Find your diamond
Find your jewelry
shape
carat
color
clarity

Whiter stone

I like them all. I think the 2.56 H VS1 is the most quality option. After that, the 3ct stone. After that, the 2.8.

Just my opinion.
 
“The 2.563ct and 2.817ct diamonds are identical in color to the naked eye, and solid middle of the road H color diamonds. The 3.024ct is slightly whiter in body color, and would be considered closer to a G color compared to the other two.

Both SI1 diamonds are eye clean from 10 inches, but depending on your vision, angle of view, and lighting…it may be possible to see an inclusion in the crown facets from approximately 5-6 inches.”

My lovely consultant would recommend the 2.5 or 3 for me. We’re waiting for the comparison video!
 
I will just add that I mentally couldn't handle the leakage in the center of the 3 ct stone. I have had a less than perfect stone before and liked it, but it just had a small spot of leakage and not full circle. I'd rather have the 2.5 H VS1 that's more perfectly cut. It's very mind clean as well as having all other boxes checked (other than size, for you).
 
ac117 said:
The 2.56 H VS1 fits your initial bill of a little bigger and a smidge whiter. I like the 3.02 that Simone suggested but that puts you over $34k if you're unhappy with it...only you know whether that's acceptable or not.

The additional money is a slippery slope...this one is just a bit more than the 3.02 but where does it end? https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4193182.htm
Click to expand...

That one is not completely eye clean, ac117. I’ve already asked lol.
 
TweetyBird23 said:
That one is not completely eye clean, ac117. I’ve already asked lol.
Click to expand...

Ah gotcha - it sounds like the SI1's you're considering aren't either. The 2.56 still seems like the best bet. It still comes down to what you're willing to sacrifice on.
 
Color and cut uncertainty leaves you feeling like you are with a gaslighting boyfriend. Is it me? Is it the lighting? Am I supposed to see my skin underneath? With size, you know where you stand!
 
BC4A4E22-56D4-4615-BA6A-50E22101F2E6.jpegDB170006-244A-4FFB-9868-75AB167C66E5.jpeg

The 3 carat looks like it eats the 2.5 for breakfast:


For folks comparing them, remember the 3 carat is an Expert Selection stone is not an ACA and displays a bit of light leakage.
 
Last edited:
What are your thoughts?
 
Obviously the 3 carat H is glorious but it’s way more expensive and it’s not an ACA which I think would leave me with doubts. I love having an ACA and knowing it’s cut just right.

What do you think?
 
TweetyBird23 said:
Obviously the 3 carat H is glorious but it’s way more expensive and it’s not an ACA which I think would leave me with doubts. I love having an ACA and knowing it’s cut just right.

What do you think?
Click to expand...

I won’t be the one wearing it:) you really have to prioritize for yourself. People will have different preferences, some will want the ACA, others won’t. If tomorrow one of them is sold, would you care? Budget is also a consideration.
 
I’m going to sleep on it. The 3 carat is big and white but the 2.5 is the most mind clean. Don’t know why the 2.8 H SI1 - which is a great size - gets no love.
 
Call me crazy, ok, it might fit lol but I am actually loving the stone @SimoneDi found! 3 carats is amazing plus not sure the leakage will be an issue in real life considering all the specs? I’m no expert so I can’t truly answer that. It’s beautiful and if I were shopping for a substantial stone I’d personally would want to see this one in person. But in the end would you be able to get over the fact it’s not an ACA considering the cost of it, yk? GL!! All beautiful stones.

SimoneDi said:
The 2.56 H VS1 seems to be a more beautiful stone, but it is smaller. Otherwise, it seems to be priced lower than an H/VS2, so it provides a good value. The 2.8 seems to me to have some graining (the lines that you pointed) but I don’t see that in the report, so it could also be a cloud reflection. Bottom line is that I think that you will eventually want to upgrade again and get to a 2.8-2.9 H VS, so what will make you happier in the meantime? I would ask WF once life is back to semi-normal if they can take a simple video for you with the two stones on someone’s hand, see where your eyes go and go with that stone. Good luck.

ETA: I am throwing in one more suggestion. I know that some will discriminate against this stone, but it might be what will satisfy your wants - it’s an H, it’s large and seems close to budget and irl there might be little to no difference in performance - https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4193660.htm
Click to expand...
 
diamondsR4eVR said:
Call me crazy, ok, it might fit lol but I am actually loving the stone @SimoneDi found! 3 carats is amazing plus not sure the leakage will be an issue in real life considering all the specs? I’m no expert so I can’t truly answer that. It’s beautiful and if I were shopping for a substantial stone I’d personally would want to see this one in person. GL!!
Click to expand...

It is very pretty! And white! But it's a trillion dollars. And has an HCA score of 2.5. I'm just not sold on a $35k stone that isn't quite perfection.
 
