Diamond SI1 Clarity
By
Diamond SI1
If you’re out there looking for the best diamond for your money, then please contact me, and let me know your budget and what you’re looking for. I’ll sift through hundreds of thousands of diamonds online and help you find the perfect stone for you and your budget. Unlike the other sites, I’m not looking to sell you anything – my advice is objective and in your best interest. You have nothing to lose.
(I would like to thank James Allen for the use of the pictures in this article)
Small Black Inclusion on Side and Pinpoint in Table - Click to Enlarge
Now that we got our general diamond clarity review out of the way, lets review each clarity grade individually. We will start with the Diamond SI1 Clarity grade.
Below are a few sample photos of what a Diamond SI1 looks like. As you can see, there’s quite a range of how any given clarity grade can look. In just these three examples, there is a very large range of quality and value. On the one hand, you have a diamond that aside from a small black circle all the way at the girdle is almost completely free of blemishes. On the other hand, you have the second diamond below that is so poor that the Diamond SI1 grade will almost certainly be visible to the naked eye.
This discrepancy only serves to strengthen the point I make in my Diamond Clarity article that what is written on the certificate in the clarity grade is useful only to give you a general idea of how your diamond will look. To really know what’s going on inside your diamond, you need to see it for yourself. This is why I constantly tell people to buy from James Allen, since with their virtual loupe tool, you can examine a diamond’s inclusions before you buy. Within the clarity grades from diamond VS2 and down, there can be a very wide range of qualities within each clarity grade.
Center Black Inclusion that Badly Reflects around the Girdle - Click to Enlarge
Small Cloud of Black Pinpoints in the Table - Click to Enlarge
If you’re out there looking for the best diamond for your money, then please contact me, and let me know your budget and what you’re looking for. I’ll sift through hundreds of thousands of diamonds online and help you find the perfect stone for you and your budget. I’m not looking to sell you anything, so you can trust me.
I found this diamond stone and I would like you to check the specification. Is it really worth 8,000$
Round Brilliant
Measurements: 6.38 – 6.41 x 4.06 mm
Carat Weight: 1.01 carat
Color Grade: E
Clarity Grade: SI1
Cut Grade: Very Good
Proportions:
Depth: 63.5%
Table: 56%
Crown Angle: 34.5°
Crown Height: 15.0%
Pavilion Angle: 41.8°
Pavilion Depth: 44.5%
Star length: 55%
Lower Half: 80%
Girdle: Thin to Slightly Thick
Culet: None
Finish:
Polish: Very Good
Symmetry: Very Good
Fluorescence: Faint
Hi Sara. I think you can find a better deal. Something like this:
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/E-SI1-Premium-Cut-Round-Diamond-1391656.asp
It’s the same all around except it’s $500 cheaper and it’s got a bigger spread.
Hi
I was wondering if buying a diamond online is a wise choice? I’ve read lots of information on the 4c’s, however the only one they can’t really tell you about specifically is the clarity, due to the fact you can’t actually see the diamond and all inclusions are unique. Would a online retailer be able to tell me if it was eye clean? If so could they also comment on the fluorescence and whether is gives the ring an oily apprearance in normal light.
Thanks in advance
Damian
Hi Damian. See these articles:
http://www.truthaboutdiamonds.com/truth-about/james-allen-blue-nile/
http://www.truthaboutdiamonds.com/site-reviews/jamesallen-com-review/
I have been looking at diamonds on bluenile.com and for some diamonds they have an AGS Laboratories report that indicates where flaws are with red marks. Do you know anything about these reports? Are they reliable? Do they only mark really visible flaws or all flaws including those only visible with magnification?
While viewing the diamond myself would be preferable, would this AGS report be an acceptable alternative? Bluenile has the setting that I want and I would like to order the complete ring from them and not incur the hassle and cost of ordering the setting from one place and the diamond from another and having them put together at a local shop.
Thanks,
Jacob
Hey Jacob. Great question! Inclusion plots (both from GIA and AGS) are useless when it comes to determining whether or not a stone will be eye clean. They only show you location, size, and type of the inclusion. But they don’t tell you anything about the 2 most important factors in determining eye cleanliness: color and opaqueness/strength. You can have a very large inclusion that’s extremely faint that will show up as a huge line across the entire plot yet will be eye clean (happens all the time) and you can have a small dot in the center that’s a deep strong black inclusion that will be visible to the naked eye.
