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Q&A: Choosing a Round Diamond for a Yellow Gold Petite Pave Setting With Up to £4,000 Budget

By Mike Fried,

Hi guys

Great website, very informative.

My budget is around £3,000 to £4,000 for the full ring.
My partner has olive skin and prefers yellow gold. Based on this I have chosen this setting:
Petite Diamond Engagement Ring

From what I’ve read from you and others, I’m looking for something along the lines of colour I or J, clarity SI1 or VSI2, with an ideal cut and weight as much as I can manage in my budget. So far I’ve found a couple of potentials:

Blue Nile LD00011813
Blue Nile LD09804205

Any assistance would be most appreciated.

Thanks!

For the type of setting you selected, J+ diamond is the way to go. It will look colorless.

As for the diamonds you sent me, I’m not a huge fan of the LD00011813. Strong fluorescence on an I color is an issue, it usually causes haziness. The other diamond is beautiful, I like it a lot. Good find!

Here’s a J-color alternative:
Blue Nile LD09407148

It’s fantastically cut, eye-clean and will be very brilliant.

What do you think?

I love the diamond you suggested, so it’s a definite maybe. Overall I would like to go with a nice-looking SI1 if possible so that I can splash out and buy something a bit bigger. This one would put me at the top of my range – do you approve?

Blue Nile LD08280712

You’re welcome.

The newest diamond is a big no-no. Its cert says “clarity grade based on clouds not shown.” This means there is a very large cloud that covers a large percentage of the diamond and saps the brilliance from it. You should never buy a diamond with this note.

was about to buy the one you recommended, but it has gone!

I’ve found a couple of alternatives myself:

Blue Nile LD09621802
Blue Nile LD09609969 (no certificate on the website – is this a red flag?)
Blue Nile LD08352091 (black dot, but right at the outside, unlikely to show up on a ring?)
Blue Nile LD09938634

Hopefully at least one of these will get your thumbs up, and will still be available when I try to buy!

I like the LD08352091 the most. It’s very nicely cut and the black crystal can be easily hidden under a prong. Good find!

I bought LD08352091!

Thank you so much!

My pleasure.

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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