What do yu think about SI2 clarity?

[vespergirl]

Some of the stones I''m lookiong at are high in color, like DEF, but may have SI2 clarity. I haven''t seen any stones of this quality in person in a 1.5 - 2 carat stone. It''s hard to tell from some of the pics in the SMTR thread - so tell me - if you own an SI2, can you see the inclusions? Do they bother you? Can other people notice them?

Just wondering what it''s like to have a stone at that clarity - I''m interested in your feedback ...

 

[BriBee]

The stone I am getting is about a 1.3 carat cushion, and it's an E color, SI2 (GIA) and when I turn it upside down, there is one inclusion I can see (but obviously won't when it's set) and the only thing I can see when looking at it from the top is a tiny "freckle" towards the corner of the stone. I'm pretty sure we'll be able to hide it with the setting, so mine is pretty eye-clean in that way. I think it really will just vary because of the location of inclusions and size etc...I feel lucky to have found such an eye-clean SI2
My jeweler also showed me a 2.5 carat that was an H SI3 but it was EGL so would obviously be lower on GIA. Honestly, I don't even know WHY that stone was brought out because it was HIDEOUS! When I compared the color to the E, that wasn't SOOOOO bad, but the clarity was awful! It reminded me of the stories you hear about E-bay stones. It definitely wasn't "frozen spit" but I could clearly see lots of inclusions, and even my completely diamond ignorant cousin could see them and tell it looked bad. Also, because it was basically twice the carat of the other stone, it made the inclusions all the more easy to see. I think this thing would definitely have been at least I1 or maybe I2 on the GIA scale.

ETA: PS, the inclusions don't bother me. Like some people have said before, they're kinda like birthmarks on your stone that let you know it's yours. And like I put up there, I like to think of it as a freckle, which sounds so much cuter than

INCLUSION

PS again, after reading what Bella said, maybe the 2.5 I saw was closer to a GIA I3.

 

[BELLA9280]

i have an I1stone color E, and nobody can see any inclusions infact i cannot even find them!!

 

[iheartscience]

As long as it''s eyeclean it wouldn''t bother me a bit. I have a 1.51 carat radiant SI1 and I have pretty much no idea where the inclusion is-it''s totally eyeclean. Really, I''d probably be okay if it was like 95% eyeclean-meaning I could maybe make out an inclusion if I looked really closely but it wouldn''t be obvious to someone who wasn''t looking for it.

 

[sera]

I am not getting the size or shape you are and I won''t actually see my .99 F SI2 PoH irl until the end of November- but Jon from GOG says it''s eyeclean (actually said, "You will see a flying saucer land in your yard before you see an inclusion). So, if Jon says I won''t see them, then I won''t see them, the idea of getting an eyeclean SI2 doesn''t bother me at all, and if I won''t see them when I can inspect my ring closely every day, then nobody else is going to notice them.

 

[UCLABelle]

If it is a reliable cert (i.e. GIA or AGS) and you are comfortable, I see nothing wrong with an SI2 or even an I1. However, I personally would go down in color (to G,H)and go up in color.

 

[surfgirl]

vesper, I''m one of the few people here that probably would say No to an SI2 of that size. I dont know, for me it''s a mind clean thing as I like knowing my stone is very clear. That said, with a modern RB, if well cut, you often cant see any imperfections at all. When I found my ering, the ring that got me into that store was a 3 stone monster...I think the center stone was about 2.8cts alone, with very large sides. It was a stunning ring and stones (RBs), yet when I looked through a loupe, there was a clear string of inclusions (rather like feathers) running the entire length of the table! I was shocked because with my naked eye, the stone was so well cut that all I saw was shimmering scintillation. But for me, it wasn''t mind clean. Though the price was crazy good...It''s a personal choice I think. You''ve got to judge based on the individual stone I think.

 

[WorkingHardforSmallRewards]

Date: 10/16/2007 11:52:34 PM
Author: BELLA9280
i have an I1stone color E, and nobody can see any inclusions infact i cannot even find them!!

Have you had it appraised to verify it is the correct diamond

I am half joking I am sure such exist just due to the nature of grading, but use extreme caution when going this size and these clarities.

EDIT: I am in the camp with surfgirl on the mind clean thing. But if it is the only way to get higher colors and you can find a truly rare and excellent lower clarity, then...that is pretty persuasive I imagine

 

[ccuheartnurse]

I dont think there''s anything wrong with an SI-2. I recently looked at an I-1 & couldnt see any inclusions with my eyes, only under the loupe. It''s a great way to go higher on colour & size & get the stone you really want. Like everything, there''s a lot of give & take.

Judy

 

[Hera]

I have a 1.57 carat si2 and I can''t find the inclusions. Except for a tiny pinpoint on the table, the other inclusions are on the side of the diamonds. My layman eyes cannot locate them. I would buy another si2 like this one in a heartbeat.

