We are reader-supported. Buying through any red colored link on our site may earn us commissions. Learn More.

Q&A: Choosing a Round or Princess Cut Diamond for a White Gold Pave Setting with a $5K – $7.5K Budget

By Mike Fried,

Hope this note finds you well. I am writing this note to get your advice on buying a diamond for an engagement ring.

I heard you in the podcast “The Art of Charm” and found your interview to be extremely interesting and packed with knowledge. Did my due diligence by readying the articles in your website and per your recommendation, I also got my girlfriend involved to understand what she would like as well as her ring size (great tip since she was looking for something different than what I had in mind).

That being said, have an engagement ring design in mind (see below), but need your help finding the right stone. Can you please help me? Thank you in advance and looking forward to hearing back from you soon!
– Ring Design: Something like this – www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/pave/14k-white-gold-twisted-pave-shank-contemporary-solitaire-item-6859?a_aid=dmnd1357

– Ring Material: Undecided between White Gold or Platinum
– Ring Size: 5.5
– Diamond Price Range: $5K – $7.5K
– Diamond Cut: Round or Princess Cut (what works best for the type of ring listed above?)
-Other Notes: Girlfriend doesn’t want a rock that’s too big (but I want it to be nice, ha!) 

I’m glad you find our website informative. We appreciate it. Now, let’s see how I can help you.

The style setting you picked is beautiful. As for the metal, white gold is what we always recommend https://www.diamonds.pro/education/platinum-vs-gold/.

Regarding the diamond shape, that’s completely up to your (and your girlfriend’s) taste 🙂 I looked around and here are some diamonds you might like:

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.21-carat-i-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-2164897?a_aid=dmnd1357

www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut/1.51-carat-i-color-vs1-clarity-sku-1943910?a_aid=dmnd1357
They are fantastically cut, eye-clean and bright.

If brilliance is what you care about the most, then I’d recommend Brian Gavin’s diamonds. He is known as one of the worlds experts when it comes to perfectly cut diamonds. BGD’s Signature diamonds are truly fantastic. They are all incredibly brilliant. This would be my recommendation from their site:

www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.008-i-vs1-round-diamond-ags-bl-104087126032&a_aid=y
This one is from their Blue collection. ‘Brian Gavin Blue’ is a selection of diamonds with blue fluorescence (and thus cheaper), however, each diamond was handpicked and inspected by them to make sure fluorescence has no negative effect whatsoever. That’s why we believe that diamonds from this line offer a great value. You get the added brilliance of the BGD perfectly cut diamonds for a lower price.
www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.152-i-vs1-princess-diamond-ags-104084753006&a_aid=y

What do you think? 

Thank you so much for the quick response.
The info you provided was great. Below you will find some additional notes / questions I had:

Ring

· Thanks for the white gold recommendation; think I will go with the 18K option

· Regarding the setting style, is it better suited for a Round cut or a Princess cut diamond?

– In your website I read that Princess cuts can get chipped if not properly secured, so want to make sure this doesn’t happen with this setting

Diamond

· Out of the options you sent me, liked the James Allen the most

· Depending on you answer about the ring setting and the cut, will make my decision

· Round Cut

– SKU:2164897 ($6,800): This is the one you sent over; I liked it but appears to have some visible inclusions

– SKU:1986526 ($7,320): I found this one following your website’s guidelines; $500 more but looks really nice with no visible inclusions – worth the additional cash?

· Princess Cut

– SKU:1943910 ($7,190): This the one you recommended; Like it a lot; if risk of getting chipped is low, think would go for this one

· Question: Out of those three, which one would you chose or do you like the best?

 

Once again, thank you so much for your help! 

 The choice of the setting style (and the diamond shape) is something uniquely personal and depends entirely on your taste. If you like the princess cut more, go for it, it’ll look dainty and romantic. There’s no risk of chipping.

Regarding the diamond you found, I like it a lot. Now it’s up to you, whichever you prefer more, go with that one. 

Thanks for the note and support, appreciate it!

One last question regarding Princess Cut Diamonds…

· SKU:1943910 ($7,190): This the one you recommended; Like it a lot

· SKU:1877243 ($7,740): Found this one as well and like the other round cut diamond I found, it has no visible inclusions

– Is it worth the additional cash?

– Is there a big difference between the two (eye clean and bright)?
Thank you very much! 

The new diamond is very clean, but in terms of cut and brilliance I still think mine is a better choice. The one I sent you is perfectly squarish (L:W 1.01) and has a higher crown (thus it will be more brilliant). It is entirely up to you now, there is nothing wrong with your diamond, but personally, I’d go with the one I recommended.

Let me know what you decide on in the end. 

Awesome! Thanks for all the advice and support!

Will definitely let you know which one I end up picking in the end. Leaning towards the princess cut you recommended. 

You’re very welcome 🙂

Feel free to ask anything else you might need help with.

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. They currently run a 10% discount on selected lab-grown diamonds!
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
Arrow down
Arrow up
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. Right now, Blue Nile offers up to 50% savings on selected jewelry during a limited-time season sale.
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
Arrow down
Arrow up

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

  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

DISCLAIMER: We don't use your email for marketing. Period.

Please enter your email address to receive your 25% off coupon code:

Here is your coupon code: GFDSF3GF

Diamond Pro

Diamond Pro

  • Unfortunately, the AI chat we worked so hard training is not helping our readers the way we would like. You deserve the best advice you can get.

    Would you like to contact a human diamond pro? Just fill out this email form and we will answer you ASAP (usually within one day).

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.