Randy,

Thanks for your amazing site and service. I am totally in the dark about diamonds so coming across the information you have here has been invaluable.

I have been looking at some of the diamonds on James Allen and have settled on 3 I really like. One of the 3 has a cut of True Hearts but I can’t find any reference to this on the GIA cert. If I do purchase a True Hearts cut diamond do I still need to pay as much detail to the diamond color and clarity? Is it worth the extra money?

Thanks again for all your help!

Answer:

Thanks for the compliment and I am really happy you found the site helpful in your diamond buying process!

True Hearts  is a James Allen trademark term used to describe diamonds that are cut to a strict set of Ideal proportions. When viewed using a special viewer (called a Firescope) a pattern of well formed hearts and arrows appear on the diamond table.  The cut has becoming popular since the mid 1990’s and has become a heavy marketing tool of the industry as less then 1% of diamonds “earn” the distinction of being called Hearts and Arrows.  On a GIA certificate a H&A diamond will have a cut grade of Excellent and on an AGS you will see a “Triple 0” grade for the diamond.

It is important to note that:

1)       Neither GIA or AGS will indicate that a diamond as Hearts and Arrows.
2)       A Hearts and Arrows designation refers only to the cut and not to the color or clarity of the diamond. I have personally seen diamonds that are H&A but have such low quality clarity grades that I would never recommend them.  For example: http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/E-SI2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1362093.asp)
3)      A Hearts and Arrows designation does not at all take into account diamond color- the same rules of non H&A diamonds apply – in round diamonds look at an H color as your sweet spot. (read more on this page)
4)      Just because a diamond is listed as H&A it does not mean it will be more brilliant then a non-H&A diamond that has an Excellent cut. When looking at a diamond you need to take into account its overall cut and appearance not just the fact that it meets Ideal proportions.

 Is a True Hearts diamond on James Allen worth more then a “regular” Ideal cut? Not necessarily. I have seen some great True Hearts diamonds that I recommended to people but on the other hand I am all about bang for the buck and there have been many times where I would reomcmend a regular Ideal cut over a true Hearts.

 Hope that helps!

 Randy

Question:

I recently purchased a certified diamond from a local retailer. The diamond came with a GIA certificate but I am now starting to have some concerns that the certificate doesn’t really belong to this diamond. Is there any way for me to verify that the certificate is real?

Thanks,

Answer:
Bob,

Great question. Depending on the diamond clarity you may be able to see for yourself. The certificate should have a diagram on it which shows the inclusions and imperfections on the diamond. If the diamond is an SI2 or lower you can use a magnifying glass and match up the inclusions for yourself. If you have an SI1 or higher you may have to go to a jeweler and ask him to look at it using a loupe. The jeweler should be able to tell you if the diamond grading report that you were given matches up with the actual diamond.

If you are interested in just verifying that the actual report is real you can use the GIA online report heck service located at:

http://www.gia.edu/reportcheck/

Of course buying from a reputable jeweler such as James Allen is a great way to avoid the situation you are in in the future!

 Randy

I am going to be proposing to my girlfriend in 2 weeks but I am getting a little nervous because I have still not picked out her ring. I am working with a $10,000 budget for both the diamond and setting. I can really use your help to choose a ring that will make a really great impression! She wants a round diamond but neither of us have any other idea of what to look for.

Thanks,
A

A,
Can you tell me a little about what type of setting you are looking for? Will it be a solitaire or will it have side stones? It can make a big difference in terms of price. You can use this page as a guide:

http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/

Randy,
We are looking for a solitaire setting – classic Tiffany style. Thanks so much for your help.

A

Read More→

Hi,

 I know this is going to be a very broad question but for a round shape and a $5000 budget what diamond color and clarity should I be looking at? I read every one of your pages and love the info but I am still having some trouble picking out just the right combination.  

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

R