Which diamond should I pick?

[cavsfan3]

I am getting a halo style ring with a round center diamond. Here is a list of possible choices and I was wondering what the experts thought would be best. All are within a similar price range.

I am not 100% sure what all of the categories mean, but I know it is shape - size - color - clarity - cut - all are GIA - Price and then some of the rest are fluorescence, polish, symmetry, measurements, but I am not sure what all those mean or how important they are

1.) RD 0.70 F SI2 VG GIA $2,620 60.7 64.0 MB G VG 5.68 x 5.72 x 3.46

2.) RD 0.68 E VS2 G GIA $2,683 63.1 67.0 N G G 5.48 x 5.61 x 3.5

3.) RD 0.70 E SI2 VG GIA $2,867 64.2 57.0 N VG VG 5.56 x 5.62 x 3.59

4.) RD 0.72 G SI2 EX GIA $2,726 61.6 58.0 MB EX EX 5.73 x 5.77 x 3.54

5.) RD 0.65 D SI1 EX GIA $2,891 62.5 58.0 N EX EX 5.52 x 5.56 x 3.46

6.) RD 0.70 H SI2 EX GIA $2,681 62.1 56.0 N EX EX 5.67 x 5.7 x 3.53

I thought #2 would be a good option, but I am unsure how much the 'Good' cut rating matters on that size of diamond. As far as the size they are all pretty similar so I am not too concerned about that.

Please let me know what you think my best decision would be fore these options.

Thanks!!!

 

[darkadam]

Would probably need more info like crown angles, pavilion angles etc to properly help you. But from the limited information provided, the mostly advice would be to not compromise the cut. Try to select only stones with excellent cut. Anyway, is there a typo or is the table really 67 on stone 2 ? O_O

f you could provide us with your budget and requirements we could help you keep a look out for stones suitable for you.

If I was really limited to that list, probably either stone 4 or 6 assuming both are eye clean.

 

[cavsfan3]

Thank you for the advice. I am not really sure what that 67.0 is, but that is what my table is showing. What exactly does that mean?

I am trying to stay within a $2500 to $2900 for the diamond. I looked at the first four listed above and they all looked very clean. When I compared the #2 with some of the other ones right next to eachother, the head looked slightly smaller to the eye and I attribute that to the "Good" cut.

I liked the fact that #2 was a VS instead of an SI2, but if an SI2 is clean to the human eye, I guess that doesn't really matter and I should focus more on the cut.

I really appreciate any advice on this as this is my first time looking at diamonds. I am not limited to these as I believe I have access to look at any from this website from my jeweler (I don't know if I am allowed to say the website name on here or not). He just gave me a listing of some within my price range and a lot were color 'I' which I think I want to stay away from.

 

[hawk25]

I would almost never recommend a stone with a very good cut, and certainly not a good cut. Very good isn't very good at all. You need to stick with GIA Excellent cut or AGS ideal cut grades only. There isn't enough information provided for you to make an informed choice, it'll be as if you're buying blind.

Are you able to get the GIA report numbers for stones 3, 4 and 5? Can you get the pavilion/crown angles? Are you firm about staying with this vendor, or are you open to another vendor?

EDIT: Just read your last post about seeing stones 1-4.

 

[Niel]

Is there a reason you haven't explored i-j colored stones?

 

[cavsfan3]

I feel like I should stay with this jeweler because he has been the most helpful of all the jewelers I have been to. They have a way to get the setting that I want, so all I need to do now is pick the diamond.

He has the GIA report for the first four and I am not sure if I can get a copy from him or not. He will not be back again until next week. He has not seen the diamonds in person, but it kind of concerns me that he said the #2 stone was the best deal for me and that was the one with a "Good" cut. Everything I have read I have heard to only trust GIA, but I see a lot of people are saying no to trust GIA for the cut.

I do have a large listing of I stones, but I figured I would stay away from those because they are borderline colorless. Is this not the case and can I get an I stone that looks the same to the human eye as some of the higher grades?

 

[Niel]

you can get an I-J color stone and i do believe, at the size you would be looking at (.7-.8 for a stone with ideal specs) you wouldnt much notice any color difference. Ive read here, though cannot remember wear, that color is more apparent in larger stones, so a smaller I would look less colorless than a 2 ct I. However, regardless of size, an for most people in the world is just fine... I would go so far as to say a J would be fine too. Now that color grade throws some people off, but you are at an advantage if you choose to stay with this local jeweler that you can have one pulled in and examine it first to see how you like the color. My only warning though is to not let him place it upside down on a piece of white paper to show you "how colored it is"... you dont ever look at your diamond upside down, and when is it ever on stark white paper??

but see, with your budget, an I-J stone with ideal specs is obtainable. And if your jeweler cannot deliver that, id go elsewhere regardless of how helpful he is. There are many only vendor with RIDICULOUSLY helpful sales reps, and will get you the best stone for your money
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.70-carat-i-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-177865 (hearts and arrows and amazing clarity)
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.80-carat-j-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-216646 (size and still faces up very white!)

keep in mind my stone is a .84 and a K, and it wasnt even a high K it was a low K, and this is how it looks. And an I-J stone is one to two grades higher

 

[hawk25]

Everything I have read I have heard to only trust GIA, but I see a lot of people are saying no to trust GIA for the cut.

