What would a girlfriend want?

[two_little_birds]

2birds.. What is it that makes you dislike both of them?

For me it would be the inclusions - especially anything that shows up grey or black (carbon). I don't mind very small white feathers or maybe a few pin points - but yes, having and knowing the inclusions were there would bug me. I would rather have a smaller diamond with better clarity.

Also I have seen so many RB posted here that just seem to be so much better, and if you opened your options I'm sure some PS'ers would help you find something better. Just a thought.

Also when I was first married (15 years ago) and budget was tight, I didn't mind have an SI1 diamond. But as I learned more over the years my taste changed. Who knows, yours and your fiances could too.

 

[VRBeauty]

One hurdle is that I'd really like to purchase the stone and setting at the same place so that #1 they can set it and I don't have to fool with worrying about a local jeweler messing it up and #2 it's just convenient.

Pearlman's and Whiteflash both carry Ritani. Both well known and highly regarded among PS members who have done business with them. With either of these vendors you could pick your stone from a wide selection, have them order the stone for you (if it isn't already in house) and set it in the Ritani setting for you. So you could in effect have your cake and eat it too... find a truly ideal stone and still have it set in the setting you've selected, without having to worry about a local jeweler messing it up.

If you're dead set on using one of the two stones you've already identified... as someone else said, it's a coin toss.

BTW PS'ers would be more than happy to help you find a great stone within your price range. You'll still have to decide how YOU want to make the color/size trade-off, however!

 

[OneNole03]

I think the point you seem to be missing is that people come to these forums to find the very best that their budget can afford them. DS, Chrono, and the many others enjoy helping people like you and I in maximizing our budget. So when they feel that a particular diamond is inferior to others they will let you know. That's what makes this forum so great, to get the opinions from experts who do this for a living like John or hobbyists like DS and Chrono. So if you want the very best, take their opinions and look at settings from the selected vendors. If you like what you see from ritani and you know that your gf won't care then do the h colored stone. But if its me, I know I would want to buy the very best for my SO and I would be heeding their advice.

 

[Niel]

between those two stones I would pick the H. one color difference doesnt seem like a lot when comparing them side by side but an I just starts to be a little low for some folks. And it seems to have less obvious carbon inclusions, though they both do.

What I was wondering is why size is the most important aspect to you? Which, i apologize if I am wrong, but seems like is the case.
Because yes size is important. But it seems like a hollow victory if the inclusions are obvious and the performance is lacking. And yes, not everyone can see the perfection in a ACH 0. Just like not everyone can taste what makes a fine wine, or hear the difference between a compressed and original audio file. But the inclusions along with the less then stellar performance seems to me like dating a dumb girl because she is pretty. Not a lot of substance. Because every girl will inevitably get DSS, so wouldnt you rather she have an eyeclean diamond with beautiful performance to fall back on, once she is (for lack of a better term) jaded to the size?

 

[canuk-gal]

Everyone brings up very good points. Thank you for the response!

John, I appreciate your understanding that I (and my girlfriend) are not diamond experts whatsoever, and that our quality standards may not be as high as some others.

HI:

I think your standards are as high as everyone's here--you want a good looking stone in a great size, and receive value for your money. That is about as high a standard as anyone would seek. Technically speaking if you are looking for super ideal cut--then that is another issue altogether.

In the long run, it doesn't matter what "we" would prefer--you have seen the stones. Which do YOU prefer?!

cheers--Sharon

 

[jstarfireb]

I think the point you seem to be missing is that people come to these forums to find the very best that their budget can afford them. DS, Chrono, and the many others enjoy helping people like you and I in maximizing our budget. So when they feel that a particular diamond is inferior to others they will let you know. That's what makes this forum so great, to get the opinions from experts who do this for a living like John or hobbyists like DS and Chrono. So if you want the very best, take their opinions and look at settings from the selected vendors. If you like what you see from ritani and you know that your gf won't care then do the h colored stone. But if its me, I know I would want to buy the very best for my SO and I would be heeding their advice.

