Newbie Question on BN Ideal

[aristotle]

Greetings, everyone! I've been reading the posts in this forum for a while, but never had the guts to join and post until now. So here we go. I'm looking for an e-ring, and found this loose diamond at Blue Nile. If you could share your opinions, I'd be grateful.

Carat weight: 0.45
Cut: Ideal
Color: E
Clarity: VS2
Depth %: 60.9%
Table %: 57%
Clarity Characteristics: Feather, Cloud
Polish: Excellent
Symmetry: Excellent
Girdle: Medium to Slightly Thick
Culet: None
Fluorescence: None
Measurements: 4.99 x 4.95 x 3.03 mm
HCA SCORE: 1.0 - Excellent
PRICE: $1,158

What do you think of the price?

Is .45 carat too small for a size 5.5 or 6 ring?

Should I be worried about the feather and cloud?

Also, I was wondering why the signature ideal diamonds at BN often times have scores above 2, while (merely) ideal diamonds like the above have an excellent HCA score. Should I opt for the latter? Many thanks for your help!

 

[MaximusCruiser]

I definitely care more abt the stats than whether it is blue nile signature ideal as they also carry diamonds of other vendors. However, u may want to consider dropping the color to a F or even a G and get a bigger diamond.

 

[Christina...]

Can you post a link to the report or post the report number? I agree with Maximus, I too would drop down in color and consider H, I and also eye clean SI1's to maximize weight. Working with BN to find an eye clean stone however can be a challenge, since other than their signature line they don't actually view the stones for you. Have you considered other vendors that offer photos and gemological assessments of the stone? ID Jewelry, B2C, and James Allen are other budget friendly options to consider.

 

[AGBF]

Can you post a link to the report or post the report number? I agree with Maximus, I too would drop down in color and consider H, I and also eye clean SI1's to maximize weight. Working with BN to find an eye clean stone however can be a challenge, since other than their signature line they don't actually view the stones for you. Have you considered other vendors that offer photos and gemological assessments of the stone? ID Jewelry, B2C, and James Allen are other budget friendly options to consider.

Unless you like high color and clarity (like me). I would definitely consider dropping to an F. I even once bought a G color diamond. I have never gone below a VS2 in clarity, though. Because, to me, it wouldn't be "mind clean" below VS2. Your own preferences matter. As kenny likes to say, people vary. I like your original stone. I would consider dropping to an F if it were to be for myself. Size is not all that important to me.

Deb/AGBF

 

[aristotle]

Hello All, thank you for your answers! The report is here:

http://www.gia.edu/cs/Satellite?pagename=GST%2FDispatcher&childpagename=GIA%2FPage%2FReportCheck&c=Page&cid=1355954554547&reportno=1159460783

It turns out that the ring size is 4.75 or 5, so perhaps a .44 will not look too small? Per your suggestions, I've tried looking for other diamonds at other vendors (James Allen, etc.), even going to H and SI1, but wasn't able to find better ones with respect to the 4Cs at roughly the same price. A help would be much appreciated.

I guess the only concern now for me is to make sure that the diamond above is eye clean, for it is only a VS2. Is it quite safe to get this one?

With respect to carat, I read an interesting idea here:

"What's more, once the diamond is mounted, the difference between a 0.5 carat diamond and a .44 carat diamond, for example, will be negligible in terms of looks -- but it will be notably less pricey, Shor says."

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/08/16/savings-experiment-get-the-best-bling-for-your-buck-when-buying/

What do you think?

 

[AGBF]

Hello All, thank you for your answers! The report is here:

http://www.gia.edu/cs/Satellite?pagename=GST%2FDispatcher&childpagename=GIA%2FPage%2FReportCheck&c=Page&cid=1355954554547&reportno=1159460783

...​

I guess the only concern now for me is to make sure that the diamond above is eye clean, for it is only a VS2. Is it quite safe to get this one?

What do you think?

If it's graded VS2 by GIA it's going to be eye clean. You don't have to worry about that. I couldn't find a plot of the diamond on the cert showing where the inclusions were located, though. Usually I know where to look. (?)

The size difference between a .45 and a .50 is going to be very small. I wouldn't worry about that. Some people look at 1/4 carat diamonds and see them as huge. Others look at three carat diamonds and see them as tiny. If one stays on Pricescope long enough, one's perspective changes. My original engagement ring had two 1-point diamonds nestled inside an 18K gold oval. I still have it, because I would never part with it. My taste runs to larger stones now, however.

When I was growing up all the rings of women in my neighborhood and in my family were, at largest, 1/4 or 1/3 carat (.25 or .33 points). The stone you picked is huge by those standards. It is also very high color and clarity as well as well cut. I see no reason that it has to be larger. And yes, your girlfriend has small fingers. <smile> They will be covered easily.

Deb/AGBF

 

[aristotle]

Hello Deb, many thanks for your kind answers. For some reason, the diamond is not available anymore after I posted the specs here. I hope someone didn't see my post and then decided to snatch it before I did. Oh well. But your explanations help me quite a lot already and will factor into my decisions later.

Say, I have one other thing now to ask. I've been trying to find information about star length and lower half, but didn't understand much what I read. There's this one diamond with star length 50% and lower half 75%. I've read somewhere that this is not a good combination. Do you (or others) have any opinion about this? Thanks again.

aristotle

 

[AGBF]

Hello Deb, many thanks for your kind answers. For some reason, the diamond is not available anymore after I posted the specs here. I hope someone didn't see my post and then decided to snatch it before I did. Oh well. But your explanations help me quite a lot already and will factor into my decisions later.

Say, I have one other thing now to ask. I've been trying to find information about star length and lower half, but didn't understand much what I read. There's this one diamond with star length 50% and lower half 75%. I've read somewhere that this is not a good combination. Do you (or others) have any opinion about this? Thanks again.

aristotle-

I am sorry the diamond is no longer available. I have seen people warn posters to reserve diamonds before discussing them on Pricescope, but it did not occur to me to warn you! (The diamond may reappear.)

As to your question about the star length and lower half, I am afraid that I am the last person on earth to ask about anything with percentages in it. I always refer to questions that contain matters like crown angles and so forth as questions for engineers. Luckily there are many engineer types hanging out on Rocky Talky. (I am a color sensitive type.) I know that they will help you with the matter of the star length!

Deb/AGBF