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Do H and I stones really face up white

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prober

Rough_Rock
Joined
Nov 29, 2005
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Many people seem to be purchasing H and I color stones (even J) saying that they face up white. I know that ideal cut is essential when going with these colors, but can you tell a difference between say an F ideal ACA and an I ideal ACA stone. Please help me decide how to prioritize my spending. I want to spend $6000 and get most eyepopping stone.

Also would a plain setting show off stone more than say a pave setting (michael B or similar). I was considering thin pave or 4 prong plain because my girl has size 4 finger. Looking for thin pave about 1500-2000 any recommendations.
 
H and I stones face up pretty white. A lot depends on how color sensitive you are. I have some E colored pear shaped diamond earrings that I held up next to my I colored pear shaped center stone. I could only see a difference in color when they were side by side and I was outside in direct sunlight. You really need to go to a jewelry store and look at the different color grades for yourself to see where you preferences lie.
 
H and I do face up white but you''re very likely to see the difference between F and H, especially F and I, if you compare them side by side. You really should go look at some well cut stones since only you can decide what''s white enough for you. Personally, I found i could see the difference even between H and I. Everyone''s color sensitivity is different.
 
Here is a thread that has J stones in platinum (look at teh first stone- that is a K!). You can see that they do in fact face up very white, only from the side would you ever really see a tint. It offers the best bang for your buck!
 
Up to half a carat you''d catch me not being able to tell the grades... Somewhere well above 3 cts I ,ight even start to care
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Inbetween is mostly up to you.Someone with experience will be able to tell them apart fom ''colorless'' any day, but do not count to see any stryking color difference. I liked this description of diamond color grades from a recent auction catalog
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Reading about these things helps allot less than seeing some diamonds. I wish I could show you any, but there''s no way - pictures hardly catch such faint color - what you get to see in pictures it is mostly the color of the lighting (sometimes very yellow, although it is not apparent for normla use at all) and the camera''s color balance.

It may help seeing some diamonds before deciding where to draw the line on color. Mounted ones are of better help, because any tint is allot more visible face down (and this is how they are graded) even if this is not how diamonds are looked at.

My 2c
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yes they do. with the caveat that the stone is round and well cut. in most lighting conditions these lower color stones will face up very white and can easily be mistaken for a completely colorless stone. i would not choose anything higher than i/j for pendants/earrings because they face up so white. face up white is different from looking totally colorless from all sides though. everyone perceives color differently, but you will always see the true body color through the pavilion.
 
Belle
Would a J set in a Tiffany''s style ring show a tint from the side-- Are the sides visible in that setting? I like the diamond to sit up in a ring but I dont want it to show much tint. Would a 6 prong cover up a lot of that too?
 
A six prong will definitely cover up more of the side of the diamond than a four prong. That's one of the reasons I like my Tiffany 6 prong replica -- I am bothered sometimes when I think I detect color from the side (I have an I color ideal cut) and this setting helps to mitigate the problem.
 
Here is a side view of my stone when it was in its temporary generic 4 prong tiffany setting. You can see how much of the pavilion is visible, particularly because it is set so high.

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And here's my stone in my 6 prong Tiffany replica.

SCTIFFREP0001.JPG
 
When I chose my stone, I picked an "I" colored stone. When I first saw it, I viewed it next to an "E" of equal size and quality (ACA), and could not tell a color difference. So of course I went with the "I" since it was more budget friendly and equally beautiful.
 
My "I" is face up white. I can only see tints of beige at certain angles in certain lighting. For us color was on the last on the list of importance.
 
Date: 12/3/2005 5:22:51 PM
Author: Demelza
Here is a side view of my stone when it was in its temporary generic 4 prong tiffany setting. You can see how much of the pavilion is visible, particularly because it is set so high.

theTF0001.JPG


And here''s my stone in my 6 prong Tiffany replica.
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Wow! Thats an ''I''? That looks like a colorless stone to me-- you got a nice stone!
 
