what should I do????

[toopicky]

My fiance and I recently made an impulse buy at Zales for my engagement ring. We bought a 1.04 caret H SI2 round stone (it's their signature series diamond) set in 18k gold. We arranged that day to have the stone reset in a platinum trellis setting. I love the setting and the ring .... EXCEPT.... sometimes the stone looks cloudy. When we bought it the sales lady kept talking about what a beautiful stone it was and when my fiance looked through the loupe and compared it to another diamond she was showing us (I didn't look at it) he said that mine looked clean while the other one had lots of "peppery" looking dots. Doing the research now I'm really afraid of the SI2 clarity rating. When I use a magnifying glass (5x) I can see clouds around the edge of the diamond. I can't really see them when I'm looking at it w/o the glass but I'm afraid that this is why the diamond looks cloudy. We are still within the 90 days exchange period so I'm wondering if it's worth it to try to exchange it for something with better clarity or will it really make that much of a differance? I know we should have done more research before we bought anything. I don't want to upgrade this ring in a few years. I want to keep it. My finger is a size 4 so the diamond looks plenty big enough on me and fit my lifestyle. I don't want a bigger ring... just one that I am not afraid people will look at and see problems with.

Please help me... I'm going to Zales after work and I don't know what to do.

 

[mrssalvo]

it''s possible your stone is just dirty. Have you cleaned it recently?

 

[firebirdgold]

The first thing I''d do is clean the ring. Diamonds attract oils from your hand and lotions, and then dirt sticks to the oil. You can get it cleaned at Zales, or use a mixture of warm water, windex, and dish detergent and very gently clean it with an old worn toothbrush.

What lab did the grading?

 

[toopicky]

I have cleaned the ring... the spots are inside the ring. In some lights the ring looks great but in others it looks cloudy. The "certification" Zales gave us was GSL .... not sure how reliable they are. I''m really afraid we should have shopped around more.

 

[Lorelei]

Get a professional cleaning, then see how it looks. On the grading report, does it tell you what the grade setting inclusions are? It is hard to say if a better clarity would make the difference without knowing what the grade setting inclusions are of this diamond firstly, what inclusion-s actually make it an SI2. That clarity grade in itself( reliably graded) won't necessarily make the diamond cloudy, plenty of fab clean and clear SI2's out there, if clouds are the grade setter here, this might be the reason why, but my guess is it needs a good clean firstly.

 

[toopicky]

No, unfortunatly there is nothing that shows where the indlusions are.

Today when I was driving to work I noticed that the diamond looked kind of grayish black... it''s a nasty rainy day and I''m wearing black (and was in a car with black interior) is this normal? Would a higher clarity diamond have looked the same in those conditions?

 

[kcoursolle]

Date: 12/1/2006 12:07:33 PM
Author: toopicky
I have cleaned the ring... the spots are inside the ring. In some lights the ring looks great but in others it looks cloudy. The ''certification'' Zales gave us was GSL .... not sure how reliable they are. I''m really afraid we should have shopped around more.

I''m worried that with a GSL lab, the reports are going to be softer than a GIA/AGS certification. It might be possible that your ring has lower clarity than an SI2 as graded from AGS or GIA.

 

[jaz464]

I would have stayed far away from a GSL graded SI2. Yes, I would look for something with higher clarity. SI2 can be great with GIA or AGS but with GSL I would not go lower than VS2. Make sure you look at any prospective diamonds outside of jewelry store lighting.

 

[Lorelei]

Yes your sweater and lack of light can do that, black is easily picked up by diamonds. Diamonds can look very different in different lights, they aren't always bright and sparkling all the time, sometimes they look dull and white, sometimes blackish in bright sunlight, other times more brilliant than firey etc etc. If a diamond is eyeclean, then you won't notice much difference between an SI2 if inclusions aren't visible than you will a VVS providing the cut and colour are equal, so yes, it is possible that a higher clarity would look the same. There is also a phenomenon called head obstruction where the head can block light to the diamond in simple terms. There is a video in the gallery if you care to look. I would get an independant appraisal if I were you to make sure this diamond checks out claritywise, especially as you don't know the grading accuracy, well worth a bit extra to put your mind at rest. If it comes back lower clarity and colour, then return it, or do so anyway and research more and shoot for a very well cut diamond to give you the sparkle you desire. But regardless, in the situation you describle, dull wet day, black sweater and black car interior a diamond won't be sparkling.

 

[toopicky]

Ok I did 2 things during my lunch break:

1) I cleaned the ring again and paid special attention to the problem areas... it seems to have made a huge differance... I can''t see those spots anymore...glad to say you were right about the cleaning

2) I went "ring shopping" at a couple of jewelery stores and asked specifically for help looking at the clarity. I had the salesperson point out the problems with several rings so I would know what to look for in mine (I didn''t wear mine). None of the stores had anything higher than an SI1 but since that''s probably what I''d be replacing my current diamond with that was fine with me. Most importantly, I saw nothing in any store that compares to my ring... I still like it better than anything else I''ve seen. After work I''m going back to Zales to get a better look at my diamond (I''ve never seen it under a loupe) and based on what I see then I''ll decide if I need to go through the trouble of exchanging it. I just want to know where the inclusions are so I''ll know for sure if they are eye visible.

