DIAMOND experts, chime in!

[nch209]

Shopping for a rock for my girl, and also a house- but thats another story! I am looking for a diamond in the 3/4 to 1 caret size, but here is the catch. I am new into diamonds, and want to keep it conservative, so actually the .75-.88 size is perfect, but I want a nice, almost perfect stone. I know the 4 cs, but just want to see where people think the stats are in making a SUPER NICE rock? Any idea on a good place to buy is appreciated too!

I would go bigger, but she is NOT a jewlery girl- she would rather travel than have a 2ct rock! So in the its smaller, it needs to be perfect like her!

clk199

[redshirt1957]

Bought all four of my wives very nice diamonds. I have a different definition of the four Cs. Buy what she likes and she will like you.

[EvEr34]

Originally Posted by redshirt1957

Bought all four of my wives very nice diamonds. I have a different definition of the four Cs. Buy what she likes and she will like you.

[jasonbellevue]

Originally Posted by redshirt1957

Bought all four of my wives very nice diamonds. I have a different definition of the four Cs. Buy what she likes and she will like you.

[nch209]

Thanks for the adivse all! I have been shopping online, which helps when you hit the local diamond dealers. We sure do have alot here in the greater DC area. I think I want somthing like an IF, in the .88 range. Thanks for the insight, the search continues.

clk199

On a side note, its funny how diamond shopping ultimately turns into watch talking!!! LOL


clk199

[JJ Irani]

Originally Posted by redshirt1957

Bought all four of my wives very nice diamonds. I have a different definition of the four Cs. Buy what she likes and she will like you.

You don't normally hijack a thread from the very first post, ya tosser!!

[redshirt1957]

Originally Posted by JJ Irani

You don't normally hijack a thread from the very first post, ya tosser!!

Good point. I'll try not to premature post next time if I can hold it.

[casadecamporolex]

One of the other things I am good at buying, other than Rolexes, are diamonds. Here are some simple rules:

1. Go to an expert like a Graduate Gemologist in Residence from the GIA
2. Buy only loose GIA or AGS certificate diamonds.
3. Concentrate on the quality of the manufacturing....only look at Ideal Proportion Cut diamonds-it's on the certificate.
4. Combine perfect cut with the very best color. Gia uses a D-Z scale with D being the best and most expensive due to rarity in the crystal rough as it comes out of the ground. A D color diamond commands a very high price- the human eye can not discern between D and E in the face up position, yet the E is sometimes 20% less.
5. Clarity, or the absence or presence of minute imperfections inside the diamond will only affect the appearance if the diamond is heavily flawed.
The scale starts at Internally Flawless(IF) VVS1 and VVS2 (very very slight inclusions), VS1 and VS2 (very slight inclusions) SI1 and SI2(slight inclusions) and then I1, I2 and I3. As it was explained to me, if you put 2 diamonds side by side....an Ideal cut, D/E, IF of a certain size next to an Ideal cut, D/E color, SI1 of the same size.....no one could tell the difference. Clarity is also a rarity factor, yet invisible. Only you would know which is which. If it is important that it be so pure, get ready to pay.

My wife's diamonds are all Ideal GIA certificates of E color and range from VS1 to her engagement ring which is E, SI1. She traded size for microscopic purity. Hey she's the one got to love it.

Contact me if you need any more info.

[Arby]

If you want a top quality diamond, I'd recommend buying a "loose" diamond then having it mounted. The mount is secondary and will probably cost you less than a grand. There are all kinds of diamonds. There's Jewelry Store Diamonds then there's Investment Quality Diamonds. If you know the 4 C's then you'll find that the closer it gets to perfect the higher you are going to pay for a VVSI, IF to Flawless diamond. Deal ONLY with a respected local certified Gemologist. We're not talking the mall. You can get a ballpark price by looking at loose diamonds online. Make the contract state the diamond is fully refundable contingent on the outcome of an third party Certified Gemologists appraisal .

Good luck and good hunting...

