Thoughts on a loose diamond - first time buying

[hrvatneah]

Hey all,
So I've finally decided to cash in my man card and take the marriage life plung ...
I have already learned so much from reading these forums so I thank all of you for your time and input to helping us first timers out!

anyways, I've been reading about on all the diamond talk lately, learning the language, understanding what I'm looking for..
My budget for a loose diamond is 10K absolute max, looking for:
-round brilliant around 1.20-1.40 carat
-excellent cut, excellent symmetry, etc (trying to max out my HCA score)
-G-H colour
-SI1 cut (would love VS2, but the sacrifice may be to great in other areas)
-GIA(preferably) or AGS

I've looked on james allen and blue nile..I'm not bias to either but it seems like I was getting a little more for money from blue nile (BTW is there any blue nile discount for PS members like there is for james allen?)

I found this diamond after mush looking aroun which seems ot be my best bang for the buck
http://www.bluenile.ca/round-diamond-1-carat-ideal-cut-h-colour-si1-clarity_LD02448161
HCA of 1.9
BTW, I've put the diamond on hold, so it is still available! lol

To me, it seems great for what I am getting for the money...I've asked for it to be inspected for eye-cleanliness which they will be getting back to me on..one thing that worries me is the feathers in the stone..again I am a newbie to this all, but do feathers tend to be a worse inclusion to have than others? would the amount of feathers in this stone be something to worry about? the other thing is that one feather seems to stretch to the edge, so I've asked if this is the case, which again, they will get back to me on

This was another stone I found ( a step up to G colour)
http://www.bluenile.ca/round-diamond-1-carat-ideal-cut-g-colour-si1-clarity_LD02219368
HCA of 1.7

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1421576.asp?b=16&a=12&c=77&cid=131
HCA 1.6

Any help would be much appreciated, thanks!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

So you are in Canada? Is there an advantage for you to buy through Blue Nile for tax reasons, perhaps? I just don't like buying a stone that does not have any pictures. Way too much trouble to send for a stone and then have to send it back.

The 1.26 H SI1 from James Allen looks fine if eyeclean from all directions, but both BN diamonds are a little deep. No real reason to pay for the 1.3 H SI1 from BN if it costs more than the one from James Allen because the diameter of the JA stone is so close to the same size. I'd stick with depths of 62.3% or less.

 

[Amys Bling]

So you are in Canada? Is there an advantage for you to buy through Blue Nile for tax reasons, perhaps? I just don't like buying a stone that does not have any pictures. Way too much trouble to send for a stone and then have to send it back.
The 1.26 H SI1 from James Allen looks fine if eyeclean from all directions, but both BN diamonds are a little deep. No real reason to pay for the 1.3 H SI1 from BN if it costs more than the one from James Allen because the diameter of the JA stone is so close to the same size. I'd stick with depths of 62.3% or less.

totally agree.

 

[Amys Bling]

great stone!

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2104641.htm

 

[Amys Bling]

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2724956.htm

 

[06pvc]

great stone!

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2104641.htm

This gets WhtieFlash Expert Selection, and AGS 000, but isn't that a bit to much light leakage in the Idealscope/ASET?

 

[hrvatneah]

So you are in Canada? Is there an advantage for you to buy through Blue Nile for tax reasons, perhaps? I just don't like buying a stone that does not have any pictures. Way too much trouble to send for a stone and then have to send it back.

The 1.26 H SI1 from James Allen looks fine if eyeclean from all directions, but both BN diamonds are a little deep. No real reason to pay for the 1.3 H SI1 from BN if it costs more than the one from James Allen because the diameter of the JA stone is so close to the same size. I'd stick with depths of 62.3% or less.

