Search for the perfect diamond within 1.5-1.7 range

[jennified]

Hi all! I was given the go ahead from my boyfriend to start looking for potential stones for my e-ring. We agreed that he wanted to include me in the process so I can give some input on the search. So far we've looked through alot of stones, and read a wealth of information on this forum/website. Our budget is 13.5K and we would like to purchase anything 1.5 and higher. We have looked at some stones in our city and prefer the higher color grades only because we love the look of a whiter stone. Unfortunately, we cannot get the size we are looking for with our budget.

GOG has selected a stone for us that I think would be beautiful. They say it is a superior cut, eye clean, and just in our price range. I am only concerned because it is an I colour, and I originally didn't want to go any lower then an H. Am I just being paranoid? I know that some stones can look much brighter with the best cut, so should I go with this diamond? Here she is:

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/10305/

I would appreciate any input from the experts, and if there are better stones out there that I have missed - send them our way please! Thanks in advance and Happy Monday!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

It looks like a gorgeous stone! All I can tell you from personal experience is that I have seen I color stones that looked just as white as an H, and I have seen a couple that looked like J where I could visibly see the tint. I color is that bridge color where on it's higher end, it can be a great buy and near colorless, and on the lower end, you can see the tint. So I really think you will have to see it with your own eyes to know if it is within your comfort range. The outstanding cut will help it face up pretty white, though. I'd suggest having it sent to you to look at, and you can send it back for setting if you like it. I have done that several times at GOG, and the shipping cost is worth it to me.

 

[Fly Girl]

That looks like a gorgeous stone, with a lot of size, and the most obvious inclusions off near the edges of the stone, and not under the table.

Jon does have a colorimeter that he could measure the color with, which might help with your decision before seeing it in person. Otherwise, you should probably take a look for yourselves. My guess is that you will find it to be a beautiful, sparkly stone. But, with such an expensive purchase, I'd want to see for myself.

 

[jennified]

Thank you for your input! We are from Canada and are willing to ship the stone here, but will we need to pay the astronomical duties/tax by just inspecting the stone? We have agreed on Leon Mege to work on the setting, so we were hoping if the videos prove a sparkly white diamond - we could just get GOG to send it directly to him.

 

[jennified]

That looks like a gorgeous stone, with a lot of size, and the most obvious inclusions off near the edges of the stone, and not under the table.

Jon does have a colorimeter that he could measure the color with, which might help with your decision before seeing it in person. Otherwise, you should probably take a look for yourselves. My guess is that you will find it to be a beautiful, sparkly stone. But, with such an expensive purchase, I'd want to see for myself.

Thanks for your input! Is it absolutely critical to see it in person?

 

[jennified]

It looks like a gorgeous stone! All I can tell you from personal experience is that I have seen I color stones that looked just as white as an H, and I have seen a couple that looked like J where I could visibly see the tint. I color is that bridge color where on it's higher end, it can be a great buy and near colorless, and on the lower end, you can see the tint. So I really think you will have to see it with your own eyes to know if it is within your comfort range. The outstanding cut will help it face up pretty white, though. I'd suggest having it sent to you to look at, and you can send it back for setting if you like it. I have done that several times at GOG, and the shipping cost is worth it to me.

I forgot to quote you, but my response is right above! TIA!

 

[JulieN]

The excellent light return on this one will help it look whiter.

 

[Fly Girl]

That looks like a gorgeous stone, with a lot of size, and the most obvious inclusions off near the edges of the stone, and not under the table.

Jon does have a colorimeter that he could measure the color with, which might help with your decision before seeing it in person. Otherwise, you should probably take a look for yourselves. My guess is that you will find it to be a beautiful, sparkly stone. But, with such an expensive purchase, I'd want to see for myself.

Thanks for your input! Is it absolutely critical to see it in person?

No, you don't need to see it in person. I think going to I color is a great way to stay in budget and get a great stone size. But, it won't have the icy white of a D or E stone, if that is what you are looking for. With all the sparkle, and especially if you won't be looking at the stone through the side after it is set in a ring, an I should be fine.

