Post # 1
Member
218 posts
Helper bee
So Fiance and I went and looked at some loose diamonds this morning and as prepared as I thought I was, I think when I started looking and comparing, I felt lost again. From the naked eye, i couldnt tell the difference at all between an SI2 and a VS1. I could tell the brightness though as she compared an F to an H diamond. The prices were insane on the clarity under a loop. But looking at them side by side, I hadn’t a clue which was better.
My Fiance asked me if I would rather have a smaller diamond with a better clarity but colorless (we looked at a 1.2 ct SI2 F color) or a smaller carat but with a higher clarity (1.02 VS1 H color). I didnt know what to say or think.
So what is more important to you? color or clarity?
I honestly think that I dont think people are going to be walking around carrying a loop in their bag ready to ask to see my diamond. I just knew that I liked the brighter one that had less clarity under the loop.
Post # 3
Member
13095 posts
Honey Beekeeper
I think you have to balance the two.
IMO – if they look the same to the naked eye, what difference is the added clarity going to make? For me, I want a diamond that to the naked eye has no visible inclusions and shows no visible color. If it meets that, increasing those two Cs farther provides no benefit to me. As you said, no one is walking around looking at your diamond with a loop!
I base my decisions on those two Cs based on what the naked eye, not the loop, can see.
Post # 4
Member
1664 posts
Bumble bee
What cut is yoru diamond? With some cuts, clarity is more important. If you can’t tell the difference with the naked eye though, I would just go for the SI2.
Post # 5
Member
1843 posts
Buzzing bee
Someone else recently posted something similar – wanting a bigger diamond and would you be willing to sacrifice color/clarity for it.
It really depends on what you like. I didn’t want any yellow tinge to my diamond, so color was most important to me. As far as clarity, as long as I couldn’t see any imperfections with just looking at it, I could care less if something shows up under a microscope (b/c right, who is going to carry around a microscope to see my diamond). Cut was also somewhat important to me because with a good cut, it sparkles more. So my diamond has great color and cut but not so great clarity…and I LOVE IT!
Post # 6
Member
218 posts
Helper bee
@EleanorRigby: It is a brilliant cut. I honestly couldnt see the difference in the light. Would it be different on a cloudy day?
Post # 7
Member
5836 posts
Bee Keeper
Step cut diamonds like Asschers and Emeralds usually need better clarity as you can see into the diamond more easily.
Post # 8
Member
218 posts
Helper bee
@Mrs.KMM: I totally agree. When we compared the H to the F diamond, the F had soo much more light reflecting off it. It was bigger than the H diamond but was an SI2. the other was smaller, we could see the difference in size, but it had a higher clarity and I really couldnt tell at all!
The inclusions on the SI2 had no black pepper specs, rather it looked like a small white scratch. I had to ask the lady what I was looking for under the loop!
Post # 9
Member
1664 posts
Bumble bee
Either ring sounds beautiful! I would personally go for the SI2 with the larger carat and better color.
BUT- are the cuts the same? IMO cut is the most important.
Post # 10
Member
749 posts
Busy bee
When Fiance and I were picking out my ring, we were just looking for eye clean as far as clarity went. We got a great price on a colorless diamond because we were willing to sacrifice clarity more. The diamond we got is eye clean, and sparkles a ton!
Post # 11
Member
218 posts
Helper bee
@EleanorRigby:Yes the cuts are the same, both are excellent. and both are beautiful. the price however, not so much lol.. I was almost hyperventalating when she gave us the prices. such a jump when it comes to clarity
Post # 12
Member
5656 posts
Bee Keeper
Definitely clarity. A clear, perfectly cut stone will look whiter anyway than an included, poorly cut stone.
Like @EleanorRigby: said, it depends with different cuts too. A round brilliant is the cut that returns the most light, so even a lower colored one can look very white, while an emerald cut needs a higher color grading to look very white.
I got an enhanced moissanite, which is basically equivalent to an H color, VS clarity, ideal cut diamond. Even though moissanite can never be “colorless”, they face up very white because of their very good clarity and perfect cut and also the fact they reflect crazy amounts of light (moreso than a diamond). Here is a video of my moissanite for reference. Honestly, under some lighting conditions (the car is a big one) my stone does get a faint buttery look to it, but 90% of the time it looks nothing but gorgeous white.
Clarity makes more of a difference than people give it credit for. Inclusions, even if they can’t be seen by the naked eye, can drastically alter how the stone returns light to you (it’s sparkle).
So in conclusion, since it’s a Round Brilliant stone, I say go with the lower color graded, but higher clarity, personally.
Post # 13
Member
4485 posts
Honey bee
You can have the whitest diamond in the world but that won’t make one bit of difference if it is full of flaws. Whether or not it has clearly visible flaws (and is cut correctly, alot of gems are not) is the much more important of the two. Many gems with imperfections actually require a magnifying glass which no one will ever use on it.
Post # 14
Member
7770 posts
Bumble Beekeeper
In all of my experience, Clarity is what affects the look of a diamond the most noticeably. Color differences are very difficult to notice.
Post # 15
Member
1664 posts
Bumble bee
I think you could get a lot of great information from pricescope.com
A lot of it depends on the number of inclusions, where the inclusion(s) is/are located, and some will even say the type of inclusion. In general, I think you are better off with the colorless, larger stone. If you have an eye-clean stone, unless there are numerous inclusions, or they are located in conspicuous places, I don’t think you will notice any difference in sparkle.
Post # 16
Member
218 posts
Helper bee
@DeathByDesign: WOW! Your mossanite is georgeous! I mentioned getting a mossanite to Fiance before about it, but he refused to hear me out. He insisted that he had to get me a diamond. I think I will show him your video without telling him its mossanite and see what he says. I wouldnt mind saving the rest of the money and put it towards our house or the wedding.
So, on a cloudy day or under normal light, the SI2 colorless would probably not sparkle as much as the VS1 H color? I never knew how much clarity plays a role in the sparkle. Thank you for sharing!!
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