Thoughts on I color stone?

[edwinbill64]

Ive found a stone with what I feel are excellent characteristics but the color is I. Was wondering what everyone thought about an I color stone. Some of the posts I have read say that you really cant see any color in an I but I also have seen some people who seem to be very against going that far down the color scale. Thanks for your input.

 

[sakari_8]

Hi

The I color stone is usually not bad but Diamond grading is more like an opinion of the Grader on the stone, Some I color stones
that I have seen are more towards J color I felt as it had slight color to it and some I color I noticed were more like H color,
I believe with the Color I you have to be little careful, if you could see the stone in person that would be great help or you could
ask for Magnified Image which would help.

Other than that there are reasons like, EGL USA Certified stones are not accurate, they tend to differ 1 grade when compared with
GIA or AGS, if you are seeing the stone with EGL USA I color than that would be more like J color in my opinion.

If you could give us more information like what certificate diamond has? and the clarity of the stone it may help us give you more
Expert opinion.

 

[Niel]

You would have to see it yourself to really decide, some people are more color sensitive, some people arent, some people are color sensitive but still dont mind the that color range. I happen to like that color range, looks more romantic.

I would say If its a well cut GIA or AGS stone, i think youre very safe, especially if you were to say set it in a halo. most color comes from the side, so if you cover it up with a halo or a bezel, youd be fine

 

[momhappy]

I agree that certain people are more sensitive to color. If cut and clarity are excellent, I personally, don't mind an I stone.

 

[04diamond<3]

Hi

The I color stone is usually not bad but Diamond grading is more like an opinion of the Grader on the stone, Some I color stones
that I have seen are more towards J color I felt as it had slight color to it and some I color I noticed were more like H color,
I believe with the Color I you have to be little careful, if you could see the stone in person that would be great help or you could
ask for Magnified Image which would help.

Other than that there are reasons like, EGL USA Certified stones are not accurate, they tend to differ 1 grade when compared with
GIA or AGS, if you are seeing the stone with EGL USA I color than that would be more like J color in my opinion.

If you could give us more information like what certificate diamond has? and the clarity of the stone it may help us give you more
Expert opinion.

Clarity has absolutely nothing to do with the color of the stone. Also - AGS has been known to be a little more liberal on their color grading as well. An EGL USA stone, it's possible to get one right in line with GIA it just takes more work.

What would be helpful for us to know is if it has Fluorescence at all and if it does, is it strong,medium or faint. This is the only thing that could possibly affect the color of the diamond. EX: an I color stone with SBF would help the stone appear more like an H. More information would be nice.

 

[marymm]

FWIW, I don't care for an I color stone *on me* ... I looked at the stone in different lights at different times of the day over a period of apx two weeks and, for me, an I color stone shows more tint/color than I prefer to see in my diamond. (This was a BGD Signature Hearts & Arrow stone, so it was top of the line, cut-wise.)

If this diamond is for you, then trust your own eyes - take the time (and the expense) of having the stone shipped out to you prior to setting. If the stone is for another, and you do not know for sure that person's color preference, I myself would stick with the G/H range.

There is nothing inherently right or wrong with an I color stone - if it is a top-of-line cut, it becomes purely a matter of aesthetics, so to speak - if you find the I color pleasing, then it is a good choice for you; if you notice the I color and find it not to your liking, then you check out an H color stone and see if that color works for you, and so on.

As others have said, if you are not looking at an AGS ideal cut or a GIA triple excellent stone, then the I color will be more apparent than otherwise.

Fluorescence can help brighten/whiten an I color stone - but only in UV lighting - so anything fluor might bring to the table with an I color stone will only be visible outside in the sun (or perhaps in a nightclub setting with the right lighting set-up) - as most of my time is spent indoors (home and work), the presence or absence of fluor would be a non-factor for me.

 

[jmarshall]

I would consider a stone graded I by GIA, but not by any of the other labs.

 

[TC1987]

I color is said to be where most people can start to see tint. I do know that I can see tint in my 6.3mm I color antique diamond, from the side. Not from the top, but it has SB fluor.

A larger diamond, or a deep cut like a princess, I can see the I-range tint from >12 inches. Seriously. Deeper / larger stones concentrate tint.

The I color range, as defined by GIA, is actually a very narrow range. There should not be a lot of difference between a high I and a low I. I read that about the narrow range, years ago, on PS. I don't have the time right now to go look up the old thread(s).

