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Feedback on a Diamond Purchase

If I was to purchase via an online retailer, would you suggest I first buy the diamond to examine it, and then send it back to have it set? I have been looking on James Allen all day, mainly because they have panorama views of their diamonds. Unless the views they have aren't the actual diamond, I can't imagine I'd see anything better in person than that very, very magnified picture.
 
am0n|1399233758|3666145 said:
If I was to purchase via an online retailer, would you suggest I first buy the diamond to examine it, and then send it back to have it set? I have been looking on James Allen all day, mainly because they have panorama views of their diamonds. Unless the views they have aren't the actual diamond, I can't imagine I'd see anything better in person than that very, very magnified picture.
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Trust me, real life is better. JA does a great job with his videos and pictures, but real life should always be the final decision.

Wink
 
Well. With a round, I personally wouldn't bother to have it sent to me before setting unless I was concerned about something being eyeclean to my eyes. With fancies, I would always advise you see it before setting. Fancies are a different animal.
 
Thanks. Turns out the store I visited isn't open today (there are 3 stores and they all seem to have different days they are open...), so I have to call tomorrow. I'm hoping the cancel is easy, but the pessimist in me believes it's going to be a fight. Here's to hoping.

Good news; GF and I sat down and looked at some settings yesterday. She actually likes simple (but with some metal work), so there is a chance I can easily spend less on the setting and bump up the amount spent on the diamond, remaining within budget and getting a nicer stone.

Someone earlier mentioned WF. I Googled 'WF Diamonds' and there is such a place. Then I saw someone link to "White Flash" and refer to it as WF. Is WF WhiteFlash? And are they rated well, along with James Allen?

Edit: Add. Someone mentioned Feathers earlier in SI1. Should I avoid them? I saw a post about diamond integrity with feathers and low clarity. Are they okay, but avoid on the edge? Is it all irrelevant?
 
I'd look at High Performance Diamond also (WInk's company) he's still having a sale on settings... He also is a vendor here. Good Old Gold.
 
Tekate|1399301312|3666526 said:
I'd look at High Performance Diamond also (WInk's company) he's still having a sale on settings... He also is a vendor here. Good Old Gold.
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Thank you for the shout out Tekate. It is appreciated.

Wink
 
Wink is a total honest gentleman to work with, has beautiful diamonds and a gorgeous presentation box. WF is equally honest hand shows actual pictures of the diamonds. JA, GOG both wonderful vendors. None of them will steer you wrong!
 
High Performance Diamonds (HPD), Brian Gavin Diamonds (BGD), Good Old Gold (GOG), Engagement Rings Direct (ERD), Whiteflash (Whiteflash) and James Allen (JA) are the most frequently recommended vendors on here because of the quality of their stones, their customer service excellence and their settings and other products.

I would highly recommend you spend a couple hours browsing all of their websites and seeing checking them out.

Everyone has their personal favorites on these boards. I do too. But honestly all of the vendors above can get you what you want. So take a look, see what you like and then come back and we'll help you with anything you need.
 
Thanks again. I've looked at all of them (too much!) and sent them off to the GF to look over (turns out I have no idea what she wants... she saw a wedding band she liked and suggested we could just do that as an engagement ring!). I was in touch with Wink earlier, there being a setting on his site that I thought she might like, and so far he's been great about trying to help me find a diamond that works for me and answering my questions. We'll see how the next few days go with me trying to cancel and what the GF thinks and I'll let you guys know what I decide.
 
So I called today and it seemed easy. They didn't fight it and told me they would send me a receipt with the refund via the mail. I haven't seen the credit, yet, but I figure I'll keep an eye on it for the next day or two. So, that's good. Now, I need to figure out the next step. GF threw a curve ball at me yesterday and suggested colored gems like a sapphire instead of a diamond. Oh, boy.
 
Here's hoping the $$$$ is returned promptly -- it sounds promising!

As for a colored stone, e-ring... although PriceScope is best known for being a diamond community, a fair number of us actually much prefer colored gems to diamonds & there is a wonderfully helpful, welcoming ,Colored Stones forum here :))
https://www.pricescope.com/community/forums/colored-stones.11/

The New to coloured gemstone buying? Read this first! "sticky", written by TL, Chrono and JewelFreak, will give you a marvelous orientation. It's pinned near the top of the CS forum's home page, but here's the direct link to it:
https://www.pricescope.com/communit...-gemstone-buying-read-this-first-t174284.html
 
Refund: Get.

Earlier, Gypsy said:

Well one method is to start with a GIA Ex, and then apply the HCA to it. YOU DO NOT USE HCA for AGS0 stones.
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Why is this? Is it just because AGS0 stones only get to be called AGS0 if they are brilliant?