 

[jennified]

That looks like a gorgeous stone, with a lot of size, and the most obvious inclusions off near the edges of the stone, and not under the table.

Jon does have a colorimeter that he could measure the color with, which might help with your decision before seeing it in person. Otherwise, you should probably take a look for yourselves. My guess is that you will find it to be a beautiful, sparkly stone. But, with such an expensive purchase, I'd want to see for myself.

Thanks for your input! Is it absolutely critical to see it in person?

No, you don't need to see it in person. I think going to I color is a great way to stay in budget and get a great stone size. But, it won't have the icy white of a D or E stone, if that is what you are looking for. With all the sparkle, and especially if you won't be looking at the stone through the side after it is set in a ring, an I should be fine.

Here is the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cFmWhdYPlA&feature=youtu.be

What do you think? TIA!

 

[Jax172]

Ooo that was the stone they offered me when I was considering upgrading my 1.34 G VVS2 diamond. I didn't go for it mainly because my stone is worth more than what I paid for it years ago so upgrading to a bigger but less rare (in color and clarity) didn't seem worth it at this time. But it is a fabulous stone and if I were outright buying a diamond instead of upgrading I'd go for it. An SI2 being eyeclean in this size is awesome and I am sure you will be happy with the I color. I have K color BGD studs and face up you can't even tell.

 

[jennified]

Ooo that was the stone they offered me when I was considering upgrading my 1.34 G VVS2 diamond. I didn't go for it mainly because my stone is worth more than what I paid for it years ago so upgrading to a bigger but less rare (in color and clarity) didn't seem worth it at this time. But it is a fabulous stone and if I were outright buying a diamond instead of upgrading I'd go for it. An SI2 being eyeclean in this size is awesome and I am sure you will be happy with the I color. I have K color BGD studs and face up you can't even tell.

Your stone right now is beautiful! When we began our search we told ourselves not to go under a G, but with the I we can be more flexible with our budget. Thank you for your input!

 

[04diamond<3]

Here's another option. It's an F! and scored a 1.4 on the HCA and it is well within your budget!

http://www.exceldiamonds.com/Diamonds-1/GIA-Graded-Round-Diamond-1-65-Carat-F-Color-SI2-Clarity-212847.html

 

[jennified]

Here's another option. It's an F! and scored a 1.4 on the HCA and it is well within your budget!

http://www.exceldiamonds.com/Diamonds-1/GIA-Graded-Round-Diamond-1-65-Carat-F-Color-SI2-Clarity-212847.html

This one looks awesome! I'm worried about the inclusions though.. do you think they will be a big problem? Are excel diamonds trustworthy?

 

[04diamond<3]

Here's another option. It's an F! and scored a 1.4 on the HCA and it is well within your budget!

http://www.exceldiamonds.com/Diamonds-1/GIA-Graded-Round-Diamond-1-65-Carat-F-Color-SI2-Clarity-212847.html

This one looks awesome! I'm worried about the inclusions though.. do you think they will be a big problem? Are excel diamonds trustworthy?

Yup, plenty of people on here have bought from them. I'm actually checking them out for when I upgrade next year. That picture is blown up, so I'd talk to a rep and have them tell you if it's truly eye clean. From the picture and considering how zoomed in it is, it looks like they're ok. I'd still confirm with them though. But it's definitely going to leave you a lot more room for your custom setting. If you live in NY or close to it, you can go to their show room to see the stone before you buy it...I'd check with them if they can send the stone to a local jeweler for you to see.

 

[jennified]

Here's another option. It's an F! and scored a 1.4 on the HCA and it is well within your budget!

http://www.exceldiamonds.com/Diamonds-1/GIA-Graded-Round-Diamond-1-65-Carat-F-Color-SI2-Clarity-212847.html

This one looks awesome! I'm worried about the inclusions though.. do you think they will be a big problem? Are excel diamonds trustworthy?

Yup, plenty of people on here have bought from them. I'm actually checking them out for when I upgrade next year. That picture is blown up, so I'd talk to a rep and have them tell you if it's truly eye clean. From the picture and considering how zoomed in it is, it looks like they're ok. I'd still confirm with them though. But it's definitely going to leave you a lot more room for your custom setting. If you live in NY or close to it, you can go to their show room to see the stone before you buy it...I'd check with them if they can send the stone to a local jeweler for you to see.

