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Super Ideal 1.73, D, VS2 ASET Opinions (Round)

DejaWiz said:
Victor Canera is another SIC seller with an awesome upgrade program...he currently has this 1.71 H VS2 AGS000 in stock for $19k

https://victorcanera.com/diamonds/AGS104107789004/1.713ct-H-VS2-hearts-arrows-round-natural-diamond
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I also saw that one earlier. I had never visited that site until today, so thanks for giving me another recommendation of sellers yesterday.

This brought up a question I had though…can someone explain to me why some diamonds are certified by both AGS and GIA and some - like this one from Victor - are just AGS certified? I know they’re different grading labs with different tolerances for their grades, but why both in some? And, what are y’all’s thoughts on AGS in general? Lots of opinions out there on both labs it seems.
 
NavyLanguage828 said:
Thanks for this! I actually have both of those bookmarked and was looking at them this morning! Too funny.

Like I said yesterday, those White Flash 360’s put me in a state of awe.

I definitely recognize the reality of my budget constraints and that, with the exception of budget, an increase in one parameter results in a decrease in another. I’m just trying not to get obsessed with one of the C’s to a degree that produces no tangible benefits (I.e., a diamond that is heavier, but negligibly larger than one lighter and less expensive).

Anyway, I’m likely to have more questions soon, but in the meantime very much appreciate any and all pointers or suggestions for diamonds! Thanks again!
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Don’t hesitate to ask! Many others here willing to help as well. We all understand the balancing act when deciding on a diamond. My best advice is just to make cut your priority!
 
NavyLanguage828 said:
I also saw that one earlier. I had never visited that site until today, so thanks for giving me another recommendation of sellers yesterday.

This brought up a question I had though…can someone explain to me why some diamonds are certified by both AGS and GIA and some - like this one from Victor - are just AGS certified? I know they’re different grading labs with different tolerances for their grades, but why both in some? And, what are y’all’s thoughts on AGS in general? Lots of opinions out there on both labs it seems.
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Depends on the date of grading. AGS was acquired by GIA in December 2022. They have merged and AGS issues a cut grade and GIA assesses color, clarity and measurements. AGS was the best lab for cut as they did not round crown and pavilion angles the way GIA does. If a diamond is only graded by AGS, it was done prior to 12/22. You can always ask a vendor for a Sarine report to give actual angles but they can also walk you through their diamonds as they are in house. There were different opinions on these two labs but two separate labs no longer exist.
 
MissGotRocks said:
Depends on the date of grading. AGS was acquired by GIA in December 2022. They have merged and AGS issues a cut grade and GIA assesses color, clarity and measurements. AGS was the best lab for cut as they did not round crown and pavilion angles the way GIA does. If a diamond is only graded by AGS, it was done prior to 12/22. You can always ask a vendor for a Sarine report to give actual angles but they can also walk you through their diamonds as they are in house. There were different opinions on these two labs but two separate labs no longer exist.
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Whoa, had no idea! Thanks for that. I’m definitely going to love being a part of this community; already learning a ton.
 
Happy Monday! Okay y'all, I’m fixing to contact both Victor and White Flash and would like some guidance please.

I’m planning to go see these stones whenever I decide that they might be the one(s) I want to go for, but in the meantime, what extra information/media (if any) should I be asking for? Since all three are in-house, I ask them for comparison videos (White Flash) and non-super-fancy-and-perfectly-lit videos and pictures?

Any pointed questions I should be asking them or myself? I see that they both define “eye-clean” as being at a distance of 8 or 10 inches so that one has been answered for me.

Finally, they both are firm on no mounting or creating settings for stones not bought from them. I see Victor hand forges his and White Flash uses designer settings with the option to custom make. @MissGotRocks any experience with their custom pieces?

Thanks and hope I’m not wearing y’all out too much!
 
Victor's settings are art and gorgeous. However, they have a price tag to match lol. Whiteflash has great settings too, but not hand forged.
 
lovedogs said:
Victor's settings are art and gorgeous. However, they have a price tag to match lol. Whiteflash has great settings too, but not hand forged.
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I love the idea of the artistry and hand crafted pieces. The prices do indeed match though!

I think that hand forged would be an amazing “nice to have,” but I would rather divert budget to the big ticket portion of a ring for now. I assume mass produced or non hand-forged aren’t a bad thing given that the vast majority of people are wearing those?
 
NavyLanguage828 said:
I love the idea of the artistry and hand crafted pieces. The prices do indeed match though!

