The diamond I ordered

[MK Malone]

https://www.fourmine.com/shop/diamond/6203963594?utm_source=rarecarat&utm_medium=cpc

This is one of the original vendor videos. Looks like a dark I to me but vendor said no, It is just fine. I way over spent my original budget. Went down the diamond education rabbit hole and here I am, wondering if I can do better. And wondering if I could use a vendor with a better upgrade policy (full money back towards upgrade, over a dollar kind of upgrade policy).

 

[josieKat]

What about this one from WF? I've lost track of your wish list, but you'd get the upgrade policy, a near miss on the ACA, much higher color, above 3 carats. This is assuming you're okay with going over your budget similarly to your current stone. Don't know if it is eye clean but it didn't look bad to me.

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4059900.htm

 

[farrahlyn]

i'm surprised with the crown that you're not seeing fire from it, that is disappointing.

As far as upgrades... if you EVER think you're going to upgrade, with the size stone and money you're looking at, you definitely need to go with a vendor that has a generous upgrade policy. WF you can get close to or over 3ct with your original budget.

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4045357.htm SO CLOSE to 3ct that you can get away with calling it 3ct.

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3891965.htm Expert selection, just may not be eye clean. but i do like it.

 

[kmoro]

I also would suggest going with a vendor with great upgrade policy! Even if you never plan to upgrade, it’s like an extra guarantee ... you can have it for a long time and then, if you decide you can or want to try to do better, it’s not a problem. The only hurdle is the inventory they may or may not have at the time you want to upgrade (at $1 more, it can be more like an exchange).

 

[MK Malone]

Yes. I’m thinking about returning this stone and going with WF. Is their inventory real, in hand? They can assess each stone in real time? Another big question, is the tax law changing? I didn’t pay tax on this diamond. I’m in Texas.

 

[kmoro]

Yes. I’m thinking about returning this stone and going with WF. Is their inventory real, in hand? They can assess each stone in real time? Another big question, is the tax law changing? I didn’t pay tax on this diamond. I’m in Texas.

Everything except for Virtual Selection is in-house. For all in-house diamonds, the pictures on the site are real. They can assess each stone, in real time for you.

I’m sorry that I can’t comment on the tax laws ... I know there were changes but can’t remember if it affected Texas.

 

[Txborn79]

WF is in TX so you would pay sales tax at the time of purchase

Yes. I’m thinking about returning this stone and going with WF. Is their inventory real, in hand? They can assess each stone in real time? Another big question, is the tax law changing? I didn’t pay tax on this diamond. I’m in Texas.

 

[MK Malone]

Good to know @Txborn79. Thank you for that info. Do any of the other recommended vendors have a similar upgrade policy?

 

[OoohShiny]

I am also quite surprised that it's not kicking out loads of fire - going from the numbers and the HCA score, it should be.

Have you viewed it in a range of lighting conditions?

Multiple small spotlights or under a tree (with leaves but not too dense foliage) should give optimum conditions for light performance.

 

[Txborn79]

High Performance Diamonds has a great upgrade and buyback policy. If they don’t have what your looking for, you can also have something crafted to order.

Good to know @Txborn79. Thank you for that info. Do any of the other recommended vendors have a similar upgrade policy?

 

[MK Malone]

@OoohShiny
I have video under halogen, fluorescent, and incandescent near a bright window. I also viewed it outside, on a very bright sunny day and I looked at it in the sunlight and in a shaded area. It’s ok. Nothing spectacular. Very little color. It is pretty bright and has decent sparkle in certain conditions. It is a very warm stone to me, warmer than other GIA i stones I've looked at in person. And I just don’t see the fire. I’ll look again tomorrow. I really, really don’t want to start over.

 

[MK Malone]

Thoughts on these images? It scores 0.9 on HCA. Strong florescence.

 

[MK Malone]

More images to go with the ASET above.

 

[OoohShiny]

Paging @flyingpig and @gm89uk for assistance with the image analysis!

It seems strange to me that it's just not tickling your fancy much - I'm wondering if perhaps the fluor is having some sort of negative effect (which can happen in Strong and Very Strong fluorescence stones, although seemingly only rarely) or if its inclusions are somehow inhibiting performance. I can't remember - does it have clouds listed as an inclusion?

I think it could be good if you were able to see a branded SuperIdeal in person, so you could see how it looks to you and compare to the stone you have right now. Are you anywhere near a CBI stockist? Or could you get to HPD or BGD or WF?

If not (which is understandable - America is a big country!) then would it be possible to order a SuperIdeal for review and comparison at home? I appreciate it's a lot of cash or credit to lay out, but it would mean you would definitely know for sure what they look like and how your current stone compares.

