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I am looking to buy an engagement ring (solitaire in platinum ideally 2ct) and as I’m in the UK I’ve been primarily looking at Blue Nile. I found this diamond which seems a good combination of colour and clarity (not too high), carat (my desired 2ct), and cut (ideal):
My worry is that because all the inclusions are in one location so centrally in the diamond they will be visible to the naked eye.
Blue Nile LD14126465 – I don’t think the inclusion would be visible. Bear in mind those videos are extremely magnified. But the strong fluorescence might cause a hazy/milky look in daylight. That’s why I wouldn’t recommend it. But that stone is nicely cut.
I found these alternatives:
Blue Nile LD13927507
Blue Nile LD14084454
Blue Nile LD14083329
I like the look of the second one (Blue Nile LD14084454) but am concerned about the colour – although this diamond will be in a solitaire setting I think the band sitting right next to it will be pavé. I appreciate that this diamond will still look great and colourless on its own, but next to a bunch of smaller diamonds (so likely a “higher” colour rating I assume) I’m worried that the “lower” colour will be obvious. Is this a rational worry or not?
For a solitaire setting, you can get even J colored diamonds. But in case of bigger diamonds, it’s better to choose I+ colored stones if possible. And since the wedding band will contain some melee diamonds, I color is perfectly fine. The melee diamonds aren’t certified and are too small to make a color difference. Did you have a chance to see some diamonds in person?
OK so a colour of I won’t appear off-white with some melee diamonds on a wedding band next to it, that’s good to know. I was going for G coloured diamonds before because of this worry.
Yes we saw some diamonds together in some big shops (Tiffany & De Beers) so we could see what she liked and could see how things like colour didn’t matter unless there was a “better” colour diamond nearby.
Is the number of claws holding on the diamond in the setting anything but aesthetics? I see 4 and 6 claws are quite common and obviously I’m keen for the diamond to not come loose. Should I look for something here or are all the settings from known shops like Blue Nile going to be fine in this respect?
As for the setting, it’s a matter of personal taste and preference. Six prong solitaire settings might theoretically secure the diamond a bit better. But four prong setting are already made in a way they secure the diamond properly. Generally speaking, the less metal around the diamond, the better the light refraction. But there won’t be any significant difference between 4 and 6 prong settings in terms of light performance. BN offer free cleaning and they check the prongs so that the center stone isn’t loose.
Thank you again for your help.
I’m going to choose one of the ones you initially recommended: Blue Nile LD14084454.
I’m glad I could help you.
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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