Hi, First of all, thank you for a great site!
I’m looking to buy a solitaire engagement ring in white gold with a smaller stone, 0,35-0,45 ct (round). I know you mostly advise people interested in larger stones, but the key word here is discrete but still sparkly.
My question is regarding colour, should I think any differently compared to buying a larger diamond? Should I go higher on the colour scale, or lower?
Budget is not really a constraint, size is. But I still want to make the best deal on the stone we choose and not waste money on features we won’t be able to appreciate!
I’d be happy to help. You should be rethinking your focus. Go with a superb cut, don’t worry about color. What is your budget for the diamond?
I would say that the budget lies in the 700-900 USD range, with possible adjustment depending on your advice.
The most important aspect of a diamond is its cut. This is what makes the diamond beautiful and sparkly (fire and brilliance are the terms we use). The more brilliance there is, the more unique the diamond will look. Obviously you see that we like James Allen (they are our most recommended site), but when it comes to their best cuts (they call them the ‘True Hearts’) we find it a bit lacking. If you are purchasing from them, you may as well just buy a GIA EX cut and not waste your money on the ‘special’ ones.
I would recommend Brian Gavin’s Signature Signature Hearts and Arrows. Brian Gavin is known as one of the worlds experts when it comes to perfectly cut diamonds. I can tell you from experience. I worked for one of the largest suppliers of James Allen. I went to Brian Gavin with our 30 best cut diamonds in our inventory (of thousands) and he rejected them all. When he showed me his selections, I was blown away.
www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/0.376-h-vs2-round-diamond-ags-c-104069484021#a_aid
www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/0.360-h-vs2-round-diamond-ags-c-104069455136#a_aid
These are my recommendations. What do you think?
I agree the stones you recommend look stunning, but I would really prefer to buy from James Allen, as they have the possibility to view settings with different sized stones from actual purchases. They have a setting i really like because of the ring profile and slightly slimmer prongs which I think would look really good with a smaller stone.
I should also mention that I’m situated in Sweden, Europe, and I get the feeling that JA is more oriented towards international customers with free shipping etc.
I have been looking at these stones and would greatly appreciate your opinion of them:
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.38-carat-j-color-vs2-clarity-ideal-cut-sku-272359?a_aid=dmnd1357
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.36-carat-h-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-279555?a_aid=dmnd1357
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.36-carat-i-color-vs1-clarity-ideal-cut-sku-253006?a_aid=dmnd1357
This is my favorite:
Thank you for your help, Mike! I went with your favourite stone in a traditional (what JA call handmade) six prong platinum setting.
Great. Please let me know how it looks when it arrives.
It finally arrived and she loved it! Thank you very much for your help, the stone was very sparkly and eye catching despite its size. I went with a platinum setting and it complements the diamond very well.
Thanks for writing and letting us know. I’m delighted that you were pleased with our help. We 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
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