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Q&A: Help Choosing a Round Diamond for a Solitaire With Up to $3,800 Budget

By Mike Fried,

Good day,

I’m located in Australia and I’m looking for the classic engagement ring with the one carat diamond in the price range 4000-5000 AUD inc. postage and tax.

It has to be timeless classic design, which I believe would be a solitaire with the single diamond. The material depends on the final price, if I can get platinum, that’s great, if not then I would go for 18K gold or 14K in the worst case. The diamond has to be around one carat, but it’s ok to go a little bit less if that reduces the price significantly. The most important part of the ring, of course, should be top quality diamond, cut, shape, etc.

If we can’t fit the above requirements into the price range, please advise about best option and the price of the desired ring.

Can you also tell me what shape of diamond you’re looking for? Then I’ll be happy to send you my suggestion.

Classic round shape please.

Thank you for the information.

Since you plan to use a solitaire style setting. I suggest purchasing a J color diamond. It’s going to look colorless and it helps us to maximize your budget.

Have a look at this stone:
Blue Nile LD06625698

It’s very well cut with great overall specifications.

As for the metal, we recommend WG over PT. The reason is the huge disparity in upfront costs. As our article says, the WG has to be dipped every few years and the platinum needs to be polished as well because it scratches. So ultimately, platinum costs you more in the beginning and doesn’t end up saving you any money in the long run. Also, we recommend 14k gold over 18k. It’s more durable and resistant to tarnishing.

What do you think?

Looks pretty good, I’ll go ahead with the ordering.

That’s fantastic news!

Just got reply from Blue Nile, please refer below and advise. I’m not keen on anything less than 0.9 carat.

Unfortunately the diamond you’ve requested, stock #LD06625698 is no longer available and your order cannot be processed.

I hope you don’t mind but I took the liberty of searching for a few diamonds that are similar in quality and price, and may be a good alternative to this diamond. I’ve attached links below.

Blue Nile LD07412880
Stock# LD07412880, .87-carat Round diamond, AU$3751.00 (price does not include duty/tax)

Blue Nile LD07819601
Stock# LD07819601, .90- carat Round diamond, AU$3869.00 (price does not include duty/tax)

Blue Nile LD08642772
Stock# LD08642772, .91-carat Round diamond, AU $4137.00 (price does not include duty/tax)

Please note that when you view these particular diamonds on our site, they will state they are ‘not available’ in a red box; this is because they are on a reservation for you, and pulled out of our diamond search tool temporarily.

I’m really sorry to hear about the issue. It rarely happens with Blue Nile.

As for the stone they sent, I’d need to see a real image of the 0.91 carat to make sure that the feather is not eye-visible.

That’s why I like the 0.90 the most. It has great overall specifications and it’s eye-clean. I checked and didn’t find any better option at the moment. If you like this diamond, go for it. It’s very similar to the original one.

Last question.

Can we have a look at the 1 carat diamond, what will be the price difference with the 0.9 carats we discussed in the previous email?

We can as well have a look at the 0.95-0.99 if that makes a significant drop in price.

The difference in price is significant. Here are two options I found for you:
Blue Nile LD07957625
Blue Nile LD06600628

They both have great overall specifications.

Let me know what you decide.

I’ve had some really hard time with the Blue Nile, as you know the diamond was not available then they couldn’t process the payment.

Can we find a similar diamond on the other website, like James Allen?

I’m really in a rush now, I have a wedding in 3 weeks and the order hasn’t been placed yet.

Please advise ASAP.

……

The diamond expert from James Allen suggested this diamond:
www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.90-carat-j-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-2179583?a_aid=dmnd1357

I’m really sorry to hear that you had such an experience with Blue Nile.

The stone you found on JA is nice but it’s slightly too deep. It influences the light return (brilliance). Here’s a diamond with the quality I’d recommend:
www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.90-carat-j-color-si1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-2876983?a_aid=dmnd1357

It’s very well cut and twinning wisps are usually not eye-visible.

Let me know what you think.

Thanks a lot!

I’ve ordered the diamond, using the current email.

Thanks for your help.

Thank you for your email. I hope that everything will work out this time.

Good luck with finishing all the preparations for the wedding. And let me know how you like the ring when it arrives.

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!

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

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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