Worried about feather & crystal inclusion

[mandyd]

I really like this diamond from an online vendor, and it is great in every other way BUT it is an I1 and I was just told by an appraiser who saw the same picture, that the feathers and crystal can cause a durability issue. I am no expert, so all opinions will be greatly appreciated!

I am going to try and post the GIA as well on the next message (can''t seem to post 2 pics together).

 

[mandyd]

And here is the GIA

 

[Gypsy]

Hmm. I think the inclusion at the edge of the stone, by the girdle in an I like that is cause for concern. I looks like it's a feather right there at the edge. How are you going to set it? If you bezel set it... I *think* I read on here that you might be safe. Maybe not though.

There's a thread about this... about feather's and chipping, cracking... let me see if I can find it. HERE!

It's a pretty stone though. Really pretty.

 

[mandyd]

Thanks for your quick response! I was going to have it set in a halo with pave. As I said, I really,really like it and it is really hard getting a well cut square of that size at a reasonable price but after being told that "short of having a drilled hole, a feather is next worst thing", I am so concerned! I am so clumsy, I am afraid it might just break if I hit my hand against something! Being such a large stone it is going to cost me a fortune to have it sent to an independent appraiser ($300-$400) so now I am wondering if I am making a huge mistake and I should just settle for a smaller size and less controversial stone.

 

[Gypsy]

Okay. I''m no expert. At all.

Just going to weigh in on my thoughts.

Personally I am very clumsy. My setting for my asscher is the equivelent of a mack truck. I am reseting in a halo with my stone paved and I asked my jeweler (who knows my wearing habits) to recommend a shank/ wire style that would let me have a flush fit band. We looked together and came up with a few ideas. He''s an expert. And he knows me.

Point is... it''s very hard to advise you without knowing your habits and knowing more about the stone itself and your desired setting. At a gut level, I say go with a smaller stone with less controversy... but that''s not my best advice.


Here''s my best advice:

You''re buying a 3+ carat diamond. That''s a nice chunk of change. A couple hundred plus or minus? Not gonna break you. Is it REALLY WORTH a couple of hundred bucks savings to NOT get it appraised and looked at by an expert? You''ll always wonder with a smaller stone because you love this one, and you''ll always be afraid if you buy it without an appraiser.

Spend the extra $$. Really. The piece of mind will be worth it.

 

[Capitol Bill]

btiger,

I don''t think you should necessarily kick this one to the curb. Though you''ve provided a very nice photomicrographic image, there''s no way that I (or anybody else) could make a definitive determination about durability just from this image. My advice would be to find an appraiser you can trust, have them examine the stone, then get an expert opinion about durability rather than a guess.

Best of luck!

Bill Scherlag

 

[Richard Sherwood]

Btiger, why would it cost so much to ship the stone to an appraiser? $300-$400 seems a bit pricey. Are you talking one-way shipping, with the dealer paying shipping to the appraiser and you paying for the return shipping, or are you talking about paying for round trip shipping yourself?

To give you an example, I charge my clients $38 for Fedex Priority Overnight shipping and handling, with $3 per thousand insurance. And usually most vendors foot the bill on shipping to the appraiser for a qualified client making a deposit or paying upfront with a right of return period.

I can't imagine you paying more than $100-$125 under that scenario.

Is there an additional factor in your situation that I'm not taking into account?

 

[Richard Sherwood]

That feather is just as likely to be totally benign, by the way, as it is to be threatening. As Bill says, I wouldn't kick it out of the running. That could be a stunning stone at a great price because of the I1 grading. Sometimes those I1's are real sleepers, looking great and costing far less than higher grades.

 

[windowshopper]

Date: 5/15/2006 12:14:06 AM
Author: Richard Sherwood
That feather is just as likely to be totally benign, by the way, as it is to be threatening. As Bill says, I wouldn''t kick it out of the running. That could be a stunning stone at a great price because of the I1 grading. Sometimes those I1''s are real sleepers, looking great and costing far less than higher grades.

seriously..............Ex Ex.............3 carats...................great ratio. I think its worth the money to send to a good appraiser .......this has all the makings of a terrific buy

 

[kenny]

Feather is a pretty word for a crack.

I'd consider a smaller diamonds of better clarity (and durability).

 

[Richard Sherwood]

A partially healed crack, rather. Formed during the stresses of the crystallization process, the "crack" is subsequently repaired to one degree or another by continued crystallization.

The question is how big the feather is, where it is located, how much it was healed and what if any strain exists around it.

Some feathers can be well healed with no strain in a benign area, and only affect the diamond cosmetically to one degree or another. Those diamonds can often be a great buy.

 

[Capitol Bill]

Date: 5/15/2006 10:50:39 AM
Author: Richard Sherwood
A partially healed crack, rather. Formed during the stresses of the crystallization process, the ''crack'' is subsequently repaired to one degree or another by continued crystallization.


The question is how big the feather is, where it is located, how much it was healed and what if any strain exists around it.


Some feathers can be well healed with no strain in a benign area, and only affect the diamond cosmetically to one degree or another. Those diamonds can often be a great buy.

btiger,
Rich has offered up some great information/advice in this thread. You would be well-served to put a lot of weight on what he is saying. Some I1''s can be the cat''s meow.

Bill Scherlag