Please help newbie choose between two diamonds!

[wwjthink]

This is my first Pricescope post, so please forgive if I make any newbie mistakes or break etiquette. HUGE THANKS to all of you for contributing to make these forums so awesome. Have really had my eyes opened by all you have to say. I''ve only been researching diamonds for the past month and discovered these forums a week ago.

I''m trying to choose between two diamonds I found online. Have not seen them in person, but specs look really good to me. Diamond #1 is VS1 but Diamond #2 is Hearts and Arrows VS2. For Diamond #2 I had shown the GIA report to a local B&M jeweler and he claimed that the inclusions located right in the center of the stone would definitely interfere with the light performance. Not sure I buy that since it''s a VS2 stone and I would think the inclusions would have negligible affect on light performance!? I''m trying to attach a jpeg showing image of both stones'' inclusions. Please weigh in on specs and which stone you would prefer / recommend (price being nearly equal):

DIAMOND #1 - 1.587 carat, H, VS1
7.47 - 7.51 x 4.60 mm
Cut Grade: AGS Ideal
Depth: 61.6%
Table: 56.2%
Crown Angle: 34.8°
Crown Height: 15.1%
Pavilion Angle: 40.8°
Pavilion Depth: 43.0%
Star length: 58%
Lower Half: 77%
Girdle: Med to Sl Thick Faceted (Min 1.6%, Max 2.0%)
Culet: 0.4%
Polish: Ideal
Symmetry: Ideal
Fluorescence: None
Additional Info: Not H&A

DIAMOND #2 - H&A 1.61 carat, H, VS2
Measurements: 7.56 - 7.59 x 4.63 mm
Cut Grade: GIA Excellent
Proportions:
Depth: 61.23%
Table: 56%
Crown Angle: 34.41°
Crown Height: 15.14%
Pavilion Angle: 40.84°
Pavilion Depth: 43.23%
Star length: 62.7%
Lower Half: 77.5%
Girdle: Thin to Medium, Faceted (3.0%)
Culet: 0.2%
Polish: Excellent
Symmetry: Excellent
Fluorescence: None
Additional Info: Hearts and Arrows

Thanks again!

 

[Lorelei]

Hi think! Thanks for your very kind words!

As to the jewellers claim that a VS2 inclusion will interfere with performance, I very much doubt it would do so that the human eye could discern it, maybe sophisticated measuring equipment could pick it up.

Both of your selections have great potential, do you have any images such as Idealscope for the first and hearts and arrows images for the second please?

 

[stone-cold11]

Both look promising.

On the VS2 part of the story, the local B&M is talking crap and trying to scare you from buying that stone. Although there are some VS2 that are not eye-clean on very close inspection, no way he can tell if one is so just by looking at the clarity report.

 

[wwjthink]

Thanks very much for your reviews! Here are some images of the stones in question.

 

[stone-cold11]

IS/ASET looks good.

Who is the vendor for the first stone? The setup looks like from WF but I do not think they provide hearts image for their non ACA stone and the Hearts image set up is different.

 

[wwjthink]

Vendor is WF and I had asked for the hearts. It''s not ACA, but "Expert Selection". Thanks!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Both look good. I would get the larger H VS2 because I don''t like paying for upgrades in clarity that I cannot see.

 

[Lorelei]

Both look great, you could pick either and be delighted.

 

[wwjthink]

The added info is that Diamond #1 (VS1) is WhiteFlash "Expert Selection" grade @ $12,922 and Diamond #2 (VS2) is GOG H&A grade @ $13,363. So in this case the VS2 is (ironically) 3.4% more expensive than the VS1. Which could mean one of at least three things:

1) VS1 is a really good deal / underpriced
2) VS2 is not so good a deal / overpriced
3) They are appropriately priced since GOG H&A is much better than WF Expert Selection

Anyone have experience with these vendor proprietary grading or have other thoughts?

 

[Paul-Antwerp]

Date: 2/9/2010 7:40:55 AM
Author: Lorelei
Both look great, you could pick either and be delighted.

Lorelei, may I rephrase your reply?

Both look great, since they seem to pass on all the available online-rejection-tools. As such, both will be far better than average.

If you however want to know which of the two is better for you, only a real-life-comparison can reveal this.