 

[Hera]

Here''s a thread on si2 stones. I don''t know if Mara still has that diamond, but it''s a stunning diamond.

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/lets-post-our-si-stones-here.36489/

 

[CdnBlingGal]

I own an .90ct H&A E, SI2. It is eye and mind clean.

I am fortunate to have found one of these eye clean SI2''s.

I cannot see or find the feather (inclusion) face up but I do see it looking through the side of the diamond though. No one and not even a jeweler who has looked at the diamond are able to find the inclusion with their naked eye. They''re even shocked when I tell them the clarity.

My Dh has hinted to me that I can get an upgrade of my center stone to a 1.5 to 2ct in the future. With such a big stone, I would go a higher in clarity to a VS1 or VS2 but would drop to an F colour. If I can get an E color, that would be a bonus.

 

[aljdewey]

I have several SI2 stones, all of which are eyeclean. Sizes range from .55 to .75 to 1.25.

If we''re talking about well-cut RBs, I think that SI2 represent an amazing value as long as they are eyeclean.

I don''t give a rat''s patootie what I see through a loupe......because no one else looks at my stone that way. I only care what can be seen in everyday life when I wear it, and that''s a big fat NOTHING. All I see is sparkle, flashes of color, and BLING.

I''ve also seen Mara''s old 1.60 J, SI2 stone, and it too was eyeclean.

I highly recommend them, but I''m the type of person who doesn''t get hung up on what she can''t see. If you are the same, then SI2 represents a great value.

 

[vespergirl]

HI everyone,

Thanks so much for the feedback! I think that I''m going to go with higher color, no lower than a G, and try to find SI1 clarity but SI2 would be OK if it''s eye clean.

I''m not sure if the "mind''cean" issue would bother me yet, but if that''s the case, than I may go down in size to a 1.5 carat RB G VS2 quality, instead of staying up at the 2 carat mark.

Originally I liked the 1.5 carat size, but with an asscher, with has less brilliance, and my ring didn''t have sidestones, I wanted more finger coverage from the diamond.

The new ring I''m thinking of having made will be with an RB and sidestones, so I think that it will look really blingy, even if I go down in size - I''m lucky that my finger is only a size 5, so maybe a 1.5 carat would still look really big.

I am going to Quest to look at rings today, so I will try a bunch of stuff on and see what I like.

Unfortunately, the diamond vendor that I bought from brings a bunch of diamonds from South Africa several times a year, and even though he has a really large selection, right now he only has a bunch of G VS2 in the 2 carat range, but not a lot of G SI1 or SI2, which would be more like our price range. If I go down to 1.5 carat, I may be able to do an E or F color with the value of my trade, so I guess I jsut have to look ath the stones & see what I like.

I have a feeling that before Christmas they bring in tons of stones, so I may wait to redo my ring until he has a better selection for me to look at - maybe more F & G SI1s and SI2s in the 2 carat range.

 

[iwannaprettyone]

Mine is an H SI2 and I can''t see anything without a loupe. On my cert I have several tiny inclusions scattered throughout rather than one or two large black ones, through a loupe they are whitish specks.

 

[solange]

I have a 4.10 SI2 and I cannot see any inclusions with the naked eye. With a ten power loupe I can see numerous tiny inclusions but even though I know where they are, I cannot find them without the loupe.
There are vast differences in SI stones. Some have one large, visible inclusion while others may have been graded SI because of small inclusions. You have to ask the vendor whether the stone is eye clean from the top and sides.

 

[canuk-gal]

Date: 10/17/2007 9:54:26 AM
Author: aljdewey
I have several SI2 stones, all of which are eyeclean. Sizes range from .55 to .75 to 1.25.

If we''re talking about well-cut RBs, I think that SI2 represent an amazing value as long as they are eyeclean.

I don''t give a rat''s patootie what I see through a loupe......because no one else looks at my stone that way. I only care what can be seen in everyday life when I wear it, and that''s a big fat NOTHING. All I see is sparkle, flashes of color, and BLING.

I''ve also seen Mara''s old 1.60 J, SI2 stone, and it too was eyeclean.

I highly recommend them, but I''m the type of person who doesn''t get hung up on what she can''t see. If you are the same, then SI2 represents a great value.

HI:

Ditto. I think it was this guy''s

patootie that compelled me (so) to agree!!

cheers--Sharon

 

[angeline]

If you needed any more examples - I had a WF ES 2.1 F SI2. I never saw nuthin''! (but sparkle)

 

[lyra]

I have to admit, I would (and obviously did) go down on colour but not clarity. I agree with Surfgirl. I prefer a VS in a stone that size. Part of the mind clean issue for me is I own a loupe and I use it, so I''m going to be looking for those inclusions. I can''t actually find them in my current stone, which is kind of cool. But obviously if the stone in question is totally eye clean, and the cut is excellent, then it shouldn''t be an issue beyond what mind clean issues you might have personally.