Can you tell the difference between an F, G or H stone?

[aliza3]

How much can you tell the difference between an F G or H stone? I am deciding between these three colors and size. Here are my options:

F 1.35 ct
G 1.43 ct
H 1.5 ct


All will be triple excellent Gia cut and SI1 clarity (eye clean). So, which would you get?

Thanks!

 

[JulieN]

F and H, yes

Low G and high I... sometimes no.

 

[patricias]

All things being equal besides the color and the size, I'd go with the H. The color difference is barely noticeable.

 

[AprilBaby]

I can see F from H but for size I would choose the H.

 

[c-k]

Once in a setting a F to a G - No or a G to an H - No

From a F to a H in a setting, maybe. Remember color grading is done in a lab with very specific controlled lighting and in real life everyday living in all types of lighting...well you get the idea.

I would go with the bigger stone H color.

 

[Gypsy]

Once in a setting a F to a G - No or a G to an H - No

From a F to a H in a setting, maybe. Remember color grading is done in a lab with very specific controlled lighting and in real life everyday living in all types of lighting...well you get the idea.

I would go with the bigger stone H color.

More important to remember is that color is graded FACE DOWN. Where there is NO light return. Not face up where there is light return and refraction. You wear diamonds set. FACE UP.

Within one color grade, even the labs can't agree on the color grades of stones and something could be a "high" H or a "low" E. So... no. Not really. Within 2 color grades it is hard. Not impossible. But very hard. And it gets harder once set. If you are talking ideal rounds, or any stone with ideal light return and no sharp corners it gets harder still because the ideal light return masks body color.

Generally we say to be conservative stay above H.

If you are talking fancy shapes without ideal light return (because there is no 'ideal' for EC's Radiant, etc) it's a bit different.

 

[treasurehunter]

I would look at the cut and the spread of the stone because the 1.4 could be larger than the 1.5

 

[Gypsy]

I would look at the cut and the spread of the stone because the 1.4 could be larger than the 1.5

Not in an ideal round. In a fancy yes.

 

[Sakuracherry]

I cannot tell the difference between the H and the F I own when looking down. I can tell the difference from the sides, though.

 

[WinkHPD]

How much can you tell the difference between an F G or H stone? I am deciding between these three colors and size. Here are my options:

F 1.35 ct
G 1.43 ct
H 1.5 ct


All will be triple excellent Gia cut and SI1 clarity (eye clean). So, which would you get?

Thanks!

Sorry, in my opinion you are asking the wrong question. GIA XXX means almost nothing. Some of them will be incredible, others suck so badly that it does not matter what color they are, the still reek.

If you have three of the lucky XXX's then the color will be very close face up. If you don't, then it will not matter.

Wink

 

[Hospatogi]

For me personally I have been able to see a difference between an F and H but not between G and H. All three colors are very white but the F color diamond I've owned had a slight icy white appearance for a lack of a better word.

 

[Gypsy]

This is how I think of it.

Ever gotten one of those HUGE paint fan decks? Where there are literally 100s of colors of whites? And when they are RIGHT next to each other you can TOTALLY tell that one is bluer/colder and one is a bit warmer and which one is one is TOTALLY warmer. One there's one that's slightly greener. One that's slightly pinker? But really. They are all white?

Then you pick one after agonizing over this white or that white and when it's on the walls and people are like: Oh. You painted again. And it's STILL white. Great.

And you're all... BUT it's BLUE white. Or it's a WARM white now. It used to be ____ white. It's TOTALLY different.

It's like that. You are talking about shades of white. D is colder... J is warmer. But it's all white.

YES. If you have an accurately graded F and an H THAT HAVE THE SAME PERFORMANCE you are going to be able to tell them apart when you compare them. Just like you would be able to tell if you painted your walls a warm white, but painted the crown molding a cold/straight white. But both are STILL white.


I want you notice all the qualifiers thought. I'm talking about stones with the SAME performance. An ideal H will out white an F that has compromised light performance.

GIA EX is not enough. You need the right angles to get to get ideal light performance.

NOTHING impacts the appearance of a diamond as much as cut. CUT is king.

You want the shinest whitest and brightest diamond out there: Cut is King. No other factor, not color or clarity or anything else impacts how white bright an shiny a stone is.

