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Need an Opinion on a Oval

I

Indyxc

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jan 21, 2013
Messages
8
Hello all,

My first post! I've done a lot of reading on the website in the last 2 weeks, and am at a reading dead end so I could use some help! Great site!!


I am looking for:
Setting: Solitaire 14K White gold
Shape: Oval, prefer L/W Ratio over 1.5+
Carat: 1.5 range
Clarity: Eye Clean
Color: H was my min
Budget: 10k for the stone.

SO, over the last 2 months, Ive searched and searched. In my price range there isn't much out there. It is either the smaller stones for 5-6k, then the big price jump to 12k.

I decided to look at I color, and found one that is PERFECT except I am worried about the color. Cut, L/W r, clarity, size, price, NO bowtie, all are perfect. Love the long slender!! In my searching here, people are big on color I think.

Here it is:
http://www.jamesallen.com/#%21/loose-diamonds/Oval-cut/1.60-carat-I-color-VS2-clarity-sku-178124

In a 14k white gold setting, on the finger, will the I color a big let down?

I am about to buy this one, so help is much appreciated !!!!! :loopy:
 
That is one huge, shallow stone. Get an ASET.



http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/Oval-cut/1.71-carat-J-color-VS2-clarity-sku-160363 J Color but might be worth a shot.

One option is to have JA pull this one, the F above, and yours and tell you which to their eyes is the brightest BEST PERFORMING stone.

Other option is just to buy yours and see it in person. JA has a great return policy.

This is the setting I'd get (JA can get it in for you for your stone): http://www.stuller.com/products/121872/?groupId=110520 But it is not returnable. So I would have the stone sent to me unset, then send back for setting in this setting if you like the stone.
 
Wow, thank you for the quick responses.

WIll James Allen do a color comparison for me? I was talking to the person on the chat, on their website, and when I asked them they said they said that is all they could do picture wise (what was on the website)

I was very worried about the color, so then I did some searching on youtube, and saw some oval comparisons where I couldn't see the difference between H and F range on the finger, so I thought it would be ok!

The stone is shallow, but is that an issue? Will James Allen do the ASET for me, or do I need to take possession to get one done?

An another note Blue Nile has plenty of ovals in my ideal range, but without seeing them, who knows what the bowtie might look like! For example here is one. Price is fine too, wish I could see a picture!!

http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-search?track=NavDiaSea#diamonds_pid=LD03000074

Thank you again for the responses!
 
I think they can do an aset, but you need to ask them all your questions to get correct answers. The videos they've recently posted of all their stones do an excellent job showing the color. The F is not going to have any color. The I and J, I'd pull those up in separate tabs and play the videos and look at the color you'll see from the side views. You will definitely see color with the I and J. I did play both vidoes, and the good thing is that they both look about the same in color. The I colored stone does look brighter face up, but you'll have to decide which one you prefer.

**Edit: I wouldn't suggest buying a stone without seeing at least a picture, let alone a fancy cut stone!
 
Without too far off tangent, I had originally picked a different shape, a Radiant.

Here it is:

http://www.jamesallen.com/#%21/loose-diamonds/Radiant-cut/1.62-carat-G-color-VVS2-clarity-Very-Good-cut-sku-40146

That one is AWESOME, except the price is 10.7k vs 8.2k for my original, and I think my girlfriend would like the oval more. She narrowed the choices down to radiant and oval originally.

The radiant is really perfect. Except the price, and she says she likes rounded edge diamonds vs. square one. It's color is outstanding.

I guess it all comes down to, against a white background I color is visible. But on the finger, I'm just having trouble.

My head is spinning.

Thanks for bearing with me!!
 
Indyxc|1358822346|3361390 said:
Without too far off tangent, I had originally picked a different shape, a Radiant.

Here it is:

http://www.jamesallen.com/#%21/loose-diamonds/Radiant-cut/1.62-carat-G-color-VVS2-clarity-Very-Good-cut-sku-40146

That one is AWESOME, except the price is 10.7k vs 8.2k for my original, and I think my girlfriend would like the oval more. She narrowed the choices down to radiant and oval originally.

The radiant is really perfect. Except the price, and she says she likes rounded edge diamonds vs. square one. It's color is outstanding.

