Ready to make my next big purchase 1.4 Carat+ Round

[joepark89]

Hello everyone,

I am now officially ready to make a purchase if the diamond is right.

I know it will take a couple weeks to get it in the setting I desire as well.

I'm looking for a 1.4 carat+ Round Brilliant. Looking at G color (could consider H) and VS2 or greater (could consider SI1 with the help of the experts in this community)

My budget is $12K. Could sway a little more if needed.

Any thoughts on this? Will take recommendations as well. I want it to be as shiny as possible.

Thank you all.

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3738240.htm

 

[joepark89]

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3774789.htm?source=pricescope

This one as well. Thank you all

 

[seekingshiny]

Hey, both are ACA diamonds with ideal cutting, so they are both great performers. ASETs look very similar, and looking at the dimensions between the two, they are pretty similar as well, 7.30x7.33x4.52 mm in comparison to 7.28x7.34x4.5 mm. Both are notated to be eye-clean, but because the two are so similar otherwise, between the two, I'd go for the VS2 - just to make sure that there's no transparency issues.

If the person that you're shopping for is not color sensitive, would you consider dropping to an I? That might allow you to get slightly bigger, although when I was looking at WF's inventory for you a quick glance shows not too much of a difference - there's a 1.7 I SI, but you'd have to inquire whether it's eyeclean, and it would be going up to 7.5 mm (so 0.2 mm difference).

 

[Dancing Fire]

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3774789.htm?source=pricescope

This one as well. Thank you all

I love the proportions...

 

[joepark89]

Definitely. I don't think I would be a "mind-clean" for me..

I'm interested to see what whiteflash says about it being classified as Platinum Selection instead of ACA/Expert Selection.

 

[bmfang]

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3774789.htm?source=pricescope

This one as well. Thank you all

I love the proportions...

The Premium Select VS2 looks like a better buy for me, even though it isn't an ACA or Expert selection stone.

 

[ac117]

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3774789.htm?source=pricescope

This one as well. Thank you all

I was nervous about this one when you first posted but couldn't confirm my speculations because the certificate wasn't up. To me, the diamond doesn't look as crisp/it's slightly hazy to me....it now looks like the certificate is up and the clarity of this diamond is partly based on clouds not shown so I would personally pass. I think you could do better.

 

[joepark89]

Thank you very much. This is very helpful. I was also waiting for the certificate.

What do you think about the 1.466?

 

[joepark89]

WF presented me this option as well.

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3774791.htm

Truthfully, I don't know how I feel about it with my non-expert eyes but the certificate with the inclusion plot makes me nervous, because there is so much going on.

According to WF, It’s totally eye-clean, including from 6” and from the side.

Any input would be appreciated. Thank you

 

[ac117]

I personally would only care about it being eye clean, which WF has already confirmed. But I understand it might be scary looking at the clarity plot....that is more of a "mind clean" issue. If you're not comfortable with this one you should either drop size a touch or hold out for a cleaner SI1.

 

[bmfang]

Looking at the magnified video, you can just barely see the clouds as the stone spins around (half of the time in the video, your eyes are distracted from any clouds to the scintillation and fire that comes forth). But on the face up picture, I'm having a hard time picking out where they are. I can imagine that once you see the stone at its actual size, the inclusions on the plot will be very hard to see unless you go looking for them with a loupe. Totally understand the "mind-clean" issue you face.

As ac117's mentioned, other options are to sit tight or continue searching for a cleaner stone in the SI1 clarity range or drop weight a bit and increase clarity within your budget.

 

[joepark89]

That makes total sense. Man, don't know what I'd do without this forum.

Do you guys consider this one below a pretty clean SI1?

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3738240.htm

And thoughts on this one?

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3765683.htm

Another thing here is I'm unsure of how much of a difference there is between G and H, I'm sure this is relative since there's so much variation. I just know she loves the icey look, but I'm trying to find best bang for buck.

