Expert Opinion on IdealScope

[LoubieLove]

I finally received the IS image from James Allen of the stone I have on hold. It looks ok except for some extra black in the lower left part of the table. The gemologist said this would not affect the appearance of the diamond. What exactly is that and should I be concerned? It is graded AGS Ideal but I want to make sure this isn't a bad thing before I purchase it.

Thank you in advance!

 

[c-k]

I finally received the IS image from James Allen of the stone I have on hold. It looks ok except for some extra black in the lower left part of the table. The gemologist said this would not affect the appearance of the diamond. What exactly is that and should I be concerned? It is graded AGS Ideal but I want to make sure this isn't a bad thing before I purchase it.

Thank you in advance!

Post the AGSL lab report...if it is an Ideal, light performance is already factored.

 

[LoubieLove]

Here is the AGS report.

 

[tyty333]

Can you post a link to the stone also?

 

[LoubieLove]

Can you post a link to the stone also?

James Allen has removed the link to the stone. I'm sure I could request a picture of it.

 

[LoubieLove]

Not sure if the link will work so I posted the image as well.

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.58-carat-i-color-vvs1-clarity-ideal-cut-sku-247536

 

[LoubieLove]

My understanding is that the darkness in the stone is the contrast. That happens to be my favorite part about diamonds. My worry is that when you see the extra darkness in the bottom left hand corner, it will appear as a dark spot. Almost like an inclusion. Does that make sense? I am VERY hesitant to purchase until I know more. All other aspects of this stone are great in my opinion.

 

[ame]

The concern I have is that something is "off" in that same spot in the photo, in the IdealScope and in the ASET. So in the photo it's not in the same original orientation, but at like 5:00 or so, there's a little extra darkness there...I dunno...Im not so sure about this stone.

 

[LoubieLove]

That was my thought as well. I'm thinking I should pass. I still have the other stone on hold at JA. It is a H&A so it already has IS images.

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.53-carat-i-color-vvs2-clarity-ideal-cut-sku-164439

 

[LoubieLove]

That was my thought as well. I'm thinking I should pass. I still have the other stone on hold at JA. It is a H&A so it already has IS images.

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.53-carat-i-color-vvs2-clarity-ideal-cut-sku-164439

 

[ame]

I like this one better, as you know, but the price increase is kind of painful considering you've already invested quite significantly.

 

[c-k]

I like this one better, as you know, but the price increase is kind of painful considering you've already invested quite significantly.

I agree, I also like this one a tiny bit better...I really think either one would be a beautiful stone, both are Ideal cut. I would guess what that ASET shows on the first stone is not noticeable to the human eye.

 

[JulieN]

What is the price you are paying for VVS?

It is an AGS 0 with HCA of 1.0. It is an excellent stone. JA has free shipping both ways I think so just check it out for yourself.

 

[LoubieLove]

What is the price you are paying for VVS?

It is an AGS 0 with HCA of 1.0. It is an excellent stone. JA has free shipping both ways I think so just check it out for yourself.

1.58 VVS1 just under $13k
1.53 VVS2 H&A just under $14k

My boyfriend ordered a $5k Tacori setting so we are already up to $18k with the 1.58. He doesn't really WANT to spend the extra thousand but will do so if someone (other than myself) convinces him it is worth it.

 

[LoubieLove]

I haven't ruled out this one either. It scores a 2.0 on the HCA but I'm not sure that matters with an AGS Ideal.

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3048658.htm#

 

[c-k]

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3048658.htm

Here is a I VS1 1.57 AGSL Ideal just under 13K

EDIT: Sorry, I see you just posted that one...and you are correct the HCA is not in use

 

[YoungPapa]

Hi guys,

As a vendor, I'm prohibited from offering any specific comment on my diamonds or those from other vendors. For that reason, consider this post to be generic in nature. If I've crossed any line, I'm sure the moderators will let me know

There is no doubt that over the past few years, the quality of macro imagery has improved dramatically. We've come to a point where it's expected (especially around here) for vendors to provide extremely detailed diamond images, often 10/20/40x actual size, and using a variety of different filters, angles, etc. I'm a big proponent of these technologies, and would go as far as saying we've pioneered the use of macro imaging (and now video) to bring consumers closer to diamonds than even I would have believed possible a decade ago.

With that said, however, I think it's becoming much more difficult for consumers to scale (or interpret) those images and how they relate to real life. A crystal that may be truly 'invisible' in real life, the high contrast arrows that are really just faint silver slivers to the eye, or the 'bulbous' prongs from a ring that may actually be no larger than a mustard seed are all examples of this lack of scale, or 'exaggeration of truth'.

I bring this up not as an effort to excuse or accept mediocrity in jewelry or offensive inclusions in diamonds. To the contrary, I think these images, complimented by the increasingly available amount of cut information available to customers have made buying a truly 'nice' diamond easier than ever before. Still, I think it's the responsibility of vendors to translate those images into meaningful information, and an opportunity for the forum to make sure that 'nice' diamonds aren't rejected because of nuance that has no bearing in real life.

Another, possibly less eloquent way of saying this (that I first heard from a Texan), is not get too caught up 'picking fly sh!t out of pepper'.

As always, all the best.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I will have to agree about us overanalyzing images sometimes. It is just easier to choose one that is clear cut (no pun intended) when the actual stones aren't present for us to compare. That's the only downside to internet shopping, we have to depend on the images for selection, and they are also very important if we ever decide to resell.

While I think the JA stone is probably fine, my tendency would be to take the WF stone. It has excellent images and VS1 is very clean. (It is $12,820 with PS/wire discounts. Didn't know if your screen is showing the discounts or not.)

 

[LoubieLove]

Thank you for your input. I agree that it is very easy to nitpick at these magnified images and find things that may not be visible to the naked eye. With that being said, my boyfriend and I still rely on these images to help make a decision since we can't see the actual stone before we make a purchase.

I'm still not sure which stone we are going to buy. I have said it before in a couple of other threads and I will say it again...we REALLY prefer to keep working with JA. Yes, they already have $13k of my boyfriend's money and it makes the process easier. But more importantly, their customer service has been phenomenal and we would have a hard time taking our business elsewhere. I am expecting a call from Adam at JA today regarding this stone. I'm hoping to get a little more information from him.

Thanks again for all of the advice! I will update when we make a decision.