Yes, I am located in Canada..from what I have seen so far, there is no real difference between websites when it comes to taxes, so there is no preference in that respect
Does BN ever give out pictures of stones if you ask them/give them time? I'll ask in the livechat

The 1.31 H SI1 from BN is $8,476 so it is the cheapest out of the 3 I have listed...about the depth of the diamond, I copy pasted this blurb from another well versed member as yourself into my research notes lol
"depth - 60 - 62% - although my personal preference is to allow up to 62.4% - don''t go too far past this or you can lose face up size and the diamond will look small for the weight."
I'm assuming this is what would happen if its a little too deep? I guess the 1.31 BN is right around that point..I have no reference to compare if this is too deep, so I trust your judgement

 

[hrvatneah]

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2724956.htm

thanks for the suggestions! I'll check them out

 

[06pvc]

hrvatneah: The Blue Nile stone does seem to be the cheapest of the bunch. Can I recommned for you to let use ID Jewlery's Best Price program for that stone. They can take pictures, Idealscope, and ASET for you, and provide a lower price. Blue Nile does not provide pictures and this is a huge problem with buying through them.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

So you are in Canada? Is there an advantage for you to buy through Blue Nile for tax reasons, perhaps? I just don't like buying a stone that does not have any pictures. Way too much trouble to send for a stone and then have to send it back.

The 1.26 H SI1 from James Allen looks fine if eyeclean from all directions, but both BN diamonds are a little deep. No real reason to pay for the 1.3 H SI1 from BN if it costs more than the one from James Allen because the diameter of the JA stone is so close to the same size. I'd stick with depths of 62.3% or less.

Yes, I am located in Canada..from what I have seen so far, there is no real difference between websites when it comes to taxes, so there is no preference in that respect
Does BN ever give out pictures of stones if you ask them/give them time? I'll ask in the livechat

The 1.31 H SI1 from BN is $8,476 so it is the cheapest out of the 3 I have listed...about the depth of the diamond, I copy pasted this blurb from another well versed member as yourself into my research notes lol
"depth - 60 - 62% - although my personal preference is to allow up to 62.4% - don''t go too far past this or you can lose face up size and the diamond will look small for the weight."
I'm assuming this is what would happen if its a little too deep? I guess the 1.31 BN is right around that point..I have no reference to compare if this is too deep, so I trust your judgement

I personally always stick to 62.0 or less. I don't care for the extra weight in the depth. Always compare diameters. But if the BN stone is cheaper than the JA stone, then that would make a difference. Do you see the pricescope price on the James Allen site? Just wanted to be sure you are factoring in the discount. I have never heard of BN providing pictures.

However, I will agree that contacting someone like ID Jewelry and see if they can call in the BN 1.31 diamond for you and take pictures, etc. is quite a good idea. You can't have it on hold at BN and do that, though, I don't think.

 

[hrvatneah]

So you are in Canada? Is there an advantage for you to buy through Blue Nile for tax reasons, perhaps? I just don't like buying a stone that does not have any pictures. Way too much trouble to send for a stone and then have to send it back.

The 1.26 H SI1 from James Allen looks fine if eyeclean from all directions, but both BN diamonds are a little deep. No real reason to pay for the 1.3 H SI1 from BN if it costs more than the one from James Allen because the diameter of the JA stone is so close to the same size. I'd stick with depths of 62.3% or less.

Yes, I am located in Canada..from what I have seen so far, there is no real difference between websites when it comes to taxes, so there is no preference in that respect
Does BN ever give out pictures of stones if you ask them/give them time? I'll ask in the livechat

The 1.31 H SI1 from BN is $8,476 so it is the cheapest out of the 3 I have listed...about the depth of the diamond, I copy pasted this blurb from another well versed member as yourself into my research notes lol
"depth - 60 - 62% - although my personal preference is to allow up to 62.4% - don''t go too far past this or you can lose face up size and the diamond will look small for the weight."
I'm assuming this is what would happen if its a little too deep? I guess the 1.31 BN is right around that point..I have no reference to compare if this is too deep, so I trust your judgement

I personally always stick to 62.0 or less. I don't care for the extra weight in the depth. Always compare diameters. But if the BN stone is cheaper than the JA stone, then that would make a difference. Do you see the pricescope price on the James Allen site? Just wanted to be sure you are factoring in the discount. I have never heard of BN providing pictures.[/quote}

that's a good tip to look at the diameters...with that being equal, the extra weight is most likely in areas where it is less than ideal..thanks

the PS price is $9,430 of the JA stone, vs $8,476 for the BN stone, so it is a considerable amount at $1000

as you said, BN doesn't offer any pictures unless it is their signature ideal cut

may I ask your opinion about the inclusions of the BN stone? would you be hesitant at all with anything you see there? feathers, etc

 

[06pvc]

may I ask your opinion about the inclusions of the BN stone? would you be hesitant at all with anything you see there? feathers, etc

I would hesitate. It does seem like a low priced stone, the market for diamonds is pretty efficient, so maybe the lower price is because of the inclusions in the table.

