untrained eye: eye clean and colorless

[paddy1337]

Hello,
I've been using this wonderful site for well over a year to educate myself and learn about diamonds for when the time came to buy an e-ring. I've gotten "relatively" smart on the C's, and became quite picky.

So the time has come that I am going to make a purchase, hopefully within about a week. The curve ball is, I was able to get some info out of my girlfriend, and it turns out she is most interested in carat. It actually came as a big surprise, as she is not flashy or looking for attention from people. I ended up taking to her about fluorescence, clarity, cut quality and so forth, and she was pretty adamant that to her a bigger diamond is a prettier diamond.

So I come here, to seek experienced advice. How "low" can I go before I end up with a diamond that is noticeably flawed in any given character? I'm trying to pretend I know what she wants, better than she does, and get the largest stone I can (what she says she likes) but not end up with color or complete lack of sparkle.

For reference, here is a diamond I found that I believe would fit the bill. I'm trying to limit myself to $4,500 for the diamond before setting. My original search parameters had me more in the 0.8 carat range, which had all the "right" traits but SIGNIFICANTLY smaller than what my price range can get sacrificing cut and clarity.

Link: http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut-loose-diamond-3403163.htm

Thank you greatly

 

[paddy1337]

Maybe I should add it will be set in white gold on a white gold ring. She, and I, both prefer the princess cut to round. Lastly, she is not aware of my upcoming purchase, so I can't consult her along the process.

 

[paddy1337]

Listed as a very good cut: http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-search?stockno=LD05838806

Based on photos on this forum I don't believe fluorescence is a negative in my case.

Sorry for replying to myself, and probable typos. I'm on a mobile while away on business, did not bring a laptop

 

[16ocean]

Hi paddy1337-
I think it is awesome that you are hearing your girlfriend’s preference and take carat into consideration . . . I feel more comfortable suggesting rounds but I do want to message you and hopefully some of the more frequent posters will also chime in to find something wonderful for you and your love.
From what I have read abt WF here on pricescope I believe they are a very good vendor but I am not sure if their virtual selection has the same buy back or upgrade privileges as their ACA or expert selection stones .

WF has four stones that could be potential winners all over a carat and the wire price is within your budget :
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/compare.aspx?idnos=3430630,2988893,2978548,2960825

I couldn’t find any w/ your specifications at GOG
James Allen has quite a few but I don’t know how to pick out the winners from all their options.

Fingers crossed you find one you like

 

[16ocean]

Listed as a very good cut

That's a very good question . . . what would the light performance be on a princess w/ "very good" symmetry and "excellent" polish be like

 

[16ocean]

Listed as a very good cut: http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-search?stockno=LD05838806
(

but as an SI one this diamond may or may not have inclusions visible to the eye . . . . the size looks great though!

 

[paddy1337]

From what I have read abt WF here on pricescope I believe they are a very good vendor but I am not sure if their virtual selection has the same buy back or upgrade privileges as their ACA or expert selection stones .

WF has four stones that could be potential winners all over a carat and the wire price is within your budget :
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/compare.aspx?idnos=3430630,2988893,2978548,2960825

Great point. I didn't think to look into their policy on virtual selection, I just assumed since they receive the diamond first, inspect, then send it to you.

Followed your link, and I must say, it surely feels a little better being able to see pictures of the specific diamond you are buying. Even if a picture on the intent can be misleading. They appear great, but I'll have to weigh the options as I think a 1.25 should be noticeably larger than a 1.0.

I'll check out the other site you mentioned and compare to the blue nile I linked. I feel it may be the closest I might find to my goal, with a small gamble on eye cleanliness

 

[paddy1337]

Listed as a very good cut

That's a very good question . . . what would the light performance be on a princess w/ "very good" symmetry and "excellent" polish be like

Indeed, that's what caught my eye. With many saying how important cut is, a "very good" certainly shouldn't look bad.

 

[UrsTx]

They appear great, but I'll have to weigh the options as I think a 1.25 should be noticeably larger than a 1.0.

Hi Paddy - related to this comment, remember to check out the actual dimensions of the stones too. A 1.25 could face up just as "big" as a 1ct if their L x W are the same (so the extra weight is carried underneath).

 

[paddy1337]

Thanks! I've tried, managing multiple windows on mobile is tough.

I'm searching James Allen, and with the 20x and rotation is kind of scaring me. This one looks brown to me http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut/1.25-carat-i-color-vvs1-clarity-sku-456944 .the rest of the I's do not look like that to me...

And some appear to have as many black spots as a dalmation. Are they doing something with light/camera to make inclusions stand out, or is it really that bad to the eye in person. Maybe it's the magnification?

