The problem is that each stone is very individual (and each person reacts very differently to different inclusions). Here is a picture of another I1 which I have, and love. The inclusion is completely invisible unless you get very very very close (louping distance) - however it's a feather not a crystal, and the stone is a Fancy Deep not an F, so I'm not sure it helps much.



hand shot, more or less life size on a 15" screen



Asschers: yes, they do look smaller than rounds. Then again, pretty much anything does... R4020 is not particularly small for a 1 carat Asscher.

Custom rings: if David can manage to interpret (and often re-do) my sketches and come up with stuff like this:



I'm pretty sure getting inspiration from a photo isn't going to be all that difficult.

Hi Catia and welcome to CDI!  I think if you put your ideas into David's hands...you won't be sorry!  I love the larger facets in a diamond myself, and DBL offers quite a large variety to chose from.  As for Asschers, if you want it to have more finger coverage, there are several halo mountings that would be a beautiful setting for any Asscher cut diamond...not to mention a custom design that your pictures coupled with David's experience can produce.

  I own an 80 pt. Asscher pendent and love it to pieces, but I've decided to mount it into a ring soon so I can enjoy seeing it regularly.  My thought for this "little" Asscher of mine is semi mount SO 3753...I love this new sleek design, sexy in a  "naked" diamond kind of way.   

But seriously, if you live near NY...you should try to arrange for a visit with David/DBL office in person if and when you're serious about purchasing any one of the diamonds you mentioned.   That would be the best way to know if the inclusions are going to be noticeable to you or not.  Good luck with your decisions!           

Call David at DBL...he's great to talk with and work with!  Btw, I looked at the diamond pictures for R3264 and obviously saw the inclusions...but when I watched that youtube video that Elaine sited before...I was blown away at how the inclusion seemed to disappear...and that was magnified too.  I'm quite certain that IRL, you won't be able to see it... but I think you need to see the diamond in person.  I love that cushion's big facets...I too am not crazy about the look of "crushed ice"...

Thanks Elaine for posting that video!  Very cool!            

Oh yes, call David! He is awesome!

You've mentioned the other place a few times now so I looked them up to compare them to DBL. Please don't take this badly but I think if it were me, I would rather go with a company that has actual rings to show their customers rather than CAD drawings, some of which are rather badly Photoshopped. It does not bode well for a company if they cannot provide photos of the actual product they are selling.

Not only that but when I went to check out their diamonds there were no pictures and they claim "ideal" cut ratings on some of their cushions. GIA doesn't grade cut for anything but round brilliants yet this company is claiming their cushion diamonds have cut ratings. I saw a K colored 1 ct cushion with a GIA report priced at over $6000. That's way too much to be asking for an unseen stone!

Wanna see what $6000 gets you with David? Not one carat but TWO (actually, a little over 2)! And set in platinum!
http://rockdiamond.c...ns-in-platinum-r3143

Hi Catia, welcome to CDI!

If you have truly waited ten years to make your dream piece of jewelry, then you can not do better than DBL. David can arrange to have whatever you want made by the some of the finest jewelry artists in the world. Custom jewelry can be fashioned from pre-manufactured findings or totally hand made in just about any design you can imagine. Really, it is all about your design desires and your budget. I've seen, in person, a slew of the custom pieces David has worked with clients to develop... many have been absolutely extraordinary. Some museum-worthy.

Regardless what you decide, good luck with your diamond hunt (exciting!) and the design and completion of your special jewelry piece.

Dovesgate, I was there in person, in Los Angeles.

The people at Sun Jewelry (horizon Wholesale) are super nice & non pressuring & they have THOUSANDS of photographs of actual rings to choose from, both at their brick & mortar & online plus you can make anything you want. I even met their top cad guy, super dork & he was really just sweet & had a lot of detailed info. I was able to play with the rings & the diamonds & everything.

Just wasn't struck by any of their diamonds--their rings however--yes--very impressive selection for even what they stock, which was hundreds. They also have a Brick & Mortar in Hershey PA (I live in PA--but southwestern). Don't wanna give the wrong impression of them--I just like the rocks here much better!

edited to add:
Sorry
I'm not trying to advertise them or break any forum rules.
I also want to be sure not to bash them either, they're honest people providing a service.

 their website can't compare with anything I've seen yet with DBL--
who ever does the DBL site really had it together!
 Plus all of the pics of the diamonds--I haven't seen anything online like this place--David points out the flaws & also shows the beauty, & i really appreciate that extra time & effort for all of those awesone photos & videos--it lets the stone & jewels speak for themselves, & you get an education--I can't belive some of those close-ups!

This is very important to figure out before a purchase.  I don't like seeing dark inclusions but give me a feather and it doesn't bother me (just giving an example).  I have a friend who has a lovely engagement ring with a small black speck.  It would drive me bonkers, but for her, she can see it and she loves her "freckle"  Some people love inclusions because it gives the diamond a unique thumbprint of sorts. 

I am glad you enjoyed the video.  I was thinking the diamond you were looking at was in there, but at the time my internet connection was kind of poor and I couldn't get through all the video.  I love it though because it does show that not all I1s are the same even if they are "good" I1s

I agree with Trinkette if you are waiting 10 years for your dream piece than you have come to the right place. 

