Whiteflash ACA, ES, other??

[Mackenzie]

Please excuse me if this is a dumb question, as I am relatively new to the world of diamonds! I notice on the WF website they have a few choices of round diamonds in terms of cut. They have their ACA and ES options, and then they have an "other diamonds" option. I do not see any sort of cut grade under my search results when I search for "other diamonds". Does anyone know what grade these diamonds get for cut? Super Ideal, Ideal, Very Good, etc...

Thank you!

 

[Skippy123]

ACA is the best cut they have; they also are in house. The ES are in house too and are usually a good value missing the ACA mark. The others they need to bring in and take pics, do an is image, sarin, etc.

Welcome to Pricescope!!

 

[Mackenzie]

Thanks, Skippy! Does this mean that until WF brings the stone in and sees it for themselves, they can not grade the cut? Also, does anyone know how accurate the WF Star Rating is? What standards do they use to rate these stones 1-5 stars?

 

[Dreamer_D]

I can''t answer your question for you, but is there a reason why you want to look at the "other diamonds" rather than looking though the ACA and ES stones? Those stones were already cut to exacting standards, or hand selected by the experts, so some of the hard work has already been done for you. You are unlikely to find a better stone for a better deal in the "other diamonds" section without a heck of a lot of work.

If you are just curious to know the answers, then hopefully someone can tell you!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

The primary reason to buy from WF is that they cut top quality stones. Those will be under ACA and Expert Selection and are in house. I wouldn''t consider the other.

 

[Mackenzie]

So in your opinion, it would be hard to find a beautiful stone unless it was an ACA or ES?

 

[diamondseeker2006]

No, there are many beautiful AGS0 and GIA excellent stones. But I''d look at WF ACA and Expert Selection and if they didn''t have what I wanted, I''d look at Good Old Gold because they carry top quality cuts in-house, too. These two vendors pre-screen their stones and have pictures, idealcopes, etc. so that you know what you are getting.

 

[Mackenzie]

Ok.. well then I will start there. I was just wondering if the "other stones" were even worth looking at. I see so many amazing rings on this site and I am not sure if most of them are ACA or ES...or if there is just a big mixture out there!

Thanks a lot for your help

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 5/6/2008 10:02:43 PM
Author:Mackenzie
Please excuse me if this is a dumb question, as I am relatively new to the world of diamonds! I notice on the WF website they have a few choices of round diamonds in terms of cut. They have their ACA and ES options, and then they have an ''other diamonds'' option. I do not see any sort of cut grade under my search results when I search for ''other diamonds''. Does anyone know what grade these diamonds get for cut? Super Ideal, Ideal, Very Good, etc...

Thank you!

These may be virtual diamonds which are owned by the suppliers rather than the vendors, so they can be an unknown quantity, as the info available can be limited. If you are interested in one of these diamonds, then the vendor would have to call it in for evaluation, to see if it meets their standards. It is likely that these diamonds may have a variety of cut qualities, so if you want a true superideal, it may be best to concentrate on in house diamonds, where the cut info is readily available for you.

 

[chrono]

Date: 5/6/2008 11:15:07 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
No, there are many beautiful AGS0 and GIA excellent stones. But I''d look at WF ACA and Expert Selection and if they didn''t have what I wanted, I''d look at Good Old Gold because they carry top quality cuts in-house, too. These two vendors pre-screen their stones and have pictures, idealcopes, etc. so that you know what you are getting.

Ditto. GOG also carries handpicked drop dead gorgeous diamonds. JamesAllen, EngagementRingsDirect and WinkJones can also help you find beauties.

 

[isabel]

Date: 5/6/2008 10:02:43 PM
Author:Mackenzie
Please excuse me if this is a dumb question, as I am relatively new to the world of diamonds! I notice on the WF website they have a few choices of round diamonds in terms of cut. They have their ACA and ES options, and then they have an ''other diamonds'' option. I do not see any sort of cut grade under my search results when I search for ''other diamonds''. Does anyone know what grade these diamonds get for cut? Super Ideal, Ideal, Very Good, etc...

Thank you!

