shape
carat
color
clarity

W-X or Fancy Yellow

etudes

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jan 5, 2018
Messages
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Last year I tried on yellow diamond rings (first pic), I want to buy one since then. Based on the color, I prefer second ring. Last week I tried W-X Oval ring on. I love it, plus the price is cheaper.

The jeweler doesn't sell loose FCD and buyback price for colored diamond is lower than that of colorless and near colorless. Therefore, I want to be sure before I pull the trigger. I prefer buying locally because I don't live in US.

IMG_2139.jpg

Stone #1 - 1.1ct Fancy Light Yellow, Heart, IF
USD 5646 (converted to USD, approx.)
5.60 X 6.75 X 3.73
Clarity characteristics : Natural
diamond 1.jpg


Stone #2 - 1.2ct Fancy Yellow, Heart, VVS1
USD 6895 (converted to USD, approx.)
5.81 x 6.90 x 3.96
Clarity characteristics : Cloud

diamond 2.jpg


Stone #3 - 0.9ct W-X Oval, VS2
USD 2663 (converted to USD, approx.)
6.85 X 4.86 X 3.33
Clarity characteristics : Crystal, Cloud
DIAMOND 3.jpg

IMG_3032.jpg

IMG_3033.jpg

IMG_3034.jpg

IMG_3037.jpg

IMG_3038.jpg

Technically third ring is not FCD, but I'm very tempted. I think it's eye-clean, I didn't bring my loupe back then. Usually I avoid diamond with cloud. Should I be concerned about it in colored diamond with VS2 clarity (I guess VVS is safe, though) ?

I didn't check whether any of these rings use cup under the center diamond, so I'll do that next time.

Which one would you choose ? What else should I be looking out for ?
 

Rockdiamond

Ideal_Rock
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The jeweler doesn't sell loose FCD and buyback price for colored diamond is lower than that of colorless and near colorless.

HI!!
A few thoughts come to mind:
1) that policy is....well, a bit off. If they have a buyback program for colorless diamonds, is there a specific downgrade for Fancy Colored?
In my opinion, the market for resale back to dealers is pretty much the same for a G color, or Fancy Light Yellow......
It might mean the seller is not really as comfortable selling FCD's?

I didn't check whether any of these rings use cup under the center diamond, so I'll do that next time.
That is a biggie, IMO.
Sealing off the bottom of a FCD might make it look better in the showcase....but much worse in the long run. Impossible to clean, which takes away the life of the stone......
 

kenny

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Ibrakeforpossums

Ideal_Rock
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"Which one would you choose ? What else should I be looking out for ?"

She's looking for an opinion, some guidance. Karl's (highly) logical brain said, nothing to say until you choose a shape. Step one.

I don't mean to demean my gender but we're a bit more, what would you wear it with? Have you always liked a heart shape? Are you married to a halo or do you think it might be too much?

My mother had an incredible - like gas chromatography - eye for color. (And stains.)
My father said, there are only 7. Roy G. Biv.
 

etudes

Rough_Rock
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Jan 5, 2018
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65
Do you want a heart shape or an oval?

I like both, so I'm happy with either shape.
I think what I like the most in FCDs is the crushed-ice effect, how they glitter under the light.
 

Karl_K

Super_Ideal_Rock
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I like both, so I'm happy with either shape.
I think what I like the most in FCDs is the crushed-ice effect, how they glitter under the light.
Which one glittered better?
 

etudes

Rough_Rock
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Jan 5, 2018
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HI!!
A few thoughts come to mind:
1) that policy is....well, a bit off. If they have a buyback program for colorless diamonds, is there a specific downgrade for Fancy Colored?
In my opinion, the market for resale back to dealers is pretty much the same for a G color, or Fancy Light Yellow......
It might mean the seller is not really as comfortable selling FCD's?

I live in Asia, where majority prefer high color and high clarity. That's one reason I can think of.

I tried yellow diamond rings in different stores before, they don't have GIA report. They also don't have buyback/upgrade program for FCDs.

