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Diamond Recommendation For Engagement Ring
- Thread starter YT233
- Start date
Obviously not everyone would feel the same, so just IMHO!
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Wow, you have some great choices here.
First off, on the color thing. When I popped into this thread, my eyes immediately locked on the static image by WF with the stones face down to judge body color. I intentionally did not read the descriptions as I didn't want that bias in my head.
Looking at color only, I was very impressed with stone 2 and said "wow". My eyes then detected stone 4 to be the next best color, although I didn't find the difference to be as impactful as stone 2. My eyes then found 1 & 3 to be very similar with a slight nudge towards stone 1 as the 3rd best. Stone 3 came in as my last pick.
Before we go further, I used the term "best" above. I understand "best" does not mean higher color to every buyer. Some prefer warmth. However, the general market consensus & pricing structure is based on less tint as "best" and trades for the most money. Also, it's what my eyes likes & prefer, although my preferences mean little to the equation. My point being "best" is used relative to how the market views color, and I'm not saying the warmer stones are bad.
As I mentioned earlier, AFTER I viewed the color of the stones I read the descriptions and it become more clear why I saw some vast differences. Also, I think the F naturally looks whiter because it's placed between two I stones. Place the F & G next to each other and I would have noticed but likely wouldn't have gotten the "wow" my brain first kicked out.
All that said, as I started looking at the videos (custom & the website versions), I noticed a nasty feather on the table of the F stone. Once my eyes saw it, they just couldn't unsee it. I fear if I were to purchase this stone I would purposefully seek that feather out and consequently always see it. So despite loving the color, this one would come off my short list. Also, I found the fire pleasing but not quite as strong as some of the others.
Next I axed the 1.012 I-SI1. I say it so confidently. I really liked the stone. It performs great and it's the cheapest of the group. However, for just $200 more the 0.957 offers more crisp clarity which I think makes it fire off just a smidge stronger. Also, princess cuts already have sharp corners and while I don't anticipate any problems with the girdle on the 1.012, I do prefer the thin-medium of the 0.957 over the thin-thin of the 1.012. Again, some nitpicking here, but we have to short list.
This leaves the 0.957 I-VS2 and the 1.011 G-SI1. I think both stones are very similar to each other. I slightly prefer the clarity of the VS2. Just as I slightly prefer the color of the G. I don't think either are earth shattering. I even cropped & put them side by side to be able to more accurately gauge their color. There is difference no doubt. Just depends how sensitive you are to it. Fire looks very similar to me.
My final consideration was your initial budget. You stated £2,500, which is roughly $3,500 USD; however, that doesn't include your VAT, duties, etc. Both stones push you over that initial amount, so I assume you have increased your budget a little.
With that said, I like the I-VS2 as it provides solid performance & gets you closest to your initial target.
First off, on the color thing. When I popped into this thread, my eyes immediately locked on the static image by WF with the stones face down to judge body color. I intentionally did not read the descriptions as I didn't want that bias in my head.
Looking at color only, I was very impressed with stone 2 and said "wow". My eyes then detected stone 4 to be the next best color, although I didn't find the difference to be as impactful as stone 2. My eyes then found 1 & 3 to be very similar with a slight nudge towards stone 1 as the 3rd best. Stone 3 came in as my last pick.
Before we go further, I used the term "best" above. I understand "best" does not mean higher color to every buyer. Some prefer warmth. However, the general market consensus & pricing structure is based on less tint as "best" and trades for the most money. Also, it's what my eyes likes & prefer, although my preferences mean little to the equation. My point being "best" is used relative to how the market views color, and I'm not saying the warmer stones are bad.
As I mentioned earlier, AFTER I viewed the color of the stones I read the descriptions and it become more clear why I saw some vast differences. Also, I think the F naturally looks whiter because it's placed between two I stones. Place the F & G next to each other and I would have noticed but likely wouldn't have gotten the "wow" my brain first kicked out.
All that said, as I started looking at the videos (custom & the website versions), I noticed a nasty feather on the table of the F stone. Once my eyes saw it, they just couldn't unsee it. I fear if I were to purchase this stone I would purposefully seek that feather out and consequently always see it. So despite loving the color, this one would come off my short list. Also, I found the fire pleasing but not quite as strong as some of the others.
