Diamond with Feather inclusion

[burberryprncess]

I've been lurking at Pricescope to educate myself further prior to plunging $$$$$ for my 2 cts + upgrade. What amazing knowledge these people possess. Anyway, I came across the topic of "feather" and it scares the heck out of me. Some feel it is fine, others will never buy if a diamond has them, and others don't care. So in the end, I have no idea what to do. The main concern is breakage if the feather is near the girdle and is open feather. Anyway, I don't want to get into the specifics of their discussions. I did get the opportunity to look at a few loose diamonds at local jewelers and found some sparkley pieces around 1.95 to 2.8 cts. Majority of VS1-VS2s I viewed with the loup had one very small minor feather. Jewelers said they do not represent a problem. The 2 VVS didn't. The 2 SI1s I viewed through the loup had big feathers but eye clean. I'm 100% leaning towards VS with H&A because of the clean look under the loup, and I don't think I need VVS this time around. I know, I know everyone tells me SIs are fine if they are eye clean, but it seems like the SI1s have larger feathers, which maybe I should avoid? I don't want my diamond to break or crack because of feather. I don't mind paying more.

What is your take on feathers? Would you buy, assuming it is eye clean? For those who own a diamond with a feather, do you have any problems?

[2manybags]

What's a feather in the diamond world?

[ame]

If it's in a VS1 or VVS the feather will present little to no issue because itll require EXTREME magnification to even SEE it. If it was in a VS2 or an SI, it would depend on where in the stone it is.

VVS is totally overkill. I prefer VS and SI for a few reasons, first, obviously budgetary. Secondly, I don't tend to find Flawless or VVS stones to look "real"...I dunno why but they don't impress me. But finally--I like my stone to have character and to be easily recognizeable. I could pick my stone out of a lineup with and without a loupe from checking it out so much. I like knowing that. With a Flawless/IF/VVS you don't get that because you need a better magnifier and there is still so much less to see.

[burberryprncess]

Originally Posted by 2manybags

What's a feather in the diamond world?

A feather is essentially a tiny fracture. The labs use the term "feather" as opposed to "crack" because it sounds a whole lot more appealing.

[burberryprncess]

Ame, the ones I looked at were near the girdle. The jewelers said it's quite common in that locaton.

[sinniebunnie]

hehe i1 babe here and my feathers are not near the top also they are not huge. small feathers are nothing to worry about but with a larger stone i stay with VS2 since u can look in it easier due to larger facets.

Actually i have a natural feather a natural slight chip on the side of my diamond. it was left there to keep its shape. i was garenteed that if it ever cracks it gets replaced.

anyways.. i would go for a feather near the bottom of the stone. but a VVS to a Si1 drop is huge. stay with VS1/2

i'm sorry i am not much help ive never looked at stones larger then .5

[ame]

Originally Posted by burberryprncess

Ame, the ones I looked at were near the girdle. The jewelers said it's quite common in that locaton.

Those can usually be hidden by a prong and generally are nothing to worry about.

[Bride2B]

Yes I agree ame. I know someone with a feather in her diamond, but once it was set in a pronged setting....it totally hid it! She said it was totally worth all the money she saved :)

[burberryprncess]

Originally Posted by ame

Those can usually be hidden by a prong and generally are nothing to worry about.

do you think it can crack further due to pressure from the prong?

[sinniebunnie]

Feathers: These are small fractures in a diamond. They are usually caused by the tremendous stress that the diamond suffered while it was growing underground. In some cases the feather both begins and ends within the diamond's surface and, in other cases, the feather begins inside the diamond and extends to the surface. When viewed under magnification, some feathers are transparent and others have a light white appearance to them. The term "feather" comes from the fact that, under magnification, these fractures often seem to have an indistinct, feathery shape to them. While the idea of buying a diamond with "fractures" may sound scary, the reality is that, with normal wear and care, most feathers pose no risk to the diamond's stability. Consider this: even with the feathers, these diamonds survived their growth and their journey to the surface intact. Once on the surface, they also survived the mining process, as well as the brutal stresses of the diamond cutting process. Though diamonds are certainly not invulnerable to damage, basic consideration to their care and handling during everyday wear will most likely protect them over the course of several human lifetimes.

[Bride2B]

Thanks Sinnie! I never thought of it that way.....great point!

[ame]

Originally Posted by burberryprncess

do you think it can crack further due to pressure from the prong?

Not unless you park a 2-ton truck on that prong

Id think if that feather was on a cleavage plane and you whacked that prong really hard and the stone was LOOSE inthe prongs, MAYBE ,but that's incredibly doubtful. The prong would take the hit, not the stone.

[burberryprncess]

Thanks! I'm going to look at more stones.

[Bagluvluv]

I ended up accepting a feathered diamond ring with a design I just truely loveed...because the owner told me she will replace both diamonds if anything goes wrong.

I wouldnt prefer to have such a dimaond, but for certain designed rings, as my jewler explained...she chose a more vivid looking diamond with the right look and a feather, rather than those without the look that didnt have the fire and color for this particular design......

I still wouldnt do it again, but this ring captured my interest and I took the plunge.....if you reallly love it, I say go for it!!!

[shells]

i have a stone, VS1, with 6 tiny feathers in it (and nothing else). like it was stated earlier, feathers are really only a problem if they open to the surface or go through the girdle. i would be semi-worried about feathers really close to the girdle - the right amount of force or pressure could potentially cause it to grow into a "crack" that might affect the diamond overall. generally speaking, feathers are just another inclusion that are found in many diamonds! i always say, if tiffany's accepts it, it can't be that bad....