M Colored Diamonds

[NLVOEWITHLV]

Good morning all! Does anyone have any M colored diamonds?

I just bought an estate piece with a 1.6 carat M colored cushion cut diamond in a .74 carat setting on a whim because the price was so great. Now I'm nervous...

 

[Christiflora]

If the price is great and you like it, then enjoy.

The setting and the diamond (in terms of cut brilliance and color) are a matter of personal taste,

(Hope my following comment does not make you more nervous.). The only comment I have is my own experience with low color diamonds. I tried buying a low color (N) diamond for a ring, but later decided that I could not accept low color diamond. The lowest color that I can accept is J, but it is only for a small (0.3ct) diamond in a necklace that has many other small diamonds with color ranging from H to l. If I had a large size, low color diamond in a ring, I might reset the diamond in a pendant necklace. For a necklace, size is more important (obvious) than color.

I know many people love to buy low color, old cut diamonds for their rings, so they can get a large size diamond for the money. They are very happy with their their diamond rings. For you, an estate find, most likely a great steal, makes the purchase a big plus!

 

[jadie1]

I have an GIA N color OMC diamond that I wear primarily as a right hand ring. It's white enough face up that no one has ever mentioned a yellow tint upon seeing it. Certainly it's not stark white like my D color, but I wanted a warmer stone for an old cut.

 

[bunnycat]

If you love it, then its all good! Having a well cut diamond is more important than color (IMO). And if the stone in the ring is an old cut, a lot of times they face up a lot whiter than they may actually be. Try not to let people scare you with remarks on color. Color is what it is in a diamond. It is not a flaw. Some apples are redder than others, some diamond have more color than others. It's mostly a matter of whether or not you like the color. More color in a diamond tends to make it gather in ambient tones from it's surroundings, which is very cool, IMO (see pics below).

M/N Old European diamond.





And to be fair....my modern cut stone is a K for comparison:

 

[NLVOEWITHLV]

If the price is great and you like it, then enjoy.

The setting and the diamond (in terms of cut brilliance and color) are a matter of personal taste,

(Hope my following comment does not make you more nervous.). The only comment I have is my own experience with low color diamonds. I tried buying a low color (N) diamond for a ring, but later decided that I could not accept low color diamond. The lowest color that I can accept is J, but it is only for a small (0.3ct) diamond in a necklace that has many other small diamonds with color ranging from H to l. If I had a large size, low color diamond in a ring, I might reset the diamond in a pendant necklace. For a necklace, size is more important (obvious) than color.

I know many people love to buy low color, old cut diamonds for their rings, so they can get a large size diamond for the money. They are very happy with their their diamond rings. For you, an estate find, most likely a great steal, makes the purchase a big plus!

This did make me more nervous. I'm so anxious to see it!

 

[NLVOEWITHLV]

I have an GIA N color OMC diamond that I wear primarily as a right hand ring. It's white enough face up that no one has ever mentioned a yellow tint upon seeing it. Certainly it's not stark white like my D color, but I wanted a warmer stone for an old cut.
View attachment 3713650 View attachment 3713670

It's beautiful!!!

 

[NLVOEWITHLV]

If you love it, then its all good! Having a well cut diamond is more important than color (IMO). And if the stone in the ring is an old cut, a lot of times they face up a lot whiter than they may actually be. Try not to let people scare you with remarks on color. Color is what it is in a diamond. It is not a flaw. Some apples are redder than others, some diamond have more color than others. It's mostly a matter of whether or not you like the color. More color in a diamond tends to make it gather in ambient tones from it's surroundings, which is very cool, IMO (see pics below).

M/N Old European diamond.

View attachment 3714855

View attachment 3714854

And to be fair....my modern cut stone is a K for comparison:

View attachment 3714850

Omg! This is beautiful too!!! Now I'm starting to feel ok. I haven't seen the ring in person, but the appraisal says the replacement cost is like $23,000 so I'm thinking it should be nice. The side stones in the setting are G-H and VS2.

