Find your diamond
Find your jewelry
shape
carat
color
clarity

Pulled the trigger - second thoughts: Feedback welcome

P

Psy-FoXz

Rough_Rock
Joined
Aug 7, 2018
Messages
5
Hi all,

I'm a guy from Germany and want to propose to my gf by the end of the year. I already did some research on the diamond topic few years ago (more due to nerdy interest in the topic itself instead of actually wanting to buy something). However, last week things kind of heated up a little bit when we dropped into a Tiffany's store "just for fun" :mrgreen:

Afterwards, I was finally aware of the ring size, had positive feedback of a classic solitaire setting and was informed several times that an irrational expensive Tiffany's box will earn me no bonus points. In the store, she tried a 0,62ct and a 0.77ct Solitaire (both H colored which honestly looks full white to me if not compared to a D or E) and looked very happy with both of them, pointing out that the smaller one would still be more than sufficient. Honestly, I liked the bigger one better :cool2: .However, Tiffany asked for 8.800 € on that one which was a little setback since I set my budget to € 5.000 (net of VAT and customs, so gross amount of roughly € 6.100), which is already insanely high for engagement rings in Germany if you are not extremely wealthy (which we are not). But we both like and appreciate precious things and I really enjoy spending money on this matter.

So I decided to buy online with the objective to at least match the Tiffany's ring in size and colour with my budget and hopefully get even a better performance due to a superior cut (although I must admit that the diamond looked stunning - at least in the store light). After a 10 hour day in the office solely dedicated to diamonds (I will hate me for that on Monday...), I pulled the trigger on the following:

Setting: Platinum Vatche U-113 6-Prong Solitaire, USD 1.800

I think it's very similar to the Tiffany's setting and i actually like it even a little better. It is more on the expensive side of the plain solitaire settings, but I was not able to like WF's cheaper alternatives as much as this one so the case was closed relatively fast. Unfortunately, this choice increased the pressure on the diamond matter...

Diamond: 0.816ct H VS2 ACA, USD 4.361

Diamond | 0.816 ct H VS2 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond AGS Certified | 4405761

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 0.816 carat H color VS2 clarity loose diamond is graded by the American Gem Society (AGS) Laboratories. | 4405761
www.whiteflash.com
  • fits perfectly in my budget (although I missed it by €100 due to bad currency exchange rates and bank fees),
  • matches the Tiffany's benchmark in color and clarity
  • outperforms Tiffany's benchmark in sinze by roughly 0.05c which may already be a noticeable difference
  • ASET, IDEAL-Scope images look fine/sufficient to me, numbers/measurements are in line with everything I was able to read on (super)ideal cuts, although for some the table may be slightly too big (57,2% whereas some name 57% as upper limit).
However, I missed on resource during my research which is the HCA-Tool. I ran it today and was actually very confident due to the numbers I checked. The score did not disappoint, the diamond archived a 1.3 with light return, fire and scintillation being excellent, spread very good. However, the look like size scored only an "average". This result makes me wonder if I made a mistake and should have rejected this stone due to the fact that it could look bigger for its ct size? Or am I just going crazy here because I haven't checked something in advance that actually only has a minimal impact?

All comments on my purchase are highly appreciated!

Thanks and regards
Psy
 
Psy-FoXz said:
Hi all,

I'm a guy from Germany and want to propose to my gf by the end of the year. I already did some research on the diamond topic few years ago (more due to nerdy interest in the topic itself instead of actually wanting to buy something). However, last week things kind of heated up a little bit when we dropped into a Tiffany's store "just for fun" :mrgreen:

Afterwards, I was finally aware of the ring size, had positive feedback of a classic solitaire setting and was informed several times that an irrational expensive Tiffany's box will earn me no bonus points. In the store, she tried a 0,62ct and a 0.77ct Solitaire (both H colored which honestly looks full white to me if not compared to a D or E) and looked very happy with both of them, pointing out that the smaller one would still be more than sufficient. Honestly, I liked the bigger one better :cool2: .However, Tiffany asked for 8.800 € on that one which was a little setback since I set my budget to € 5.000 (net of VAT and customs, so gross amount of roughly € 6.100), which is already insanely high for engagement rings in Germany if you are not extremely wealthy (which we are not). But we both like and appreciate precious things and I really enjoy spending money on this matter.

