Opinion on diamond

[stenb93]

My favorite is the last link in your list. It is the largest near super-ideal cut that's under EUR 5,600. You're guaranteed cut quality and the generous trade-up policy if you ever want to use it.

Thanks!

I just saw that i forgot to add the BGD diamonds to the list. Does this change your sentiment? See full list below



BGD Signature H&A 1.008 J/IF @ $6,880 wire ($5,848 after 15% discount)

1.008 J IF Signature RoundDefault Title

Buy diamonds online - AGS Graded 1.008 carat J IF super ideal cut Brian Gavin Hearts & Arrows Round Cut diamond. Lifetime Upgrade Policy!

www.briangavindiamonds.com

BGD Signature H&A 1.022 J/VVS2 @ $6,913 wire ($5,876 after 15% discount)

1.022 J VVS2 Signature RoundDefault Title

Brian Gavin Diamonds

www.briangavindiamonds.com

BGD Signature 0.915 I/VVS2 @ $6,940 wire ($5,899 after 15% discount)

0.915 I VVS2 Signature RoundDefault Title

Buy diamonds online - AGS Graded 0.915 carat I VVS2 super ideal cut Brian Gavin Hearts & Arrows Round Cut diamond. Lifetime Upgrade Policy!

www.briangavindiamonds.com

https://www.bluenile.com/dk/diamond-details/LD21342908 - 1.02ct, E, VS2 - EUR 6,289 / USD 6,812

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4494076.htm?a_aid=PS 1.043ct, G, SI1 - EUR 7,275 / USD 7,881

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4531069.htm?a_aid=PS 0.907ct, H, SI1, EUR 5,989 / USD 6,488

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4555905.htm?a_aid=PS 0.8ct, H, VS2, EUR 3,676 / USD 3,983

https://www.adiamor.com/Diamonds/0....7?rfr=sa&utm_campaign=202301.01&b=4.562&p=1&# 0.96ct, H, VS2, EUR 4,211 / USD 4,562

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4538529.htm?a_aid=PS 0.851ct, H, VVS2, EUR 4,854 / USD 5,259

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4473418.htm 0.952 ct, I, VS1, EUR 5,534 / USD 5,995

 

[Kim N]

Thanks!

I just saw that i forgot to add the BGD diamonds to the list. Does this change your sentiment? See full list below



BGD Signature H&A 1.008 J/IF @ $6,880 wire ($5,848 after 15% discount)

1.008 J IF Signature RoundDefault Title

Buy diamonds online - AGS Graded 1.008 carat J IF super ideal cut Brian Gavin Hearts & Arrows Round Cut diamond. Lifetime Upgrade Policy!

www.briangavindiamonds.com

BGD Signature H&A 1.022 J/VVS2 @ $6,913 wire ($5,876 after 15% discount)

1.022 J VVS2 Signature RoundDefault Title

Brian Gavin Diamonds

www.briangavindiamonds.com

BGD Signature 0.915 I/VVS2 @ $6,940 wire ($5,899 after 15% discount)

0.915 I VVS2 Signature RoundDefault Title

Buy diamonds online - AGS Graded 0.915 carat I VVS2 super ideal cut Brian Gavin Hearts & Arrows Round Cut diamond. Lifetime Upgrade Policy!

www.briangavindiamonds.com

https://www.bluenile.com/dk/diamond-details/LD21342908 - 1.02ct, E, VS2 - EUR 6,289 / USD 6,812

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4494076.htm?a_aid=PS 1.043ct, G, SI1 - EUR 7,275 / USD 7,881

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4531069.htm?a_aid=PS 0.907ct, H, SI1, EUR 5,989 / USD 6,488

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4555905.htm?a_aid=PS 0.8ct, H, VS2, EUR 3,676 / USD 3,983

https://www.adiamor.com/Diamonds/0....7?rfr=sa&utm_campaign=202301.01&b=4.562&p=1&# 0.96ct, H, VS2, EUR 4,211 / USD 4,562

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4538529.htm?a_aid=PS 0.851ct, H, VVS2, EUR 4,854 / USD 5,259

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4473418.htm 0.952 ct, I, VS1, EUR 5,534 / USD 5,995

The BGD 1ct stones are only marginally larger with a trade-off of one color grade. The size difference to the 0.952 from Whiteflash will be imperceptible to most people. As you go down the color alphabet, the range of color within each grade is wider (i.e. the difference between a "low" J to a "high" J is more apparent than the difference between a low E to a high E). Since the stones are from different vendors, there's no way of knowing how the 0.952 I color compares to either of the J stones. I would probably still pick the 0.952, but if I had to pick a J, I like the 1.022 for the slightly smaller table size (just personal preference).

