What's the best value in a 2 ct round stone?

[teobdl]

"Hearts" is the consequence of careful planning and precision cutting designed to maximize beauty and balanced light return in a diamond.

This is not trivial, and the great majority of people, when viewing diamonds, will prefer looking at a hearts and arrows diamond vs a non H&A diamond. That said, when comparing almost H&A vs true H&A, the difference is so small that even experienced professionals can't tell the two apart without aids like a H&A viewer, IdealScope, or magnifier.

 

[Gypsy]

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/likelihood-of-finding-a-signature-super-ideal-diamond.174235/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/likelihood-of-finding-a-signature-super-ideal-diamond.174235/[/URL] Please read.

 

[WinkHPD]

"Hearts" is the consequence of careful planning and precision cutting designed to maximize beauty and balanced light return in a diamond.

This is not trivial, and the great majority of people, when viewing diamonds, will prefer looking at a hearts and arrows diamond vs a non H&A diamond. That said, when comparing almost H&A vs true H&A, the difference is so small that even experienced professionals can't tell the two apart without aids like a H&A viewer, IdealScope, or magnifier.

Really? Why is it then when I put several stones on a slotted tray and tell people nothing about them that it is nearly always that the better cut stones are chosen, by the eye alone? Even when I am showing AGS 0 cut diamonds there is almost always a stone that is clearly more attractive to the majority of people who see the stones.

I agree with you that most people do love looking through the viewers, but the real life result of absolute precision is larger flashes of light both white light (briliance) and colored light (dispersion). Proper cutting really is what allows each diamond to be the best that it can be.

Wink

 

[Todd Gray]

Jeweler friends have told me that's just the proportion result of an ideal cut diamond and the "hearts" thing is marketing that the consumer pays extra for.

No offense, but your jeweler friends don't know what they are talking about, or they are trying to oversimplify a concept which can be quite complex... but as one of the people who have specialized in hearts and arrows diamonds since the mid-1990's I just can't help but crack the lid on Pandora's Box.

A crisp and complete pattern of hearts and arrows is the direct result of extremely precise indexing of the facets, even a slight variation in the indexing of the pavilion main facets (the eight star pattern located on the underside of the diamond) or in the lower girdle facets (remaining facets located on the underside of the diamond) will results in a pattern which is inconsistent in size and shape.

This photograph which I "borrowed" from Brian Gavin demonstrates how each heart is created from the reflection created by two halves of the pavilion main facet located on the opposite side of the diamond... in this case, one half of each heart located in the relative six o'clock region of the diamond, is being created by the reflection created by the pavilion main facet located in the twelve o'clock region.

Does this look like it could be created by accident? At least to the level of perfection that is visible in the diamonds being marketed as "Hearts and Arrows" by vendors like Brian Gavin, Crafted by Infinity / High Performance Diamonds, Good Old Gold, James Allen and White Flash, to name a few... imagine what might happen if the next pavilion facet positioned to the right, happened to be cut just a little thinner or wider than the first, it would change the look of the second half of the next heart and it would be irregular in shape... and this is just one section of facets, they each come into play in their own way.

In defense of the comment made by your friends, there are many ideal cut diamonds which exhibit "some sort of pattern" of hearts and arrows, simply because the standard facet structure of a round brilliant cut diamond, and the proportions of a diamond are a contributing factor, however it is unlikely that patterns which appear more or less by accident, will be as crisp, complete, and precisely aligned as diamonds which have been specifically cut to exhibit the pattern.

 

[teobdl]

"Hearts" is the consequence of careful planning and precision cutting designed to maximize beauty and balanced light return in a diamond.

This is not trivial, and the great majority of people, when viewing diamonds, will prefer looking at a hearts and arrows diamond vs a non H&A diamond. That said, when comparing almost H&A vs true H&A, the difference is so small that even experienced professionals can't tell the two apart without aids like a H&A viewer, IdealScope, or magnifier.

Really? Why is it then when I put several stones on a slotted tray and tell people nothing about them that it is nearly always that the better cut stones are chosen, by the eye alone? Even when I am showing AGS 0 cut diamonds there is almost always a stone that is clearly more attractive to the majority of people who see the stones.

I agree with you that most people do love looking through the viewers, but the real life result of absolute precision is larger flashes of light both white light (briliance) and colored light (dispersion). Proper cutting really is what allows each diamond to be the best that it can be.