Date: 12/3/2005 4:35:58 PM
Author: elepri
H and I do face up white but you''re very likely to see the difference between F and H, especially F and I, if you compare them side by side. You really should go look at some well cut stones since only you can decide what''s white enough for you. Personally, I found i could see the difference even between H and I. Everyone''s color sensitivity is different.
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me too.
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At this point I came to know that my opinion is a minority on pricescope
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but here it goes....You can definately see the difference between a D-E-F stone and an H-I stone, especially form the side. Face up, with a good cut, it gets more difficult. You do have to realize that you, as well as other, are going to see your stone form the side especially if they are standing/sitting on the side of you; so color may be detected. However to a completely untrained eye it may not.

Additionally, it's my opinion that I/J color stones tend to look more yellower if they are set in pave, simply due to the contrast. Pave looks white because of the small size of the stones and when viewed together with a I/J, the whiteness of the pave shows off the tint of the stone more than a platinum or gold band. But that is just IMO.

Since you want bang for the buck with size as the main priority and you determine that I or J color does not bother you, I say go with the I or J! There is no reason to spend the extra cash for something that will add little to your enjoyment of your e-ring, especially when using that money to maximize size will make you happiest!
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IMHO, it is very difficult to tell in well cut rounds. I have an H Jubilee and could barely tell the difference between it and a D that I saw. However I will say that I can tell color in fancy shapes such as princess, asschers, ECs etc. I''m not sure why but although I could detect color differences in fancy cuts, I''d still buy an H or I for the price
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After seeing many stones the color is most apparent to me when looking face down and form the sides. It''s
also in my head that its an I or J. I think i am going to stay lookin for a G or H super ideal SI1 (from GOG or whiteflash) with a thin pave band. I feel this will show off the stone. Does anyone have know of any settings similar to ritani or michael B single sided pave (1-2 mm)? Thanks for all your help
 
Date: 12/3/2005 7:23:58 PM
Author: prober

Does anyone have know of any settings similar to ritani or michael B single sided pave (1-2 mm)?
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Not really. Maybe this? LINK


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Item: 12EE1 - 1/2 shank pave (0.22ct). $2,200

Just a quick note: less than 2mm is quite the limit of ring endurance. Some designer rings come that thin and stackable bands can be found less than 2mm - but I don't think they are either durable or terribly appealing. 2mm is almost 'wire thin' to me and I wear small rings (size 3).

 
rounds especially exceptionally cut ones do hide alot of body color..my J faces up super white, looks no different to me than my H did, but from the side at times I can see small tinges of warmth but its not like it''s yellow or anything so extreme and no one who has seen the stone ever would think it was a J. i think there are so many misconceptions out there in the general public on what I or J stones *should* look like that people think that a H&A one or a really well cut one that hides alot of body color would be a colorless when it''s really not. obviously put a D next to a J and you will see some differences but in real life regular viewing I think H or I is a great option, having had an H and putting it next to my husband''s smaller E...they looked literally the same even from the side. I love a good H probably as my sweet spot for not seeing a whit of color in it at all.
 
Ooh, not to hijack, but I love your new avatar, Mara. That Portia is a beauty. Is she a D or a J?
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shay
 
If you purchase the diamond thorugh a different retailer than the setting who normally sets the stone. If i purchase stone from GOG or whiteflash and a setting through Pearlmans how would I work this out?
 
Date: 12/3/2005 8:23:51 PM
Author: prober
If you purchase the diamond thorugh a different retailer than the setting who normally sets the stone. If i purchase stone from GOG or whiteflash and a setting through Pearlmans how would I work this out?
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IMO, the easiest is to have eiter of the two ship his ''component'' to the other and do the setting. I suspect that the logic way is to have the setting shipped to GOG or just tell them what setting you want and have them source it for you. It happened before with other designer lines.

It may happen that GOG has alternatives for the setting you want.

My 0.02
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Date: 12/3/2005 8:22:18 PM
Author: Shay37
Ooh, not to hijack, but I love your new avatar, Mara. That Portia is a beauty. Is she a D or a J?
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shay
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Right now she's bordering on a Y or Z maybe...she needs a bath.
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But as for clarity, she's flawless!!
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Date: 12/3/2005 4:22:27 PM
Author:prober

can you tell a difference between say an F ideal ACA and an I ideal ACA stone.
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You can tell a difference if you put those stones next to one another.....side by side.