Tint is one of those things that you train yourself to see. Or it might be apparent later, after you study the diamond, or you compare it to the average cz, which is a D diamond color.

 

[bunnycat]

I would consider a stone graded I by GIA, but not by any of the other labs.

That's a fairly blanket statement. ???? Have you seen AGS O stones in person?


Color is a personal preference and as has been said you have to find what your tolerance is. My understanding is I is the narrowest color band in the scale, so the changeover between H<=I=>J may not have a lot range. I think an I can be nice. My personal preference for the lowest color I can take if there's no fluor to help it out is an H (assuming an ideal cut stone). With fluor in a nice cut stone, I am fine with an I. (This is what the centerstone in my ring is, an I with medium fluor). Even with fluor, I can't do J. This comes from seeing all these colors in person and making a decision. Some were GIA, and some AGS.

There are other factors that can affect the face up look as well. Stone size, and deep stone is going to hold more color or concentrate is perhaps a better word, so even some GIA XXX could look more tinted than a super ideal of the same color, size, clarity specs. That's why I don't think it's a good idea to make blanket statements that X is good and Y is bad especially to someone who has not really looked around for themselves. There's a lot more going on that all has to work together.

Ooops- TC and I posted at the same time.

 

[TC1987]

^ great minds think alike

 

[jmarshall]

I would consider a stone graded I by GIA, but not by any of the other labs.

That's a fairly blanket statement. ???? Have you seen AGS O stones in person?


Color is a personal preference and as has been said you have to find what your tolerance is. My understanding is I is the narrowest color band in the scale, so the changeover between H<=I=>J may not have a lot range. I think an I can be nice. My personal preference for the lowest color I can take if there's no fluor to help it out is an H (assuming an ideal cut stone). With fluor in a nice cut stone, I am fine with an I. (This is what the centerstone in my ring is, an I with medium fluor). Even with fluor, I can't do J. This comes from seeing all these colors in person and making a decision. Some were GIA, and some AGS.

There are other factors that can affect the face up look as well. Stone size, and deep stone is going to hold more color or concentrate is perhaps a better word, so even some GIA XXX could look more tinted than a super ideal of the same color, size, clarity specs. That's why I don't think it's a good idea to make blanket statements that X is good and Y is bad especially to someone who has not really looked around for themselves. There's a lot more going on that all has to work together.

Ooops- TC and I posted at the same time.

I made that statement simply because GIA seems to be the strictest in grading color. A stone graded "I" by another lab would likely be graded J or K by GIA, from the examples I have seen and what I have read here. If it was a GIA graded I, I would at least consider looking at it, if graded I by another lab, I know it would likely be too tinted for my preference.

 

[bunnycat]

I would consider a stone graded I by GIA, but not by any of the other labs.

That's a fairly blanket statement. ???? Have you seen AGS O stones in person?


Color is a personal preference and as has been said you have to find what your tolerance is. My understanding is I is the narrowest color band in the scale, so the changeover between H<=I=>J may not have a lot range. I think an I can be nice. My personal preference for the lowest color I can take if there's no fluor to help it out is an H (assuming an ideal cut stone). With fluor in a nice cut stone, I am fine with an I. (This is what the centerstone in my ring is, an I with medium fluor). Even with fluor, I can't do J. This comes from seeing all these colors in person and making a decision. Some were GIA, and some AGS.

There are other factors that can affect the face up look as well. Stone size, and deep stone is going to hold more color or concentrate is perhaps a better word, so even some GIA XXX could look more tinted than a super ideal of the same color, size, clarity specs. That's why I don't think it's a good idea to make blanket statements that X is good and Y is bad especially to someone who has not really looked around for themselves. There's a lot more going on that all has to work together.

Ooops- TC and I posted at the same time.

I made that statement simply because GIA seems to be the strictest in grading color. A stone graded "I" by another lab would likely be graded J or K by GIA, from the examples I have seen and what I have read here. If it was a GIA graded I, I would at least consider looking at it, if graded I by another lab, I know it would likely be too tinted for my preference.

But you can't really know without looking and you make a statement of fact having never even seen for yourself.