Wink

Looking at it again, I should have said "...even experienced professionals sometimes can't tell the two apart..."

I'm not arguing that there isn't added value beyond the name "super ideal." Heck, I bought a branded H&A because I could see a difference between it and a non-branded excellent. It was slight, it was real, but I'm not so sure that the difference was something I'd bet on in every case with every diamond I've seen, particularly those that are almost H&A. But you have seen thousands more diamonds than I, and I'm open to being wrong.

So let me ask this: if one were to line up 50 diamonds consisting of 45 very near H&A (lets say, WF Expert Select, which narrowly missed the WF ACA designation) and 5 true H&A (a random mix of Crafted by Infinity, WF A Cut Above, Brian Gavin Signature), would someone like yourself, John Pollard, Garry, Paul Slegars, Jon at GOG, Bryan at WF, and Brian Gavin, individually be able to pick out quickly, with 100% accuracy and completely unaided, which diamonds were the true H&A? Would you bet $1,000 on it?

If the answer is no, then it must be conceded that in real life, the difference is sometimes so slight that it's often tough to tell the two apart. I'm not talking about crappy vs super ideal. I'm talking about ideal-almost-H&A vs super-ideal-H&A.That, really, was the point of my previous post.

 

[gobble]

Hearts and arrows has the same number of facets as a "regular" cut diamond, correct? Just that the proportions are perfect? It's not like buying a Leo diamond or something along those lines? What does GIA call a hearts and arrows cut?

 

[WinkHPD]

Hearts and arrows has the same number of facets as a "regular" but diamond, correct? Just that the proportions are perfect? It's not like buying a Leo diamond or something along those lines? What does GIA call a hearts and arrows cut?

Neither the GIA or AGS, the two top tier labs in this country, have yet to address the Hearts and Arrows cut. Too bad, as the proper precision necessary to achieve a true Hearts and Arrows pattern does improve the look to the human eye.

And yes, the H&A pattern is on a "regular" round brilliant cut diamond that has been specifically cut to achieve it.

Wink

 

[gobble]

So in laymans terms hearts and arrows is just a really good ideal cut?

 

[Gypsy]

So in laymans terms hearts and arrows is just a really good ideal cut?

No.
Please read this link: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/likelihood-of-finding-a-signature-super-ideal-diamond.174235/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/likelihood-of-finding-a-signature-super-ideal-diamond.174235/[/URL]

Hearts and Arrows is faceting. Ideal cut refers to light return. You can (and often do) get one without the other. The combination of the two in one stone is called superideal.

read the link.

 

[gobble]

So in laymans terms hearts and arrows is just a really good ideal cut?

No.
Please read this link: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/likelihood-of-finding-a-signature-super-ideal-diamond.174235/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/likelihood-of-finding-a-signature-super-ideal-diamond.174235/[/URL]

Hearts and Arrows is faceting. Ideal cut refers to light return. You can (and often do) get one without the other. The combination of the two in one stone is called superideal.

read the link.

This is too confusing. Maybe I should just go gay and not worry about a diamond!

 

[WinkHPD]

"Hearts" is the consequence of careful planning and precision cutting designed to maximize beauty and balanced light return in a diamond.

This is not trivial, and the great majority of people, when viewing diamonds, will prefer looking at a hearts and arrows diamond vs a non H&A diamond. That said, when comparing almost H&A vs true H&A, the difference is so small that even experienced professionals can't tell the two apart without aids like a H&A viewer, IdealScope, or magnifier.

Really? Why is it then when I put several stones on a slotted tray and tell people nothing about them that it is nearly always that the better cut stones are chosen, by the eye alone? Even when I am showing AGS 0 cut diamonds there is almost always a stone that is clearly more attractive to the majority of people who see the stones.

I agree with you that most people do love looking through the viewers, but the real life result of absolute precision is larger flashes of light both white light (briliance) and colored light (dispersion). Proper cutting really is what allows each diamond to be the best that it can be.

Wink

Looking at it again, I should have said "...even experienced professionals sometimes can't tell the two apart..."

I'm not arguing that there isn't added value beyond the name "super ideal." Heck, I bought a branded H&A because I could see a difference between it and a non-branded excellent. It was slight, it was real, but I'm not so sure that the difference was something I'd bet on in every case with every diamond I've seen, particularly those that are almost H&A. But you have seen thousands more diamonds than I, and I'm open to being wrong.