 

[sledge]

BGD Signature H&A 1.008 J/IF @ $6,880 wire ($5,848 after 15% discount)

1.008 J IF Signature RoundDefault Title

Buy diamonds online - AGS Graded 1.008 carat J IF super ideal cut Brian Gavin Hearts & Arrows Round Cut diamond. Lifetime Upgrade Policy!

www.briangavindiamonds.com

BGD Signature H&A 1.022 J/VVS2 @ $6,913 wire ($5,876 after 15% discount)

1.022 J VVS2 Signature RoundDefault Title

Brian Gavin Diamonds

www.briangavindiamonds.com

BGD Signature 0.915 I/VVS2 @ $6,940 wire ($5,899 after 15% discount)

0.915 I VVS2 Signature RoundDefault Title

Buy diamonds online - AGS Graded 0.915 carat I VVS2 super ideal cut Brian Gavin Hearts & Arrows Round Cut diamond. Lifetime Upgrade Policy!

www.briangavindiamonds.com

All 3 are true H&A stones. Great proportions and all the images are super clean indicating they are extremely well cut. And clarity is off the charts good.

You'd pick one of the J's if you prioritize size and have a "mind clean" issue with being 1.00+ carats. The sacrifice is the color. Of the two J's I prefer the 1.022 VVS2 with smaller table and slightly fatter arrows. We are taking nuances, but I think it will have a tad more fire.

The I-VVS2 is pretty dreamy. Gives you a bump in color, but at the expense of some carat weight. Yet stays within similar dollars. Rather than look at weight, look at the circumference difference. The J's are around 6.45mm. This one comes in slightly less at 6.25mm. That 0.20mm mark is minimal but discernible to the naked eye when lined up side by side.

IMO, the WF 0.952 I-VS1 hits the sweet spot....just as dreamy, same color and amazing clarity with VS1, around the same dollars but narrows that size gap so it's noticeable to the naked eye.

https://www.bluenile.com/dk/diamond-details/LD21342908 - 1.02ct, E, VS2 - EUR 6,289 / USD 6,812

Eliminate. Very nice stone, but out of budget. Also, not quite at the same precision level as your other choices.

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4494076.htm?a_aid=PS 1.043ct, G, SI1 - EUR 7,275 / USD 7,881

Eliminate. True H&A stone, but it too is grossly out of budget.

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4531069.htm?a_aid=PS 0.907ct, H, SI1, EUR 5,989 / USD 6,488

Eliminate. True H&A stone, but main advantage is the color. It will be an eye clean SI1 but IMO, you have better choices for this carat weight and staying closer to your budget.

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4555905.htm?a_aid=PS 0.8ct, H, VS2, EUR 3,676 / USD 3,983

If color is most important and staying UNDER budget, this is your horse. It's just one of the smallest of the group.

https://www.adiamor.com/Diamonds/0....7?rfr=sa&utm_campaign=202301.01&b=4.562&p=1&# 0.96ct, H, VS2, EUR 4,211 / USD 4,562

A potential contender. Nice combo of weight, color & clarity. It's not a true H&A stone but appears to be nice. I voiced my concerns earlier. Short version, proportions are in acceptable range but on the fringe. I'd like to see advanced images before purchasing. If you were a domestic buyer I'd feel more comfortable buying, inspecting at home and returning/replacing if it didn't work. That is a considerable hassle for you, so I lean to reject even though it's under budget and fits your other criteria pretty well.

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4538529.htm?a_aid=PS 0.851ct, H, VVS2, EUR 4,854 / USD 5,259

Eliminate. Although an ACA, it has a very slightly weaker ASET than most ACA's (some green streaks in the table area). Also, hearts image is off by nuanced amounts but not as tight as the "near miss" 0.952 I-VS1.

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4473418.htm 0.952 ct, I, VS1, EUR 5,534 / USD 5,995

This is a "near miss" H&A stone. As noted earlier, it has some crown digging as evidenced on the ASET image. Hearts are super crisp. Love the proportions. The stone is very firey. It is technically under the 1 carat mark, but only by non-meaningful amounts that your eyes won't ever detect. It hits your budget and seems to be a good balance all the way around. Also, I like the better trade policy and prefer the setting choice which is a smidge cheaper than the BGD options. Overall this is my preference.

 

[sledge]

FYI, here is a different link for you to compare the WF stones in a side by side view. It's best viewed on an actual computer, not phone screen.

Diamond comparison | Compare Diamonds to choose and buy the best one

Whiteflash gives you an excellent opportunity to compare diamonds to make a great deal. With diamond’s parameters provided, you can compare any detail.

www.whiteflash.com

Edited to add:
Updated link and image to include 0.80 H/VS2

 

[0515vision]

And the BGD 15% discount ends tonight. Likely 11:59pm Central Time, but don’t quote me on that.

