Thoughts on Diamond Am i missing something? - VS2 Clouds

[Jeromy]

Hi all,

I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on the quality of this diamond I am thinking of. The proportions seem to sit within the 'ideal' end of the GIA excellent bracket and to a beginner it seemed to look fine in the store (unfortunately no photos to share) despite having some clouds on the plotting chart.

Its grading report is a little 'old' Q2 2017, so I'm just wondering if as a novice I'm missing something that might be of concern or that would make it a deal breaker..... Many thanks for any thoughts or whether its a go.

Details:
1.8 carat
Color F
Clarity VS2
Dimension 7.76 - 7.78 *4.84
Triple excellent (Cut/Polish/Sym)
No fluro
Comments: Additional clouds are not shown. Pinpoints are not shown.

 

[Gav]

I have this exact same dilemma with a stone I am thinking of. It’s also a VS2 but in G colour 1.3.. the primary inclusion is clouds and the comments also state additional clouds not shown.

There are lot of mixed comments and info on the forum about clouds and cloudiness but I’ve come across articles where a VS1 was found to be cloudy. No doubt we are not safe even at the VS2 zone.

I’m a bit perplexed as no one on the forum has been able really Comment that it won’t be cloudy or hazy. It’s something you can only really tell in person but then again since we are both novices we won’t be able to tell anyway under shop lighting and may only find out too late!

 

[Gav]

Video of the G VS2

 

[Jeromy]

It is a tough process.... Hopefully someone can comment on our diamonds.

I certainly could not identify the two main clouds in my plot diagram under 10 times magnification... even when the Jeweller (who can identify them) saw where it was and positioned it near the inspection tool's claw so I had a reference to find it.

Just as a FYI. I could not identify where the plotted clouds were in your video or picture either . LOL (I assume they are near the white speckles which i assume are the pinpoints...)

Unless anyone says anything to the contrary I think the fact that I cannot identify under magnification the plotted cloud itself and the diamond didn't look hazy or cloudy to me in the store means that it is fine.

After all beauty is in the eye of the beholder not to mention almost no one will look at the diamond under magnification.

 

[John P]

There are lot of mixed comments and info on the forum about clouds and cloudiness but I’ve come across articles where a VS1 was found to be cloudy. No doubt we are not safe even at the VS2 zone.

Bear in mind that the clarity grade is limited to what presents itself at 10X magnification. Characteristics beyond that scrutiny go unreported. Haze can occur througout a diamond, but beyond 10X it’s not reported. Clusters of pinpoints beyond 10X (aka clouds) may not be reported. Underlying brown and green tint are not reported, etc. In many cases those things are benign, but not always.

More details here (“Of increasing importance” section).
https://www.hpdiamonds.com/en-us/education/education-clarity

I’m a bit perplexed as no one on the forum has been able really Comment that it won’t be cloudy or hazy.

No one wants to be alarmist, but without in-person verification I wager no one wants to make a misstatement, either.

Remember that grading reports are not decisive. They historically backed up a live professional presentation and were never designed to tell the whole story... A half century ago no one was surfing the Internet selecting diamonds. A jeweler would present the diamond and you’d see for yourself, then and there, whether it was eye-clean. You’d also see notable transparency issues, if present. Even cut quality was something assessed entirely in person: GIA didn’t include a cut grade until 2006.

Bottom line: There are still aspects to every C that must be seen to be decisively assessed. Photos, video and technical images help. But there is still no substitute for in person analysis, made even better if you have a trusted expert on your side.

Tongue in cheek comparison: Web MD is pretty cool, but if I decide I need medication I’m going to include a live physician in any decision-making.

It’s something you can only really tell in person but then again since we are both novices we won’t be able to tell anyway under shop lighting and may only find out too late

Egregious dead areas will present themselves pretty clearly. The trade nicknames these “sleepy” stones. You can see these in big deep-discount outlets claiming wholesale pricing to the public. To cut the line just ask if they have any old 1 carat EGL graded stones for $3-4K total, then buckle your seat belt.

 

[HappyNewLife]

In my experience with a "clouds not shown" diamond, it looks like it can never get clean - it's... cloudy. I wouldn't recommend a diamond with this clarity

 

[HappyNewLife]

I tried to capture the cloudiness in pics (it's the smaller diamond, next to a larger ACA), but it was really hard to convey (the color is gross due to a brown outdoor ceiling)

 

[Jeromy]

Bottom line: There are still aspects to every C that must be seen to be decisively assessed. Photos, video and technical images help. But there is still no substitute for in person analysis, made even better if you have a trusted expert on your side.

I understand that nothing substitutes in person inspection but I think that is also what I am struggling with. Basically never having looked at diamonds before I'm worried that I'm missing something when I look at the diamond in person despite all the things I have read and the online examples I've seen.

So I guess my main aim when starting this post was just to double check that there was nothing on paper (I've reattached the plotting chart) that was a blatant red flag particularly considering the diamond has been on the market for >1 year (diamond details are in the first post) .... just for some peace of mind.

 

[Jeromy]

In my experience with a "clouds not shown" diamond, it looks like it can never get clean - it's... cloudy. I wouldn't recommend a diamond with this clarity

What grading level were the clouds not shown diamonds that you saw that generally look hazy/cloudy? / was a it a consistent occurrence amongst many diamonds?

Thanks

 

[Gav]

Thanks @John Pollard much appreciate your comments. Yes I won’t have an expert next to me when I view the diamonds unfortunately. However I think the approach will be to line up a few diamonds of similar clarity grade so I can see whether there is a difference.

@HappyNewLife - I can see the white specks very clearly in the sunlight. The photo isn’t even highly magnified and I can see the specks.. That’s a scary sight and the diamond does not sparkle at all next to the other stone. As Jeromy asked, what is the GIA grade of the cloudy stone and where are the inclusions plotted on the diagram?

 

[Johnbt]

Good pic, thank you. Now I understand.

 

[HappyNewLife]

What grading level were the clouds not shown diamonds that you saw that generally look hazy/cloudy? / was a it a consistent occurrence amongst many diamonds?

Thanks

It's an SI1 that I thought was eye-clean (and it looks clean via a loupe too) with "additional clouds not shown"

well. the clouds are very much "shown" now that I have a very ideal cut diamond to compare it to