I would get pictures of it and have a vender give the stone a closer once over.

 

[hrvatneah]

hrvatneah: The Blue Nile stone does seem to be the cheapest of the bunch. Can I recommned for you to let use ID Jewlery's Best Price program for that stone. They can take pictures, Idealscope, and ASET for you, and provide a lower price. Blue Nile does not provide pictures and this is a huge problem with buying through them.

thanks for the info, I wasn't aware of that program..how complicated is the process, and how much does it cost? Does it matter if I'm buying from Canada?

 

[06pvc]

thanks for the info, I wasn't aware of that program..how complicated is the process, and how much does it cost? Does it matter if I'm buying from Canada?

Here are the details: http://idjewelryonline.com/best_price.php

The cost is negative money as they will beat the Blue Nile price (there is no charge for the services). I bought a Blue Nile stone from them lower than the BN price.
They can also pull in the James Allen stones (or any stone you see on the internet).
Buying from Canada should not be a problem.

Make sure to say you found out about them through pricescope. Ask for an IdealScope and ASET Image and post the image here for opinions.

 

[hrvatneah]

So you are in Canada? Is there an advantage for you to buy through Blue Nile for tax reasons, perhaps? I just don't like buying a stone that does not have any pictures. Way too much trouble to send for a stone and then have to send it back.

The 1.26 H SI1 from James Allen looks fine if eyeclean from all directions, but both BN diamonds are a little deep. No real reason to pay for the 1.3 H SI1 from BN if it costs more than the one from James Allen because the diameter of the JA stone is so close to the same size. I'd stick with depths of 62.3% or less.

Yes, I am located in Canada..from what I have seen so far, there is no real difference between websites when it comes to taxes, so there is no preference in that respect
Does BN ever give out pictures of stones if you ask them/give them time? I'll ask in the livechat

The 1.31 H SI1 from BN is $8,476 so it is the cheapest out of the 3 I have listed...about the depth of the diamond, I copy pasted this blurb from another well versed member as yourself into my research notes lol
"depth - 60 - 62% - although my personal preference is to allow up to 62.4% - don''t go too far past this or you can lose face up size and the diamond will look small for the weight."
I'm assuming this is what would happen if its a little too deep? I guess the 1.31 BN is right around that point..I have no reference to compare if this is too deep, so I trust your judgement

I personally always stick to 62.0 or less. I don't care for the extra weight in the depth. Always compare diameters. But if the BN stone is cheaper than the JA stone, then that would make a difference. Do you see the pricescope price on the James Allen site? Just wanted to be sure you are factoring in the discount. I have never heard of BN providing pictures.[/quote}

that's a good tip to look at the diameters...with that being equal, the extra weight is most likely in areas where it is less than ideal..thanks

the PS price is $9,430 of the JA stone, vs $8,476 for the BN stone, so it is a considerable amount at $1000

as you said, BN doesn't offer any pictures unless it is their signature ideal cut

may I ask your opinion about the inclusions of the BN stone? would you be hesitant at all with anything you see there? feathers, etc

I guess there is also a PS discount for bluenile, so the total would be $8,037 by phone order

 

[hrvatneah]

alright so I've re routed my search a little..only thing I have changed is S1I to VS2...I'm just a little scared about the whole trying to find a completely eye-clean S1I stone, and I really would like to minimize the chances of returning something back...I've also decided to stick with someone who will have pictures and be able to provide IdealScope and ASET images...

Im looking at these 6 diamonds

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1463887.asp
HCA score 0.9
No fluorescence

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1452004.asp
HCA score 2.3
No fluorescence

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Very%20Good-Cut-Round-Diamond-1453676.asp
HCA score 2.3
No fluorescence

I would prefer a stone with no fluorescence, but these two have faint fluorescence

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1420621.asp
HCA score 1.6

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1426612.asp
HCA score 1.8

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Very%20Good-Cut-Round-Diamond-1455087.asp
HCA score 2.0

I'm looking into getting IdealScope and ASET images for these stones, but it may take a little time and I might need to narrow it down to a couple
Any opinions at all regarding the inclusion reports, depth, table, etc would be greatly appreciated! thanks guys

 

[hrvatneah]

just checked with a rep, would need to narrow it down to three stones to get the further images

 

[06pvc]

1. They all look good, Once you get the ASET/Idealscope images you should be able to make a better decision.

A few quick thoughts.