Great points! Given the HCA scores and the helpful info from John about the AGS grades, I too would not recommend these diamonds. You don't necessarily have to buy a branded super-ideal H&A stone, but you can do better for the money. H-I and SI1 are fine if eye-clean, as you've already learned. But cut, more than color or clarity, has the greatest visual impact on a stone. I would bet that even as non-"experts" (I'm no expert either), you will be able to tell the difference between an AGS0-1 and AGS3-4, or a 1-2 on the HCA vs. a 3-4. Why not get a sparklier stone for the same money?

BTW, Chrono - thanks for the background info. That was helpful.

 

[dbanner8732]

Onenole.. you hit the nail on the head. I like to get the different opinions about these things to make an informed decision. I have found it very hard pressed to get around a 1.2 SI1 H-I color for close to these prices, which I'm very surprised by because I would think they would be much more expensive coming directly from Ritani.

With an SI1 and H or I color, I understand completely that they will have inclusions. These diamonds are eye clean from what I've been told, and I've learned to trust the person I am dealing with from what she has led me away from as well as guided me towards. There were a couple other diamonds that were more expensive, and she said to go with one of these 2.

Now, here's something interesting.... there's a 1.19 carat SI1 H color (might be I but I think it's an H) that scores a 1.8 on the HCA. It's under 2- I remember that because I plugged all the measurements in. It is $500 more than the 1.22 carat one and it's $800 more than the 1.12 carat diamond. She basically said that I would not be able to tell a difference in performance with the NAKED eye and led me away from this stone based on what my needs, standards, and requirements were (which all of you now know lol). So, basically I just thought ok well that's great because she's telling me it wouldn't be worth the extra money, again based on my standards, to go for this 1.19 carat one that scored better on the HCA.

twolittlebirds- Can I ask what level of GIA grading would be the bare minimum for you in a diamond? I feel that maybe you feel that there's no chance you would want anything lower than a VS clarity, which is absolutely fine, but just different than my preferences. I just don't see the point in buying a cert to go along with the diamond. I can't wrap it up and stuff it inside. Yes, under these 20x mag. you can definitely see the inclusions- no arguing that. As a golfer here's kind of how I would compare it--- My friend's may buy a $50 a dozen brand name titleist prov1 ball, but I would rather buy $25 a dozen ball. Why? We aren't good enough for it to matter! His ball isn't going to have a magic wand and make hole in one's because it cost $50 and has a 4 layer inner core and 362 dimples instead of my 353 dimples and 2 layer core. Being amateurs, I like to always go for value. Being the novice that I am, and on a budget I feel that these 2 are a good buy for overall quality of the diamond and what I'm looking for as well. However, I do totally understand why some would rest better at night because they know they're diamond is near internally flawless.

Canuk-gal , my north of the border friend, I thank you for your positive support. I know probably 95 percent of (normal) guys just go to the jeweler, pick out a ring, and bam they're off! Maybe not that fast, but still you get my point. I wish I could do that, but I like to get all of the honest opinions of people I feel I can trust that aren't just trying to sell me something. I appreciate all of you for that! Canuk, I think you understand where I'm coming from on these choices. You get that I don't want a super ideal H&A F color VS clarity diamond. If I had no budget, heck yea I'd be buying the best! But, I live something called life. Also, I think about other places money can go, and at my age there are PLENTY of other places it could go.

I embrace the debate about this topic. Obviously some people's lifestyles are much more lavish than mine, and some are much less. Some people are fine with getting a .40 carat J color I1 in a simple $150 setting. Suits them fine. What I think some posters fail to understand on here, is that YES, I could get a much better stone and I realize that. I could buy a 25k diamond, and STILL get a MUCH better diamond. We've looked at SI2 I colored ones in person. Sparkled a whole bunch to us anyway. Basically, I just need to make a purchase and see it in person. Then I'll have to get on here and post pictures, and hopefully not get destroyed lol.

