Thoughts on 2.23 EC, VVS2, K?

[SpoiledByHim]

Hi all,

I'm looking for your opinions on the following diamond. I don't have the opportunity to view it in person, as it's held by an online vendor, but the numbers and photos seem to suggest a beauty. However, I need some expertise because I'm not at all familiar with ECs other than the research I've done.

GIA Grading Report
2.23 carats
K
VVS2
Ex Polish
Ex Symm
No Fluor
63.2% Depth
8.31 x 7.22 x 4.56 mm (1.15 ratio, which I love)

So what's the problem? Well, I'm nervous spending thousands on something I can't see in person. The vendor is Union Diamond, which I believe has had favorable reviews. Still. I need a little courage.

Also, the GIA report comments say "Surface graining is not shown". What does this mean? Is it something I'll notice? The photos are from a diamond cutter who apparently can't take better pics. Should that worry me?

The numbers are in the range I was hoping for, the price is right, and it looks great in the less-than-stellar photos. Am I missing anything?

Thanks in advance for your expertise!

 

[arkieb1]

Surface graining is rarely a problem, it's only if the graining is substantial enough to see which usually it will never be. Internal graining can be more of an issue because it can sometimes (we are talking rarely here) impact on the brilliance and fire of the stone in question.

I love the shape of it and it looks O.K in the pics, but I am sure the emerald experts will all step in.....

 

[UberClaire]

Have you seen any pictures from a 45 degree angle? With an emerald cut of that size, I'd be worried about seeing a lot of color with a K.

 

[SpoiledByHim]

UberClaire, I have not seen any 45 degree angle photos. I'll see what I can get from them. I'm not too worried about the K color, I don't mind a little warmth but I suppose it could be a darker K than I anticipate. And that would be a bummer.

 

[SpoiledByHim]

arkieb1, thanks for the surface graining info. I had not heard of it before and am glad I don't really have to worry much about it.

 

[thediamondshopper]

At VVS2 I wouldnt see any inclusion being an issue. +1 on uberclaire's suggestion to view the stone from the side or a slight side angle as emeralds tend to show alot of color. The pics look good but that doesnt say alot, especially considering that there is photoshop, make sure they have a good return policy and ask if there are restocking fees ect.

 

[Mayk]

I've been very happy with my "K"

 

[Laila619]

I'm not an expert on ECs, but it looks really pretty to me.

 

[SpoiledByHim]

Thanks, Mayk and Laila! Mayk, your ring is gorgeous!

Here are a few more pics from the cutter. Any other thoughts?

 

[SpoiledByHim]

Does it look dirty to anyone? Or is there glue on it?

Also, sorry if the pics are ginormous. They look good on my phone.

 

[Rockdiamond]

Hi Spoiled-
According to PS rules, I am not allowed to make specific comments on another vendors diamond- but I can make general comments:
1) "Surface graining" on a VVS clarity diamond will never be visible to the naked eye in my experience. I agree with arkieb1
2) Although many people say that step cuts ( like an emerald) show body color - I have also found that perception plays a role there. Some people are just more sensitive to color- or put another way- some people are bothered by it and others actually prefer it.
Plus, it's a stone by stone thing. Some step cuts show color more than others.
But color, in itself, is not a negative to everyone.

As with any online purchase, my advice to all consumers is to make sure you get a money back guarantee

 

[SpoiledByHim]

Rockdiamond, thanks for the post! The return policy seems pretty fair (no out-of-pocket expenses of any sort other than return postage). I looked at a few other stones tonight from a local diamond broker and found a really beautiful one. It was a K color, which actually looked really dark in some of the lighting we stood in, but had the best overall cut, and thus the best scintillation. It was kind of deep at 69% though. I couldn't get over the fact that it was 2.01 carats, K color, VS1, much smaller face-up, and was going to be the same cost as the stone above from UD. I haven't seen the UD diamond in person but I'm thinking the return shipping costs might be worth at least checking it out before making a final decision...

 

[ecf8503]

I have a J colored EC and I really like mine - if you don't mind a little warmth, I can't imagine you'd be put off by this K. I actually think I'd prefer a little warmth in my EC - gives it some personality.

It looks very nice in pics (appeals to my eye, at least!). Can you get an ASET of it?

If the return policy is good, what's the harm in having it sent to you to see?