Hello Mackenzie,

We just purchased a 2.39ct from WF and found it in the "Other stones" category...and it''s AWESOME. BUT.....That was after a TON of work searching for the perfect dimensions, etc. It took a long time, but it was really worth it. Now, it did require sifting through a lot of stones that we didn''t have a lot of info on. It''s funny because the person we worked with seemed a little skeptical about the stone and it''s price until they got it in house...then he was raving about it. You''d have to pick out a few and have someone from Whiteflash look at the certificates...that''s where he/she will tell you if it''s ideal cut, very good, etc. If you decide to bring in a stone to get pics and an idealscope taken, WF will get it from the vendor at no cost to you. If WF analyzes it and recommends that stone to you and you don''t purchase it, they charge you the shipping it costs to send it back to the vendor. It just depends on how much time you want to spend looking and how comfortable you feel with you own diamond knowledge. The ACA diamonds I believe are cut at their own lab, and have very specific requirements....and they are beautiful! So, ACAs are pretty much always awesome, but you can also find a killer stone from the "other diamonds" with some work. Hope this helps.

 

[Ellen]

Usually people only have stones brought in to WF when they can't find what they want in their inventory. Many times it's in the 1.75+ range, which no one has an abundance of. And this actually goes for any vendor.

 

[Mackenzie]

Hi Isabel!

Your response was exactly what I was hoping to hear I am definetly in the market for a beautiful diamond, but also want to get a decent size (around 2+ ct) without completely breaking the bank. This is why I asked about the "other" diamonds, as they are priced lower. So it thrills me to know that it is possible to find a nice non ACA or ES stone that is still a good one! I love the WF Tiffany replica and would like to get my setting and center stone from the same vendor. The engagement won''t be happening anytime in the near future, so hopefully this will even better my chances of taking my time to find the perfect diamond! Is the best way to start my search to call WF and tell them what I''m looking for or should I wait to contact them until I see something I''m interested in on their website? I know most people say it''s best to get set up with a sales rep so that you have that constant relationship and they get a better idea of what you would like.

 

[tberube]

Excuse me if I'm sounding obtuse...but wouldn't PRICE be the main reason to go looking into the "other" category? I'm assuming that the ACAs and ESs are much higher up on the price scale, per carat.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 5/7/2008 8:27:26 AM
Author: Mackenzie
Hi Isabel!

Your response was exactly what I was hoping to hear I am definetly in the market for a beautiful diamond, but also want to get a decent size (around 2+ ct) without completely breaking the bank. This is why I asked about the ''other'' diamonds, as they are priced lower. So it thrills me to know that it is possible to find a nice non ACA or ES stone that is still a good one! I love the WF Tiffany replica and would like to get my setting and center stone from the same vendor. The engagement won''t be happening anytime in the near future, so hopefully this will even better my chances of taking my time to find the perfect diamond! Is the best way to start my search to call WF and tell them what I''m looking for or should I wait to contact them until I see something I''m interested in on their website? I know most people say it''s best to get set up with a sales rep so that you have that constant relationship and they get a better idea of what you would like.

Of course it is, the vendors such as WF will hunt for you, call a stone in if it seems suitable, then evaluate it for you to see if it is a suitable purchase. So I would personally contact WF and give them the heads up on what you are looking for.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 5/7/2008 8:29:15 AM
Author: tberube
Excuse me if I'm sounding obtuse...but wouldn't PRICE be the main reason to go looking into the 'other' category? I'm assuming that the ACAs and ESs are much higher up on the price scale, per carat.

From what I've seen, no, not usually. Most people are looking for a superior cut, and those fall in the ACA and ES selections. The "other" stones more often are not as well cut (and that is why they're cheaper), but that's certainly not always the rule. Ease plays a part too, some don't want to sift through all the potentials, trying to find a great stone.

 

[butterfly 17]

I am in the process of upgrading and could not find what I wanted in WF's ACA or ES selection. I currently have an ACA that I would be trading in and I really wanted to trade for an ACA as well.

I asked WF, Brian specifically, when and what was going on with that and he told me that the larger diamond sizes are hard to come by and there was a shortage of supply. He could not guarantee me when they would be getting any new ACA's in the 2.5 to 2.75 carat range, but he had just come from Antwerp in March and told me that he had none at that time.

So, I did a search in the other diamonds category and found a couple that seemed promising. I had WF get the certificates from the vendors and email them to me.

I picked which one of them I liked best and the one they recommended as well, had them bring the stone in for reviewing and for their opinions on the stone. I specifically wanted at least an H, and it had to fall within AGS 0 and GIA EX's and it had to score around 1- 1.2 on the HCA. I happened to find one in the size I wanted as well.

Oh, and it had to fall within my limited budget.

It just so happened that the same day I decided to have the stone brought in, I found a brand new ACA diamond on their website, that had very similar specs. to the diamond I had chosen.

They then asked me if I wanted to just forget about the other diamond, since I really wanted an ACA and I told them no, since the diamond was already on it's way in, I may as well have them compare the two.

