Urgent Help needed with two asschers - ASET confusion

[diamondhoarder]

I would love to get some help from people who know about asschers and ASETs for asschers please.

I have been looking at James Allen asschers, and the results of the gemologist inspection and the ASETS came back just now. I now have 24 hours to decide between these two diamonds, if I would like to purchase either. Here is the information from the GG along with videos and ASETs:

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/asscher-cut/0.94-carat-f-color-si2-clarity-sku-294380

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/asscher-cut/0.91-carat-h-color-vvs1-clarity-sku-369729

"As per the Gemologist's in-hand evaluation, your top contenders are diamond sku 294380 and 369729. Please review the following:

Diamond sku 294380: this diamond has the best white light return, the best brilliance. The overall faceting pattern is very nice and the fire is very good. The feather inclusion extends from the pavilion to the girdle on the corner and up in to the crown. It does not seem to pose a durability concern and it is in an excellent position to be covered by a prong.

Diamond sku 369729: the fluorescence has no impact on the diamond. The overall brilliance and white light return is very good. There is minimal light leakage. There is nice amounts of fire/ brilliance and the diamond overall is bright. The symmetry and faceting are uniform and crisp."

According the ASET there is less red in the 294380 diamond, although this is the one which the gemologist has said has the best white light return? Am I reading the ASETs wrongly? Could anyone who knows about these things give me an opinion on which one to go for taking into account the ASET info, the video and the Gemmologist commentary please? Are Gypsy or Kenny able to comment?

Both diamonds are very keenly priced and I am hoping to get a nice quality asscher - is either of these nice quality by pricescope standards, or should I avoid them both and start again?

 

[Gypsy]

Yeah. We normally have disagreement with the gemologists about step cuts. Why? Because they examine them in tweazers holding them up where they can gather light from the pavilion and other sources. Where as the ASET shows the face up performance, since that's what you will see when set. So I would normally say go with the one with the better ASET.

But in this case the other one has F vesus I color and more size (dimensions, not weight).

So... I don't know. I think in this case, of the two, I'd probably still go for the F.

 

[diamondhoarder]

Thnaks Gypsy, for your input. I think the F color stone is my favourite too for those reasons. Now I just need to get my head around a clarity question. I'm generally a fan of SI2 diamonds (I have 2 others which are completely eye clean) but have not had to deal with a feather at the girdle of a diamond.

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/asscher-cut/0.94-carat-f-color-si2-clarity-sku-294380

The feather inclusion extends from the pavilion to the girdle on the corner and up in to the crown. It does not seem to pose a durability concern and it is in an excellent position to be covered by a prong.

Would anyone like to comment on this issue with the feather? I have asked for clarification whether the feather breaks the surface of the diamond. Should I be concerned about an SI2 feather on the corner of an asscher like this? I like the idea of a completely eye clean stone once the feather is hidden under a prong, but I worry slighltly about whether the stone could break once its in a ring if I knocked it on the corner where the feather is. Or would that only really be a concern in an I1, I2 or I3 stone?

 

[Dancing Fire]

What are the prices on these stones?

 

[diamondhoarder]

They are both just over $3k

 

[Gypsy]

Would anyone like to comment on this issue with the feather? I have asked for clarification whether the feather breaks the surface of the diamond. Should I be concerned about an SI2 feather on the corner of an asscher like this? I like the idea of a completely eye clean stone once the feather is hidden under a prong, but I worry slighltly about whether the stone could break once its in a ring if I knocked it on the corner where the feather is. Or would that only really be a concern in an I1, I2 or I3 stone?

NO. I'd be concerned for SI2 so yes, I would follow up with JA about the inclusions as it hits the girdle.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I would rule out a SI2 feather in any stone, but especially an asscher. The ASET on the second stone is better. I love a 58 table. It would be my choice of these two.