 

[athenaworth]

I like the cut on this a lot. It's a chubby EC. You don't see those very often. I'd say it'd be worth a look if there's a return policy.

 

[SpoiledByHim]

Thanks for the thoughts, everyone! I ordered her up today! I've named her Velma. I can't wait to see her in person!! I'll be sure to introduce her to all of you...provided I love her as much as I think I will.

 

[SpoiledByHim]

Holy moly...

Union Diamond just sent me their photos. Here's the money shot...

I. can't. breathe.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Looks like a gorgeous stone to me!!!

 

[SpoiledByHim]

It's here! Woot-woot!!

A couple of preliminary iPhone shots that I just love. I can't believe this is all mine. Thank you, Leah Cawley at Union Diamond! You've completed me!

 

[ScorpioLove]

It's here! Woot-woot!!

A couple of preliminary iPhone shots that I just love. I can't believe this is all mine. Thank you, Leah Cawley at Union Diamond! You've completed me!

Hi SpoiledByHim. As I began reading your posts, I was just about to ask you who your sales rep was at UD and was going to recommend Leah. I've worked with her when I initally began looking for the RB for my ering. She was so helpful and even more importantly, she was 100% honest. She was a perfect set of "eyes" for me. If the #'s/the stone looked good on paper, but it was a dud in real life, she was honest rather than just trying to make a sale. And well, from what I can see, she was just as honest with and helpful to you as well.
For the record, the only reason that I didn't make a purchase through UD is b/c I actually live in the Atlanta area and would have had to pay the 7% sales tax....what a bummer.....

NOW....HUN-NEY....that EC is TDF! It gets my vote! I have to agree that the money shot was absolutely breathtaking; such a beautiful stone. I certainly hope that you are planning to keep it!!

 

[AprilBaby]

Wow! That is a stunning diamond! Lucky you!

 

[Mayk]

WOW Super Fabulous!!!! Love, love, love it!!! Can't wait to see it set!!!

 

[chrono]

Have you decided on keeping it yet or are you still evaluating it? Do the steps "walk" individually as you rotate the stone very slowly from right to left and back? Are the strips zebra-like (alternating black and white) or do you see several consecutive bars get dark and light together? Is the stone bright even when away from a strong light source? Does it look glassy or it is still "alive" when away from a strong light source?

 

[dragonfly411]

That stone is FAB! It GLOWS!

 

[woofmama]

Have you decided on keeping it yet or are you still evaluating it? Do the steps "walk" individually as you rotate the stone very slowly from right to left and back? Are the strips zebra-like (alternating black and white) or do you see several consecutive bars get dark and light together? Is the stone bright even when away from a strong light source? Does it look glassy or it is still "alive" when away from a strong light source?

In my quest to learn how to evaluate step cut stones I am very interested to see the answers to these ?'s by Chrono.
That said- from the pictures you have posted this diamonds looks absolutely stunning!!!
Very excited for you and can't wait to see how you set this beauty

I have an ec now, 1.11ct, but plan to upgrade next year. Loving all of these 2ct EC's lately. My favorite cut

 

[ecf8503]

Beautiful! Congrats!

 

[SpoiledByHim]

ScorpioLove, thank you! Leah was really wonderful to work with. I've been bugging her since August and she happily and swiftly complied with all of my requests.

Thanks, AprilBaby, Mayk, dragonfly, woofmama, and ecf!!

Chrono, I'm still evaluating it, despite how in love I probably sound. The steps DO "walk" as I rotate the stone and most of the steps alternate in color but there are a couple of facets that are consecutive bars. The stone seems darker in stronger light like at work or directly in the sun, which I'm not keen on and have no idea if that's normal, but I feel like perhaps that's the trade-off when getting a deeper color stone (in this case a K color) with no fluorescence. I was at a restaurant tonight that I know has awesome "diamond lighting" and the stone didn't have as much colorful light refraction as I anticipated it would, which was kind of a bummer. It was pretty dark with tiny flashes of color. That said, the steps are just perfect and I didn't buy it for super sparkle. I don't think it looks glassy, it still has depth but I wouldn't say it's "alive" with a rainbow of colors, the flashes of light are generally less colorful. Perhaps that's the shallowness of the stone? It looks better when not in direct light or when the light source is coming from behind it like the photos shown above.

