Q&A: Finding the Right Round Diamond for a Platinum Engagement Ring for a $2500 Budget

Good morning from the UK.

Thank you for an awesome resource, I have learned a great deal from browsing your pages and am very grateful for the way the site has been written. Unfortunately I over research and plan everything and end up giving myself a headache, which I have done today.

Please may I take advantage of your free advice? I am visiting the US later this year and will be proposing marriage to my long term girlfriend. I am already sold on using James Allen for the ring and have picked out a nice 6 prong platinum piece, which I would love to base the engagement ring on. Ultimately I have a budget of anywhere up to about $1750 for the diamond, which leaves me $1000 for the setting I have chosen.

Am I better off going for something lower colour than J in platinum? Or would the slight yellow be masked by the colour of the platinum?

I have picked out some diamonds from James Allen for their ‘on screen look’ and would be interested in your thoughts on these. I was hoping for above 0.6 carat, but I picked out the 0.53 true hearts ideal cut as it was very nearly the size of the others. Is it worth paying the addition for the AGS ideal ‘true hearts’, or should I stick to a GIA excellent cut?

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.53-carat-j-color-vvs2-clarity-ideal-cut-sku-126815?a_aid=dmnd1357

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.62-carat-j-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-227369?a_aid=dmnd1357

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.66-carat-j-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-223068?a_aid=dmnd1357

If there is something larger than these up to the budget of $1750 that is visually clear, then I would be very interested in your advice.

Thanks! 

 My search continues, however due to a recent work bonus my budget has gone up slightly.

The diamond I was looking at was www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.64-carat-j-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-230875?a_aid=dmnd1357

However I am now also considering

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.76-carat-j-color-vvs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-240145?a_aid=dmnd1357

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.80-carat-k-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-227468?a_aid=dmnd1357 Although this may be a bit yellow as it says K in the GIA report.

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.80-carat-j-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-227500 This diamond appears to have some pitting on the face just to one edge, I’m a little concerned on that as I don’t know if it will be visible to the naked eye.

As my budget is now about $2400 to $2500 is there something else you’d recommend?

Thanks! 

Thanks for your time and advice.

I’m glad you said that diamond, as I’ve been lusting over it since I saw it and hoped it would be a good choice.

Having read some engagement ring forums, to look for pictures of rings with the same stone size. Some people claim to have received a discount code when asking advice from your site. Is that true or far fetched?