We are reader-supported. Buying through any red colored link on our site may earn us commissions. Learn More.
Hello,
I was looking for help finding an oval ~1 carat diamond.
Based on your site I was looking for a H-F Color and SI2 or greater clarity. A bad bowtie effect is fairly obvious to see but I wasn’t sure how detrimental a partial bowtie is? Your picture shows a bad bowtie and almost no dark space in the non bow-tie.
My biggest question lies in the cut of the ovals. I found your cut quality recommendation chart but I am stumped with seeing differences.
I was mostly looking at James Allen. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
The thing with bow-tie is that every oval will have a small one. That’s the way they’re cut. What we do is try to find the ones with as subtle bow-tie as possible.
GIA doesn’t give cut grade to ovals so we follow our own cut parameters: we like to keep the depth % below 74 and the table % below 75. This is based on our expertise, experiences and most importantly, on the feedback we receive from our readers.
I found this diamond for you:
www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/oval-cut/1.01-carat-h-color-si1-clarity-sku-6618930?a_aid=dmnd1357
It’s well cut, eye-clean and has a minimal bow-tie.
How do you like it?
Thank you very much for the help. I always get hung up on inclusions but there is obviously a difference between eye-clean and the 20x zoom on the websites. Would there be any benefit to spending another $500-$700? What would that get me?
That’s true. And if you look at the clarity plot you can see that there are almost no inclusions on that diamond anyway. It’s perfectly eye-clean.
Unfortunately, even with the extra $500 – $700, I didn’t find any options that would be significantly larger or better quality.
I looked at the original diamond and saw that it was no longer available.
Do you have another recommendation?
Sure. Here’s a new one:
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/oval-cut/1.00-carat-g-color-si1-clarity-sku-5364867?a_aid=dmnd1357
It looks great.
I went ahead with purchasing the one you sent.
Thank you again for all your help.
That’s great news! I’m glad I could help you find the right diamond.
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
Still afraid of getting ripped off?
Before you buy a diamond, get personal buying advice from industry veterans. We'll help you get the best diamond for the money.
Ask your diamond purchase question here
DISCLAIMER: We don't use your email for marketing. Period.