That is a biggie, IMO.
Sealing off the bottom of a FCD might make it look better in the showcase....but much worse in the long run. Impossible to clean, which takes away the life of the stone......
Yeah, I didn't even think of checking about that until I saw you mentioned it in other thread.
 

etudes

Rough_Rock
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Jan 5, 2018
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Which one glittered better?

When I tried on first and second rings in the shop, I prefer second ring.
I tried on the third ring during jewelry exhibition, so I couldn't compare it directly to the other two. That's one of the reasons I didn't buy it, I want to compare them under same light condition first.

In your experience, which shape generally have more crushed ice effect ?
 

Karl_K

Super_Ideal_Rock
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When I tried on first and second rings in the shop, I prefer second ring.
I tried on the third ring during jewelry exhibition, so I couldn't compare it directly to the other two. That's one of the reasons I didn't buy it, I want to compare them under same light condition first.

In your experience, which shape generally have more crushed ice effect ?
ah ok
They both can both have nice evenly distributed crushed ice appearance.
Why I'm asking these questions other than making sure no cups, the information provided doesn't differentiate them in a way that says no dont buy this one.
If you were buying online id ask for video but you seeing them in person beats a video.
Can you arrange to see all 3 at once?
 

etudes

Rough_Rock
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"Which one would you choose ? What else should I be looking out for ?"

She's looking for an opinion, some guidance. Karl's (highly) logical brain said, nothing to say until you choose a shape. Step one.

I don't mean to demean my gender but we're a bit more, what would you wear it with? Have you always liked a heart shape? Are you married to a halo or do you think it might be too much?

My mother had an incredible - like gas chromatography - eye for color. (And stains.)
My father said, there are only 7. Roy G. Biv.

I only buy MRB before, so it will be my first foray into fancy-cuts and FCDs . I usually prefer simple setting, something I can use daily.
I don't like heart shape in colorless & near colorless, so I'm quite surprised that I like it in FCDs.
 

etudes

Rough_Rock
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ah ok
They both can both have nice evenly distributed crushed ice appearance.
Why I'm asking these questions other than making sure no cups, the information provided doesn't differentiate them in a way that says no dont buy this one.
If you were buying online id ask for video but you seeing them in person beats a video.
Can you arrange to see all 3 at once?

It's same jeweler, so I can see all of them next time I go to the store (provided they haven't sold yet).

I'm a bit nervous about cloud in VS2 clarity, though
 

Karl_K

Super_Ideal_Rock
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It's same jeweler, so I can see all of them next time I go to the store (provided they haven't sold yet).

I'm a bit nervous about cloud in VS2 clarity, though

sounds like a plan.
the cloud is listed second and is in a crushed ice stone so its unlikely to be an issue.
asked to use their microscope to find it then see if you can find it by eye
 

monipod

Brilliant_Rock
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I'm all for using U-Z stones as Fancy Light Yellows but I'm wary of saturation and tint: you want Canary Yellow, not Urine Yellow. I think the third stone is safe from that but it certainly isn't as saturated and Canary as #1 and #2. I'm not sure any amount of yellow gold cupping is going to boost it. If money was no object, I'd choose #2.
 

etudes

Rough_Rock
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sounds like a plan.
the cloud is listed second and is in a crushed ice stone so its unlikely to be an issue.
asked to use their microscope to find it then see if you can find it by eye

Ok, thanks for your advice. Do you think crystal inclusion can be problematic in crushed ice stone ?
 

etudes

Rough_Rock
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Jan 5, 2018
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I'm all for using U-Z stones as Fancy Light Yellows but I'm wary of saturation and tint: you want Canary Yellow, not Urine Yellow. I think the third stone is safe from that but it certainly isn't as saturated and Canary as #1 and #2. I'm not sure any amount of yellow gold cupping is going to boost it. If money was no object, I'd choose #2.

I laughed out loud when I read your post. I have accepted that W-X diamond is going to be less yellow. The price difference is quite significant, though. I can buy other things on my wishlist with that money.
 
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If it were my choice, I’d pick the oval. I am not a fan of super saturated yellow or the heart shape. They’re all lovely stones and you can’t really go wrong, but to my personal tastes, the oval hits the spot!
 

monipod

Brilliant_Rock
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I laughed out loud when I read your post. I have accepted that W-X diamond is going to be less yellow. The price difference is quite significant, though. I can buy other things on my wishlist with that money.

