Is SI1 Clarity for an E-Ring Okay?

[carebearz]

Ok, I have to admit that I was a brand whore and got sucked into all the marketing hype of the little blue box. I grew up wanting one and my dear SO saved up for an entire year to get me my dream ring.

I wanted a Tiffany and nothing but a Tiffany. I rather have a small Tiffany than a big ring from local jewellers. When my SO was shopping for the ring, he had lots of comments from his friends that he's just paying for the brand name; he could have gotten a better ring elsewhere blah blah blah...
But he still bought me my Tiffany because it was what I wanted.

He bought me something that I wanted and not what others think I should have.

End of the day, be it FL or S1, D or I, 0.1 or 10ct.... it's all about what you want and not what others think you ought to have.

 

[marialc121]

When DF and I were shopping for my e-ring, I knew I wanted an emerald cut diamond in E VVS2. I'm very sensitive to color and clarity so I knew I didn't want anything lower. The main reason why we chose a VVS2 was because emerald cuts have less facets and it would really bother me to see any inclusions in my e-ring. Whereas, my DF bought me a 1.06 carat heart shaped diamond ring years ago and it was a G SI1. I could see a tint of yellow in this stone so that's why I wanted an E for my e-ring, but I don't see any inclusions at all, therefore, it does not bother me knowing that it is an SI1. Also, my DF purchased my e-ring at HW because we loved the micropave design and did not see anything close to it. I guess we both wanted the brand, the design and the quality.

Thanks, Kohl, for starting this thread. It's so interesting to see everyone's view on this topic.

 

[ame]

I hope this thread is an interesting read for those looking for diamonds!!!

Ame - so you mentioned that a diamond with strong fluorescence may make it appear cloudy/milky? I'm also confused about fluorescence (in addition to many other things about diamonds). Is it desirable or not? I also read up that fluor in lower diamonds may make it appear "whiter" while in higher colored stones, it may actually be detrimental? !

When you get into strong blue and very strong blue, you can get some milkiness inside the stone, but not all SB and VSB flor stones are going to get that weird milky haze. It's not common, but it happens.

As far as "desirable":
Flor is definitely another one of those personal preference things. I personally love it. I think a lot of diamond folks do, but the major brands tend to not carry stones with it because the people buying from them often are wanting "pure" color and their marketing assumes “perfect” and many of the brands think of flor as an imperfection. Like inclusions, it’s natural. It came out of the earth like that. My current stone is medium to strong blue, and has no milkiness. My last stone had I think faint or negligible. Flor is also not really obvious to the naked eye, except in certain lighting anyway.

I would also not consider a D-F stone having flor as detrimental at all! I think if I ever find a D with strong blue flor without any milkiness (that I can actually afford) I am so buying it. THAT is a neat look. Ethereal.

What flor can do for a stone like an I-J-K is take some of the warmth out of the stone. The blue flor can counteract it enough to give it a whiter overall appearance. The stone gets graded by GIA, etc., and it's listed as the actual color as well as the flor being listed. So it's not like someone's passing it off as a higher color stone just bec of the flor. It's graded for color like any other stones are.

He bought me something that I wanted and not what others think I should have.

THAT is very important. Worrying what anyone else thinks is just going to make you go crazy.

 

[surfergirljen]

ps I should say I was in my safe yesterday and saw my appraisals for my original SI1 and both listed it as SI1/SI2 ... so maybe you guys are right, SI1 can be eye clean! Mine had black carbon specs in it (just a little cluster and you'd have to look but definitely visible with the eye) so I think it was more SI2.

 

[kohl_mascara]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts! Thank you Maria for chiming in! I understand how important it is to have a higher clarity in your diamond due to the way it's cut. I find it very interesting that certain cuts can "mask" inclusions more or that inclusions can be hidden by a prong, etc. I guess that is the benefit of some shapes!