[Carolina]

Originally Posted by Arby

If you want a top quality diamond, I'd recommend buying a "loose" diamond then having it mounted. The mount is secondary and will probably cost you less than a grand. There are all kinds of diamonds. There's Jewelry Store Diamonds then there's Investment Quality Diamonds. If you know the 4 C's then you'll find that the closer it gets to perfect the higher you are going to pay for a VVSI, IF to Flawless diamond. Deal ONLY with a respected local certified Gemologist. We're not talking the mall. You can get a ballpark price by looking at loose diamonds online. Make the contract state the diamond is fully refundable contingent on the outcome of an third party Certified Gemologists appraisal .

Good luck and good hunting...

I agree. My husband bought my diamond loose from a professional (I can't remember his exact credentials 13 yrs later), and had it mounted in a setting separately. It's 0.75 carat, and is one of the most beautiful diamonds I've seen.

[seantk]

I was happy with the diamond ring purchase I made for my wife at www.Bluenile.com

Sean

[ji603]

check out whiteflash and bluenile for a ballpark idea of prices. Both have neat slider search functions that you can use to sort by cut, clarity, color, carat, and $$

Make sure it's what you/she will keep though, because the trade-in value of diamonds is a bear!

[Markg]

when i got married, i told my wife how much we could spend, and that it was her decision what size etc. she wanted.

her trade off was TOTALLY colorless first, then clarity, and LAST was size.

that rock isnt the biggest, but awesome....especially compared to all her friends (which in the diamond ring world, is the ONLY thing that matters)

[hienpham04]

Diamonds are not like Rolex watches. Every stone is different and requires knowledge to know what you really want/need for the love one. Well, it's simpler than that First, there's a big difference between a non-certified diamond and certified diamond. I would recommend certified diamond, since the certificate will tell you exactly what you're buying. Well, here's the catch! Not all certification are graded the same. What does that means? The ONLY certification recognized as the industry standard for grading diamonds are GIA certificates. This brings to the point of prices. GIA certified diamonds cost a bit more, but better for resale. As with the 4Cs, it's really what you want to buy. As with appraisal, this is an art and not a certification from GIA. So, just keep this in mind when people offers appraisal instead of certification. Art can be misrepresented with lab grading with 20 gemologists. Also, laser inscription of the GIA number is also good. This way, you know the certification and the stone matches. Email me, if you need to know more about diamonds.

[Jimbits76]

I would go for quality of stone rather than the size of the stone itself.

Can't go wrong with....

D or E in colour. F or VVS1 in clarity in a Brilliant cut!

Interesting story...when we bought my wife's engagemnt ring we looked at a number of rings at our AD. They sold the Hearts On Fire stones there.

I got the AD to lay out a certain number of rings of different size and quality stones.

The prices ranged from £1000 up to £3500 but we didn't tell my wife how much they were so it wouldn't cloud her judgement.

If I was going to pick a ring for her...the one I would have picked would have been about £3000 plus.

Claire's favourite cost me just over £1500. Half the price of the one I expected however it was the one that caught her eye and seemed to her to be the biggest gem!!!!!

Turns out it was a H on F diamond and almost flawless. My Ad laughed his head off and said, the better the diamond, the bigger the sparkle.

Size isn't always what matters most...

as my wife found out on our wedding night...fnar, fnar, nudge, nudge, wink, wink!!!

J

[astcell]

Pick what is important to you as #1 and do not budge on it. I like the best cut possible. Ideal, superior, whatever they call it. Also I want GIA certification only.

[Chappy]

I guess my advice is to go with what you are comfortable paying ... use the 4 c's to guide you into the price you are looking to spend ... I would rather have a smaller but cleaner stone ... nobody will oh and ah a big yellow stone with visable inclusions , but a stone that has lots of fire will
Good luck with your purchase and with the proposal ... she will love whatever you pick ... she's saying yes to you , not your wallet

[Thomas]

Watch what you buy, loose or already mounted. Most people shopping for diamonds know very little, or nothing about them at all. There's a lot of "smoke and mirrors" in the diamond business, as in many others. Even a diamond expert sometmes can not tell between a real, and a lab created diamond with the technology used to day to both test diamonds, and to create them.

My wife told me that she probably would not get anymore real diamonds, she would get a nice "lab created" one and put in a real nice setting as no one would ever know as long as you don't show up sporting something that would obviously be way out of your price range to begin with..She has a good point.
She already has a beautiful ring and earrings and doesn't feel she needs more
"real" diamonds at this point.