Live long,

 

[stone-cold11]

Date: 2/11/2010 10:34:52 AM
Author: wwjthink
The added info is that Diamond #1 (VS1) is WhiteFlash ''Expert Selection'' grade @ $12,922 and Diamond #2 (VS2) is GOG H&A grade @ $13,363. So in this case the VS2 is (ironically) 3.4% more expensive than the VS1. Which could mean one of at least three things:

1) VS1 is a really good deal / underpriced

2) VS2 is not so good a deal / overpriced

3) They are appropriately priced since GOG H&A is much better than WF Expert Selection

Anyone have experience with these vendor proprietary grading or have other thoughts?

Not comparing apples to apples here. One is a H&A not the other. Comparing prices for GOG''s H&A to WF ACA is going to be closer. GOG''s stones are generally price higher than WF due to their policies, specifically their lifetime buy back policy compare to WF''s 1 year buy back policy. Read their policies and decide which fits you better.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 2/11/2010 11:10:16 AM
Author: Paul-Antwerp

Date: 2/9/2010 7:40:55 AM
Author: Lorelei
Both look great, you could pick either and be delighted.

Lorelei, may I rephrase your reply?

Both look great, since they seem to pass on all the available online-rejection-tools. As such, both will be far better than average.

If you however want to know which of the two is better for you, only a real-life-comparison can reveal this.

Live long,

Of course! Might be difficult for the poster to get an real life comparison between the two but this would be the ideal scenario.

 

[Bella_mezzo]

I''d get the H VS2, it''s slightly larger, a branded H&A, GOG has a great upgrade policy (that;''s not a guarantee on the WF expert selection), and you''ll see no difference between a VS2 and a VS1. IMO the slight difference in price is worth it for the upgrade policy alone, the others are just icing on the cake.

 

[wwjthink]

Thanks everyone for your review and thoughts. With your wealth of knowledge you gave me assurance and confidence to go with the VS2. Thanks so much!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Come back with photos when you get it!

 

[Paul-Antwerp]

Date: 2/11/2010 11:30:37 AM
Author: Lorelei

Date: 2/11/2010 11:10:16 AM
Author: Paul-Antwerp

Date: 2/9/2010 7:40:55 AM
Author: Lorelei
Both look great, you could pick either and be delighted.

Lorelei, may I rephrase your reply?

Both look great, since they seem to pass on all the available online-rejection-tools. As such, both will be far better than average.

If you however want to know which of the two is better for you, only a real-life-comparison can reveal this.

Live long,

Of course! Might be difficult for the poster to get an real life comparison between the two but this would be the ideal scenario.

True, but at that point in time, it comes down to the comfort-level of the consumer. Some will pick either stone and will indeed be delighted, fully knowing that the other stone might have been better. Others will want to choose which one is best for them, and nobody but themselves can decide that.

As such, it can be said that both stones will pass a rather high quality-level (way far above average), but only the consumer himself can decide whether this suffices.

Live long,

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 2/13/2010 6:43:17 AM
Author: Paul-Antwerp

Date: 2/11/2010 11:30:37 AM
Author: Lorelei

Date: 2/11/2010 11:10:16 AM
Author: Paul-Antwerp

Date: 2/9/2010 7:40:55 AM
Author: Lorelei
Both look great, you could pick either and be delighted.

Lorelei, may I rephrase your reply?

Both look great, since they seem to pass on all the available online-rejection-tools. As such, both will be far better than average.

If you however want to know which of the two is better for you, only a real-life-comparison can reveal this.

Live long,

Of course! Might be difficult for the poster to get an real life comparison between the two but this would be the ideal scenario.

True, but at that point in time, it comes down to the comfort-level of the consumer. Some will pick either stone and will indeed be delighted, fully knowing that the other stone might have been better. Others will want to choose which one is best for them, and nobody but themselves can decide that.

As such, it can be said that both stones will pass a rather high quality-level (way far above average), but only the consumer himself can decide whether this suffices.

Live long,

I see what you are saying Paul - the only way for the consumer to know in this case would be to arrange for both stones ( as they are from different vendors) to be sent to an appraiser near them for viewing, if their finances permit them to do this then it would be the best way of course to choose between them.