We all want you to be happy with whatever you buy - it's a lot of cash to spend and you want your reaction to be more than just 'meh, it's okay...'!

 

[gm89uk]

@OoohShiny
I have video under halogen, fluorescent, and incandescent near a bright window. I also viewed it outside, on a very bright sunny day and I looked at it in the sunlight and in a shaded area. It’s ok. Nothing spectacular. Very little color. It is pretty bright and has decent sparkle in certain conditions. It is a very warm stone to me, warmer than other GIA i stones I've looked at in person. And I just don’t see the fire. I’ll look again tomorrow. I really, really don’t want to start over.

Interesting you weren't impressed by the stone.
It has no fluorescence, no clouds or grainings on the report with 0 redflags. Its proportions are good. A 36/40.6 combo favours a smaller table with longer LGF which this does.

Even if you do get a superideal, I do doubt it'll sparkle that much more to satisfy your expectations. So really the issues are:

1) The diamond is dirty and you've handled it extensively, touching the pavilion (as it's loose) without thoroughly cleaning between inspections. This will significantly reduce fire.
2) You are accustomed to seeing diamonds in jewellery stores and was disappointed in diamond performance outside of this.
3) There is some unforeseen problem with this diamond that isn't evident on a report.

You are buying a 3ct+ diamond in I colour. Personally that would be tinted for me, the larger the diamond the more obvious the tint. But if size and performance are your main aim, something has to give.

Your concerns about tint are however unrelated to your concerns about its performance. Before researching future diamonds through ASET and H&A images, you need to understand what was wrong with the first purchase before moving forward. Your new ASET images are nice, mainly a slightly shallower crown/pavilion combo, but the ASET for your purchased diamond were also great.

I would:
1) Thoroughly clean the diamond and handle it with tweezers to asses performance. In a ring, the bottom of the diamond (pavilion) will not continuously touch your hand like here.
2) Compare the diamond to other top performers so you have a reference point. Locate your nearest superideal vendor. The most likely one near you is a hearts on fire branded diamond. Clean your diamond and inspect in a variety of lighting environments. You could utilise HPD see it to believe it to compare as well (https://www.hpdiamonds.com/en-us/diamonddetail/HPD10652)
If you are near WF/GOG/BG or HPD obviously try to make the trip to see it. This is a $35k+ purchase.
3) If you have funds to allow to purchase another superideal and compare to your stone while you are in your refund period, obviously that is an option.

After you have standardised your squeaky clean diamonds performance against one that is a vetted top performer would I even bother looking for new ones. I would stop looking for online virtual stones that seemingly should be good performers and see what they should look like first.

If ultimately you want to have an H+ 3ct + stone, I would start smaller with a superideal vendor (WF seem to have the biggest inventory in this size) and upgrade onwards.

HPD seldom have 3ct+ and BG upgrade policy is not flexible enough for multiple upgrades.

 

[MK Malone]

@gm89uk @OoohShiny

Thank you both for your responses.
I have seen pretty 3 carat I diamonds in person, which I felt was necessary, to know if I could live with the slight warmth that comes with an I. The original magnified video concerned me because it appears to have a brown tinge. I asked the vendor about this prior to purchase. He assured me it was fine. A beautiful stone. No tinge. I’ll repost that video to see what you think. It is very representative of the diamond color in person. Sorta “bronze” in color. I did not buy it from four mine, but it’s the only vendor that still has video. The others show “sold”.
https://www.fourmine.com/shop/diamond/6203963594?utm_source=rarecarat&utm_medium=cpc

I don’t live close to any of the vendors mentioned. I’m in the Dallas, TX area so I should be able to find a place to go and compare. I will clean the diamond, handle with tweezers, look at it again. Even if I can find the “shine” with a clean diamond, the color isn’t good for an I, compared to the others I have seen in person.

The 4 images I posted above would be an exchange with the current vendor, B2C. @OoohShiny, the new images are the diamond I’m considering, and it has the strong florescence. (The current stone does not have any florescence).

I would love to hear your thoughts about the color in the four mine video above. And any other comments. Thank you all!!

MK

 

[MK Malone]

@OoohShiny, No clouds in current stone.

