Hi, First I wanted to say thank you for all of the information on this site. Looking for a diamond is a bit of a challenge especially with all the conflicting information/(mis)representations by a lot of the big stores.
What I’m looking for: a round, excellent cut at about 2 ct. I totally agree with you and appreciate the advice that as long as it is eye clean, there is no point in paying extra for clarity. Of course, determining whether it is eye clean may be more challenging to an untrained eye! While, I agree that higher color is usually not necessary, because this will be set with other diamonds (either side or halo) and, perhaps more importantly, because it will likely be compared side by side with other rings given my fiance’s social circle, I would like to go for a higher grade color than you might normally recommend even though it will raise the price. Budget-wise, I can go up into the $30-35k, but would of course be happy to pay less. For example, I was just looking at this JA diamond, which of course depends a lot on whether it is eye clean (SI1), https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/E-SI1-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1443515.asp Again, this is just an example of where my thinking was.
A small side question: looking a lot on JA after reading your site, is the brightness of the photo images a property of the diamonds (i.e., how brilliant they will be) or a function of lighting? Some seem much darker than others.
Thanks for writing and the kind words about the site. I can tell from your writing that you’re a very intelligent guy. You’ve learned the lessons in my articles perfectly.
As for the diamond you linked to, something funny is going on with it. The pic looks great, but if you look closely at the certificate, it says “Cut grade affected by brilianteering” which you almost never see. So I’d stay away from that one.
Regarding the question about the photographs on JA – since each vendor takes their own photos in their own offices with their own cameras (although they’re all supplied by JA), the photos are terribly inconsistent. They’re really only good for examining clarity and cut – not for color or brightness.
As far as color goes, I think you still have some wiggle room. You can safely go down to a G or even an H in an ideal cut round and it’ll still look incredible – even when placed next to a higher color diamond. If it was placed directly next to a D or E color (and I mean a situation where someone is wearing two rings on one finger – that close and only that close), you might be able to see a small difference. But otherwise, you wont see any difference at all.
The only other thing I might suggest for you would be to think about getting a super ideal Hearts & Arrows cut stone which would show a bit more brilliance (something akin to the Hearts on Fire brand, but for a lot less). They’re less than the HOF branded stones, but they still carry a significant premium over “regular” ideal cut diamonds. If I had to pick an upgrade for a large stone like this, however, I would put the money towards getting the perfect cut rather than putting it towards a super high color. The only problem with this is that at the moment, Brian Gavin Diamonds only has I colors available in 2cts within your budget. I wouldn’t recommend anyone else for this – he’s THE guy in the industry for perfectly cut rounds. They’re supposed to be getting a big shipment of new inventory in early September, but I certainly can’t guarantee they’ll get something like this in. You could try speaking directly with them if you’re interested.
If you want to stick with JA, then I would suggest something like these:
https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-SI1-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1518154.asp
https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-SI1-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1493615.asp
https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/F-SI1-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1473999.asp
Let me know what you think!
Thank you for your response and help. I never would have noticed the “Cut grade affected by brilianteering” on the certificate!
I will take a look at the suggested JA diamonds. It also sounds like if I find one I want, they are willing to visually inspect it as well to confirm that they are eye clean.
It seems the downside of Brian Gavin is that they don’t have an image of the actual diamond except for their Hearts & Arrows. I am not on a rush time frame, so I can conceivably wait for September to see if better options open up. BG also has a category of “Brian Gavin Select,” do you know what this means, if anything, relative to their other diamonds?
One final question, and again, thanks for your help, it seems that an GIA “excellent” (or similar) could still encompass a range of cut quality. when you look at the images or the diamond parameters, is is possible to estimate where it fits within that cut category (e.g., if you had two GIA excellent cut diamonds, how do you tell which is a better cut?)
Yes, JA can perform a visual inspection for you if you’d like. They will do it once free of charge and you can have them review 3 diamonds in that inspection.
Correct re: BG. I only recommend them for their in-house diamonds. If you’re going to buy a virtual diamond, JA is the best at that (if you’re confused about these terms, see this article here). As far as BG Select goes, I think that’s just a way for them to try to carve out a little extra profit from their virtually listed diamonds. I never recommend those.
Thanks again for your help. I’ve been taking my time hoping to see if BG received more inventory on their signature diamonds because I really wanted to focus on getting the best possible cut. A few have started coming in (as you thought might happen this month). They don’t have a real image up yet, but this one seems like it might be a good fit. https://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/2.144-f-si1-round-diamond-ags-104061000020
Given their reputation, it seems as long as it is an eye clean SI1, it should be a great diamond given the cut and color. Any thoughts?
100% agreed. They actually guarantee all their Signatures to be eye clean, so this should be a great buy. I hope you’re the one who reserved it!
Let me know how it all turns out!
Thank you Ira,
I do have it reserved…I thought it was wise considering how fast things can go! I will make sure to let them know that you advised me with respect to BG.
Great! I look forward to hearing your thoughts!
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- No questions asked returns within 30 days of shipment. James Allen will send you a paid shipping label to return the ring.
- Lifetime Warranty
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- Free prong tightening, repolishing, rhodium plating and cleaning every 6 months
- Provide insurance appraisals
- One free resizing within 60 days of purchase
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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)
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