I would recommend that you try to contact James Allen and ask them if they can make you a custom version of the ring you like on BN. Almost always JA will at least match their price and usually beat it on the setting in question.
Hi there,
Im currently on a hunt for my perfect engagement ring. I’ve spoke to a diamond wholesaler you has informed me that the prices for diamonds just jumped up about 35%. I was just wondering if its worth waiting to see if the prices go back down or whether I should purchase a ring now. Also I was looking to see what a 1.5 carat diamond Si-1 E would cost?
Hi Sonia. Prices have definitely increased significantly over the last few months. In fact, there was yet another price increase this morning! But 35% is a big exaggeration. What shape E SI1 are you asking about?
round
Here’s a nice example:
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/E-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1376619.asp
Can you tell me what I should expect to pay for a stone with these specs:
GIA 13 January 2011
Registry #: 2116805415
Round Brilliant
Measurements: 6.84 – 6.90 x 4.29mm
Carat: 1.25
Color: E
Clarity: sI1
Cut: Excellent
Polish: Excellent
Symmetry: Very Good
Fluorescence: None
Table: 58%
Girdle: 4%
Thanks!
About $11,000. See this for comparison:
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/E-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1384878.asp
great, thanks for the information!
Hi Ira,
I stumbled across your site and I’m impressed with the knowledge that you have around diamonds. Just curious, because I have been told differeny things, but in you opinion if you were to sacrifice one of the 4 C’s which one would it be? Or better question, if you were to rank the 4 C’s from top to bottom, what would it be? I saw that some other people asked the same question but I wasn’t able to see your response
I would also love your opinion on the ring that I have… I can send you the specs later (I just need to pull up the details). Generally, it is a 1.01 carat, ideal cut, SI1, brilliant cut.
HI Michelle. Thanks for leaving your comment! If you’d like to send me pictures of your ring, please contact me via the form on the “Contact Me” page.
As for your other question, here’s my answer (from most important to least):
1) Cut – because the whole point is to have a brilliant stone.
2) Carat – because a larger stone is much more easily noticeable than a whiter or cleaner stone
3) Color – because a significant upgrade in color is noticeable
4) Clarity – because all that matters is eye cleanliness. A flawless stone will look identical to an SI2 if it’s eye clean.
Good evening Ira,
Thank you for the reply. This diamond is .90ct colour grade F , clarity SI1,princess cut. Price Converted from ZAR is $4 000. Is this a good price?I have requested a gopy of the GIA certificate.
Thank you
Hi Samantha. I can’t really comment because I don’t know what the tax situation is in South Africa. You can do the calculation yourself – here’s a nice stone from James Allen for $3,290 before taxes:
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/F-SI1-Premium-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1359763.asp?a_aid=dmnd1357
Hi Ira ,
Have seen a Colour F , SI1,for Zar 28 000.= $4 000. The GIA certificate comment says Crystal,Cloudy. What does this mean.
Thank you
Crystal/Cloud described the type of inclusions that make up the SI1 clarity grade.
Hi Ira,
A total newbie to the diamond stuff… So I was wondering whether a price of 3.200 euros would be good for a SI1 diamond, Very Good cut, 0.8ct, G colour Grade, Brilliant Cut… I am a bit over my budget but was hoping it’s worth it…
P.S1 Any faults on the ring are not visible to the naked eye…
P.S2 The price is VAT inclusive and comes with a 18K white gold ring…
Thank you in advance for your time
HI Bill. I can’t respond unless I know how much VAT is included in the price.
Hi Ira, I was wondering if you had any opinions on worldjewels.com? I was particularly looking at this 3 stone ring:
http://www.worldjewels.com/_e/Engagement_Rings/product/k-56/Three_Stone_Diamond_Ring_2_25_ct_tw_.htm
And the price seems to be cheaper than other similar rings I’ve seen online and in stores, but I’m always worried about the old cliche “you get what you pay for.”
The reviews I’ve seen on the site have been mostly positive, but I want to know your opinion.
Thanks.
Hi Ben. I don’t have any personal experience with them, but I will tell you this: “you get what you pay for” isn’t a cliche when it comes to diamonds, it’s an iron-clad law.