I guess it all comes down to, against a white background I color is visible. But on the finger, I'm just having trouble.

My head is spinning.

Thanks for bearing with me!!
Click to expand...

Then stick with the ovals and stop looking! She's the one that will have to wear it!
 
It's a nice radiant. Great faceting. And it's a nice G color. You'd have to get an ASET for performance.

The oval is going to look huge next to it though.

Personally, since JA pays shipping both ways, I'd get the oval in person and see what you think.
 
I think you'll be fine with an I color in an oval.

JA does provide ASET images. Up to three per order. So chose carefully.
 
Needs an ASET but doesn't look promising.

That particular way of faceting the pavilion does not produce bowties, but that does not mean all ovals without bowties are pretty, or all ovals with bowties are bad.
 
Do you have a specific ring design in mind that requires such a long skinny diamond? Because that one looks like a surfboard. Get a ruler and some paper and draw a 10x6mm oval, then cut it out and out it and stick it on your finger. If you like it, great.
This oval is also very shallow, with four pavilion main facets and a thick girdle. It will probably show a bow tie in incandescent (lightbulb) light. Not that a small bow tie is bad, just know to expect it.
If you really like it, get an ASET. Also get the opinion of a gemologist. Does it look bright? Does it show fire? Then come back here. If it looks good, then lucky you, because that diamond looks much bigger than its weight.
Your girlfriend has stated her preference for rounded edges, so choose that. Forget the radiant.
As for the colour, that is something you have to see in person because computer screens can show colour very differently from real life. Get thee to a jewelry store and look at a few different colours, but all the same shape and cut grade. Just so you get a better idea.
 
Indyxc|1358822346|3361390 said:
Without too far off tangent, I had originally picked a different shape, a Radiant.

Here it is:

http://www.jamesallen.com/#%21/loose-diamonds/Radiant-cut/1.62-carat-G-color-VVS2-clarity-Very-Good-cut-sku-40146

That one is AWESOME, except the price is 10.7k vs 8.2k for my original, and I think my girlfriend would like the oval more. She narrowed the choices down to radiant and oval originally.

The radiant is really perfect. Except the price, and she says she likes rounded edge diamonds vs. square one. It's color is outstanding.

I guess it all comes down to, against a white background I color is visible. But on the finger, I'm just having trouble.

My head is spinning.

Thanks for bearing with me!!
Click to expand...
You're getting great advice, so you definitely want to stick with an oval since that's what your GF likes. I just wanted to give you some additional food for thought regarding the color.

If your GF's wedding set doesn't have any sidestones or melee (sort of like the setting that Gypsy suggested), you should be okay with an I or even J (as previously stated). But if either the ering or wedding band will have diamonds (eg, eternity band), you'll need to make sure that they compliment the color of the center stone vs contrasting and making the tint more obvious.

I don't think it would be an issue with the really tiny sidestones (I'll defer to Gypsy and Diamond for that input), but for sidestones over .04 ct I was definitely able to see the tint of an "I" center stone set in an eternity band of G diamonds. I'm not saying that this WILL be a problem, it's just something you'd need to take into consideration when choosing the setting.
 
Thanks for the responses again, they are very helpful.

On the topic of Radiant vs Oval.

Originally when we looked, she initially picked a Oval, but at the local jeweler they had a radiant in about the same carat, but in general I think radiants are less costly than Ovals so, it had better color for the same size, so she liked it better. From a pure shape perspective I know she likes oval better. But if I can't find a good oval, I guess I'll make the radiant plan B

As far as the setting, shape, color:

Here is the setting she picked:
http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/Engagement-Rings/Solitaire/14k-White-Gold-Heavy-Contour-Solitaire-Engagement-Ring-item-814

She likes that setting because it tapers well up to the diamond. She also mentioned she doesn't want a tall diamond so it sticks out and "catches on things" so in a sense the shallowness of the diamond I linked about is a good thing.

Color with other Stones and Shape of the Diamond:
It's going to be the only diamond ever, as she mentioned she likes simple, one diamond. Also, when we went shopping she loved all the diamonds with large l/w ratio, so I think she would like the shape. She liked long and slender. She has small hands, on a size 6 ring, so I think the shape will be excellent.