 

[sledge]

And the BGD 15% discount ends tonight. Likely 11:59pm Central Time, but don’t quote me on that.

Good catch. Although if you call Brian's wife, Leslie, and explain he's on the fence and would like to place a temporary reserve I bet she would honor it. Leslie is a total sweetheart that way.

 

[0515vision]

Good catch. Although if you call Brian's wife, Leslie, and explain he's on the fence and would like to place a temporary reserve I bet she would honor it. Leslie is a total sweetheart that way.

I’ll second that. I had travel and health issues when ordering my stone with them, and she offered solutions out of the goodness of heart. It was an absolute pleasure to work woth BGD.

 

[stenb93]

All 3 are true H&A stones. Great proportions and all the images are super clean indicating they are extremely well cut. And clarity is off the charts good.

You'd pick one of the J's if you prioritize size and have a "mind clean" issue with being 1.00+ carats. The sacrifice is the color. Of the two J's I prefer the 1.022 VVS2 with smaller table and slightly fatter arrows. We are taking nuances, but I think it will have a tad more fire.

The I-VVS2 is pretty dreamy. Gives you a bump in color, but at the expense of some carat weight. Yet stays within similar dollars. Rather than look at weight, look at the circumference difference. The J's are around 6.45mm. This one comes in slightly less at 6.25mm. That 0.20mm mark is minimal but discernible to the naked eye when lined up side by side.

IMO, the WF 0.952 I-VS1 hits the sweet spot....just as dreamy, same color and amazing clarity with VS1, around the same dollars but narrows that size gap so it's noticeable to the naked eye.



Eliminate. Very nice stone, but out of budget. Also, not quite at the same precision level as your other choices.



Eliminate. True H&A stone, but it too is grossly out of budget.



Eliminate. True H&A stone, but main advantage is the color. It will be an eye clean SI1 but IMO, you have better choices for this carat weight and staying closer to your budget.



If color is most important and staying UNDER budget, this is your horse. It's just one of the smallest of the group.



A potential contender. Nice combo of weight, color & clarity. It's not a true H&A stone but appears to be nice. I voiced my concerns earlier. Short version, proportions are in acceptable range but on the fringe. I'd like to see advanced images before purchasing. If you were a domestic buyer I'd feel more comfortable buying, inspecting at home and returning/replacing if it didn't work. That is a considerable hassle for you, so I lean to reject even though it's under budget and fits your other criteria pretty well.




Eliminate. Although an ACA, it has a very slightly weaker ASET than most ACA's (some green streaks in the table area). Also, hearts image is off by nuanced amounts but not as tight as the "near miss" 0.952 I-VS1.




This is a "near miss" H&A stone. As noted earlier, it has some crown digging as evidenced on the ASET image. Hearts are super crisp. Love the proportions. The stone is very firey. It is technically under the 1 carat mark, but only by non-meaningful amounts that your eyes won't ever detect. It hits your budget and seems to be a good balance all the way around. Also, I like the better trade policy and prefer the setting choice which is a smidge cheaper than the BGD options. Overall this is my preference.

Thanks again for the comprehensive walk-through

The better option seems to be the "near miss" H&A stone. What does it mean that the it has crown digging?

I found this on blue-nile: https://www.bluenile.com/dk/diamond-details/LD21367629

How does that compare to the "near miss" H&A stone? It is approx. EUR 1,000 cheaper

 

[sledge]

I wanted to take a quick minute to expand on the crown digging on the 0.952 WF stone. The images I will use as reference are part of a more comprehensive study that WF posted here on PS and I will link to it so you can read in full.

If this is too deep in the weeds, my overall summary is it’s a “near miss” H&A stone that exhibits superb symmetry and light performance but is ever so slightly reduced for the digging. It’s a minor adjustment and still a worthy consideration that will outperform the vast majority of other stones.

ASET image of actual stone (unedited):


ASET image of actual stone (showing evidence of digging): Using reference charts it appears to me there is about 2 degrees around the stone (the dark green areas circled on the right of the stone) with a few select spots where it creeps to nearly 3 degrees (longer green areas circled on left and pointed to with arrows).



The referenced article provides a set of ASET images to help us identify painting and digging and to what degree and these are the basis of my analysis. I’ve drawn a yellow box around the 3 degree variant which I believe to be worst case on this stone. And I’ve drawn a white box around the 6 degree variant. My reason for doing so is the latter correlates to additional testing that was performed on the 6 degree variant.



These are simply zoomed versions of the ASET reference images I focused on.





And here is some testing information that was provided in the article. First is “normal indexing” which simply means no painting or digging. You can see how the ASET correlates to the reference chart but also notice the values provided by the scanner.