So let me ask this: if one were to line up 50 diamonds consisting of 45 very near H&A (lets say, WF Expert Select, which narrowly missed the WF ACA designation) and 5 true H&A (a random mix of Crafted by Infinity, WF A Cut Above, Brian Gavin Signature), would someone like yourself, John Pollard, Garry, Paul Slegars, Jon at GOG, Bryan at WF, and Brian Gavin, individually be able to pick out quickly, with 100% accuracy and completely unaided, which diamonds were the true H&A? Would you bet $1,000 on it?

If the answer is no, then it must be conceded that in real life, the difference is sometimes so slight that it's often tough to tell the two apart. I'm not talking about crappy vs super ideal. I'm talking about ideal-almost-H&A vs super-ideal-H&A.That, really, was the point of my previous post.

I would never bet $1,000 on it, but I would be pretty sure that it would be very likely that three, or four and possibly all five of the super ideals would be chosen not just by the top vendors but by most observers. There is just something special about the few diamonds in the top ten percent of the ten percent that can make the AGS 0 cut grade. I have just seen it done by regular clients in my store when shown three to five diamonds that the "Not quite there yet" diamonds were the first eliminated from consideration, long before a word was said about cut, color or clarity.

I would also agree with you that there are SOME few of the "almost there" diamonds that are VERY hot all on their own. That was the premise of my soon to be discontinued Value Select diamonds. It is those few that look special, but have less than perfect papers, that would make your bet almost impossible to win. Which is why, even though I have played with many thousands of diamonds, I know better than to claim to be invincible. Or should I say, BECAUSE I have played with many thousands of diamonds.

The trick is being able to find the ones worthy of consideration based on paper. That I promise you I can NOT do, but must see and evaluate both with my eyes and with my equipment. That is why I like dealing with Crafted by Infinity, I can count on their consistency and precision. And further, I also agree with you that often the difference is slight, but when you are buying a treasure for someone special, or for yourself, half of the fun is buying the best that can be bought to represent the feelings that you are sharing.

Wink

 

[Gypsy]

So in laymans terms hearts and arrows is just a really good ideal cut?

No.
Please read this link: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/likelihood-of-finding-a-signature-super-ideal-diamond.174235/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/likelihood-of-finding-a-signature-super-ideal-diamond.174235/[/URL]

Hearts and Arrows is faceting. Ideal cut refers to light return. You can (and often do) get one without the other. The combination of the two in one stone is called superideal.

read the link.

This is too confusing. Maybe I should just go gay and not worry about a diamond!

Our Gay members have some STUNNING diamonds.

Sorry. Not a way out.

 

[teobdl]

In lay man's terms: buy the diamond that seasoned PSers recommend (it will probably be a hearts and arrows diamond).

 

[c-k]

Jeweler friends have told me that's just the proportion result of an ideal cut diamond and the "hearts" thing is marketing that the consumer pays extra for.

Read this..it will explain why your jeweler friends are wrong.



http://www.whiteflash.com/a-cut-above-diamonds

 

[CharmyPoo]

Best Value = Second Hand with GIA/AGS report (then report back here for assessment).

 

[Gypsy]

Best Value = Second Hand with GIA/AGS report (then report back here for assessment).

TOTALLY AGREE. Although with a 2 carat stone: preferably with a return policy if it is long distance so you can take it to an appraiser to make sure the condition is the same as the lab report says. Or if not long distance, meet at appraiser's office and have them evaluate the stone, then you can pay and change hands.

 

[Todd Gray]

Hearts and arrows has the same number of facets as a "regular" cut diamond, correct? Just that the proportions are perfect? It's not like buying a Leo diamond or something along those lines? What does GIA call a hearts and arrows cut?

The proportions of a diamond dictate the volume of light return and to some degree the type of light return in terms of the balance of brilliance and dispersion (fire).

Adding facets does not necessarily improve visual performance / sparkle factor, and in most cases with diamonds weighing less than three carats or so, it can significantly decrease the amount of dispersion and fire, by creating smaller virtual facets, which in turn produce smaller flashes of light, which are interpreted by our eyes as white light / white sparkle, because it can not be dispersed into colored light, and thus diamonds like the Leo are marketed as being brighter and more brilliant, but they never tell you that it's because the diamonds exhibit less dispersion / fire...

