video, you moved too fast, so I could not see the diamonds very clearly. Wish you made your movements a bit slower, at least for a short while. Anyway, two positive things that jumped out are that #1 looks more pleasing and #2 looks bigger (surprised at being able to see the difference). What made my decision is that #2 looks a little ordinary (dull, not sharp, not clear, not crisp), although it is larger and is still bright enough.
Before I saw the statistics, I voted for #1 (left diamond) based on the video only. Reasons are that 1. it is more crisp/sharp (pleasing), and 2. it gives off more fire.
In the entire video, you moved too fast, so I could not see the diamonds very clearly. Wish you made your movements a bit slower, at least for a short while. Anyway, two positive things that jumped out are that #1 looks more pleasing and #2 looks bigger (surprised at being able to see the difference). What made my decision is that #2 looks a little ordinary (dull, not sharp, not clear, not crisp), although it is larger and is still bright enough.
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