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Q&A: Help Finding a 3 Ct. Round Diamond for a White Gold Solitaire Setting With a $30k Budget

By Mike Fried,

Hi! I am in the process of picking out an engagement ring for my fiancee. There are several things I have decided on:

Budget – Around $30,000
Lab – GIA
Shape – Round
Carat – Around 3
Cut – Excellent

So the two I have to play with are color and clarity. I am looking at SI1/H and SV2/I diamonds, but I am not sure which to compromise on. I definitely want a ring that is eye clean, but not totally sure how to tell if it is since you can see all inclusions in the highly magnified view. I am also confused as to why the smaller of these SI1/H diamonds cost more than the bigger one. The cheaper one has a lower depth which I think is good. Is it the fluorescence? Does it matter that much?

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/3.09-carat-h-color-si1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-4595047

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/3.01-carat-h-color-si1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-3928979

Here is a similar SV2/I diamond. Would it be a better buy than any of the two above?

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/3.02-carat-i-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-4637391

Thank you for your time!

I looked at the diamonds you selected and here’s my opinion on them:

sku-4595047 – it’s definitely not eye-clean and strong fluorescence is also a big issue, it might make it look hazy

sku-3928979 – this one is nicely cut, but the black crystal will be very visible

sku-4637391 – this one is also nice cut-wise, but some of the inclusions might be noticeable to the naked eye

I’m happy to find some alternatives. What style setting (solitaire, pave/side stones/halo) and metal (yellow/white gold, platinum) do you want to use? This may affect the colors that I recommend for the center diamond (as we explain in our post on color).

I will be buying a white gold, solitaire, cathedral ring to go with the stone. I have been looking at Blue Nile as well so feel free to suggest diamonds from them.

Thank you for your help!

Thank you for the info.

I looked around and I like these diamonds for you:

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/3.00-carat-i-color-si1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-4703633?a_aid=dmnd1357
Blue Nile LD00050268 (this one has nice specs, but you should request a photo to make sure it’s eye-clean).

What do you think?

The Blue Nile diamond is too small. I just tried to order the James Allen ring. The problem was that she wanted a 6-prong solitaire cathedral ring and it looks like 6 prong is not available on cathedral rings (all of Blue Niles cathedral rings are 4 prongs as well). I’ll have to see which is more important to her and then order tomorrow morning. Hopefully, the diamond will still be there. I’ll let you know when I order. Thank you for your time!

You can go up to around $35,000 if you can find something nicer, but it would have to be closer to the 3 carats. If not I will hopefully get the James Allen diamond.

I didn’t find a better option than the 3ct I’d already shared with you. Let me know how it goes with the order.

I placed the order. Thank you very much for all your help!

I’m glad it worked out. Thank you for the info. If you can also write me back once you receive the ring, that would be great. I’d love to know how you like it in person.

After several delays the ring was finally delivered last week. I really liked the way it looked, but even more importantly, my now-fiancee loved it.

That’s fantastic news! Congratulations on your engagement!

If it’s not too much to ask, do you think you can do me a quick favor and write a small review on [LINK TO REVIEW ON IVOUCH]? If you could, I would be extremely grateful.

I wish you and your partner a life of happiness and fulfillment.

Sure. Here is a picture of the ring.
 

Beautiful! Thanks a lot for sharing it with me.

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. Get 30% off lab-grown diamonds during a limited time sale.
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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