But on the hand mounted in a ring by itself? No. If I were wearing the F stone and you were wearing the I stone, and we were both standing in the coffee shop, the huge majority of folks likely wouldn''t be able to see the difference. The uber- color sensitive might, but the other 90% wouldn''t.

I wear an H.....and people guess my ring to be an F......all the time. Likely because it''s well cut, so it faces up amazing.
 
My I color stone is set in the Whiteflash six prong Tiffany setting. The stone is 4.10 but it is set so low in the setting and a good part of the sides are covered by the spread prongs.
You can barely see the side of the stone. Mainly you see the top.
It is an Ideal cut and faces up white and very sparkly. I wanted a large stone. Originally I wanted a G or H but my stone is large and brilliant and the size makes an impact. A G or H would have cost much more. My husband thought I should get a better color but I am very happy with the I.
If you do buy an I or J, I think the best way to have it set is low in the setting so the sides do not attract from the top.
 
Date: 12/4/2005 8:16:09 PM
Author: solange
My I color stone is set in the Whiteflash six prong Tiffany setting. The stone is 4.10 but it is set so low in the setting and a good part of the sides are covered by the spread prongs.
You can barely see the side of the stone. Mainly you see the top.
It is an Ideal cut and faces up white and very sparkly. I wanted a large stone. Originally I wanted a G or H but my stone is large and brilliant and the size makes an impact. A G or H would have cost much more. My husband thought I should get a better color but I am very happy with the I.
If you do buy an I or J, I think the best way to have it set is low in the setting so the sides do not attract from the top.
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I think I speak for everyone when I say... pictures please?
 
For some reason, I can no longer post pictures. I used to be able to do it with my old program. However Mara was kind enough to post some pictures of my ring on I colored platinum. Also there are some pictures that show the lower setting better under my name on Show me the Ring. If anyone can explain to a computer illiterate how to transfer pictures from one site to another, or wants to do it, please feel free to do so.

I have some new, better pictures showing how low the stone sits in the setting and how the prongs cover a good part of the side of the ring and will try to figure out how to post them. I have a new photo program, Picasa 2 and i do not know how to post pictures from that.

Also, this is not a particularly shallow stone, depth is 60. I think Whiteflash did a great job with the stone and the setting. I hope you can see it for yourself.

In the meanwhile i will try to get my impatient husband (although he did pay for the ring) to show me how to post my new pictures. He does not understand the people at Pricescope and how supportive and interested they are. He still thinks posting pictures is showing off.
 

I would like to add that my center stone is I color and the only time I can see that it is near colorless is when I have compared it to E color diamonds most notable Logan Sapphire and NJC. We all have about 3/4 carat center diamonds and I can say that my diamond looks bright and white but just not as crisp as the E color diamonds when compared. In my opinion I think that I color diamonds are one of the best diamond values out there.

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Date: 12/3/2005 7:23:58 PM
Author: prober
After seeing many stones the color is most apparent to me when looking face down and form the sides. It''s
also in my head that its an I or J. I think i am going to stay lookin for a G or H super ideal SI1 (from GOG or whiteflash) with a thin pave band. I feel this will show off the stone. Does anyone have know of any settings similar to ritani or michael B single sided pave (1-2 mm)? Thanks for all your help
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Hi prober...
Just thought I would mention that I am having a pave ring custom made for me and the price for the e-ring in platinum for just the setting is $2100. I have a cushion stone that was a great find from GOG which appraised for $2K more than I bought it for. My cushion is listed as an H but RockDoc appraised my stone and said she is a solid G-H and faces up very white. My stone is also a SI2 in clarity but any of her inclusions are irrelevant to her beauty or integrity. My setting is being made by Topper''s Fine Jewelry in Burlingame, CA. I saw their work here on PS when they created Slammies ring set. Check hers out on the "wanna see some pave?" thread for the full effect. Bill at Topper''s is working with me long distance and I am so excited. The diamonds he uses for the pave are all VS but because of the whiteness of my stone, he told me they will only create a fabulous stage for my cushion center stone to be the star. Also, the ring is thin, 2.3 mm in width. I am also getting 2 wedding bands to embrace the e-ring on either side. Those will be somewhere around 2.4 mm each or so. If you want further info. on Topper''s, you can either pm me or Slammie for details. I am happy to help...
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