The live chat rep told me yes, it is eye clean. But I am requesting more images. We live out on the westcoast of Canada, so buying online is our only way to save a bit more and get the setting we would like. Do you know if Excel can take videos like GOG does? I appreciate your help

 

[Roxy]

Since you mentioned color as an important attribute for your diamond search, you should resist compromising in that area. I'm concerned that anything lower than F is going to bug you because even if YOU can't see the tint at a certain angle, you'll wonder if the person sitting next to you admiring your ring might. You'll also spend more time looking for tint everywhere you go instead of admiring your gorgeous new diamond! Our minds can drive us crazy sometimes .

I'm color sensitive, so personally I'm not comfortable with anything under G, and I've found that if I stay above F I can sleep more soundly (I know, I'm weird).

So, I'd really look at the "F" stone that Diamond suggested and specifically ask the vendor to provide close up pics from the top and the side, where THEY point out the major inclusions that gave this diamond its SI2 clarity grade. I really don't like looking at a picture and trying to play "guess where the inclusion is" because I'm not an expert and I could easily miss something. So, the vendors (I recently purchased from GOG) haven't had a problem sending pictures with the pertinent information clearly marked for my review.

As an aside, if someone was thinking about lowering the color below a certain threshold that they'd previously set and they're concerned about whether the stone will still look "white", I'd strongly suggest that they ask the vendor to send pics or videos that show the lighting and angles where the tint CAN BE most clearly seen. Since the color grades can have ranges within each grade, this would allow the consumer to be aware upfront of whether the stone in question has a tint that they can live with or not.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Since you are already working with Good Old Gold and they have technology that is really helpful in buying a stone over long distance, I would stick with them. Tell them you'd like to see some G-H SI stones within your budget. They can call some in. The I color stone looked like a great performer, but I couldn't tell a thing about the color.

 

[jennified]

Since you mentioned color as an important attribute for your diamond search, you should resist compromising in that area. I'm concerned that anything lower than F is going to bug you because even if YOU can't see the tint at a certain angle, you'll wonder if the person sitting next to you admiring your ring might. You'll also spend more time looking for tint everywhere you go instead of admiring your gorgeous new diamond! Our minds can drive us crazy sometimes .

I'm color sensitive, so personally I'm not comfortable with anything under G, and I've found that if I stay above F I can sleep more soundly (I know, I'm weird).

So, I'd really look at the "F" stone that Diamond suggested and specifically ask the vendor to provide close up pics from the top and the side, where THEY point out the major inclusions that gave this diamond its SI2 clarity grade. I really don't like looking at a picture and trying to play "guess where the inclusion is" because I'm not an expert and I could easily miss something. So, the vendors (I recently purchased from GOG) haven't had a problem sending pictures with the pertinent information clearly marked for my review.

As an aside, if someone was thinking about lowering the color below a certain threshold that they'd previously set and they're concerned about whether the stone will still look "white", I'd strongly suggest that they ask the vendor to send pics or videos that show the lighting and angles where the tint CAN BE most clearly seen. Since the color grades can have ranges within each grade, this would allow the consumer to be aware upfront of whether the stone in question has a tint that they can live with or not.

This is great information, thank you! I keep double guessing myself about the color, and you make a valid point that I might become even more paranoid when I'm wearing the stone. I will have to pry further and figure out if this is something I can live with. Will keep you posted!

 

[jennified]

Since you are already working with Good Old Gold and they have technology that is really helpful in buying a stone over long distance, I would stick with them. Tell them you'd like to see some G-H SI stones within your budget. They can call some in. The I color stone looked like a great performer, but I couldn't tell a thing about the color.

I've been having a great experience with them, no negatives here! Can you clarify what you mean about not being able to tell a thing about the color? Do you mean you can't tell the difference between the 4 stones in the video?

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Since you are already working with Good Old Gold and they have technology that is really helpful in buying a stone over long distance, I would stick with them. Tell them you'd like to see some G-H SI stones within your budget. They can call some in. The I color stone looked like a great performer, but I couldn't tell a thing about the color.

