WF ACA vs Expert Selection

[gcancilla]

I am struggling with which stone to choose as I really dont know the difference between WF's ACA and Expert Selection.

Here are the stones, which one do you think is better?

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut-loose-diamond-3052167.htm

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut-loose-diamond-2985949.htm


I am a newbie to this so any and all help is much appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Sakuracherry]

Go for the ACA. The ES seems to have a little leakage. The ACA will look brighter.

 

[gcancilla]

Here is the James Allan one I was also considering

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut/1.53-carat-h-color-vs1-clarity-sku-255209

 

[teobdl]

Go for the ACA. The ES seems to have a little leakage. The ACA will look brighter.

??? The IS and ASET are great on the ES for reflecting light. And as far as performance, the contrast might even be better on the ES.

That said, everything including the price is very comparable. I'd probably go for the ACA solely for the fact that if it's ever lost or damaged, insurance has to replace with another ACA.

 

[gcancilla]

Price difference is around $400. That said, the ES is a bit bigger.

How do these compare to the JA? Would you go WF ACA and ES over this JA?

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut/1.53-carat-h-color-vs1-clarity-sku-255209

Sorry for all the questions, I know very little about this. Only reason I have stuck with WF is because it has the band I prefer.

 

[teobdl]

The size difference is negligible, and can't be appreciated unless they're right next to each other.
I think $400 is not a huge amount to pay for a branded diamond, and I recommend it for insurance reasons.

We'd need to get an ASET image for the JA diamond. It looks like it's reserved--if you reserved it, then please request an ASET and post what JA says about it. FYI, you can reserve 2 more diamonds from JA if you want. PriceScopers can look for some good choices on that site if you like.

Is your budget about $10k?

 

[gcancilla]

Exactly right. I want to be about $10,000 and am open to any and all suggestion on a princess cut. Willing to move a bit either way if there is a great deal to be had. Here is the ASET image for the JA.



I really appreciate everyone's help. Like I said the main reason for WF was because she likes this band

http://www.whiteflash.com/engagement-rings/diamond-settings/petite-diamond-engagement-ring-947.htm

From JA:
You'll be happy to know that diamond 255209 offers exceptional fire, brilliance, and scintillation. Its brightness balances nicely and our gemologist ranks it as your top performer. As expected, it has a true "H" color and appears completely eye clean.

Since our gemologist found diamond 255209 to have the strongest light performance, I would encourage you to consider that one for your ring. It's very eye catching, has a gorgeous cut, and will look fantastic mounted in any setting.

 

[MarionC]

I'd probably go for the ACA solely for the fact that if it's ever lost or damaged, insurance has to replace with another ACA.

I'm not sure I understand. Could you explain further? I didn't realize that the insurance was tied to a cut rather than a price.

 

[gcancilla]

I would also like to know what that means about insurance and ACA.

 

[Gypsy]

They are both AGS0. Either way the insurance has to replace with AGS0. So for me the branding is a non-issue for insurance purposes.

What he meant was when you are talking replacement of branded diamonds, they usually have to replace with same brand.

 

[gcancilla]

Makes sense, so fo the 3 (2 WF and 1 JA) what is the best way to go. JA is about $1100 less than the WF ACA and $700 less than the WF ES.

I am open to any and all suggestion on a nice princess stone in the $10k range for around 1.5 carats if there are better options I should be looking at.

 

[gcancilla]

Anyone?

 

[Bailey_Lou]

Go for the ACA. The ES seems to have a little leakage. The ACA will look brighter.

??? The IS and ASET are great on the ES for reflecting light. And as far as performance, the contrast might even be better on the ES.

That said, everything including the price is very comparable. I'd probably go for the ACA solely for the fact that if it's ever lost or damaged, insurance has to replace with another ACA.

^1 this. But, the ACA does have that beautiful symmetrical "X" that you can see on the ASET while the "X" on the princess is kinda lopsided. They're both beautiful stones though.

 

[Bailey_Lou]

Regarding which company to go for, I definitely prefer WF. They have a great upgrade policy while with JA you have to upgrade 2X the original diamond.

Deets:

JA:

Any loose diamond purchased from jamesallen.com can be exchanged at 100% credit for any replacement diamond of at least 2x or greater in value. The diamond that is being upgraded must be in original condition and accompanied by the original laboratory-grading document.

WF:

he purchase of any Whiteflash in-house certified diamond automatically qualifies you for our 100% Lifetime Trade Up Guarantee.

We are so confident in the quality and value of the diamonds we buy for our stock that we offer this valuable benefit on all diamonds in our three in-house categories: A CUT ABOVE® , Expert Selection, and Premium Select.

You may trade your qualifying Whiteflash diamond at any time for any other single diamond of equal or greater value. Credit will be given for full purchase price, less original shipping, for any qualifying trade up.

 

[Bailey_Lou]

You should post all of the ASET images for your diamond choices side by side so that we can make a good comparison.

 

[Bailey_Lou]

You should post all of the ASET images for your diamond choices side by side so that we can make a good comparison.

