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Worth it? IGI 2.04 M Color I1

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mnlluxe

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jul 19, 2020
Messages
7
B345CFD6-D869-4F81-A969-65AA49D31D2C.jpeg7445E554-D4C3-45F4-8812-2534A7A3A6FB.png
Hi everyone,

I’m seeking a bit of advice since I read on WB that this is the place to go to. I’m looking for an e-ring and found this loose stone at about 2000 usd

I want the biggest stone possible for my budget and I’m willing to compromise on clarity, polish, symmetry for a bigger stone.

In the photo, it looks yellow but in the video screenshot it does not. I dont mind a faint yellow, but I’m not sure if the photo and the lighting just brought it out extra but if it will look closer to the video, I wouldn’t mind the yellow tint at all because I barely notice it.



That said, I’m not sure how it will look in person (i’m buying online) but the price is too good so I would love to hear your thoughts.

Thank you in advance. 25CD9F77-092C-4917-BF73-2F419673744F.jpeg
 
Which one is the video screenshot? I'm afraid it doesnt look nice in either of the photos to me. Can you post a link to the video where you
think it looks better?

Edit...put the stone on hold before you post a link to it.
 
FreeDiam said:
the stone looks dead..
Click to expand...

Hi, thanks for the reply.

Is it possible to have a “dead” stone even if the polish has been considered “very good” on the report?

Serious and honest question because in the video it did sparkle (not captured in the potato quality screenshot unfortunately..) and did not appear completely flat.

Also, I am not familiar with diamonds at all so obviously I do not have a trained eye and don’t know how to account for the difference in photo appearance and real life appearance..

5AAE1497-4F21-4964-8ACF-67FDB7AF95C0.jpeg
 
I’m also not understanding where this video is. Looks like stone has a lot of other things going on other than color.
 
What does it say under clarity charateristics?
 
It is the "cut" that makes a stone sparkle and not be dead. This stone looks dead, dead to me. I think there is something else going
on too. It looks foggy. Not sure if that is due to the cut or something else. Please pass on this stone...IMO its a disaster!

Edit...I think @flyingpig is on to something most likely.
 
Sorry I did not realize that the video did not upload with the photos.

Since I can’t upload it here, I uploaded it to wetransfer here: https://we.tl/t-VDagCpH4ue

Here is another photo, screencapped from another video:


A78CAF5E-3E14-4AC5-A02D-F612101F4550.jpeg
 
To put it kindly and not intending snark at all, it is very unattractive.

What is your stone budget?

It is far better to have a smaller stone that performs than a lump on your finger that does nothing. Honestly, I would get an opaque rose cut pear over that. At least it's a style of stone- this is just bad all around.
 
elizat said:
To put it kindly and not intending snark at all, it is very unattractive.

What is your stone budget?

It is far better to have a smaller stone that performs than a lump on your finger that does nothing. Honestly, I would get an opaque rose cut pear over that. At least it's a style of stone- this is just bad all around.
Click to expand...

Trying to stay within 2000-4000 for just the loose stone. I have a few good options in the 3000-4000 range already but they are below 1 ct. Came across this one at 2200 and I was hoping maybe I found a diamond in the rough LOL! Guess not. :)
 
mnlluxe said:
Clarity, it is I1 according to the IGI report.
Click to expand...

What I wanted know was the clarity characteristics (noted on the diagram), not the clarity grade which is I1 and that I am aware. The diamond looks cloudy and hazy to me.

In regards to light return, it is average.
 
flyingpig said:
What I wanted know was the clarity characteristics (noted on the diagram), not the clarity grade which is I1 and that I am aware. The diamond looks cloudy and hazy to me.

In regards to light return, it is average.
Click to expand...

Sorry, I didn’t realize there was a difference :) Definitely learning a lot here.

That I think is what caught my eye. I thought it was okay-ish with that as well. Wish I could have see it in person under different lighting conditions!
 
This forum has many diamond connoisseurs and experts who will generally advise that cut is king, and you should look for a smaller, well cut diamond within your budget with the intention to upgrade later if you want something larger. I think that’s generally excellent advice and you’ve gotten a lot of great feedback on this thread already.

That being said, you say that size is most important to you and you will comprise on everything else. If you liked what you saw on the video, you can always inquire about the return policy and give it a look in person. You won’t find a PS-quality diamond of this size, or probably even half this size, for anywhere near your budget.
 
I think a more realistic price for a good quality diamond that you'd likely be happy with in real life would be about $4,000 for a diamond of up to about 1-1/3 carat. That's as a starting point, purchasing a new diamond with from a well known and trusted vendor.

As others have said, I really doubt you'd be happy with a poor quality stone for long regardless of its size. However, there ARE several good ways to get more bang for your buck on size and still get something nice. Here are a few ideas:

- You can get a larger stone if you go down some on color (maybe even to J or K) and clarity (but I wouldn't go below SI1 or SI2 according to GIA- the other grading labs are not always as strict on grading as GIA and some shouldn't be trusted at all).

Brown diamonds are maybe up to 1/3 cheaper, if you'd be happy with that but keep in mind people may not realize it's a diamond at all.

You can also get a bit bigger stone if you go for a shape that is not as in style, for example, marquise. That could shave off maybe even up to 25% or so from the price as well.

Marquise also looks the largest on the hand of all the shapes, maybe 1/3 larger than a round. That's the wow factor people see, after all, not the carat weight.

