Hello. I have identified this diamond on Whiteflash and I would like to buy it.
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3701016.htm
It is of course and engagement ring for my girlfriend. Before I process however I would like your opinion:
– do you think I can find a better deal with that budget? I like Whiteflash but I am not married to them so if there is a better deal I would take it
– my girlfriend, as most girls I guess, is ultimately interested in the size of the diamond (alas!). Do you think that if I went down in color and clarity (I wouldn’t want to compromise on cut) then I risk getting a diamond that doesn’t sparkle as much, where inclusions risk to be seen to the naked eye, etc? (i.e. where is the sweet spot for clarity and color?)
– I have been caught a bit off guard by Whiteflash as I didn’t realize the price was not including VAT, but then talking to them this is what I found out. Not sure what the standard is, but I guess that from a provider with such a good reputation I would have expected more clarity on that.. I am living in the UK so apparently between VAT and duty tax it will add another 3000-4000$ to the sum. I have also asked for a custom design which is $3000. So overall it would be $20000 give or take, which starts being quite a bit of money. I have read somewhere that if the diamond is loose it wouldn’t count as a final retail product and thus no VAT is due. Is this true? Do you know how VAT and duty taxes work for someone living in the UK and purchasing from the US, and especially does loose diamond vs diamond set in a ring make a difference?
All the questions are important, but arguably the final one is where I would particularly appreciate your input.
Thanks in advance for your help.
I’m really sorry, but we will not comment on White Flash under any circumstances. We have had terrible personal experiences with them that a) make us feel no one should ever buy from them and b) precludes us from being objective about them.
Regarding your question about VAT, even if you buy a loose diamond it applies. But I’m afraid we have yet to find a reputable vendor outside the US that offers decent value and is trustworthy. At the end of the day, the US is the most competitive market in the world for consumer goods, so the diamonds are inherently cheaper there. The only company I’d recommend is Blue Nile (Europe), you’ll need to go higher in clarity to make sure you get an eye-clean diamond but the VAT is already included in the price, so in the end I think that’s the best option for you. I’ll be happy to take a look around and compare different vendors to see where you can get the best bang for your buck.
Have you decided what type of setting you want? A solitaire ring or a pave/with sidestones? What color of metal are you considering? Yellow gold or white gold/platinum? As we explain in our article on color, it’ll help me to determine which colors to recommend.
Also, what is the ballpark figure you’re willing to spend?
Thanks for your email. I am very surprised by your comment on Whiteflash: anything you could share there it would be appreciated, as I have always heard extremely good feedback on them.
If I could accept your offer to take a look around that would be great!
It needs to be superideal cut (so not only exexex/000, but with the actual ideal proportions for the table, pavilion, etc), to the standard of Whiteflash ACA. I don’t want to compromise on cut. As colourless as possible, and with the best clarity as possible of course. Now, given budget, you have to decide where the sweet spot is between carat and color/clarity as this I am not sure of, in fact that was my question to you, so if you could give some guidance there it would be great.
I have drawn a custom design, which will be a solitaire and based on platinum.
The budget: if you take the current Whiteflash diamond I have identified, that is about $16500 (VAT included), which however starts being too much (it’s 13883 excluding VAT and I thought Whiteflash prices were including it instead). So something between $10000 and $15000 (including VAT) would be best.
Let me know if you need further info from me and thank you SO MUCH for your help!
I’m sorry but we can’t share any details about White Flash. I can’t of course stop you from buying from them.
Now, if you’re putting the diamond into a PT solitaire setting you could go as low as a J color and it’ll appear colorless to the naked eye. We feel quite strongly that spending extra on a G+ diamond is a waste of money. The video on this page highlights this perfectly: https://www.diamonds.pro/education/color/. It seems that H/I is the sweet spot. In terms of clarity, all you need is an eye-clean diamond: https://www.diamonds.pro/education/clarity/.
And yes, it’s true that the most important aspect of a diamond is its cut. This is what makes the diamond beautiful and sparkly (fire and brilliance are the terms we use). The more brilliance there is, the more unique the diamond will look. If you want maximum brilliance and fire possible, I would recommend Brian Gavin’s Signature Hearts and Arrows. Brian Gavin is known as one of the world’s experts when it comes to perfectly cut diamonds. BGD’s Signature diamonds are incredibly brilliant and truly impressive. Here’s my recommendation from their selection:
www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.355-h-vs1-round-diamond-ags-104088437001?a_aid=y
The diamond’s bright, eye-clean and superbly cut. It’ll be extremely brilliant. The total price comes out to ~$14k with all the taxes and duties. What do you think?
Thanks again for your help here. I would have 2 questions:
– regarding Whiteflash, if you tried to be in my shoes for a moment you would realize that it doesn’t help very much if you say “don’t buy with Whiteflash, but I can’t tell you why”.
– also, I did look at the diamond you picked for me and I did like it, but I have not been quick enough and it has been purchased now. Could you recommend something similar? Maybe 2-3 alternatives?
Thanks!