Sorry for the super long post! Keep the replies coming!

 

[princesss]

Solely between those two stones, I would pick the smaller one and put that $300 towards either the setting or something for the proposal (dinner, a weekend getaway, etc). But given that the third stone exists...well, I'd try to see a video of all three in a few lights so that you can compare them, or if it's a local place, have them lined up so you can take a look and see which one performs in a way you like best.

 

[LibbyLA]

dbanner8732,

If you can look at the third diamond that scores better on the HCA, you should, and then decide if it's that much more sparkly than the other two and worth the extra money. Maybe it is, maybe it's not.

FWIW, I chose a J SI2 2.06 carat oval and I'm perfectly happy with it. By definition, it doesn't perform as well as a well-cut round, but I just prefer the oval shape and am willing to sacrifice some performance. I get where you are coming from with the golf balls. Many PSers wouldn't be at all happy with the diamond that I chose, but for me, it was the most bang for my buck.

Good luck! I'm looking forward to seeing whatever you end up getting.

liz

 

[dbanner8732]

Thanks liz! You just made me feel a little better about it. I kind of got the feeling that I wasn't doing my SO justice by getting her an F VS1 or something. I even thought about J's and SI2's because honestly they look sparkly enough for me. The thing is, everybody that has replied to my original post brings up very good points that I cannot deny. I just feel that they aren't really understanding what my priorities are. We live in smalltown USA and a 1.12 or 1.22 carat diamond with those specs and the setting I'm looking at choosing would probably make every one of her friends cuss her, which is not at all what my motive is whatsover. I'm just trying to show her how much she means to me (obviously) and people are kind of knocking me down like it's a junker lol. All I'm trying to do is do the absolute best I can for her with my budget. I mean, liz I'm sure if we saw your ring we'd say it was "very sparkly." And if we saw an f vs2 we'd say "very sparkly". I'm not into at all paying for anything that we can't even see! To me that's so ignorant, unless you have no budget and you can do whatever you please. To each their own.

Thanks for recognizing my golf ball analogy haha.

 

[Niel]

I have a pear. Fancies do not perform as well as rounds. But I wanted the shape. So I chose shape over optimal performance, just because that the inevitable trade off. Now you are choosing size over performance. The difference between me and the PP that has an oval is that we have to choose one or the other. You don't. But if you refuse to go down in size or color and will chose quantity over quality then you will. Not a lot of people here would do the same. So if you're looking for people to say " oh good you got a big rock well forget about the look of it", you'll probably not find it. But it sounds like you'll do what you're going to do, so I would stop askig for our opinions. You're speaking with a diamond expert at ritani you trust so I would just leave the decisions between you and her and leave us out of it.

And no one here is telling you to send 25k or 1k, we are just trying to get you the best stone for your budget. But if to you best = biggest then you know what you want and so just go get it


ETA: I am from a very rural town as well. I know someone with a 1.25 ct round with similar specs. She gets compliments on the stone usually that go "what a beautiful setting".

 

[Niel]

Also lots of people have an h/I SI stone. No one is telling you to get an f. But there are different ways to get to an SI.so they do not all look the same.

 

[TC1987]

Thats not what I got... Its 3.14 x 6.87 x 675 divided by 4 right.. (I know the 6.87 numbers or whatever arent exact but it's the first 2 numbers in the mm measurements right.. Thats diameter... diameter... and depth?


So I tool 3.14 x 1st # x 2nd # divided by 4 and got a 1.5 % difference in the 2. Check my post above.

Eta: I just looked at the stones that were linked to. I'd pass on both. Too many inclusions in the table area, I think they will stand right out in office lighting, and the HCA scores are low, so there are some light leakage issues apparently. I'd look for better cut and probably no inclusions in the table area, even if the size has to drop.

original post:
I calculated the % difference between the two areas that you'd calculated.
(larger - smaller)/smaller* 100 = about 4.05%
If I use the largest diameter for each:
6.72 35.4
6.87 37.0
4.5% difference that way.

