Q&A: Round Cut for $15K, Please

In general, we are not fans of Blue Nile. We explain why in our BN review: https://www.diamonds.pro/reviews/blue-nile/

I would recommend a diamond like these:

www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.51-carat-i-color-si1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-115521?a_aid=dmnd1357

I think this is the best choice for you. I would contact someone at JA to see if they have a Half Moon 3-stone option.

If they aren’t able to do that, I suggest contacting Ritani. Here is the alternative I found from them. We have had much more positive feedback about JA, so I suggest giving them a go first.

http://www.ritani.com/diamonds/round-diamond-1-53-Carat-I-color-GIA-certified/D-G1NHV8
What do you think?

That is a big no-no. https://www.diamonds.pro/education/egl/

Walk away from any company that tries to sell you an EGL diamond. That diamond is nowhere near a J VS2. EGL certificates are used for one purpose only; to deceive consumers into overpaying for a diamond.

I have not heard anything personally about that wholesaler, but I’d be shocked if they offered better value.

Since that setting is 2k cheaper than the one you found on BN, can you up the budget for the center diamond?

Costco is ok for diamonds, but not great. They are not that flexible in their offering and don’t have much service. If they were cheaper, I’d say give it a shot. But it doesn’t really make much sense to me.

I would recommend this diamond for you:

www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.82-carat-i-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-203532?a_aid=dmnd1357

I would not drop below I color with that type of setting. If you really want to go about 2ct, I’d go with this one:

www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/2.05-carat-j-color-si1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-204916?a_aid=dmnd1357

…….

Hah, I just sent you a couple. That one is ok, but I don’t like that imperfection right in the center. It will probably be eye-clean, but I’m not sure. The problem with something like that is, if/when someone notices it, they won’t be able to see anything but it.

We recommend other sites/wholesalers. I already mentioned Ritani to you. www.bluenile.com is another. But I think JA really offers the best value for you. We have had amazing feedback from our readers about them and their jewelry. I don’t think its worth running around looking for an alternative when they won’t be saving you anything significant.

Had you found something I thought was a great deal, I’d say go for it. But there would be no end to searching looking to save a couple of bucks. I looked at IGS; there doesn’t seem to be any compelling reason to go with them.

We are not fans of the Leo diamond. It’s just a gimmick brand without legitimate certification. I would rather spend money on a GIA certified excellent cut H SI than on that.

Why is that decent? I don’t understand. Being able to say ‘I’m getting the diamond at half price’ doesn’t mean anything if the original price was more than double its worth. As I’m explaining (and maybe I’m not doing that well), a GIA certified 1ct GH SI1 excellent cut (which would end up costing you the same as that) is a superior choice to the Leo diamond. I know the Leo very well. Leo Schachter (the creator and supplier of the brand) was where I started my career and learned everything about diamonds (as did Ira).

You probably shouldn’t say this to your friend, but he made a big mistake buying that diamond. There are diamonds out there that are branded and give you a beautiful ring. Hearts on Fire is very overpriced, but they are superior to your typical excellent cut. We would recommend buying a non-branded version of the Hearts on Fire to save money. But if you told me you want the HOF, at least you are getting a beautiful diamond. A Leo (in our opinion) offers no extra value whatsoever and may very well be inferior (GIA’s cut grade is far superior to the Gemex gimmick certificate. Additionally the color/clarity may be off).

Lab created diamonds are generally not worth the money (they aren’t that much cheaper, don’t have GIA certs and have no resale value at all). If you’ve seen a CZ in person and like the way it looks, go for it. I’m all about saving money. I don’t know anything about CZ brands though.