This one is a little over budget, but has some pretty good grading for the price I think. http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut/1.20-carat-i-color-vs2-clarity-sku-443678

 

[distracts]

Here is a really nice princess from JA: http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut/1.16-carat-i-color-si1-clarity-sku-526026

I also like the True Hearts one from them you posted.

 

[paddy1337]

Here is a really nice princess from JA: http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut/1.16-carat-i-color-si1-clarity-sku-526026

I also like the True Hearts one from them you posted.

Great find. It's grade lower on clarity, but looking at it the inclusions are small and clear. Also, LxW measures out almost identical to the true hearts. Would keep me under budget rather than over it.

If anyone cares, I pretty much gave up on bluenile. I'd like a 1stop shop, and I could not find a setting I liked.

 

[16ocean]

Here is a really nice princess from JA: http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut/1.16-carat-i-color-si1-clarity-sku-526026

I also like the True Hearts one from them you posted.

Great find. It's grade lower on clarity, but looking at it the inclusions are small and clear. Also, LxW measures out almost identical to the true hearts. Would keep me under budget rather than over it.

Glad someone who knows how to find good princess cut stones on the James Allen website came along.

 

[distracts]

Here is a really nice princess from JA: http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut/1.16-carat-i-color-si1-clarity-sku-526026

I also like the True Hearts one from them you posted.

Great find. It's grade lower on clarity, but looking at it the inclusions are small and clear. Also, LxW measures out almost identical to the true hearts. Would keep me under budget rather than over it.

If anyone cares, I pretty much gave up on bluenile. I'd like a 1stop shop, and I could not find a setting I liked.

If you want to go with JA, you may want to request ASET images for the one I linked, and maybe the True Hearts one, and then another, since you can get three at a time. I'm pretty confident the one I linked should be good, but I'll poke through their lists again to see what I can turn up so you can have another for comparison purposes. They won't be directly comparable since the True Hearts has a different facet pattern but it should still give you a benchmark of excellence to compare against.

 

[paddy1337]

I certainly appreciate it. Right now the one you linked is at the top of my list, the true hearts I linked is 2nd. After a day or two, if I don't change my mind on another I'm going to pull the trigger.

I'm trying not to impulse but for once in my life...

 

[paddy1337]

Ordered and paid for. Now I wait...

Thanks everyone for the help, especially distracts, as I purchased the diamond you found on JA. I think she'll be very very happy with that ring.

 

[paddy1337]

Nevermind. Paid yesterday, just got a call that diamond is not available now.

 

[OoohShiny]

Nevermind. Paid yesterday, just got a call that diamond is not available now.

Damn

Was it Virtual Inventory? If they had to call it in then I imagine that websites can be slow to update if stones sell via another vendor also listing it.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Have you looked through WF's selection of ACA Princess' '?

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/search.aspx

cheers--Sharon

 

[16ocean]

Nevermind. Paid yesterday, just got a call that diamond is not available now.

oh, shucks. That is disappointing. . . .Keep on looking your stone is out there!

 

[paddy1337]

I have looked at WF, it's actually where I started.

So, I talked with JA (amazing customer service by the way... amazing), and we came to a fantastic agreement on this diamond: http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut/1.14-carat-i-color-vs1-clarity-sku-523958

it's a small step up from the diamond I wanted, and though I was rushing when I picked it, it looks very nice. Happy they could work with me, after the mistake, to get this diamond.

I don't believe it's a virtual selection, like WF. They're actually rushing this to make my deadline for a proposal in 1 week.

Again, JA was great along the way, and went above and beyond after finding their oversight.

 

[16ocean]

Again, JA was great along the way, and went above and beyond after finding their oversight.

Oh awesome! The measurements at 6.0 x 5.84 will have a nice presence on her hand.

Are you going to put it in a halo?

 

[paddy1337]

No, a halo is a mount that goes around the edge up top, near the face? That's what I'm guessing a Halo mount is? If so, I saw that mounting and feared it would block the diamond either from light, or make it look smaller. And the goal for my soon-to-be, was to get as large as I could.

There were mountings, like all the ones at Bluenile I was not a fan of. Might like them in person, though... What they had was a ring at the bottom of the diamond, basically blocking the sides/culet of the diamond from visibility. there were 4 prongs, but they were all connected to each other. That, I did not like. I have seen one in person, similar but different to this before, more boxy/square, and I liked it.

The mounting I liked best was one of the least expensive, by chance. 4 long prongs up from the band, that appear to not make contact anywhere but the 4-corners of the diamond (being princess cut). I very much liked it in the 360 views!