Value? Is there such a thing?

[bricheun]

Hi all, been watching the threads for a long time and now the big time has come.
I am going to buy a diamond and get someone to mount it...or they said they will mount it for me.

The shop is asking for US$5900 for a 1.02CT, E color SI2
Some other details I managed to write down are :
6.44-6.50 X 3.94 / 1.02CT
Depth = 60.9
Table = 59
Thin-medium
Cutlet - none
SI2
FL- Strong Blue (?) Not sure what this means or whether i copied it correct (strong?)
(GIA certificate)

Is this worth getting or is it better to look around for another one, I did save along time in my poorly paid job, but since i really love my woman, I think it is worth it.
My original budget was around US$5000.

Thanks for the help

 

[nespa]

If it helps try BlueNile.com -- click on DIAMONDS > FIND YOUR PERFECT DIAMOND > select your style (I''d leave out price initially - you can set that on the second screen easily with the sliders).

Then ADD COLUMNS (I added everything when I searched) and you can click ^ or v (up or down) to sort the columns. Hopefully that will help you price diamonds in a similar range/ let you know if you''re getting the best deal.

- A fluorescence of STRONG BLUE is not as desirable as "NONE".
- SI is decent... from my understanding (slightly above that is VS2 then VS1) and those inclusions are not easily seen as SI.

MOST importantly, save your post & after you ask her to marry you, show it to her -- what you said was so touching & perfectly well-worded that you could put an actual rock in a box & she wouldn''t care after reading what you said.

DAMN! you broke it down! It''s funny - all this talk about rings, diamonds, money, budgets, blah blah - it''s easy to lose track of what''s really important / what the ring is about. With words like that, she''ll love whatever ring you get.

good luck in your search!

 

[decodelighted]

Hi there!!

KUDOS to you for caring so much about this important purchase!! You''ve got a LUCKY lady already -- no stone needed!

As to the specific stone you''ve mentioned ... I''m not sure how important "E" color is to you ... but if it was ME ... I''d probably keep looking. Some people like "Strong Blue" flor ... some don''t.

I think you could get a SUPER IDEAL or IDEAL cut stone (which would have different measurements & angles than the one you''re considering) ... but it might be an "F" color or a "G" color -- which is still GREAT!! You might even find it for somewhere in between your original budget & the $5900 the above stone will cost.

Would you consider buying a stone & setting from one of the online Pricescope vendors? And if not, what state are you in??

 

[JulieN]

Seems pretty expensive; online prices for E SI2, EX on polish and symmetry about 4.5K

 

[bricheun]

Thanks Nespa and Decodelighted, it is great to hear such encouraging words..thanks a million!
Buying this diamond is going to be one of the biggest buys in my life, I have saved hard and sacrificed what I enjoyed for the past 2 years to save up. My woman did not know I was struggling to save up whilst still paying for the mortgage, daily expenses for both and holidays etc. Worked overtime for 4 hrs each evening, Monday to Saturdays..stressing and panicing etc.

But in the end my woman is still by my side, after the ups and downs, 4 years together..it is time for the repayment and to show her that if she can stick with me for the past 4 years..we can do it forever

I will check out the sites and read more into what you guy/gals wrote..

I will keep you lot posted and hope to have some pictures up here..

 

[Lorelei]

Welcome

I too think it would be best to keep looking, for sure drop the colour as you and she won''t probably notice a difference. I think you could do better with the cut too, a 59 % table is on the larger side. A clean SI2 clarity is a great way to maximise bang for the buck, just check with the vendor that an SI graded diamond is eyeclean, some are and some aren''t. Make cut your top priority as this is what makes a diamond so beautiful, also we would be glad to help you if you would like by posting some contenders.

 

[bricheun]

I am based in Hong Kong at the moment due to my job..
Been looking at the local stores www.theworld.com.hk

I am willing to buy via internet in the US because most of the "knowledgable" people are there. The locals are more interested in size than anything else. The color is important to me because I can tell the differen between a D,E and F...if placed next to each other that is
>1CT is important though because thats the minimum I want and its something sort of special about saying"1 carat"..maybe it''s a personal thing.

The IS2 she showed me at the shop was not the better ones, though she downed the price from US$6555 to US$5900.
Cutting and table , depth is absolutely strange to me and without a good calculator it is difficult to assess whether it is good / bad/mediocre.

For the size of 1 ct, what kind of percentage should I be aiming for? All I saw was very good, very good etc..
I think they only had GIA certificates.

 

[JulieN]

calculator: https://www.pricescope.com/cutadviser.asp

 

[bricheun]

The GIA certificates does not indicate the angle of the crown or pavillion.
Can i work it out from the 6.44-6.50 X 3.94??

 

[JulieN]

Unfortunately, no. All GIA reports from 2006 will have such angles. Reports from 2005 can be looked up at www.gia.edu/reportcheck for the angles.

It is actually a very good predictor, as you can define a round brilliant by the table and the angles, though a few other things like girdle thickness, minor facets, and symmetry are necessary to get a create a model.

 

[bricheun]

Here are the details of the diamond...seems quite good when viewed and checked with the calculator in the tools section.
Can anyone advice to whether this is a good buy for $5100 with a 18ct white gold 6 prong setting.

Report Type: GIA Diamond Grading Report
Date of Issue: June 20, 2005
Round Brilliant
Measurements: 6.44 - 6.50 x 3.94 mm
Carat Weight: 1.02
Color Grade: E
Clarity Grade: SI2
Proportions:
Depth: 60.9 %
Table: 59 %
Girdle: Thin to Medium, Faceted
Culet: None
Finish:
Polish: Very Good
Symmetry: Very Good
Fluorescence: Strong Blue

Selected: 60.9% depth, 59% table, 34.5° crown angle, 40.8° pavilion angle
The result is for a symmetrical diamond with a medium girdle and very good polish
HCA scores were adjusted Dec. 15, 2001 and Feb. 6, 2003.


Factor Grade
Light Return Excellent
Fire Very Good
Scintillation Very Good
Spread or diameter for weight Very Good
Total Visual Performance 1.7 - Excellentwithin TIC range

 

[diamondseeker2006]

The numbers are good. But seriuously, I''d be looking at F or G color and go up to VS2 or maybe SI1 in clarity. SI2 means there are obvious inclusions, sometimes visible to the naked eye. I just wouldn''t go that low in clarity, although there are lots of people here who''d disagree. I really prefer VS2 or up for my own diamonds, but there are many good SI1''s. Stick to certs that say GIA excellent and then run the numbers by us here. Some Excellents are better than others, but in general, you want the crown angke to be between 34 and 35 and the depth to be about 60-62%.