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thanks for sharing! i've almost forgot about the fluorescence thingy. will go Tomei and Diamond & Platinum this weekend.

I finally took the plunge and bought my ring. Some of my thoughts on buying a diamond ring:

1. Of the 4cs, Carat is no.1, no matter how good your other 3c's are, being Malaysians, we will always ask about size first. 0.3 is standard for Malaysians lar, since that's the minimum to get a GIA certificate. 0.4 and above is a luxury/nice upgrade. Big price jumps @ 0.5 and 1.0 carats since half carat or full carat are like the "milestones". Of course if you buy something like that, it's really a great symbol of love/commitment.

2. 2nd most important C is Cut, cut grade determines how shiny your diamond will be as light reflection etc is heavily affected by the cut. This makes the diamond look very sparkly if the cut is Triple excellent. (according to my research lar, I'm not really an expert). Try to get a GIA triple excellent stone if possible, you can sacrifice on Colour and Clarity but triple ex is very important. Also to ensure a good shape/cut, try to get a branded cut like Hearts and Arrows (Le Lumiere, Tomei), Hearts on Fire or Lazare (these 2 are really expensive). I recommend Lumiere as you pay about 20% premium on your triple ex Lumiere compared to a normal GIA. Hearts on Fire and Lazare are 2-3 times more expensive than a normal Triple Ex GIA. Of course the cut is the only thing that companies/people can control so special cuts have special brands. If you buy a cheap GIA diamond from Wah Chan, basically it's just a generic diamond lar. If you pay premium for a "brand cut" diamond like Le Lumiere, Tiffany, Lazare or Hearts on Fire, at least people recognize the brand.

3. Colour and Clarity are also quite important but I rank them the least important lar. Basically all those specs are not very useful if you can't see them with your naked eye. No one will ask you for your GIA cert/ask what colour and clarity is your wife's diamond. Basically Big + Sparkly (Carat + Cut) are what normal people notice. Basically anything from D-I are near colourless to the naked eye. Big price jump from G to F so I recommend getting something thats G-I. As for Calrity, Anything down to SI1 is invisible to the naked eye. Try to get VS2/SI1, as SI 2 you start seeing the inclusions.

Another useful tip, find a G-I colour stone with Faint to Medium Fluorescence. Why? Read this:

http://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/diamond-flourescence

"The truth is that fluorescence rarely affects a diamond's sparkle and brilliance, and in warmer or lower colored diamonds, fluorescence makes them look whiter or more colorless."

Basically if you have a G-I stone, the blue fluorescence actually makes the stone whiter, bumping the colour up a notch, so stones with fluorescence should be more ex right? No!

"The most likely reason that fluorescent diamonds are discounted is because many jewelry salespeople are not able to explain the complex phenomenon called fluorescence. When the word "fluorescence" is written on a grading report, the diamond is simply harder to sell."

Fluorescence can also be bad lar:

"Some diamonds have extremely strong fluorescence and appear oily or cloudy like the one in the picture below. This diamond has extremely strong fluorescence in direct (left) and indirect shaded (right) cloudless mid morning sunlight."

As long as you stick to faint-medium and don't go to strong fluorescence, you should be ok.

So my advice after researching for a few months non-stop, is: Buy a good quality triple Ex cut (brand or no brand up to you, this one mainly to do with "face") with ok-ok Colour (G-I) and Clarity (VS1-SI1) + Faint- medium Fluorescence (makes the diamond cheaper AND whiter) with THE BIGGEST POSSIBLE CARAT size. Honestly as Malaysians, we think big (carat) and shiny (cut) is good, so lets just go with that. How white (colour) and how many microscopic particles (clarity) people will honestly never notice as long as not too obvious.

After all that, I finally purchased this ring from Tomei, KLCC:

0.51 Carats, Triple Excellent Le Lumiere Hearts and Arrows Cut, H Colour, SI1 Clarity, Faint Fluorescence with WG setting for RM7388. I'm not sure if it's a good deal but compared to

0.50 Carats, Triple Excellent Le Lumiere Hearts and Arrows Cut, G Colour, VS1 Clarity, No Fluorescence- RM92xx

0.50 Carats, Triple Excellent Le Lumiere Hearts and Arrows Cut, H Colour, VS1 Clarity, No Fluorescence- RM8999

I think I got a really good deal. Can't compare to the pre-May 2011 prices lar, since the price or diamonds jumped alot since the wage hike in India for the diamond cutters. All the best and good luck!