By the way, I checked the phone book... there are no jewelry appraisers listed.

Thanks for your help, I really appreciate it

 

[Cehrabehra]

I don''t mean to sound intrusive, but would you mind sharing the $ of that diamond to see if you could get a MUCH better deal from a vendor for the same $$?

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 12/1/2006 12:46:36 PM
Author: toopicky
No, unfortunatly there is nothing that shows where the indlusions are.

Today when I was driving to work I noticed that the diamond looked kind of grayish black... it''s a nasty rainy day and I''m wearing black (and was in a car with black interior) is this normal? Would a higher clarity diamond have looked the same in those conditions?

hahaha - when I got my diamond it was still summer-sunny and it was sooooooooo beautiful I live in oregon and we''ve hit Oregon Grey now and it looks soooooooo drab a lot of the time. it was lovely when it reflected the blue sky... now it just reflects grey grey GREY GREY GREY and of course I love to wear black so it adds some of that in too - I try to embrace it haha!

A well cut round shouldn''t do that as much though so I''d see if you can get cut info and make an educated decision. Inclusions would be secondary to cut for me, but I''m also a clarity fool and like a nice clear diamond!

 

[toopicky]

It was $6,000

 

[toopicky]

It''s supposed to be an excellent cut

It also looks very pretty sitting here in my office. I''d never noticed the grey tint until today... luckily the sun was shining when I went out for lunch

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 12/1/2006 3:20:13 PM
Author: toopicky
It was $6,000

you can find a whiteflash H&A cut above in SI1, I color for 5000-6000 and I honestly would be surprised if a WF "I" is "yellower" than a Zales "H". Seriously.

 

[toopicky]

Unfortunatly we''re past the 30 day refund period so I don''t know what we''d do with the diamond we have. We''re still in the 90 day exchange period and Zales has said I will be able to exchange it. Still I guess it means we''re stuck with Zales

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 12/1/2006 3:32:42 PM
Author: toopicky
Unfortunatly we''re past the 30 day refund period so I don''t know what we''d do with the diamond we have. We''re still in the 90 day exchange period and Zales has said I will be able to exchange it. Still I guess it means we''re stuck with Zales

ahhhhhhh well... then what I would do is arm myself with number knowledge and go look for a stone that fits your criteria to a tight T!

 

[toopicky]

Ok so I''ve been to Zales and a couple other jewelry stores and have been assured by all that I do have a very pretty diamond. I now know where the inclusions are and am comfortable that they are not eye visible. I am still considering exchanging it .... because of the color. I''m worried that the H color stone will look yellow if I get a wedding band with diamonds in it. If I stay in the G-H range for a diamond band will I be ok with the stone I have now? Should an H diamond appear yellow to the average person (if i''t not being compared side by side with a colerless diamond)?

 

[hartfordmd]

Just curious...what is the flourescence of your stone? If it is strong blue, perhaps that is why it may appear different in certain lights. I don''t think that most people would be able to see yellow in an H-colored diamond when it''s set in a ring. I''m sure it will look beautiful no matter what band you choose. As an aside, if the stone does have flourescence that may actually help it look more white...

 

[mrssalvo]

Date: 12/2/2006 3:03:24 PM
Author: toopicky
Ok so I''ve been to Zales and a couple other jewelry stores and have been assured by all that I do have a very pretty diamond. I now know where the inclusions are and am comfortable that they are not eye visible. I am still considering exchanging it .... because of the color. I''m worried that the H color stone will look yellow if I get a wedding band with diamonds in it. If I stay in the G-H range for a diamond band will I be ok with the stone I have now? Should an H diamond appear yellow to the average person (if i''t not being compared side by side with a colerless diamond)?

an ideal cut H isn''t going to show color. Since you''re stuck with zales, I''d suggest learning everything you can about Cut which is the most important "C" and see if they can come up with a stone that is close to and ideal cut. I don''t know if zales sells Gia stones or not but if so, try to find one of those where you can trust the grading. You very well might have to go up in color some if the stones you must chose from are poorly cut, they leak light, and won''t sparkle or hide color the way a well cut stone will.