 

[ac117]

H VS2 looks beautiful! The 1.466 looks to have a crystal that is reflecting but that doesn't mean it wouldn't be eye clean. I think you should ask WF to pull these two stones and the 1.463 recommended by them and tell you what they see. Which one is the whitest, brightest and most eye clean stone. They have excellent customer service and buying a super ideal stone comes with the perk of them having all stones in house with the ability to evaluate them individually. These pictures and videos are all under 10x magnification, which is not realistic of day-to-day wear.

 

[joepark89]

H VS2 looks beautiful! The 1.466 looks to have a crystal that is reflecting but that doesn't mean it wouldn't be eye clean. I think you should ask WF to pull these two stones and the 1.463 recommended by them and tell you what they see. Which one is the whitest, brightest and most eye clean stone. They have excellent customer service and buying a super ideal stone comes with the perk of them having all stones in house with the ability to evaluate them individually. These pictures and videos are all under 10x magnification, which is not realistic of day-to-day wear.

Awesome, I will do this. Thank you

 

[joepark89]

H VS2 looks beautiful! The 1.466 looks to have a crystal that is reflecting but that doesn't mean it wouldn't be eye clean. I think you should ask WF to pull these two stones and the 1.463 recommended by them and tell you what they see. Which one is the whitest, brightest and most eye clean stone. They have excellent customer service and buying a super ideal stone comes with the perk of them having all stones in house with the ability to evaluate them individually. These pictures and videos are all under 10x magnification, which is not realistic of day-to-day wear.

This is what they gave me.

I'm heavily leaning towards the 1.466 G/SI-1

They say it's eye-clean.

 

[bmfang]

H VS2 looks beautiful! The 1.466 looks to have a crystal that is reflecting but that doesn't mean it wouldn't be eye clean. I think you should ask WF to pull these two stones and the 1.463 recommended by them and tell you what they see. Which one is the whitest, brightest and most eye clean stone. They have excellent customer service and buying a super ideal stone comes with the perk of them having all stones in house with the ability to evaluate them individually. These pictures and videos are all under 10x magnification, which is not realistic of day-to-day wear.

This is what they gave me.

I'm heavily leaning towards the 1.466 G/SI-1

They say it's eye-clean.

All three definitely eye clean. Depending on how fancy you want to get with the setting (ie whether you want halo or a ring with side stones or pave on the shanks), the 1.361 H VS2 and the 1.463 H SI1 are my picks. The 1.466 G SI1 doesn't get my vote (on a technicality) due to the images which seem to indicate that the inclusions in there do block some light where as the Idealscope & ASET images for the H SI1 look virtually clean. The colour variations are so minute based on the 3rd image [i can only see the barest shift in colour between the G and H coloured stones] and you're only talking about a 0.003ct difference in weight and a maximum 0.05mm difference in visual spread.

If colour is the main game, then by all means go for the G SI1.

But all three stones are pretty. Very pretty.

 

[ac117]

H VS2 looks beautiful! The 1.466 looks to have a crystal that is reflecting but that doesn't mean it wouldn't be eye clean. I think you should ask WF to pull these two stones and the 1.463 recommended by them and tell you what they see. Which one is the whitest, brightest and most eye clean stone. They have excellent customer service and buying a super ideal stone comes with the perk of them having all stones in house with the ability to evaluate them individually. These pictures and videos are all under 10x magnification, which is not realistic of day-to-day wear.

This is what they gave me.

I'm heavily leaning towards the 1.466 G/SI-1

They say it's eye-clean.

I definitely prefer the 1.466 G SI1 - it's nice a white and I agree it would be eye clean...I could see the tint in the 1.463 H SI1 in the photo (might be a mid-low H). The 1.361 is very nice if you want 'mind clean' and it looks to be a higher H color but I prefer getting the size of the 1.466!

 

[seekingshiny]

The side-by-side comparison photos are really helpful in that it shows what is more true to life - because in real life most people aren't constantly looking at their diamonds through 10x loupes for inclusions. All three diamonds are quite beautiful and eye-clean, and the color is quite similar between the three also. My vote would go to the 1.46 G SI1 due to the slightly larger size and higher color, but honestly it's all quite close; if going "mind clean" in terms of inclusion visibility (although all three are eye-clean), I would go for the H VS2.

