Hey guys, I'm planning to propose to my GF, went to Wah Chan yesterday and got myself into dilemma, i got my eye on 2 different diamonds and need some opinions from you guys. I have a tight budget so my diamond choices are really limited

Diamond A -
Carat - 0.22
Color - D
Clarity - VS1
Cut - Excellent

Diamond B -
Carat - 0.30
Color - G
Clarity - VS1
Cut - Very Good

I was suggested by the sales agent to get 0.30 carat over the 0.22 one as it looks bigger and easily catch other people's eye. But im concerning about the color and the cut as the cut of the 0.30 carat diamond is not as good as the 0.22 one. Most importantly the difference between both diamonds is only around RM500.

Which diamond you think i should go for? Thanks in advanced !

This post has been edited by ZTAP: Jun 6 2018, 09:55 AM

Firstly, it would be best to comment here instead of starting a new thread:
https://forum.lowyat.net/topic/3224055

Now, G colour will look pretty white. The differences are not that far off. You may see some subtle differences when compared side-by-side. Also, the colour of the diamond will be more noticeable on the diamond body, not on the top-down view of the diamond, whereby it is the usual way how most people view diamonds. Next, strong light return will certainly help the diamond to look brighter and hence whiter.

Now, I wouldn't recommend you to go for Very Good cut. This is because Excellent cut diamonds are too plenty in the market. There is really no point to go for Very Good unless your budget is very very tight and want a bigger stone.

You did not state your budget and the price of both stones so I can't really suggest any for you. For GIA diamonds, and your minimum requirement is just Triple Excellent, I can find plenty in Zoara - https://www.zoara.com?a_aid=myengringexp (affiliate link), a company which I am affiliate with. They sell Triple Excellent at pretty reasonable price, so let me know your budget and I see what I can do.

If you don't mind smaller carat size like 0.25ct, I can probably suggest Black by Brian Gavin - http://black.briangavindiamonds.com?a_aid=myengexp (affiliate link) for you. They are selling super ideal diamonds that are top of the line diamonds. Superb quality.

Let me know or PM me.

Good luck.

Hey bro, first of all sorry for posting a new topic. As for the pricing of the diamond ring, 0.22 cost RM2.4k while 0.30 cost RM2.9k so its roughly RM500 difference. My budget is RM3k +- for the diamond and ring. Appreciate a lot for your advice !

Do you have the cert numbers for reference?

Sorry i didn't manage to jot down the GIA cert number, but the above mentioned diamonds are certified by GIA.

Below Rm3k diamond also have cert?

No problem. But if you are going back to that shop. Try ask for it. The proportions and the cut quality will affect the price.

https://www.zoara.com/diamonds/p_round_fine...id=myengringexp (affiliate link)

This one looks promising. 0.23ct E IF. Excellent colour and excellent clarity. This is probably the one I will buy based on what I can source. Don't have any performance images but should be above average. Price is USD 533 + USD 33 for shipping handling. Total is RM 566. Now should be tax-free if ship in to Malaysia.

If you want better cut quality or better proportions, you will have to cut down on either colour or clarity. But if you are concerned about colour and clarity and does not want to sacrifice too much on cut, then this is one of the better options there is to offer right now.

Transferring via MoneyMatch is 4.0032, making the price in ringgit to be RM 2265.81. Getting a basic solitaire ring setting from Memory Jewellery will be between RM 750 to RM 1000. They are not that thick but they can help with your budget. Anyway, I believe Wah Chan's rings are not that thick as well. My prediction is RM 3300 should be the final price. It is 10% up from your original budget so I am not sure whether this fits your bill or not.

Btw, Memory Jewellery is offering 0.3ct for RM 3500 including setting. You may consult them on Facebook as well. Not sure about the quality though.

My personal advice is to go for warmer colours and focus on cut quality and proportions. This can cut down the cost. While doing so, you can also consider diamonds with blue fluorescence to cut down additional cost as well, at the same time, it is said that blue fluorescence can make warmer coloured diamonds look whiter.

This post has been edited by kambingkoh: Jun 6 2018, 01:51 PM

0.19 ct or 0.2x ct diamonds also can have certs. Some salesperson may tell you don't have but the truth is that there are such GIA or AGS graded diamonds. Here is an example of 0.19ct diamond graded by GIA:
https://www.gia.edu/report-check?reportno=1288573931

In fact, this supplier even captured performance images of the diamond - ASET, IdealScope, Hearts. Just that it did not really meet what I am looking for.

This post has been edited by kambingkoh: Jun 6 2018, 01:45 PM

icic, well I bought mine at SK, they told me below rm3k diamond they wont come along with cert....
Btw, I bought mine 0.30ct from SK

Those below 0.3ct ones from SK I think some got certs, but not from a reputable lab... as far as I can rmb lol.

my 0.3ct cert also from GIA

Hey bro, i manage to get the GIA report number from the sales agent.

0.22ct D VS1 is GIA2276940944
0.3ct G VS1 is GIA12170242

Can you help me check and give me some advice ? Thanks!

This post has been edited by ZTAP: Jun 6 2018, 02:33 PM

Tbh, I will avoid. 41.4 & 41.8 crown angle respectively... there will be light leakage like no tomorrow.

Owh, so you mean both diamonds is not really worth the price ?

The crown angle and the pavilion angle works in inverse against each other. 41.4 pavilion should pair with probably something like 32.5 or something like that. Pairing with crown angle of 34.5 is 99% sure fail. However, pairing with shallow crown like 32.5 can kill off the diamond's fire, so one way or the other, I won't recommend it. For the other Very Good cut. The VG says it all. And the pairing of 35.5 crown with 41.8 pavilion angle? No good.

The price? The not-too-good proportions justify it. It seems fair enough considering the quality but I won't spend money on something that I know won't be good even if it is cheap enough.

As for the 0.3ct, my advice is to skip it.

Would rather go for lower colour or clarity rather than bad cut.

Alright, but its hard for us buyer to really check every single diamond's angle like this detail haha, but if let say if comparing merely on the 4Cs, which one you think is a better buy? Sorry for so many questions and thanks for your patience on answering all my silly questions.

It is not that hard to check. Just look for crown angle between 34 to 35 and pavilion angle between 40.6 go 40.9.

Comparing 4Cs alone, I would probably go with the 0.22ct D VS1. At least on paper, it looks nicer.

Nonetheless, since you can see both stones, I think you can trust your own eyes.

Again, I won't buy any of these. To me, it is really not my type of stones. Why don't you consider warmer colours?

For me i feel the 0.22 is near to perfect from my naked eye, the 0.30 is slightly yellowish, just slightly, so kinda dilemma. Warmer colours mean colour grading below H ?

Well, there you have it. Trust your eyes. Lol. Slightly warmer means going down the colour chart lor. D E F G H I J K ... and so on.

RM 2400 for 0.22ct 3EX and 18k white gold setting (is 18k gold right?), seems fair enough for me. Besides, you can stick to your budget with some extra left.

Practical advice is as long as you and your gf is fine with it, then it is not a problem to you anymore. Money can be better spent/invest elsewhere. It is afterall, just a tiny part of a long journey. You can also probably nego a good price for wedding bands as well if you are a returning customer.

I think i have the answer already, anyway, no matter how the decision goes, really appreciate your professional opinions, thank you so much koh !