One of the advantages to a standard 57 facet round brilliant, is that if you get the proportions right, e.g. select a diamond with a crown angle that is offset by the right pavilion angle, the diamond will deliver a high volume of light return, with a virtual balance of brilliance and dispersion, so the diamond will face up nice and bright and exhibit a lot of full spectrum sparkle...

The thing to figure out when purchasing a diamond is what your personal preference is in terms of how YOU want the diamond to face-up, what type of sparkle you prefer, if it's more brilliance than dispersion, then you might definitely want something like a Leo, Eighternity, Solasfera, etc., but not everybody likes that look... in fact, most of my clients didn't when offered the choice between the 81 facet Eighternity and a round ideal cut to the center of the range designated for the zero ideal cut rating, with and without hearts and arrows, we sold both... so I recommend getting out in some stores and looking at diamonds of several different types to figure out what your preference is.

In answer to the question about what GIA (or the AGSL for that matter) calls a Hearts & Arrows cut diamond, just like the Leo, they'll refer to it as whatever brand it happens to be if it is inscribed as such, it's all part of marketing all of the brands created during the De Beers Supplier of Choice campaign, cough, cough, I didn't just say that out loud did I? Whoops

 

[gobble]

Now I'm even more confused. I just visited 3 jewelers in Chicago over a long lunch and all 3 told me "excellent" is the best cut and anything termed ideal, heart and arrows, hearts on fire, leo, etc was just marketing. He had one of those little viewing scopes there where it had two spots to view the diamond from both the top and bottom with a little scope you put over the top that showed all the facets in colors. All 3 jewelers had GIA and EGL diamonds at prices that seemed considerably less than the stones recommended to me earlier in this thread with the same color/clarity. I can't comment on cut other than they were all rated excellent. One jeweler even told me bluenile doesn't own the diamonds they're selling and some of his diamonds are listed on the site and I could buy cheaper through him.

I read those links above and I get the that branded and selected hearts and arrows may just be a little more precise in the perfection of the cut. Not sure I need that though.

An example that he "supposedly" held for me is:

2.02
EGLUS
H (although he said GIA would call it I)
SI1
EX cut (he said just write down XXX)
$14,750

Good price?

 

[JulieN]

Blue nile owns some of them.

NO do not just write down EX cut.

I can show you many crappy GIA EX, and some less crappy but not that great AGS 0. Just because the big labs don't address it doesn't mean it is not real. The truth is that if EX cut is as good as it gets, and one EX is as good as another EX then vendors are just competing on price and you buy the one that is cheaper. That is what unscrupulous dealers and GIA wantyou to think.

 

[WinkHPD]

Now I'm even more confused. I just visited 3 jewelers in Chicago over a long lunch and all 3 told me "excellent" is the best cut and anything termed ideal, heart and arrows, hearts on fire, leo, etc was just marketing. He had one of those little viewing scopes there where it had two spots to view the diamond from both the top and bottom with a little scope you put over the top that showed all the facets in colors. All 3 jewelers had GIA and EGL diamonds at prices that seemed considerably less than the stones recommended to me earlier in this thread with the same color/clarity. I can't comment on cut other than they were all rated excellent. One jeweler even told me bluenile doesn't own the diamonds they're selling and some of his diamonds are listed on the site and I could buy cheaper through him.

I read those links above and I get the that branded and selected hearts and arrows may just be a little more precise in the perfection of the cut. Not sure I need that though.

An example that he "supposedly" held for me is:

2.02
EGLUS
H (although he said GIA would call it I)
SI1
EX cut (he said just write down XXX)
$14,750

Good price?

Sorry,

When you walk into a store and say "HEY, I know nothing, please tell me lies," well guess what? They are going to tell you lies.

Sad thing is, many of them may actually believe the pablum that they are spewing. There are HUGE numbers of "jewelers" who were selling ladies shoes a month ago and took an in-house training program at their chain store location, and many many GIA graduate gemologists who have not touched a book or learned anything about their trade since they graduated.

I know this to be true as I graduated in 1975 from the GIA Graduate Gemologist program in residence and there is ABSOLUTELY NO REQUIREMENT that I continue to learn or even remember what I learned in order for me to continue to use the Graduate Gemologist title that I earned lo those many years ago.

