diamond ratings for diamond experts!

mas2388

mas2388

O.G.
May 17, 2006
6,074
12
#1
Hi everyone, just a quick question for those who are into diamonds! I can't really tell diamonds apart - to me they're either white or shiny or not so white or shiny but I don't know if they're D, E, F or IF, S2, I2....are these things that are only obvious to the jeweler? Or is this something that a person can pick up? If someone is wearing an I2 diamond, are those inclusions visible to a person just looking at it?

This is where all these questions are leading up to...suppose a buy diamonds from Macy's or a similar boutique, what kind of rating do you think they are? I mean I understand that they're not top of the line since it's a department store, but they're not bottom of the heap either right? Generally under the lights they are shiny, but should I bother getting one, or should I buy one from a jeweler? Thanks for your time!
 
#2
Personally, I think that you will get the best quality for your monay at a local jeweler (not a chain like in the mall), like a local 'mom and pop' type place. They do have better quality in the chain stores, but their prices are way inflated. I2 clarity has inclusions that are visible to the naked eye. IF (internally flawless) are very rare and very expensive.
 
#3
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From http://www.hwgem.com/diascale.htm
 
#4
H,I & J are good color w/o being perfect and spending a fortune, and VVS2 through VS2 are fine.
You can see some inclusions w/ your eye but you to really look.
 
#5
^sorry, had to post fast and run . . .
if you're spending a significant amount of $ on it, don't go to a dept' store like Macy's. We buy ours from broker's, the guys who sell to the mall jewelry stores. Once in a while we buy from our local jeweler but we talk them W A Y down.
 
#7
If you have more time to put in before making your diamond purchase, www.pricescope.com has lots of diamond information. I'd avoid mall chain stores like Zales, Kay, etc. I have seen some beautiful rings where the diamond was purchased online too. The price and gradings are also affected by WHO is doing the grading... some labs are much stricter than others.

However, I'm also of the thinking that at a certain point you just have to trust your eyes! Everyone has a different sensitivity to inclusions and color. Just take your time and don't fall under any pressure from jewelers... if they're trying to pressure you I'd choose someone else to buy from.

Good luck :smile:
 
#9
Personally I think you really just have to see some diamonds in person and decide what you personally like and are comfortable with.

Some people prefer diamonds with a bit of a warmer color and interestingly, many jeweler friends of mine always say that when they put a E and a G color stone in front of a person, usually none of the people can tell a difference!

I've seen SI2, H color diamonds that were prettier than VS1, G color stones. It's very much about what YOU like.
 
#10
As far as quality at different stores, Many places get their diamonds from the same resources- so you can find beautiful stones at dept stores as well as crap.
I personally think buying online is the best deal, since it is so freakin' competative. I usually advise people to shop around and find the stone they like (Asscher, 1.5 VS1 G color for example) in person and than look and search online for a certified stone within those specifications.
 
#11
I agree with Blue824 - please go to http://www.pricescope.com They have a wonderful tutorial on diamonds! I bought all my diamonds online, and the jewelers I used were out of state so I didn't have to pay sales tax (which is a lot for such a big purchase!) but make sure you find a stone that you like (RB, Asscher, Emerald, etc) and then do research for it.
 
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