PS has a rule of thumb for upgrades that if you get 10% larger, it's worthwhile to upgrade. Looking at the largest diameter of these 2, the larger stone is 2.2% larger. I think I could see a difference between (rounding) 6.9 and 6.7mm, but it's not going to be much different. If the H diamond is very close to being an I, rather than close to being a G, then get the bigger one.

Cut is the primary thing. To me, color is next. Clarity is last. I don't mind seeing an inclusion (depending on the inclusion) but I want a lively diamond.

Being able to see tint might be a skill one acquires with practice. I have an H and an I but the I is an antique diamond with blue fluor. Come to think of it, I had a G in my e-ring when I bought the I diamond, and the I still looked perfectly white to me at that time. I never noticed any tint in it at all. But after I started hanging around PS,I atarted learning more, and looking at more diamonds, and now I can see and gauge tints pretty readily. Today, I see tint in that I diamond, but just from the side view. In a princess, I is too yellow and the yellow stands right out. In a 6.3m - 6.5mm RB, it's not an issue for me. Any of G, H or I would be okay for me.

 

[justginger]

If I were a girlfriend, I'd urge my boyfriend to listen to Chrono.

Getting an ideal cut diamond is worth the premium. To get an ideal cut to fit in your budget, drop your standards to eyeclean and J color. That's what THIS girlfriend would want.

 

[dbanner8732]

See nielseel, that's where I think we tend to agree to disagree. I would not consider these 2 "poor" performing stones. Even on the HCA scale it still rates them as overall very good. I think that maybe you have the misconception that I am wanting a perfect diamond. Can't afford it. Very good is right up my alley. I seriously doubt either of these diamonds when and if I buy one and set it in the ring are going to look dull whatsoever.

Very true that I could get a .75 carat.. same price.. better specs. The difference in color and clarity would be so negligible to my untrained eye, that it's worth it to me to maximize carat weight. What's almost funny is that I'm not saying hey check out these L color I3's Fair cut's guys! Look at that bling! I think that I might just need to listen to myself and see what it looks like in person. I'd love to see some of you sit down and check out 3 different diamonds and tell me what they'd be graded without putting it under at least 10x mag. lol.

Also, not saying that 1.2 is a big rock at all. Never once said that. I think that my SO for sure would like to have size over all these specs IF YOU CANNOT hardly even tell the difference. You say I'm "sacrificing" quantity over quality? I don't feel that way at all i.e. previous paragraph. Also, please don't tell me to "leave us out of it" and "stop asking opinions". I appreciate everyone's opinion, and if you do not want to give your further, by all means don't. However, don't speak for the other folks that have taken time out of their day to reply.

TC1987 , so you're saying that I should go with the 1.12 carat one because it isn't a 10 percent jump? Basically I'm asking you is 4.05% worth it. You're saying No from what I understand.

Justginger.. it is graded Ideal cut by the GIA and it is eyeclean. I don't understand what you are implying.

 

[Niel]

What I am saying is not discounting ANY of the advice here. It was all good. And most of it was saying you have better options. And if you notice I was agreeing with you that some people can't tell the difference between good and excellent. But the fact is you are still sacrificing quality for size. Which is FINE because it sounds like you couldn't tell the difference anyways.
And I was telling you to follow your instincts because people here wouldn't choose those stones.
You just seem to me rationalizing them to us, and my point is you don't need US to like them, you and your girlfriend need to.

See all three and see which you like best. My advise is go in blind. Don't know which one is which specs and pick with your eyes.

 

[John P]

Justginger...it is graded Ideal cut by the GIA...

This may be confusing the issue: GIA did not grade the diamond "Ideal". That description comes from the seller, using unknown internal criteria that's not in-line with uniformly acknowledged definitions. By any reasonably strict standard these diamonds are not "Ideal" in cut.

