WHICH DIAMOND?! (HELP ME PICK!)

[mrsctobe]

Hey guys! Could you please help me pick which diamond would be the best quality and size for the $$? I probably would've just gone with Diamond #1 because it's so clear, but the fluorescence is strong (does that make it cloudy)? Please see below, i would LOVE the help on selecting one, thank you in advance:

I looked at alot of sites and narrowed the choices to 4. I'm pasting their specs, link, and GIA certifications below. I know nothing about dimensions, so would love to know whether all of them look good dimensionally, or if any of these diamonds are bad (table, girdle, etc)


DIAMOND 1: https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...color-vvs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-12191193

Price	Carat	Clarity	Cut	Color	Certification	Fluorescence
33,350	2.7	vvs2	excellent	H	GIA	Strong

GIA CERTIFICATION, AS WELL AS PLACEMENT OF INCLUSIONS AND TABLE/GIRDLE, ETC:

DIAMOND 2: https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-12227468

Price	Carat	Clarity	Cut	Color	Certification	Fluorescence
31,030	2.81	vs2	excellent	I	GIA	none

DIAMOND 3: https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4324048.htm

Price	Carat	Clarity	Cut	Color	Certification	Fluorescence
31,702	2.6	vs1	excellent	H	GIA	medium

DIAMOND 4: https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4419431.htm

Price	Carat	Clarity	Cut	Color	Certification	Fluorescence
34,565	2.8	SI1	excellent	H	GIA	none

Thanks so much I know its alot of details but it helps me a ton!

 

[lovedogs]

Unfortinately none of these would be considered well cut. I would read some of the educational pages on pricescope to learn more about the importance of cut. I think that the most important aspect of a diamonds sparkle/light performance is cut (most folks on pricescope would agree).

I would always prefer a smaller diamond that is well cut vs a larger one with a poorer cut.

Can I ask what your budget is, and what size you are looking for?

 

[lambskin]

Also I color shows warmth

 

[AprilBaby]

If you are going to spend that much let the people here help you find a better diamond. Post what is important to you, size, color, clarity and budget.

 

[mwilliamanderson]

This is a great article to help you get the basics about what to look for and why.

Diamond Proportions

The physics of light-behavior within a diamond are reliably consistent, which means proportions measurements can be useful.

www.pricescope.com

The first diamond you posted might be okay. You would need advanced images like ASET and IS to rule out any leakage problems. With that shallow crown, the diamond would tend towards brightness at the expense of some fire. If you read the article it will make more sense. As far as fluorescence goes it usually not a problem, but it would need to be examined to make sure it is not impacted.

 

[mrsctobe]

Unfortinately none of these would be considered well cut. I would read some of the educational pages on pricescope to learn more about the importance of cut. I think that the most important aspect of a diamonds sparkle/light performance is cut (most folks on pricescope would agree).

I would always prefer a smaller diamond that is well cut vs a larger one with a poorer cut.

Can I ask what your budget is, and what size you are looking for?

Thanks! Budget is about 33K, and looking for anything between a 2.6 to a 3ct. Why are they stated to be excellent cut by GIA if they are not well cut? And how can you tell?

 

[mrsctobe]

This is a great article to help you get the basics about what to look for and why.

Diamond Proportions

The physics of light-behavior within a diamond are reliably consistent, which means proportions measurements can be useful.

www.pricescope.com

The first diamond you posted might be okay. You would need advanced images like ASET and IS to rule out any leakage problems. With that shallow crown, the diamond would tend towards brightness at the expense of some fire. If you read the article it will make more sense. As far as fluorescence goes it usually not a problem, but it would need to be examined to make sure it is not impacted.

Thanks I'll take a look and read that article.. from your first glance, what are your thoughts about them?

 

[mrsctobe]

If you are going to spend that much let the people here help you find a better diamond. Post what is important to you, size, color, clarity and budget.