Last edited:
I personally am not a fan of the 3 carat stone. I would prefer the quality of the 2.56 stone for both appearance and color. However, as others have said, it will be your diamond and you will have to be the one happy with it. Quality over size matters to me and after having owned four ACA stones, I wouldn't give up that brand. Not everyone would agree with that and that's perfectly fine too. We are all just giving opinions - in the final stretch, yours is the only one that matters!
 
TweetyBird23 said:
It is very pretty! And white! But it's a trillion dollars. And has an HCA score of 2.5. I'm just not sold on a $35k stone that isn't quite perfection.
Click to expand...

I agree and that makes perfect sense. I don’t know what your current stone was priced at but since it’s substantial in size I figured it was also “up there.”
 
I also want to add that I have ACA studs that I adore and a triple X ER. Although my ER is not branded it really does hold its own against my ACA earrings. I guess what I am saying is, if you also want size and up the color perhaps look at other stones as well so you can get both? Just a thought. Don’t rush the process unless you are under a return policy or something. If you will trade up again if you go down in size then definitely go with 2.56. It’s beautiful. They all are.
 
diamondsR4eVR said:
I also want to add that I have ACA studs that I adore and a triple X ER. Although my ER is not branded it really does hold its own against my ACA earrings. I guess what I am saying is, if you also want size and up the color perhaps look at other stones as well so you can get both? Just a thought. Don’t rush the process unless you are under a return policy or something. If you will trade up again if you go down in size then definitely go with 2.56. It’s beautiful. They all are.
Click to expand...

I have ACA studs too! I had G VS2s and traded them in for bigger I/J's. I'm not in a rush. The 2.56 is lovely.. very mind clean tho not sure if I only love it on paper. I did gravitate towards the larger sizes in the videos. I could get the 2.56 and then upgrade to a 2.8-2.9 H ACA later. Still don't know why I don't consider that 2.8 H SI1 because it is larger and the same price as the 2.5 H.
 
I think we were all comparing the 2.56 to the 2.82 - not necessarily considering the 2.8 on its own merit. It is, after all, an ACA stone. I also think we were thinking that one color grade higher wasn’t going to satisfy your color preference.
However, I think you are drawn more to size than anything. By all means ask WF to compare its color to an H for an honest opinion on the I. While I think the 2.56 is a great diamond, I don’t know if you will be satisfied going that far down in size. Even though your I-J studs are smaller, how do you feel about their color?
 
TweetyBird23 said:
I’ve inquired about the ES 3.024 H SI1 before when comparing 5 stones and it was one of the ones recommended although WF they said there is light leakage around the table that impacts the crispness of the diamond. Is it a make or break tho?
Click to expand...
Two comments I wanna make about the 3.02 ct.

#1- IMO is a bit deep at 62.7% so you are losing diameter.

#2- At 3.02ct you are paying an extra premium for a stone that's barely over 3ct. If I were to paid a premium for a 3ct stone I'd be looking for something in the 3.10 - 3.25ct range.
 
MissGotRocks said:
I think we were all comparing the 2.56 to the 2.82 - not necessarily considering the 2.8 on its own merit. It is, after all, an ACA stone. I also think we were thinking that one color grade higher wasn’t going to satisfy your color preference.
However, I think you are drawn more to size than anything. By all means ask WF to compare its color to an H for an honest opinion on the I. While I think the 2.56 is a great diamond, I don’t know if you will be satisfied going that far down in size. Even though your I-J studs are smaller, how do you feel about their color?
Click to expand...

Which I color stone are you referring to, MGR? My 1.6 ctw I SI2 (great deal)/J VS2 studs are fine and not as scrutinized on my ears but I prefer the G color. I am actually looking at replacing the J with a G/SI1 of the same size. Your killer carat studs inspired me haha!
 
Last edited:
I agree. I’d rather come in at 2.9 or go much larger as well.
 
TweetyBird23 said:
Which I color stone are you referring to, MGR? My 1.6 ctw I SI2 (great deal)/J VS2 studs are fine and not as scrutinized on my ears but I prefer the G color. I am actually looking at replacing the J with a G/SI1 of the same size. Your killer carat studs inspired me haha!
Click to expand...

I understand but it makes the choice all the more difficult. I was thinking that size was trumping color but now . . . I dunno!!
 
I’m not sure you’ll see much leakage with the stone, but I think the fact that it’s not ACA will bother you. I know you’re looking at H stones, but I really think you shouldn’t eliminate I stones. There are a couple that look about the same color as the H color one you’re interested in for around the same price.

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4135238.htm

This stone looks very white to me. It’s very close to 3 carats, and it’s ACA.

Diamond | 2.968 ct I VS2 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond AGS Certified | 4140155

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 2.968 carat I color VS2 clarity loose diamond is graded by the American Gem Society (AGS) Laboratories. | 4140155
www.whiteflash.com

This stone looks a bit more tinted to me, but maybe it’s just how it was photographed. It’s also close to 3 carats, and it’s ACA.
 