I'm sorry, but to lump AGS in with EGL Isreal really isn't correct. If you've read any of the threads discussing this you probably noted that it's generally borderline stones where this may occasionally happen. Even GIA guideline give a 1 color grade leeway, if I'm not mistaken. It's not like an AGS stone that may be borderline H/I is going to be graded G by AGS and I by GIA. I hope you'll point me to an instance where a double graded stone from AGS and GIA has been off by that much. It also only serves to scare people away unnecessarily from AGS when in fact, leaving AGS stones out of the mix for someone pretty much knocks out almost ALL the branded performance stones out there. And while it may be your preference for color to trump cut quality, it may not be others and giving misinformation about AGS being similar to EGL isn't really helpful to people. That's just my personal opinion though.

Here is a link to a study done on 17 diamonds all sent to various labs for grading:

https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamond-grading

 

[jmarshall]

I would consider a stone graded I by GIA, but not by any of the other labs.

That's a fairly blanket statement. ???? Have you seen AGS O stones in person?


Color is a personal preference and as has been said you have to find what your tolerance is. My understanding is I is the narrowest color band in the scale, so the changeover between H<=I=>J may not have a lot range. I think an I can be nice. My personal preference for the lowest color I can take if there's no fluor to help it out is an H (assuming an ideal cut stone). With fluor in a nice cut stone, I am fine with an I. (This is what the centerstone in my ring is, an I with medium fluor). Even with fluor, I can't do J. This comes from seeing all these colors in person and making a decision. Some were GIA, and some AGS.

There are other factors that can affect the face up look as well. Stone size, and deep stone is going to hold more color or concentrate is perhaps a better word, so even some GIA XXX could look more tinted than a super ideal of the same color, size, clarity specs. That's why I don't think it's a good idea to make blanket statements that X is good and Y is bad especially to someone who has not really looked around for themselves. There's a lot more going on that all has to work together.

Ooops- TC and I posted at the same time.

I made that statement simply because GIA seems to be the strictest in grading color. A stone graded "I" by another lab would likely be graded J or K by GIA, from the examples I have seen and what I have read here. If it was a GIA graded I, I would at least consider looking at it, if graded I by another lab, I know it would likely be too tinted for my preference.

But you can't really know without looking and you make a statement of fact having never even seen for yourself.

I'm sorry, but to lump AGS in with EGL Isreal really isn't correct. If you've read any of the threads discussing this you probably noted that it's generally borderline stones where this may occasionally happen. Even GIA guideline give a 1 color grade leeway, if I'm not mistaken. It's not like an AGS stone that may be borderline H/I is going to be graded G by AGS and I by GIA. I hope you'll point me to an instance where a double graded stone from AGS and GIA has been off by that much. It also only serves to scare people away unnecessarily from AGS when in fact, leaving AGS stones out of the mix for someone pretty much knocks out almost ALL the branded performance stones out there. And while it may be your preference for color to trump cut quality, it may not be others and giving misinformation about AGS being similar to EGL isn't really helpful to people. That's just my personal opinion though.

Here is a link to a study done on 17 diamonds all sent to various labs for grading:

https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamond-grading

I had never seen that. Thanks for the read.

 

[JulieN]

How big is it? Less than a carat round? no problems for most people. 2 ct fancy, might not be a good choice for some people.

 

[momhappy]

I would consider a stone graded I by GIA, but not by any of the other labs.

That's a fairly blanket statement. ???? Have you seen AGS O stones in person?


Color is a personal preference and as has been said you have to find what your tolerance is. My understanding is I is the narrowest color band in the scale, so the changeover between H<=I=>J may not have a lot range. I think an I can be nice. My personal preference for the lowest color I can take if there's no fluor to help it out is an H (assuming an ideal cut stone). With fluor in a nice cut stone, I am fine with an I. (This is what the centerstone in my ring is, an I with medium fluor). Even with fluor, I can't do J. This comes from seeing all these colors in person and making a decision. Some were GIA, and some AGS.

There are other factors that can affect the face up look as well. Stone size, and deep stone is going to hold more color or concentrate is perhaps a better word, so even some GIA XXX could look more tinted than a super ideal of the same color, size, clarity specs. That's why I don't think it's a good idea to make blanket statements that X is good and Y is bad especially to someone who has not really looked around for themselves. There's a lot more going on that all has to work together.

Ooops- TC and I posted at the same time.

