Which rock to select based on criteria?

[slipz]

Hello, I''m new to this but I''ve been spending a lot of time doing research here. Which of the below would you choose and why?

It seems that you can''t go wrong with anything from these two vendors which is why this is so difficult. My lady is kind of small 105lbs, 5 feet 1 and a size 5 (i think) finger so perhaps the 1.5 variety would be better? I do know she prefers shiny over size though. I am thinking of going with a classic platinum setting if that makes a difference. However she also told me once that she wouldn''t want an ERing that looks common (i.e. Tiffany setting) so this is not going to be an easy task!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! I would like to have an idea of what I''m looking for before heading out to GOG since my schedule is really hard to permit many trips during their business hours.

All H&A/ACA

1.71 EVS2 from GOG
1.7 GVS2 from GOG
1.72 HVS1 from GOG
1.7 HVS1 from WF
1.562 GVS2 from WF
1.55 GVVS1 from GOG
1.52 FVS2 from GOG
1.50 FVS1 from GOG


Thanks again.

 

[honey22]

Sorry slipz! This thread seems to have been missed. I will BUMP for you, and then check out some of those stones, hopefully you are still around.

We don''t usually neglect our newbies like this - sorry and welcome to Pricescope !

 

[honey22]

Firstly, i had a quick look at the stones from WF as I am more familiar with there website. The stones you picked are ACAs - top cuts, gorgeous stones, you absolutely can't go wrong. I have one - it's STUNNING, with a capital S!!

There seems to be quite a bit of variation in the prices you posted, what is your main criteria? Colour? Size?

I am assuming you want the diamond to be eyeclean, so you would need to check with the SI1 clarities on a stone by stone basis, most are eyeclean, but some are not. WF will tell you honestly (you can trust them!) if a stone is eyeclean, and at what distance, viewing conditions etc. Oops I am a dope, you havn't got any there, but you can save some serious $$$ by finding an eyeclean SI1, especially in rocks that size.

You certainly don't need to go to VVS clarity, VS is going to be totally eyeclean, so I say why pay for something you can't see. That said, I do prefer to stay in the VS range for an ering stone, but that's just little ole OCD me!

E and F colour are going to look icy white, which I adore the look of. G and H are still going to face up very white, so I guess you need to decide if you and your lady and going to colour sensitive and want the icy whiteness of D-F, or if you can drop down to the G, H and still have a super white looking stone?

Hope this helps, maybe if we can narrow down your price range, and the max size stone you want, we can help you find a truly awesome stone.

Hope you are still out there? But even if you have been to GOG, you certainly will get some great advice and service, and I am sure a killer diamond! Good luck!!!

ETA we can also help you find a really nice setting, that will be classic, and totally not 'like everyone else has' too!!

 

[gwendolyn]

Ok, when she said she didn''t want a classic Tiffany-style setting, did she tell you what she DID want? Small diamonds on the band (pave)? Sidestones? A more modern, sleek setting?

Oh, and that 1.52ct F VS2 is like my DREAM stone (except that I''d want some flouro too). 1.3 on the HCA, beautiful colour, ideal cut, perfect size--love it! The 1.562ct G VS2 looks good to me too--1.6 on the HCA with ex/ex/ex/vg--that would be gorgeous too and would save you a bit of cash since it''s a G and not an F. I''m not sure I personally would go much bigger than a 1.5 on a size 5 finger, and it sounds like you might be leaning that way too...?

 

[WinkHPD]

Just a comment.

If you will narrow down your search to two or at most three stones you will get more responses. Your list is too long and will require too much work for someone to analyze, especially when you don''t really state what your criteria are.

My guess is you will see some excellent stones during your visit and at the very least you will come away from your visit with a greater feel for what YOU want.

Wink

 

[arjunajane]

Okay...big question. Wink is right, alot of stones to tackle. I will comment on the GOG stones as this is where I am more familiar.

Rule out:
1.72 H VS1
1.7 G Vs2
1.52 F Vs2

disclaimer : this is just my opinion based on a quick look and a combination of factors, which I''m being too lazy to describe! I could very well be wrong, but imho we can get you better.

For further consider:
1.55 G vvs1
1.71 E vs2
but my fave from your list is the 1.5 F vs1. - looks purdy

again, just imho.

of course, the WF ones also look nice, but I just find GOG''s easier to judge with my limited experience

I will have a look on GOG if there are any better options in the 1.7 range.

