First Post - buying a loose diamond for an engagement ring

[obakesan]

Hello All,

I hope i am posting this in the right section, and some of you veterans can help me out. I have been working on buying a loose diamond for an engagement ring for about a month now and just want to ensure that I am making the correct decision. After reading as much as I can on the forum and scouring various you tube sites to learn about buying loose diamonds from brokers I am getting closer to pulling the trigger.

I have about a 10K budget for the stone and another 3k for the setting. I have located a family friend who has given me a couple of good offers in my budget and was hoping you guys might be able to give me some advise as to if this seems like a good deal. I have seen both of the stones in person and they both look nice for the price although I think i can see an inclusion without magnification on the GIA stone

After seeing some of the pricing on pricescope I am starting to think the pricing may be inflated. Please help me out and let me know what you think.

Thanks,

Obakesan


1.) GIA CERT - $10,500 - round
Measurements 7.17 - 7.22 x 4.39 mm
Carat Weight 1.40 carat
Color Grade J
Clarity Grade SI2
Cut Grade Excellent
Depth 61.0 %
Table 58 %
Crown Angle 35.0°
Crown Height 14.5%
Pavilion Angle 40.6°
Pavilion Depth 43.0%
Star Length 50%
Lower Half 75%
Girdle Thin to Medium, Faceted, 3.5%
Culet None
Polish Excellent
Symmetry Very Good
Fluorescence None
Clarity Characteristics Feather, Crystal, Extra Facet

2.) EGL USA CERT - $9,400
Cut (Shape and Style) ROUND BRILLIANT
Carat Weight 1.21 CT
Clarity Grade VS2
Color Grade I
Cut Grade IDEAL PLUS
Measurements 6.83 x 6.79 x 4.24 mm
Table 56%
Depth 62.3%
Crown Height 15.9%
Crown Angle 36°
Pavilion Depth 42.9%
Pavilion Angle 40.7°
Girdle MEDIUM TO SL. THICK FACETED
Polish EXCELLENT
Symmetry EXCELLENT

 

[Gypsy]

Re: First Post - buying a loose diamond for an engagement ri

NO on the EGL. Read this: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/egl-certification-are-any-of-them-ok.142863/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/egl-certification-are-any-of-them-ok.142863/[/URL]

The GIA stone has good numbers. Although the eyeclean thing is not something I'd be happy with.


The entire purpose of faceting a diamond is to reflect light.
How well or how poorly a diamond does this determines how beautiful it is.
How well a diamond performs is determined by the angles and cutting. This is why we say cut is king.
No other factor: not color, not clarity has as much of an impact on the appearance of a diamond as its cut. An ideal H will out white a poorly cut F. And GIA Ex is not enough.
So how to we ensure that we have the right angles and cutting to get the light performance we want?
https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/diamond-cut
Well one method is to start with a GIA Ex, and then apply the HCA to it.
https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/holloway-cut-advisor
The HCA is a rejection tool. Not a selection tool. It uses 4 data points to make a rudimentary call on how the diamond may perform.
If the diamond passes then you know that you are in the right zone in terms of angles for light performance.
Is that enough? Not really.
So what you need is a way to check actual light performance of your actual stone.
That's what an idealscope image does. https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/firescope-idealscope
It shows you how and wear your diamond is reflecting light, how well it is going at it, and where you are losing light return. That is why you won't see us recommending Blue Nile, as they do not provide idealscope images for their diamonds. James Allen and WF do.

The Idealscope is the 'selection tool'. Not the HCA.
So yes, with a GIA stone you need the idealscope images. Or you can buy an idealscope yourself and take it in to the jeweler you are working with to check the stones yourself. Or if you have a good return policy (full refund minimum 7 days) then you can buy the idealscope, buy the stone, and do it at home.


Now if you want to skip all that... stick to AGS0 stones and then all you have to do is pick color and clarity and you know you have a great performing diamond. Because AGS has already done the checking for you. That's why they trade at a premium.

 

[Gypsy]

Re: First Post - buying a loose diamond for an engagement ri

And yes. The pricing you are being given is VERY HIGH. This is a close comparable: http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.40-carat-j-color-si2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-216232 So you are paying THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS TOO MUCH. I hate to see how much your family friend overcharges strangers!

See this: http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.35-carat-h-color-si1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-282329 H SI 1.35 $9,550 This is VERY NICE. And VERY budget friendly. Higher color, higher clarity. Confirmed light performance.

60day no questions asked full refund return policy. Plus they pay return shipping if you decide not to keep it. Plus there is a buy back and trade in policy.

I think it's time you say no to your friend and yes to what pricescope can do for you.

 

[Gypsy]

Re: First Post - buying a loose diamond for an engagement ri

Here's a beauty.

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.41-carat-i-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-280752 GIA. Excellent numbers. HCA is a pass. James Allen can provide you with an idealscope image. The color is "I" and the clarity is VS1!!! And it's STILL CHEAPER THAN WHAT YOUR "FRIEND" IS OFFERING YOU at 1.41 carats (same size as the J SI2 he is offering you).

I mean, seriously. Look at that stone. It's freaking gorgeous. And again, cheaper than the one he is offering you.

And here's number three: http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.35-carat-h-color-si1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-268314 H color. SI1 clarity that looks eyeclean (they can confirm that for you). Numbers are good. They will provide you with an idealscops image. And it saves you ONE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS over the J with the eye visible inclusion.

 

[Gypsy]

Re: First Post - buying a loose diamond for an engagement ri

Just because I was curious I searched for comparable to the EGL diamond you posted as well. Just to see how far off the pricing you were given was on that stone.

You were quoted: $9,400

I stuck only to PS vendors. There was cheaper pricing on other sites. But I wanted a vendor that I was familiar with (which was hard cause most of our better vendors do not carry EGL diamonds).

http://www.solomonbrothers.com/Dialog.aspx?ImageUrl=http://certs.rapnet.com/userfolders/23267/Certs/D20198A.jpg This stone is listed at $6,473 at Solomon Brothers (their website is weird) you might have to make the pic of the lab report smaller so you can see it. It matches you stone in every way. Ideal cut per the EGL standards. Hearts and arrows. And I VS2 and 1.2 carats.

SO that's THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS ($2927) THERE TOO!

Either way this guy makes A LOT of money overcharging you.

 

[obakesan]

Re: First Post - buying a loose diamond for an engagement ri

Gypsy, thank you for giving me your incite. As i had suspected, the diamonds offered are indefinately over priced. I hope this was not the intent of my broker friend. Either way it does not seem that i will be making either of the purchases.

I have always been told to stay away from purchasing a diamond you cant see with your own eye first from online dealers. I have heard the blue nile was especially poor for not fully representing the stones they carry. I would appreciate it if you or anyone else can give me some reccomendations to shopping online for stones safely.

Again, thanks for your valuable incite.

-obakesan

 

[Gypsy]

Re: First Post - buying a loose diamond for an engagement ri

Gypsy, thank you for giving me your incite. As i had suspected, the diamonds offered are indefinately over priced. I hope this was not the intent of my broker friend. Either way it does not seem that i will be making either of the purchases.

I have always been told to stay away from purchasing a diamond you cant see with your own eye first from online dealers. I have heard the blue nile was especially poor for not fully representing the stones they carry. I would appreciate it if you or anyone else can give me some reccomendations to shopping online for stones safely.

Again, thanks for your valuable incite.

-obakesan

You are more than welcome. I'm happy to help.
Let's start here:

Where are you located? We have many wonderful vendors. But some are better with international transactions. And some have stores where you can see stones in person, if they are close to you.