Ame, thank you also for explaining fluorescence! I looked up a few pics on other sites/forums and agree it is a very cool effect! If I had one, I'd make any excuse to go to a club

Thank you surfergirl! I know not all si1s are created equal. Just for fun I went on blue Nile/james Allen and looked at some certs/played with the virtual loupe and granted I don't know how to read a certificate (lol) I saw some si1s that looked cleaner than a vs2 and some si1s that had lots of little black specks and others that looked as clean as a whistle!

 

[ame]

ps I should say I was in my safe yesterday and saw my appraisals for my original SI1 and both listed it as SI1/SI2 ... so maybe you guys are right, SI1 can be eye clean! Mine had black carbon specs in it (just a little cluster and you'd have to look but definitely visible with the eye) so I think it was more SI2.

PROBABLY, but size and location would be the decider. In the last few years GIA has actually shifted their grading on clarity a bit that now allows for a black crystal to even be graded as a VS1 or 2!!! I have a huge issue with that, personally, I do not care for anything black being above an SI2 myself. I feel like that should be an automatic. Regardless of size or location.

Ame, thank you also for explaining fluorescence! I looked up a few pics on other sites/forums and agree it is a very cool effect! If I had one, I'd make any excuse to go to a club

!

Absolutely. I think they're SO NEAT. I don't see it like day to day. But on some super sunny days it's cool, in bars its cool, sometimes it shows when I take a photo on flash too. lol.

 

[Swanky]

I would TOTALLY buy a visibly clean SI1, for sure!!!
I wouldn't spend extra on an IF or a VVS1. Mine is a VS1 IIRC and I was not looking for a VSanything. It just so happened to be the right combo stat-wise and price-wise for us.

 

[kohl_mascara]

PROBABLY, but size and location would be the decider. In the last few years GIA has actually shifted their grading on clarity a bit that now allows for a black crystal to even be graded as a VS1 or 2!!! I have a huge issue with that, personally, I do not care for anything black being above an SI2 myself. I feel like that should be an automatic. Regardless of size or location.

Absolutely. I think they're SO NEAT. I don't see it like day to day. But on some super sunny days it's cool, in bars its cool, sometimes it shows when I take a photo on flash too. lol.

I noticed that too, that some vs2 graded diamonds have black specks in them...how is that possibly okay under a vs2 grade??? Would you say ags is the best/most accurate now? Thoughts on egl?

I would TOTALLY buy a visibly clean SI1, for sure!!!
I wouldn't spend extra on an IF or a VVS1. Mine is a VS1 IIRC and I was not looking for a VSanything. It just so happened to be the right combo stat-wise and price-wise for us.

I wouldn't spend extra $$ on higher clarity grades either (higher than vs1), it's "overkill" as ame says!! The money saved could go towards bigger carat/better cut! I absolutely *love* your ring and have been referring to it constantly. This sounds weird but because of your ring, I feel it's okay to love I colored diamonds. Before I felt like from reading in this forum that anything under h or even g was really yellow. However, after looking at your pics, I love it and am very impressed with the stats. I don't see many I colored diamonds on this forum so I think it's very cool and different. I'm definitely considering an I color in the future; I especially love how white yours faces up, it's really stunning.

 

[ame]

I noticed that too, that some vs2 graded diamonds have black specks in them...how is that possibly okay under a vs2 grade??? Would you say ags is the best/most accurate now? Thoughts on egl?

I think the most accurate in my experience for clarity is EGLUSA frankly. I know that's not a popular opinion but I have had some HARSHLY graded EGLUSA stones. GIA is still more accurate that AGS for just about everything other than cut. AGS nails cut. But I generally disagree with their clarity and color grading.

I have serious issue with how GIA started allowing anything black to rank as above an SI.

I wouldn't spend extra $$ on higher clarity grades either (higher than vs1), it's "overkill" as ame says!! The money saved could go towards bigger carat/better cut! I absolutely *love* your ring and have been referring to it constantly. This sounds weird but because of your ring, I feel it's okay to love I colored diamonds. Before I felt like from reading in this forum that anything under h or even g was really yellow. However, after looking at your pics, I love it and am very impressed with the stats. I don't see many I colored diamonds on this forum so I think it's very cool and different. I'm definitely considering an I color in the future; I especially love how white yours faces up, it's really stunning.

