Diamonds - Which of the "four C's" to compromise on?
Discussion
So...looking on 77 Diamonds/Blue Nile etc.....for a 10k ish budget I can get a 1.5ct or a 2ct (the ring is super plain and simple gold/4 claw so adds little to the cost - maybe £250)
Now a 1.5ct Oval, Excellent Cut, E VVS1 is £12k
or
A 2ct Oval, V Good cut, H VVs1 is the same (ish)
So - which of the "c's" can I compromise on for larger size without it having a visible effect on what you can see with the eye?
Now a 1.5ct Oval, Excellent Cut, E VVS1 is £12k
or
A 2ct Oval, V Good cut, H VVs1 is the same (ish)
So - which of the "c's" can I compromise on for larger size without it having a visible effect on what you can see with the eye?
It's what you prefer really...so hard to say definitively but for me when I purchased a ring recently I compromised a little on clarity as it was a 1ct half eternity and so the risk of spotting an inclusion was small, but against the 18ct gold the colour I personally felt had to be D. So I can't help you basically 
Have you tried shining diamonds btw? Crap name, superb service

Have you tried shining diamonds btw? Crap name, superb service

Honest answer is that you'll see no difference in either stone in daylight. VVS quality is too fine for the naked eye.
This certification lark is purely so people spend more money on their ego and keeping up with the internet experts.
Oh, and why not buy from an independent? Plenty of jewellers out there who'd love to see your custom but are being beaten down by the internet box pushers. Makes me sick that they put stuff at little or no profit in order to push out the smaller suppliers. Just my 2p lol
This certification lark is purely so people spend more money on their ego and keeping up with the internet experts.
Oh, and why not buy from an independent? Plenty of jewellers out there who'd love to see your custom but are being beaten down by the internet box pushers. Makes me sick that they put stuff at little or no profit in order to push out the smaller suppliers. Just my 2p lol
?
So if there is no difference..... It simply the case that one stone is larger than the other and they both look as good as each other??? Given that nobody asks for the certification paperwork when it's on her finger, bigger makes more sense (assuming one likes a larger stone!)
ecain63 said:
Honest answer is that you'll see no difference in either stone in daylight. VVS quality is too fine for the naked eye.
This certification lark is purely so people spend more money on their ego and keeping up with the internet experts.
Oh, and why not buy from an independent? Plenty of jewellers out there who'd love to see your custom but are being beaten down by the internet box pushers. Makes me sick that they put stuff at little or no profit in order to push out the smaller suppliers. Just my 2p lol
fair point about the independent-I will certainly talk to some but, at the end of the day, if the saving is significant.....This certification lark is purely so people spend more money on their ego and keeping up with the internet experts.
Oh, and why not buy from an independent? Plenty of jewellers out there who'd love to see your custom but are being beaten down by the internet box pushers. Makes me sick that they put stuff at little or no profit in order to push out the smaller suppliers. Just my 2p lol
So if there is no difference..... It simply the case that one stone is larger than the other and they both look as good as each other??? Given that nobody asks for the certification paperwork when it's on her finger, bigger makes more sense (assuming one likes a larger stone!)
Tiggsy said:
Because if the 1.5ct was visibly "better" then I'd take that....if there is no difference to the eye, I'd go bigger for no visual loss
Surely the only way you are going to know that is to actually see them, whist considering the mount, I did this recently, the dealer brought them to my office, any differences were fairly easy to see, but could never be described by email or in pictures.Edited by Adrian W on Monday 18th July 11:40
I would go for size. Its all her girlfriends will see.
Colour - To identify an E colour stone, a trained jeweller will need to examine the stone under white light with known D, E and F reference stones.
Inclusions - seen with a 10x loupe. At higher magnifications, all will have inclusions.
Her girlfriends will just see size, they wont have a loupe or see it under pure white light.
Cut - are any stones ever described as having less than good cut?
Colour - To identify an E colour stone, a trained jeweller will need to examine the stone under white light with known D, E and F reference stones.
Inclusions - seen with a 10x loupe. At higher magnifications, all will have inclusions.
Her girlfriends will just see size, they wont have a loupe or see it under pure white light.
Cut - are any stones ever described as having less than good cut?
wong said:
I would go for size. Its all her girlfriends will see.
Colour - To identify an E colour stone, a trained jeweller will need to examine the stone under white light with known D, E and F reference stones.
Inclusions - seen with a 10x loupe. At higher magnifications, all will have inclusions.
Her girlfriends will just see size, they wont have a loupe or see it under pure white light.
Cut - are any stones ever described as having less than good cut?
Not these days, no. One thing people never in the description see is fluorescent. Anything more than faint floursence should be avoided, unless it's a really poor stone. In which case strong fluorescence can mask the mess within. Colour - To identify an E colour stone, a trained jeweller will need to examine the stone under white light with known D, E and F reference stones.
Inclusions - seen with a 10x loupe. At higher magnifications, all will have inclusions.
Her girlfriends will just see size, they wont have a loupe or see it under pure white light.
Cut - are any stones ever described as having less than good cut?
Done, got a - 1.84ct, E, VS2, Exc cut, no florescence. 
Bought from 77 Diamonds who were really great, met with them and they took time to show all sorts of options. Actually left a couple of messages for some of the people suggested on here as alternatives to the big online stores.....never returned my calls so made that choice easy between indy and online retailer!

