3 carat MRB Hunt is OVER

[LLJsmom]

Thank you everyone. I just learned that maybe I was patting myself on the back too soon. A good deal of dumb luck went into me not running the HCA on this stone, which if I did I might not have fought so hard to bring it in. That’s ok. We got it in the end. That’s what counts.

 

[LLJsmom]

It is so beautiful, well done on what sounds like a slightly trying journey that was well worth it in the end!

Is this an engagement ring for your friend or is she upgrading?

Thanks @Snowdrop13. Upgrading which is why we had to stick to the B&M.

 

[LLJsmom]

Oh my gosh, you have every reason to take pride in this find, LLJsmom... you absolutely nailed it! You truly found a gorgeous stone despite all of the constraints, and your friend is so fortunate that she had you looking out for her! Congrats on a job well done!!

I should say that she did have to give on the budget though. In the end it was worth it to her to pay an additional $5k to get what she wanted. She is really happy with it. She can even see the fire in dim yellow lamp light in the evening. I am super relieved she is happy with her purchase.

 

[foxinsox]

Well done! The stone looks fab! Has it already been set? As in - is that the setting she chose? it looks lovely - but I have to say - it gets out-shone by that VC beauty on your finger just peeking in at the side in some of those shots!

I was thinking the same - in all the pictures where your VC ring shows, my eyes slide sideways for an ogle!
Super good work on finding this beauty for your friend LLJsmom! I hope she enjoys its superior sparkle and fire

 

[OoohShiny]

Congratulations, you done good!

I hope your friend always thinks of you when she looks at it

And I hope the B&M advisor has been taught a lesson in looking for good stones too lol

 

[Winks_Elf]

Very pretty, and I am a huge fan of the channel settings! Well done!

 

[yennyfire]

Nice job LLJsMom! It's a gorgeous stone and I'm sure she will treasure it every day! As for the HCA, you know it's just a rejection tool, so don't give it a second thought!

I'm sure you're relieved that the search is over and so successfully too!!

 

[azstonie]

Well done! it's a stunner

 

[missy]

Beautiful . Nicely done LLJsmom. I'd let you choose bling for me any day. Hint hint.
Hope your friend is over the moon thrilled with her gorgeous upgrade! It's a beautiful diamond and a gorgeous ring.

 

[Phoenix]

Beautiful stone!!

Well done, @LLJsmom .

 

[Crazie4Cuts]

LLJsmom- did you have an ASET and Idealscope done on the diamond at any time?
Or did you basically go off the AGS cert when considering to bring into the store and just let your eyes do the selecting? Just curious 'cause I don't know if I could do what you did in a B&M store! Great job!

 

[memorystation]

Beautiful stone and big congrats!

 

[Pinkbunny]

I should say that she did have to give on the budget though. In the end it was worth it to her to pay an additional $5k to get what she wanted. She is really happy with it. She can even see the fire in dim yellow lamp light in the evening. I am super relieved she is happy with her purchase.

If you don't mind my asking, what was the price of the stone alone?

 

[LLJsmom]

LLJsmom- did you have an ASET and Idealscope done on the diamond at any time?
Or did you basically go off the AGS cert when considering to bring into the store and just let your eyes do the selecting? Just curious 'cause I don't know if I could do what you did in a B&M store! Great job!

Thank you @Crazie4Cuts . I went off the AGS report in deciding to bring it in. Then I had my ASET and idealscope to examine it IRL. We then compared with three other stones, at various times. The other closest contender was a G, SI1, 2.85 that was lovely and probably a winner if we didn't see this stone. The G stone fit the Pricescope criteria better. This AGS CA was a little high, 35.4. However out of 4 people, my friend, two SAs and me, we all chose the AGS stone, in a blind test. I am reasonably certain that the AGS stone was visually more appealing. With that said, the G was very beautiful as well. Both SAs told us to get the G SI1 because it was a very beautiful stone, (although they thought the AGS was more beautiful), the spread was good on it, it was cheaper than the 3.01 H VS2 by almost $5K, and a great value to get an eye clean SI1 with only twinning wisps.

This is the thread that chronicles my search. You will see the concerns I had about the AGS report and the ASET pic (although a really bad off-center pic) I took. Yes, the ASET assured me I could see the arrows. Not saying the AGS report was wrong but maybe the arrows were not clear enough to get picked up in the AGS picture. I don't know. I'm just speculating. However, with my ASET and idealscope, I could see the arrows clearly enough and that was good enough for me. When I looked at the stone, all the center facets (I'm not sure what those center facets are called.) kept lighting up, and I could see arrows so I wasn't worried about the "missing arrow" on the AGS report.
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/mrb-3-carat-hunt-is-on-help-please.234287/

In the end, we had to really rely on our eyes, given that the reports and numbers were good. I did look at the G under the scopes, much later, and the arrows just did not appear as sharp. On the HCA, it was a 1.2, excellent on everything except spread. My friend didn't care so much about the scopes and stuff. She just thought the H looked more sparkly, in her words. I didn't really trust my eyes until I saw it the third time. I felt I had to go back at least 3 separate times to make sure my observations were consistent. It usually takes me many viewings of a stone to start discerning where the stone isn't as bright, or where the dead areas are. On the third time, I started seeing dead areas on the G, which happens in most diamonds. And I confirmed that I saw fewer full arrow reflections and a quieter center than the AGS. I kinda sensed it but I didn't feel confident to say so until I confirmed it with multiple viewings.

