Thoughts on qualities in a diamond pendnat

[mypak]

How important are the four C's in buying a diamond pendant vs. engagement ring? I am looking to buy a 0.70 ct diamond pendant in l.a.'s jewelry mart....they said these particular ones didn't come with any certifications but are F and SI2 in terms of clarity and color. Is this common esp w/ pendants?

 

[diamondseeker2006]

It''s very common for people who do not know about diamond quality. However, for me, I want an ideal cut stone for a pendant and earrings as well. I might drop one level in color or clarity for earring or pendant stones, but I''d want the stone certified (so I know I am getting what I am paying for). I chose an H VS1 for my ring, and I am looking at H VS2 for diamond studs (and most would find SI1 fine for studs or pendants as well). But I wouldn''t consider buying any stone at .5 or over without a GIA or AGS certification because you''ll know nothing about the diamond without it. I''ve made many mistakes buying jewelry without knowing the true quality over the years, and I think it''s really great to see people on here learning about diamond quality and getting high quality from the start. It is SO easy to just pull up the GOG or WF (etc.) website and choose from a selection of outstanding diamonds that I wouldn''t even consider buying diamonds any other way.

 

[mypak]

Thanks for the feedback...once the diamond is already set as a pendant, is it still possible for a pro to "analyze" it to check for general quality, etc.?

 

[diamondseeker2006]

They could check it for general quality but not all the things they could do if the diamond was unset. Just understand that the better quality stones are going to be certified and the lower quality uncertified ones are what you''ll find preset in jewelry 99% of the time.

 

[mypak]

I guess I could have had it inspected before they built the custom pendant...but according to them, it is F and SI2....and to the naked eye (mine), it looks fine.....but I''ll obviously have to see the finished product in about a week. At that time, if I''m not happy, I just won''t buy it and get my deposit back.

Given the above, worse case scenario is that the depth, etc. are not ideal but is that really as important in a pendant vs. an engagement ring?

thanks so much for your feedback...

 

[diamondseeker2006]

The cut is the single most important factor in the beauty of a diamond. All the other C''s factor in, too, of course. SI2 can be a little dangerous because the inclusions may be able to be seen with the naked eye. Did you look at the stone with magnification? I need to also say that them telling you the stone is F SI2 means nothing. I have a pair of diamond studs that I was told (by seemingly nice people) were H SI, and I''ve been told by two jewelers since that they are more like I1 clarity which makes me furious since I said I absolutely was not interested in stones under SI. Now I''m stuck with those earrings and am buying a new pair, so I wasted a bunch of money. If I had insisted on buying a certified stone, I wouldn''t have made the mistake.

But that''s great if you can have it appraised elsewhere and return it if it is not what they said. But you probably won''t get much cut into with it set.

 

[Lorelei]

I agree that uncerted diamonds can be risky, however going for an SI2 clarity in a pendant is quite acceptable, due to the fact that pendants are observed differently to a ring. Ditto all Seeks says, in an uncerted diamond one of the problems is that the stone could be much lower on colour and clarity than you thought. You could get an appraisal done, won''t be as accurate as unmounted, but if you like the result and the price is fair then maybe this will work for you? Personally I think it is risky taking a chance on an uncerted diamond, but the decision is yours as to whether this diamond is for you and the price, quality and optical performance is what you want. Personally I would stick around here and learn about cut and maybe consider buying online, but sometimes this method isn''t for everyone!

I hope it works out for you.

 

[mypak]

Thanks for the reply...the .70 carat, F, SI2 diamond pendant in platinum w/ platinum chain was quoted to me at around $1,500....on the surface looks cheap relative to stuff I saw online...this was from a dealer in the jewelry district in downtown Los Angeles...I''ll see what the final product looks like in about a week....