We are reader-supported. Buying through any red colored link on our site may earn us commissions. Learn More.
Hello! My fiancé and I have a solid solitaire platinum setting (6-prong) we are looking to purchase and are looking for a diamond around $3,500 or less. We were interested in one at a jewelry store (Leo), but found out it was GSI certified rather than GIA or AGS as you would recommend. Can you help us find a good one with out being ripped off? We poked around the James Allen & Blue Nile website (VS2, H, Excellent Cuts, 0.7-1 Carat, inscribed, GIA certified). We weren’t sure in terms of table, depth, fluorescence, polish, etc what would be best. Thanks!
You are leaning towards the right direction. It’s always worth to get GIA certified diamonds.
For a simple solitaire setting you can easily drop in color to an I or even a J and it’ll still look fantastic.
I looked around and I love this diamond for you:
Blue Nile LD07816738
It’s fantastically cut and will be incredibly brilliant.
What do you think?
Sounds good. Thanks for your help! Do you have any thoughts on James Allen versus Blue Nile? What specs would you recommend compromising to get up to 0.9 Carat?
Thanks!
You’re welcome.
Both James Allen and Blue Nile are reputable companies and we recommend them to our readers often. Choosing one or the other always depends on each reader’s specific requirements. In your case, I searched for the largest diamond within your budget and found it on Blue Nile. But I can suggest some JA diamonds as well:
www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.83-carat-i-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-2185608?a_aid=dmnd1357
It’s also very well cut.
Dropping in color to a J would be the way to get a larger diamond:
Blue Nile LD07635417
Either of them will looks great in a solitaire setting. Thoughts?
Thanks for all the options! Sorry I was a little MIA during the past week due to the holiday. I really like the first option you sent. Can you find any options similar to that one with a slightly better color (willing to pay a little more for an H color). Thanks again for all your help.
You’re welcome.
This one looks great to me:
www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.80-carat-h-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-2139502?a_aid=dmnd1357
It’s beautifully cut.
Thoughts?
That one looks great too. Thanks. Now just have to decide. In your professional opinion, is a higher clarity at the sacrifice of lower color better than lower clarity for slightly better color?
Thanks.
Thank you.
Well, the clarity grade is not that important as long as the diamond is eye-clean. The thing is when it’s eye-clean, it’s simply eye-clean, so it’s not necessary to pay a premium for a higher clarity grade (and get the same look with a significant price difference).
Great, thanks for the advice. We are now just deciding which one of the recommended diamonds to get.
Alright.
Let me know what you decide on in the end.
Will do. We will be deciding soon.
……
We went ahead and tried to purchase the very first opinion you recommended, we ended up being too slow, as we were notified a day after we placed our order it was purchased just before our order :(.
We are now set on finding a similar option and would like to give you credit in helping us still. How are the below options in your opinion (are they good diamonds comparison to a screen shot of GIA report of the first you recommended below):
Blue Nile LD07542307
Blue Nile LD07942110
That’s too bad.
The new diamonds look good, but if you care about some added brilliance, this one would be my recommendation:
Blue Nile LD07645990
It’s larger than the diamonds you found and will be much more brilliant.
Thoughts?
Is it the depth and table that make this one more brilliant in comparison to the others? Could you help us find an H color?
Thanks.
Exactly. We like to keep the depth% around 61.5 to maximize brilliance. How well the diamond is cut depends on its proportions and the angles ((different angles work better with different depth/table combinations).
Here’s a great H color option:
Blue Nile LD07220654
However, if you are still thinking a solitaire, you don’t have to aim that high in terms of color. You’ll get the same look for the naked eye with a significant price difference.
Thank you so much for all your help in this process, and patience with us. We ended up purchasing the latest diamond you recommended (Blue Nile LD07645990). We received the diamond the other day and were very happy with the brilliance of the diamond and value of our purchase (as we set out with a budget of $3,500 and ended with a diamond for $2,800). I think the diamond value is better than what we would have paid for in a local diamond store (when we shopped around locally, many of the diamond specifications were lower and more expensive than the diamond you recommended).
We could not be more grateful for your expertise, thank you!
That sounds great, I’m glad you love the diamond that much! I wish you and your partner a life of happiness and fulfillment.
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
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
Still afraid of getting ripped off?
Before you buy a diamond, get personal buying advice from industry veterans. We'll help you get the best diamond for the money.
Ask your diamond purchase question here
DISCLAIMER: We don't use your email for marketing. Period.