 

[bunnycat]

Omg! This is beautiful too!!! Now I'm starting to feel ok. I haven't seen the ring in person, but the appraisal says the replacement cost is like $23,000 so I'm thinking it should be nice. The side stones in the setting are G-H and VS2.

Thanks!

Do you have a picture of it by chance?

My fondest story is of a friend who bought an antique ring that was sold as a "K" color. It was sent to GIA and came back S. It faced up so much whiter no one would have guessed!

 

[NLVOEWITHLV]

 

[bunnycat]

View attachment 3717578 View attachment 3717579

Thanks for posting pics! The standard thing you would get told on Pricescope is to see what you think of it in person. Have you received it yet? What's more important (IMO) than the described or actual color is that it is sparkly and pleasing to your eye.

One thing to keep in mind is that it is also in yellow gold, and depending on the stone's underlying body tones, different metal colors can play up or down play the color. Also, I don't know much about AIG in terms of reliability in grading. Proper color grading is done when a stone is loose (because of why I mentioned above about metal color influencing face up color) and is done face DOWN, not face up and GIA and AGS labs are the standards for color and clarity grading. Anything else I take with a grain of salt, especially when buying preloved.

So with these things in mind, when you get it, be honest with yourself for first impressions. If you don't love it, then do they have a return policy? An independent appraisal is your friend whether its love or not if only to make sure you "got what you paid for" ( so they can test it as diamond, estimate color and clarity to see if it matches the description). If you do decide to get it appraised don't be surprised if the estimated value is lower. You can check for yourself what the going rate for 1.6ct M/N/O cushions go for pretty easily (I can look in a minute), and give an allowance of $1-2K for a simple halo setting. Insurance "appraisals" are often quite inflated.


ETA price comparisons:

Here's a 1.5ct cushion for comparison. It's a GIA K.

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.51-carat-k-color-si2-clarity-sku-2070347

For price comparisons, a GIA L (virtual stone, not in inventory so not actual stone picture):

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut-loose-diamond-3756223.htm

GIA M (virtual stone):
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.800-m-si1-cushion-diamond-gia-gab-003

generally, as the color and clarity go down, I notice about 500-1000 difference per grade in price. Color always seems to me to affect price more than clarity.

 

[NLVOEWITHLV]

Thanks for posting pics! The standard thing you would get told on Pricescope is to see what you think of it in person. Have you received it yet? What's more important (IMO) than the described or actual color is that it is sparkly and pleasing to your eye.

One thing to keep in mind is that it is also in yellow gold, and depending on the stone's underlying body tones, different metal colors can play up or down play the color. Also, I don't know much about AIG in terms of reliability in grading. Proper color grading is done when a stone is loose (because of why I mentioned above about metal color influencing face up color) and is done face DOWN, not face up and GIA and AGS labs are the standards for color and clarity grading. Anything else I take with a grain of salt, especially when buying preloved.

So with these things in mind, when you get it, be honest with yourself for first impressions. If you don't love it, then do they have a return policy? An independent appraisal is your friend whether its love or not if only to make sure you "got what you paid for" ( so they can test it as diamond, estimate color and clarity to see if it matches the description). If you do decide to get it appraised don't be surprised if the estimated value is lower. You can check for yourself what the going rate for 1.6ct M/N/O cushions go for pretty easily (I can look in a minute), and give an allowance of $1-2K for a simple halo setting. Insurance "appraisals" are often quite inflated.


ETA price comparisons:

Here's a 1.5ct cushion for comparison. It's a GIA K.

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.51-carat-k-color-si2-clarity-sku-2070347

For price comparisons, a GIA L (virtual stone, not in inventory so not actual stone picture):

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut-loose-diamond-3756223.htm

GIA M (virtual stone):
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.800-m-si1-cushion-diamond-gia-gab-003

generally, as the color and clarity go down, I notice about 500-1000 difference per grade in price. Color always seems to me to affect price more than clarity.

