Q&A: Ideal Cut Round Diamond Just Under 1 Carat for $4K Budget

Thank you so much for all the information on your website. It is exactly the information I was looking for. I find it way too easy to get caught up with features in diamonds beyond what the naked eye can see.

I was wondering if you could help me select a diamond for an engagement ring. I like what you’ve written about JamesAllen, and I’ve selected a setting that I think is perfect. I’m looking at JamesAllen Item#: 17123P (in platinum) and was wondering if you could suggest a diamond for it.

My budget for the diamond is around $4k and I was thinking of selecting a weight size in the sweet-spot right before the 1 Carat jump. I was thinking of matching the color of the side stones (F-G), but I’m open to whatever advice you may have. I like seeing pictures of the diamonds on the website, but I don’t really know what to look for and would appreciate your expert advice.

Many thanks in advance

Thanks for the quick reply. I have a few questions about your recommendations:

Option 1: I see the inclusion on the side that I image could be covered by the prong. Am I correct? The only other thing that I noticed is that the center is quite hazy. Does this mean that the diamond might be a tad milky? I imaging the tiny white scratches in the middles will be imperceptible to the naked eye, is this a correct statement?

Option 2: This one seem extremely clear (or is it just the picture?). In your opinion, will the inclusions be visible to the naked eye? Also, will the yellow in the middle be noticeable?

Thanks again

Thanks a lot for the info. I’m really torn right now between those two options. I’m leaning towards option 2, but I’m just concerned that the inclusions might bother me. Do you think they’ll be visible to the naked eye once installed in the setting?

When diamonds deviate from color-less, it is my understanding that they mostly go towards yellow or blue in some cases. Is there any way to know which way these two options are leaning towards? From the pictures, it looks like option 1 in leaning towards blue while the option 2 is leaning towards yellow (I prefer blue). Am I just looking too much into the pictures? (I imagine they could just be reflections of the environment)

Of the two options you’ve suggested, which one would you go with?
…….
What is your opinion of the following diamond:

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/F-SI2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1371187.asp

It is listed at over 10% above rapaport pricing, but looks really clear. I see one inclusion at 9 o’clock that could be covered by the prong, and a small one at 4 o’clock – both really close to the edges. Am I missing anything else? Let me know what you think.

Thank you so much for all your help. I’ve placed the order with the 0.83-F-SI2 diamond below, I figured saving $1k for a 0.2 mm diameter difference was worth it. Can’t wait to see it!

Thanks again for your expert help, much appreciated.