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How low can you go - color and clarity?

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sarapm1104

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jul 12, 2013
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I am curious about opinions on the lowest grade color/clarity for still achieving a clean/clear/high-end look but not stressing the budget as much. From my research, I've determined that cut is non-negotiable for me so I definitely want ideal, but curious about opinions on clarity and color. I'm looking for a round solitaire 1.25-1.75 carat for an engagement ring.

Thanks in advance for your advice!
 
is this ring for you? If so, go to a store with reputable AGS or GIA stones and look at ideally cut ones.

for myself i dont care about clarity as long as its eye clean, my engagement rings ranges from SI1 to VVS2.. and i cant tell which is which, other than my center, sense I know thats VS1 :lol:

My rings is a K. its smaller than yours will be, but i quite like the color. I am color sensitive, by my color tolerance is high. Sure , i can see the difference between a I and a G, but I like the color of stones in the KL range. And if you turn out to like them yourself, you can save yourself quite a bit.
 
I think how low you can go with color and clarity is subjective. How close of a distance is eye clean to you, and from which angles? Do you want a stone that's eye clean from a distance of 10 inches face up only (this is the eye clean standard by many vendors), or is it 6 inches from all angles? I almost bought an SI1 diamond that was eye clean from 10 inches, but a slight inclusion was visible from 6 inches, so it didn't meet my definition. From what I've read/experienced, most VS2, some SI1 and rare SI2 are completely eye clean, but it'll vary on your definition

As for color, different people have different color sensitivities, so it's a personal choice. Some PSers have gone quite low on the scale, like K color, and they face up very white (I'm not sure from the side, as it's easier to see color from there). Any significant visual difference between a D and (for example) a G usually can only be seen when you place the stones side by side, unset. It also matters what color setting you're getting. If yellow gold, you can go down in color more so than in a platinum setting without a noticeable tint, all else equal. It's best for you to look at diamonds IRL to see what your sensitivity is. If you (and your wallet) are lucky, you and your gf could not be color sensitive at all, or better yet, either of you may prefer the look of a warmer stone

IMO if you're on a budget, an eye clean I SI1 just might be the ticket. Everything I've said is assuming it's a GIA/AGS graded stone
 
Agreed that it is subjective! I have an E VS1 GIA XXX diamond and an I SI1 (eye clean) AGS 0 diamond. Both are beautiful, one has more of a tint than the other but is still quite white. You should go look at GIA/AGS well-cut diamonds of different colors/clarities to see what you prefer, and consider whether you have any "mind-clean" color/clarity requirements. No one else can answer that for you!
 
As people have said, it's going to be a little subjective, as some people will have one preference and others another. My own preference is cut>color>size>clarity, with color and size sometimes trading off. The middle road seems to be somewhere in G/H and maybe I for color, and VS or SI for clarity, but for some there's the elusive search for that eyeclean I1 stone....It starts to taper off for the modern stones in J/K for a lot of posters and that's just personal preference.

If you can go look at GIA or AGS graded stones somewhere, you might be able to work out your own tolerances for things. As you figured, cut is the one thing you probably want to keep constant.
 
I started with a 1.5 J VS1 ering, MRB. Then I got a 1.3 E, SI1 pear. Realized that the inclusions didn't bother me - I loupe my diamonds, but not THAT much. And E is actually too white for me. I wanted what they used to call a "blue-white," a colorless stone with SBF. But one is enough!

Since then, I've gotten H, SI2, VSBF, MRB's, about .75 points each for earrings: THOSE inclusions would bug me in a ring, I think ... and they're still whiter than I like. So my 2.5 anniversary ring is back down again: sold as a J, appraised as a K, mounted, and just recently EGL certed as a J/K, still mounted. So ... let's assume it's equivalent to a GIA K or L, maybe? Whatever it is, the color is perfect for me: I genuinely love the colorful displays of fire and the chameleon-like qualities of the warmer stones. But it's very high clarity, and I would happily have gone down to SI1 for a little more size! Ah, well - that's what happens when you go vintage.