 

[joepark89]

Got it, that makes sense.

http://www.b2cjewels.com/dd-7387232-1.41-carat-Round-diamond-G-color-VS1-clarity.aspx

Any thoughts/hesitations about this one?

I noticed this has been around since 2015 and no one has bought it... Curious why that may be.

 

[joepark89]

H VS2 looks beautiful! The 1.466 looks to have a crystal that is reflecting but that doesn't mean it wouldn't be eye clean. I think you should ask WF to pull these two stones and the 1.463 recommended by them and tell you what they see. Which one is the whitest, brightest and most eye clean stone. They have excellent customer service and buying a super ideal stone comes with the perk of them having all stones in house with the ability to evaluate them individually. These pictures and videos are all under 10x magnification, which is not realistic of day-to-day wear.

This is what they gave me.

I'm heavily leaning towards the 1.466 G/SI-1

They say it's eye-clean.

I definitely prefer the 1.466 G SI1 - it's nice a white and I agree it would be eye clean...I could see the tint in the 1.463 H SI1 in the photo (might be a mid-low H). The 1.361 is very nice if you want 'mind clean' and it looks to be a higher H color but I prefer getting the size of the 1.466!

ac117, do you think an H stone would look bad with F/G diamonds for a pave setting?

I'm seeing a lot of solid H's out there... But I'm hesitant because I'm unsure how they look in person compared to some G's.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

You made the statement that she likes "icy white", so I would go with the Whiteflash 1.46 G SI1.

 

[ac117]

Sorry, Joe! I was away on vacation and haven't checked in. I don't think there will be a big difference in most lighting from an H center stone to the F/G melee. Depending on how color sensitive she is, though, she might be able to see a bit of the difference from the side. I personally would stick to a G or a high H color. I looked at many stones before I upgraded and my tolerance for modern rounds was no less than an H but really preferred the still icy G and that's what I got bc I never wanted to regret my choice if I started seeing the color more after wearing it for a while.

 

[joepark89]

Sorry, Joe! I was away on vacation and haven't checked in. I don't think there will be a big difference in most lighting from an H center stone to the F/G melee. Depending on how color sensitive she is, though, she might be able to see a bit of the difference from the side. I personally would stick to a G or a high H color. I looked at many stones before I upgraded and my tolerance for modern rounds was no less than an H but really preferred the still icy G and that's what I got bc I never wanted to regret my choice if I started seeing the color more after wearing it for a while.

Thank you very much.

I think I will stick with looking for an Ideal-cut G. I want to wait for something a little less pricey.. I would love to be out the door at $12k for both setting/diamond...

 

[ac117]

Sorry, Joe! I was away on vacation and haven't checked in. I don't think there will be a big difference in most lighting from an H center stone to the F/G melee. Depending on how color sensitive she is, though, she might be able to see a bit of the difference from the side. I personally would stick to a G or a high H color. I looked at many stones before I upgraded and my tolerance for modern rounds was no less than an H but really preferred the still icy G and that's what I got bc I never wanted to regret my choice if I started seeing the color more after wearing it for a while.

Thank you very much.

I think I will stick with looking for an Ideal-cut G. I want to wait for something a little less pricey.. I would love to be out the door at $12k for both setting/diamond...

I don't remember what kind of setting you're looking for, but that 1.41 G VS1 B2C stone is GORGEOUS and would be a stunning choice! I believe their upgrade policy isn't as flexible as WF's and I believe they charge a restocking fee (don't quote me on this) when you go to trade in.

 

[joepark89]

Sorry, Joe! I was away on vacation and haven't checked in. I don't think there will be a big difference in most lighting from an H center stone to the F/G melee. Depending on how color sensitive she is, though, she might be able to see a bit of the difference from the side. I personally would stick to a G or a high H color. I looked at many stones before I upgraded and my tolerance for modern rounds was no less than an H but really preferred the still icy G and that's what I got bc I never wanted to regret my choice if I started seeing the color more after wearing it for a while.

Thank you very much.

I think I will stick with looking for an Ideal-cut G. I want to wait for something a little less pricey.. I would love to be out the door at $12k for both setting/diamond...

