New here! Is this a good diamond for the price? Stonealgo versus HCA

[tweehoang]

Hello! I am planning on purchasing this diamond from my local Diamonds Direct at $50,000 final price, tax included.

For the last 3 days, the Cut Score was quite good at 7.3 on Stone Algo but today it changed to 5.9 Cut Score. I spoke to Devin the site creator and he said it was a tech glitch and 5.9 is the true Cut Score. I'm kind of bummed because I already negotiated the price with Diamonds Direct (with the 7.3 Cut Score in mind) and they are bringing in the diamond from another vendor. So now with the corrected 5.9 Cut Score, I am not so sure about this diamond.

The HCA score is not bad in my opinion but I am just learning the ropes here. Any advice appreciated!

GIA - Report Check

Report Check

www.gia.edu

 

[LLJsmom]

Just a quick disclaimer. I know nothing about stone algo and nothing about their cut score.

Your stone with those specs will give you more white light return, rather than colorful flashes. It's more of 60-60 type of diamond. Some people like that.

If you want more colorful light return, more fire, you need different specs. Let me try to find the relevant threads.

And fyi, the HCA is a rejection tool. So it is used to weed out stones that aren't expected to perform well. If the score is 2 or under, then the stone is worth an in person viewing. It still does not necessarily mean that it is a top performer.

Read this thread. It's got a good discussion of the 60-60 more white light return v more colorful light return diamonds.

Upgrading to 4ct - need advice

Hi everyone, I would really appreciate your thoughts on upgrading my diamond. I currently have a 2ct RB, G-H, I1 (love the inclusion because it is seriously shaped like the aerial view of the lake my husband proposed on), excellent cut. The diamond is not certificated and was sourced by a well...

www.pricescope.com

May I suggest that if you are spending $50K, you consider a super ideal cut? Some vendors will provide ASET images that analyze the light return of the diamond. You will want a stone that is cut to minimize light leakage.

Just an example of a stone from a vendor that provides these images.

Diamond | 2.718 ct H VS1 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond AGS Certified | 4420494

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 2.718 carat H color VS1 clarity loose diamond is graded by the American Gem Society (AGS) Laboratories. | 4420494

www.whiteflash.com

I have no idea what your criteria are. I just picked a stone from Whiteflash, approximately $50K, just to show you what Whiteflash provides to help you analyze the stone.

 

[Kim N]

I want to echo LLJsmom's comments. For $50K, I would want a top-performing stone. Here's another example within your budget.

Diamond | 2.636 ct G VS2 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond AGS Certified | 4453326

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 2.636 carat G color VS2 clarity loose diamond is graded by the American Gem Society (AGS) Laboratories. | 4453326

www.whiteflash.com

 

[tweehoang]

Just a quick disclaimer. I know nothing about stone algo and nothing about their cut score.

Your stone with those specs will give you more white light return, rather than colorful flashes. It's more of 60-60 type of diamond. Some people like that.

If you want more colorful light return, more fire, you need different specs. Let me try to find the relevant threads.

And fyi, the HCA is a rejection tool. So it is used to weed out stones that aren't expected to perform well. If the score is 2 or under, then the stone is worth an in person viewing. It still does not necessarily mean that it is a top performer.

Read this thread. It's got a good discussion of the 60-60 more white light return v more colorful light return diamonds.

Upgrading to 4ct - need advice

Hi everyone, I would really appreciate your thoughts on upgrading my diamond. I currently have a 2ct RB, G-H, I1 (love the inclusion because it is seriously shaped like the aerial view of the lake my husband proposed on), excellent cut. The diamond is not certificated and was sourced by a well...

www.pricescope.com

May I suggest that if you are spending $50K, you consider a super ideal cut? Some vendors will provide ASET images that analyze the light return of the diamond. You will want a stone that is cut to minimize light leakage.

Just an example of a stone from a vendor that provides these images.

Diamond | 2.718 ct H VS1 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond AGS Certified | 4420494

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 2.718 carat H color VS1 clarity loose diamond is graded by the American Gem Society (AGS) Laboratories. | 4420494

www.whiteflash.com

I have no idea what your criteria are. I just picked a stone from Whiteflash, approximately $50K, just to show you what Whiteflash provides to help you analyze the stone.

Oh wow thank you for all the helpful info. I took a deep dive into the 60/60 research last night and now I'm very overwhelmed. LOL I'm going to search more on WF and see if I can find a better diamond in my price range. I am only looking for GIA grading Thank you!!

 

[tweehoang]

I want to echo LLJsmom's comments. For $50K, I would want a top-performing stone. Here's another example within your budget.

Diamond | 2.636 ct G VS2 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond AGS Certified | 4453326

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 2.636 carat G color VS2 clarity loose diamond is graded by the American Gem Society (AGS) Laboratories. | 4453326

www.whiteflash.com

Thank you!!! I am only looking to buy GIA so I guess I have to keep looking.

 

[vintageinjune]

Thank you!!! I am only looking to buy GIA so I guess I have to keep looking.