 

[Txborn79]

@MK Malone there is a CBI dealer in Dallas where you could see a super idea diamond to compare
https://www.curtismiller.com/company/locations/dallas-jewelry-store/

@gm89uk @OoohShiny

Thank you both for your responses.
I have seen pretty 3 carat I diamonds in person, which I felt was necessary, to know if I could live with the slight warmth that comes with an I. The original magnified video concerned me because it appears to have a brown tinge. I asked the vendor about this prior to purchase. He assured me it was fine. A beautiful stone. No tinge. I’ll repost that video to see what you think. It is very representative of the diamond color in person. Sorta “bronze” in color. I did not buy it from four mine, but it’s the only vendor that still has video. The others show “sold”.
https://www.fourmine.com/shop/diamond/6203963594?utm_source=rarecarat&utm_medium=cpc

I don’t live close to any of the vendors mentioned. I’m in the Dallas, TX area so I should be able to find a place to go and compare. I will clean the diamond, handle with tweezers, look at it again. Even if I can find the “shine” with a clean diamond, the color isn’t good for an I, compared to the others I have seen in person.

The 4 images I posted above would be an exchange with the current vendor, B2C. @OoohShiny, the new images are the diamond I’m considering, and it has the strong florescence. (The current stone does not have any florescence).

I would love to hear your thoughts about the color in the four mine video above. And any other comments. Thank you all!!

MK

 

[gm89uk]

A vendor can give an opinion on colour and tinge, but ultimately cannot guarantee it will be OK for the consumer, as colour is so subjective.

I think if you compare to CBI stones as suggested above, you'll know if performance is as different as can be. What are the proportions for the new stones (table/depth/crown/pavilion)?

 

[MK Malone]

New stone for possible exchange:
D 61.5. T 56. CA 34. PA 40.8
HCA .9
Strong florescence
Same size, same color (but video color is much better), same clarity. Very close to same price.

 

[OoohShiny]

New stone for possible exchange:
D 61.5. T 56. CA 34. PA 40.8
HCA .9
Strong florescence
Same size, same color (but video color is much better), same clarity. Very close to same price.

Is it from the same vendor? Video can always be deceiving due to automatically changing white balance settings.

The crown being lower is nearer the Super-Ideal recommended range, although at the lower end of it, so it would seem 'safer' than the current 36 degree angle stone.

You're probably getting a discounted price because of the Strong fluor - you would need to assess it for any oiliness or haziness, but it is not very common so you should be fine.


If you can get to the CBI vendor in Dallas that has been mentioned above, you should do that before you do any exchange on your current diamond, as then you will have the comparison and know what to look for (or determine that you want to go the SuperIdeal route).

If you do go, call a couple of days in advance and request an appointment, and that you would like to see stones in the range you are looking at. You could even look at the inventory on the High Performance Diamonds website and work out which ones would suit and request those specifically. Different size diamonds can perform differently, so a direct (or close) comparison would be best.

 

[MK Malone]

Thank you so very much @OoohShiny !!

I cleaned the diamond and viewed it with tweezers as suggested. So much better!! Here is video outside, in the shade.

 

[gm89uk]

Video unavailable but glad that worked .Are you still going to exchange for colour?

 

[OoohShiny]

Thanks for the detailed reply earlier, @gm89uk!

I'm glad the diamond is performing much better now it is clean, @MK Malone - a dirty diamond really can perform much worse than a clean diamond, so whatever you get, a good toothbrush and some non-abrasive hand soap and hot water should be a regular regime

As gm89uk mentioned, how do you feel about the colour now? Does the improved (clean) performance offset any worries you have about colour? Are you going to visit the CBI dealer?

 

[FearlessSmile]

It looks really nice! Sorry to hear it doesn’t have the fire you want. Here is my ACA from Whiteflash is this the fire you’re looking for? Not the best quality taken with iPhone 8 lol

 

[FearlessSmile]

Sorry ignore me just seen you’ve managed to fix it, really glad you’ve managed to fix it can’t see the video but the pics look really nice

 

[MK Malone]

@OoohShiny @FearlessSmile @gm89uk

Thank you for sticking with me!! So helpful. I did not know 2 months ago, when I started looking at diamonds online, how difficult it would be. Wish I had found y’all much sooner!!

I’m trying to post video from youtube. I copied the link. Is that the correct way to do it? Lots of videos of this diamond posted on YouTube under my screen name MK Malone.

Amazingly, I think everything about the diamond looks so much better. I can’t even see any color now. Lots of sparkle. It definitely performs differently in different lighting, but that’s normal, right?

The pic at the top is of the diamond from a back angle. Trying to show color. Hoping you can see video too!!

Appreciate you all!!!

 

[gm89uk]

No problem, glad to hear it. Amazing what a few touches can do to dirty a diamond and affect light performance. When a diamond is clean and reflects properly it'll work as a better mirror, be brighter and colour less obvious in the face up position.

For the video, you can try vimeo.

 

[MK Malone]

Thank you so very much @gm89uk !!

I am able to view my YouTube video above, from this site. Has anyone been able to view it?

 

[gm89uk]

I haven't