Using the same format, here are the results for 6 degrees of crown digging. As you can see, there is a reduction to light performance (evidenced by additional greens on the ASET) and also numerically by the scanner output. It’s important to remember we think there is 2-3 degrees of crown digging on the 0.952 stone, so while some degradation is expected it will be of lesser impact than shown here. Again, the study only showed 6 degrees or I would have used a different reference to provide a closer correlation. My rough guess is the 0.952 would show about 1/3 or maybe less this impact as the digging is at least 50% less severe and it doesn’t occur all the way around the stone like the study. In short, a very small impact.



Hopefully this makes sense. And also helps explain why it’s a near miss but still a nice performer overall. Lastly I am linking the article used as reference.

Visible Effects of Painting & Digging on Superideal Diamonds

With grateful acknowledgment to John Pollard, Sergey Sivovolenko, AGSL and GIA Laboratories for valuable resources and input. Graphics produced with DiamCalc software by OctoNus. Note: This article pertains only to […]

www.pricescope.com

 

[sledge]

I found this on blue-nile: https://www.bluenile.com/dk/diamond-details/LD21367629

How does that compare to the "near miss" H&A stone? It is approx. EUR 1,000 cheaper

Hard pass. Don’t walk, but run when you find a stone with clarity notes that read, “clarity grade is based on clouds not shown”. This is essentially a death sentence the stone will be cloudy, hazy, lazy or whatever word we want to use to describe not clear and crisp.

Proportionally speaking, this is a nice find and seems very solid. The plot is just abnormally clean for an SI1 and it’s because of that note.

Oddly enough when searching BN, JA and a few other places I found 3-4 stones with that little moniker. I’ve seen them before but not in that frequency. It makes me wonder why there appears to be an influx. Maybe I just got “lucky” and found a larger number than normal? I’m not sure.

Either way….again, do not buy!

 

[stenb93]

Hard pass. Don’t walk, but run when you find a stone with clarity notes that read, “clarity grade is based on clouds not shown”. This is essentially a death sentence the stone will be cloudy, hazy, lazy or whatever word we want to use to describe not clear and crisp.

Proportionally speaking, this is a nice find and seems very solid. The plot is just abnormally clean for an SI1 and it’s because of that note.

Oddly enough when searching BN, JA and a few other places I found 3-4 stones with that little moniker. I’ve seen them before but not in that frequency. It makes me wonder why there appears to be an influx. Maybe I just got “lucky” and found a larger number than normal? I’m not sure.

Either way….again, do not buy!

Thanks once again sledge for the very insightful assistance!

The local jeweller I am using for the ring has a partnership with 77diamonds, and therefore it could make sense to buy the diamond from there.

Do you guys have any experience with them? And is it possible to find as good diamonds as the ones you have provided from WF from their website?

 

[MissGotRocks]

Thanks once again sledge for the very insightful assistance!

The local jeweller I am using for the ring has a partnership with 77diamonds, and therefore it could make sense to buy the diamond from there.

Do you guys have any experience with them? And is it possible to find as good diamonds as the ones you have provided from WF from their website?

In all honesty, @sledge has gone to great lengths to explain to you about cut quality and how and why they are called super ideal cut diamonds. There are few super ideal cut vendors and you trying to choose diamonds that would meet that criteria are slim to none. You can buy a diamond anywhere you wish but if you want a superbly cut diamond, you can buy a setting from these vendors for far less than 1k. If it were possible to find the same cut quality as Whiteflash and the others, you would have been directed to them.
I understand that you want the best bang for the buck so to speak but only you can decide what attributes of a diamond are most important to you. Most of us here are diamond CUT enthusiasts so won’t steer you to anything subpar. The answer to your question though is no - you can find some pretty good cut diamonds but chances of finding one that matches super ideal proportions out of virtual inventories or at a random brick and mortar store are slim to none. The choice is yours to make and I wish you all the best!

 

[NY_Resonant]

From what I’m reading online, 77diamonds is more equivalent to BlueNile and JamesAllen (with a UK focus) than super-ideal companies like WhiteFlash… but this review implies it is 5-15% more expensive than JA/blue-Nile. Be careful anything you get is only certified by GIA or AGS. I do not know their return and upgrade policies.

77 Diamonds

Navigating online engagement shopping can be tricky, if not treacherous. You have the industry leaders like Blue Nile and James Allen (just like shopping

www.diamonds.pro

I do not think you should be limiting your diamond selection just because your jeweler has a relationship with a supplier. If he wants to COMPETE with what you can find online using his supplier, more power to him! Have him send you specs, GIA/AGS lab report, ASET images from his supplier and then you can get opinions on this board.

 

[0515vision]

I believe we are a US-skewed group. As such, 77diamonds is likely an unknown quantity to most. I’m sure for you and your jeweler it’s MUCH easier to deal with a European company.

As I browsed the 77diamonds “Cupid Cut,” all proportions seemed to fall into acceptable PS ranges. They also have H&A images … although is the red image an Idealscope image?