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Tomei is having a Hari Raya promotion now. Very interested in Lumiere diamonds. How much of an improvement are they over normal GIA ones? I'm not really going to check for the heart and arrows all the time but the "brand" has a nice ring to it. My partner is also more fond of Lumiere and she's ok with a smaller diamond too. Half carat G/H, VS1 triple Ex Lumiere with setting is around 9k (white gold). That's quite a bit over my budget but if the upgrade is huge in terms quality, I don't mind.

I've asked the salesman to bring .5 carat loose diamonds for me to have a look at this week (both GIA and Lumiere). I noticed it's about 2-3k difference between a .5 Lumiere and a .5 GIA of the same colour and clarity (of course the cut is better with Lumiere). Do you, my esteemed sifus, think it's worth it and is the price ok? Also they have a 0 interest plan which I don't need. I tried haggling for a discount if I paid straight up with a credit card but they're not very flexible on that. Thanks!

@ Jason, yes loose diamond means without the ring.

Loose diamond seems cheaper a lot. But whats the different between diamonds that comes with ring? The cutting of loose diamonds not good? Or some prefer to customize their rings? :)

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Loose diamond more flexible, you can choose your own ring like Platinum/Gold/White Gold + whatever design you want. Loose diamond of course cheaper because you don't have any ring with it, so no extra cost. Cutting of loose diamond and diamond in ring all depend on the cert, you can check the cert. 18k White gold setting will cost about 800 -1000 rm so you should count that cost in when comparing loose diamond to already setted stone.

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I finally took the plunge and bought my ring. Some of my thoughts on buying a diamond ring:

1. Of the 4cs, Carat is no.1, no matter how good your other 3c's are, being Malaysians, we will always ask about size first. 0.3 is standard for Malaysians lar, since that's the minimum to get a GIA certificate. 0.4 and above is a luxury/nice upgrade. Big price jumps @ 0.5 and 1.0 carats since half carat or full carat are like the "milestones". Of course if you buy something like that, it's really a great symbol of love/commitment.

2. 2nd most important C is Cut, cut grade determines how shiny your diamond will be as light reflection etc is heavily affected by the cut. This makes the diamond look very sparkly if the cut is Triple excellent. (according to my research lar, I'm not really an expert). Try to get a GIA triple excellent stone if possible, you can sacrifice on Colour and Clarity but triple ex is very important. Also to ensure a good shape/cut, try to get a branded cut like Hearts and Arrows (Le Lumiere, Tomei), Hearts on Fire or Lazare (these 2 are really expensive). I recommend Lumiere as you pay about 20% premium on your triple ex Lumiere compared to a normal GIA. Hearts on Fire and Lazare are 2-3 times more expensive than a normal Triple Ex GIA. Of course the cut is the only thing that companies/people can control so special cuts have special brands. If you buy a cheap GIA diamond from Wah Chan, basically it's just a generic diamond lar. If you pay premium for a "brand cut" diamond like Le Lumiere, Tiffany, Lazare or Hearts on Fire, at least people recognize the brand.

3. Colour and Clarity are also quite important but I rank them the least important lar. Basically all those specs are not very useful if you can't see them with your naked eye. No one will ask you for your GIA cert/ask what colour and clarity is your wife's diamond. Basically Big + Sparkly (Carat + Cut) are what normal people notice. Basically anything from D-I are near colourless to the naked eye. Big price jump from G to F so I recommend getting something thats G-I. As for Calrity, Anything down to SI1 is invisible to the naked eye. Try to get VS2/SI1, as SI 2 you start seeing the inclusions.

I beg to differ ... IMHO, I reckon cut is most important — also probably the most challenging, as a good cut gives a diamond its brilliance no matter how big or small it is.

Well, just my two sens :)

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Hi bunnyNwife,

I have a little confusion when i see GIA report...is 3x Excellence Hearts & Arrows and 3xExcellence aren't the same ?

You only need very good/excellent symmetry to get Heart & Arrows, but the hearts/arrows may be too fat or too thin but not the optimal. Not all diamonds with hearts & arrows are 3X. However, with 3X you will get a perfect/close to perfect hearts & arrows.

