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Help need: upgrade a 1 ct diamond from bluenile

uyalison

uyalison

Shiny_Rock
Premium
Joined
Dec 31, 2014
Messages
250
I am in the process of upgrading my 1 ct diamond from blue nile.

so many people from here recommend whiteflash's ACA, very convincing. However if I were to trade in my diamond, I will have to take a loss on the diamond, and they said they cannot reuse my existing setting (https://www.bluenile.com/build-your...ing_49885?elem=img&track=product&vtype=sample) even though the ring is specified to accommodate up to 5 ct. So before I go down their route, if anyone can help me find a diamond from bluenile as good as a ACA from whiteflash. Thank you in advance.

This is my wish list:
color at least J
faint or none fluorescent
mind clean vs1 and above
an ideal cut matches ACA from white flash.

since for bluenile, every upgrade has to be minimally double the price. My existing 1ct is 5600 USD (I, VVS1, GIA triple EX, none fluorescent). so I am looking to spent at least double that maybe up to 12,000 - 13,000 USD.

I am looking at the diamond selection from bluenile, for something matches ACA, does it have to be bluenile's Astor ideal, or can I find something from the ideal cut selection, I just need to check the diamond spec myself and pluck them into HCA tool?

Thank you!
 
Nothing from BN will be "as good" as WF in that WF are precision cut and super-ideal. If you want a super-ideal, you won't find that at BN. Their Astor line are not precision cut, they are akin to the JA TH -- they pull stones within certain specs and slap a label on them.

We may be able to find a solid performing ideal cut diamond that performs well. The other challenge with BN is that they won't provide ASET, so we'll need to stay well within good performing ranges. Then, you can take your own ASET.

Can you post the proportions of the diamond you presently own, so that we can see what you are used to looking at?
 
mrsgreeneyes said:
The listing is saying that the ring can accommodate up to 5ct, but how that works is they will use a different head depending on the size of the stone. The head for a .75ct diamond will be much smaller than the head for a 5ct diamond.
Click to expand...

Thanks mrsgreeneyes.

I have upgraded my ring once from 0.5 ct to 1.0 ct with bluenile. When we did the upgrade, I ask the lady at the phone if I need a new setting ,and she said the setting can accommodate up to 5 ct. So you are saying they use a different head on the same shank when I upgrade from 0.5 to 1? They didn't charge me anything for the setting. Interesting. I should ask bluenile about it. I was hoping to keep the setting.
 
rockysalamander said:
Nothing from BN will be "as good" as WF in that WF are precision cut and super-ideal. If you want a super-ideal, you won't find that at BN. Their Astor line are not precision cut, they are akin to the JA TH -- they pull stones within certain specs and slap a label on them.

We may be able to find a solid performing ideal cut diamond that performs well. The other challenge with BN is that they won't provide ASET, so we'll need to stay well within good performing ranges. Then, you can take your own ASET.

Can you post the proportions of the diamond you presently own, so that we can see what you are used to looking at?
Click to expand...

thank you rockysalamander.
I have attached my GIA report.
 

Attachments

I forgot to mention I am looking for a round, hoping for a 1.5+ ct this time around. Thank you.
 
uyalison said:
HCA give this one a 1.8
Light Return Excellent
Fire Excellent
Scintillation Very Good
Spread or diameter for weight Very Good

https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-de...ATIONS&track=viewDiamondDetails&action=newTab

It does have 360 degree picture. Can the expert on the forum help me take a look please?

Thanks,
Click to expand...

It looks fairly decent. The CA is a little high at 36.0, but with the smaller table and higher depth this may work with a 40.6 PA. Would probably perform about the same (and maybe a bit better due to the smaller table) than your current diamond.

Are you happy with your current diamond and just looking for a size increase? Would you be willing to go down in color for the size increase? The jump from I to J can be fairly large, particularly if this diamond turns out to be lower on the J spectrum. Many people can begin to see warmth in J colors when set in White Gold/Platinum.

Ask BlueNile if they can provide an IdealScope image for this diamond. I know they won't provide ASET, but you can get a pretty good idea of light leakage from a good IdealScope image.
 
I hope BN will change their policy and offer IS or ASET for rounds. You can cross look on B2C and Enchanted Diamonds. They often have the same stones with more images.

I concur about dropping from I to J. Have you seen a diamond around this size in a J and felt ok with them. With BN, once you decide on an upgrade, you send them your stone and its gone. If you don't like the upgrade, you can keep looking, but your current stone is already gone.

In terms of WF, have you gotten a price from them for a trade-in? While you may get less from them up-front, you don't have to double the cost for the upgrade and would lock into their very generous upgrade plan for the future (if you can see yourself wanting that).
 
thank you rockysalamander.
No, I haven't seen a J stone. I am fore-warned. I think I am okay with a little more warmth in the stone. when I first go my 1 ct, I saw a hint of yellow in it, as compare to my previous 0.5 ct I stone. I was surprised, but I am okay with.
I have emailed whiteflash my GIA report, and waiting for them to give me estimate. I am okay to go down that route.
 
thank you TreeScientist.

