Hello, I came across this diamond https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/oval-cut/2.01-carat-i-color-vvs2-clarity-sku-10993568 and want your input. My questions are:
- I see this is not on the list of diamonds with ideal proportions, where does it fall short of that mark?
- The price is 13800 on JA. I have found it on rare carot for 13100. Is there any reason I should go with JA vs. Rare Carot?
- At that price, is this a good value and is it a good choice overall?
Thanks so much!
It’s suspicious to me that this is the cheapest 2ct I VVS2 by a large margin. I think it’s possibly overgraded for color. It’s priced more like a 2ct J VVS2 – compare the color to some other 2ct J diamonds. And/or the fluorescence is interacting with the strain to be a bit hazy.
If you still like it, buy it for the cheaper price as long as it’s from a reliable vendor.
For color, the best way to see it is to compare it to other J and I color 2ct ovals. Look at faint/none fluorescent diamonds (fluorescence can sometimes lead to overgrading of color). Look at the more expensive J and I’s to get a better feel for the colors. Don’t look at the cheapest ones because the lower J and I’s in each band will be cheaper (like this one). You want to see what a nice J and I look like.
I haven’t found any definitive articles about fluorescence and strain – the best I’ve found is https://www.gia.edu/doc/WN06A1.pdf. This VVS2 shows some strain, but it’s not terrible, so I suspect it’s the color that’s the main driver of the price rather than any hazy fluorescence. I just wanted to mention another possible reason.
Now, you might be OK with J color, but you’d want to make sure that the price is fair for the specs and that it’s still the diamond you like compared to the other available J’s.
Thanks so much for the response Joe. Obviously a big decision for me so I don’t want to get caught with something that’s over-graded or not above board. This was originally listed on James Allen for 13,800 and on Rare Carot for 13400 (ballpark). 3-4 other retailers were listing it as well from anywhere from 13400 to 14600. Given your feedback I would likely purchase from james Allen, since they’re the largest, most reputable vendor but how do I know if it’s been over graded for color? Or if it has haziness due to fluorescence reacting with strain? Sorry for all the questions… I want to make sure I’m paying for something legitimate and am getting what I pay for.