I take continuing education in my trade every year and have the privilege of having studied under some of the masters in my trade, such as Paul Slegers and John Pollard from Infinity diamonds, as well as Brian Gavin who gave John much of his early training and shared much with many of us when we met at the JCK show for several years. I constantly get to pick the brains of people in my trade who know tons more than I do, no matter how hard I study. For years, Pete Yantzer, Executive director of the American Gem Society Laboratory held Cut Study "Band Camps" at his home in the day or two prior to the JCK show. Many of the "prosumers" here lack a formal education in Gemology, yet know more than many of the graduate gemologists in this country about diamond cut grading. (And many other things too!)

Any gemologist who tells you GIA XXX is as good as it gets has earned my immediate contempt as I know, absolutely and positively, that they do not know what they are talking about. (If on the off chance that they actually do know better then they have earned my further contempt as being liars too.)

Just to be sure that the deal you were offered was not genuine I went looking on RAP for a 2.02ct I-SI1 with an actual GIA report instead of a third tier lab report. I used a very low markup of 5% to be sure that I was giving only a tiny markup that would not serve my prejudice against the deal makers by using too high a number for what such a stone really would cost.

Out of 31 GIA XXX diamonds of 2.02cts I found 1 (one) that was as cheap as what you were offered at 5% over cost. It was a steep deep with a 58 table, 35.5 crown, 41 pavilion angle and a 62.4% depth with Strong Blue Fluorescence. (I actually like fluorescence, but it does lower the price.) It was $14,200 and change. Everything else, including some really atrociously cut XXX's was over 15k and 26 of the 31 stones were over 16k with 11 of them over 18k.

I contend that if the diamond could have gotten an I-SI1 GIA paper it would have it.

You may wish to think about the likely hood that some or all of the people you were talking to are looking at you as fresh meat.

I get it that you may not want to pay for the best, that is all well and good. You may not want to pay for a Hearts and Arrows cut, that is well and good too. But for the love of Mike, do NOT throw your money on some misgraded piece of crystallized carbon when you do not have the knowledge and skills to judge for yourself what you think it might actually be. YOU WILL NOT BE GETTING WHAT YOU THINK YOU ARE IF YOU DO.

Not really my place to tell you all of this I guess, but I am a little cranky today 'cause three different things did not arrive either here or where they are supposed to arrive and it is frustrating. So, you get the blessing of what I am actually thinking instead of the normal nice whitewashed Wink way of saying things.

It is your money, and I wish you to spend it better than that, what ever it actually is, diamond you put on hold.

Wink

 

[c-k]

Now I'm even more confused. I just visited 3 jewelers in Chicago over a long lunch and all 3 told me "excellent" is the best cut and anything termed ideal, heart and arrows, hearts on fire, leo, etc was just marketing. He had one of those little viewing scopes there where it had two spots to view the diamond from both the top and bottom with a little scope you put over the top that showed all the facets in colors. All 3 jewelers had GIA and EGL diamonds at prices that seemed considerably less than the stones recommended to me earlier in this thread with the same color/clarity. I can't comment on cut other than they were all rated excellent. One jeweler even told me bluenile doesn't own the diamonds they're selling and some of his diamonds are listed on the site and I could buy cheaper through him.

I read those links above and I get the that branded and selected hearts and arrows may just be a little more precise in the perfection of the cut. Not sure I need that though.

An example that he "supposedly" held for me is:

2.02
EGLUS
H (although he said GIA would call it I)
SI1
EX cut (he said just write down XXX)
$14,750

Good price?

Those specs are not enough information to determine if the diamond is a good one, let alone determine if the price right. Post lab report and an Idealscope. I am suspecting you may be shopping size/price and not considering the importance of cut.

 

[Mayk]

I love how people come here exhaust all the experts... Completely ignore them and search out an EGL diamond. Buy it! You will never know what you really bought..without an appraisal and then it may not be what you wanted. My first diamond was an EGL sold to me by a B&M as a G VS1... It came back appraised as a J SI1... These people will help you. If you want help... If you really was a deal. There are no deals. you get what you pay for... This from a non expert.

 

[Sakuracherry]

Gobble,

So many people have tried to help you. You've received great advice. Now what are you going to do? The best deal I've seen was an ACA on eBay a while ago, but things like that are hard to come by.