 

[gcancilla]

Here you go:

JA


WF1


WF2


Thoughts?

 

[gcancilla]

So is the consensus the WF ACA then? ASET WF#1 above

 

[Bailey_Lou]

I like both the WF#1 and WF #2 . I feel like WF#2 is the best in terms of cut and symmetry. There is just a lot more red (signifies intense light return) in WF#2. The WF#1 is my close second choice though. The JA has way too much green and will not have as much light return. I (myself) would also choose WF over JA because they are my jewelers and their upgrade policy is fantastic. Their service is impeccable and they really go to bat for me when I need them to. HOWEVER, the JA diamond will probably still be a good-looking diamond and looks like it would save you some money. It is completely up to you of course and hopefully these posts from PS people will help you make the decision. Additionally, here are some unbiased ways to make your decision (snort). Those two diamonds that I mentioned though both have the majority red, moderate green, and slight amounts of blue that show superior cut of a princess diamond in the ASET imagery. BTW, if any of these jewelers can tilt the ASET and record that for you, according to these sites, THAT is the best way to view a princess cut.

http://www.ideal-scope.com/1.using_reference_chart_ASET.asp

Please, please read this:

https://www.pricescope.com/communit...-aset-to-ideal-scope-with-fancy-shapes.73949/



Good luck!

 

[gcancilla]

Thanks so much. Very helpful. I agree with both your choices. So you would go with the WF Expert Selection over the ACA one?

 

[Bailey_Lou]

Yes, that is a hard one. We just upgraded my diamond from WF and that was smooth and painless. We also just purchased diamond earrings as well as a push present. So, I would say that they are more of a long-term relationship. They know me by name and I've visited with my baby. They sent me a baby gift.. It's just little touches like that and it's hard to find a relationship like that with your jeweler. The higher price I paid for my diamonds was ultimately a premium paid for a better cut, in my opinion. But the service was an added bonus. I've read on PS that lots of people really love their JA jewelry and so it will be a hard decision to make LOL. Good luck. Hopefully someone else will chime in with their JA experience and help you make a decision.

 

[Bailey_Lou]

Since the price is so similar ask your Debi or Liza (who are you working with?) to pull the diamonds and give you their opinion. I would probably go with the ACA but sometimes the Expert Selection diamonds are just off by a tiny bit and don't make the ACA. Your sales person can help you make that final decision. I myself would pick the ACA if it the price is so similar for a similar size.

 

[Bailey_Lou]

I still think WF#2 will be brighter though. Way more red. At this stage you would need to see them in person or have the sales person pull for you, see them in person, and tell you what she thinks. Such a long process isn't it LOL? I'm sure your fiance will go gaga when she sees what a beautiful diamond you got for her though. All of this work will be worth it

 

[gcancilla]

Thanks so much. Anyone else have any feedback?

 

[teobdl]

Based on ASET's, I'd choose WF #2.

Since they're both in-house at WF, you can ask them to compare the two and see what they say. I'm inclined to think they'll choose the ACA, but you never know.

 

[gcancilla]

Boy, you guys are really good.

FROM WF:

I had a very hard time deciding on the diamonds. Honestly, I did not prefer one over the other...they are both extremely comparable.
The 1.548ct is a bit bigger, but in terms of sparkle they are comparable in my eyes.

I had two of my colleagues look at them side by side as well, without telling them which was which. Both, including our master gemologist, preferred the Expert Selection diamond. They thought it seemed a bit brighter, and liked the size.



Does anyone know if there is any benefit in buying a ACA vs an Expert selection? I am inclined to go expert selection based upon what everyone is saying and that it is a bit cheaper. But for the $4-500 more I dont want to short change myself if I am missing some added benefit from a ACA.

I also like that the WF2 Expert selection is a VS1 where the ACA one is a VS2

 

[teobdl]

The only reason to get ACA is for guaranteed replacement purposes if it's ever lost and you have insurance that covers replacement with same kind and quality.

"If I lose my Tiffany ring, will I be able to get the same name-brand replacement?

It is not guaranteed. Review your policy to see if your jewelry will be replaced with “same kind and quality,” which is especially important when you have name-brand jewelry. You want to make sure your jewelry can be repaired or replaced and be virtually indistinguishable from the original, and not have to sacrifice quality."
http://www.americangemsociety.org/jewelry-insurance

Jeweler's Mutual will replace Kind and Quality:
"Same kind and quality
There is more to each piece of jewelry than meets the untrained eye. Our jewelry experts, including on-staff, certified gemologists, know that the value of a diamond goes beyond the “4 C’s.” We replace with “same kind and quality.” This is especially important when you have name-brand jewelry, such as Cartier or Harry Winston. Our goal is to make repaired or replaced jewelry virtually indistinguishable from the original."
http://www.perfectcircleinsurance.com/Jewelry-Insurance/Our-Coverage

You might call whatever insurance company you have or plan to get and see if "Expert Select" is included. Ask WF if they think ES lines have been included (they may not know).

If you take the insurance part out of the picture, then definitely get the Expert Select.