Next I axed the 1.012 I-SI1. I say it so confidently. I really liked the stone. It performs great and it's the cheapest of the group. However, for just $200 more the 0.957 offers more crisp clarity which I think makes it fire off just a smidge stronger. Also, princess cuts already have sharp corners and while I don't anticipate any problems with the girdle on the 1.012, I do prefer the thin-medium of the 0.957 over the thin-thin of the 1.012. Again, some nitpicking here, but we have to short list.
This leaves the 0.957 I-VS2 and the 1.011 G-SI1. I think both stones are very similar to each other. I slightly prefer the clarity of the VS2. Just as I slightly prefer the color of the G. I don't think either are earth shattering. I even cropped & put them side by side to be able to more accurately gauge their color. There is difference no doubt. Just depends how sensitive you are to it. Fire looks very similar to me.
My final consideration was your initial budget. You stated £2,500, which is roughly $3,500 USD; however, that doesn't include your VAT, duties, etc. Both stones push you over that initial amount, so I assume you have increased your budget a little.
With that said, I like the I-VS2 as it provides solid performance & gets you closest to your initial target.
Wow, you have some great choices here.
First off, on the color thing. When I popped into this thread, my eyes immediately locked on the static image by WF with the stones face down to judge body color. I intentionally did not read the descriptions as I didn't want that bias in my head.
Looking at color only, I was very impressed with stone 2 and said "wow". My eyes then detected stone 4 to be the next best color, although I didn't find the difference to be as impactful as stone 2. My eyes then found 1 & 3 to be very similar with a slight nudge towards stone 1 as the 3rd best. Stone 3 came in as my last pick.
Before we go further, I used the term "best" above. I understand "best" does not mean higher color to every buyer. Some prefer warmth. However, the general market consensus & pricing structure is based on less tint as "best" and trades for the most money. Also, it's what my eyes likes & prefer, although my preferences mean little to the equation. My point being "best" is used relative to how the market views color, and I'm not saying the warmer stones are bad.
As I mentioned earlier, AFTER I viewed the color of the stones I read the descriptions and it become more clear why I saw some vast differences. Also, I think the F naturally looks whiter because it's placed between two I stones. Place the F & G next to each other and I would have noticed but likely wouldn't have gotten the "wow" my brain first kicked out.
All that said, as I started looking at the videos (custom & the website versions), I noticed a nasty feather on the table of the F stone. Once my eyes saw it, they just couldn't unsee it. I fear if I were to purchase this stone I would purposefully seek that feather out and consequently always see it. So despite loving the color, this one would come off my short list. Also, I found the fire pleasing but not quite as strong as some of the others.
Next I axed the 1.012 I-SI1. I say it so confidently. I really liked the stone. It performs great and it's the cheapest of the group. However, for just $200 more the 0.957 offers more crisp clarity which I think makes it fire off just a smidge stronger. Also, princess cuts already have sharp corners and while I don't anticipate any problems with the girdle on the 1.012, I do prefer the thin-medium of the 0.957 over the thin-thin of the 1.012. Again, some nitpicking here, but we have to short list.
This leaves the 0.957 I-VS2 and the 1.011 G-SI1. I think both stones are very similar to each other. I slightly prefer the clarity of the VS2. Just as I slightly prefer the color of the G. I don't think either are earth shattering. I even cropped & put them side by side to be able to more accurately gauge their color. There is difference no doubt. Just depends how sensitive you are to it. Fire looks very similar to me.
My final consideration was your initial budget. You stated £2,500, which is roughly $3,500 USD; however, that doesn't include your VAT, duties, etc. Both stones push you over that initial amount, so I assume you have increased your budget a little.
With that said, I like the I-VS2 as it provides solid performance & gets you closest to your initial target.
Brilliant Sledge
Did not notice the feather on the F I wonder why they put it as eye clean?
I myself cropped the description out and sent the video and photos to various people and they all came back with different preferences!
So we can definitely discount the F stone as now I have seen the feather I too cant unsee it.
The 2 I stones I think you are right for the sake of $200 it is worth going for the higher clarity stone.
So it comes down to the G stone and the 0.957 I stone. Decisions Decisions.