My impression is that color and size are VERY important to you. With that in mind, I would not recommend that you choose a 2.5 ct stone. At the same time, the 3ct ES would probably be temporary stone for you. Unless you absolutely cannot stand the J, my suggestion would be to wait for that 2.9 H eye-clean SI ACA.
 
Is the light leakage the light ring around the center? Then I definitely noticed it on the videos with the 3 carat stone. But I’m really NO expert. I just can relate to your dilemma. I wouldn’t spend more than you’re comfortable with. In the end it’s a stone and maybe consider a three stone with the smaller 2.5 carat stone or another setting which would play up its size? Or order a 8.5mm cuz and see if you could live with that size.
 
You know I am wondering from the latest posts if you may have nothing to lose (or at least not too much) if you give the I a shot. If you are truly color sensitive the H will be a bigger improvement and brighter, but you are likely still going to see some tint. I saw it in my G even though it was brighter. So IMO I think you need to figure out if you want completely mind clean color and clarity or want to prioritize size. And if you are comfortable upping the budget if not.

This is only my experience... I honestly went through this, which is how I ended up at 2.26 I VS2. I did want a VS thinking about the passing it down aspect. I wanted something comfortably over the 2ct mark since I have had a stone chip in the past that needed polishing. I figured if I could notice tint below E, I might as well max out the lowest color I could live with, which brought me to I. It was between that or an H SI-1 and I didn't want to give up the VS. A smaller stone would not have met our goals and to get an H VS2 would have been more money. When I thought about the fact that I was still talking about a color that was mid-range, it didn't make sense for us to spend more. Once in a while I think about it, look at stones, and land up right where I started at my stone which I love. This is probably where budget comes in, though. If I could have met my goals with an H VS2 within the same budget, I may have gone for it. Oh, I and I did not want clouds as any of my inclusions-also narrowed the lot, ha. I guess long story short, it's always going to be a balancing of preferences where there is a budget, whether real or imposed.

I will say my SIL has the whitest dang J I have ever seen which prompted me to try J earrings. (Your J looks white to me in photos, too!) That said, even at a half carat each, I could not do the Js and traded them back immediately. One was actually not too bad, the other the tint was very obvious on my skin tone. My mom has smaller Js which look amazing on her, though. I think it may be worth at least asking for photos of the I and the H together to see where they are in their range.

And lastly, fwiw, the 3ct looks a lot whiter to me. I'm not sure the cut will be mind-clean for you, though. Ugh. They are all gorgeous stones, though. It's hard to go wrong. I do always say that my I compensates for any lack of brightness with the color of its fire.;) But then, every once in a while it bothers me. I mostly love it, though. I'm sad when I think of having any different stone.
 
TweetyBird23 said:
I’m going to sleep on it. The 3 carat is big and white but the 2.5 is the most mind clean. Don’t know why the 2.8 H SI1 - which is a great size - gets no love.
Click to expand...

I like the 2.8 H! Is it eyeclean??? I can't keep track of which ones aren't. It's light return images are great!
 
Last edited:
Thanks for your feedback, everyone. The ES 3 carat H SI1 is out so it's a matter of the 2.5 H VS1 or 2.8 H SI1.

Hi @diamondseeker2006, re. the 2.8 H SI1, WF said:

“The 2.563ct and 2.817ct diamonds are identical in color to the naked eye, and solid middle of the road H color diamonds. The 3.024ct is slightly whiter in body color, and would be considered closer to a G color compared to the other two.

Both SI1 diamonds are eye clean from 10 inches, but depending on your vision, angle of view, and lighting…it may be possible to see an inclusion in the crown facets from approximately 5-6 inches.”
 
TweetyBird23 said:
Thanks for your feedback, everyone. The ES 3 carat H SI1 is out so it's a matter of the 2.5 H VS1 or 2.8 H SI1.

Hi @diamondseeker2006, re. the 2.8 H SI1, WF said:

“The 2.563ct and 2.817ct diamonds are identical in color to the naked eye, and solid middle of the road H color diamonds. The 3.024ct is slightly whiter in body color, and would be considered closer to a G color compared to the other two.

Both SI1 diamonds are eye clean from 10 inches, but depending on your vision, angle of view, and lighting…it may be possible to see an inclusion in the crown facets from approximately 5-6 inches.”
Click to expand...

Have you ever had a stone where you could see an inclusion? If so, did it bother you? In wonder if it would be something you couldn’t “unsee” — kind of like the tint.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
GET 3 FREE HCA RESULTS JOIN THE FORUM. ASK FOR HELP
Jewelry Blog
PriceScope-Concierge-Ad
Find prime cuts.
Top