Here’s their cheapest 1ct Cupid cut stone.
1.01ct I VS2 £5460

https://www.77diamonds.com/round-cut-diamonds?item=-1

Someone will be able to tell you if that is a worthwhile stone or not. We just cannot vouch for this company’s practices, upgrade policy, customer service, etc.


All of us have lovingly followed you and @sledge through this intense search and come out the better for it. I was just about to ask a question about digging as a separate thread. Now I have plenty of reading material to satisfy my mathematical data brain.

As a newbie, I’m continually stunned by the care put into each thread’s new question. What a gift we have in PS.

 

[MissGotRocks]

I believe we are a US-skewed group. As such, 77diamonds is likely an unknown quantity to most. I’m sure for you and your jeweler it’s MUCH easier to deal with a European company.

As I browsed the 77diamonds “Cupid Cut,” all proportions seemed to fall into acceptable PS ranges. They also have H&A images … although is the red image an Idealscope image?

Here’s their cheapest 1ct Cupid cut stone.
1.01ct I VS2 £5460

https://www.77diamonds.com/round-cut-diamonds?item=-1

Someone will be able to tell you if that is a worthwhile stone or not. We just cannot vouch for this company’s practices, upgrade policy, customer service, etc.


All of us have lovingly followed you and @sledge through this intense search and come out the better for it. I was just about to ask a question about digging as a separate thread. Now I have plenty of reading material to satisfy my mathematical data brain.

As a newbie, I’m continually stunned by the care put into each thread’s new question. What a gift we have in PS.

It seems as though only their Cupid’s cut diamonds are GIA graded. Even with that, he would need more images to determine cut quality. GIA is much broader with their triple ex grades than is AGS lending to more light leakage and cut quality issues.

 

[0515vision]

It seems as though only their Cupid’s cut diamonds are GIA graded. Even with that, he would need more images to determine cut quality. GIA is much broader with their triple ex grades than is AGS lending to more light leakage and cut quality issues.

Ah yes. The H&A images are only sample images. Am in LA, and need more coffee!

 

[MissGotRocks]

Ah yes. The H&A images are only sample images. Am in LA, and need more coffee!

No worries! Thanks for your help!!

 

[sledge]

Thanks once again sledge for the very insightful assistance!

The local jeweller I am using for the ring has a partnership with 77diamonds, and therefore it could make sense to buy the diamond from there.

Do you guys have any experience with them? And is it possible to find as good diamonds as the ones you have provided from WF from their website?

You're welcome, hope it is helping make the picture more clear.

I have heard of 77 Diamonds and think I even had some interactions with a tradesperson from their company here on PS. That's been a few years back and sadly I don't recall their name or would link them. Being the details are foggy I can't really recall the type of stones they offered then.

I do recall recommending DiamondHouse out of London and also Fortrez in Antwerp. I think the companies were a little more distinct back then but seem to be more unified in appearance now (as they are really under the same ownership). They were Crafted by Infinity (CBI) dealers, which was a very well respected super ideal cutter until they went out of business.

I do see 77 Diamonds has a cupid ideal cut but I haven't dug very deep on the details. First glance I see it's all GIA certification, which in one way isn't too surprising because AGS stopped doing lab reports on 12/2022. However, like the other super ideal vendors I would have expected them to have some left over stock with AGS reports. Also the H&A images are samples.

I'm afraid this may be like an "Affinity Cut" which sounds prestigious and may be better than the average stone but is basically a better cut house brand, but not true super ideal. That doesn't necessarily mean it's bad but it may not be equal to WF, BGD, VC, etc.

Edited to Add:
Here is a link to all 77D's terms & conditions...blah. Nothing on trade policy, so I assume they don't have one or it's pretty anemic.

Terms and Conditions | 77 Diamonds

Terms and Conditions for all 77 Diamonds purchases.

www.77diamonds.com

In all honesty, @sledge has gone to great lengths to explain to you about cut quality and how and why they are called super ideal cut diamonds.

Thank you for the kind words.

Here’s their cheapest 1ct Cupid cut stone.
1.01ct I VS2 £5460

https://www.77diamonds.com/round-cut-diamonds?item=-1

Someone will be able to tell you if that is a worthwhile stone or not. We just cannot vouch for this company’s practices, upgrade policy, customer service, etc.

IMO, this stone is riding the fringe. Finding a 34/41 that works is hard. I can't recall who it was here that LOVED that combo and she had a horrible time finding one that didn't have issues of some sort.

It's a tough ask as you want all the actual pavilion values to stay < 41.2. Combine with GIA rounding wonkiness and there's just no way to know or trust this without a detailed Sarine report or advanced images. Also, I'd prefer a smaller table and would like to see a combo that gets that crown height up to 15%+.