……
Also, a 3rd question:
– I have realized that after having to pay UK VAT and duty taxes, and also the cost for the custom design, a more appropriate budget for the actual diamond would be $7000 max (this is a price excluding VAT). What would be your new recommendation in this space (always considering that the stone of course needs to be as big as possible, but completely clean to the naked eye and without noticeable color tones to the naked eye)?
1) I’m sorry but I simply can’t comment on WF. I understand your point of view and I’d love to be able to tell you more but I can’t. We cannot share any details there. You can ask me about any diamond from any company and I’ll be happy to give you my comment and tell you whether it’s a good deal or not. We can’t be objective about WF which is what we base our reputation on. Being objective when asked about any diamond and telling you whether it’s a good way to go or you’d better stay away.
2) 3) I checked their inventory again and found these diamonds this time:
www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.065-i-vs2-round-diamond-ags-104083068003?a_aid=y
And this diamond from their “Blue Line”, a selection of diamonds with fluorescence. Each of them has been handpicked by Brian Gavin:
www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.191-i-vs1-round-diamond-ags-bl-104087953002?a_aid=y
Strong fluorescence has no negative effect on the diamond, it’s actually a bonus. The thing about fluorescence is that it can either be a bonus (it whitens the appearance of a diamond) or a negative (it makes the diamonds look dull and milky): https://www.diamonds.pro/education/fluorescence/. On the diamond market, significant fluorescence automatically discounts the value of the diamond. That’s why we think that BGD Blue Line is a great value. You get a superbly cut diamond for less, so that you can go for a larger diamond that’ll look a little whiter.
Thoughts?
Thanks a lot for your research. At first I was not open to fluorescence and ditched BGD Blue Line blindly but then on second thoughts I do realize it’s really great value, so that diamond you suggested it’s probably my first choice now. I have found on Whiteflash a similar diamond but that has 0.1 more ct but I won’t comment on that given what we have discussed. However I have also found something on James Allen, that J VS2 so one notch down on colour and clarity relative to the BGD Blue Line but it has 0.1 more ct and it costs much less than what you found! What do you think? Do you feel that VS2 and J are too low in the clarity and colour scale? And is James Allen as good for cut as BGD?
The James Allen diamond I am talking about is this:
www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.29-carat-j-color-vs2-clarity-ideal-cut-sku-2003471?a_aid=dmnd1357
Unfortunately, the diamond from JA is not eye-clean. The inclusion on the table is way too big and will be visible.
As already mentioned, Brian Gavin is a true expert and his diamonds are amazing. If you care about the added brilliance the most, then they are the way to go. Diamonds on JA will also look incredible and as you said, you can save some money. Here is an alternative for the one you found:
www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.28-carat-j-color-vvs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-1909725?a_aid=dmnd1357
J color is absolutely perfect for a solitaire setting. No problem there whatsoever.
All right, thanks. You clearly know more than me, but my understanding is that if I want to maximize the optical performance (as I guess most retail buyers would like to) then I should not compromise on cut. The JA you selected for me is exexex but looking at crown, pavilion and other stats it looks outside the range of superideal diamonds… I don’t want to be a cut-nazi but I was wondering whether with this JA one I am trading away optical performance for the sake of budget. I am of course open to suggestion/education/etc. but my idea was to have a lower color and clarity (rather than a VVS2). Take the VS2 I proposed: if the inclusion was in a less prominent position but rating was VS2 anyways it would have been pretty close to what I had in mind… Did you find any stone along these lines, so that compromise on color and clarity but not cut and optimal performance (within a max $7K budget)?
…..
While waiting for your reply on my first email, I would like to get your opinion on the following stones. Which one would you select?
I also found a Whiteflash one but I won’t include it as I know you guys dont want to comment on it for some reason. I am not sure the BGD is worth the brand premium relative to what I could find on Whiteflash or James Allen…
You’re talking about getting the best cut and then picking the best of the best. I can find some better cut diamonds, but I don’t see a reason to pay extra for them when the appearance in person will be identical.
www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.31-carat-j-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-50700?a_aid=dmnd1357
Brian Gavin is something different. He is known as one of the world’s experts when it comes to perfectly cut diamonds. BGD’s Signature diamonds are truly fantastic. They are all incredibly brilliant. But then again, you would have them both side by side to see the difference.
What we love about them:
- No questions asked returns within 30 days of shipment. James Allen will send you a paid shipping label to return the ring.
- Lifetime Warranty
- Free International Shipping
- Free prong tightening, repolishing, rhodium plating and cleaning every 6 months
- Provide insurance appraisals
- One free resizing within 60 days of purchase
- Free ring inscriptions
- Best-in-class high quality imagery of all diamonds in stock
- 24/7 Customer Service
- Best-in-class packaging
What we love about them:
- No questions asked returns within 30 days of shipment. Blue Nile will send you a paid shipping label to return the ring.
- Lifetime Warranty
- Free Shipping
- Free prong tightening, repolishing, rhodium plating and cleaning every 6 months
- Provide insurance appraisal
- One free resizing within the first year of purchase
- High quality images of about half of their diamonds
- 24/7 Customer Service
- 100% credit towards future upgrades (must be at least double in value)
- Best in class fulfillment
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