I want to get a ideal cut diamond this time. It sounds like this is not it.
https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-de...ATIONS&track=viewDiamondDetails&action=newTab
I am very happy with my stone, other than wishing it is slightly bigger. I think it is very sparkly. But after been here researching for the next upgrade, I am very curious about the ideal cut. And I have seen youtube video compare ideal cut versus not as ideal cut, the fire, oh mine. That is what I am hoping for.

So it sound like to get an ideal cut, the easiest route is white flash isn't it. I am guaranteed an ideal cut?
 
When you get the offer for your trade in, be aware that you must spend double what the offer is since it is not a wf stone. On any future upgrades you will only have to go above the price of the stone you are trading in. I wouldn't hesitate to go with wf as you will get a top of the line cut with awesome customer service and a great upgrade policy.
 
Also, depending on what WF offers you for your current stone, you could try selling the whole ring on loupetroop or diamondbistro (since it would be hard to work with your current setting anyway if you were to go much larger. Any vendor would need to add a new head). Your current stone and setting is very nice. I'm sure you could get about $4500-5000 on one of those sites, especially if your ring is in one of the popular sizes (between 5-7)
 
rockysalamander said:
Nothing from BN will be "as good" as WF in that WF are precision cut and super-ideal. If you want a super-ideal, you won't find that at BN. Their Astor line are not precision cut, they are akin to the JA TH -- they pull stones within certain specs and slap a label on them.

We may be able to find a solid performing ideal cut diamond that performs well. The other challenge with BN is that they won't provide ASET, so we'll need to stay well within good performing ranges. Then, you can take your own ASET.

Can you post the proportions of the diamond you presently own, so that we can see what you are used to looking at?
Click to expand...

Although I mostly agree, I'll slightly disagree and just say that while BN/JA's stones are not cut in-house, there are some stones that you could find that would be akin to a WF Expert Selection or Premium Select. In fact, some people have traded in their BN diamonds that have then made it to WF's Premium Select line (@mrs-b's gorgeous 3.61 comes to mind first). So as RS said, we may be able to find a solid performing ideal cut diamond from BN, but it requires a LOT more cherry picking than buying from WF!
 
ac117 said:
Although I mostly agree, I'll slightly disagree and just say that while BN/JA's stones are not cut in-house, there are some stones that you could find that would be akin to a WF Expert Selection or Premium Select. In fact, some people have traded in their BN diamonds that have then made it to WF's Premium Select line (@mrs-b's gorgeous 3.61 comes to mind first). So as RS said, we may be able to find a solid performing ideal cut diamond from BN, but it requires a LOT more cherry picking than buying from WF!
Click to expand...

Very true. I just purchased an AGS 0 from James Allen, and while it may not meet the standards for WF's A Cut Above line, I'm sure it would be on the Expert Selection or Premium Select level.

Keep in mind that your current stone is already very nice, as is the 1.76 you're considering (if you're OK with the J color). They're already within the top 2-3% of all diamonds on the market, so we're really talking about small differences here between these stones and an ACA. Is there a difference? Sure. But it may not be as large of a difference as you're imagining IRL.

If it would be too much of a hassle (or you would need to take too much of a loss) on your current stone to go with a WF, and if this will be your last upgrade, it may be worth seeking out a stone in BlueNile's inventory that meets the criteria outlined on PriceScope for excellent cut diamonds. I would still recommend going the WF route if you ever see yourself upgrading again though, as their upgrade policy is excellent.
 
Last edited:
ac117 said:
There are a bunch of very nice looking stones at BN for your budget and criteria. And just in case you really wanted to maximize your size and budget, these are slightly over $13k but you get 2ct :halo::
:love: https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-de...AMONDS&track=viewDiamondDetails&action=newTab
https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-de...AMONDS&track=viewDiamondDetails&action=newTab
Click to expand...

Excellent find @ac117! I love this one:
https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-de...AMONDS&track=viewDiamondDetails&action=newTab

If you're OK with J color, this would be an excellent choice to get to the magic 2 carat mark. Those angles are damn-near perfect from a cut perspective, and the video looks great as well.
 
Thank you ceg, TreeScientist, ac117 for all the suggestion. Really appreciated it.

https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-de...AMONDS&track=viewDiamondDetails&action=newTab
gets a 1.4 from HCA tool:
Light Return Excellent
Fire Excellent
Scintillation Excellent
Spread or diameter for weight Very Good
WOW!

Would that be considered an ideal cut, equivalent to a ACA? However I am looking at the blown up video and picture, those inclusion on the table are staring right at me. would I be able to see them with my naked eye. That would bother me if that is the case.

Thanks,
 
White flash just got back to me. They said maybe 4000-4300 aprrox. No surprises there.

