Thoughts on this 0.7 ct diamond?

[susief]

Longtime lurker ready to make a purchase here! Would anyone be kind enough to give us their thoughts on this diamond? It is for an anniversary upgraded engagement ring. Sorry if some of the terminology is wrong - we've done our best to educate ourselves but are still very much novices It scores 0.9 on the HCA.

RB 0.70 carat, J SI1
GIA
Very Good Cut
Crown height 13.5%
Pavilion depth 43.0%
Pavilion angle 40.8
Crown angle 32.0
Depth 60.0%
Table 57%
Girdle thickness medium to slightly thick (faceted) - 3.5%
Lower girdle half facet length 80%
Star length 50%
5.75 x 5.81 x 3.46

Polish and symmetry Very Good
Inclusions: feather, cloud (no plot as it is a dossier - but we're actually not too bothered about visible inclusions as long as they don't affect light return too much).

It will be set as a solitaire. Any thoughts would be welcome. I'm particularly confused as to why it gets such a good score on the HCA but only a Very Good cut grade - who should we believe? The diamond is from Blue Nile so we can't see it in person.

Thanks so much in advance!

Edited to include price - it is the equivalent of 1765 dollars. (We are in the UK and don't want to deal with international shipping, plus we are upgrading through Blue Nile, so we do want to buy through them).

 

[diamondseeker2006]

The crown angle is really low, so that might be what is making it very good. I would not be able to order any very good cut diamonds without seeing pictures and idealscopes on them. Even GIA excellent has stones that are better than others. But to order a total unknown that is less than excellent cut, I wouldn't do it.

 

[susief]

Thanks Diamondseeker - I really appreciate the input. Does a low crown angle cause any problems in particular?

 

[susief]

Aha, I think I've answered my own question through the magic of the Search function... possible increased risk of chipping, less fire?

I've got the stone on hold until tomorrow afternoon. I'd prefer to get Ideal cut but I don't think the budget will stretch to the same size then... I really liked the spread of this one but wouldn't want to have it chip on me. Hmm.

 

[Amys Bling]

how are you planning on setting it? If you were going with a bezel then I wouldn't worry about chipping.

It does score a .9 on the HCA so it would be a nice performing stone within your budget.

 

[susief]

Thank you AmysBling - I really appreciate your input. I was planning to set it in Blue Nile's trellis setting, which is thick and heavy, and the wide shoulders rise to meet the side of the stone, so it is not very exposed - hopefully can be seen here: http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-engagement-ring-setting-platinum_3736

Would the medium to slightly thick girdle help?

Yes, the 0.9 on the HCA was what got me interested in the stone, and I was curious as to how the GIA differs in its grading. From what I've seen in real life, I do like the shallower spready stones. Trouble is the UK is still pretty awful for good diamonds at a reasonable price, and ordering from the US incurs in the region of 25% tax on top of international shipping and insurance, so options are limited.