Q&A: Certified vs. Non-certified Diamonds

My fiance & I spent 2.5 hours at a local jeweler and while I thought he had nosebleed prices on loose stones I liked the idea of being able to see the setting in person and make sure it looks good on her finger. That said all of his settings were probably a few hundred higher than Blue Nile or James Allen. I’ve also found a custom jeweler who great work but its of course a bit more expensive. I’m considering buying an 1.0ct, round, excellent cut.

Few questions:
1) Is this extra work worth the effort or are most James Allen / Brian Gavin settings “nice enough”?
2) He had a # of stones that were less exp but not cert’ed; I was convinced I needed GIA – is this the case? Are the other certifications (EGL, etc) sufficient or is GIA a must?
3) Do you have a diamond rec from JA or Brian Gavin in the $5500 – $6500 range?

Thanks much, great work on the site!

Thanks for the answers. Very interesting. I will discuss all with my fiance. I expect we’re going to do a round diamond that will sit in a four prong setting with either pave or 3 diamonds per side on the band. If you have any rec’s on the stone that would be fantastic!

I found this one as an example, what do you think? Should I go down to a better clarity + color but sacrifice some size? My GF is not very flashy, she’s fairly modest but I want to get her something high quality that looks good…

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.02-carat-i-color-si1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-92018?a_aid=dmnd1357

Hello. I’m considering purchasing this stone for $5750. The color is lower than I planned (color i) but its excellent cut with no visible inclusions and is a nice 1.04 size. It has strong fluorescence which probably brought the cost down. i don’t want you to spend much time – maybe just a thumbs up or down? Enjoy the city.

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.04-carat-i-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-160264?a_aid=dmnd1357