Before I saw @ac117's find, I took another look at whiteflash, and found this one.
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3947623.htm
It also gets a 1.4 from HCA tool (as the one @ac117 found for me)
Light Return Excellent
Fire Excellent
Scintillation Excellent
Spread or diameter for weight Very Good
it is 13710 (wire)
I like this one because it is an ACA, and the inclusion are not on the table.

The Bluenile one that @ac117 found for me is 13454 (wire), similar price but bigger. Now I am a bit stuck at wanting an ideal cut. So if the bluenile one is considered an ideal cut and eye-clean. I am pretty much sold.

Thanks,
Alison
 
uyalison said:
Thank you ceg, TreeScientist, ac117 for all the suggestion. Really appreciated it.

https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-de...AMONDS&track=viewDiamondDetails&action=newTab
gets a 1.4 from HCA tool:
Light Return Excellent
Fire Excellent
Scintillation Excellent
Spread or diameter for weight Very Good
WOW!

Would that be considered an ideal cut, equivalent to a ACA? However I am looking at the blown up video and picture, those inclusion on the table are staring right at me. would I be able to see them with my naked eye. That would bother me if that is the case.

Thanks,
Click to expand...

The BN stone has very safe numbers but GIA rounds their measurements so the only way to tell would be to buy it and take an ASET yourself or send it straight to an independent PS recommended appraiser who could evaluate the stone and take the light return images for you. The inclusion is white and I wouldn't be too concerned about it. My former stone was a 1.81 was a couple of very small black crystals under the table and I could only see them from the side from a couple of inches away.

The safest bet to getting an ideal cut is going with that WF stone - they also have a MUCH better upgrade policy, too, so you could gradually get to 2+ carats down the line!
 
I have reserved the bluenile diamond that @ac117 found for me.
 
uyalison said:
I have reserved the bluenile diamond that @ac117 found for me.
Click to expand...

Keeping in mind that you would be taking about a $1500 loss on your current diamond, not to mention getting an entirely new ring, if you go the WF route, I would recommend the BlueNile stone. I doubt the inclusion on the table would be visible from normal viewing distances since it's clear (the 20X videos tend to over-exaggerate what an inclusion will look like in real life). And $2700-3000 less (I'm factoring in $500-800 for a new platinum solitaire ring from WF) for a .2mm larger diamond seems like a no-brainer to me.

The angles for the BlueNile stone are VERY safe, meaning they are right in the middle of the parameters recommended on this site. Even with GIA rounding, this diamond will undoubtedly perform well.

But you still haven't answered the question: Will this be your final upgrade? If you see yourself upgrading again in the future, then the WF route may be the way to go, as doubling the cost from a $13,000 stone on BlueNile would be very difficult, and it's hard to sell larger stones on the independent market (since most people are in the market for 1 carat stones). In the end, only you can make this decision though. :)
 
Thank you TreeScientist. I just missed your comments. I think I would be happy with a 2.0 as my final upgrade. Also sadly I think I have my heart set on getting an ACA from white flash now. =)

I would be interested in a J VS2 around 2 ct around 20,000, but they don't have one in that range right now. I think my expectation of ACA diamond might be too over hyped right now. I am afraid I might be disappointed once I see it, taking the loss on my existing ring. So I think maybe it is wise to take baby steps, and get something in the 10,000+ range and go from there. I am even thinking maybe I should just order the diamond with the ring from white flash, without trading in my existing ring, just to make sure ACA is what I want. If I am not happy with it, I will just return it. If I am happy with it, I will trade in my ring with them, and they will refund me the trade in amount.
 
uyalison said:
so in regard to what I said about 10,000+ range, can someone give me opinion on this one:
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3947714.htm

I prefer not to have inclusion on the table.
Click to expand...

I totally understand how you feel. And I think ordering from WF just to see would be a good option. I really like the I color you posted. Honestly, if you already see a bit of warmth in your current I color, I would be VERY hesitant to recommend a J color to you, especially in a diamond over 1.5 carat and set in a platinum solitaire where the side profile would be visible. I would hate for you to get it and go "Oh god, this stone is yellow!"

And, as I said above, I would actually put out feelers for your current ring on the private sale sites like Loupetroop if you decide to go the WF route. Well-cut 1 carat solitaires in platinum are EXTREMELY popular, so I think you could sell it rather quickly on there. List it at $5500 and see if you get any bites (and take any offer around $5000). :)
 
Hi @uyalison! I previously owned a 1.5ct J SI1 Hearts on Fire diamond and wanted to upgrade to 2ct but was way too expensive. Instead, I went through Whiteflash and got a 1.8ct J VS2 ACA. Eventually, I was able to upgrade to a 2.3ct J VS2 ACA. I thought I was done upgrading but the warmth/tint of the "J" color was a lot more noticeable so I ended up upgrading to a 2.9 I VS1 ACA. All of this was possible because of the awesome upgrade policy of Whiteflash. You will not regret going with Whiteflash if you decide to go this route!!!
 
You might also look at HighPerformanceDiamonds and BrianGavin. Just to see all super idealoptions. VC is also superideal, but I can't recall upgrade policy.
 
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