Which is the better buy? Urgent!!

[Akasma]

Hey Everyone,

I had issues with the shank on my original e-ring as well as the service at our B&M store. We got a refund and now I''m going to buy my diamond and setting from Union Diamonds. I''m deciding between two round brilliant select ideal cuts. Here are the stats -

Diamond 1:
Shape: Round
Cut: Select Ideal™
Carat: 0.65
Color: H
Clarity: VS2
Price: $1810
Measurements: 5.6-5.54-3.48
Depth Percentage: 62.5 %
Table Percentage: 56 %
Girdle: -STK
Culet: None (Pointed)
Polish: Excellent
Symmetry: Excellent
Fluorescence: None (Inert)

Diamond 2:

Shape: Round
Cut: Select Ideal™
Carat: 0.80
Color: I
Clarity: VS2
Price: $1862
Measurements: 6-5.95-3.67
Depth Percentage: 61.4 %
Table Percentage: 55 %
Girdle: STK-
Culet: None (Pointed)
Polish: Excellent
Symmetry: Excellent
Fluorescence: None (Inert)

Diamond 1 is certified by GIA, Diamond 2 is certified by EGL. I don''t really know what EGL is like. I like the bigger size Diamond 2), but am unsure of the certification. Can I trust them? Or should I go with the smaller GIA (one I know) certification?

Thanks so much for your input!

 

[angeline]

Can you get crown and pavilion angles as well? That would help a lot in determining which one on paper looks the best.

a

 

[neatfreak]

If it''s EGL Usa you are safer than if it is one of the others. But take their cert. with a grain of salt and have it appraised by an independent appraiser prior to purchase. EGL is known for being soft sometimes, so you need to either be paying a much lower price as a result, OR you need to get it appraised to make sure you are getting what you pay for.

 

[Regular Guy]

Hi Akasma,

I''m sorry if I haven''t read carefully. You''re pre-purchase right now right? I think both are missing, as has been pointed out, any information that tell you how well cut they are. Why are these attractive...price alone?

Have you read the tutorial?

Sorry,

 

[Akasma]

Hi there,

To answer the questions, I have not bought either of the two yet, the diamonds are from Union diamonds and both are classed as Select Ideal, which is their best cut available. I have read the tutorial. They are attractive to me for both cut, size and value. I do not have the crown and pavilion angles for diamond one, but diamond two (0.80ct) is as follows:

Proportions

Total depth : 61.4%
Table width : 55%
Crown height : 14%
Pavilion depth : 43%

Hope that helps give you a better idea, please let me know what you think. The certificate just says EGL, nothing about it being in the US. Should I not trust their grading?

Thank you so much for your help!

 

[Regular Guy]

Date: 7/31/2007 10:43:00 PM
Author: Akasma
Hi there,

To answer the questions, I have not bought either of the two yet, the diamonds are from Union diamonds and both are classed as Select Ideal, which is their best cut available. I have read the tutorial. They are attractive to me for both cut, size and value. I do not have the crown and pavilion angles for diamond one, but diamond two (0.80ct) is as follows:

Proportions

Total depth : 61.4%
Table width : 55%
Crown height : 14%
Pavilion depth : 43%

Hope that helps give you a better idea, please let me know what you think. The certificate just says EGL, nothing about it being in the US. Should I not trust their grading?

Thank you so much for your help!

Akasma,

I personally could not depend on the sorting judgements made by the best of internet vendors. In this particular case, your option 1 marked select ideal, based on depth alone, falls out of the Class IA charts here. With respect to EGL...there are several certifying agencies known as EGL. The one called "EGL USA" maintains more credibility for its standards for grading, than other EGL certificates. If you don't know, you don't know.

I tried to go to Union diamond, but was frustrated after doing a search, and being thrown out of the search I'd done after pulling one diamond up. Is there something attractive about them.

The pricing for these options is attractive. However, I say, you're paying enough that you should mine the info available to you in Pricescope to do a more finely grained search. For example...even GIA thinks so now...such that they provide cut grading info on their certificates. You should want to know what GIA thinks of a diamond you're buying, beyond what the vendor thinks. That info could be available to you, probably, if you ask. Union makes you ask for the cert, at least in this case. Maybe you're getting a sharp deal there...but the modest premium you'd pay going with a vendor that more reliably provides you things like reflector images...at least upon request...is a value that would serve you, I think...

Unless, if you're near to Union, and can see these...that may be another story. Just don't trust their classifications. No vendor sorting by class seems to be reliable, really.

Regards,