What you REALLY need though is to work with a vendor that offers you idealscope images. Cause that's what you really need. https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/firescope-idealscope Many of the PS vendors do. It measures light return. And light return is what makes a diamond white bright and shiny.

https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/holloway-cut-advisor
https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/diamond-cut
https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/diamond-table-size

You need a lot of knowledge before spending thousands on a diamond. Start at the knowledge tab up at the top of the screen.

If you want to skip all of that. Stick to AGS 0 stones only for cut. And then pick your color and clarity.

But GIA Ex is not enough.

 

[Laila619]

Assuming they are all equally well-cut, the H for sure. I don't like to pay for higher color.

 

[aliza3]

It's not between getting a 1.5 G and a 1.5 H. They are both SI1 (eye clean) and triple excellent cut. There is a $1,000 price difference. Which would you get?

Also, is doing the HCA test enough for me to figure out IF they have good light return and angles? I plan of getting all their Gia reports and seeing how they fare on the HCA and deciding that way.

 

[treasurehunter]

I would prefer a 1.4 ct to a 1.5 H , why because price jumps at 1.5 and if you can get the same or close to spread at 1.4 ct in F rather than an H go for the F .

 

[Gypsy]

It's not between getting a 1.5 G and a 1.5 H. They are both SI1 (eye clean) and triple excellent cut. There is a $1,000 price difference. Which would you get?

Also, is doing the HCA test enough for me to figure out IF they have good light return and angles? I plan of getting all their Gia reports and seeing how they fare on the HCA and deciding that way.

Not if you want to be truly sure.

Did you read the links I posted for you?

You need an idealscope image to be sure.

 

[Hospatogi]

It's not between getting a 1.5 G and a 1.5 H. They are both SI1 (eye clean) and triple excellent cut. There is a $1,000 price difference. Which would you get?

Also, is doing the HCA test enough for me to figure out IF they have good light return and angles? I plan of getting all their Gia reports and seeing how they fare on the HCA and deciding that way.

Not if you want to be truly sure.

Did you read the links I posted for you?

You need an idealscope image to be sure.

Gypsy has given you great advice. All three of your diamonds will look pretty similar in size when it's set. I would definitely choose the diamond with the best ideal scope image! That will be the best way to know if it's worth paying more!

 

[Andelain]

Can I tell the colors apart? Let's level the playing field by assuming they're all AGS0 or equivalent stones. The answer is Yes, I can. But it's a slight, subtle perception between them, and the H will be just as beautiful as the F. Especially after it's set. You really need to see some stones of the same cut quality to see hom much a couple color grades matters to you.

 

[WinkHPD]

It's not between getting a 1.5 G and a 1.5 H. They are both SI1 (eye clean) and triple excellent cut. There is a $1,000 price difference. Which would you get?

Also, is doing the HCA test enough for me to figure out IF they have good light return and angles? I plan of getting all their Gia reports and seeing how they fare on the HCA and deciding that way.

The HCA is a rejection tool, not a selection tool. It can give you guidance on which stones might make the grade, but from there you must do your due diligence to make sure it is the right diamond for you.

It is biased towards shallower cut diamonds, so one thing it does help with for sure is rejecting some of those nasty looking steep deep GIA XXX's.

Wink

 

[dk168]

I can tell the difference between E and G/H when comparing side by side.

Given the choice, if everything else are equal in terms of Cut, Clarity and Carat weight, then H as it would be the cheapest, IMHO.

DK

 

[GreenBling]

D E F have a bright white to them that you won't see in lower color, which i adore! however, bigger diamonds allow you to see patterning better, plus the bigger the facets, the bigger the flashes therefore my personal rule is to get the biggest eye clean ideal cut no lower than I. So if i were in your shoes, I will get the H (assuming it has biggest dimensions and ideal cut).

 

[TC1987]

I can see the difference in tint between F and H, for certain. Even a .5ct H color diamond can look scary face-down. But face-up, I'd be happy with any of those colors. Between those, I would pick the one that I found most pleasing to the eye: Contrast, patterning, boldness of the arrows, fire, scintillation.

 

[ecf8503]

Listen to Gypsy. Cut, cut, cut!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[RockyRacoon]

I can easily tell the difference between F and H.

Does this stop me from buying H-colored stones? Not one bit.