I think that hand forged would be an amazing “nice to have,” but I would rather divert budget to the big ticket portion of a ring for now. I assume mass produced or non hand-forged aren’t a bad thing given that the vast majority of people are wearing those?
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Victor can get/make just about any setting so if you feel that his diamond becomes the winner, then he does offer more cost effective solutions regarding settings...and you can always commission a custom forged setting from his later on to reset the diamond into for a future milestone (anniversary, birthday, holiday, etc).
Food for thought.
 
If I had any question about diamond color, I might ask for a video comparing say a G to an H - if there were one of each that you might be considering. Victor Canera does beautiful work but I agree with you that up front, I would rather put the bulk of the money into the diamond. My setting I already had but WF did modify it to accommodate the size of the new diamond that I purchased from them. Not sure what type of setting you are considering but they do make settings as well as carry some designer settings. Both companies are very friendly and helpful so don’t hesitate to reach out to either or both. Do you feel like you have zeroed in on one or more diamonds?
 
I had not previously heard that VC had any upgrade policy whatsoever. Perhaps this is a new development.
 
I agree that VCs work is pricey and I would personally put as much of my budget as possible into the diamond. But I wanted to point out above rhat his work is worth paying for (if budget allows and hand forged is important to you) due to quality.

Overall though, most settings people wear aren't hand forged and it is more of a luxury vs "need".
 
Okay question on some WF (do y’all abbreviate that one?!) diamonds….

In the two links below, the top one has “ideal” for cut, polish, symmetry. The second has “excellent” for all three. Is that because diamonds graded after GIA bought AGS can only have “excellent” as their cut, polish, and symmetry due to GIA reporting on those and not having a grade of “ideal“ thereby maxing out at “excellent?” Or is the top link actually graded superior to the other???

Diamond | 1.820 ct G VS2 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond AGS Certified | 4045316

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 1.820 carat G color VS2 clarity loose diamond is graded by the American Gem Society (AGS) Laboratories. | 4045316
www.whiteflash.com

Diamond | 1.72 ct G VS2 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond GIA Certified | 4605288

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 1.72 carat G color VS2 clarity loose diamond is graded by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). | 4605288
www.whiteflash.com
 
lovedogs said:
I agree that VCs work is pricey and I would personally put as much of my budget as possible into the diamond. But I wanted to point out above rhat his work is worth paying for (if budget allows and hand forged is important to you) due to quality.

Overall though, most settings people wear aren't hand forged and it is more of a luxury vs "need".
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Oh I too agree that it is worth it due to quality and would - and still might be - the way I would go if I could. The level of detail VC puts into those settings is super impressive and tempting.

I’ll be honest though, the two things that have me hesitating from being 100% decided on VC are: 1. fewer stones available in my budget 2. I didn’t know hand-forged settings were a possibility until the other day. Can I even say if it is important to me then? Haha. Bit of flawed logic on both points and neither of those are VC’s fault.
 
NavyLanguage828 said:
Oh I too agree that it is worth it due to quality and would - and still might be - the way I would go if I could. The level of detail VC puts into those settings is super impressive and tempting.

I’ll be honest though, the two things that have me hesitating from being 100% decided on VC are: 1. fewer stones available in my budget 2. I didn’t know hand-forged settings were a possibility until the other day. Can I even say if it is important to me then? Haha. Bit of flawed logic on both points and neither of those are VC’s fault.
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Haha honestly you can't go wrong here. VC and WF both offer super ideal cut stones and are great vendors. If you like the idea of hand forged and can afford it, go for it! But there's no thing as a "mistake" in this case because you're choosing from 2 great vendors. That's the upside of choosing at this level of great.
 
NavyLanguage828 said:
Okay question on some WF (do y’all abbreviate that one?!) diamonds….

In the two links below, the top one has “ideal” for cut, polish, symmetry. The second has “excellent” for all three. Is that because diamonds graded after GIA bought AGS can only have “excellent” as their cut, polish, and symmetry due to GIA reporting on those and not having a grade of “ideal“ thereby maxing out at “excellent?” Or is the top link actually graded superior to the other???

Diamond | 1.820 ct G VS2 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond AGS Certified | 4045316

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 1.820 carat G color VS2 clarity loose diamond is graded by the American Gem Society (AGS) Laboratories. | 4045316
www.whiteflash.com

Diamond | 1.72 ct G VS2 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond GIA Certified | 4605288

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 1.72 carat G color VS2 clarity loose diamond is graded by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). | 4605288
www.whiteflash.com
Click to expand...