I noticed the hearts, arrows and even fire video are all labeled as SAMPLES. The only actual diamond data is the vanilla video. Also, this stone doesn't have the AGS addendum that can be purchased on premium cut GIA stones. And to get the diamond proportions you have to click on the external GIA report option as their version just looks weird.

If you want to buy your own ASET and H&A scopes and examine in the store, then that may be a potential solution.

All of us have lovingly followed you and @sledge through this intense search and come out the better for it. I was just about to ask a question about digging as a separate thread. Now I have plenty of reading material to satisfy my mathematical data brain.

Glad we can all learn together. It's truly one of the things that makes PS so great.

 

[stenb93]

Hi all and in particular sledge,

I hope it has come through that I am extremely grateful for the guidance and assistance shown by you guys in this thread. The willingness to help as by far exceeded my expectations when i created the thread, and what I have seen on other forums.
I am trying to digest all the information and inputs and then find a way to make the best deal possible.
The reason why I asked regarding 77diamonds, was that the local jeweller would be able to obtain better prices than the ones on the website, which may could have opened for an opportunity to get a better deal, and as also pointed out, it would be easier to to deal with an EU company.
But easier is not always better - and your suggestions have also pointed in this direction.

Therefore I also reached out to Michelle from WF, regarding the expert selection stone. Based on sledge's initial recommendation I asked for Michelle's advice regarding the expert selection stone vs. a J-coloured stone. She reassured me that the colour difference would be almost impossible to see.

She then recommended 2 alternatives to the expert selection stone, which I would appreciate your advice on. When downgrading to a J-coloured stone i will be able to get a "CUT ABOVE" 1ct diamond.

Please see below links:
Comparison: https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/compare/?idnos=4483266,4473418,4483270

1.028ct, VS2, USD 5,500: https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4483266.htm

0.952ct, VS1, USD 5,995: https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4473418.htm (Expert selection stone)

1.037ct, SI1, USD 5,375: https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4483270.htm

In addition to above she also provided me with side-by-side comparison pictures. Please see below:







The customer service provided by WF and Michelle is really outstanding, this together with your recommendations gives me confidence in buying a diamond online from them. Now I just have to choose a stone.

I would very much appreciate your thoughts on the individual ranking between the ones above.

______________________________

I also reached out to Adiamor, regarding below stone, where Slege pointed out that we needed more advanced pictures to be able to make a decision.

https://www.adiamor.com/Diamonds/0....7?rfr=sa&utm_campaign=202301.01&b=4.562&p=1&# 0.96ct, H, VS2, EUR 4,211 / USD 4,562

I have received below pictures from Adiamor, and would also like to hear your thoughts on that:




I hope you have not lost your faith in this proces, and I look forward to hear your thoughts!

 

[sledge]

@stenb93 no worries, I have not lost faith in you or your abilities. It’s just part of the process. Most of us don’t know squat about diamonds, or very little, until we are trying to pick one. Kudos to you for sticking around and attempting to learn so you can make the best choice for yourself. Not to mention being open minded to an online purchase, as that’s a big deal for most folks. Regardless of the dollars spent, it’s usually a big purchase for most folks and it always tends to have lots of emotion and energy mixed in as well. Our goal at the end of the process is to pick a gorgeous stone that meets your expectations and budget goals, yet is undeniably a stone of such a caliber that exudes total beauty and confidence when you present it to the love of your life!

I am traveling today so I will break up my posts as I want to use a computer view (as opposed to phone) to more closely examine the new WF choices.

Quickly, in regards to 77D, they may be a viable option. We simply need more info. Based on what I’ve seen so far, to get somewhere close to the same precision level of the WF stones you will need to target their Cupid ideal cut. Probably that I stone we discussed earlier will be the one unless they have other stock not shown on the website. To make those determinations we need the actual advanced images, not samples. Also we need to know your price so we can ascertain value. Lastly, confirmation of their trade policy, if any exists.

As far as the Adiamor stone. They gave you H&A images which are helpful. Hearts tells us a considerable amount about the symmetry of the stone. Even with little experience, I trust you can see the variations in hearts on that stone compared to the WF stones. While every diamond makes a heart looking shape, a true H&A stone will have minute variation in the hearts indicating optimal symmetry. When light bounces inside the stone that symmetry allows it to do so at the proper angles so maximum light performance is achieved. The tricky part becomes how much our eyes can perceive. Undoubtedly, more precision equals better performance. It’s possible to have imperfect symmetry and a gorgeous stone. The image we are missing is an ASET which tells us more about the light performance. Even if it comes back acceptable there is a precision level difference between this and all the WF stones.

More info on analyzing H&A symmetry, if you care to go that deep. Also I will add an image that shows an example stone of lesser caliber. Notice the dark spots in the ASET (red, blue & green image) that is leakage and what we want to avoid.

