F or G Color?

[SteveNagacho]

Can anyone help me out on determining if its worth to sacrifice a carat weight to go from G to F? Assuming the diamond is both round brilliant triple excellent VS2, in order to stay within my budget I will have to get my gf a smaller carat weight ring.
Is the upgrade to F worth the tradeoff? I know this may not be noticeable in the naked eye but I have heard mixed opinions. I know this can be preference as well but would like to get everyone's input. The carat trade off will be about .2carats.

Lastly, is it true that within F and G colors are a range and that the 'higher end' places such as De Beers, Tiffany, Cartier etc have better F's and Gs than say Blue Nile or Kay's Jewelers? I find this hard to believe since my assumption is that as long as it is GIA certified it will be the same within that "grade".

Thanks in advance everyone!

 

[lorimiow]

When we looked at ERs at Tiffany, I wasn't able to tell the difference between G and H at all. I just decided that either it's not noticeable to the naked eye, OR I just have really really bad eyes :p

We decided on a G stone and I can't be happier about it. It looks very white to me. I attached a pic of it for your reference (and for my enjoyment, lol!)

And when you said .2 carat trade-off, is it a difference between 1ct and 1.2 ct... or is the stone bigger or smaller? If it's for a stone around 1ct, then the .2 carats will be quite noticeable.

 

[SteveNagacho]

Hi Lomi,
Thank you for the reply. You are right. Your ring looks beautiful. It is a difference of going from 1.2-1.4. If it were up to me, I will definitely go for the better 'spec' / 'color' F but I know my gf prefers her rock to be closer to the 1.5c range so that is why I am considering choosing a G.

Thanks again for the insight.

 

[lorimiow]

Your welcome! Yes, I agree with you! 1.4 will look noticeably bigger than 1.2, and I think G is a great color

 

[slg47]

I would go with your FI's preferences and get the larger G-G is still quite colorless and will not appear tinted.

All of the color grades are a range, and I think you can trust the report. Tiffany does their own grading and may grade slightly higher on color, but I think you are fine with GIA or AGS. You can also ask the vendor about if the stone is a "high G" or "low G" if it is not a drop-shipper, but I doubt you would notice the difference. If you are really worried, you can get the stone sent to you or an independent appraiser and evaluate it while you are still in the return period.

 

[Frenchgirl]

I am sensitive to the color thus for I see a difference enter F and G. I prefer F color.

 

[that_someone_special]

I have two G's and they look colorless to me.

 

[Imdanny]

[quote="SteveNagacho|
Is the upgrade to F worth the tradeoff?[/quote]

IMO, no.

 

[yssie]

From what I've seen, I do think Tiffany's TGL grades colour more severely than GIA/AGS. I believe Cartier sells stones w/ GIA reports..

In that size & colour range I would not sacrifice size for the colourless stone, but I am not you.

 

[MissGotRocks]

Between an F and G colored stone, I would definitely choose the larger one. G is not a color that you hear people complain about - I think she would be very happy with a G!

 

[danners84]

I have an F because it was what we could find in the cut I wanted. Given the opportunity to get .2 cts larger for a G, I'd do it in a heartbeat, and I am color sensitive.

Get the G! Especially since you know it will be her preference. You'll get much more satisfaction knowing she is thrilled with the ring than you will from knowing you got an F over a G colored stone.

 

[IceExplorer]

I went with F because I am color sensitive.
In hind sight, it's rare (if ever) that you'll ever see your diamond unset next to a other diamonds. I'd do G without hesitation now.

I'd recommend going to some B&M's and comparing them both loose and set to see, first hand, if there is much of a difference to you.

Also, if you are looking to add some Carat, you might want to consider changing the VS1 to an eye clean SI1. Again, check it out at the B&M's for a comparison.

Maybe someone better experienced can comment on this:

This might help you:
https://www.pricescope.com/diamond-price-stats-results

1 - 1.49 cts Round Average $/carat
__VS__SI1__
F 9899 8310
G 8017 6946

 

[MichelleCarmen]

I would go for the G. You could get 100 various responsed here on PS, but what it comes down to is what your GF wants, and that is a bigger stone!

 

[Aoife]

I have no comment on the technical aspects of choosing one color over the other, but from a relationship viewpoint, which is more important:

Every time you look at the e-ring you think "Wow, I love the color (assuming you could even notice the difference in colors once it's set)."

0r

Every time your fiancee/wife looks at the e-ring, she thinks "Wow, I wish it were bigger, especially since I told Steve that carat size was important to me."


Just something to think about!

 

[LALove]

I personally am not very color sensitive at all- I'd go down to an I or J to go up up up in size! But if you're looking for opinions on F vs G, I can say that I have an eternity band with F and G color diamonds and I can't tell which is which- they all look colorless to me. If she prefers a larger carat weight over having an F color stone, I'd get what she wants.

 

[MarkBroumand]

The Color "C" is extremely personal. Have you and your GF gone out and looked at different stones side by side in order to determine her sensibility? I believe a G can stand on its own beautifully, therefore if she's looking for a bigger look ~ it should be a happy trade-off.

 

[antelope1]

Get her what she wants -- a bigger diamond. If you have to go to a G (or eye-clean SI1 is an other option), then so be it. Just don't sacrifice the cut quality because that will show much more readily than a drop in color (in that color range).

 

[D&T]

Get her what she wants -- a bigger diamond. If you have to go to a G (or eye-clean SI1 is an other option), then so be it. Just don't sacrifice the cut quality because that will show.

I agree here, cut and diamond size is what you notice first, if it's not cut right, then it will definitely show.

 

[lovemybling]

I have had both a G and an F. Both are "white" I went down to a G when I upgraded to my 2 carat. I think what the others have said about her wanting a bigger stone being more important.

Have you gone to a B&m and seen stone of different colors IRL? You may be lucky and find that the lower color still appear white to you and be able to drop even lower on the color scale than you think. I know there is a link of a video somewhere that shows the colors of stones next to each other very well. I may give you an idea of how color sensatvie you are. I have seen several stones that are J and I and are in halo, antique style settting and are just Stunning.

Good Luck

 

[frankiextah]

i had an F stone on my engagement ring and upgraded with a G stone - i DO see the tiniest difference when viewing through the pavilion, but only if i put my E colored studs next to the G color stone. Otherwise, it's truly icy white to me. and i'm the pickiest person you will ever know

 

[IceExplorer]

This is a great thread!

Everyone has an opinion on size vs. color/clarity.

It really comes down to what you are comfortable compromising on.

If you don't want to compromise, I'd suggest this:


http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/D-IF-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1247971.asp?b=16&a=12&c=77&cid=131

Size AND quality, all packaged nicely over millions of years!!!

The other great thing is, James Allen has a 30 day inspection period incase you don't want it.

I'm particularly impressed with the 10,000.00+ in pricescope member discount!!!

LOL
(sorry, couldn't resist!!!)