Thank you so much for this info. I haven't gotten it yet, but they do offer a return policy. The first thing I want to do is take it to our jeweler. I want to see the main diamond out of the setting. It is my hope that it is super sparkly! I think I want to set it in a dainty rose gold setting with a micro pave halo of some sort maybe pink diamonds!

 

[jadie1]

I agree that color seems to affect price more than clarity. And it is important to remember that diamonds are graded table down, so lighting has less of an effect on the color of the stone. Face up, it's all about how the cut handles light, and a well cut diamond is going to reflect light better and look brighter. It's a shame that people have been brainwashed into believing anything below H is inferior.

 

[Christiflora]

The N-color diamond that I was considering was GIA graded. I have bought and owned many, many diamonds ranging from E to J (graded by GIA or AGS), so I know diamond colors. Thus, I have not been brainwashed into thinking that only high color diamonds are the best. As I said before, color is a matter of personal taste, and I am just more color sentive than others.

OP, pay attention to every word in bunnycat's post (#10). Make sure the center diamond speaks to you, and you are Ok with its brilliancy and color. Check to see if the diamond is eye-clean, and any visible marks are acceptable to you. Honestly, I am worried about two things: the diamond's (cut) appearance in your photo and AIGL grading. Although photos alone cannot be 100% trusted to declare the diamond good, i do not feel comfortable with the appearance of your diamond in the photo posted (I know I am risking a lot of protests for speaking my mind here, but I am worried for you). For comparison, I can tell from photos that jadie1's and bunncat's diamonds are very, very nice in terms of cut. As for the grading, I do not feel comfortable with grading houses other than GIA and AGS for reasons already stated by bunnycat. First, the actual color can be several grades lower if graded by GIA. Second, the graded clarity is already SI1 (which has a good probability of having visible inclusions), the actual clarity if graded by GIA or AGS may be lower further, increasing the chance of visible, large inclusions (if ending up being I1-2), which may impact the value of the diamond more than expected. If an important part of your motivation for considering this diamond was price, then for more reasons you need to confirm its true value with your own jeweler (hopefully no conflict of interest) and/or independent appraiser.

The one great relief is that you are able to return the diamond if desired.

P/S - if you plan to spend money to change the setting, then include this cost of not using the old setting in your calculation of the worth of the center diamond. Doubt very much you can get any money for the unused setting. Melees are not worth much, and the setting is basically scrap metal in terms of resale.

Do you mean that you plan to remove the center diamond from its setting for evaluation? If so, then first make sure that by doing so will not null your return policy. Sometimes, the prongs may be weakened or broken in the removal process.

 

[jadie1]

The N-color diamond that I was considering was GIA graded. I have bought and owned many, many diamonds ranging from E to J (graded by GIA or AGS), so I know diamond colors. Thus, I have not been brainwashed into thinking that only high color diamonds are the best. As I said before, color is a matter of personal taste, and I am just more color sentive than others.

OP, pay attention to every word in bunnycat's post (#10). Make sure the center diamond speaks to you, and you are Ok with its brilliancy and color. Check to see if the diamond is eye-clean, and any visible marks are acceptable to you. Honestly, I am worried about two things: the diamond's (cut) appearance in your photo and AIGL grading. Although photos alone cannot be 100% trusted to declare the diamond good, i do not feel comfortable with the appearance of your diamond in the photo posted (I know I am risking a lot of protests for speaking my mind here, but I am worried for you). For comparison, I can tell from photos that jadie1's and bunncat's diamonds are very, very nice in terms of cut. As for the grading, I do not feel comfortable with grading houses other than GIA and AGS for reasons already stated by bunnycat. First, the actual color can be several grades lower if graded by GIA. Second, the graded clarity is already SI1 (which has a good probability of having visible inclusions), the actual clarity if graded by GIA or AGS may be lower further, increasing the chance of visible, large inclusions (if ending up being I1-2), which may impact the value of the diamond more than expected. If an important part of your motivation for considering this diamond was price, then for more reasons you need to confirm its true value with your own jeweler (hopefully no conflict of interest) and/or independent appraiser.