I don't remember what kind of setting you're looking for, but that 1.41 G VS1 B2C stone is GORGEOUS and would be a stunning choice! I believe their upgrade policy isn't as flexible as WF's and I believe they charge a restocking fee (don't quote me on this) when you go to trade in.

Got it.

My reservation with this one is that is has been on B2C for so long... And looking at the certificate, it has been around since mid-2015.

I'm a little concerned with that. What they told me when I had inquired about that one a couple months ago is: That is because not many of our customers go for AGS certified diamonds and prefer more of GIA certified diamonds. Secondly our customers do not go through our perfection set of diamonds and you were able to see it since you came through the pricescope website.

 

[rainwood]

That G VS1 looks lovely, and I wouldn't worry about why it hasn't sold before. It's been my general impression that some vendors do AGS certification when they believe they have a really good stone that will grade out really well using what some believe to be the stricter AGS standards. Plus, many people prefer size over color so like to go lower than G, some also prefer size over clarity so like to go lower than VS1. I'm one of those people, but there are others, including many regulars here, who are both color sensitive and clarity sensitive and would much prefer the G VS1.

Your girlfriend has said she wants icy white so the G is a better choice for her. If it's not already on hold, you'll want to do so quickly. Sometimes lurkers swoop in once a diamond gets a thumbs up here.

 

[joepark89]

That G VS1 looks lovely, and I wouldn't worry about why it hasn't sold before. It's been my general impression that some vendors do AGS certification when they believe they have a really good stone that will grade out really well using what some believe to be the stricter AGS standards. Plus, many people prefer size over color so like to go lower than G, some also prefer size over clarity so like to go lower than VS1. I'm one of those people, but there are others, including many regulars here, who are both color sensitive and clarity sensitive and would much prefer the G VS1.

Your girlfriend has said she wants icy white so the G is a better choice for her. If it's not already on hold, you'll want to do so quickly. Sometimes lurkers swoop in once a diamond gets a thumbs up here.

Sorry guys, was out of town for a bit and had a lot going on... This stone sold while I was out.

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/compare.aspx?idnos=3801991,3774791,3692937

What are your guys thoughts on these? obviously I'd love to do the G if possible, but it's a little outside of my budget.

I'm unsure of the H/SI1 combo yet, but whiteflash has told me it is a good bang for the buck.

Could use a little more opinions on these. Thank you all for helping me walk through this process.

Getting closer and closer to making a purchase. I'll be asking for permission in next couple weeks

 

[ac117]

The H/SI1 is definitely a great value but I do remember you having trouble with the "mind clean" issue.

This would be my G VS2 pick, which would also save you a few hundred:
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3774789.htm?source=pricescope

This would also be a great choice, is AGS 0 graded, and would save you some money:
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.42-carat-h-color-vs2-clarity-ideal-cut-sku-2280861

 

[mrs-b]

Hi joepark89 -

I would suggest you consider Blue Nile, given what you're looking for and what you want to spend. Here's the link:

www.bluenile.com

In the search box in the top right corner, enter this stock number:

LD06711897

It's a 1.4ct G VS1, it's GIA triple ex, it scores 1.7 on the HCA, and it has a video on the site. It's a very white, clean diamond, with very good specs. Using wire payment, it's $10,689

I can't think of any reason why this wouldn't be worth considering. I know you won't get an ASET or an Idealscope - but you WILL get 'white and clean' - and with those specs, you'll probably get something with great light return. And BN has a great, no-questions-asked return policy, so if it doesn't do what you want it to do when you see it in the flesh - send it back.

 

[gm89uk]

I may have a stone for you that a friend was going to buy but circumstances changed.

1.40 G VS2 at a fantastic price and confirmed eye clean by B2C. It has a darkish inclusion under the table but B2C were adamant it's eye clean under scrutiny.

ASET looks great. For $9200 it's a steal

They have a video as well which they can send you







http://www.b2cjewels.com/dd-9041363-1.40-carat-Round-diamond-G-color-VS2-clarity.aspx?sku=9041363&utm_source=pricescope.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=pricescope.com