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Oh ok thanks a lot ^^ Hmmph i'm still deciding which to buy :

AGS Cert

Carat: 0.41

Colour : D

Cuts: Ideal

Clarity: SI 1

OR

GIA Cert

Carat: 0.41

Colour : D

Cuts: 3x Excellence

Clarity: VVS2

Both about the same price and quality, just the difference in Clarity. I do not have a preference in Clarity thou...but because these 2 diamonds are from two different jeweller, thus i'm unable to compare both diamonds side by side to see the brilliance...

Is AGS Ideal Cut tends to be more brilliance than GIA 3 x Execellence?

I'm staying in Penang and only Habib is selling both GIA n AGS, others solely on GIA . Soo Kee has more IGI and AGS but not GIA, so it's difficult for me to compare in terms of the brilliance

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Technically AGS Ideal cut has stricter parameter than GIA 3X. In another word,the AGS should has more brilliance than GIA unless the GIA one is happened to be a very high quality 3X.

Looking at the 2 stones, the AGS one should fetch a cheaper price given the clarity is 3 notch lower despite the AGS Ideal is better than GIA 3X.

Usually I wont get SI clarity but since the diamond is rather small (vs those closer or bigger than 1ct), it should not be visible unless the inclusion is some black dots at the center of the table. If the inclusion is like black dots, cloudy and located at the center of the diamond, it will somehow affect the brilliance even the cut is Ideal/3X.

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Yeah because Penang have limited AGS certification, the prices tends to be a bit higher i feel....the both AGS and GIA are around RM5.4k

Habib quoted me RM6,515 for :

AGS Cert

Carats: 0.414

Colour : J

Clarity : SI 1

Cuts : Ideal

I'm thinking to try on Degem Lazare as i saw you written as it looks very brilliance than a 3X, with a budget of RM5k- RM6k what are the possible Specs I'll be getting ? Can I still get 0.4ct?

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Hey.. why do you want to pay more for a yellowish stone (i wont go beyond H/I colour) which is merely 0.004 bigger than the AGS's D SI 1?

For Lazare. you may get 0.4 H/I VS clarify for RM5-6k (stone only la... setting separate pricing - depending on design)...But you need to come to KL to grab it... hahaha...

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Hahaha i'm not going to get from Habib, just to let you see the prices of AGS in Penang =P

Dun mind if I have to go KL to grab a very good stone ^^ All these while, among the 4C's , Cuts is the most important for me, I don't mind to drop colour and clarity to get a brilliant diamond =D, look for Michael is it ?

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Hahaha i'm not going to get from Habib, just to let you see the prices of AGS in Penang =P

Dun mind if I have to go KL to grab a very good stone ^^ All these while, among the 4C's , Cuts is the most important for me, I don't mind to drop colour and clarity to get a brilliant diamond =D, look for Michael is it ?

Yup.. Call first before u go down to KL.

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Hello all, have been following this thread for about 3 months now. frankly speaking i'm a guy looking for proposal ring. Hopefully can get the ideal one by end of the year!

After reading much of the forum, and some reading online, i went to DeGem in The Gardens to check out how a diamond actually looks like :) (like how big and 'shinny' is a 0.3c)

Finally the guy gave me a stone that fits my bill, here are the spec,

GIA stone, 0.42c, H colour, VS1, 3x (i just learnt 3 x =cut, polish and symmetry). price quote with ring is 4.6k. a bit above budget (2 to 4k), but according to him it's worth it. i hold the stone, its big and bright (i know i sound cheapo), but honestly i can't feel the difference holding this and a 0.35 (F,VS1,3x, 5k). My question is:

Is the stone price reasonable? or can it be cheaper? i'm not looking for CHEAPEST, but i don't want to be slaughtered too.

Is there any other thing i should clarify or seek clarification before purchase? i mean from forum all i read about is the 4c and sitting. anything else to ask? warranty or etc?

i'm definitely going' back again to have another look. Is there any other Jewellery shop you guys would recommend?

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It's the right price :) Go for Degem , GIA stone, 0.42c, H colour, VS1, 3x (i just learnt 3 x =cut, polish and symmetry). 4.6k [to me , it's right price and right spec]

Hello all, have been following this thread for about 3 months now. frankly speaking i'm a guy looking for proposal ring. Hopefully can get the ideal one by end of the year!

