Q&A: Looking for 1 Carat Round Diamond for Side Stone Setting

Hey Ira, thanks for your site and your open offer to help in looking for diamonds.

Basically, I’m looking for a round diamond ~1.00 carats and up, and am willing to spend up to about $6000.

Based on what I’ve read on your site, I scanned through James Allen and found the following potentials, the first being the one I thought was the best value/quality balance.

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-SI2-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1517664.asp

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-SI2-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1497681.asp

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-VS1-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1493181.asp

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-VS1-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1450863.asp

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-SI2-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1495593.asp

Also, I had planned to put it in this setting:

http://www.arthursjewelers.com/Simon-G/Simon-G-Engagement-Rings/Simon-G-18kw-.25tw-Diamond-Ring/MR1498/23/

which has some side stones, but G-H color and VS clarity, so I figured the above H and I options were probably ok.

Since I would be buying the ring separately, is it best to just send the ring to James Allen or wherever I end up getting the diamond to have them set it? James Allen informed me that it would be a $100 setting fee, which doesn’t seem that bad.

Thoughts? Thanks again.

Thanks for the feedback.

After I got you email, the 1 carat stone was purchased by someone else.

I was browsing and placed a hold for this stone:

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-SI2-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1512142.asp

It’s a little bigger and more expensive. Do you think it’s of comparable quality to the other H color stone that you previously picked?

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-SI2-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1497681.asp

Is the larger stone worth the price difference of $500?

Thanks again

Thanks again, Ira. I went ahead and changed the hold I had to the 0.95

Now I’m just waiting to get my new credit card so that I can meet some minimum spend requirements and get a bunch of free frequent flier miles in the process.

Credit card came in today, and just purchased the 0.95 stone.

I was chatting with the James Allen rep online, and was asking about their policy about setting one of their stones in setting from somewhere else. The rep said that they may not be able to set the stone, because the ring style i had chosen has a cross prong design that has to be customized to the specific stone (i attached a photo of the ring). I was under the impression that ring designers would just make 1 variety that would fit a number of different sized stones and that jewelers would make the necessary changes/adjustments to each ring to fit a diamond. Am I mistaken?

In view of the above concerns, is it more advisable to have the setting done by whichever jeweler I end up getting the ring from?

Lastly, if my gf is sorta between ring sizes, is it better to get a ring that a little bigger or a little smaller? Which is easier to resize?

Again, thanks so much for all your advice.