My first FCD...Kenny, you are going to die....

[ChrisA222]

Kenny, this one is for you!!

You've convinced me that I need to have at least one Natural FCD. I've been looking for a Brown one...they are the cheapest, and I actually like them! But this one.....LOL!!

YOu're going to die, because it is probably the worst Diamond you've ever seen! The reasons I bought it? Well, for one, it was advertised as untreated. For two, it is not a speck....well, it is, but at least it is .32ct, so its almost a whopping third of a ct. For three, look at this cool inclusion! I cant wait to see what that looks like IRL!! And lastly, it was a very expensive $15.50!! LOL!!

How can I go wrong, a natural Diamond WITH a cool rainbow-lookin inclusion for less than a $20 bill!! Ha Ha Ha.

I guess you really can't be "proud" to convert a "non-fan of FCDs" to a first-time buyer, when THIS is the first one that I buy

Since I bet you are extremely excited to see this beautious creation of Nature, I will be happy to post my own pics when it shows up at my doorstep. Since its making a trek from Thailand, it will be a few weeks.....don't hold your breath!

 

[kenny]

Chrisa I think it's very cool, especially that price.
Are you going to send it to GIA?
If it turns out fully natural, you got yourself a steal.

I have a little sapphire with a rainbowy inclusion.

 

[ChrisA222]

LOL, a steal for this yucky stone

I wasn't going to send it anywhere I didnt think it was worthy. I also didnt realize that they color-treat Diamonds to be yucky-brown? So you're saying its possible that this is color treated/enhanced etc?

I guess I never thought of investing anything into a stone like this by having it cert'd. I just figured these types of stones were very common/extremely cheap and available, otherwise how on Earth did I win it for $15?

If you think its worth something, whats the cost of GIA and what would this stone be valued at if GIA says its legit? I assume the inclusion is a deduction rather than an addition when it comes to value. I just never really thought there WAS any value in this stone, other than its odd and cheap.

 

[minousbijoux]

Hey I offered to gift Kenny my cognac SI diamond! It was about the same weight, an oval and reminded me of a little bug (I'm a gardener) until the sun hit it, then it was quite lovely...anyway, it has since been gifted to a gardener friend for his bday and I hope he makes it into something special...

I can't say yours looks like a bug, Chris but I bet it has great scintilation.

 

[T L]

Honestly, brown diamonds are not worth very much, especially on the secondary market, and with inclusions to boot. Although there are irradiated brown diamonds, I personally think for what you paid, it's not worth it at all to send it to GIA. Just enjoy your new stone, and congrats on getting it for good price.

 

[ChrisA222]

Thanks, TL, uplifting as always But thats about what I figured...

 

[txgreeneyes]

I would have bought that in a second!!! (And, I'm being serious.)

Lovely find!

 

[kenny]

I want this brown, but it's 100 times the price of yours and the same weight.

http://www.fancydiamonds.net/view_diamonds/6068.htm

THAT is why I''m dying.
I'm at peace with paying 100 time what others pay.
Which is the smart one and which is the sucker, me or you?
I honestly don't know.

 

[T L]

I want this brown, but it's 100 times the price of yours and the same weight.

http://www.fancydiamonds.net/view_diamonds/6068.htm

THAT is why I''m dying.
I'm at peace with paying 100 time what others pay.
Which is the smart one and which is the sucker, me or you?
I honestly don't know.

Kenny,
Although I love brown diamonds, and consider them to be a good deal for people that want lots of bling at an affordable price, it would be out of place next to all the lovely bright and extremely rare colors of your collection. JMO.

I also think the best place to buy sub carat brown diamonds is on ebay through some dealers. They do charge quite a bit less, and honestly, it's not worth getting a GIA report on a brown diamond that small. If I were you, and you really wanted a brown diamond, I would look at those with a secondary that gives it a better value and makes them more desirable, like orange, or pink. I would refrain from buying a pure brown. Again, JMO.

ETA: I see the one you like is fancy dark orange brown. I suspect it's probably very dark in person. If you are to pick out an orange brown, I would go with a lighter tone. I've seen diamonds like that in person, and they lack much sparkle or life. Hope you don't mind my honest opinion. Thanks.

 

[ChrisA222]

Kenny, my post was kind of tongue-in-cheek...I hope you didn't take it the wrong way...I wasn't insulting brown Diamonds (I bought one!) I was just making fun of myself for buying a $15 stone and kidding around with you because I was so anti-FD for a while...

I'd actually love to find a nice, larger one to have, and I dont mind if its brown, either. And frankly, if you like the color, of course it belongs in your collection with the rest of your nice stones. (Unlike the included $15 stone posted above).

It was just odd because when you guys first were telling me about 'affordable' FDs being out there (Someone mentioned greyish violet) I figured grey and brown were the best bets. Well, I tried that Liebish site suggested, and I wasn't finding anything that wasn't a speck under $1K if I remember right. So I just ebay searched "brown diamonds" and that $15 stunner showed up. There were others, but this one had the added attraction of a rainbow-inclusion which sorta pushed me over the edge. Im sorry, Im being funny again

In all seriousness, I would like to find a nice one that I can afford at some point, but I struggle to embrace something thats like .25ct and that is actually big for an FCD! So maybe if I save up a little, keep myself in the "not valuable especially in the secondary market" brown ones (As TL so eloquently pointed out), maybe Ill end up with a decent one.

