Which one should I buy?

[zordan]

Hi, I am new here. I now have found 2 options. Which one is a better gift and also a better investment in your view?

Option 1 (price $3100)
EGL
Carat: 1.34
Color: G
Clarity: SI2
Table: 57%
Depth: 60.8%
Crown: 14%
Pavillon: 43%
"8 hearths and 8 arrows"

HCA results
Light Return: Excellent
Fire: Excellent
Scintillation: Excellent
Spread: Very Good
Total Visual Performance: 0.8

Option 2 (price $3500)
GIA
Carat: 1.20
Color: J
Clarity: SI2
Table: 57%
Depth: 60.9%
Crown angle: 33
Pavillon angle: 40.4

HCA results
Light Return: Very Good
Fire: Excellent
Scintillation: Excellent
Spread: Very Good
Total Visual Performance: 1.1

 

[AnneinGA]

Hard to know without photos, Ideal-scope, and H&A viewer. If I had to choose between the two stones with just the info you posted, I would pick the GIA; as the SI2 clarity on an EGL stone scares the heck out of me. You're also not comparing apples to apples using the EGL %'s on the HCA versus the GIA and the degrees. Have you seen these two in person? What is the report on Eye-clean? Not sure if I would call either of these investment stones.

 

[zordan]

Thanks a lot for your reply. All the information I have at this stage is what I have attached. I am only looking at internet retailers. I live in Switzerland but as I am coming to the US for Christmass I wanted to have some preselections to visualise the stones in person when I have a chance.

 

[JulieN]

There is not much info, but from what I can see, they are just too cheap, i.e., too good to be true. I think your budget is more realistic for a 1 ct J SI.

 

[antelope1]

Don't think of diamonds as an investment.

The resale market for non-heirloom diamonds (e.g., smaller than --- oh, say --- 10 cts in some fancy vivid color) sucks. So either buy from a merchant that has a lifetime trade-up policy (to protect your initial cash outlay) or give her a couple shares of GOOG in lieu of a ring.

I'd spend your Christmas trip doing leg work. See a variety of cuts, colors, clarities, and ct weights -- from a few PS merchants (they are all convenient to public transit in NY). I would venture to guess that most of them will have a few quality diamonds in stock in your budget (which is a pretty common price point).

For the two you have above, I would pass. You can't tell if a SI2 is eye clean without looking at it carefully (which you can't do from Switzerland). And I'd pass on EGL certs in general because the lab is variable. What gets a G grade may be an I in another lab.

 

[yssie]

33/40.4 combo in a GIA would scare me w/o an IS or a very thorough inspection by a dark-haired trusted pro wearing black.

But an EGL SI2 in that size scares me too.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Hi, I am new here. I now have found 2 options. Which one is a better gift and also a better investment in your view?

Option 1 (price $3100)
EGL
Carat: 1.34
Color: G
Clarity: SI2
Table: 57%
Depth: 60.8%
Crown: 14%
Pavillon: 43%
"8 hearths and 8 arrows"

HCA results
Light Return: Excellent
Fire: Excellent
Scintillation: Excellent
Spread: Very Good
Total Visual Performance: 0.8

Option 2 (price $3500)
GIA
Carat: 1.20
Color: J
Clarity: SI2
Table: 57%
Depth: 60.9%
Crown angle: 33
Pavillon angle: 40.4

HCA results
Light Return: Very Good
Fire: Excellent
Scintillation: Excellent
Spread: Very Good
Total Visual Performance: 1.1

what's option 3...