So I decided to buy online with the objective to at least match the Tiffany's ring in size and colour with my budget and hopefully get even a better performance due to a superior cut (although I must admit that the diamond looked stunning - at least in the store light). After a 10 hour day in the office solely dedicated to diamonds (I will hate me for that on Monday...), I pulled the trigger on the following:

Setting: Platinum Vatche U-113 6-Prong Solitaire, USD 1.800

I think it's very similar to the Tiffany's setting and i actually like it even a little better. It is more on the expensive side of the plain solitaire settings, but I was not able to like WF's cheaper alternatives as much as this one so the case was closed relatively fast. Unfortunately, this choice increased the pressure on the diamond matter...

Diamond: 0.816ct H VS2 ACA, USD 4.361

Diamond | 0.816 ct H VS2 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond AGS Certified | 4405761

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 0.816 carat H color VS2 clarity loose diamond is graded by the American Gem Society (AGS) Laboratories. | 4405761
www.whiteflash.com
  • fits perfectly in my budget (although I missed it by €100 due to bad currency exchange rates and bank fees),
  • matches the Tiffany's benchmark in color and clarity
  • outperforms Tiffany's benchmark in sinze by roughly 0.05c which may already be a noticeable difference
  • ASET, IDEAL-Scope images look fine/sufficient to me, numbers/measurements are in line with everything I was able to read on (super)ideal cuts, although for some the table may be slightly too big (57,2% whereas some name 57% as upper limit).
However, I missed on resource during my research which is the HCA-Tool. I ran it today and was actually very confident due to the numbers I checked. The score did not disappoint, the diamond archived a 1.3 with light return, fire and scintillation being excellent, spread very good. However, the look like size scored only an "average". This result makes me wonder if I made a mistake and should have rejected this stone due to the fact that it could look bigger for its ct size? Or am I just going crazy here because I haven't checked something in advance that actually only has a minimal impact?

All comments on my purchase are highly appreciated!

Thanks and regards
Psy
Click to expand...

You’re going crazy ;)2 you did good going with an ACA, don’t worry about it.
 
I agree too! You picked well and with an ACA you know you've got the best of the best in terms of cut. Whiteflash has an excellent upgrade policy if this is something you may consider down the track.

The HCA should be used as a tool to reject bad stones rather than a selection tool. If it really bothers you that HCA says size 'average' instead of 'big' and you want a table less than 57, you can consider swapping to this 0.808 ct H VS1:

Diamond | 0.808 ct H VS1 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond AGS Certified | 4396510

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 0.808 carat H color VS1 clarity loose diamond is graded by the American Gem Society (AGS) Laboratories. | 4396510
www.whiteflash.com

The alternative is not a bigger stone and I wouldn't bother if I were you because the stone you chose is excellent!
 
Psy, you did great! Whiteflash guarantees their diamonds to be of super ideal cut caliber, which is regarded to be the best cut precision for a modern round brilliant. In a sense, you have joined an exclusive family of super ideal cut owners, because they can only be purchased from a few trusted sellers. Congratulations!
 
THANK YOU for the overwhelmingly positive feedback! Hope my girl shares our opinion! =)2

I will keep you posted as soon as the ring arrives. Fingers crossed that I've filled out everything correctly when doing the wire transfer :roll:
 
You did great! That's a beautiful diamond. Hope you come back to share photos!
 
Looks like an amazing choice and it's so refreshing to see someone making the effort to actually find out his intended's preferences.

We should link this thread to all the infuriating "I don't want to ask what she wants, it will spoil the surprise and she'll be happy with whatever I give her" threads. In general, women DO have preferences (shock) and want to be asked!!
 
She will have the most beautiful diamond in Germany! Congratulations!
 
Today, WF confirmed the receipt of the international wire transfer. So this hurdle has already been cleared! =)2

Estimated shipping date is 27 October, customs clearance is the next area of concern that needs to be overcome. Will keep you updated :geek2:
 
Congrats, it’s gorgeous!!
Ps have you factored in import taxes? That’s quite a big amount based on the cost price…
 
It is beautiful! Looking forward to hear your impressions once it arrives in person! :)
 
Last edited:
Nymf said:
Congrats, it’s gorgeous!!
Ps have you factored in import taxes? That’s quite a big amount based on the cost price…
Click to expand...

Yes, I did consider that. Approximately 1.2k Euro on top. Hopefully worth it =)2
 
Those prongs! :kiss2:
 
Looks beautiful! Can’t wait for hand shots!
 
Spectacular!
 
It's gorgeous!! She's sure to love it!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
GET 3 FREE HCA RESULTS JOIN THE FORUM. ASK FOR HELP
Jewelry Blog
PriceScope-Concierge-Ad
Find prime cuts.
Top