Yea I do think it's overkill. I think it's beneficial in a step cut to go higher but again, as long as it's eye clean it's not totally necessary!

 

[kohl_mascara]

I think the most accurate in my experience for clarity is EGLUSA frankly. I know that's not a popular opinion but I have had some HARSHLY graded EGLUSA stones. GIA is still more accurate that AGS for just about everything other than cut. AGS nails cut. But I generally disagree with their clarity and color grading.

I have serious issue with how GIA started allowing anything black to rank as above an SI.

Yea I do think it's overkill. I think it's beneficial in a step cut to go higher but again, as long as it's eye clean it's not totally necessary!

Wow! Really! That is so interesting. I've heard egl is off by two grades for color, is that correct? If only we could combine Gia's grade for color, ags for cut and egl for clarity, we'd have the mother of all reports.

 

[ame]

EGL is usually off by at least 2. There are so many EGLs. EGLUS is a separate entity and is NOT affiliated with regular EGL and is usually not that far off, and I find them EXTREMELY strict on clarity especially. I would seriously love a "trifecta" report lol

 

[ahertz]

Wow! Really! That is so interesting. I've heard egl is off by two grades for color, is that correct? If only we could combine Gia's grade for color, ags for cut and egl for clarity, we'd have the mother of all reports.

EGL Israel and International are the ones that people are usually referring to that are way off, but it gives all of EGL a bad name, KWIM? I have an EGL USA stone that's correctly graded (at least according to an appraiser), and they can be good buys if you know what to look for. I think AGS and GIA are generally better for folks that aren't as diamond educated.

 

[Swanky]

Aww, thank you!
For reference mine is an EGL-USA and I'm completely comfortable in it's grading of it at an I. I don't believe my grading report to be 2 colors off. I'd buy an I again in a heartbeat! I've yet to meet someone that thinks it's "yellow" and it gets a lot of attention at jewelry stores, even Leon Mege fussed over it.

 

[kohl_mascara]

EGL is usually off by at least 2. There are so many EGLs. EGLUS is a separate entity and is NOT affiliated with regular EGL and is usually not that far off, and I find them EXTREMELY strict on clarity especially. I would seriously love a "trifecta" report lol

Thanks for the info! That's interesting because everyone says that eglusa is very "loose" with their standards so I assumed that was the case for clarity as well. This is all very informative yet still confusing (for me at least) when I read all these conflicting reports!

EGL Israel and International are the ones that people are usually referring to that are way off, but it gives all of EGL a bad name, KWIM? I have an EGL USA stone that's correctly graded (at least according to an appraiser), and they can be good buys if you know what to look for. I think AGS and GIA are generally better for folks that aren't as diamond educated.

Your diamond is so beautiful!! I am glad to know there are good experiences with eglusa. I am not very diamond educated so i suppose gia/ags is my comfort zone especially since everyone seems to hold those two in higher regard than egl. Would you say that buying a diamond sight unseen would be best if it was a Gia cert while buying a diamond in person is best for eglusa? Also, when you look at a certificate, is eglusa marked as "eglusa" or egl? The fact that there are so many is very confusing!

Aww, thank you!
For reference mine is an EGL-USA and I'm completely comfortable in it's grading of it at an I. I don't believe my grading report to be 2 colors off. I'd buy an I again in a heartbeat! I've yet to meet someone that thinks it's "yellow" and it gets a lot of attention at jewelry stores, even Leon Mege fussed over it.

Wow! To have LM fuss over your diamond is such an honor! I assume you picked out your diamond in person, correct? I guess buying a diamond online or sight unseen is very tricky. In the end it's all about how your diamond looks and sparkles. No one on the street will ask if it's a Gia or egl diamond! Your experience along with ahertz has given me new perspective and I will definitely keep an open mind and consider an eglusa diamond in the future!

 

[Swanky]

I did pick it out IRL from a handful of choices. It's mind comfort really, of course no one will ever know but you! It does help to know what you're paying for though.