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Hi!
I need a loose round cut diamond, it will be inserted into engagement ring (platinum solitaire + pave wedding band, produced by another vendor).
Diamond:
– 1 ct (maybe a little bit bigger)
– preferably from James Allen
– ‘Eye-clean’ – I’m not stuck to particular clarity and color, I will rely on your advice
My ballpark budget for a the diamond is $4,000.
For solitaire settings, we usually suggest J+ colored diamonds. But since you are most likely planning to go with a paved wedding band, then I+ colored diamonds would be better to avoid any yellowish hue.
We usually suggest purchasing the diamond and the setting from the same company because then you would benefit from the lifetime warranty. Of course, you can choose a diamond online and get it set in a setting you find at a local jeweler but you won’t get a good warranty. Also, you would need to find a local jeweler who will complete the ring (and you’ll need to pay extra for it). If you decide to buy a diamond and a setting from the same vendor, they’ll complete your ring for free and set the diamond in your preferred setting (with a lifetime warranty). It’s up to you.
Here are some nice options:
www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.01-carat-i-color-si1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-8971813?a_aid=dmnd1357
I’ve just checked – there will be small diamonds of F color. And this is where I’m concerned now. Does that mean that main diamond should also be at least F?
As for setting – I know about the warranty. In our case all but the bigger diamond will be purchased in another country because it’s significantly cheaper. So it makes sense to us to pay some extra for inserting the gem to the setting.
From the options you’ve sent I like #3 the most. But still not sure about the color. So I will wait for your answer about it. On more point, other parameters being equal, I would prefer bigger size to bigger weight.
I color would be a good compromise with a solitaire setting and a wedding band with small diamonds (the melee diamonds aren’t certified and are too small to make a color difference).
If you want, I can recommend some H+ colored diamonds if you would prefer a higher color grade.
My concern is that when seen against F small diamonds (32 diamonds, 0.7 ct total) I colored gem might look yellowish. If you are sure this is not the case – I will try. Just in case if you could look for some H+ – that would be great. As I mentioned – this could be 1ct instead of bigger.
Here are some more options:
www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.01-carat-h-color-si2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-8247831?a_aid=dmnd1357
I checked with manufacturer and small stones are F. Will it be OK if the big stone is I?
It depends on how color sensitive you are. We usually recommend I+ colored diamonds for pave/three stones settings and H+ colored diamonds for halo settings. I would personally say it will be okay to go with I colored diamond but as I said, if you want to be sure, I included also some suggestions with higher color grades. Worst case scenario, if you end up not liking the color of the diamond, you can easily return it and choose a different one. But the two G colored diamonds are reasonably priced and have perfect specs.
OK, I see. Thank you a lot for explanations, that’s my first purchase of this kind, so I might be asking too many questions 🙂
This one seems to be the best choice for me.
Could you please confirm that it should be ‘eye-clean’, meaning those inclusions will not be noticeable for a non-specialist like me and they would not affect brilliance as well as this color is not to seem yellowish?
G color is already in the colorless range, it wouldn’t look yellowish. Also, in my opinion, that diamond is eye-clean – you can ask JA to confirm the eye-cleanliness. But 95% of twinning wisps are not visible to the naked eye. Bear in mind those videos are extremely magnified. If you zoom closer to 10x, you will see it’s not that easy to find the inclusions. I suggest putting it on hold, good diamonds get sold quickly. I think it’s a perfect stone and is reasonably priced.
I was also thinking about
www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.00-carat-g-color-si2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-8088300?a_aid=dmnd1357 – Medium fluorescence might cause a hazy/milky look in daylight. Also, I’m not a huge fan of the cavity.
I bought the stone that you have recommended 🙂
Thank you a lot for your help! If you are interested I can let you know my impressions when the stone arrives.
That’s wonderful news! I hope the stone will meet (or exceed) your expectations. What stone did you end up with?
Please let me know how you like the diamond when it arrives.
Thank you very much! I can’t wait to hear how you like it once it’s in your hands.
It’s so beautiful! My fiancee loves it!
Awesome! I’m glad she’s happy with her new ring.
What we love about them:
- No questions asked returns within 30 days of shipment. James Allen will send you a paid shipping label to return the ring.
- Lifetime Warranty
- Free International Shipping
- Free prong tightening, repolishing, rhodium plating and cleaning every 6 months
- Provide insurance appraisals
- One free resizing within 60 days of purchase
- Free ring inscriptions
- Best-in-class high quality imagery of all diamonds in stock
- 24/7 Customer Service
- Best-in-class packaging
What we love about them:
- No questions asked returns within 30 days of shipment. Blue Nile will send you a paid shipping label to return the ring.
- Lifetime Warranty
- Free Shipping
- Free prong tightening, repolishing, rhodium plating and cleaning every 6 months
- Provide insurance appraisal
- One free resizing within the first year of purchase
- High quality images of about half of their diamonds
- 24/7 Customer Service
- 100% credit towards future upgrades (must be at least double in value)
- Best in class fulfillment
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