And TL, really? Lots of bling at an affordable price?

 

[T L]

And TL, really? Lots of bling at an affordable price?

Yes, actually, I and others on this forum have purchased small brown diamonds on ebay for tens or hundreds of dollars. They're very affordable on ebay, as you have found out.

 

[kenny]

Kenny, my post was kind of tongue-in-cheek...I hope you didn't take it the wrong way...I wasn't insulting brown Diamonds (I bought one!) I was just making fun of myself for buying a $15 stone and kidding around with you because I was so anti-FD for a while...

I'd actually love to find a nice, larger one to have, and I dont mind if its brown, either. And frankly, if you like the color, of course it belongs in your collection with the rest of your nice stones. (Unlike the included $15 stone posted above).

It was just odd because when you guys first were telling me about 'affordable' FDs being out there (Someone mentioned greyish violet) I figured grey and brown were the best bets. Well, I tried that Liebish site suggested, and I wasn't finding anything that wasn't a speck under $1K if I remember right. So I just ebay searched "brown diamonds" and that $15 stunner showed up. There were others, but this one had the added attraction of a rainbow-inclusion which sorta pushed me over the edge. Im sorry, Im being funny again

In all seriousness, I would like to find a nice one that I can afford at some point, but I struggle to embrace something thats like .25ct and that is actually big for an FCD! So maybe if I save up a little, keep myself in the "not valuable especially in the secondary market" brown ones (As TL so eloquently pointed out), maybe Ill end up with a decent one.

And TL, really? Lots of bling at an affordable price?

No problem.
No offense taken whatsoever.

Yes, people should just buy what they like.

Oh and gray is not always particularly cheap and is actually quite a rare "hue".
Greyish Violet is VERY expensive.

 

[kenny]

I want this brown, but it's 100 times the price of yours and the same weight.

http://www.fancydiamonds.net/view_diamonds/6068.htm

THAT is why I''m dying.
I'm at peace with paying 100 time what others pay.
Which is the smart one and which is the sucker, me or you?
I honestly don't know.

Kenny,
Although I love brown diamonds, and consider them to be a good deal for people that want lots of bling at an affordable price, it would be out of place next to all the lovely bright and extremely rare colors of your collection. JMO.

I also think the best place to buy sub carat brown diamonds is on ebay through some dealers. They do charge quite a bit less, and honestly, it's not worth getting a GIA report on a brown diamond that small. If I were you, and you really wanted a brown diamond, I would look at those with a secondary that gives it a better value and makes them more desirable, like orange, or pink. I would refrain from buying a pure brown. Again, JMO.

ETA: I see the one you like is fancy dark orange brown. I suspect it's probably very dark in person. If you are to pick out an orange brown, I would go with a lighter tone. I've seen diamonds like that in person, and they lack much sparkle or life. Hope you don't mind my honest opinion. Thanks.

Frankly, I'd prefer if it was not that dark.
I just that I find so few pretty browns in my size range with a GIA report (Sorry, I admit I'm a snob and simply must have my FCDs graded by GIA.) I don't trust and am not a risk taker and fully realize I will never get a killer deal on an FCD.
Plus it's an Asscher, my favorite in any size.
Tiny diamonds need all the help they can get so I really appreciate the large facets of the Asscher and Emerald cuts.

As to whether it "fits" into my collection that's not so cut and dry.
If I had the funds I'd have zillions of FCDs in every possible hue and saturation combination, each a 2 ct Octavia cut.
My project turned out to be to assemble the best rainbow I could with the fewest stones.
It will never be finished.
Gray and brown do not appear in a rainbow so I could see if someone felt they didn't belong in my color circle.

 

[davi_el_mejor]

I want this brown, but it's 100 times the price of yours and the same weight.

http://www.fancydiamonds.net/view_diamonds/6068.htm

THAT is why I''m dying.
I'm at peace with paying 100 time what others pay.
Which is the smart one and which is the sucker, me or you?
I honestly don't know.

Kenny,
Although I love brown diamonds, and consider them to be a good deal for people that want lots of bling at an affordable price, it would be out of place next to all the lovely bright and extremely rare colors of your collection. JMO.

I also think the best place to buy sub carat brown diamonds is on ebay through some dealers. They do charge quite a bit less, and honestly, it's not worth getting a GIA report on a brown diamond that small. If I were you, and you really wanted a brown diamond, I would look at those with a secondary that gives it a better value and makes them more desirable, like orange, or pink. I would refrain from buying a pure brown. Again, JMO.

ETA: I see the one you like is fancy dark orange brown. I suspect it's probably very dark in person. If you are to pick out an orange brown, I would go with a lighter tone. I've seen diamonds like that in person, and they lack much sparkle or life. Hope you don't mind my honest opinion. Thanks.