I do have a large listing of I stones, but I figured I would stay away from those because they are borderline colorless. Is this not the case and can I get an I stone that looks the same to the human eye as some of the higher grades?

GIA is certainly very reputable, but its reputation unfortunately makes consumers disregard AGS, which has been proven to be just as reliable. GIA Excellent grade for cut is quite broad compared to an AGS ideal cut grade, and there are better and worse stones graded the same Ex by GIA. The HCA can help weed out bad performing GIA Ex cut stones.

As for I colored stones, its important to realize that just because its not near the top of the color scale, doesn't mean it's not as beautiful as a D color. When you compare stones in their face down position, the differences between color grades are quite small. So in the face up position (how people will see the diamond in the setting), it's very minute. You do have to draw the line somewhere (I/J is around my personal limit), but even K colored stones can appear white face up (like in Niel's ring). Ideal cut stones help hide color, so if you compare a GIA Excellent K and a GIA Very Good K, you won't notice the color in the Excellent stone as much. So when your jeweler shows you stones, and if for example he shows you a 'good' cut J and it appears yellow, don't discount them until you see an excellent/ideal cut stone J.

I find it curious why your jeweler said the 'good' cut stone was a good deal. For comparison, I bought a 0.65 H VS2 for $2500 a little while ago, but it was a super ideal cut WF ACA.

 

[cavsfan3]

Thanks. My jeweler is all about GIA diamonds, so my guess is that he has the mindset that it sounds like GIA has on cut. It seems like GIA is very strict on Color and Clarity but can be a little lenient on cut and that might be what my jeweler is thinking when he suggests the Good cut diamond because the color and clarity are so great on it.

That sounds like a really good deal on the .68 that you got. I guess the .65 D SI1 Excellent cut is a couple hundred more, but pretty comparable in price. I heard diamond prices are increasing now so that could be the cause of a slight difference.

Based on what everyone says, it sounds like I need to go after one of the Excellent cut diamonds. As far as Clarity, do you think SI2 is good to get on my kind of budget. Like I said I looked at some of the diamonds and did not notice anything with my eye and most of the inclusions that were noted in the reported were around the edges which may be able to be covered by the prongs.

I am very new to this and all of your advice is very helpful.

 

[Niel]

Cut is most important. So you're right stick with ex and enter the numbers into the HCA tool to make sure you get one under 2.


As far ask clarity, rarely have I seen a truly eye clean si2. And personally, shell be looking st that stone for years, so you want it to truly be eye clean.

Don't be so fast to discount an I. Even if you aren't comfortable with a j (which you shouldn't knock unless you've seen one at the size your buying), an I at that size will be white. And that way you can afford a nice size, cut AND clarity.

Just don't get so hung up on color. You can get a D IF stone, and it still be ugly if the cut isn't great.

 

[hawk25]

Thanks. My jeweler is all about GIA diamonds, so my guess is that he has the mindset that it sounds like GIA has on cut. It seems like GIA is very strict on Color and Clarity but can be a little lenient on cut and that might be what my jeweler is thinking when he suggests the Good cut diamond because the color and clarity are so great on it.

Based on what everyone says, it sounds like I need to go after one of the Excellent cut diamonds. As far as Clarity, do you think SI2 is good to get on my kind of budget. Like I said I looked at some of the diamonds and did not notice anything with my eye and most of the inclusions that were noted in the reported were around the edges which may be able to be covered by the prongs.

Since cut is by far the most important, if I were a jeweler I would be suggesting the other way around. What's the point of having a flawless colourless dead stone?

I have nowhere near the amount of experience looking at diamonds IRL like other PSers have, but FWIW I haven't seen a completely eye clean SI2 either. I actually changed my original e-ring diamond (SI1) for another, since there was a slightly visible inclusion from 6 inches away. At first I justified it by saying no one would ever stare at the stone from 6 inches and see it, let alone a slight inclusion. But she'll be wearing the diamond for the rest of her life, and she'll see it sooner or later. I suggest asking the jeweler to point out the inclusions, then look at whether you can see it, and whether it bugs you. I think its a fair test since she'll eventually find it if its visible, and its very hard to 'un-see' something once you find it.

I'm sure completely eye clean SI2's are out there, they are just harder to find.

 

[cavsfan3]

I guess the reason I have always thought color was most important is because since I am getting a halo style, I do not want the diamonds in the halo to look whiter than the center diamond. That is why I was worried about going with an H or I, but I dont know if that is necessarily the case.

Is Fluorescence something I should factor my decision on? I noticed some of my choices are MB, None, or F. I would think None is ideal, does anybody know if what MB and F actually mean and how much it matters?

 

[Niel]

Medium fluorescence isnt going to be an issue. Strong blue can, at time, create a negative effect for a stone, making it look oily and milky, but that happens in, i believe, in about 1% of strong fluor diamonds.

In medium, it almost never happens, but a good SA thats reviewing the stones can tell you if it has a negative effect or not. Personally I think its cool to haev strong fluor, and it helps a stone look whiter, if the fluor is blue.

I wouldnt worry about it when searching for the stone, just if you decide on one that does have it, just double check that it doesnt have any ill effects....

Melee in a halo is going to have a different look that the stone you put in it, even a D isnt going to look exactly like the melee next to it, they are so small that they just give off brilliance, and have a different look to them. At that size, an H-I should be fine in a halo.