Additionally, I've seen a few places now in these threads people kind of call H the upper end of what they'd recommend in the way of color. That's originally what I had in mind, too. However, at least with the photos I see, I can't really notice much of a difference in an H and I (which I think others mentioned, too). Is an I usually (i.e. AGS or GIA rated) noticeably yellow? Would it be against a white metal like Platinum? Or is it still near-colorless enough that it makes a pretty white stone with an Ideal cut?
 
am0n|1399596445|3668725 said:
Refund: Get.

Earlier, Gypsy said:

Well one method is to start with a GIA Ex, and then apply the HCA to it. YOU DO NOT USE HCA for AGS0 stones.
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Why is this? Is it just because AGS0 stones only get to be called AGS0 if they are brilliant?
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Answer:
John Pollard|1392926535|3619475 said:
HCA usage warnings here: https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/holloway-cut-advisor

In Context

Just imagine that you're trying to get to know someone's looks and personality...

An HCA score is merely like having a chalk outline of the person.
Grading report numbers are like having the person's height, weight and clothing measurements.
An ASET or Ideal-Scope (for RB) image is like having a still photo of the person.
An AGS Platinum "0" in performance is like a panel of judges confirming that the person's personality and looks are solid.
A 3D scan in sophisticated cut-calculation software is like having a video interview with the person.

Eventually, it's a lot of great information. All told it's enough for an experienced cut-specialist to make very detailed performance predictions. But in the end, a live date (dinner & a movie?) will be how you finally judge total personality and looks as you, individually, perceive them.
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You don't need the "chalk outline" of the HCA when you have an AGS0 because the AGS0 is based on the ACTUAL stone being evaluated by the lab. Not just a rough tool that used 4 data points (HCA). The AGS0 trumps the HCA each time.

That said, some AGS0's are better than others. So we DO recommend getting an idealscope image whenever possible. That said, with an AGS 0 if you can't get an idealscope you are still okay because the AGS0 threshold is pretty stringent (although again, there are variations in the range) and it sets a minimum floor.

am0n|1399596445|3668725 said:
Additionally, I've seen a few places now in these threads people kind of call H the upper end of what they'd recommend in the way of color. That's originally what I had in mind, too. However, at least with the photos I see, I can't really notice much of a difference in an H and I (which I think others mentioned, too). Is an I usually (i.e. AGS or GIA rated) noticeably yellow? Would it be against a white metal like Platinum? Or is it still near-colorless enough that it makes a pretty white stone with an Ideal cut?
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Most people are not shopping for themselves on here. They are shopping for someone else AND buying as a surprise. So we advise them to be conservative not knowing the recipient's color tolerances.

For people who are shopping for themselves, we usually advise that they go to a Hearts on Fire dealer for rounds or PS vendor or another local vendor and see stones (of the same shape and cut quality) in person and decide their own color tolerances and follow those.

I personally would be fine with down to an L in certain shapes (OEC and Trannies), but only down to H in others (radiants)... and so forth. But if someone (my husband) was buying for me as a surprise I would hope someone would advise him to be conservative rather than risky.

We usually only recommend I-J's as GIFTS when the person has a certain size they are trying to hit (1 carat or 1.5 or 2 carats) but their budget outstrips their desires... and they tell us SIZE is most important (after cut).
 
Thanks, Gypsy.

I noticed in another thread you recommended a 60/60 (or close to it) stone for someone else. I thought earlier in this thread I was told to go for something closer to like a 62/56 and that anything greater than a 58 table was too large. I'm a bit confused now. Is there a time when a larger table is better?
 
Thinking about color, I found this article. Would you regulars say he is off base? Or do his conclusions make sense (in particular, regarding a platinum solitaire setting)?

http://www.diamonds.pro/truth-about/diamond-color/

Buying an I-color seems more likely to allow me to remain within budget while still getting a nice size, ideal cut and slightly better quality than an H. My understanding is that for your average individual, they wouldn't be able to tell, and I think that is what I got earlier in the thread, but am a little less sure now.
 
am0n|1399638666|3668959 said:
Thanks, Gypsy.

I noticed in another thread you recommended a 60/60 (or close to it) stone for someone else. I thought earlier in this thread I was told to go for something closer to like a 62/56 and that anything greater than a 58 table was too large. I'm a bit confused now. Is there a time when a larger table is better?
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60/60 stones are usually discounted as finding a good one (if you don't know what angles to look for) is hard. Many of them are not good. BUT when you get a good one, the depth means they are usually spready, and they are very bright stones, though different in style to a Tolkowsky proportions more commonly preferred.