 

[ladykemma]

Date: 12/2/2006 6:12:27 PM
Author: mrssalvo

Date: 12/2/2006 3:03:24 PM
Author: toopicky
Ok so I''ve been to Zales and a couple other jewelry stores and have been assured by all that I do have a very pretty diamond. I now know where the inclusions are and am comfortable that they are not eye visible. I am still considering exchanging it .... because of the color. I''m worried that the H color stone will look yellow if I get a wedding band with diamonds in it. If I stay in the G-H range for a diamond band will I be ok with the stone I have now? Should an H diamond appear yellow to the average person (if i''t not being compared side by side with a colerless diamond)?

an ideal cut H isn''t going to show color. Since you''re stuck with zales, I''d suggest learning everything you can about Cut which is the most important ''C'' and see if they can come up with a stone that is close to and ideal cut. I don''t know if zales sells Gia stones or not but if so, try to find one of those where you can trust the grading. You very well might have to go up in color some if the stones you must chose from are poorly cut, they leak light, and won''t sparkle or hide color the way a well cut stone will.

I''m glad it was just dirt.

those zales signature diamonds are ideal cut, or at least very well cut, and very Spiffy. i would leave it. you did well.

curiouss to find out if is is fluorescent, though.

 

[toopicky]

It is an ideal cut and since the cleaning it no longer looks cloudy at all

My fiance and I went back to the Zales where we bought the ring yesterday and discussed my concerns with the saleslady who sold us the ring. They didn't have anything in stock that was better than what I already have. To be honest, we probably bought the best that store had to offer. They had some colerless diamonds but all of those had I clarities. There is no way I'm going down to that. I've finally become comfortable with the SI2 clarity of my ring. I asked her to show me the inclusions and was very happy when she showed me the same 2 places I'd been shown at the other Zales store on Friday (glad to see the consistancy). There are 2 tiny feathers toward the center of the ring but since they're not eye visible I'm not worried about it... my main concern had been black spots (there are none) or the cloudy things around the edge (which thankfully dissapeared when it was cleaned). She said that she could order a better stone but it would probably cost around $10,000. Since I'm stuck having to work with Zales 90 day exchange option shopping around for a better deal is not an option. She said that, in her opinion, the more expensive stone wouldn't look any prettier and that we'd be crazy to exchange it. Since I'm assuming she gets commission for her sales it would have been to her benefit to encourage us to go with the trade in. We decided to keep what we have. I've always loved the ring and I think I've spent too much time looking for faults in it. It looks white and sparkly most of the time and the times when it doesn't are times when nothing would look good in that lighting.

We also found out that when the ring was sent out to have the stone reset in the platinum setting that it was sent to a local jeweler. I like knowing that if there are any problems with the setting I can take it back to the same person to have it fixed (and that it's not being sent off to some unknown Zales factory somewhere). I also love the fact that I haven't seen my setting in any of the jewelry stores I've been in... it makes me feel like it's slighty unique and I'm very happy with it.

 

[Lorelei]

Glad we were able to help and that you are feeling better about things! Keep your diamond clean as this way you will get the best of it, many of us here clean ours daily which can be done quite safely. Now all you need to do is enjoy your ring and your engagement

 

[yellowsparkles]

How about some Pics??

I am glad you are happy with your ring!

 

[WindyCitySparkle]

It is totally normal to second-guess yourself after such a major purchase. I do it all the time, especially after looking at websites like this one where the people posting are more knowledgeable than 99.9% of the population about their speciality (diamonds). It sounds like you have a beautiful stone (I have an 1.04 carat G color myself) and hopefully you can put your worries behind you and enjoy it now that you know that it''s not visibly included. A lot of people on PS think that an eye-clean SI2 is the best choice because you can''t see the inclusions and the price is lower. I have a VS2 but if I''d found Pricescope before I got engaged, I probably would have looked for an eye-clean SI2 like yours. Anyway, we would love to see some pictures!

 

[WindyCitySparkle]

And PS I don''t think your H color will look yellow with a diamond band - I would stay in the F-H range if possible though and definitely try them on together before purchasing.

 

[jenniegirlm]

Date: 12/4/2006 10:54:33 AM
Author: WindyCitySparkle
It is totally normal to second-guess yourself after such a major purchase. I do it all the time, especially after looking at websites like this one where the people posting are more knowledgeable than 99.9% of the population about their speciality (diamonds). It sounds like you have a beautiful stone (I have an 1.04 carat G color myself) and hopefully you can put your worries behind you and enjoy it now that you know that it''s not visibly included. A lot of people on PS think that an eye-clean SI2 is the best choice because you can''t see the inclusions and the price is lower. I have a VS2 but if I''d found Pricescope before I got engaged, I probably would have looked for an eye-clean SI2 like yours. Anyway, we would love to see some pictures!

I do this ALL the time! When we got my new e-ring. I woke up the next day and gasped, "I think we should have gotten the OTHER one!" Haha. Then after some thought I knew we made the right purchase. Enjoy your new ring! And be sure to post pics at the Show Me the Ring forum.

 

[toopicky]

Actually, that''s a problem in and of itself.... I have tried several times to take a picture of my ring but all I get is just a bunch of glare (the ring doesn''t even show up)...any advice on how to get a good picture of it?

 

[jaz464]

I''m curious how you know it is an ideal cut?

 

[toopicky]

because the information I received when I purchased it says it is