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Q&A: Help Finding a 4 Ct. Round Diamond With a $50k Total Budget

By Mike Fried,

Hello Friends!

Over a year ago I bought an engagement ring and now I would like to upgrade it for our anniversary. I purchased a 2.31 round, K, VS1 for about $13,500 at JamesAllen.com. I would like to take advantage and upgrade but now I see that they are selling L color & M color diamonds. Now, if I am paying 2x, about $27,000 for a diamond, I don’t want to compromise and go to L & M color. The most important factor is SIZE. I want 4 carats. Tops, I would spend $30,000. What do you recommend? I saw a 4.65 round within my budget but it had an inclusion right in the middle making it an SI1. Are the L & M color diamonds too warm? Thank you!

I suggest going to some local shops and look at some GIA L-M diamonds (if you find them). Generally speaking, I wouldn’t recommend them in that size.

Would you be willing to compromise on size? I took a look and couldn’t find any eye-clean 4ct diamonds within 30k.

Hello!

So I’ve decided to increase my budget because I understand that 4 carats are above $40,000 dollars. But I do not want to go above $50,000.

Here are my requirements:
JamesAllen
Round
4 Carats
I Color minimum
SI1 in clarity the lowest
Faint to NO Fluorescence
GIA certified
I want for the face of the diamond to have the carat weight… Excellent cut/polished/symmetry.

I love JamesAllen because I can see what I can get. Will an SI1 diamond not be as brilliant?

Thank you my friends!

An SI1 diamond can be as brilliant as a higher clarity lever as long as there are no clouds that would sap the brilliance from it.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any 4ct diamond within 50k either. This was the largest stone I found:
www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/3.70-carat-i-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-2587686?a_aid=dmnd1357

If it was me, I’d much rather go with a slightly smaller diamond that looks fantastic than chase the size and end up with a far worse stone.

What do you think?

Thank you! I like your selection…

But I wanted to ask you about your opinion about warm color diamonds. Right now my Lady has a K color diamond and she loves it. But I’ve been seeing L and M color diamonds that are NEW on the James Allen website… Is KLM too “dull” and it won’t sparkle as much? I really want a white gold setting… Would a KLM diamond be too “yellow” for these settings? I’ve read that if I go KLM color I NEED fluorescense, is that true?

Please give me your advice about these:

1)
www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/4.32-carat-k-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-2461362?a_aid=dmnd1357

2)
www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/5.02-carat-m-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-2587361?a_aid=dmnd1357

3)
www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/4.50-carat-k-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-2342038?a_aid=dmnd1357

4) H color SI1
www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/4.04-carat-h-color-si1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-2627044?a_aid=dmnd1357

I appreciate your guidance!!!

Fluorescence will help the lower colors look a bit whiter. If you like the warmer tones, you can for sure go with K-M diamonds. It would look yellowish, but it’s just the matter of your taste. What setting does your partner have now? Is it white gold as well?

If you go that low, in color, try to get the best cut possible. I like this one the most:
www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/4.41-carat-k-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-2184347?a_aid=dmnd1357

The H color one you found wouldn’t look good. Its cert says “Clarity grade based on clouds not shown.” This means there is a very large cloud that covers a large percentage of the diamond and saps the brilliance from it.

So my lady mentioned that she did not want to go that warm because she has a K color Rose gold setting and she wants a White Gold setting… So let’s stay with the H-I color range… Now I understand if I want a great cut I have to go with a lower carat.

What do you think about these 2 options:
www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/3.66-carat-i-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-735860?a_aid=dmnd1357

www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/3.70-carat-i-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-2587686?a_aid=dmnd1357

I want the biggest “face” and the most brilliant… Since I am going with a white gold setting.

Thank you very much for your patience!!!

I love the first diamonds from your search:
www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/3.66-carat-i-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-735860?a_aid=dmnd1357

The second option is the one I recommended in my initial response and it’s no longer available.

I searched myself as well, but couldn’t find anything better than the 3.66ct one. As long as you don’t put it into a halo setting, that diamond will be an excellent choice.

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What we love about them:
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