I made that statement simply because GIA seems to be the strictest in grading color. A stone graded "I" by another lab would likely be graded J or K by GIA, from the examples I have seen and what I have read here. If it was a GIA graded I, I would at least consider looking at it, if graded I by another lab, I know it would likely be too tinted for my preference.

Is that a true statement? - that an AGS I is "likely" to be a GIA K? I find that hard to believe.

 

[04diamond<3]

Is that a true statement? - that an AGS I is "likely" to be a GIA K? I find that hard to believe.

Yes. AGS is more liberal on their color grading.

 

[HollyDolly]

This is a quick snap of my GIA Triple ex 'I' next to my wedding ring which is a BGD dream eternity which I think is f/g melee. I occasionally see a little colour in my ring but depends on the light and 99% of the time I see none at all.


This is my first diamond and I was worried about getting an I but I don't think I'm that colour sensitive as it turns out as my ring seems really white to me. I think I'm also lucky in that in the uk most rings are b&m at best an I colour and rarely an excellent cut so it outshines pretty much every other ring I see in real life so I'm happy with that! Maybe I wouldn't be in the US where bigger is more popular which is why I assume a 'better' colour grade is also preferred as colour shows more in larger stones?

ETA pic wont upload, heres a different iphone one instead!

 

[Niel]

Is that a true statement? - that an AGS I is "likely" to be a GIA K? I find that hard to believe.

Yes. AGS is more liberal on their color grading.

They are slightly more liberal but no I wouldn't say its "likely " two shades off

 

[edwinbill64]

Here are the specs of the stone I am looking at . And thank you everyone for your help so far. If anyone can suggest anything else in a round brilliant in the $15k-$20k range I would appreciate it. I will be checking out this stone on Saturday so I can see the color with my own eyes. Its a round 2.04 ct.

Color: I
Clarity: SI1
GIA Cut Grade: Excellent
AGS Light Performance: Ideal
Optical Symmetry: Premium
Polish: Excellent
Symmetry: Excellent
Fluorescence: Faint
Culet: None
Lab Report: GIA
Width: 8.14mm
Length: 8.10mm
Depth: 5.09mm
Table Percentage: 53.20%
Depth Percentage: 62.70%
Crown ∠: 35.00°
Pavilion ∠: 41.00°

 

[isekii]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWyqjuFzXw4
my AGS I

 

[Mico]

hi!

I currently own a 2ct GIA xxx stone. you can see my thread if you look in my previous comments. It's all about preference

good luck!

 

[bunnycat]

Here are the specs of the stone I am looking at . And thank you everyone for your help so far. If anyone can suggest anything else in a round brilliant in the $15k-$20k range I would appreciate it. I will be checking out this stone on Saturday so I can see the color with my own eyes. Its a round 2.04 ct.

Color: I
Clarity: SI1
GIA Cut Grade: Excellent
AGS Light Performance: Ideal
Optical Symmetry: Premium
Polish: Excellent
Symmetry: Excellent
Fluorescence: Faint
Culet: None
Lab Report: GIA
Width: 8.14mm
Length: 8.10mm
Depth: 5.09mm
Table Percentage: 53.20%
Depth Percentage: 62.70%
Crown ∠: 35.00°
Pavilion ∠: 41.00°

From the specs it seems a little steep. I don't know how picky you have to be on that at the 2ct mark, but if it were smaller, we'd probably suggest at least getting an idealscope image of it. It's a lot of cash and you want to be sure it's a good performer. If this is something you are going to see at a jewelery store, they are not going to have an idealscope. You can buy one for about $30 and take it with you. It's very easy to use. I have one.

https://www.pricescope.com/tools/ideal-scope

FWIW- I also have an I stone with medium fluorescence. It's the stone in my avatar.

 

[jstarfireb]

Is that a true statement? - that an AGS I is "likely" to be a GIA K? I find that hard to believe.

Yes. AGS is more liberal on their color grading.

They are slightly more liberal but no I wouldn't say its "likely " two shades off

I was told by one of the experts here (it may have been John Pollard or Wink or someone like that) that AGS is almost exactly equivalent to GIA right now. There was a time when GIA was stricter, and apparently a brief time when AGS was stricter, but at the most they were on average only half a color grade apart. My understanding of their current situation is that they're on par with each other.

EGL and IGI, on the other hand, are a completely different ball game...