The difference is one is AGS (pre-GIA ownership) and the other is GIA w/AGS addendum.

GIA top cut grade = Triple Excellent
AGS top cut grade = Triple Ideal

Typically, wed recommend just about any AGS 000 over most GIA 3X. However, SIC diamonds *must* meet strict and tight ranges for proportions, angles, and symmetry precision, so the GIA vs AGS grading lab doesn't matter much since the end result is a diamond that is vetted and proven to perform at the pinnacle for what is attainable for the MRB/RBC. I'm sure that for many folks, there is something cool about having a pre-GIA AGS 000 grading report since they are no longer running a grading lab so finding them is going to get much more difficult as they become fewer and far between.
 
Hi everyone,

I just wanted to pop in to make a point of clarification; We offer CAD\CAM type services as well so it’s not a situation where we do ONLY hand forged jewelry.

We launched our Bliss collection about 2-3 years ago. This line is not hand forged. It does include hand set pave and most of the craftsmanship that our brand is known for at a much lower price point. So it’s not a situation where we ONLY offer hand forged items. Since the launch of this collection, we’ve added custom design services with CAD\CAM manufacturing as well.

At the end of the day, it’s important to be “results driven” rather than tied to one manufacturing style as a jeweler. This means that the end result of the product is more important than how it’s made. Some designs are next to impossible to hand fabricate. Or, there might be budget considerations for a client. Or the results will actually be better if a piece was to be made by CAD\CAM. We recently did a design that I felt strongly would come out better if it was to be made with CAD\CAM. Here’s a video of it; https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/cbis...ng-2.mov?rlkey=qyly20owi6negi0e0032knou5&dl=0

Other designs come out better if you were to hand fabricate them and we do communicate this to clients for full transparency. I think it's great to be able to offer options to clients while laying out the pros and cons of each option.

All the best,
 
Victor Canera said:
Hi everyone,

I just wanted to pop in to make a point of clarification; We offer CAD\CAM type services as well so it’s not a situation where we do ONLY hand forged jewelry.

We launched our Bliss collection about 2-3 years ago. This line is not hand forged. It does include hand set pave and most of the craftsmanship that our brand is known for at a much lower price point. So it’s not a situation where we ONLY offer hand forged items. Since the launch of this collection, we’ve added custom design services with CAD\CAM manufacturing as well.

At the end of the day, it’s important to be “results driven” rather than tied to one manufacturing style as a jeweler. This means that the end result of the product is more important than how it’s made. Some designs are next to impossible to hand fabricate. Or, there might be budget considerations for a client. Or the results will actually be better if a piece was to be made by CAD\CAM. We recently did a design that I felt strongly would come out better if it was to be made with CAD\CAM. Here’s a video of it; https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/cbis...ng-2.mov?rlkey=qyly20owi6negi0e0032knou5&dl=0

Other designs come out better if you were to hand fabricate them and we do communicate this to clients for full transparency. I think it's great to be able to offer options to clients while laying out the pros and cons of each option.

All the best,
Click to expand...

Appreciate your response!!
 
Victor Canera said:
Hi everyone,

I just wanted to pop in to make a point of clarification; We offer CAD\CAM type services as well so it’s not a situation where we do ONLY hand forged jewelry.

We launched our Bliss collection about 2-3 years ago. This line is not hand forged. It does include hand set pave and most of the craftsmanship that our brand is known for at a much lower price point. So it’s not a situation where we ONLY offer hand forged items. Since the launch of this collection, we’ve added custom design services with CAD\CAM manufacturing as well.

At the end of the day, it’s important to be “results driven” rather than tied to one manufacturing style as a jeweler. This means that the end result of the product is more important than how it’s made. Some designs are next to impossible to hand fabricate. Or, there might be budget considerations for a client. Or the results will actually be better if a piece was to be made by CAD\CAM. We recently did a design that I felt strongly would come out better if it was to be made with CAD\CAM. Here’s a video of it; https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/cbis...ng-2.mov?rlkey=qyly20owi6negi0e0032knou5&dl=0

Other designs come out better if you were to hand fabricate them and we do communicate this to clients for full transparency. I think it's great to be able to offer options to clients while laying out the pros and cons of each option.

All the best,
Click to expand...

This is great info, @Victor Canera - and thanks for sharing that video...pretty cool looking setting!
 
Victor Canera said:
Hi everyone,

I just wanted to pop in to make a point of clarification; We offer CAD\CAM type services as well so it’s not a situation where we do ONLY hand forged jewelry.

