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Q&A: Choosing 3 Round Diamonds for a Three-Stone Pave Ring with £4,000 Budget

By Mike Fried,

Hi, I’ve selected this ring:

Three-Stone Pavé Diamond Engagement Ring 14k White Gold
Blue Nile LD14101461
Blue Nile LD13837637-LD13885161

Would you recommend any changes? I’m not sure what’s a good balance in terms of specifications for the central diamond and the two smaller ones on each side.

Unfortunately, I wouldn’t recommend the diamonds you selected. They are not very well cut, plus the center stone has a knot which is a big problem.

I’m happy to find some better options if you like. May I ask what’s your maximum budget for the three stones?

That’s exactly why I got in contact! Budget for stones is GBP 4,000.

I found the following trio:
Blue Nile LD14083025
Blue Nile LD14102414
Blue Nile LD13919277

Unfortunately, I didn’t find any good looking larger diamonds with lower clarity grades. These three are fantastically cut and match perfectly. They’d look amazing in a three-stone setting.

I think it looks great. I have a couple of questions.

1. This is more a personal interest question for my own learning more than anything else. I was selecting diamonds based on specifications on the search filters for the 4Cs based on what I read on your site and what I heard from Michael Fried on a podcast. How did I end up with diamonds which were not optimal? Was there something missing in the specification I was filtering for, or perhaps it was down to not having a professional/experienced eye and the criteria I set was ok but a good eye can still leave you with a better diamond. Both those reasons? Something else?

2. I’m having a bit of trouble navigating/specifying the ring with the diamonds you selected on the site. Would you be able to send me a link with the ring and 3 diamonds all together? Want to make sure I buy exactly the specification you’ve recommended!

1) 55-60% of all round diamonds receive an Excellent cut grade from GIA. So they can have the same grades but there is still a wide range within that quality. There are no uniform cut parameters, but an expert knows what to look for. I don’t just search for excellent cuts, I further limit the search parameters to find diamonds with maximum brilliance. There are also other things that you have to check to make sure the diamond won’t be dull (inclusions, comments, fluorescence…).

2) Here you go: Ring

Thanks for the fast reply! I’m gonna go ahead with the 3 diamonds you selected.

That’s wonderful news!

James Allen James Allen is the leader in online diamond sales. Their imaging technology is the same as inspecting a diamond with a jeweler's loupe. They have the largest exclusive loose diamond inventory online and fantastic prices. They also have the nicest collection of lab-created diamonds online.
What we love about them:
  • No questions asked returns within 30 days of shipment. James Allen will send you a paid shipping label to return the ring.
  • Lifetime Warranty
  • Free International Shipping
  • Free prong tightening, repolishing, rhodium plating and cleaning every 6 months
  • Provide insurance appraisals
  • One free resizing within 60 days of purchase
  • Free ring inscriptions
  • Best-in-class high quality imagery of all diamonds in stock
  • 24/7 Customer Service
  • Best-in-class packaging
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Blue Nile Blue Nile is the largest and most well-known internet jewelry seller. They have a very large exclusive online inventory. Their high-quality images are catching up to James Allens' and their prices are amazing. Save 25% on settings at Blue Nile!

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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
  • Free Shipping
  • Free prong tightening, repolishing, rhodium plating and cleaning every 6 months
  • Provide insurance appraisal
  • One free resizing within the first year of purchase
  • High quality images of about half of their diamonds
  • 24/7 Customer Service
  • 100% credit towards future upgrades (must be at least double in value)
  • Best in class fulfillment
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