Frankly, I'd prefer if it was not that dark.
I just that I find so few pretty browns in my size range with a GIA report (Sorry, I admit I'm a snob and simply must have my FCDs graded by GIA.) I don't trust and am not a risk taker and fully realize I will never get a killer deal on an FCD.
Plus it's an Asscher, my favorite in any size.
Tiny diamonds need all the help they can get so I really appreciate the large facets of the Asscher and Emerald cuts.

As to whether it "fits" into my collection that's not so cut and dry.
If I had the funds I'd have zillions of FCDs in every possible hue and saturation combination, each a 2 ct Octavia cut.
My project turned out to be to assemble the best rainbow I could with the fewest stones.
It will never be finished.
Gray and brown do not appear in a rainbow so I could see if someone felt they didn't belong in my color circle.

Kenny -

I know you've recently had a dealing with this vendor, and I'm not 100% on your feelings with them, but they have a .25ct brown emerald cut that I would have purchased if I weren't a size queen right now It has medium green fluor as well.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/260919804274?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

 

[kenny]

Thanks Davi.
Nothing wrong with big ones, if you can handle them.

 

[LD]

I bought this years ago from a seller on Ebay who I ended up being very friendly with and buying lots from. This cost the princely sum of about £300 if I remember correctly and is exactly 1ct. It also had a lab report with it! I love orangey browns but not so keen on the cooler browns as they can look very cold.

This has the most amazing fire but I had it bezel set (big mistake) and so a few weeks ago re-set it in a more open setting so I could breathe some life back into it!

Chrissa, I suspect you won't easily see the inclusion when it arrives and it'll only appear in some lighting conditions or when you tilt the diamond in a certain direction. You've got a great deal and as TL says, although it's not worth sending for a lab report, it should be loved! At one time nearly all browns were natural and untreated (not sure if that's the case now).

 

[ChrisA222]

Ld, I like that stone...I dont see anything 'wrong' with the brown ones...especially if they have nice fire. I wonder how much it looks like compared to my honey brownish Sphene...

Id like to have one at some point that is a decent size...I cant even believe I bought a .33ct stone or whatever it is. Its the smallest stone I've ever bought (thats not an accent stone).

 

[kenny]

33 point is the largest FCD I have.

 

[ChrisA222]

Sorry Kenny, its baby steps for me in this whole FCD thing....just the other day I stopped myself from buying a Spinel because it was "only 7mm" and I know in two weeks I will be back trying to replace it with an 8MM stone. LOL. Im trying....

 

[LD]

Chris I suspect you will have a size issue with it when it arrives! If you're going to use it as a main stone then you may need to think about the design. I struggle with anything less than 1ct! Mind you, being a pear means it (hopefully) will look a bit bigger. If you typically go for larger size stones it's incredibly difficult to love smaller stones in the same way if you normally set your stones. BTW, if it looks like a Sphene send it back! The only similarity will be the fire but the colour should be much richer. I hate the brown sphenes with a passion but love my brown diamond

 

[chrono]

It's going to be quite a shocker to go from seeing 8 mm stones down to something around half that size or less. Handling it by hand is a challenge because it doesn't want to be picked up, much less placed just right for photography. In terms of setting, it is actually easier to set as a main stone, especially for men, because the ring width and depth is no longer and obstacle, unless the guy happens to like huge chunky class-ring type designs.

I dislike brown sphenes with a passion too but if a brown diamond is just right, I wouldn't mind getting one.

 

[T L]

Very pretty diamond LD. Not to change the subject too much, but I also really like grey diamonds. Some have a tinge of green in them, and can also be very affordable in the FCD world. If the secondary is blue or violet, that's another story though $$$$$

I love brown diamonds in multi stone pieces like this one.

 

[chrono]

I surely would not mind that multi-stone bracelet.....brown, gray, black diamonds and all....Hint, hint.

 

[ChrisA222]

I thought I would update you all with a follow up about this gemstone...

It has arrived...and departed

Chrono, you nailed it. It was a bit of a shock how small the stone was. Ok, I understand its only .32ct, but still...I want to say the dimensions were 5x4 or around that, in a pear shape. I thought there would be enough there to appreciate...but....

I was not able to see that cool inclusion, either....at least with my naked eye. I guess I just don't have the appreciation for stones that small..thats all. I also didn't see much of any sparkle/dispersion, which I thought I'd see since it is a Diamond after all. It was just sort of a dud. I realize the color will mask dispersion but it did surprise me in that department. Then again, who knows how well it was cut, it was after all a gem that I aquired for less than a 20-spot.

Here's my pics from my camera. I posted it on the bistro and to another home it went. I hope its new owner appreciates it more!

 

[chrono]

Yes, I prefer the FCD to have good sparkle in addition to the colouration. After all, in that small size, if it doesn't wow, well.....it's time to let it go.

 

[minousbijoux]

I'm impressed that you are sending it back. Not that $20 isn't $20, but its so tempting to just kinda say "heck, its not a lot of money..."

But then you end up as I did with a bazillion mediocre stones. Little albatrosses all. Then you sneak up on unsuspecting people and give them away...I guess you get my point - better to send it back in the first place!

 

[chrono]

Minou,
I think it's already found a new owner via DB.