Sorry, not a very scientific process. Hope this helps.

 

[LLJsmom]

Beautiful stone and big congrats!

Thank you! Looks like an AVR in your avatar. It's gorgeous!!

 

[derbygal]

Fabulous stone!

 

[LLJsmom]

If you don't mind my asking, what was the price of the stone alone?

In this thread, i mention the initial budget. We had to go over it. It just wasn't realistic for the specific criteria she wanted. H or higher, 3 and higher, no fluorescence, VS2.
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/mrb-3-carat-hunt-is-on-help-please.234287/
On BN, the range for that criteria is $41K-$51K. She got hers on the very low end. So of all things that had to give, she gave on the budget.

 

[ac117]

It's a beautiful stone!! She's so lucky she had your help!!

 

[Crazie4Cuts]

Thank you LLJsmom for taking the time and providing more details! I went back and read the previous thread, but there is a lot to learn (painting and digging? Surface graining? Is that with stones that has twining wisps?) Anyway, when your friend is shelling out that much $$$ it definitely pays to ask people on the forum here, have your tools, read/study the certs, and comparing the stones all together! It makes sense to not be hasty and take your time! Are you glad it's over? I got a lot to learn.

 

[JDDN]

The stone is gorgeous.....big, bold and beautiful!! I hope your friend loves it for years to come .

 

[arkieb1]

Well done!!!!

 

[KristyDarling]

That's just gorgeous!!!! You did a beautiful job, LLJsmom!!!

 

[goldenfire]

Oh wow!!!! What a gorgeous diamond!!!! Well done!!!

 

[junebug17]

It's absolutely gorgeous LLJsmom!!! You did an fantastic job picking out this diamond, it's a truly beautiful ring! Makes me want a MRB solitaire lol!

 

[KirstLWA]

That is a beautiful stone and you are a very good friend.

I was hoping you might be able to be a very good friend to me also as I am in the exact same predicament. I need to call in diamonds to my particular b&m store and would love to hit the jackpot like you did. I have pretty much the same requirements as you were searching for and have started my own post if you care to check it out.

Any assistance you can give would be great.

Thanks and again, well done on your find.

Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to share the results of that crazy 3 carat MRB hunt at a B&M. As some of you have followed my journey, it was a challenge to identify and bring viable candidates. I was fighting against a reputable but stodgy B&M to source stones I found off the net. They kept rejecting stones because of clarity issues, and I tried really hard to stick to the PS recommended criteria. Seriously, NOT easy even with the number of stones out there. I came across a surprising number of not-sufficiently-eye-clean VS2s. She also was not comfortable with fluorescence and wanted 3 carats, and H was as low as we could go. I found one AGS 000 that they did not want to bring in, and for which I had to harass my SA until she relented and brought it in. And I have to say I am creating this post because of how proud I am of myself for finding this gorgeous stone. Truly, this is not a super ideal, far from it I'm sure, for those of you who have seen the AGS report in the other thread. But good grief, is it super fiery and bright and clear, like water. So I just had to share these photos I took in a car with a dark interior, in direct sunlight. I have never liked a stone in direct bright sunlight, and I LOVE this stone. It's amazing. I can see the arrows even in super bright sunlight and the stone is so clear. I can't believe what a great job I did. I am so shameless patting myself on the back. I shared the AGS report with others on the thread in RT and people were doubtful (looked like it was missing part of an arrow), but I thought, bring it in anyway. Can't hurt to look. If a good AGS 000 looks this good, can you imagine what a true super ideal in this size must look like?

Here are the specs.
3.018 carts
AGS 000
H, VS2 (very clean)
Negligible fluorescence
Size 4. (I know. Ugh!)

That is a be

 

[LLJsmom]

That is a beautiful stone and you are a very good friend.

I was hoping you might be able to be a very good friend to me also as I am in the exact same predicament. I need to call in diamonds to my particular b&m store and would love to hit the jackpot like you did. I have pretty much the same requirements as you were searching for and have started my own post if you care to check it out.

Any assistance you can give would be great.

Thanks and again, well done on your find.
That is a be

@KirstLWA Thank you. The B&M did not make it easy. You need to stick to your guns and keep pushing them and keep searching for more options. Not settling is the hardest thing to do.

 

[CareBear]

@LLJsmom, I just caught up on the original thread! You are a wonderful friend, to go through all that trouble for a stone that is not yours, and dealing with SAs who did not want to bring in the AGS stone! I hope the owner of the stone knows how lucky she is to have you as a friend! This stone proves that sometimes you just gotta believe your eyes and not just the numbers

 

[Mlh]

@LLJsmom , why do you think they were resistant to bringing in the ags stone? Do most b&M stores prefer to deal with gia stones exclusively?

 

[LLJsmom]

@LLJsmom , why do you think they were resistant to bringing in the ags stone? Do most b&M stores prefer to deal with gia stones exclusively?

Yes definitely. This B&M is very conservative and wants to sell only GIA stones. I’m not sure about a lot of other B&Ms.

 

[Mlh]

Yes definitely. This B&M is very conservative and wants to sell only GIA stones. I’m not sure about a lot of other B&Ms.

So interesting. Thanks for replying!!