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Q&A: Help Finding a Round Diamond for a Solitaire Setting With a $6,000 Budget

By Mike Fried,

Hi there.

I have been doing a bunch of research and am now in the market for a engagement ring. I have been using Blue Nile and have found a few stones.

I have found what I think it a great diamond. It’s Blue Nile LD10058040

It is bigger than I would like being a 1.3 but I hear this is the sweet spot to start to notice a difference from the 1 carats. If you are able to advise on this or even offer advise on what I should be going for it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

The diamond you found matches our criteria perfectly, it has great depth and table %, the pavilion and crown angles are superb. I’m just a little bit concerned about the black crystal right on the table. But I still think it’s eye-clean. Just to be sure, are you planning to go with a solitaire setting?

You may consider this alternative as well:
Blue Nile LD10437194

www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.31-carat-j-color-si1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-4370078?a_aid=dmnd1357

Both these diamonds are perfectly cut, eye-clean and also very bright and brilliant. The medium fluorescence will help the diamond look a tad whiter (https://www.diamonds.pro/education/fluorescence/). Both these diamonds are a little bigger while being significantly cheaper.

Thank you for recommendations.

Those diamonds both look great!I have noticed that Michael does buy/use SI1 diamonds in his videos so they must be good.

My only concern what that they wouldn’t be as eye clean as a minimum of a VS2 or do you think that as long as you find the right one it should be alright?

The clarity grading isn’t that important. Once the stone is eye-clean, it’s eye-clean, no matter if it’s SI2 or VS1. So the eye-cleanliness of the VS2 you found could be same as the SI1 I recommended. There are even some VS1 diamonds which are not eye-clean (https://www.diamonds.pro/education/clarity/).

Well if you think that I will be happy with this diamond (Blue Nile LD10437194) and it is eye clean and a great buy then I would be happy to bite the bullet now. I’ll shuffle some money around tonight so she doesn’t notice and I can purchase it in the next few days.

Thank you again. It really does mean a lot to me the help and advice you hav given me.

My pleasure.

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
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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!

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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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