1. HCA < 2 is perfered (although you may want to see if any of the ones with >2 have a good Ideal-scope image).
2. I think most on this forum would vote for a smaller table & less depth.
3. Why not fluorescence? It makes the stone a little cheaper, and is an attribute I think many people actually prefer.

 

[hrvatneah]

WITH ENLARGED PICS

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1463887.asp
HCA score 0.9
No fluorescence
15-20X Magnification http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/835/1463887none09.png/

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1452004.asp
HCA score 2.3
No fluorescence
15-20X Magnification http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/37/1452004none23.png/

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Very%20Good-Cut-Round-Diamond-1453676.asp
HCA score 2.3
No fluorescence
15-20X Magnification http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/15/1453676none23.png/

I would prefer a stone with no fluorescence, but these three have faint fluorescence

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1420621.asp
HCA score 1.6
15-20X Magnification http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/694/1420621faint16.png/

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1426612.asp
HCA score 1.8
15-20X Magnification http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/20/1426612faint18.png/

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Very%20Good-Cut-Round-Diamond-1455087.asp
HCA score 2.0
15-20X Magnification http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/36/1455087faint20.png/

 

[slg47]

WITH ENLARGED PICS

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1463887.asp
HCA score 0.9
No fluorescence
15-20X Magnification http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/835/1463887none09.png/

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1452004.asp
HCA score 2.3
No fluorescence
15-20X Magnification http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/37/1452004none23.png/

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Very%20Good-Cut-Round-Diamond-1453676.asp
HCA score 2.3
No fluorescence
15-20X Magnification http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/15/1453676none23.png/

I would prefer a stone with no fluorescence, but these three have faint fluorescence

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1420621.asp
HCA score 1.6
15-20X Magnification http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/694/1420621faint16.png/

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1426612.asp
HCA score 1.8
15-20X Magnification http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/20/1426612faint18.png/

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Very%20Good-Cut-Round-Diamond-1455087.asp
HCA score 2.0
15-20X Magnification http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/36/1455087faint20.png/

you will not see faint fluor in any lighting, so i would not be worried about that.
I would request idealscope images for these three:
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1463887.asp
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1452004.asp
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Very%20Good-Cut-Round-Diamond-1455087.asp

 

[hrvatneah]

1. They all look good, Once you get the ASET/Idealscope images you should be able to make a better decision.

A few quick thoughts.

1. HCA < 2 is perfered (although you may want to see if any of the ones with >2 have a good Ideal-scope image).
2. I think most on this forum would vote for a smaller table & less depth.
3. Why not fluorescence? It makes the stone a little cheaper, and is an attribute I think many people actually prefer.

Thanks for the thoughts
I'm trying to narrow it down to three stones, the rep I'm dealing with says i can only do that many at a time to get ASET/Idealscope images

Based on my newbie observation and inspection of the magnified images and your comments (HCA score, depth table, etc), I'm leaning towards getting further images of these two

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1463887.asp
HCA score 0.9
No fluorescence
15-20X Magnification http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/835/1463887none09.png/

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1452004.asp
HCA score 2.3
No fluorescence
15-20X Magnification http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/37/1452004none23.png/

To tell you the truth, I haven't done a lot of side by side comparison of faint fluorescence and none..it's just from what I have read, and I guess preference to not have any possible change in colour, etc...I've heard that at about I colour and lower minor fluorescence can actually make the diamond appear whiter?...anyways the cost won't be too much an issue, so that aspect doesn't concern me too much

 

[hrvatneah]

WITH ENLARGED PICS

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1463887.asp
HCA score 0.9
No fluorescence
15-20X Magnification http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/835/1463887none09.png/

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1452004.asp
HCA score 2.3
No fluorescence
15-20X Magnification http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/37/1452004none23.png/

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Very%20Good-Cut-Round-Diamond-1453676.asp
HCA score 2.3
No fluorescence
15-20X Magnification http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/15/1453676none23.png/

