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Q&A: Help Choosing a Princess Cut Diamond With a $1,200 Budget

By Mike Fried,

Hello,

I am about to get a 0.60 carat I color VS1 princess cut diamond. I would like advice on which will be the ideal depth and table to get my piece sparkle the most.

Is the stone you found GIA/AGS certified? If yes, could you please send me the cert number so that I can check it for you? Also, what setting style and metal are you planning to go with? Do you remember how much is it?

The diamond I’m trying to get is from Blue Nile. I’ve searching and reading a lot about princess cuts since it’s the one I really like. I was trying to choose one with those parameters in table and depth because I want it to sparkle the most possible since I know they don’t sparkle as much as round diamonds.

Blue Nile LD12945942
I’m concerned about the girdle as well which is thick to very thick. I read you should avoid very thin or extremely thick. Will girdle affect the sparkle of my diamond?
I have a second option that would be
Blue Nile LD13021853

Is there a notable difference between excellent and very good polish and symmetry?

The band I chose is a 14k white gold four prong solitaire.

Thank you for the additional info. Both those diamonds are perfectly cut and would be very bright and brilliant, they are great choices (Blue Nile LD13021853 / Blue Nile LD12945942).

Ideally, it’s better to avoid extremely thick and extremely thin girdles (if possible). Other thickness is okay and won’t have a significant impact on brilliance. Girdle is has little to no impact on the visual appearance of a diamond. Also, you don’t have to worry about the polish and symmetry. You most likely won’t be able to distinguish the difference between good and excellent (https://www.diamonds.pro/education/symmetry/ and https://www.diamonds.pro/education/polish/).

Thank you very much for the very helpful advice!

I’ll definitely choose one of those princess cut diamonds and tell my fiancé so he can order it. I’ll let you know when we do it.

I just got my ring. It’s beautiful and shines! My diamond is bigger than I thought it was gonna be 😊

Wanted to say thank you for your help. .

That’s wonderful news! It was my pleasure helping you.

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. Get 30% off lab-grown diamonds during a limited time sale.
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.
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  • Provide insurance appraisals
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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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