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Q&A: Choosing a .9 Ct. Round Brilliant for a Yellow Gold Solitaire With Up to $7,000 Budget

By Mike Fried,

Hello, first I want to thank you for providing all of this information on the website!

I am looking for a round diamond in the $3k-$7k range. I want to keep it around 0.9 carats, +/- 0.1 carat. The diamond will be placed on an 18k gold solitaire setting.

My most important factor is value. I want a nice white diamond with maximum sparkle, and I do not want to “waste” money on extra clarity that will never be seen except under a microscope.

I have been to a few jewelry stores, each providing basic tidbits along the way. Any tips you could provide with the recommendation would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

Just to make sure we’re on the same page here, are you using yellow gold? For a yellow gold solitaire, J/K color is what we usually recommend and it looks great. Clarity grade is not that important as long as the diamond is eye-clean.

I looked around and I like these options for you:
www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.91-carat-k-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-2500551?a_aid=dmnd1357

www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.90-carat-j-color-si1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-2499149?a_aid=dmnd1357

They are beautifully cut, eye-clean and either of them will be very brilliant.

What do you think?

Thank you. I will review later tonight.

Quick follow up question tho, do you recommend the J/K color because the eye “merges” the gold band and the diamond? Any noticeable difference to the eye if I went up to an H or G color (besides price)?

Thank you!

Great, let me know how you feel about them.

Regarding the color, you are right. The metal will add a slight hue to the diamond so going much higher doesn’t really make sense. You’d get the same look for the naked eye with a significant price difference.

You have single handedly saved me so much. I would have thought to go for a G color but I won’t now. I think I can afford a larger diamond. I will email you in a few weeks once my house sale closes and I get cash freed up. I will have a final carat weight/recommendation.

Do you think it is worth the extra cash for the true hearts cut from James Allen?

That’s exactly why we are here.

To be perfectly honest, we’re not huge fans of the “True hearts” collection. The diamonds are usually more expensive with no additional bonus.

Feel free to get back in touch once you are ready to continue with the process.

can you show me a recommended 1.3 carat round diamond – I want to know how much I need budgeted and if I will still be able to go with J color in this larger stone. It will be set in 18 karat gold.

I want it to look colorless kind a like this pic, Although I know this one is an oval ?:

Sure, here you go:
www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.30-carat-j-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-2108034?a_aid=dmnd1357

It’s fantastically cut and will look colorless in that setting you have in mind.

What do you think?

I love it – I just want to confirm I’d see no value added with a G color in my setting!?

Great! Getting a G-color diamond would be a waste of money. You wouldn’t see the difference in colors with the naked eye.

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.
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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
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