Not sure which light box you are referring to. If it is something you picked up on some other thread here on CDI, it refers to a tool used by photographers to take images of small objects in bright, consistent lighting. It's nothing more than a box with white walls, lighting (direct and diffused) and a hole through which to take photos.

Here's a good tutorial on how to make one: http://cheriquitecon...ghtbox-tutorial.html

Typical jewellery store lighting is characterised by two things:

1. A low overall level of diffused lighting. The environment feels dim and subdued.
2. A lot of high-intensity spotlights focused on the pieces. The higher intensity makes the pieces stand out, and the narrow angle of the spotlights creates a lot of sparkle with every movement.

Contrast this with the lighting in a normal department store, where there is bright, diffused lighting and almost no spots. The effect is very very different.

  Thanks.

LOL since I've seen the types of stones I like most on DBL site, I'm obsessively GAWKING at all of these rock photos & videos. I so much love this site.

Am learning a LOT reading Davids detailed explanations both here & on other sites where he posts.

LOL I *Love* the long detailed debates I'm finding between him & others in the trade. So many different perspectives really make for interesting reading.

I 'get' some jewelers are more rigid and want only scientifically measured calculations & observations--and that's fine IF they're sitting in a lab & grading or researching for documenting purposes or for theory about cutting or whatever, but it leaves little room for consideration of *Beauty*--a diamond on paper may be 'scientifically' perfect, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's going to be beautiful to *everyones* eyes.

I find it *underwhelming* that (some) others in the trade aren't thrilled with the wonderful photographs & extreme detail put out by the photos on the DBL site.

Have even read a few who tried to say the photos were misleading...Which I feel is total *BS*--The photos actually show MORE flaws no-one would ever see under 10x, let alone naked eye--& find the photos actually really point out every flaw so that there's no question, & I really appreciate that.

From my uneducated (in diamonds) perspective--seeing those extremely close up well lit photos of every imaginable characteristic of the diamond also lets me think about how best to set the diamond, meaning which types of prongs or etc that would best show off the rocks good qualities

Mainly what I am referring to is what David lists with his pics--he'll show the rock in different lightings-then say--this is how the color looks in the  *light box* & then you can see more color.

Now, I understand D color is higher than J & gets a higher price, but I am really interested in so many of these lower colored diamonds. And the lightbox thing, well, I'm wondering what type of light is that that shows how dark the rock is?

I'm also curious about seeing the difference on how a cushion cut hold & shows more color than a brilliant. And am interested to see maybe a J brilliant next to say a J cushion just to see the difference.

LOL--envy--yes, I have seen a bit of that--in fact even in my uneducated diamond state, I could hear that coming through loud & clear-some of the arguments, um, I mean friendly disagreements were just sad.

Anyone viewing the photos & videos can easily tell there was no "smoke & mirrors"--just someone *really* *really* good with a camera, & that no high degree of technology was used, meaning no special effect or photoshopping, or anything of the like.

Davids photos are really noteworthy, not only in the subject--but in what he's able to reveal in his method.
These pictures & videos, they're so realistic, I'd almost say they're *raw* .

That in & of itself is the beauty of his photographs--

David is able to capture the diamonds "warts & all" & consistantly *proves* that
many many times over, the characteristics do not detract from the diamonds beauty & allows for people to make a more educated purchase.

Anyone can read a GIA report, see a diamond plot & know where a diamonds flaws are. Also, from that, anyone can deduce how that will ultimately affect the price, that part is much easier, it's all there on paper.

What that paper will NEVER tell you is what the diamond *feels* like in real life, to the purchaser. The scientific data on the paper is fine, it has it's purpose no doubt, but purchasing a diamond for say an engagement ring, well, there's a *feel* that can't be captured in writing.

 Photography in & of itself is an art, you might have an eye for good photography, but that doesn't mean you can produce it, even with the highest technology camera, you've got to have an "internal feel" for when to capture & be able to deliver.


-it defies logic to *NOT* have all diamonds photographed this way when selling a rock IMHO, but then others I suppose are more afraid of what a photo with that much detail might reveal & how it might affect their *bottom line*, so choose to not be as transparent.
 LOL or maybe they're just not as good with the camera.

Wasn't meaning to turn this into a critique of David's photography, but couldn't help myself, I keep finding the pics & videos so mesmerizing, & I'm learning a LOT.

LOL I'd put just about ANY rock in a ring, not just a *gem*. I wanted to be an archaeologist when I was a child, so understand a lot about rocks, from a science perspective & I love the art in natural form modified by man to create a gem.

My husband bought me a diamond not too long ago that he sent off to GIA. When I saw the report, my heart sank what with the inclusions listed and such. I called David as soon as possible and he advised me to wait and see what the actual stone looks like. He also said he couldn't give me any opinion based on the report without seeing the stone itself.

Like all the wonderful people here pointed out (because yes, I was freaking out just a little), just because there are inclusions or cavities or whatnot that doesn't mean it is a bad diamond.

Catia, are you very color sensitive when it comes to diamonds? The highest color whites seem to be gray to me and so I find I prefer J and lower for the warmth. My N faces up white enough for my tastes even though it is right in the middle of the scale. DBL also has some M's that I am in serious infatuation with. But, people with better eyes than mine, better knowledge, and more sensitivity to color may not be as happy with these colors.

I think David could be a huge help in finding the stone with the Ivory color and a slight brownish tint (not yellow) that you are desiring...when you are ready.  Trust him!