[unclesallie]

well, i've gotten burned on diamonds, and so i've learned much. first, i met a diamond cutter. he pulls diamonds out of his vault and you look at em. he explains how you cut a diamond, and then you can look at 20 or 30 loose ones(or more if you like). The main thing to remember is that carat weight by itself means nothing. It's the color, clarity and cut that makes your diamond flash brilliantly in the sunlight and makes her smile. You want to make sure your diamond has not been lasered and filled which makes the diamond virtually worthless. A real expert can look at a diamond and tell you right away what you've got.
best,
dan

[nch209]

Very interesting points, indeed. I am taking notes and doing much more research. I have somthings narrowed down, and have to look into the laser thing and such... would you have to worry about GIA and such having laser filling??? (Providing the stone matches the paperwork...)

Thanks
clk199

[hienpham04]

Originally Posted by clk199

Very interesting points, indeed. I am taking notes and doing much more research. I have somthings narrowed down, and have to look into the laser thing and such... would you have to worry about GIA and such having laser filling??? (Providing the stone matches the paperwork...)

Thanks
clk199

As a diamond expert, enhancement (laser) diamonds can be graded by GIA. Even though, GIA will specified the enhancement of the diamond in the comment section of the certificate. All reputable jewelers should tell the customer if it's an enhancement. There's a big discount for these stones, but they are harder to resale and worth nothing IMO. As I said before, stay with GIA certified stones and get the quality that you want. Of course, quality goes hand in hand with how much you would like to spend. BTW, bigger doesn't mean more sparks. The cut of the diamond will determined the brilliance of the stone due to lighting. Hope you'll find the stone at wholesale! GIA doesn't considered anything "IDEAL" only "EXCELLENT".

[Rodentman]

If you want the best of the best, check out EightStar. I have a J color EightStar and it faces up like an F-G. Best cut available. Not cheap.

[unclesallie]

well, the GIA certificate is supposed to be the best, they examine the stone(i think they even x-ray it!) for inclusions, and map it out, and give you the exact dimensions, cut, weight; When diamond cutters cut a diamond, on a wheel covered with diamond dust(it's so hard you need a diamond to cut a diamond), sometimes they cut it wrong, and it cracks. So, some sellers cut the crack open with lasers and then fill with ?? material that's clear, but under heat will melt. some dealers will show you a big diamond and 'forget'to mention it's lasered/filled. BTW, there's nothing wrong with selling a lasered diamond, as long as the seller discloses those facts to you....some web sellers and big wholesalers ADVERTISE that they sell big Lasered diamonds.Certified stones cost more, but buying a 'clean' unlasered stone doesn't mean you're getting a stone that's not as good. Like our members here on TRF. Some only buy from an AD and pay a premium for the peace of mind. Others, buy pre-owned from reliable sellers, and save money. I'm sure you're not interested in a lasered diamond. That being the case, the fundamental principles of buying/selling apply....buy the seller not the diamond. Do your homework on the seller and all will be well. If you want the guy I know in NY, send me a PM. He buys wholesale in fairly large lots, cuts them and sells to jewelery houses all over NYC. Also, looks like Hien knows more than a little about this subject. best,
dan

[rpryan55]

All of this is great advice. I've bought a lot of diamonds for my wife (is there a TDF she can join?) and I'll only buy GIA certified. After that, to me, the cut (ideal, very good, good, fair) is very important as it controls the sparkle - look to the size of the table and the depth. Color is very important, and F is the lowest I would go. Clarity is very, very over-rated, to me, but not to my wife. I for the life of me cannot understand why, if you can only see an imperfection with a magnifying instrument, it would make a difference, but it does to my wife (and probably your future one). Really very, very little difference between IF and VVS1 except price, especially in a GIA cert.

I probably didn't say anything here that experts didn't say - but let me re-emphisize that GIA cert. It's like a stock certificate. When your wife decides she'd like a bigger stone later (and she will, my friend, she will), you'll trade in the one you're buying now. And if you have a GIA cert, well, a diamond's price will be listed on what is called the Rappaport diamond price list and you'll never be taken on the trade in price. It's invaluable to you. And, because they laser-inscribe a GIA number on each stone they certify, if it's ever stolen you have a better chance (small, but a better chance) of recovery.