Q&A: What’s More Important — Clarity or Cut?

I’m looking for a diamond for my wife to be and would welcome your advice.

I’m thinking:

Size: 1 carat and upwards

Shape: Round

Colour: F-H

Clarity: IF-VVS2

Cut: Ideal, with favourable table and depth percentages and favourable crown and pavillion angles. I want it to really sparkle!!

Girdle: Thin to sliglty thick

Cutlet: None to small

Symmetry: Ideal

Polish: Ideal

Budget: $10,000 to $15,000

I’m happy to compromise on size in favour of quality but ideally I’m looking for the best of both within my budget, which is where I’m hoping you can help.

Thanks for coming back to me. My budget would be including the VAT. Currently 20% in the UK.

I had read your article in the past to be honest and, now I’m looking to purchase, I guess there is no particular reason for limiting myself to such a high clarity grade. With that in mind, I’m happy to extend the criteria of the search to include lesser clarity grades – I’ll take your steer on this to be honest and see what you can recommend.

What I would be interested in is to see what sort of stone I could get in the higher clarity grades as per my original search specification compared to those in a clarity grade. Assuming the cut, symmetry, table and depth percentages etc. are fairly equal across both stones, if I compromise on the clarity grade I am guessing, perhaps naively, that I could potentially benefit from an increase in the size of the stone and / or a lower purchase price. I suppose I am after the best of both worlds – a good quality stone but at the optimum price.

From what I have read up about, the cut is the most important criteria to consider when buying and I should be looking for a diamond with favourable proportions and angles. This is the reason I specified the highest grade of cut. Do you support this view or should I be looking to widen my criteria in this area as well?

I see what you mean about the difference in the size of the stone available by simply widening the search criteria on clarity. I’m certainly getting more stone for my money.

Out of the 3 you selected using ‘your way’, which do you think is better?

I like the look of 1337001 but am a bit concerned that there are a number of inclusions right in the centre of the stone. Do you think these are going to be visibile to the naked eye.

1370873 has inclusions around the edge of the stone, might this be a better option? The table on this stone is a bit bigger and the polish not as good but will this be noticeable to someone like me simply looking at the stone without the aid of a cerificate to reference?

On the basis of your feedback about looking for stones with the lowest possible clarity grade that is still clean to the naked eye I’ve been having a look at the James Allen site and looking at stones in the VVS2 and S1 Clarity range, albeit a bit smaller than the ones you recommended. Apart from that, the search criteria was the same as my original mail.

Having screend out those that I thought had more obvious inclusions I’d welcome your thoughts on the following stones – would you recommend one or two over the others? Are there any I should just ignore completely? I did have a look at the certificates and the diamond under magnification but am certain you will have a keener eye than me.

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1372877.asp

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1377323.asp

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1380118.asp

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1353824.asp

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1362597.asp

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1338468.asp

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1376858.asp

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1378802.asp

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1338371.asp

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1354956.asp

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VVS1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1197207.asp

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1379153.asp

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1381889.asp

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1376868.asp

Apologies,

A cut down list below:

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1372877.asp

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1377323.asp

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1380118.asp

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1376858.asp

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1378802.asp

Originally I was looking for a stone about a carat in weight and with my original specifications reckoned on spending $10k to $15k. Given what you sent me earlier today, I can get a diamond 50% larger for roughly the same price if I compromise on clarity. I’m thinking now of reverting back to the 1 carat weight and saving myself some money or perhaps going somewhere inbetween and getting a stone around the 1.25 carat weight but still saving a bit on my original budget.

Thanks for you feedback below. On your advice I went to purchase the 1378802 stone but unfortunately it had been sold.

I’ve had another search through the site and came across a stone that I’d not seen before. It looks great to me but looking at the certificate there don’t seem to be any inclusions highlighted in the diagram which makes me wonder why it is graded as a VS2. I’m not sure if I’m missing a trick so was wondering if you wouldn’t mind casting your eye over it and letting me know your thoughts before I potentially make an expensive mistake.

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1351298.asp

Thanks for you response.

What are ‘clouds’ in a diamond and what specifically do you think I should ask JA?

Won’t they tell me that all is fine as they will be looking to sell the stone regardless?

Ok – I’ll ask the question and see what they say.

Do you think either of these 2 might be a safer bet though as I’m a bit nervous about the last one now?

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1360517.asp

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1380138.asp

I spoke to James Allen and wasn’t entirely convinced by what they said about the potentially ‘cloudy’ stone so I purchased the 1.08ct stone instead. It arrives tomorrow – I’ll let you know what I think when I see it.

Thank you so much for your help on this,