Looking to upgrade...please help

Scrock

Scrock

Member
Feb 18, 2012
86
0
#1
Hello everyone,

I want to upgrade my .50 princess cut solitaire for a full carat. The problem is I'm not very knowledgeable in the gemstone department. My current diamond is a VS1 F which came from Jared's. I was told by a jeweler the SI1&2 diamonds are just as good to the naked eye. Please help me. What criteria to look for that will be comparable to my current diamond. Thanks in advance.
 
#2
In what way do you mean comparable? To be truly comparable it would need a comparable grade, ie VS1, F. As diamonds get larger the harder it is to get them flawless and so comparatively you could argue a slightly more flawed larger stone is an equivalent level of status as a better smaller stone

Comparing on statistics alone will only get you so far and you need to factor in which grading company has awarded the gradings as standards do vary by company. SI is predominantly not noticeable to the naked eye but you may get one or two blemishes that are. Of cause by noticeable we mean you can actually see the blemish itself, it can be a blemish cannot be seen by the eye but does alter the sparkle/fire of the stone
 
#3
I didn't know that...I just assumed that I should get a diamond with the same specs. I simply want a nice 1ct round diamond. I don't know much about certs. Because my current diamond came from Jared's and is GIA certified. So I can get dollar for dollar at Kay and Jared's when I upgrade. However, looking at other sites I think I could get more for my money elsewhere. I do get a lifetime guarantee from both which helps.

So does this mean the jeweler was right about the SI diamonds? I can have SI 1 carat diamond that still looks good, right. And in regards to the clarity do I need to go for better color and cut. I basically lost on where to start and need a ton of help.
 
#4
Will you be trading it in at Jared's?

And no, an SI1 or 2 isn't always fine w/ the naked eye.

To start you need to know that if you want a diamond that performs really well, the cut is king. And to back up the claim of that cut needs to be a dependable certification.
With an amazing cut you can go a little lower in color, like an I.
 
#5
I agree with Swanky. Buy an ideal cut diamond with AGS or GIA certification and maximize the rest of the stats to your preference and budget. SI diamonds can be okay as long as they are eye clean. Color is also a personal preference. Both of my diamonds were I color and still looked great. But definitely worry about cut first and work from there.



 
#6
You're not going to get as much ROI if you try to upgrade outside of Jared or Kay. Most other jewelers will not pay you what you paid already. You'll take a loss going outside of there, but really, you're taking a loss either way, since Kay and Jared are so overpriced for the same thing.

I would look for a GIA or AGS report, H/I color, VS1-2 if you're buying on paper. Get all the information on the cut quality ---as in table and depth percentages and the angles for the crown and pavilion. Don't just take the lab report grade for it, unless it's AGS. You still want those numbers.

An SI1/2 can be eyeclean, but you have to see them to know that, and you cannot buy those on paper.
 
#7
I agree that with an ideally cut stone (AGS or GIA certified), you can go down in colour (mine is an I) and perhaps go down in clarity. But like ame said, SI stones are probably ones you want to see in person before committing to them. SI stones are not guaranteed eye-clean, and even if they are they can occasionally have inclusions that affect light reflection. But many SI stones are gorgeous. I wouldn't hesitate to go SI1 if I could see the stone before buying.
 
#11
Ok so I went to Jareds today and was shown a 1.28 ct round brilliant I1 H very good very good. The price will be $4300 after my trade in.

I put a hold on it because the inclusion was really small under the microscope. It also looked better than a 1.01ct VS1. At this point how do I obtain the GIA report?
 
#12
Tell them you want to see the actual GIA report before you make any decisions. Not just the report number. The whole thing. If they don't give you a copy of it or let you take a photo of it, you need to rethink this. You want the plot, and the angles. The WHOLE thing. An I1 gives me pause, but if it's well cut and the inclusion isn't bothersome, that's fine. But since you can get a stone around that size of those specs (I1 specifically) for just barely more than that without even trading in...I feel this isn't a worthy trade.

Regarding the comment about how this one looked better than the VS1 you looked at--
Looked better how? In general terms of the clarity? Or as a whole with sparkle, light return, etc? Because if it's cut better that's why it might have looked better.

In regards to the I1 stone: Could you see the inclusion with your naked eye? Did you see it in any other lighting besides just the blinding store lights? Like by a window? You need to see it in other conditions to know how this inclusion will affect your eyes in daily life. To see if you can live with it.

So with this stone, you're in with Jared for $4300 plus whatever you paid right? What was the price difference between the VS1 and the I1 in terms of financial outlay (including trade obviously)? You can PM me that if you want, but that's important to know. What is the max you are willing to spend on this upgrade (outside of trade, obviously). Because your threshold on that is also important. And another thing--can you upgrade through Kay/Jared again if you decide this stone isn't acceptable later? Or you want larger? What's the return options if you start to "See" the inclusion?

Just for reference: a well cut diamond in that range with a reputable lab report (GIA or AGS) should run you around 5000-6500 without a trade in, depending on vendor. You might be better off going elsewhere and buying a whole new ring for your money and keeping this one for sentimental value.

So based on that thought process, that you're about to trade in your ring, plus shell out upwards of $4500 to even $7000 more ...I did a rudimentary look for stones in that size and color/clarity range (though I'd probably avoid buying from a vendor without good images in this clarity range) brings these up, worth considering if you're already looking at spending a decent chunk of change to see what you can get with the money and not even trade your current one in.


(its a J, and a nice J)
http://goodoldgold.com/diamond/12120/

(larger table than I typically recommend, but has a nice ASET and idealscope)
http://goodoldgold.com/diamond/12369/

These should all be beautifully cut, but you'd need some images sent from Blue Nile to see about whether these inclusions are acceptable.
http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-details/LD04457133
http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-details/LD04760791
http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-details/LD04670607
http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-details/LD04646324

These have images for you to view:
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-dia...arat-j-color-si1-clarity-ideal-cut-sku-362325

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-dia...-j-color-si1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-322407

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-dia...-i-color-si1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-347411

Need to make sure they're eyeclean:
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3063753.htm
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3157625.htm
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3178634.htm
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3192755.htm

higher end of the cost spectrum and slightly larger table than I otherwise go to but worth a look
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/d...ls/1.237-i-si1-round-diamond-ags-104064813021

smaller than you were looking at, worth a look
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/d...1.023-i-si1-round-diamond-ags-bl-104070945011
 
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