If you don''t mind can you post your preferred specs (ie colour, clarity, size) and price range so we can narrow down for you?

 

[slipz]

Thank you everyone for responding! I have narrowed it down to the 1.71 EVS2 and 1.52 FVS2 based on further scrutiny and your comments.
(Leaning more on the 1.52 since I''m not sure the extra cost for the 1.71 + 1x color grade is worth it?)
Also is the extra cost for the 1.50 VS1 as opposed to the 1.52 VS2 worth it? Is it solely due to the clarity upgrade?
I understand that you get what you pay for but to me as long as my future (i hope) mother-in-law cannot see the inclusions with her naked eagle eyes I am happy.

Ouch I just realized that tax is going to hurt from GOG

but being that it is semi-local to me it is easier should any complications arise.

To answer some of the questions I received:

Price range: Budget is around 25.000
Setting: After viewing some with pave, multi and halos. I still prefer the solitaire look to retain the focus on the centerpiece. The solitaire from Leon Mege seems to look classic but yet unique to me - is it a commonly seen setting?
Preferred specs: H&A, E-G, 1.5-1.7, VS2

Thanks again for your wonderful comments and feedback.

 

[honey22]

Hope this link works. It's a chart of diamond sizes and you can see a 1.5ct next to a 1.75ct which will give you an idea of the difference between the two stones you are looking at. Personally I don't think I would pay the extra $5K for an 0.5mm increase, but many would!

I think you would probably be better off spending that $5K on the taxes, and then having it shipped to Leon for a stunning solitaire setting. I am not sure how much they are but I would hazard a guess at the $2K mark? I really have no idea, but there are many here that own them and could chime in.

It's really up to you, they are both gorgeous stones, if you can easily drop the $$$ on the bigger one without selling a kidney, and you think your GF would appreciate the bigger one, then go for it! Us ladies rarely complain about their stones being too big. And, they do have a funny habit of shrinking.

Sorry, this post has basically been useless to you I guess. Check out the chart and see what you think. Both stones are gorgeous though! Well done!

ETA - If the VS2 is totally eyeclean, then I don't think it's worth spending the extra money to go up in clairity as you just can't see it anyway? Why pay for it?




https://www.pricescope.com/idealbb/files/diamonds_.02_7.0.gif

 

[arjunajane]

Slipz,
I will try to answer your questions as best I can seeing as I''m still learning too.
basically, the crown and pav angles on the 1.52 F VS2 are *just* slightly out of what Jon at GOG calls the "GIA/AGS Zenith". This means stones that are as close to perfect cut as you can get at the moment, as graded by both these well respected labs.
Then again, it is by no means a "dog" and may well be worth further consideration - my gut is there is a big price drop for a reason? But I can''t tell you why - it won''t be just the clarity I don''t think.

BTW, with anything in vs clarity, no matter if your m.i.l *IS* actually an Eagle, she will Not be able to see any inclusions, not even with a loupe. If you want to make your money go further, I would also consider eye clean SI1''s, and trust me nobody will be any the wiser (but you will be able to save $$$$).

The 1.5 F VS1 will be a honey, has all the right numbers and has a triple Very High on light return. But you''re right, the price is a lil higher - like you said, we get what we pay for..

I ruled out the 1.7 G VS2 as, to me, the arrows don''t look quite aligned perfectly, and it is just a *tiny* bit deeper than desired. Also the light return is not as high. But these are all only minimal differences.

The 1.71 E Vs2 also looks nice, but does have a slightly larger table -I''m not sure if this would mean less fire or not, you would need to check with Jon.

To be honest, you couldn''t go wrong with the 1.5 F. But I understand completely not wanting to sink the extra money into the VS1 grade or F colour. My personal sweet spot is H/I Si1 as i don''t believe in paying for what I can''t see.

For these reasons, I suggest:
1. Call and ask Jon if he has anything else in his supplies that meet your criteria - very often he can access stones that aren''t on the site yet.
2. Once you have narrowed it down to 2 or 3 choices, if you can''t visit in person, than request Jon film one of his famous videos for you. He will line up your choices under different lighting conditions to show how they perform, and also explain to you the subtle differences in cut and how it will affect appearance.

Good luck, hope you find your ideal rock!

ps. I will say again that I am still a novice at this and if anybody sees fit to correct any of my assertions, please do so!

 

[arjunajane]

The plain Leon solitaire will run you about $1600 at the moment - very reasonable imho. Right choice if you like it, definately go that way.