Q&A: Marquise Diamond for $3500 Budget

Ive been researching and shopping for diamonds for a few weeks, and have found your site very helpful and informative. Im looking for a marquise cut diamond for my fiance-to-be. Id like to stick to a budget for the stone and setting combined around $4500-5000. Im looking for a stone 1 carat or better if at all possible (or at least as close to 1 carat as posible), eye clean, color H or better, very good cut or better. LxW ratio in the range of 1.8-2.0. I’d like to keep the cost of the stone itself under $3500. Do you feel like this a reasonable goal?

One stone that Ive found that seems to be a good deal is here:

http://www.b2cjewels.com/dd-2385131-1.09-carat-Marquise-diamond-H-color-VS2-clarity.aspx

You can view a .pdf of the certificate and see a diagram of the location/type of the inclusions. What are your thoughts? I realize that you cant know for sure if the stone is eye-clean without seeing it.

Feel free to respond with any stones that you find that you think are a good or better or safer bet than the one I linked.

Any advice on the possibility of buying the stone and setting separately? In the event that the setting I want isnt available on the site I happen to find a stone I could have the stone set locally if need be.

Thanks in advance, I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Thanks for writing and the kind words about the site! You’ve probably noticed that I have CCed to this email someone named Michael. Michael is a former colleague of mine when I was a traveling diamond salesman. We’re also good friends and actually used to travel quite often together. I’ve convinced Michael to join me here at The Diamond Pro to help out people like you. He’s just joined, so in the meantime, I want him to “watch” as I help people so he can get a feel for what I do.

Now back to diamonds! Unfortunately, you can’t really tell if a stone will be eye clean or not from an inclusion plot. Inclusion plots only tell you the location, size, and type of the inclusions in a stone. But the most important factors for determining eye cleanliness are color and opaqueness.

Furthermore, MQs are one of those shapes that you really can’t buy blindly. There are so many factors that the cert just doesn’t mention. You can’t know what the slope of the curve will be around the stone from the cert. Some MQs are more football shaped, looking more like ovals but with points at the end. While some go gradually from the center of the stone to the points. These are all fundamental issues that relate to how a MQ looks – so to buy one without seeing it really is a mistake. This is especially true with MQ, Pear and Oval shapes since the vast majority of what’s out there in the market is total junk.

So here’s what I like for you:

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-SI2-Ideal-Cut-Marquise-Diamond-1384447.asp

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Marquise-Diamond-1377948.asp

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-SI1-Premium-Cut-Marquise-Diamond-1383145.asp

Let me know what you think about these!

As for the question of getting the stone and ring set in different places – it’s always best to have the same place do both for you, but if you can’t make it work, I have helped many many people get the stone online and hit up a local store for the ring and setting job.

Thanks for your helpful response. The first diamond you linked is a SI2 diamond…it looks a little rough in the picture? Will it definitely be clean to the eye?

yes, I definitely believe so. MQ are one of the best shapes for hiding inclusions.

Do you mind giving me your thoughts on these stones?

Im thinking that MQ stones with a ratio of 1.8 or 1.9 will look best in the setting i have in mind.

Some of the stones ive looked at have a symmetry rating of Good. Symmetry seems like it would be a little more important with this particular shape…do you think that a rating of good will be too noticeably misshaped?

1. https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/F-SI1-Premium-Cut-Marquise-Diamond-1378924.asp

2. https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/D-SI2-Premium-Cut-Marquise-Diamond-1337257.asp

3.https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/F-SI2-Premium-Cut-Marquise-Diamond-1384443.asp

4.https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/F-SI2-Ideal-Cut-Marquise-Diamond-1384445.asp

of the original 3 that you suggested to me i like this one the best:

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-SI2-Ideal-Cut-Marquise-Diamond-1384447.asp

Although it is a little longer in shape than i think is ideal for my particular setting. How does the value of this stone compare to the 4 i linked above?

thanks again for your input.

I’m very sorry for the delay. I’m on vacation now with my family. My colleague Michael will be happy to help you out.

…….

I took a look at the diamonds and it seems like the one Ira chose is the best value.

As for symmetry, it is almost impossible to find VG grades on marquise diamonds (I’m not sure why it is that GIAs grade is so stringent on that). I have looked at hundreds of good symmetry MQs and practically all of them are fine.

Let me know what you decide.

I would like to thank you again for helping me select a diamond. I purchased the one you pointed me too and am very happy with it 🙂

I’ve attached a picture of the stone in the setting. I have one last question for you:

Most marquise diamond are set with v shaped prongs on either end of the diamond to protect the points, although James Allen set this one with a common six prongs. Do you think this will provide sufficient protection or should i request that they set it with v shaped prongs?

Thanks again

The ring looks amazing!! I don’t think you need to worry about the prong. Only send it back if you like the look of the v-prong better.

Thanks! And congrats!

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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
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Provide insurance appraisal
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