After reading much of the forum, and some reading online, i went to DeGem in The Gardens to check out how a diamond actually looks like :) (like how big and 'shinny' is a 0.3c)

Finally the guy gave me a stone that fits my bill, here are the spec,

GIA stone, 0.42c, H colour, VS1, 3x (i just learnt 3 x =cut, polish and symmetry). price quote with ring is 4.6k. a bit above budget (2 to 4k), but according to him it's worth it. i hold the stone, its big and bright (i know i sound cheapo), but honestly i can't feel the difference holding this and a 0.35 (F,VS1,3x, 5k). My question is:

Is the stone price reasonable? or can it be cheaper? i'm not looking for CHEAPEST, but i don't want to be slaughtered too.

Is there any other thing i should clarify or seek clarification before purchase? i mean from forum all i read about is the 4c and sitting. anything else to ask? warranty or etc?

i'm definitely going' back again to have another look. Is there any other Jewellery shop you guys would recommend?

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Hi All,

I just bought a diamond yesterday for my proposal.

It was a quick one and shopped in less than 2hours for I don't really know much about it.

What do you think?

Shop : Wah Chan

Cert : GIA

Carats: 0.42

Colour : F

Clarity : SI 1

Cut : Excellent

Polish : Excellent

Symmetry : Excellent

Price : RM 3,300 (with 18k white gold setting)

After checking this forum, kinda regret on not checking under the microscope.

I worry got crack or something.

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Hi people,

Here are my findings:

Shop: DeGem Lazare

Cert: Lazare

Carats: 0.61

Colour: F

Clarity: VS2

Price: RM20,100

Shop: DeGem Lazare

Cert: Lazare

Carats: 0.62

Colour: G

Clarity: VS2

Price: RM18,600

vs.

Online Shop: Whiteflash ACA

Cert: AGS

Carats: 0.708

Colour: F

Clarity: VS1

Price: US$5,200

I am incline to buy a diamond from WhiteFlash but my dad is very sceptical about buying jewellery online. He feels that we might receive a fake diamond and will not be able to do anything to get our money back.

What do you think

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hi all long time reader first time poster

anyway planning to ask the big Q during xmas - looking at some rings at the moment & got quoted on the following ring:-

Tiffany & Co.

Carat: 0.55

Colour: F

Clarity: VVS2

RM22,500

What do you guys think?

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hi all long time reader first time poster

anyway planning to ask the big Q during xmas - looking at some rings at the moment & got quoted on the following ring:-

Tiffany & Co.

Carat: 0.55

Colour: F

Clarity: VVS2

RM22,500

What do you guys think?

A diamond with the same specifications from DeGem Lazare, I saw cost RM16,500 not inclusive of setting.

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Hi Guys,

Just wanted to survey, has anyone ordered from Whiteflash or BrianGavin Diamonds?

1) What are the customs duties/taxes like?

2) Did you manage to receive your package?

Would appreciate if someone could share more details

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I would like to get opinion from the ladies. I'm in the market hunting for a diamond now :)

I was at a local jeweler and the SA showed me a pretty diamond however with certification from any laboratory. The SA assured me that the diamond which is picked by the jeweler would be of certain quality. Comparing to those with GIA certification of similar carat (clarity and color seems close comparable as well) the price is almost 30-40% cheaper. The SA did note to me that in terms of cut maybe its not excellent like the other GIA tested/certified she has shown me.

What are your takes on diamonds which have not been tested by any laboratory be it GIA, IGI, AGS or for the matter any lab. To be honest, even T&Cos diamonds are "tested/certified" in-house and not by the internationally recognized certification labs. I'm leaning towards the diamonds without the certification... Please share with me your thoughts.

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From what I heard, T&co has stricter guidelines as compared to GIA.

If you have the budget, I would say, go for a smaller stone but with excellent cut from T&co :)

I have a T&co engagement ring, and am really happy with it & am sure ur gf would too..

Although for the same price, I could've gotten a larger stone from other jewelers but after actual comparison, you can actually tell the diff in quality, not only of the stone but the platinum setting as well ..it's smaller but more sparkly cos of the excellent cut.

Have fun hunting for the ring!

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