So, for ME, it's cut, then size, then color, and then clarity, with my sweet spots being K-ish, SI1-ish, with fluorescence, in an old cut. And an amazing setting will probably go to the head of the queue, all things being equal. But that's just me, and it's taken years of trial and error to pin down.

Go around to some shops and see what your eyes love! Talk to friends about theirs in normal, IRL settings! Basically, have fun with it. ;)
 
in terms of importance mine goes cut>size>clarity>=color.

How much am I going to like looking at a .4 ct D IF stone on my finger, not NEAR as much as a .8 K VS stone....
 
In my several years of drooling over diamonds, I have seen a handful of I1s and one I2 that I thought looked fab. It really just depends on the specific stone.
 
Well, I think you can see the variety of answers that this question will generate! For a modern round brilliant, I think G,H,I color and VS2 to eye clean SI1 clarity will be a safe range for most people. Yes, there are some that require colorless, D-F, and there are some that don't mind a slight tint, J-k, or lower clarity, SI2, to be able to afford a larger stone. I actually prefer a little higher clarity, but I am fine with the G-I color range.
 
For a white step cut, I'd go down to H VS2 if the supply of superbly-cut ones was minimal, as I did with the Octavia I bought years ago.

Since Fancy Colored Diamonds are so rare you have to sort of take what you can get.
I've bought eye-clean I1 FCDs when the color was fine enough.
 
I actually prefer warmer colours as I have a preference for antique cuts. :ugeek:
In terms of importance: cut->colour (very low colours for antque cuts, MRB up to K)->carat->clarity

I had a 1 ct colourless princess, but for me it was too icy. I now have a VS1 OEC, a yummy creamy u-v colour (which faces up whiter), 5.3 ct.

But basically, I love a diamond that speaks to me because of it's unique sparkle and beautiful colour and not because of the 'right numbers'. That's why I would not dare to buy a diamond unseen..
 
Personally, I won't go below G color and stay above SI1. Again, as pointed out by others, both factors are subjective.
 
Personally it depends on the type of diamond you plan on getting. For an MRB G/VS2 would be my sweet spot. My original MRB ER was exactly that (GIA GVS2) and it was the perfect color and clarity for me. Any higher clarity/color and we would have been spending money for something I didn't value/notice.

But for an antique cut, specifically an OEC (you mentioned round solitaire so not sure if you might be considering an old cut) I was able to go much lower on color and still be thrilled with it. I now have an LVS1 (GIA) (still need eye clean on the clarity for me even in an old cut) and it faces up very white and it's the perfect color for me.

However with old cuts much more than MRB's I think the color needs to be seen in person before deciding if you are OK with the lower color. Each old cut is very unique in presentation IMO and much more difficult to judge on paper or in pics and videos. Seeing IRL is believing and each one presents slightly differently. So you might have 2 L OEC diamonds but one might face up whiter than the other. So it is difficult to generalize from one to the other. Whereas I find with MRB's it is much easier to say one GIA G will look to be the same color as another GIA G if that makes sense.

Good luck- you have a fun journey ahead of you!
 
Interesting. For those of you who have not read my previous thread.... if you see the attached image, what clarity grade will you guess to be the GIA grade? Just curious.

untitled-1_1.jpg
 
I actually compared the color of diamonds on James Allen's website and I think I will go as low as a H, maybe an I. Not a J though... as I find the yellow tint a bit too obvious at that level.

As for clarity... eye clean will do... defined as friends of hers looking at her diamond in normal lighting for a few seconds and cannot spot the inclusions. Within my eye clean definition, I will gladly go lower on the clarity to get a bigger stone... so VVS range or better is an overkill for me. :)

So for me.... Cut > Size - Color > Clarity (eye clean).
 
Since the original poster asked, "how low can you go" and still get a pleasing presentation, my opinion is that J-color, SI-1 clarity fits the criteria. Most people with untrained eyes will not see color unless it passes a J, and SI-1 stones will only be slightly included with clarity characteristics somewhat difficult to locate without magnification.
 
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