In terms of budget I came in with a budget of $3.5k but deep down i always knew for the right stone I could push it up a tad more
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Glad to see this helped.
To be clear, WF is a very transparent & honest company. Their definition of eye clean is further described here:
https://www.whiteflash.com/faq/what-is-your-definition-of-eye-clean
It's plausible my assessment of the stone creeps into that zone of "careful examination" that is unfair to them because I am relying on big monitors & magnification. I don't have the luxury of walking into their vault & assessing in-person. However, because I saw it under magnification I also believe I would be the picky buyer that would find the feather with the naked eye because I knew it existed.
Consequently I am trying to put myself in your shoes & provide you data of my thoughts in case you would suffer from the same level of pickiness as I do.
One thing is certain. You/she will be getting a GORGEOUS diamond! I am excited to see where your final decision lands. I definitely think choosing WF is a good choice that offers tremendous value, even if it's a few dollars more than your initial target.
To be clear, WF is a very transparent & honest company. Their definition of eye clean is further described here:
https://www.whiteflash.com/faq/what-is-your-definition-of-eye-clean
It's plausible my assessment of the stone creeps into that zone of "careful examination" that is unfair to them because I am relying on big monitors & magnification. I don't have the luxury of walking into their vault & assessing in-person. However, because I saw it under magnification I also believe I would be the picky buyer that would find the feather with the naked eye because I knew it existed.
Consequently I am trying to put myself in your shoes & provide you data of my thoughts in case you would suffer from the same level of pickiness as I do.
One thing is certain. You/she will be getting a GORGEOUS diamond! I am excited to see where your final decision lands. I definitely think choosing WF is a good choice that offers tremendous value, even if it's a few dollars more than your initial target.
Hi All,
Time has come for me to take the plunge and buy a ring! Thank you for all the help!
I have decided to purchase it from WF. These are the current short list stones, would love your feedback.
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-di...94410,4443355,4152303,4159041,4324156,4460736
Time has come for me to take the plunge and buy a ring! Thank you for all the help!
I have decided to purchase it from WF. These are the current short list stones, would love your feedback.
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-di...94410,4443355,4152303,4159041,4324156,4460736
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2008
- Messages
- 27,736
I narrowed it down a bit further (for me). Most of the ones I took out had inclusions on the table. Since you
are out of the country I think its better if you stick to something cleaner because if you don't like the inclusion
it's going to be harder for you to return (if you were in the US I might not remove them from the list).
All the stones are well cut so you have to look for other ways to narrow the selection down.
So, here is my narrowed-down list that I* would select from.
I think the 1.04 is my favorite (figures, it is the most expensive one
)
are out of the country I think its better if you stick to something cleaner because if you don't like the inclusion
it's going to be harder for you to return (if you were in the US I might not remove them from the list).
All the stones are well cut so you have to look for other ways to narrow the selection down.
So, here is my narrowed-down list that I* would select from.
Diamond comparison | Compare Diamonds to choose and buy the best one
Whiteflash gives you an excellent opportunity to compare diamonds to make a great deal. With diamond’s parameters provided, you can compare any detail.
www.whiteflash.com
I think the 1.04 is my favorite (figures, it is the most expensive one
)Hi All,
I have whittled it down to these final stones would love your opinion.
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-di...84028,4384027,4159041,4152303,3208939,3658581
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut-loose-diamond-3658581.htm
I have whittled it down to these final stones would love your opinion.
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-di...84028,4384027,4159041,4152303,3208939,3658581
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut-loose-diamond-3658581.htm
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2008
- Messages
- 27,736
Apologies,
The list contains 7 stones.
4 recommended by Whiteflash:
1
2
3
4
Plus 3 stones which I picked:
5
6
7
I have made a excel table with some specs,
I need help to decipher the specs and the asset and ideal scope scans. I am getting confused staring at the images, I know i should be seeing more red and less of the other colours but I am struggling.
I would really appreciate the help.
The list contains 7 stones.
4 recommended by Whiteflash:
1
2
3
4
Plus 3 stones which I picked:
5
6
7
I have made a excel table with some specs,
I need help to decipher the specs and the asset and ideal scope scans. I am getting confused staring at the images, I know i should be seeing more red and less of the other colours but I am struggling.
I would really appreciate the help.
Last edited:
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