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Q&A: Choosing a Round, Emerald or Princess Cut Diamond for a White Gold Solitaire Ring With $3,500 Total Budget

By Mike Fried,

I am looking to buy an engagement ring.

Total purchase price including the ring is in the circa £3-3.5k

I am based in the UK and I like the emerald shape. What minimum grades should I go for?

Thanks for any help you’re able to offer.

If you are going with a white gold setting, I’d recommend an H color for the center stone. Clarity grade is more important for emeralds and I usually search in the VS2+ range and pick the best eye-clean diamond I find.

I like these options for you:
Blue Nile LD10155263

Blue Nile LD10512189

They are well cut, eye-clean and either of them will make a beautiful ring.

What do you think?

Thanks for getting back to me so quickly!

I am at the starting phase of this process although I have been reading a fair amount about what I should be looking for although regardless of this it’s still a confusing process so help will be much appreciated.

Having thought further on this I feel perhaps I should be looking at the princess diamond as opposed to emerald.

One question that could help at this time is typically what is the price difference between a round and a princess diamond if everything else about the stone is the same other than the shape?

Rounds are generally more expensive, but it depends on each individual diamond. It also depends on the style setting you’re using as different settings suit different color grades better. Are you going with a solitaire, a pave/side stone, or a halo setting?

I was just thinking of the solitaire setting in white gold.

For a simple solitaire setting, you can go with a J+ color round diamond or an I+ princess cut:
Blue Nile LD10874536

Blue Nile LD10587735

Great!

I am more decided on what I am looking for now and planning on a purchase in the next couple of weeks so would be grateful for your advice.

Based on my research my selection criteria is more defined than it was and is as follows:

Carat 1+
Cut very good +
Colour I+
Clarity SI-1+ but eye clean
Good proportions
Polish/symetery good+
And I am now looking for a princess cut.

Here’s a new recommendation:
Blue Nile LD10961097

It’s the best priced eye-clean option I found in the SI+ range. It’s going to look amazing.

Thoughts?

Brilliant!

Thank you so much for the help 😊😊

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.
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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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