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Q&A: Choosing a Marquise Cut Diamond for a Halo Setting with Around £1,900 Budget

By Mike Fried,

Hi can you please advise me on this marquise stone www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/marquise-cut/1.05-carat-k-color-si2-clarity-sku-4443308?a_aid=dmnd1357

I’m looking for something to set in a custom halo ring in either yellow or rose gold. Diamond size needs to be around a minimum of 10.5 x 5.5 but bigger is good. Budget is tight at no more than £1,900 GBP. Thanks for your help.

I’m afraid that this K color stone is not eye-clean. Also, K is a low grade and the stone will look warm/yellow. Since you plan on using a halo style, I wouldn’t go lower than for an H or max I color grade. The budget you mentioned is for the stone including taxes?

The 0.65 carat is not eye-clean. The 0.61 carat diamond is beautiful with great overall specs. I checked and this one seems to be the best option at the moment. If you like it, go for it.

Local jeweler seems to think they can sell me a better stone than the 0.61 for way more, says the 0.61 will be too shallow and not sparkle as it faces up large for such a light carat weight and as it only has good symmetry that will be an issue.
He hasn’t seen it though and I really like the stone as it looks nice on the 360 video. So confusing as I can see you feel it’s an ok stone.

Well, jewelers and salespeople would often say anything to sell you the stones they have. I’m not saying that this is the situation. And if he has a better option for you, I’m happy to have a look at the stone and comment on it, too.

We want you to get the best bang for your buck. At the same time, what’s the stone he is trying to sell you? Is it GIA or AGS certified? If so, feel free to send me the number of the cert. And also, could you please send me a picture of it? I need to check the bow-tie effect.

Yes, the depth of the 0.61 is at the lower end of what we would recommend. But I think that it will look great. And the overall impression of this diamond seems to be fantastic. It is eye-clean, colorless, almost no bow-tie. So I don’t see a reason to worry about that. I noticed that it’s sold. Did you purchase it? If so, you can also go and compare it with the stone he offers. Plus you can send it back to JA as they have free returns.

Just make sure that the stones you look at are GIA or AGS certified (these two labs are legitimate and they serve as a proof that you receive what you pay for).
https://www.diamonds.pro/education/diamond-certification/#gia-certification
https://www.diamonds.pro/education/diamond-certification/#ags-certification

Thanks so much for getting back to me. I have found your advice and experience very helpful. I bought the 0.61, as I thought it had sparkle, minimal bow tie, appears almost colourless/ eye clean for its grade and faces up as a larger stone than it is. Once again thanks for your help 🙂

That’s fantastic news! I’m very pleased to hear that you found our services helpful.

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
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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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