The one great relief is that you are able to return the diamond if desired.

P/S - if you plan to spend money to change the setting, then include this cost of not using the old setting in your calculation of the worth of the center diamond. Doubt very much you can get any money for the unused setting. Melees are not worth much, and the setting is basically scrap metal in terms of resale.

Do you mean that you plan to remove the center diamond from its setting for evaluation? If so, then first make sure that by doing so will not null your return policy. Sometimes, the prongs may be weakened or broken in the removal process.

I wasn't insinuating *you* were "brainwashed", far from it. but rather the general public out to buy their first diamond most assuredly is. Just take a look at the wedding boards advising people to steer clear of anything below H/I. I have diamonds in several different colors, like you I am very color sensitive. There's beauty to be found in nearly every color.

 

[bunnycat]

The N-color diamond that I was considering was GIA graded. I have bought and owned many, many diamonds ranging from E to J (graded by GIA or AGS), so I know diamond colors. Thus, I have not been brainwashed into thinking that only high color diamonds are the best. As I said before, color is a matter of personal taste, and I am just more color sentive than others.

OP, pay attention to every word in bunnycat's post (#10). Make sure the center diamond speaks to you, and you are Ok with its brilliancy and color. Check to see if the diamond is eye-clean, and any visible marks are acceptable to you. Honestly, I am worried about two things: the diamond's (cut) appearance in your photo and AIGL grading. Although photos alone cannot be 100% trusted to declare the diamond good, i do not feel comfortable with the appearance of your diamond in the photo posted (I know I am risking a lot of protests for speaking my mind here, but I am worried for you). For comparison, I can tell from photos that jadie1's and bunncat's diamonds are very, very nice in terms of cut. As for the grading, I do not feel comfortable with grading houses other than GIA and AGS for reasons already stated by bunnycat. First, the actual color can be several grades lower if graded by GIA. Second, the graded clarity is already SI1 (which has a good probability of having visible inclusions), the actual clarity if graded by GIA or AGS may be lower further, increasing the chance of visible, large inclusions (if ending up being I1-2), which may impact the value of the diamond more than expected. If an important part of your motivation for considering this diamond was price, then for more reasons you need to confirm its true value with your own jeweler (hopefully no conflict of interest) and/or independent appraiser.

The one great relief is that you are able to return the diamond if desired.

P/S - if you plan to spend money to change the setting, then include this cost of not using the old setting in your calculation of the worth of the center diamond. Doubt very much you can get any money for the unused setting. Melees are not worth much, and the setting is basically scrap metal in terms of resale.

Do you mean that you plan to remove the center diamond from its setting for evaluation? If so, then first make sure that by doing so will not null your return policy. Sometimes, the prongs may be weakened or broken in the removal process.

Lots of good info here too. I tend to agree here. ALso keep in mind, if you take the stone out, and then decide you don't like it, or it isn't up to specs, then you have the added hassle of trying to return an item you have altered and you'll then have pay to have it reset ($1-2 per point at a jeweler, most jewelers aren't going to charge less than $100 to set a larger size diamond).

Other info: a used setting in 14K with a halo would probably bring you around $300-400 if you sell it on Diamond Bistro (give or take a little).

My BIGGEST piece of advice is if your goal is to get a stone to set, and not completed piece to wear (ie, which is what I thought at first from your original post), is to just buy a new stone from a reliable vendor (like Whiteflash, Good Old Gold, James Allen, ID Jewelry, etc....) where you can get performance metrics (Pricescope people are happy to help with this and I suck beans at fancy shapes, though I could find you a kick butt round).

Cushions are tricky. All fancy cuts are tricky. There is no cheat sheet set of numbers like there are with modern cut rounds to go by to stay in Ideal specs. All of it has to be done on a case by case basis and is best done with a vendor who will give you an ASET image to review light performance because, just as Christaflora says, once the basic grading of color and clarity is done (table down), grading the light performance is done table up, and with a fancy cut, an ASET image is the fastest, easist way to appraise that.