I've been having a great experience with them, no negatives here! Can you clarify what you mean about not being able to tell a thing about the color? Do you mean you can't tell the difference between the 4 stones in the video?

The video did not show the color differences at all, as far as I could see. But I really think color has to be seen in person, anyway.

 

[04diamond<3]

Here's another option. It's an F! and scored a 1.4 on the HCA and it is well within your budget!

http://www.exceldiamonds.com/Diamonds-1/GIA-Graded-Round-Diamond-1-65-Carat-F-Color-SI2-Clarity-212847.html

This one looks awesome! I'm worried about the inclusions though.. do you think they will be a big problem? Are excel diamonds trustworthy?

Yup, plenty of people on here have bought from them. I'm actually checking them out for when I upgrade next year. That picture is blown up, so I'd talk to a rep and have them tell you if it's truly eye clean. From the picture and considering how zoomed in it is, it looks like they're ok. I'd still confirm with them though. But it's definitely going to leave you a lot more room for your custom setting. If you live in NY or close to it, you can go to their show room to see the stone before you buy it...I'd check with them if they can send the stone to a local jeweler for you to see.

The live chat rep told me yes, it is eye clean. But I am requesting more images. We live out on the westcoast of Canada, so buying online is our only way to save a bit more and get the setting we would like. Do you know if Excel can take videos like GOG does? I appreciate your help

I'm not sure, but you can ask. Personally, I didn't like that Si2 from GOG. That feather on the edge of the stone freaks me out.

 

[jennified]

Since you are already working with Good Old Gold and they have technology that is really helpful in buying a stone over long distance, I would stick with them. Tell them you'd like to see some G-H SI stones within your budget. They can call some in. The I color stone looked like a great performer, but I couldn't tell a thing about the color.

I've been having a great experience with them, no negatives here! Can you clarify what you mean about not being able to tell a thing about the color? Do you mean you can't tell the difference between the 4 stones in the video?

The video did not show the color differences at all, as far as I could see. But I really think color has to be seen in person, anyway.

I need to figure out if I can get it shipped to Canada without being charged duties and tax.. if so, I'm definitely going to check it out before I commit. Thanks for all your help!

 

[jennified]

Here's another option. It's an F! and scored a 1.4 on the HCA and it is well within your budget!

http://www.exceldiamonds.com/Diamonds-1/GIA-Graded-Round-Diamond-1-65-Carat-F-Color-SI2-Clarity-212847.html

This one looks awesome! I'm worried about the inclusions though.. do you think they will be a big problem? Are excel diamonds trustworthy?

Yup, plenty of people on here have bought from them. I'm actually checking them out for when I upgrade next year. That picture is blown up, so I'd talk to a rep and have them tell you if it's truly eye clean. From the picture and considering how zoomed in it is, it looks like they're ok. I'd still confirm with them though. But it's definitely going to leave you a lot more room for your custom setting. If you live in NY or close to it, you can go to their show room to see the stone before you buy it...I'd check with them if they can send the stone to a local jeweler for you to see.

The live chat rep told me yes, it is eye clean. But I am requesting more images. We live out on the westcoast of Canada, so buying online is our only way to save a bit more and get the setting we would like. Do you know if Excel can take videos like GOG does? I appreciate your help

I'm not sure, but you can ask. Personally, I didn't like that Si2 from GOG. That feather on the edge of the stone freaks me out.

Thanks for your honesty! The rep said they'd email me pics tomorrow. Will keep you updated!

 

[jennified]

Here's another option. It's an F! and scored a 1.4 on the HCA and it is well within your budget!

http://www.exceldiamonds.com/Diamonds-1/GIA-Graded-Round-Diamond-1-65-Carat-F-Color-SI2-Clarity-212847.html

This one looks awesome! I'm worried about the inclusions though.. do you think they will be a big problem? Are excel diamonds trustworthy?

