Having trouble making a decision...

[chumbawumba]

Would appreciate your commentary on the following choices....not likely a candidate to upgrade, if that helps.

Truthfully I'd rather not spend more than 20 pre-tax, but I've seen a WF stone and they're great. My question is...how much am I really sacrificing by going with one of the other options that have nice proportions, but aren't in the top 0.1% of optical symm? I also realize there are less expensive WF options, but I think I like the heft of a 7.6mm stone.

1.7 H VS1 $21k

Diamond | 1.71 ct H VS1 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond GIA Certified | 4583258

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 1.71 carat H color VS1 clarity loose diamond is graded by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). | 4583258

www.whiteflash.com

1.6 D VS2 $19k
JA True Hearts

1.61 Carat round diamond

This True Hearts TM diamond, 1.61 carat D color vs2 clarity has ideal proportions and a diamond grading report from AGS

www.jamesallen.com

1.7 G VS1 $18k (edit: missed the cavities on this...those seem like a bad idea)

1.73 Carat round diamond

This 1.73 carat round diamond G color vs1 clarity has Ideal proportions and a diamond grading report from AGS

www.jamesallen.com

(idealscope and h&a images attached)

 

[MissGotRocks]

There is really no way to quantify the difference in diamonds to say 1% better or 10% better. You also are not comparing apples to apples in terms of color or clarity, Is one of those more important to you than the other? You know the pros and cons of ordering from Whiteflash vs. James Allen and their trade up policies. They are both beautiful diamonds but ultimately, the choice is up to you. Color, clarity, budget - which of these factors is most important to you?

 

[lovedogs]

I agree there isnt any way to quantify. Its definitely up to you. For me personally, if I were spending 20k then I'd want something with a perfect cut and would be willing to pay an extra 2k to have that assurance. But that's just my view

 

[lulu_ma]

What about this stone? Ask WF to do a side by side comparison for you. This one looks like a high I color. If you love it, you will be below budget.

Diamond | 1.72 ct I VS1 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond GIA Certified | 4583267

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 1.72 carat I color VS1 clarity loose diamond is graded by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). | 4583267

www.whiteflash.com

 

[momofive]

I agree with Lulu_ma. Compare the 2 WF stones and go with one of those.

 

[headlight]

I cannot emphasize it enough… a TRUE super ideal (Whiteflash ACA, BGD) is worth either spending a little more if you can swing it (go out to dinner less!) or going down a little in one of the other C’s. I have BGD, ACA, and 3X. The 3X is close… it’s hard to explain but close just isn’t the same, there’s no comparison. And if you go WF and have to go a little smaller you can upgrade easily without taking a financial loss and get your desired size later. In the meantime you will be mesmerized by the size you get. As example, you are looking at 1.7 ct.-ish… my ACA studs are 90-some-pointers each… they are seen across the room. (They are also E color but still…). People comment all the time and they are each tiny by comparison to what you are looking at. You have no idea how bummed other women are who are wearing studs, often much larger, around me and everyone fawns over mine and nothing is said about the other womens’ studs! When I wear my BDG solitaire martini pendant people literally do not look at my face when I’m speaking with them… they are looking at the diamond ar the base of my neck. Go for the definitive super ideal. There is a reason for the price difference!

 

[sledge]

IMO, you’ve got so many different variables it feels like you’re comparing apples to oranges.

This is still off balance but closer.

Diamond | 1.602 ct G VS1 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond AGS Certified | 4553596

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 1.602 carat G color VS1 clarity loose diamond is graded by the American Gem Society (AGS) Laboratories. | 4553596

www.whiteflash.com

With a wire price of $20,603 it gets you a little closer to your comfort zone. You may ask WF where it falls in the G range. If it was a near F then it starts becoming even a better comparison against the JA 1.61 D/VS2. Proportionally the WF 1.602 G/VS1 stone is better and will have more/bigger fire — 55.9 table, 61.5 depth, 34.4/40.8, 77 LGF’s and 15.1 CH.

Another thing I noticed is the JA 1.61 stone has some manipulation of the girdle that shows up on the ASET. I believe such manipulation would preclude it from ACA status if a WF stone and instead make it a “near” miss Expert Select. While I don’t think this is the end of the world it does affect pricing dynamics as the ES line is normally discounted more than the ACA line.



At the end of the day while I do really like the D color of the JA stone I believe the WF has more going for it and a better bang for the buck in the long haul. Plus you don’t have to play the “what if” game for not buying the high performance model.

Short diversion. Several months back I bought my wife a new SUV. We got the turbo charged version with all the bells & whistles. Frankly, the only thing I disliked was the price. However, having owned it a bit I can assuredly say the performance and handling is what makes the car and I would have wasted 90% of the money had I bought the next model down. YMMV.

Good luck!