 

[diamondhoarder]

I would rule out a SI2 feather in any stone, but especially an asscher. The ASET on the second stone is better. I love a 58 table. It would be my choice of these two.

I agree that the ASET looks better. I am just not sure about the photo:

There seems to be a lot of dark shadow in this face-on view. I have heard about cameras sometimes causing this reflection in these close-up shots but I am not sure if that means it will look like that IRL, if I am wearing it and costing a shadow over it.

 

[telephone89]

I'm not an ascher expert by any means, but I prefer the shape of the second one.

 

[diamondhoarder]

Well, the gemologist says that the SI2 feather doesn't break the surface of the diamond. But I still feel wary about it because of the fact its at a corner and quite large.

This was always my favourite stone but now I just don't know if I trust it.

 

[Gypsy]

You are overseas huh? That makes this very hard.

What happened to the third stone?

The face on is fine, and so is the video. You want that type of darkness (not the black one, but the greys) that shows that the facets flash on and off and the diamond has contrast. It's a great stone. Really. My main concern is the I color for you.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Oh, overseas makes it tough. I was trying to choose one of these, but if you have any doubt about I color, you shouldn't get this stone. I wouldn't want an SI2 feather on an asscher, either.

Are you locked in to JA, because I found my 1 ct asscher through Good Old Gold who called in a couple for me, and honestly, I think it is better than either of these. I think they have a couple of good sources of well cut asschers. They may not have them in stock but they can get them in quickly and make a video for you.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Well, the gemologist says that the SI2 feather doesn't break the surface of the diamond. But I still feel wary about it because of the fact its at a corner and quite large.

This was always my favourite stone but now I just don't know if I trust it.

Gypsy, what do you think about that gemologist comment? Because one of the pros here has said that plotted feathers always are surface reaching.

 

[diamondhoarder]

You are overseas huh? That makes this very hard.

What happened to the third stone?

The face on is fine, and so is the video. You want that type of darkness (not the black one, but the greys) that shows that the facets flash on and off and the diamond has contrast. It's a great stone. Really. My main concern is the I color for you.

The third stone was milky/ cloudy due to fluorescence so that has been discounted. The other stone (the VVS1 is an H color rather than I color, but I suspect that in an asscher this still won't look particularly white?

 

[diamondhoarder]

Well, the gemologist says that the SI2 feather doesn't break the surface of the diamond. But I still feel wary about it because of the fact its at a corner and quite large.

This was always my favourite stone but now I just don't know if I trust it.

Gypsy, what do you think about that gemologist comment? Because one of the pros here has said that plotted feathers always are surface reaching.

The GIA report states that there is a feather although there was no diagram/ plot on the report. Maybe that's just how they do the reports now? My other older GIA stones all have plots which is more reassuring.

 

[Gypsy]

Well, the gemologist says that the SI2 feather doesn't break the surface of the diamond. But I still feel wary about it because of the fact its at a corner and quite large.

This was always my favourite stone but now I just don't know if I trust it.

Gypsy, what do you think about that gemologist comment? Because one of the pros here has said that plotted feathers always are surface reaching.

I've read quite a bit of pros here disagree with that comment. I would trust the gemologist, BUT would have it appraised independently unset. Which is fine in the US. But overseas makes it hard, which is why I too would err on the side of not taking the risk.

 

[Gypsy]

Well, the gemologist says that the SI2 feather doesn't break the surface of the diamond. But I still feel wary about it because of the fact its at a corner and quite large.

This was always my favourite stone but now I just don't know if I trust it.

Gypsy, what do you think about that gemologist comment? Because one of the pros here has said that plotted feathers always are surface reaching.

The GIA report states that there is a feather although there was no diagram/ plot on the report. Maybe that's just how they do the reports now? My other older GIA stones all have plots which is more reassuring.

No. It's because it's under 1 carat. For stones under a carat there is no plot. For stones over a carat there is. It's to save the vendor money on the reports for smaller diamonds.