A Guide to Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Cut Diamonds

Hearts and Arrows diamonds are cut with superior symmetry. Learn more about hearts and arrows diamonds and where to buy them at Whiteflash.

www.whiteflash.com

Okay, before I move onto round two of my post, I wanted to quickly link the AGS reports for each of the WF stones. While the 0.952 is more clear on my screen, the resolution of the other two were blurry and hard to read the clarity plots so I decided to post them directly from AGS for ease.

In short, all good clean stones with no major concerns on any of them.

0.952 I/VS1 Lab Report

AGS Laboratories

agslab.com

1.028 J/VS2 Lab Report

AGS Laboratories

agslab.com

1.037 J/SI1 Lab Report

AGS Laboratories

agslab.com

 

[0515vision]

Thought: If your jeweler sources a stone from 77diamond for you, you may not be beholden to 77diamond's policy but rather your local jeweler's upgrade policy.

ooooo ... I'm loving this thread!
Good info! Great ppl! Diamonds!
What more could you ask for!

 

[sledge]

Okay, part two of my response.

First off, kudos to Michele @ WF. I think she presented you some pretty amazing contenders. Overall, I think the choices are all pretty fantastic and I wouldn't really have a problem choosing any of them. However, we must come to one so in that spirit I am going to nitpick and make some assumptions.

You made a statement, "when downgrading to a J color, I can get an ACA". I interpreted this to mean that to you, the ACA is a little more special than a "near miss" ACA. No judgment here whatsoever, but I think I read between the lines properly. I would further speculate that based on price and the teeny tiny difference in color between the I and J stones, it's probably bouncing around in your head why spend more on an "almost ACA" when I can have the an official ACA for less money.

If all that is correct, the short technical answer is better color and clarity. The realistic aspect is that your eyes can barely see the difference in color and I'm pretty sure unless you have superman vision, you can't tell much difference in clarity between any of the stones. So yes, on paper, better color and clarity but maybe not so much to the naked eye. At least that is how my brain sees it.

Ignoring carat weight, could you see any physical difference in size? To my naked eye, the J's are slightly larger than the I, which is about 0.20mm difference and where I'd expect to start noticing in a side-by-side comparison. So I might further speculate less money, negligible color/clarity difference to the naked eye and a small size increase AND it officially pushes you over the 1.00+ carat mark.

You probably see where I'm going with this. I think the J's are very, very close to the I stone. I can see some color difference but it's minor. I became curious how the J's compared to each other so I cropped the pictures so they sit side-by-side.







The advanced images for all the stones are in-check, as would be expected. We already discussed the crown digging on the near miss ACA so I'm not going to rehash that. I think it stands it's still a nice stone.

Lastly I spent quite a bit of time looking at the fire videos to see which seemed most lively to my eyes. I keep coming back to the I/VS1 but it's by a small margin. Oddly, while the 1.037 has near identical proportions as the 0.952 I think the ever so slightly longer LGF's @ 77 changes things a smidge. I ranked it as my 3rd choice. My 2nd choice was the 1.028 which I found a bit surprising as the table is larger but the LGF's are also shorter @ 76. But some other minor variables also occur. I think the 1.028 and 0.952 are very, very similar in performance.

So at the end of the day, where does this put us? I have to keep in mind you are setting the stone in a YG setting so honestly the minor gains in color are less meaningful. I also know the stones are pushing you to the top of your budget and I think you have a yearning to be a "true ACA" not a near miss. That said, in your shoes, I would choose one of the J's. My personal favorite is the 1.028 J/VS2. It seems a bit more firey and I prefer the additional VS2 clarity.

Assuming you set in the Valoria Petite 6-prong YG setting I suggested, wire price on that is $481. Combined with wire price of the 1.028 that puts you at USD $5,865. Add 27.5% for duties & taxes and your all-in is USD $7,488.

One of your first posts said you had a max USD budget of $7,300. I think we've nailed that and given you an incredible H&A stone, setting, top tier trusted vendor and amazing lifetime upgrade program.

What does your gut tell you?

 

[stenb93]

Okay, part two of my response.

First off, kudos to Michele @ WF. I think she presented you some pretty amazing contenders. Overall, I think the choices are all pretty fantastic and I wouldn't really have a problem choosing any of them. However, we must come to one so in that spirit I am going to nitpick and make some assumptions.

You made a statement, "when downgrading to a J color, I can get an ACA". I interpreted this to mean that to you, the ACA is a little more special than a "near miss" ACA. No judgment here whatsoever, but I think I read between the lines properly. I would further speculate that based on price and the teeny tiny difference in color between the I and J stones, it's probably bouncing around in your head why spend more on an "almost ACA" when I can have the an official ACA for less money.