Here's the difference between two equally good performers, but one is a 60/60 and the other is a Tolk.
Gypsy|1399675284|3669308 said:
Stive85|1399672441|3669281 said:
Do you notice how the ... 60/60 stone has skinnier arrows than the other [one]? These stones are gorgeous and I personally love the style, they will give off more flashy white light brilliance instead of the colored light return of a traditional tolk. The other diamond... has a smaller table and thicker arrows so you might see a bit more colored light instead of blinding white light.

You really can't go wrong, it's a personal preference now. This shouldn't worry you though, because any choice you make is going to be fabulous and you won't be disappointed. Let us know what you decide!
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:wavey:
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That's why I don't use the "cheat sheet" except for people shopping in person with a non-PS jeweler who is searching for stones for them. It is WAY too restrictive and throws out a TON of good stones. If you can, just use the HCA. And even that is very restrictive. So if you with a vendor that has idealscope I say that 2.1-2.5 are fine scores (usually it's only 2 and under), because the idealscope will weed out the bad, and let you keep the good.


You'll notice that in my first post I told you to use the HCA. NOT to rule out anything with a 58 table, or whatever that someone else may have. Because frankly, there's no point in throwing out perfectly good stones as long you work with a vendor that can provide you with an idealscope.

OK?
 
am0n|1399677985|3669349 said:
Thinking about color, I found this article. Would you regulars say he is off base? Or do his conclusions make sense (in particular, regarding a platinum solitaire setting)?

http://www.diamonds.pro/truth-about/diamond-color/

Buying an I-color seems more likely to allow me to remain within budget while still getting a nice size, ideal cut and slightly better quality than an H. My understanding is that for your average individual, they wouldn't be able to tell, and I think that is what I got earlier in the thread, but am a little less sure now.
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He's telling you his opinion. Opinions are NOT WRONG.

But do I agree with him? No.

Cut is king. Color is preference.

If you are buying for someone else, unless you KNOW size is what matters most, it is best to play it safe. This is why communication is what we recommend, and going to see colors for yourself.

Also, you never know what deals you can get. So why limit yourself. This person just bought an E [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/0-91ct-e-vs2-views-from-members-gratefully-received.201796/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/0-91ct-e-vs2-views-from-members-gratefully-received.201796/[/URL]

Now I normally think that E is a waste of money. But when I did a search on similar sized and clarity stones, G and F didn't save him very much at all (couple hundred, if that). So why shouldn't he buy a super white E stone?

No reason. In fact it's smart that for a couple hundred (which obviously is in budget for him) to get the higher color.

Buying a diamond is about balance. Very few people have the budget to get a D IF Idealcut of whatever size they want.

How you balance Cut Quality, Shape, Color, Clarity, and Carat is personal. We can only advise and edudcate. Ultimately... it's up to the person spending the money to make the choice of how the balance things.
 
I agree with just about everything here except for color. While cut is the most important by far in colorless RBs I would definitely recommend as high a color grade as possible. I am not sure why people are sacrificing color so much or that is the advice given here. I do think color is of great importance and it definitely affects brilliance a great deal; an E or F are not a waste at all, their icy white color will add to the sparkle a lot. As I have said on here before I do own a J/K as well but if I was looking for an engagement diamond I would go as high as possible. Also, today there is a premium on G-H stones in many cases because of the increased demand. It is worth going higher in color to E/F. Going down in clarity is much better; I would personally much rather have a great I1 and yes they exist but you need to have knowledge to know which ones they are and see them IRL with a high color and a superb cut. Cut for sure is what matters the most. Lower color grades do have a lot of appeal for sure but to be sure for an engagement ring I would not pick them unless the recipient definitely likes their color. Also, you do not need to see videos, 3Ds, etc. with the correct paperwork, and a great return policy.
 
I just read your testimonial for HPD. Your ring is classic and beautiful, and being from a family of avid tabletop gamers, can I just say that I love, love, love how you proposed!!! :appl: Too perfect!

Hmmmm...I need a subtle way to get my H to read this so he can get ideas for gift presentation...

I haven't had the pleasure of dealing with Wink myself, but my husband has recently, and echoed all of your sentiments about the great and friendly service.

Congratulations!
 
Thanks, Evangeline! She's isn't as big of a gamer as I, but every now and then I find one that she can really get into. I just wanted to make sure the proposal included a bit of my personality.
 
Congrats and thanks for coming back in to update! Photos looks great and I'm glad you had a good experience. :wavey:
 
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