Bought from 77 Diamonds who were really great, met with them and they took time to show all sorts of options. Actually left a couple of messages for some of the people suggested on here as alternatives to the big online stores.....never returned my calls so made that choice easy between indy and online retailer!
Tiggsy said:
Done, got a - 1.84ct, E, VS2, Exc cut, no florescence. 
Bought from 77 Diamonds who were really great, met with them and they took time to show all sorts of options. Actually left a couple of messages for some of the people suggested on here as alternatives to the big online stores.....never returned my calls so made that choice easy between indy and online retailer!
Who did you ask but didn't get a response from?
Bought from 77 Diamonds who were really great, met with them and they took time to show all sorts of options. Actually left a couple of messages for some of the people suggested on here as alternatives to the big online stores.....never returned my calls so made that choice easy between indy and online retailer!
Tiggsy said:
Done, got a - 1.84ct, E, VS2, Exc cut, no florescence. 
Bought from 77 Diamonds who were really great, met with them and they took time to show all sorts of options. Actually left a couple of messages for some of the people suggested on here as alternatives to the big online stores.....never returned my calls so made that choice easy between indy and online retailer!
Haway then , how much was it ?
Bought from 77 Diamonds who were really great, met with them and they took time to show all sorts of options. Actually left a couple of messages for some of the people suggested on here as alternatives to the big online stores.....never returned my calls so made that choice easy between indy and online retailer!
I have purchased a 1.75c diamond from Blue Nile ....colour E.......VVSI.......perfect symmetry......no florescence I was delighted with both the diamond and the service .....my local jeweller quoted 250% more for the same specced diamond .........I purchased my wife a new Mercedes with the difference
colour is very important but even a G colour is fabulous.....ask them to check the diamond is eye clear (which means you can only see the carbon inclusions with a loop ) and you don't want any florescence or your wife will think she has a nuclear reactor on her finger anytime you pass a UV light
The only downside is Blue Nile didn't give me a couple of glasses of cheap champagne to celebrate my purchase
good luck with your purchase
colour is very important but even a G colour is fabulous.....ask them to check the diamond is eye clear (which means you can only see the carbon inclusions with a loop ) and you don't want any florescence or your wife will think she has a nuclear reactor on her finger anytime you pass a UV light
The only downside is Blue Nile didn't give me a couple of glasses of cheap champagne to celebrate my purchase
good luck with your purchase

ecain63 said:
Tiggsy said:
Done, got a - 1.84ct, E, VS2, Exc cut, no florescence. 
Bought from 77 Diamonds who were really great, met with them and they took time to show all sorts of options. Actually left a couple of messages for some of the people suggested on here as alternatives to the big online stores.....never returned my calls so made that choice easy between indy and online retailer!
Who did you ask but didn't get a response from?
Bought from 77 Diamonds who were really great, met with them and they took time to show all sorts of options. Actually left a couple of messages for some of the people suggested on here as alternatives to the big online stores.....never returned my calls so made that choice easy between indy and online retailer!
Tiggsy said:
ecain63 said:
Tiggsy said:
Done, got a - 1.84ct, E, VS2, Exc cut, no florescence. 
Bought from 77 Diamonds who were really great, met with them and they took time to show all sorts of options. Actually left a couple of messages for some of the people suggested on here as alternatives to the big online stores.....never returned my calls so made that choice easy between indy and online retailer!
Who did you ask but didn't get a response from?
Bought from 77 Diamonds who were really great, met with them and they took time to show all sorts of options. Actually left a couple of messages for some of the people suggested on here as alternatives to the big online stores.....never returned my calls so made that choice easy between indy and online retailer!

michael gould said:
Tiggsy said:
ecain63 said:
Tiggsy said:
Done, got a - 1.84ct, E, VS2, Exc cut, no florescence. 
Bought from 77 Diamonds who were really great, met with them and they took time to show all sorts of options. Actually left a couple of messages for some of the people suggested on here as alternatives to the big online stores.....never returned my calls so made that choice easy between indy and online retailer!
Who did you ask but didn't get a response from?
Bought from 77 Diamonds who were really great, met with them and they took time to show all sorts of options. Actually left a couple of messages for some of the people suggested on here as alternatives to the big online stores.....never returned my calls so made that choice easy between indy and online retailer!

Congratulations on your purchase and to the lady in your life!
Apologies for the hijack - while we have knowledgeable people on here, how does one go about selling a diamond privately and realising a reasonable price? My mum wants to sell a stone as she feels at her mature age it is a risk to wear..unsure about all specs but 3,6ct.
Apologies for the hijack - while we have knowledgeable people on here, how does one go about selling a diamond privately and realising a reasonable price? My mum wants to sell a stone as she feels at her mature age it is a risk to wear..unsure about all specs but 3,6ct.
coetzeeh said:
Congratulations on your purchase and to the lady in your life!
Apologies for the hijack - while we have knowledgeable people on here, how does one go about selling a diamond privately and realising a reasonable price? My mum wants to sell a stone as she feels at her mature age it is a risk to wear..unsure about all specs but 3,6ct.
Selling stones privately, especially large ones is tricky. People will be very wary of dropping lots of cash on something that is hard to prove genuine on street level. Of course, proof can be sought fairly easily via the correct channels but finding someone with the patience to have it tested is what takes time. Apologies for the hijack - while we have knowledgeable people on here, how does one go about selling a diamond privately and realising a reasonable price? My mum wants to sell a stone as she feels at her mature age it is a risk to wear..unsure about all specs but 3,6ct.
If you want a rough guide on sale value you are more than welcome to call me at work,
Eddie
01202 294633
ecain63 said:
Selling stones privately, especially large ones is tricky. People will be very wary of dropping lots of cash on something that is hard to prove genuine on street level. Of course, proof can be sought fairly easily via the correct channels but finding someone with the patience to have it tested is what takes time.
If you want a rough guide on sale value you are more than welcome to call me at work,
Eddie
01202 294633
Thank you - will do.If you want a rough guide on sale value you are more than welcome to call me at work,
Eddie
01202 294633
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