 

[Roxy]

Now I'm even more confused. I just visited 3 jewelers in Chicago over a long lunch and all 3 told me "excellent" is the best cut and anything termed ideal, heart and arrows, hearts on fire, leo, etc was just marketing. He had one of those little viewing scopes there where it had two spots to view the diamond from both the top and bottom with a little scope you put over the top that showed all the facets in colors. All 3 jewelers had GIA and EGL diamonds at prices that seemed considerably less than the stones recommended to me earlier in this thread with the same color/clarity. I can't comment on cut other than they were all rated excellent. One jeweler even told me bluenile doesn't own the diamonds they're selling and some of his diamonds are listed on the site and I could buy cheaper through him.

I read those links above and I get the that branded and selected hearts and arrows may just be a little more precise in the perfection of the cut. Not sure I need that though.

An example that he "supposedly" held for me is:

2.02
EGLUS
H (although he said GIA would call it I)
SI1
EX cut (he said just write down XXX)
$14,750

Good price?

Hi Gobble, while the experts are helping you w/ the question about this price, I thought I'd share a lesson that I learned (as a layperson) early on in my quest for knowledge about ideal cut stones.

Over the years I've found that local jewelers who do not carry AGS(L) certed diamonds, and who don't have access to any of the tools that you see mentioned by the experts, don't recognize ideal cut stones.

Of course, I'm only speaking from my experience and I'm not in a big city, so we don't have tons of jewelers to choose from, but I've learned that if I wanted to learn about the concept of a stone w/ an ideal cut grade, I had to visit jewelers who carried BOTH AGS and GIA certed stones. When I'd visit a store, I quickly learned to first ask which labs they worked w/ before beginning a conversation, otherwise a "fun" visit would turn into a nasty debate and I hated that because I was just trying to get educated.

Also, while branding is definitely a way to market diamonds, it's also a good way for us to learn about the different aspects of the stones that resonate w/ us personally. So, although I was never interested in buying a Leo or Peerless, I've spent some time at Jared's w/ their visiting gemologist comparing the two and getting a feel for how the additional facets work (or in my case, don't work) for me.

My local jeweler carries "HeartStar" (one of many brands for H&A's), looking at THEM helped me to understand what people were seeing (in real life) when they talked about "hearts and arrows". Surprisingly, I saw enough of a difference to think it was worth the premium for H&A melee when I was working on my eternity bands w/ a PS vendor.

So I think the fact that you want to learn more than the regular consumer on the street is great! Just try to keep an open mind during the process so you can gather all of the info and then make an informed decision for yourself.

 

[gobble]

I love how people come here exhaust all the experts... Completely ignore them and search out an EGL diamond. Buy it! You will never know what you really bought..without an appraisal and then it may not be what you wanted. My first diamond was an EGL sold to me by a B&M as a G VS1... It came back appraised as a J SI1... These people will help you. If you want help... If you really was a deal. There are no deals. you get what you pay for... This from a non expert.

I didn't buy anything from anyone. I'm just shopping, learning and taking my time.

 

[Mayk]

I love how people come here exhaust all the experts... Completely ignore them and search out an EGL diamond. Buy it! You will never know what you really bought..without an appraisal and then it may not be what you wanted. My first diamond was an EGL sold to me by a B&M as a G VS1... It came back appraised as a J SI1... These people will help you. If you want help... If you really was a deal. There are no deals. you get what you pay for... This from a non expert.

I didn't buy anything from anyone. I'm just shopping, learning and taking my time.

Do yourself a huge favor... Don't let someone talk you into an EGL diamond. Use the tools here to find the right proportions and decide on the color and clarity you can live with...

Here is a great example. Read all the way down... Graded H by EGL and N by GIA.... Don't be fooled!

http://www.diamondsbylauren.com/index.php/jewelry/diamond-ring-200ct-n-si1-cushion-cut-gia-halo-ring-r5514

 

[gobble]

I've been doing a bunch of shopping and also remembered I had a coworker whose spouse is in the business. If I found a way to post a link to 6 different certificates (with prices) would people be able to give me opinions on the smartest purchase?

 

[gobble]

Here they are. I'd like to stay somewhere around $15-$20. Every one seems to have some little thing wrong with it (like I wish the 2.03 G SI1 was excellent cut or the 2.01 G SI2 ideal was SI1). Does any of these jump as a good stone to buy?

 

[gobble]

More

 

[Boatluvr]

I really like reading the various threads and hearing the experts chime in - it's definitely a learning experience for me. What stands out here (in my opinion) is a potential diamond buyer who has been advised, many times, to avoid EGL certifications. OP - do you really expect anyone to offer opinions on the six (or however many) EGL graded diamonds you posted? Really?