If all that is correct, the short technical answer is better color and clarity. The realistic aspect is that your eyes can barely see the difference in color and I'm pretty sure unless you have superman vision, you can't tell much difference in clarity between any of the stones. So yes, on paper, better color and clarity but maybe not so much to the naked eye. At least that is how my brain sees it.

Ignoring carat weight, could you see any physical difference in size? To my naked eye, the J's are slightly larger than the I, which is about 0.20mm difference and where I'd expect to start noticing in a side-by-side comparison. So I might further speculate less money, negligible color/clarity difference to the naked eye and a small size increase AND it officially pushes you over the 1.00+ carat mark.

You probably see where I'm going with this. I think the J's are very, very close to the I stone. I can see some color difference but it's minor. I became curious how the J's compared to each other so I cropped the pictures so they sit side-by-side.







The advanced images for all the stones are in-check, as would be expected. We already discussed the crown digging on the near miss ACA so I'm not going to rehash that. I think it stands it's still a nice stone.

Lastly I spent quite a bit of time looking at the fire videos to see which seemed most lively to my eyes. I keep coming back to the I/VS1 but it's by a small margin. Oddly, while the 1.037 has near identical proportions as the 0.952 I think the ever so slightly longer LGF's @ 77 changes things a smidge. I ranked it as my 3rd choice. My 2nd choice was the 1.028 which I found a bit surprising as the table is larger but the LGF's are also shorter @ 76. But some other minor variables also occur. I think the 1.028 and 0.952 are very, very similar in performance.

So at the end of the day, where does this put us? I have to keep in mind you are setting the stone in a YG setting so honestly the minor gains in color are less meaningful. I also know the stones are pushing you to the top of your budget and I think you have a yearning to be a "true ACA" not a near miss. That said, in your shoes, I would choose one of the J's. My personal favorite is the 1.028 J/VS2. It seems a bit more firey and I prefer the additional VS2 clarity.

Assuming you set in the Valoria Petite 6-prong YG setting I suggested, wire price on that is $481. Combined with wire price of the 1.028 that puts you at USD $5,865. Add 27.5% for duties & taxes and your all-in is USD $7,488.

One of your first posts said you had a max USD budget of $7,300. I think we've nailed that and given you an incredible H&A stone, setting, top tier trusted vendor and amazing lifetime upgrade program.

What does your gut tell you?

Thanks once again for a thorough walk-through and comparison.

My initial gut-feeling was to go for the 1.028 if you guys also confirmed that this would be a good buy. I like the idea to be above the 1ct mark, and also as you correctly analyzed, to have a true ACA compared to "near miss".

Between the two J's I also prefer the 1.028 - mostly because of the VS1 compared to the SI1.

Thank you very much for the guidance so far! Hopefully i will be able to secure it shortly.

 

[sledge]

Woohoo!!! Sounds like you are on the downslope. I’d call WF and put a temp reserve on the 1.028 while you sort out details. People lurk here and sometimes snatch up recommendations. Better safe than sorry!

Super excited for you! Can’t wait to see the final product all mounted and to hear back about how your girl loved it! Be sure to keep us posted with updates and pictures….lots of pictures, lol.

 

[stenb93]

Woohoo!!! Sounds like you are on the downslope. I’d call WF and put a temp reserve on the 1.028 while you sort out details. People lurk here and sometimes snatch up recommendations. Better safe than sorry!

Super excited for you! Can’t wait to see the final product all mounted and to hear back about how your girl loved it! Be sure to keep us posted with updates and pictures….lots of pictures, lol.

Yeah! Feels good to finally have taken the decision. I called Michelle immediately and have reserved the stone.

I plan to do the move in the summer, will update the thread afterwards.

Thanks once again to all, for your assistance and kindness!

 

[Kim N]

Yeah! Feels good to finally have taken the decision. I called Michelle immediately and have reserved the stone.

I plan to do the move in the summer, will update the thread afterwards.

Thanks once again to all, for your assistance and kindness!

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts once you receive the diamond! I'm sure it'll knock your socks off.

 

[stenb93]

This weekend I finally made the move, and my girlfriend said yes!

Once again thank you for the comprehensive support in choosing the right ring for my girlfriend - She was totally speechless!

Below is a picture of the ring mounted in the hand-made solitaire ring.

 

[MissGotRocks]

This weekend I finally made the move, and my girlfriend said yes!

Once again thank you for the comprehensive support in choosing the right ring for my girlfriend - She was totally speechless!

Below is a picture of the ring mounted in the hand-made solitaire ring.

Congratulations! The ring looks beautiful on her hand. Thanks for coming back with pictures - we will take all you have! Best wishes to you both for a lifetime of happiness!

 

[DejaWiz]

Congratulations to you both, stenb93!