As far as color, I've looked at all the color ranges. In person I can't see much of a difference between say an I and a G,H alone on a finger. They all blend in the with the setting and the skin color and look fine. Of sitting next to higher quality diamonds on a white background the I becomes evident compared to the H,G. That worries me!

Going forward>
What worries me now is the impression I am getting is the lack of depth/cut on my selecting diamond is going to cause the performance to suffer. Is the thinness of the diamond bad? I took everyone's advice and called James Allen today. They said they would do a one time ASET image on up to 3 diamonds. They also said a gemologist would look at them, and give me their opinion on the performance, which is GREAT.

However, I can't find 2 other diamonds on their website that are comparable and relatively the same price. The FJ color one above works, but they 80% comparable. If I could find a 1.5 Carat, good l/w, great performance for even 11k, I'd be willing to pay extra. But I just can't find one anywhere. :(

Should I take a chance and do 3 ASETS on the diamonds above?? Go to another site? I forgot to mention I need this thing in my possession on Feb 6th, as I already have the engagement planned. :((

Everyone's advice is great and terribly appreciated!!! The pricescope discount :appl: rocks as well!!!
 
The shallowness isn't going to help much with the overall height of the stone in the settting. It's just fractions of mm too shallow. But the shallowness may affect performance.

liz
 
Ah, I see you're right the top of the diamond will still be at the same relative height. If the depth is shallow, what should it be for those proprotions? The depth and table are on par with most recommendations I read.

Browsing around the site, I also saw good old gold as a popular choice. Did a quick search and found this 1.37 D, SI1. What does everyone think? The aset image is there. The inclusion are small, but maybe noticeable? Color is awesome with D.

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/9130/

Also, what other websites can I look on since JAs scope seems limited. I know bluenile, but they don't provide much in terms of pics? Whiteflash has a couple diamonds in my range requirement? Will they send me pictures and ASET images?

Thanks!
 
Indyxc|1358880976|3361828 said:
Ah, I see you're right the top of the diamond will still be at the same relative height. If the depth is shallow, what should it be for those proprotions? The depth and table are on par with most recommendations I read.

Browsing around the site, I also saw good old gold as a popular choice. Did a quick search and found this 1.37 D, SI1. What does everyone think? The aset image is there. The inclusion are small, but maybe noticeable? Color is awesome with D.

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/9130/

Thanks!
Click to expand...
This is a gorgeous stone. You're right, the color is awesome & since you're concerned about color (as am I), you'll love the whiteness of the "D" from all angles ;)) ! I was going to suggest this stone to you if the oval at JA didn't work out.

Jonathan at GOG has already made a video of this stone on YouTube, where he compares it w/ a smaller oval (I think a 1.10 ct) in a variety of lighting environments (see link to video below). Watching the video, you'll get to see the oval's performance & you can decide whether it appeals to you or not.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYs0uIK8bSo&list=UUEV7slr-i-VduBBnfv9MxhA

You'll also see a bunch of other oval comparison videos that GOG has uploaded onto YouTube. They can help you get a feel for what to look for wrt ovals & how the size of the bowties affects their performance, if at all. All modern ovals have them but if you go for those that are "minimal", they're not really noticeable and pretty much disappear when the diamond's in motion (as you saw with JA's video tool).

Take a look at the GOG comparison video & let us know what you think okay?

ETA: GOG will provide any additional analysis you need to help you make an informed decision. If you contact them directly & give them the specs you're looking for, they'll call in stones & check them out for you (but given your schedule you may need to choose one they have on hand). It's like one-stop shopping in that regard.
 
From this PS resource: https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/oval-cut-diamond

desired depth is 59-63%. I found an article on the internet that said that deeper stones (in the upper 60s) tend to have less obvious bow ties, but I'd guess that both length/width ratio and depth percentage affect bow ties. I have no way to prove it, but I'd think that a longer, narrower oval would probably be more likely to have an obvious bow tie than a shorter, fatter one, mainly because shorter/fatter is closer to round.

liz
 
Roxy-

Funny, yeah I had watched a lot of the good old gold videos on youtube, since they had a bunch of Oval diamond videos. I guess I didn't stumble on that one, because it was in the "lower" carat size. But really dimensionally it's still large.