You can also look around for second hand stones. But as with all else, be careful who you trust. (Asking here before buying is great good sense).

And then there are other alternatives as well, such as saving up longer, as you mentioned. Or going for a less expensive gem than a diamond, or a diamond substitute, at least for the time being.

Good luck!
 
Last edited:
IGI isn’t a very reputable lab and it looks very dull, cloudy and tinted with visible inclusions. My guess it will look like frozen dirty spit IRL. I would keep looking. Fancy shapes, including pears, can’t really be chosen by “numbers”. You really need pics, videos and ideally advances images to truly get an idea of how it will perform and even then you still need to see them IRL, so I’d recommend only purchasing from a retailer with a good return policy. A quick search showed the largest pear you can get that is graded by a reputable lab is around 1-1.25ct range. GL
 
If you really want a bigger stone, you will need to increase your budget as your current budget will not cover a nice looking 2ct+ stone. This stone is described as "pear brilliant." I just see a pear. There is no brilliance.
 
I would pass on it. I’m so sorry to say the diamond looks dead. It doesn’t have even a decent cut. I would keep looking. Stick with GIA or AGS certified stones...I’m sure if you wait you will find a much prettier diamond for your money. Good luck!
 
mnlluxe said:
B345CFD6-D869-4F81-A969-65AA49D31D2C.jpeg7445E554-D4C3-45F4-8812-2534A7A3A6FB.png
Hi everyone,

I’m seeking a bit of advice since I read on WB that this is the place to go to. I’m looking for an e-ring and found this loose stone at about 2000 usd

I want the biggest stone possible for my budget and I’m willing to compromise on clarity, polish, symmetry for a bigger stone.

In the photo, it looks yellow but in the video screenshot it does not. I dont mind a faint yellow, but I’m not sure if the photo and the lighting just brought it out extra but if it will look closer to the video, I wouldn’t mind the yellow tint at all because I barely notice it.



That said, I’m not sure how it will look in person (i’m buying online) but the price is too good so I would love to hear your thoughts.

Thank you in advance. 25CD9F77-092C-4917-BF73-2F419673744F.jpeg
Click to expand...

Please please don’t buy this, it’s really quite bad. I know you want a diamond, but if you’re set on big and sparkly, would you consider a well cut moissanite? That’s the only way you’ll get something similar to a diamond-like look and anywhere near the size you’re looking for in that price range. Or, can you buy a small diamond from somewhere reputable that has a great trade-in policy (like Whiteflash)? That way as you save up you can upgrade your stone!
 
I would echo the great advice you got above about purchasing pre-loved or possibly non-diamond but would like to throw this your way as well. You may not even be interested in this shape but I thought this was a great bang for buck look. This is a very pretty large look for a lower price because it is a cluster but doesn't look like a cluster - it looks like larger single stone due to the setting. If this is something you would be interested in you can reach out to Jewels by Grace and ask what they can do within your budget - they are a well known and trusted seller.

www.jewelsbygrace.com

Emerald Cut Diamond Mosaic Bezel Solitaire

A fresh release from our
www.jewelsbygrace.com www.jewelsbygrace.com
 
I also did a quick ebay search and came up with this - I have been happy with my ebay purchases but know they are not for everyone. To my eye this looks much better than the stone you asked about although the tint does look more yellow than I would expect for an H color. This was the largest I could find at the top of your budget. You could ask for a video if you were interested and in my personal experience if something is misrepresented on ebay they side with the consumer even if the seller says they don't accept returns.

www.ebay.com

2.10 Carat 14K Gold Diamond Engagement Ring Cent=1.60 Carats H-SI1 Value=$19K+ | eBay

5.30 GRAMS OF 14K WHITE GOLD.
www.ebay.com
 
oodlesofpoodles said:
I also did a quick ebay search and came up with this - I have been happy with my ebay purchases but know they are not for everyone. To my eye this looks much better than the stone you asked about although the tint does look more yellow than I would expect for an H color. This was the largest I could find at the top of your budget. You could ask for a video if you were interested and in my personal experience if something is misrepresented on ebay they side with the consumer even if the seller says they don't accept returns.

www.ebay.com

2.10 Carat 14K Gold Diamond Engagement Ring Cent=1.60 Carats H-SI1 Value=$19K+ | eBay

5.30 GRAMS OF 14K WHITE GOLD.
www.ebay.com
Click to expand...

If that's an H color, I'm 25 years old. Reading the fine print it says graded by a GIA gemologist, not a reputable lab like GIA or AGS. I dont recommend ebay unless you really know what you're doing.

@mnlluxe

Sorry, that diamond is ghastly. I would get a small affordable well cut diamond. If you have to have a big stone, get a moissanite or a lab diamond. But you are not going to find a large natural diamond that actually looks good for $2000.
 
Dead on arrival
 
I would definitely pass on this stone too op . The color, the clarity, the lank of sparkle & the cloudiness all combine to make a bad looking stone.

@seaurchin love the pearl in your avatar! Do you have a thread about it?
 
I am the first to jump on an included/low colour bargain but this stone isn't nice... Keep looking. If size mattered I'd rather buy a salt and pepper, 'galaxy' diamond with more character.
 
Nooo :confused2: you're compromising on too much just for size.

I can see the inclusions and it's so dark and lifeless. I don't think anyone will look at that and think wow what a nice diamond. Likely not even yourself once you have it on your finger.
 
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