I'm glad you weren't offended but it's my personal pet hate with yellow stones lol

I think lower colours are a great cheaper alternative if you just *had* to have a yellow diamond in your collection but you're right in that stones 1 and 2 are just a bit too much money!
 

Karl_K

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Ok, thanks for your advice. Do you think crystal inclusion can be problematic in crushed ice stone ?
same answer check but usually vs2 crystals are ok unless where talking step cuts where they are more prone to be eye visible.
 

SomethingNew

Shiny_Rock
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That is a biggie, IMO.
Sealing off the bottom of a FCD might make it look better in the showcase....but much worse in the long run. Impossible to clean, which takes away the life of the stone......

@Rockdiamond, can you elaborate this, please? I have been looking for an answer for years and posted this question previously regarding this but still wasn't able find much info.

Having the color enhanced cup makes a big difference, I am assuming not many of us can afford to buy the intense or fancy pink, and having a RG cup makes a huge difference to bring out the pink color (or in yellow diamonds, we'd use yellow gold). What's the best way to solve the cleaning issue? I have seen some cups have a small opening at the bottom, but maybe only applicable to bigger cups, when you have a small cup (like for less than a carat stone), it's almost impossible to brush into the hole....

This is especially important when many of us want to get the most bang of the buck by buying W-Z color diamonds instead of fancy yellows.....
 

etudes

Rough_Rock
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same answer check but usually vs2 crystals are ok unless where talking step cuts where they are more prone to be eye visible.

Thanks, I'm glad to hear that.
I usually stick to higher clarity diamonds.
 

etudes

Rough_Rock
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Jan 5, 2018
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If it were my choice, I’d pick the oval. I am not a fan of super saturated yellow or the heart shape. They’re all lovely stones and you can’t really go wrong, but to my personal tastes, the oval hits the spot!

The oval ring hits my spot, too. It was a little bit hard for me to walk away after I tried the ring on.
 

etudes

Rough_Rock
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Jan 5, 2018
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I'm glad you weren't offended but it's my personal pet hate with yellow stones lol

I think lower colours are a great cheaper alternative if you just *had* to have a yellow diamond in your collection but you're right in that stones 1 and 2 are just a bit too much money!

Hence my dilemma. I've been going back and forth about which one I should choose :lol:
 

Rockdiamond

Ideal_Rock
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@Rockdiamond, can you elaborate this, please?

Of course!! It couldn't be more simple though.
"Crushed Ice" diamonds need a lot of light passing through them to sparkle.
When the bottom of the stone gets gunked, it stops reflecting.
The illusion of color that a cup provides is then gone- as well as the life of the stone.
There are partial cups that partially alleviate this issue....but generally speaking, the ones I see are far too restrictive.
 

etudes

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jan 5, 2018
Messages
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Of course!! It couldn't be more simple though.
"Crushed Ice" diamonds need a lot of light passing through them to sparkle.
When the bottom of the stone gets gunked, it stops reflecting.
The illusion of color that a cup provides is then gone- as well as the life of the stone.
There are partial cups that partially alleviate this issue....but generally speaking, the ones I see are far too restrictive.

Thank you so much for your explanation.
I guess using ultrasonic cleaner very often isn't good for the prongs, too.
 

etudes

Rough_Rock
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Jan 5, 2018
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I waited too long. By the time I went to the store, both heart rings had been sold. I ended up purchasing another ring from other store, 0.9ct Y-Z / VS2 Oval ring.
The price is similar to W-X oval, but I actually paid less than that because I traded in earrings that I cannot wear (it hurt my earlobes).

Admittedly, I was worried about twinning wisp and crystal in VS2 grade stone. I can only see the crystals through the girdle with loupe, otherwise it's eye-clean.

GIA.jpg

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kenny

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Yummmmy. :kiss2:
 

etudes

Rough_Rock
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Thank you. It's my first dip into fancy shape and colored diamond. I'm happy with the result (plus it's under my budget :lol: )
 
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