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Q&A: Choosing a Cushion Cut Diamond for a Rose Gold Setting Within a $3,000 Budget

By Mike Fried,

Hi,

I’m currently looking for a cushion cut diamond to be set into a rose gold solitaire ring (he setting in the link below)

Petite Solitaire Engagement Ring

I have read through your guides on cushion cut diamonds (which are extremely informative) and I think the two diamonds in the links below from Blue Nile could be good.

0.7 Carat, H colour, VVS2
Blue Nile LD10494037

0.73 Carot H Colour VS1
Blue Nile LD10523743

I’ve tried to look for diamonds that have table and depth values that you recommend. However, I am concerned that I am looking at the wrong colour setting for a rose gold setting. Also, should I be concerned about the girdle thickness? The first diamond is medium to thick where as the second is slightly thick to very thick.

Would you recommend either of these diamonds or would you advise looking at something entirely different? Budget wise, I think the max cost of the diamond will be $3000 (2400.00 GBP as I am buying from the UK).

Any advice would be hugely appreciated!

The diamonds you found are absolutely beautiful, they are perfect in every way. The girdle thickness is not a concern, as long as it’s not extremely thick/thin, it’s fine. And H color is our usual recommendation for cushion cuts for RG settings, it looks absolutely colorless.

However, while the diamonds you selected are truly fantastic, I found an equally gorgeous option for almost 1,000 less:
Blue Nile LD12623605

The diamond you found looks fantastic and I am always interested in saving a lot of money! To my eyes they look the same. I can see that the cut on this diamond is Very good whereas the others were “Astor ideal cut”. Does this mean that there is a big difference in the quality of the cut? I noticed on the GIA report that they don’t report the cut for the cushion diamonds. Is the Astor ideal cut just specific to Blue Nile and is it worth paying the premium associated with it?

Thanks again for your suggestion. I’m very tempted to get this diamond!

All the diamonds we’ve shared in this thread so far (yours + mine) are equally well cut. As you say, GIA doesn’t give cut grade to cushion cuts so what you are seeing are Blue Nile’s subjective grades.

We use our own parameters to maximize brilliance on cushion cut diamonds: depth % between 60-69 and table % below 69.

All this makes the diamond I recommended an excellent choice.

That’s what I hoped to hear! In that case I will go ahead and order the ring with the diamond you suggested. I will do this when I get in from work later today and will confirm the email address I used.

Thank you very much for your help. I’m really happy with the outcome!

I’m always happy to be the bearer of good news!

Let me know how it goes with the purchase.

I’ve gone ahead and purchased the diamond you recommended with the rose gold ring!

That’s great news! You got yourself a beautiful diamond.

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. Get 30% off lab-grown diamonds during a limited time sale.
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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)
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