So I watched that video, and I love that diamond. The L/W ratio is a a bit less than the other, but a combination of the color and actually seeing it in a video make me like it even more.

I call them this afternoon, and asked them to quote me that diamond in this setting, which I really like as well. I hadn't seen it anywhere else.

http://www.goodoldgold.com/setting/V164/

JulineN- Thank you for the idea, but I vaguely remember saying the gf didn't like cushion, which is funny, because she liked Radiant and Oval, but not cushion, why is basically a hybrid of both. Women.. go figure :lol:

What does everyone think of the GOG diamond I linked above?

Also, as I said above, are there any other websites like JA or COG that have pics/images of the actual diamonds?

Thanks!!
 
I'm glad you liked it ... I thought it was a high performer (in the "oval" category) as well! DH & I purchased an oval from GOG last fall and your quest really reminded me of what we went through. I'm very color sensitive, so although I've had "H" and "I" stones in the past (that I've loved), when GOG emailed me w/ a "D" stone that they'd recenty gotten I freaked out! I realized that I really am a D-E kind of person, and you reminded me of myself when you saw that this stone was a "D" color. :D

You're right, the dimensions are great so you're getting more for your money. Just for grins, you can do a search on other websites for the dimensions of ovals & you'll see that the size of this one falls in the 1.5-1.65 ct arena, so the spread IRL is wonderful.

Okay, the setting ... I really like the setting you've chosen A LOT! It's sleek, classic, and timeless so you can't go wrong at all. The only things I wondered about were the width of the band & whether there's a matching wedding band that would follow the contours of the ering perfectly? Did you happen to talk w/ GOG about this?

Finally, just a warning, there aren't a ton of D color stones being worn out there, so get ready for a lot of "double-takes" when people see your SO's ering. Between the unique oval shape, great spread, amazing performance and super whiteness of the stone, the ring will get a lot of attention. It takes some getting used to, but once you do, it'll add to the enjoyment of wearing the ring.

Please come back and post pictures after your proposal so we can all "ooooh and aaah" over your SO's new ring. I'm excited for you guys!
 
Roxy,

I love your enthusiasm about the whole ring thing. My girlfriend always complains I spend too much time on internet forums researching things (I do on everything). If she only knew what I was researching, while she was hassling me today !

Onto the setting, what do you mean the width? Is it too thin? That makes it hard to wedding band? I am actually torn on that setting, or this one.

http://www.goodoldgold.com/setting/ER6611W4JJJ/

I like that one better in the sense that it doesn't have a "flange" around the diamond, although I'm not sure on the chamfers on the band itself.

I shall see tomorrow, with what the quote is. Hopefully neither of those bands is more than 1k in 14k gold. :)

They do have another video of the diamond on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErMO0NabB7w

Thanks again!
 
Vatche Setting is lovely-- gabriel one is too though.

On the stone:

I would ask if they would consider something other than the "limited guarantee'. I'd want more than a ten day return policy.

If they can give you a 30 day return policy I'd be a lot happier. Better still if they could upgrade you to the Lifetime policies.
 
Well,

Just an update for everyone.

I ended up buying the diamond from good old gold. I ended up choosing a D'vatch x-prong non slim. :bigsmile:

GOG was excellent to work with. Since I was under a time crunch, they were able to take the diamond right over vatche for a custom setting since it was a longer oval. They were able to guarantee I would get it in time.

GOG was excellent in communication in letting me know the progress, was excellent in shipping it on time. The diamond made it the day before I left for a trip ti Miami with my now fiance!

When I first opened the package, I was floored. The color and performance of the diamond was/is incredible. I didn't get much chance to look at it, since we were leaving the next day, and I had to keep it hidden. =)

Next day I Miami, the girlfriend and I took a "suprise" helicopter tour for 2 over Miami during sunset. Right about over South Beach, I proposed, and of course she said yes. :)

My girlfriend, now fiance was floored as well. Can't believe the color, the sparkle, and of course the size. She loves it so much, she doesn't want to wear it anywhere yet where it might get damage. Lol.

Anyway, just wanted to say thank you for everyone's advice, and guidance. I feel I got great value since this place was a great resource, not only in this thread, but all the other content. A BIG thank you!!! :appl:

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