GIA did call this diamond Excellent, which is their top grade for cut. But experienced posters here know that GIA's top cut grade encompasses a wide range of both make differences and light return qualities. Imagine GIA having a single "top" grade for color called "Excellent" that spanned DEFGHIJ. Clearly there are differences, but sellers might try to charge you the same price for a "J" as a "D"... Of course within the trade those differences are known so pricing becomes somewhat adjusted accordingly - as it has been here. You're not being asked to pay an "Ideal" cut price but the discount is because the diamond falls somewhat low in the range of GIA's Excellent cut grade. As has been pointed out, they are somewhere around AGS3 and AGS4. Not bad. But not Ideal.

I appreciate that you're entertaining dialogue and input. In that spirit this link may be helpful in communicating details you may or may not find relevant. As you scan it, the two diamonds you're considering have numbers very close to Example #9 in the article.

https://www.pricescope.com/journal/laboratory_cut_grades_what_report_doesn’t_show

 

[chrono]

Dbanner,
Perhaps you already know this and I misunderstood you but it seems as though you think that colour and clarity is what makes the stone sparkle. If so, then my apologies. I have no issues with lower colour and eye clean stones in order to maximize budget but I would never compromise on cut because sparkle is going to capture the eyes first and foremost.

A GIA Ex grade is not going necessary going to guarantee you a beautiful diamond. Their cut system is proportion based, taking in the diamond's average 2D measurements, comparing them to a chart and assigning a grade. Unfortunately, GIA Ex cuts allow for what are called steep deep angled diamonds that sometimes leaks light which is undesirable (aka less sparkly).
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/consumer-advisory-gia-cut-grade-rounding-problems.39401/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/consumer-advisory-gia-cut-grade-rounding-problems.39401/[/URL]

I highly suggest you view the 2 stones recommended by the vendor together with the one that scores 1.8 on the HCA for yourself. Take a good look at them outside the jewellery store where the lighting is specially placed and of the type to make even the cruddiest diamond spakle. See if you can discern the difference in the sparkle factor between the 3 stones to decide how average or how good you would like the diamond to be. No female has ever complained that her diamond sparkles too much.

Sorry you feel so discouraged. This should be a happy and exciting time for you. What everyone wants for you first and foremost, is to get what you love BUT you need to know your options in order to make an informed decision. This is why you should not make your selection sight unseen.

 

[dbanner8732]

I think you're very right when you said I was trying to "justify" them to you-- mainly because I got to feeling as though I was doing a disservice to my SO if I were to buy one of these 2 stones. That is all. I just kind of felt "wow really?"

 

[satbeachbill]

It may be interesting to know that, based on the measurements provided, AGSL...the lab which branded the term "Ideal" in the diamond mainstream...would give the first diamond AGS3 in performance and the second stone AGS4 in performance. It's the seller's right to label anything they want-to "ideal" (or "humdinger" or "cream puff"). But in the interest of providing context the numbers don't conform to uniformly acknowledged standards for ideal performance.

It also may be interesting to point out how dramatic the differences are between color/clarity versus cut standards: Even trained gemologists have difficulty separating DEF color outside a lab, and find it impossible to divide Flawless, VVS1, VVS2 and VS clarity grades without the aid of magnification. But millions of diamonds in the Round Brilliant cut-category all get classified as "Excellent" even though characteristic differences in basic make are visible to any observer. More importantly, and relevant to your question, quality differences in overall light-return exist among diamonds of the same cut-grade. Those differences can be notably visible to the naked eye, whereas this is not the case when you get to the top color or clarity grades.

DBanner, it's up to you to decide what level of cut quality is important. In your defense, not everyone seeks the pinnacle of cutting which results in critical angles which provide best light return - just as not everyone is married to colorless or eye-clean diamonds.

To your main question: If the appearance of both is similar to you my gut says go for the bigger diamond - unless the smaller one is indeed speaking to you more - in which case I submit that it may be cutting particulars that are indeed making themselves heard.

