Q&A: Choosing a Round Diamond for a Beautiful Vintage Ring Within a $10,000-$12,500 Budget

Hi! I love your website and have learned so much from reading it. Now that I’m about to make a purchase, I wanted to reach out directly and ask for your assistance.

I’m creating a new ring, and would love some input on stones. I’m using Blue Nile’s diamond upgrade program so am limited to what they offer.

The budget for the stone is $10,000-$12,500. I’m looking for the most beautiful round brilliant diamond I can get within my budget. I am less specific about carat weight, other than that the stone fit a specific vintage filigree setting that says it takes an 8mm stone – I think a slightly smaller diameter would still fit.

The setting is here: (https://hugokohl.com/shop-the-jewelry/rings-and-semi-mounts/vintage-and-filigree-round-cut-rings/r023/). It is 14k white gold; size is a 5.

Thank you so much in advance for any recommendations or guidance you can share. I can’t wait to hear from you and to order this beautiful ring.

Thanks for you very helpful advice here. I noticed the first stone you highlighted in your email has since been reserved/sold. I didn’t move fast enough on that one, so I’m wondering if there is anything else you see on Blue Nile that could be comparable.

I wanted to let you know we purchased this stone that you recommended: Blue Nile LD11696424

It arrived today and is breathtaking. Thank you for your guidance and the quick response. I’m going to enjoy this stone for years and years to come.

I wanted to send along photos of the result. the first photo is the diamond before I had it set; the second is in the current setting. Thanks so much for all your help!