Prior to my purchase I was working with a local diamond broker and I'm headed to see him again this weekend. If he can show me bigger, better, and cheaper then he's got a sale and this baby goes back. But I've seen stones from him once before and they weren't all that I was hoping for, he's persistent though so I figured I'd give him one more chance. This stone met all of my criteria and is more than satisfactory. I could be happy with it forever, but I wouldn't say no to a bigger and better one if it came along.

That sounds horrible! I'm really not that shallow, no pun intended.

 

[Acinom]

What a beauty the stone is so pretty on your hand and gives great coverage.
Yet, from you posts I read that you have not fallen in love yet. If not, return it and keep searching.

Have you thought about a setting yet?

 

[chrono]

It is normal for diamonds to darken under strong direct sunlight so I have little concern there. The only description that worries me a bit is at the restaurant where the lighting is supposed to be favourable to diamonds. Not seeing what you saw, I do not know if the EC behaved as it should or whether it should be more dispersive. My EC is very busy under restaurant and high spot lighting but it is a different kind of busyness than my MRB. The flash is larger (versus smaller sparkle) and the scintillation (speed of flash) is slower.

What I can say about a well cut EC is that even under fluorescent lights, it remains very bright even though not sparkly. Under indirect sunlight, it isn't a busy sparkle the way RBs are but the steps should light up easily in pastel or rainbow colours depending on where you are. You should not need light coming in from the back for the EC to look pretty as that sounds like it could have leakage issues.

I am still learning about ECs myself and find it a challenging stone to evaluate. Numbers tell very little, videos help somewhat, ASET helps too but none alone will tell the full story. Together, they provide a fair inkling as to how sparkly the EC is though. The bigger challenge is the limited number of well cut ECs to choose from in the market. There's not only the light performance to consider but the ratio and shoulder size play a role in its attractiveness to an individual.

 

[SpoiledByHim]

Acinom, I'm working with a local guy to create a white gold or platinum ring but I haven't committed to anything just yet. I'm being a little wishy-woshy.

Chrono, here are some pics of what I'm seeing. They're pretty accurate, just lacking that bit of sparkle that it has in the real world. I really do love that it has different personalities in different lighting like a chameleon, don't get me wrong. But I'm in your camp when it comes to that restaurant lighting. It SHOULD have looked amazing...I think. I only have experience with RBs though so perhaps that's clouding my judgement. I don't expect it to look like that of course, but I expected more than what I got I guess. I want to hit up a jewelry store this weekend to check it out in there. If it doesn't sparkle then there might be something wrong and I'll have to reevaluate my love affair with it.

Let me know if you see anything weird in these photos. There's a lot of money sitting here that could be put to better use if this isn't a brilliant stone. I know it's subjective, but your thoughts are appreciated. For the record, I still think this is one beautiful stone, even if it has issues. I just don't want to overpay for those issues (somewhat like my hubby did when he married me...haha!).

 

[chrono]

I think the outline and faceting (steps) are beautiful but I am not sure about the performance / sparkling part. I don't want to steer you wrongly either, not knowing how accurate your pictures are and diamonds aren't easy to photograph. Let me go about this the reverse way. I hope you don't think I am trying to show off my own EC because that is not my intent. Rather, I will post a few pictures and we can discuss what you see / don't see and the possible reasons. In all my pictures, the light source is in front of the diamond.

Office or Fluorescent light
Do not expect any rainbow fireworks. Sometimes the EC looks quiet (the fabulous steps are best appreciated here) and the rest of the time, you will see its white brilliance. Most of the long bars in my EC light up and when it is quiet, I enjoy the patterning.

Darkness
I think in the last picture you posted, the darkness is due to shadowing caused either by your head or your camera. My second picture shows the darkness I sometimes see in my EC when the light source is strong and more direct. It still shoots a strong flash or two when I move it around though. It is a light gray, but never black.

Indirect light
The diamond should look its best here. Unfortunately I could not capture the pastel colours I saw but the EC is very much alive and lively with all sorts of colours (mostly reflecting your surrounding colours).

LED or spot lighting or dinner lighting (if not too dim)
Major fireworks time for my EC as shown in the last picture. The bars go crazy with the slightest movement.

I'd like to add that I've gone through several ECs before this one. The first one had nice steps but behaved like a piece of glass. My second had better steps and light performance but it doesn't even come close to the sparkle I get with the EC I currently own.