I would prefer a stone with no fluorescence, but these three have faint fluorescence

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1420621.asp
HCA score 1.6
15-20X Magnification http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/694/1420621faint16.png/

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1426612.asp
HCA score 1.8
15-20X Magnification http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/20/1426612faint18.png/

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Very%20Good-Cut-Round-Diamond-1455087.asp
HCA score 2.0
15-20X Magnification http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/36/1455087faint20.png/

you will not see faint fluor in any lighting, so i would not be worried about that.
I would request idealscope images for these three:
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1463887.asp
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1452004.asp
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Very%20Good-Cut-Round-Diamond-1455087.asp

Thanks for the tip, I thought that might be the case regarding fluor, so I'll definitely leave those guys open as possibilities
I've put in the request for the first two that you mentioned already, and will look into getting that third one checked out as well

 

[plummiecat]

I recently purchased a diamond and here's what I did. I found my dream diamond on BN and called Yekutiel at IDJ and asked him if he could get the stone for me and price match BN's Pricescope price. He agreed and obtained the diamond the same day. He then sent me all of the pictures that I wanted and even some videos. This way I could enjoy BN's lower price yet still receive personalized attention regarding the stone. I found the other major online vendors to be more expensive and with less selection for my search criteria. Good luck!

 

[06pvc]

I recently purchased a diamond and here's what I did. I found my dream diamond on BN and called Yekutiel at IDJ and asked him if he could get the stone for me and price match BN's Pricescope price. He agreed and obtained the diamond the same day. He then sent me all of the pictures that I wanted and even some videos. This way I could enjoy BN's lower price yet still receive personalized attention regarding the stone. I found the other major online vendors to be more expensive and with less selection for my search criteria. Good luck!

I did the same exact thing with Yekutiel and 2nd plummiecat's recommendation.

 

[hrvatneah]

Turns out the original stone from blue nile
http://www.bluenile.ca/round-diamond-1-carat-ideal-cut-h-colour-si1-clarity_LD02448161
HCA of 1.9
is not eye clean according to their further observation, so I'll be waiting on further images from James Allen for the 3 stones I've submitted for and will post images here as soon as I get them!
Thanks all for your advice and tips

 

[Amys Bling]

I recently purchased a diamond and here's what I did. I found my dream diamond on BN and called Yekutiel at IDJ and asked him if he could get the stone for me and price match BN's Pricescope price. He agreed and obtained the diamond the same day. He then sent me all of the pictures that I wanted and even some videos. This way I could enjoy BN's lower price yet still receive personalized attention regarding the stone. I found the other major online vendors to be more expensive and with less selection for my search criteria. Good luck!

I did the same exact thing with Yekutiel and 2nd plummiecat's recommendation.

Good idea 06!

 

[hrvatneah]

Updated with IdealScope images, just received them this morning

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1463887.asp
HCA score 0.9
No fluorescence
15-20X Magnification http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/835/1463887none09.png/
IdealScope Image http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/191/1463887none09scope.png/

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1452004.asp
HCA score 2.3
No fluorescence
15-20X Magnification http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/37/1452004none23.png/
IdealScope Image http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/189/1452004none23scope.png/

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Very%20Good-Cut-Round-Diamond-1455087.asp
HCA score 2.0
15-20X Magnification http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/36/1455087faint20.png/
IdealScope Image http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/687/1455087faint20scope.png/

I'm a bit of a newbie on this so I don't really know the specifics as to what I am looking for, so any observations would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

 

[slg47]

all of the idealscopes look good...which one did JA recommend?

 

[hrvatneah]

all of the idealscopes look good...which one did JA recommend?

JA responded with
"In short, any of these three diamonds would be a excellent choice. All three have great light performance and face perfectly eye clean. Diamond 1455087 is what we would call a "weak" H color, but still faces very white. Diamond 1463887 is a slightly whiter H than 1455087 and is also a bit more lively (although we're really talking about very subtle differences that you would have to study side by side to be able to appreciate). Diamond 1452004 is a solid "H", has excellent fire and brilliance and was the gemologists favorite of the group. Although it is also the most expensive, it would probably be my choice based on the gemologists recommendation. With that said, you really can't go wrong with any of these beautiful diamonds."