Q&A: Student in Switzerland on Tight Budget of $2K

Thank you for your great website. I have been following your articles since a year now, and it’s time that I ask for your help as many other did before me 🙂 I must admit that you are the best source of good and unbiased diamond counseling on the web.

First, I will tell you a bit about myself, so you can understand what I am looking for. I come from Moldova, which is a small country in Eastern Europe and for the past 5 years I have been living in Switzerland (thanks to a scholarship paying for my studies). Thus, as you might understand, the financial part is very important for me, but on the other side I am deeply in love for almost 5 years now, and I really want to surprise my queen with something special 🙂

Now, what I’m looking for… My max budget is $2k for the diamond, plus $625 for a 18K white gold pave setting. Of course, like many others I want the biggest size possible for this tight budget, but on the other side I’m a bit of a perfectionist, therefore, I’m really afraid getting a diamond with visible inclusions. Thus, I’m asking for your help on this matter. As well, I should be very careful with what I’m ordering as returning this ring for me will be almost impossible (I will have to pay duties upon receiving the ring, which are not refunded later + I’m to propose my girlfriend in the upcoming weeks).

After this long email, please let me summarize everything to make it easier for you:

Budget: ideally around $1’800, max $2’000

Cut: Ideal

Color: H or above

Clarity: as a non-expert I would choose VS2 or above, but if you could suggest me a SI1 that would be clean to the naked eye, I would owe you big time

Carat: around 0.6, but of course the bigger the better ))

Here what I managed to find. Please let me know which is the best choice, or may be there is something better out there for me.

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-SI1-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1499781.asp

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-SI1-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1498717.asp

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1496991.asp -> this one only if you think it is worth overpaying keeping in mind that I do not have the option to return it.

Lastly, I have a short question and would be very grateful if you would explain me: why on some pictures even F diamonds look yellowish?? Is it because of the lighting?

Thank you very much, Ira and sorry for the long message. Have a nice day and greetings from Switzerland 🙂

Thank you for your email. I would love to meet you, but unfortunately I live in Lausanne, which is at 3 hours by train from Zurich 🙁

Because of a technical problem with my bank, I asked them to put it on hold until Thursday. Indeed, it is a very nice one 🙂 I will make to sure to mention your website when buying it (I hope that the automatic program will still manage to track that I came to JA using your link taking into consideration the mess with holding the item).

Thank you for your time and consideration, Mike. I wish you all the best and I will send you a picture of the ring, once I get it. I think it’s very useful for those reading your website to see the final product.

…….

I still didn’t buy the ring. The diamond is on hold until tomorrow. I’ve been thinking lately that the diamond is gorgeous, but then I’m left without any more for the proposal part 🙁 (as well, I’m afraid that I’m paying for something that an average person would not be able to appreciate).

Thus, I tried to find something cheaper and here is what I found:

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-SI1-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1495444.asp

This diamond is 165$ cheaper and as I’m still a student it sounds like a lot to me. As well, when comparing the two, I’m thinking that the two diamonds might look the same to 99% of the people.

What do you think about this? Should I stick to the “old” one?

Thank you, Mike!