Yup, plenty of people on here have bought from them. I'm actually checking them out for when I upgrade next year. That picture is blown up, so I'd talk to a rep and have them tell you if it's truly eye clean. From the picture and considering how zoomed in it is, it looks like they're ok. I'd still confirm with them though. But it's definitely going to leave you a lot more room for your custom setting. If you live in NY or close to it, you can go to their show room to see the stone before you buy it...I'd check with them if they can send the stone to a local jeweler for you to see.

The live chat rep told me yes, it is eye clean. But I am requesting more images. We live out on the westcoast of Canada, so buying online is our only way to save a bit more and get the setting we would like. Do you know if Excel can take videos like GOG does? I appreciate your help

I'm not sure, but you can ask. Personally, I didn't like that Si2 from GOG. That feather on the edge of the stone freaks me out.

They posted ASET images! And this response:

http://www.exceldiamonds.com/Diamon...olor-SI2-Clarity-212847/Pics/I139878/orig.jpg

This is a superb light refraction diamond that faces up eye-clean and as such represent excellent value.

The primary grader inclusion(s) are whitish-gray microscopic pinpoints that are on the periphery and that blend in with the facet alignment of the stone.
We recommend this diamond without reservation and will put it on Hold for you for 48 hrs.

What do you think?

 

[diamondseeker2006]

The ASET looks good. I think the inclusions might bother me, though. I still think I would have GOG call in some SI1 stones for you in maybe G-H color. I just don't think you have to go to SI2 clarity unless size is more important to you than the other C's.

 

[jennified]

The ASET looks good. I think the inclusions might bother me, though. I still think I would have GOG call in some SI1 stones for you in maybe G-H color. I just don't think you have to go to SI2 clarity unless size is more important to you than the other C's.

We've decided to buy the GOG stone since it was the one we both loved from the get go. We are out in Canada and are making a trip to Washington next week so will pick it up from there. Will keep you updated! I am so excited!

 

[04diamond<3]

Here's another option. It's an F! and scored a 1.4 on the HCA and it is well within your budget!

http://www.exceldiamonds.com/Diamonds-1/GIA-Graded-Round-Diamond-1-65-Carat-F-Color-SI2-Clarity-212847.html

This one looks awesome! I'm worried about the inclusions though.. do you think they will be a big problem? Are excel diamonds trustworthy?

Yup, plenty of people on here have bought from them. I'm actually checking them out for when I upgrade next year. That picture is blown up, so I'd talk to a rep and have them tell you if it's truly eye clean. From the picture and considering how zoomed in it is, it looks like they're ok. I'd still confirm with them though. But it's definitely going to leave you a lot more room for your custom setting. If you live in NY or close to it, you can go to their show room to see the stone before you buy it...I'd check with them if they can send the stone to a local jeweler for you to see.

The live chat rep told me yes, it is eye clean. But I am requesting more images. We live out on the westcoast of Canada, so buying online is our only way to save a bit more and get the setting we would like. Do you know if Excel can take videos like GOG does? I appreciate your help

I'm not sure, but you can ask. Personally, I didn't like that Si2 from GOG. That feather on the edge of the stone freaks me out.

They posted ASET images! And this response:

http://www.exceldiamonds.com/Diamon...olor-SI2-Clarity-212847/Pics/I139878/orig.jpg

This is a superb light refraction diamond that faces up eye-clean and as such represent excellent value.

The primary grader inclusion(s) are whitish-gray microscopic pinpoints that are on the periphery and that blend in with the facet alignment of the stone.
We recommend this diamond without reservation and will put it on Hold for you for 48 hrs.

What do you think?

I think it looks great!!! The inclusions are far better than the one at GOG. The pictures are very much zoomed in and these inclusions aren't going to cause your stone to brittle. It's a great stone!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

The ASET looks good. I think the inclusions might bother me, though. I still think I would have GOG call in some SI1 stones for you in maybe G-H color. I just don't think you have to go to SI2 clarity unless size is more important to you than the other C's.

We've decided to buy the GOG stone since it was the one we both loved from the get go. We are out in Canada and are making a trip to Washington next week so will pick it up from there. Will keep you updated! I am so excited!

Congrats!!! And obviously if you aren't pleased for any reason, I am 100% sure they will find you another one! Let us know what you think!