Well, it also happened that the stone I picked increased in value the same day it came from the vendor, by $2000. So, the ACA was actually going to cost less than the H that I picked. And actually, if I went with the original prices of the two stones before the increased price, the ACA was still coming out to $300 less than the H.

After taking comparison shots, etc. I decided to go with the diamond from the outside vendor.

WF was so good because even though the stone was more money now, they still gave it to me for the original price I found it at.

I noticed that right after I chose the H, the ACA I was interested in was no longer available, but yesterday, I was looking on WF and noticed that it came back again.

So, yes, you can find what you want, it just takes a time and patience to find the right stone. And no, price would not be the only reason to go into the "other diamond" category, but it may be the reason if you can't find what you want otherwise.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 5/7/2008 8:27:26 AM
Author: Mackenzie
Hi Isabel!

Your response was exactly what I was hoping to hear I am definetly in the market for a beautiful diamond, but also want to get a decent size (around 2+ ct) without completely breaking the bank. This is why I asked about the ''other'' diamonds, as they are priced lower. So it thrills me to know that it is possible to find a nice non ACA or ES stone that is still a good one! I love the WF Tiffany replica and would like to get my setting and center stone from the same vendor. The engagement won''t be happening anytime in the near future, so hopefully this will even better my chances of taking my time to find the perfect diamond! Is the best way to start my search to call WF and tell them what I''m looking for or should I wait to contact them until I see something I''m interested in on their website? I know most people say it''s best to get set up with a sales rep so that you have that constant relationship and they get a better idea of what you would like.

As others have said, those sizes can be hard to find. Call the vendor and have them help you out, just tell them your budget, size/color/cut quality preference they will be able to help you find something in your parameter *if* it is available. You may want to try calling GOG as well and see if they can help you too. Any vendor can access virtual diamonds, but WF and GOG will have different stones in house and one or the other may have exactly what you are looking for!

Good luck!

 

[Mackenzie]

You all are so helpful...I do not know what I would do without this site! I feel a big sense of relief after hearing some more of your responses regarding the "other stones".

As helpful as this site is, I have to constantly remind myself that a big portion of the people on here are SERIOUS diamond addicts and will only take the best of the best. The average person probably doesn''t even know what an ACA or ES diamond is! This doesn''t make any of their opinions wrong, but it''s easy to start thinking that something other than the BEST is no good--which I have now learned is not the true. Thanks again everyone!

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 5/7/2008 12:58:19 PM
Author: Mackenzie
You all are so helpful...I do not know what I would do without this site! I feel a big sense of relief after hearing some more of your responses regarding the 'other stones'.

As helpful as this site is, I have to constantly remind myself that a big portion of the people on here are SERIOUS diamond addicts and will only take the best of the best. The average person probably doesn't even know what an ACA or ES diamond is! This doesn't make any of their opinions wrong, but it's easy to start thinking that something other than the BEST is no good--which I have now learned is not the true. Thanks again everyone!

EXACTLY!!! Not everyone is looking for a super louper mega cut diamond, sometimes just a well cut diamond with good proportions is a great choice. Here I think we need to try to find out exactly what each poster is looking for, and try to steer them in the right direction. Even though that diamond may not be our particular choice, we need to be mindful that it isn't our preference that counts.

I wish you tons of luck in finding a gorgeous stone!!

 

[Mackenzie]

I feel SOO much better now! Thanks for the reassurance Lorelei!

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 5/7/2008 3:52:59 PM
Author: Mackenzie
I feel SOO much better now! Thanks for the reassurance Lorelei!

I am very glad to help! I own a non superideal myself, and it still takes my breath away with it''s beauty and I get compliments all the time. Even though the numbers are outside of the range of the very tight numbers often used here, it is a very beautiful diamond, so it is good to remember that not everyone is looking for the same thing and that beauty can''t always be judged on paper and numbers. I like to be able to help people know there are other options out there, and sometimes just a nice make of diamond rather than a superideal can be well worth considering.

 

[Mackenzie]

This information will make my boyfriend very happy! Now he can support his salt water fish tank addiction AND buy me a pretty ring

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 5/7/2008 4:29:09 PM
Author: Mackenzie
This information will make my boyfriend very happy! Now he can support his salt water fish tank addiction AND buy me a pretty ring

Heehee!!

WF will advise you every step of the way, you will be in excellent hands!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Just wanted to add that you need to call them once you are ready to buy. If they call a stone in for you, they would expect payment within a couple of days if you like it. There''s no point in them seeing what is in the supplier inventory now if you are not ready to buy for 3 months. Good luck!