I Just Put Down a Deposit! 2.55 Round

[piratecaptain]

Hey guys,

As I had mentioned in a previous thread, my girlfriend and I went to a couple of B&M stores today. In the end, we found a round diamond that my girlfriend was absolutely in love with (she cried three times while trying it on). It's a GIA 2.55 L, VS1 with a table of 60% and a depth of 60% for $15,000. Dimensions are 8.85 x 8.88 x 5.34. Per the grading report, the cut grade, symmetry, and polish are all "excellent." Though we had been looking at cushions, she always liked the idea of a round in the back of her mind. I know that the thought of an "L" diamond is absolutely repulsive for some folks on here (and would have been to me had I not seen it with my own eyes). My girlfriend utterly despises color in a diamond, yet she's set on this one. It's an absolutely stunning diamond for an "L" -- especially with the VS1 grade. We held it side by side with 5-6 other G/H/I GIA diamonds, and it could absolutely pass for an H/I on the face when it's not being held underneath a light. The color is fairly hidden unless you turn the diamond upside down. While most things I've seen on here would advise against it given the "L" color, I went ahead and put a (refundable) deposit on it. Per my girlfriend, she preferred this diamond (though it's an "L") over an F/G/H/I color cushion.

Here are some pics from inside the store (it's yellower in the pics than it appears outside or inside out of the direct jewelry store light):

 

[tyty333]

Au contraire...you will find many more lower-color lover's here on PS than you'd expect!
It looks to be a lovely stone! Check it out in as many different lighting types as possible.
Some people enjoy the warm candlelight colors more than the bright whites. I think
I'm one of them. I actually wish my pear was a lower color!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

So y'all did take it outside and into other lighting besides the jewelry showroom? I think it looks great and it is a a great deal for a GIA XXX that size, but be sure she sees it in the light at home, in the car, etc. before your return period is over! Glad she decided on a round because you surely get a lot more size that way!

 

[piratecaptain]

So y'all did take it outside and into other lighting besides the jewelry showroom? I think it looks great and it is a a great deal for a GIA XXX that size, but be sure she sees it in the light at home, in the car, etc. before your return period is over! Glad she decided on a round because you surely get a lot more size that way!

Indeed. We took it outside and looked it over for about 15 minutes. It was, unfortunately, quite cloudy today, but the diamond looked great when we took it out there (that was the first time she teared up, in fact. Haha). We also took it all around the show room (dark corners, non-"jewelry" lighting, etc.) and liked it there. There's a 30 day return period, and I don't plan on paying off the balance for another couple of weeks. She'll get it within a few days of me purchasing it, so that should leave a good three weeks or so in the return period. After seeing this one, she was ready to stop shopping entirely and told me, in no uncertain terms, that she'd be very disappointed if it wasn't the one she received, so I think we're safe on that front. That said, I agree that I want her to see it in as many spots as possible before the return period is up.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

That is terrific!!! You have all your bases covered! I know another person here bought a 4 ct L and adores it! So maybe in a larger stone it just works better. I'll bet this looks a lot bigger than those cushions did! And it looks great on her hand! I know some people want to be surprised, but you know, she would have never gotten this diamond had she not gone shopping with you. So I think this is a great way to get a girl exactly what she loves the most!

 

[Niel]

I love an L! cut is king here, not color A bright diamond is lovely at and tint. It looks very lovely on her hand

 

[marcy]

It looks like a real beauty. Congratulations.

 

[Enerchi]

Looks incredible on her hand and an "L" sounds perfect - because I'm a lower colour lover and wear a Q/R OEC, so an L sounds perfect to me!!


GReat specs on the stone you've selected - is that GIA or AGS? maybe i missed that - but congratulations on choosing a diamond!

 

[piratecaptain]

Looks incredible on her hand and an "L" sounds perfect - because I'm a lower colour lover and wear a Q/R OEC, so an L sounds perfect to me!!


GReat specs on the stone you've selected - is that GIA or AGS? maybe i missed that - but congratulations on choosing a diamond!

Thanks! It's a GIA stone. I'm glad you guys like it. It's always good to hear second opinions on something.

 

[BriBee]

I say go for it since you've both seen it in person and love it! SO and I recently bought an L and I'm *obsessed*
I never would have gotten the size in a higher color within our budget and it looks white to me! Can't wait to see pics when it's yours

I'm SO excited for you, btw... I've been following your threads and wondering what was happening!!!

 

[TC1987]

I've always thought that L and M "cape" colors are the best of the lower color range. Actually, I don't think there are very many modern ideal cuts in those colors. I am not a huge J/K fan, but L and M are truly a pretty candlelight white instead of just off-white. The brilliance of a modern RB cut tends to wash out the face-up yellow and even the contrast between the candlelight color and bright white sidestones is attractive, imo.

Congratulations on your engagement, OP, and on finding that stone.

 

[Jax172]

Very nice! I love lower colored stones. Well cut ones can be gorgeous. I have a G in my engagement ring but most of my other stones are much lower colors. Congrats on finding the right one!

 

[Dreamer_D]

You know, most people buy diamonds with loose reports that are likely much more tinted than a GIA L anyways. And people buy smaller stones than that! I have become much less picky about color and clarity as I have owned diamonds longer and longer, because I live in a social world where no one knows anything about diamonds and all they see is "big sparkly". So, that diamond sure looks big and sparkly!

 

[piratecaptain]

Thanks guys! We're not engaged yet. Though I'm sure she has a pretty good idea that I put down a deposit on it (I just called after we left the store and when she wasn't around), she's still got some doubts as well. I'm not planning to officially propose until mid-March, so, until then, I'm just going to play it off as best I can. Ha.

 

[Laila619]

Looks like a lovely stone!

 

[two_little_birds]

I prefer a little warmth to stones too, especially if well cut.

It's a great size too, especially right off the bat (most of us here started with much smaller stones). Good luck, and keep us posted!