Q&A: Choosing a Round or Cushion Cut Diamond for a Halo Platinum Ring With Around $13k-$16k Budget

Hi – first wanted to tell you how great your site is and how much I’ve learned while browsing. I’ve spent many hours filtering through the different categories, hoping I could find the answers to my questions without having to bug you with an email, but I figured this was probably the best approach.

I cannot decide between a round cut or a cushion cut diamond. Cushion seems like the trendy way to go nowadays, however, round diamonds seem like the traditional way to go and they seem like they provide excellent cuts and quality, considering over half of the engagement rings are round diamonds. Is there a specific cut you would recommend based on your experience or is that all personl choice? It seems as if you can get a larger cushion cut diamond for the price, but I’ve read on your site that a round stone actually will look larger than a cushion cut once it’s set? Not sure if that is specific to a certain setting or if that is a general rule?

Now, to the important stuff. My budget is $16K all in and I’d like to go with the setting below, in platinum.

https://www.jamesallen.com/wedding-rings/classic/platinum-pave-set-engagement-ring-round-center-item-18459?a_aid=dmnd1357

This leaves me with approximately $13K-$13,500 to spend on the diamond. Like most people on this site, I’d love to be able to put a 2 carat stone in that ring, but realize the color and cuts may not line up. If you can provide any advice as to which colors will work with the setting and which colors to stay away from, as well as any diamonds you may find to show as an example, I would be really appreciative! Thanks again for maintaining this great site and being a resource to all of us out there, you truly are a lifesaver.

Thanks! 

So I’ve continued my research and I think I’ve narrowed my search down a little bit. I’m looking for an ideal cut round diamond with J or I color and preferably would like to be in the VS2 or SI1 (if possible). My budget is going to max out at $16K for the diamond and the setting (which I’ve included the link below). I originally thought I’d be able to get a 2 carat stone for this budget, but it seems like a lot of the diamonds are in the 1.75 – 1.85 range at VS2 clarity. Couple questions; is there going to be a noticable difference on a 1.8 carat and a 2 carat round diamond once it’s in the setting and would you recommend buying a SI1 diamond over a VS2 to get a larger stone at a better price? If there are any examples of diamonds you think would be great deals, I would welcome those. I’ve included the setting below, thanks in advance for your help!

https://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/halo/platinum-0.29ctw-halo-pave-set-diamond-engagement-ring-item-18297?a_aid=dmnd1357