We launched our Bliss collection about 2-3 years ago. This line is not hand forged. It does include hand set pave and most of the craftsmanship that our brand is known for at a much lower price point. So it’s not a situation where we ONLY offer hand forged items. Since the launch of this collection, we’ve added custom design services with CAD\CAM manufacturing as well.

At the end of the day, it’s important to be “results driven” rather than tied to one manufacturing style as a jeweler. This means that the end result of the product is more important than how it’s made. Some designs are next to impossible to hand fabricate. Or, there might be budget considerations for a client. Or the results will actually be better if a piece was to be made by CAD\CAM. We recently did a design that I felt strongly would come out better if it was to be made with CAD\CAM. Here’s a video of it; https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/cbis...ng-2.mov?rlkey=qyly20owi6negi0e0032knou5&dl=0

Other designs come out better if you were to hand fabricate them and we do communicate this to clients for full transparency. I think it's great to be able to offer options to clients while laying out the pros and cons of each option.

All the best,
Click to expand...

Whoa @Victor Canera thank you for the response and clarification! You do amazing work.
 
NavyLanguage828 said:
Alright y’all, I’m going to see this one and two others for comparison.

Diamond | 1.72 ct G VS2 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond GIA Certified | 4605288

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 1.72 carat G color VS2 clarity loose diamond is graded by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). | 4605288
www.whiteflash.com

Thoughts? Suggestions? Alternatives? Can be from other vendors as well. Honesty appreciated!
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It says sold - did you buy it??
 
NavyLanguage828 said:
I can’t wait to see it. First time seeing a truly SIC diamond. I’ll be sure to report back!
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I am excited for you! You will love the folks at Whiteflash and being able to play with diamonds? What a day - lol!
 
Alright y’all, I must confess that I got antsy waiting for my appointment to view the ACA at WF (which I absolutely can’t wait for) and looked up some stones at BGD for…well, idk why. Maybe just so I get a feel for what’s what in the SIC world? Mostly just idle curiosity? Maybe I don’t want to miss “The best one” in my budget range?

Thoughts on these two vs. the WF ACA?Obviously both BGD are lower ct., but on the 1.574 it looks to be less than .18mm smaller dimensions wise vs. the WF. I’m still not great at looking at measurements and being able to determine what’s negligible in face up size; think it’ll be noticeable? Both are his signature Black I believe (the website conflicts with the report though?)

www.briangavindiamonds.com

1.51 G VS1Black by Brian Gavin RoundDefault Title

Brian Gavin Diamonds
www.briangavindiamonds.com www.briangavindiamonds.com

www.briangavindiamonds.com

1.574 G VS1 Signature RoundDefault Title

Buy diamonds online - AGS Graded 1.574 carat G VS1 super ideal cut Black By Brian Gavin Round Cut diamond. Lifetime Upgrade Policy!
www.briangavindiamonds.com www.briangavindiamonds.com
 
NavyLanguage828 said:
Alright y’all, I must confess that I got antsy waiting for my appointment to view the ACA at WF (which I absolutely can’t wait for) and looked up some stones at BGD for…well, idk why. Maybe just so I get a feel for what’s what in the SIC world? Mostly just idle curiosity? Maybe I don’t want to miss “The best one” in my budget range?

Thoughts on these two vs. the WF ACA?Obviously both BGD are lower ct., but on the 1.574 it looks to be less than .18mm smaller dimensions wise vs. the WF. I’m still not great at looking at measurements and being able to determine what’s negligible in face up size; think it’ll be noticeable? Both are his signature Black I believe (the website conflicts with the report though?)

www.briangavindiamonds.com

1.51 G VS1Black by Brian Gavin RoundDefault Title

Brian Gavin Diamonds
www.briangavindiamonds.com www.briangavindiamonds.com

www.briangavindiamonds.com

1.574 G VS1 Signature RoundDefault Title

Buy diamonds online - AGS Graded 1.574 carat G VS1 super ideal cut Black By Brian Gavin Round Cut diamond. Lifetime Upgrade Policy!
www.briangavindiamonds.com www.briangavindiamonds.com
Click to expand...

Brian Gavin is about 20 minutes from Whiteflash. If you are making the effort to go to WF in person, why not make an appointment for the same day to see some stones there as well, and make the most informed decision?
 
BGD has often been higher than WF but it certainly doesn’t hurt to compare. It is up to you to balance size, price, color and clarity. Take pics for us if you can!!
 
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