Thanks!
Budget - about 33K
Importance: Clarity and Size. Have been looking for I and higher color. But mostly sparkle and size, and no glaring large inclusions in center

 

[mrsctobe]

Also I color shows warmth

It'll be set on yellow gold, so im not sure I could even tell!

 

[lulu_ma]

This video make help to illustrate the difference in cut quality between ideal (excellent cut) and super ideal cuts...

 

[mwilliamanderson]

Thanks I'll take a look and read that article.. from your first glance, what are your thoughts about them?

I agree with @lovedogs. The first one has a shallow crown and large table facet and the last three are steep/ deep diamonds. I wouldn't want you to pick any of them without doing more research. People who are much more educated about diamonds than me, wrote the educational article I linked. Take a few minutes to read it so what we say makes sense. We're happy to show you the kind of stones we like to buy to make sure you get a top performer, but it would be better if you are armed with some basic knowledge to begin with.

If you want to buy a stone from a local jeweler, we can provide you with the information you need so you can tell them what you want. There are a lot of poorly cut diamonds out there, but you don't need to buy one.

If you want us to post some from a specific vendor, we can do that as well. In general, the best prices are to be found online through reputable vendors like Wolf/CBI, Whiteflash, Brian Gavin Diamonds, Diamonds by Lauren, Victor Canera, and James Allen, to name a few.

As for color, it depends on your sensitivity and the setting. Color is seen from the side of a diamond so a setting that exposes the pavillion will show the tint no matter what metal. Some people don't see it. Some people see it and are not bothered by it. Others, like me, see it and don't like it. Neither is right or wrong.

Clarity is similar. VS1 and VS2 should be enough clarity assuming the stone is eye clean. Many here are willing to choose and SI1 or SI2 to get more size, as long as they can't see the inclusions without magnification. There is a big price jump between clarity grades and color grades so it pays to look at some diamonds in person and get a sense of where you stand.

 

[lovedogs]

Thanks! Budget is about 33K, and looking for anything between a 2.6 to a 3ct. Why are they stated to be excellent cut by GIA if they are not well cut? And how can you tell?

Unfortunately GIA xxx is a super broad range and includes many stones that arent actually well cut. I think you'll have a hard time finding something in your budget with a good cut and high clarity and color. Is the size flexible?

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

If going down to SI1 is acceptable:

Diamond | 2.694 ct I SI1 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond AGS Certified | 4396559

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 2.694 carat I color SI1 clarity loose diamond is graded by the American Gem Society (AGS) Laboratories. | 4396559

www.whiteflash.com

Since it is an ACA, the cut quality is sublime, and you can ask them to check and see if it is eyeclean from a clarity POV.

If you want to cap it at VS2, I saw this one on the PS search which gets an HCA of 0.9 (all Ex with a Spread of VG), but strong flouro. It should at least be better cut than the others you have posted from my understanding. I know the fluoro can be nerve wracking to think about, but a lot of times they have no impact on the appearance of the stone. I think it is worth getting the cert for this one and putting on hold to get the community to weigh in:

3.03 Carat round diamond

This 3.03 carat round diamond I color vs2 clarity has Excellent proportions and a diamond grading report from GIA

www.jamesallen.com

There’s also this one, which gets that VVS2 clarity you wanted, though at the expense of some size. HCA 0.9 with all Ex across the board, so this is likely to be a bit spreadier. You can put this on hold and request the cert as well:

2.70 Carat round diamond

This 2.7 carat round diamond I color vvs2 clarity has Excellent proportions and a diamond grading report from GIA

www.jamesallen.com

Finally, in order to get you up to H colour there is this one which gets HCA 1.6 (VG for light return and scintillation; Ex for fire and spread) but there is no video or pics of the actual diamond so I don’t want to recommend it. Still, perhaps worth exploring. I would personally stick to one of the Is above or that you find otherwise.

2.71 carat (ct) GIA Round Loose Diamond H Color VS2 Clarity Excellent Cut

www.b2cjewels.com