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Q&A: Help Choosing a Round Diamond for a Platinum Petite Pave Setting With Up to $7,000 Budget

By Mike Fried,

Hi,

I am looking at buying an engagement ring. As of right now, the diamonds that I am looking at are from Blue Nile:

Blue Nile LD13948707
Blue Nile LD13941141

I also plan on buying this setting:
Petite Diamond Engagement Ring in Platinum (1/10 ct. tw.)

I am okay with the setting but for the diamond, I am hoping to spend a little less but with something similar to this. I wouldn’t mind a smaller carat if visually it looks bigger than it actually is.

Thank you very much for your help with this!

Unfortunately, neither of those diamonds would be a good option.

Blue Nile LD13948707
This one is cut way too deep. It would look smaller and less brilliant than a better cut option of the same carat weight. Ideally, the depth % should be close to 60 and never exceed 62.6%.

Blue Nile LD13941141
This one has strong fluorescence which is a kiss of death on anything higher than a J color. It might make the diamond look hazy/milky in daylight. And the depth % is also a bit higher than I’d like.

Something like this would look much better:

Blue Nile LD13922355
Blue Nile LD13941142

Visually, there would be no difference between the H and G color, especially in a simple pave setting. These two diamonds are gorgeously cut and either of them would be very bright and brilliant in real life.

Thank you for your suggestions. One question that’s on my mind is the carat size. I know that the two are very close in size, just about .2 off. Is it worth paying the extra amount for the 1.12 carat or should I get the .9 carat?

Can you also recommend anything else that’s similar to the ones you sent me but with different carat sizes?

There would be a slight difference between those two diamonds, yes. If it’s worth paying more for the larger diamond, that’s up to you and what size/price you are more comfortable with.

I also found these:
Blue Nile LD11143101
Blue Nile LD00756728
They have fantastic specs.

Thank you very much for all your help. Can you just verify one more time for me?

Blue Nile LD13922355

It’s beautiful. The diamond checks all the boxes and would have a lot of additional brilliance thanks to the way it’s cut. It’s absolutely eye-clean and the color H would be colorless in any setting. If you like it, go for it.

Okay. Thank you very much for all your help with this choice!

You’re very welcome.

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.
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
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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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