What has you so sold on GIA over AGS?

 

[lovedogs]

Just fyi, AGS is stricter on cut than GIA, so you are more likely to find a super ideal stone (from WF, Brian gavin, or victor canera) with an AGS cert.

 

[tweehoang]

What has you so sold on GIA over AGS?

It's all I've known. Everyone in our family only ever buys GIA. Our family likes to sell diamonds to one another over time so everyone sticks to GIA because its what the family is more accustomed to. Not saying it's the truth; its just what we know and trust. And what we "THINK" is the best. lol

 

[DejaWiz]

It's all I've known. Everyone in our family only ever buys GIA. Our family likes to sell diamonds to one another over time so everyone sticks to GIA because its what the family is more accustomed to. Not saying it's the truth; its just what we know and trust. And what we "THINK" is the best. lol

An AGS 000 grade is superior to about 60% of GIA 3X for the various combos of Pavilion angle, Crown angle, and Table width.
AGS *invented* the in-depth light performance analysis, which GIA still doesn't use.

 

[tweehoang]

An AGS 000 grade is superior to about 60% of GIA 3X for the various combos of Pavilion angle, Crown angle, and Table width.
AGS *invented* the in-depth light performance analysis, which GIA still doesn't use.

I just learned that!!! I am learning so much!!!!! Maybe I will be the one to change everyone's minds

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

@tweehoang, I totally understand the desire for GIA over AGS, as outside the US I feel like GIA is definitely the gold standard and AGS is not recognised as much (I am outside the US and no one here has heard of AGS). Still, you can always request WF to get your stone dual-certed for peace of mind if you would like, I am sure they can do this for you. It'll cost you a couple hundred dollars extra but imo worth it, especially if you think you may sell it in the future outside the US. I would only check and make sure getting it dual-certed (and the GIA report number inscribed on the girdle) would not render your stone ineligible for the upgrade process.

 

[DejaWiz]

You could go even bigger for the price point.

Diamond | 2.960 ct H VS2 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond AGS Certified | 4455301

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 2.960 carat H color VS2 clarity loose diamond is graded by the American Gem Society (AGS) Laboratories. | 4455301

www.whiteflash.com

And if it's in your budget, there's this beautiful monster pushing close to a 9.5mm spread sporting a 40.8/34.4/54.6 combo with a taller 15.5% crown which should certainly help make for a smidge more dispersion and fire.

Diamond | 3.174 ct H VS1 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond AGS Certified | 4392274

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 3.174 carat H color VS1 clarity loose diamond is graded by the American Gem Society (AGS) Laboratories. | 4392274

www.whiteflash.com

 

[LLJsmom]

@tweehoang, I totally understand the desire for GIA over AGS, as outside the US I feel like GIA is definitely the gold standard and AGS is not recognised as much (I am outside the US and no one here has heard of AGS). Still, you can always request WF to get your stone dual-certed for peace of mind if you would like, I am sure they can do this for you. It'll cost you a couple hundred dollars extra but imo worth it, especially if you think you may sell it in the future outside the US. I would only check and make sure getting it dual-certed (and the GIA report number inscribed on the girdle) would not render your stone ineligible for the upgrade process.

Excellent idea. If you need to convince your family, just have the vendor send the stone to get it dual certed. A very very few of our members have done that. Everyone I think he world will tell you that’s not necessary because it really isn’t. But if you’ve got old school “family members” that haven’t caught up with the times or are outside of the US then if you have to do what gives them peace, you can. I was in your shoes 10 years ago and bought a GIA 3x cause that’s what “everyone” says is “guaranteed” to give you the “best” diamond. Blah blah blah. So I did it and here is am 10 years later, after finding it wasn’t as well cut as I wanted, I end up with super ideal from WF AGS. In the end, YOU are the one staring at the stone day and night, and you are the one that will see if certain spots leak and don’t light up as well. If you are the type that just sees “big!” And “shiny!” And “white!” And honestly don’t care that much then you really don’t need to dig into the details. But if it does matter to you that you are technically getting the optimal and most colorful light return then it would be worth your time to do more research.
FYI. To kinda give you the lay of the land, so you have some perspective of many of the people who have replied to your thread, you've stumbled onto a forum where many of us are diamond fanatics. Many of us look at our stones in every possible light, environment, critique it, scrutinize it, pick at it. We want the most "bang for your buck" in terms of performance and beauty (based on each person's individual definition of it). You will many lovers of old cuts, fancy cuts and those are evaluated somewhat differently. With MRB (modern round brilliants), the process to evaluate is more straightforward.

Also, to mention, WF's upgrade program is great. Just spend a $1 more. Not sure if it is relevant to you, but just saying. Other vendors have different criteria. Be sure to check the policies before buying if this matters to you.

 

[Lakefront]

I completely understand your desire for a GIA. I have an AGS certificate on a super ideal and the clarity grade differs from the GIA grade. As expected, GIA graded it lower. If you want a specific color or clarity, it can be nice to know that the stone gets that grade from both labs.