John,
The OP's diamonds are graded by GIA. You have stated that they would be graded as AGS3 and AGS4 by AGSL. Can you share with us how or where you arrived at what the grading would be by AGS? Is there are chart or website or formula?
There are thousands of diamonds that are graded by GIA as GIA3x that don't provide enough information to make an informed decision as to cut.
The HCA is a tool to weed out the undisirable, but it seems AGSL has the ability to better focus on cut grade for the novice consumer.
It's almost to the point that GIA has such a wide range in 3X that AGSL grading would be far more desirable. Am I understanding this correctly?

 

[dbanner8732]

Mr. Pollard, I really like the link that you send in your reply. That helps as it puts picture comparisons with word and number comparisons. Are they ranked in order? A couple of them actually look better than others if that is the case lol.

 

[dbanner8732]

Ok here is the 1.19 carat one that is a little more expensive.

Thoughts on this one please

http://www.ritani.com/diamonds/round-diamond-1-19-I-color-GIA-certified/D-GMY71Q?search_key=D-GMY71Q

Worth the extra money?????? I know what the answer will be I'm sure

 

[ariel144]

A smaller table is desirable in a diamond as it usually means a higher crown, but the diff. in these two stones is minimal. I say pick the one that is most appealing to your eye if you can view them in person. If not, ask the gemologist on staff which they say is the best performer.
also it is helpful to get the ASET on a stone so you can visually see the leakage in the stone. Will they provide this for your two stones? Other vendors on PS will do this for you. Good Old Gold and Brian Gavin, White Flash and James Allen. You might want to look at these vendors to see what they have as well.

Just for comparison...


Here is a stone that is H & A and in your budget and scores a 2.3 on the HCA tool:

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/J-SI2-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1479411.asp

Well cut J's can face up very white.

Here is an AGS IDEAL cut, CUT is more important than color or clarity. It comes out at 1.5 on the HCA tool:

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-SI2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1483095.asp

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2805421.htm

 

[dbanner8732]

I lied.. that one scores a 2.4 HCA not 1.8. No wonder the ritani lady said it wasnt worth the money in comparison to the other 2.

 

[ariel144]

Ok here is the 1.19 carat one that is a little more expensive.

Thoughts on this one please

http://www.ritani.com/diamonds/round-diamond-1-19-I-color-GIA-certified/D-GMY71Q?search_key=D-GMY71Q

Worth the extra money?????? I know what the answer will be I'm sure

i like this one better it has an HCA of 2.4

 

[chicam]

@dbanner8732, I think you came to the wrong forum. You may as well gather your close friends and her's and ask them which of the two stones you are actually convinced you can't move away from, is better. In PS, cut is king, all other considerations come after that. I believe that is where your frustration is coming from. Almost no one here would buy those stones. They can guide you to others in same price bracket with almost same stats that will definitely perform better. You refuse to accept suggestions except it be based on which size stone would girls prefer.
I honestly think you are at the wrong group and forum. Try a different group. This group will never tire of telling you they think cut wise you could do that. That's what they do. After cut is settled, then they will entertain all other questions. You don't need us.

 

[dbanner8732]

ariell144... I do like the 1.20 carat one. That is in my price range too. However, I don't see how this can be any better than the one that I had picked out. You can still see the inclusions. It is just not magnified at 20x like the one's I posted. Basically the same price as the 1.22 carat one. It's J color. Faint fluoro-- is that a big deal? And what's with the H&A? I really don't get what the difference is?

 

[John P]

John,
The OP's diamonds are graded by GIA. You have stated that they would be graded as AGS3 and AGS4 by AGSL. Can you share with us how or where you arrived at what the grading would be by AGS? Is there are chart or website or formula?

Sure. I use a few different methods. With minimal information I use the lab's cutting guideline charts, issued to manufacturers and polishers. They offer mm range, table and primary angle results only - trusting cutters to produce the necessary level of craftsmanship. While they don't factor-in report-averaging/rounding, deviation from given angles, brillianteering or precision I find they reliably give a best-case result.

