Regular AGS 0 vs. Eight Star

[SteveL]

Hi,

I just recently purchased an AGS0 Cut diamond for an E-ring, with the help of many here, and I really like it.
See thread here: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/about-ready-to-buy-a-diamond-what-do-you-think.52706/

However, I''ve been reading up a lot more on diamonds now and I must say from what I''ve read and seen (in pictures) I am very impressed with Eight Star diamonds. In the real world how much of a difference is there between the two? Is the Eight Star really quite noticeably brighter? Would it really have noticeably better fire, scintillation, and light return than an AGS 0 diamond like I got that isn''t even a H&A stone? I highly doubt that I could get anywhere near the same size from Eight Star for even a couple of thousand more.

I really want to give my soon to be fiance a diamond ring that will "outshine" in a sense just about any other ring out there to make her feel as special as she makes me feel. I thought that by going AGS 0 and not neccesarily going for a Hearts & Arrows diamond I got a great deal on a well balanced larger ring. Now though after reading more and more on PS and a few other sites, I almost feel as if AGS 0 isn''t good enough.

Bottom line is Eight Star really that much better to the average Joe, or is it really just for someone that wants near perfection, or the absolute best? Really, I just want to be reassured that the diamond I got will blow just about everyone away with how nice it looks.

Thanks!

 

[angeline]

Hi SteveL,

I think your sentiment is so nice, in wanting to get the absolute best for your FI to be, really lovely.

Anyway that all aside, I can reassure you about 8* vs AGS0 I hope. I was hooked on 8* and convinced that I needed to get one to get the best diamond I could. I looked at several at a local B&M. To make sure I then ordered a Whiteflash AGS 0 ACA stone in the same color and dimensions as the 8* and took it into my jewelers to compare with the 8*. The jeweler had the Firescope etc.

Well the WF ACA actually looked as good if not slightly better to my eyes. Even the jeweler commented that it was an exceptional stone. Under the firescope and magnification it also looked as crisp with the arrows as the 8*. It didn''t have the same Idealscope as it wasn''t cut for edge-to-edge light return like the 8* (all red IS) but it shone as brightly and looked every bit as beautiful and sparkly as the 8*.

Please don''t doubt the beautiful stone that you have bought for your FI-2-be. It will look dazzling to her and to everyone else. By the way I then happily gave up on the 8* (even though I love the whole concept) but honestly my eyes couldn''t see the difference, and especially for the 40% greater cost, and I now am the proud owner of a WF Expert Selection.

All the best and enjoy the beautiful stone you have! Please let us know how it all goes.

a

 

[Ellen]

angeline, thanks for the insightful and interesting post! I''ve never seen an Eight Star, and often wondered how they compared...

And to the OP, I agree, do not doubt you have a beautiful stone there. Your stone will outshine most, if not all of those around you.

 

[chrono]

I have also compared an 8* side by side with a Ideal cut H&A stone (unbranded - it just missed the Subercert criteria, almost like the WF Expert Selection). Both were beautiful, very sparkly and had exceptional fire. However, I could not tell them apart with the naked eye. Add that the 8* was almost double in price, I could not justify the difference in cost.

I must say that the service from the 8* dealer was excellent, and the stone is gorgeous, but my eye just could not see the difference. I''m sure there are people out there with expert eyes that can, but not mine. That said, I compared an H&A stone with an H&A stone. I don''t know if I will be able to see the difference in performance between an H&A ideal vs a non-H&A ideal cut diamond because I''ve never seen them side by side.

 

[SteveL]

Thanks all for the reassurance!

I was very taken with the idea of an Eight Star, from both pictures and the descriptions of some here. However, I''m certain that the stone I have will be better than just about everything else out there.

I guess a good analogy would be one that my honors physics teacher back in HS used to use. He always used to draw a Bell shaped curve and cut off (to zoom in on) the top 5% of it or so of the curve, and he would say that here is where we were (the students in his class). Then he would draw another Bell shaped curve of that zoomed in section explaining that even at the top there are always your brighter students and your poorer performing students. Coming back to the diamond analogy though... I definitely have one of the top 5% or so stones by having an AGS 0 stone, it just might not be the "best of the best", but certainly still one of the best!

BTW, the teacher would always use that example around test time to explain to people that were used to being the best why they didn''t score so well. Ironically, my friends and I had the three lowest homework averages, as we never did any, and the three highest test averages. It was funny where the lowest homework average was the highest test average, the second lowest homework average had the second highest test average, and the third lowest homework average (which was me) had the third highest test average. Of course, that doesn''t take into account the fifth grader (yes fifth grader) who blew everyone away, and I think is now getting his doctorate in physics.

Sorry for the little story and analogy but I think it helped explain the message Angeline and Ellen tried to get across.

I can relax now.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 11/10/2006 9:50:11 AM
Author: SteveL
Thanks all for the reassurance!

I can relax now.

Yes you can.

And thanks for the story, smart man!