What do you think of these two round diamonds?

[cancanman]

I''m looking at these two diamonds. Price is in the range I''m looking to spend ($15-20k). Both diamonds are ideal cuts and I don''t want to change that. I''m not dead set on colorless range, but would only go down to a G. Based on my experiences, H and beyond is much more of a stone by stone basis, not a good thing when buying online (though I know H and even I can look great with an amazing cut). Also, I am pretty happy in the SI1. Both diamonds are supposedly "eye clean." The bigger one has lots of needles and feathers etc on the edges but nothing on the table. The smaller one has a cloud and a needle on the table.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on both diamonds. Both seem like decent diamonds for the price. In terms of size, I think the bigger the better up to 2.50cts or so. After that I think it starts to look too big on my girlfriend.

2.38 ct
http://www.bluenile.com/round-diamond-2-carat-ideal-cut-f-color-si1-clarity_LD01397296


1.91 ct
http://www.bluenile.com/round-diamond-1-carat-ideal-cut-e-color-si1-clarity_LD01467409

 

[Ellen]

Without an IS pic, no one can say. I definitely would nix the larger, angles are not complimentary. Light leakeage is a real possibility. The other, maybe. That''s the most I can say.

And do be aware, that just because BN says they are eyeclean, they may not be. It happens.

Are you dead set on BN?

 

[cancanman]

Thanks!

Yeah, same problem with all online retailers. Eye clean might not be "eye clean" to you.

Not dead set on BN, but have a strong preference. I''ve dealt with them before and enjoyed it. Also prefer a larger company vs a lot of the smaller, but excellent diamond dealers mentioned on this site.

 

[Ellen]

Well, I looked around but didn't see anything in your budget anyway, slightly over there's one or two.


Here's another one, it's iffy too. If I had to gamble on one, I'd most likely pick this one.

http://www.bluenile.com/round-diamond-2-carat-signature-ideal-cut-g-color-si1-clarity_LD01200521?__fun_frm=i&filter_id=0


And you're welcome!

 

[cancanman]

Thanks again for the thoughts Ellen. The diamond your suggested is definately in my range. I''ve been looking at only GIA diamonds, how does this other type of report compare?

Also, I used the "Diamond Cut Analysis" tool to look at the two diamonds in question. The 1.91 ct diamond has a total visual performance score of 3. The 2.38 ct diamond has a total visual performance score of 2.6. Do the members of this board place a lot of value in this tool?

 

[Ellen]

Date: 7/31/2009 12:17:36 PM
Author: cancanman
Thanks again for the thoughts Ellen. The diamond your suggested is definately in my range. I've been looking at only GIA diamonds, how does this other type of report compare?

Also, I used the 'Diamond Cut Analysis' tool to look at the two diamonds in question. The 1.91 ct diamond has a total visual performance score of 3. The 2.38 ct diamond has a total visual performance score of 2.6. Do the members of this board place a lot of value in this tool?

AGS and GIA are the top two recognized labs. Both are highly regarded, and with some, AGS is actually considered the better of the two (by some consumers/cutters/dealers) because they actually grade on light performance, whereas GIA does not. They are just less well known to the general public. I focus more on the cut quality, and worry less about which lab (of these two) graded the stone.

Many use the HCA to weed out the lesser cuts/performers. It's not the last word on a stone, but can help narrow down the stones you want to get further information on. Again, in looking at the cut of the three stones we have here, I'd go with the one I linked. Cut is so important to a diamonds beauty, it's the one thing you don't want to skimp much on!

 

[moneyman]

Date: 7/30/2009 6:12:15 PM
Author:cancanman
I''m looking at these two diamonds. Price is in the range I''m looking to spend ($15-20k). Both diamonds are ideal cuts and I don''t want to change that. I''m not dead set on colorless range, but would only go down to a G. Based on my experiences, H and beyond is much more of a stone by stone basis, not a good thing when buying online (though I know H and even I can look great with an amazing cut). Also, I am pretty happy in the SI1. Both diamonds are supposedly ''eye clean.'' The bigger one has lots of needles and feathers etc on the edges but nothing on the table. The smaller one has a cloud and a needle on the table.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on both diamonds. Both seem like decent diamonds for the price. In terms of size, I think the bigger the better up to 2.50cts or so. After that I think it starts to look too big on my girlfriend.

2.38 ct
http://www.bluenile.com/round-diamond-2-carat-ideal-cut-f-color-si1-clarity_LD01397296


1.91 ct
http://www.bluenile.com/round-diamond-1-carat-ideal-cut-e-color-si1-clarity_LD01467409

Cancanman - you have come to the right place. The people on this forum are very nice and very informative. I''m actually surprised that you haven''t gotten more feedback, but listen to the people (other than me) that have replied to you because they know what they''re talking about. I was also looking for a rock in this size range and my only real advice is not to rush into a decision, there are always good deals.

Looks like you''re focusing on lowest price/carat for the given range you want. This can be fruitful, but it will also lead you to diamonds that are "cheap" but cheap for a reason so be careful. Most people on this site will urge you to get an idealscope look of a diamond to get a true measure of the visual performance. There are several good retailers online that provide this service, but most (all?) are smaller than Blue Nile and seem to charge a sometimes sizeable premium to what you pay on BN (this is just my uneducated opinion). The idealscope starter kit is fairly cheap if you''re interested.

Good luck dude