I use Octonus DiamCalc for a more meaningful prediction (see model below). Per the above, the program also does not account for some diamond-specific details but it uses more data-points and can provide some projections RE fundamental light return.

The most robust tool is proprietary grading software licensed by the lab. With that I can make a 3D scan of the stone in question and determine the diamond-specific AGS light performance grade. Clearly, final grading and finish must come from the lab.

There are thousands of diamonds that are graded by GIA as GIA3x that don't provide enough information to make an informed decision as to cut. The HCA is a tool to weed out the undisirable, but it seems AGSL has the ability to better focus on cut grade for the novice consumer. It's almost to the point that GIA has such a wide range in 3X that AGSL grading would be far more desirable. Am I understanding this correctly?

Yes and no. And apologies in-advance for the rant...

Yes: The AGSL does have the strictest current system - not in terms of cut precision yet - but in terms of the critical angles necessary to return light.

No: (rant on) Factually, no laboratory subdivides cut-quality components to anywhere near the level that color or clarity are subdivided. Doing this is already possible among cutters and gemologists, but pressure from mass-manufacturers keeps grades wide and details undisclosed. Cut grading remains the most clumsy and non-uniform aspect of diamond assessment. Since 1980 the world’s five major laboratories have rolled-out, revised and re-introduced different cut grading systems more than a dozen times, without any consensus on fundamental approach. The GIA applies two-dimensional measurements to charts created from a collection of sampled human observations. The AGSL uses computer modeling to score brightness, contrast and leakage. Other labs use meaningless reference charts based on distance-from-Tolkowsky. But most significantly, no major laboratory cut assessment currently includes a meaningful judgment of scintillation, which many people consider the most important and attractive component of diamond performance. As a result, laboratory cut grades such as “Excellent” and even “Ideal” remain relatively wide (unarguably wider than color and clarity), spanning a tall range of different visual appearances and quality factors. Diamonds cut to just-reach the minimum border of a given cut grade today will lose value when systems tighten tomorrow. This affects consumers more than professionals, since the trade recognizes details of crafting which move a diamond's value up or down behind industry doors. But those details remain ungraded and undisclosed on USA grading reports - so several diamonds represented as "the same" to a shopper may actually differ to a very wide degree. (rant off)

RE the paragraph above: I'm an admitted advocate for greater cut education and improved disclosure by labs and sellers. Simply put, I get a little bit protective of consumer shoppers in this area, but I also realize this level of dialogue and nano-tech isn't everyone's cup of tea. I answer here since you posed the questions, but as it relates to the thread I'm not trying to force DBanner - or anyone - down a complex path. I usually save this kind of conversation for professionals or folks who ask specific questions, as you have.

RE DiamCalc software (mentioned above): Here are IS and ASET projections based on DBanner's 1.22 data. Remember that this is a computer model which improves the basic numbers to a perfect wire-frame. The actual cut precision, brillianteering, deviations from reported numbers, girdle wave and 3D realities are not reflected here. So these are "best-case" projections.

 

[chrono]

Ok here is the 1.19 carat one that is a little more expensive.
Thoughts on this one please
http://www.ritani.com/diamonds/round-diamond-1-19-I-color-GIA-certified/D-GMY71Q?search_key=D-GMY71Q
Worth the extra money?????? I know what the answer will be I'm sure

I would not pick this one either. I doubt there will be any visual improvement over the other 2 you showed earlier. Not only that, I'm not sure if the location of the inclusion which is smack dab in the middle of the stone will be eye clean. I am doubtful for a stone of this size.

 

[chrono]

Mr. Pollard, I really like the link that you send in your reply. That helps as it puts picture comparisons with word and number comparisons. Are they ranked in order? A couple of them actually look better than others if that is the case lol.

They are not ranked in order. If you read through part D, it lists out that all the stones are GIA Ex, AGS grades them from 0 to 4, HCA scores them anywhere from Good to Excellent.