Q&A: Help Finding a Round Diamond for a White Gold Solitaire With Up to $10,000 Total Budget

Hello,

I’ve read your website extensively in preparation for an engagement ring – thanks for all the great information!

I have a question about hearts and arrows, or more generally about cut. I notice that when viewing diamonds on a site like James Allen, some have a distinctive, black arrow pattern when face up. Others never show this pattern, despite both being rated as “excellent” cut by the same lab.

I wondered if it was just a matter of some pictures capturing the right angle, but you can see the difference even when looking at the hi-res 360-degree animated view.

My question is, does the distinctive black arrow pattern indicate a diamond that will look better in person? Or am I just buying too much into “hearts and arrows” marketing?

As an example, this diamond has a distinctive black arrow pattern when face up, and looks visually similar to many of JA’s “True Hearts” listings:
www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.50-carat-i-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-2874145?a_aid=dmnd1357

On the other hand, this diamond is lacking that visual definition:
www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.50-carat-i-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-2569294?a_aid=dmnd1357

Thanks.

Thanks for your help so far! I picked SKU 2569294 as a particularly “bad” one for comparison because it generally looked off to me as well (beyond just missing obvious black arrows). So I suppose that to the trained eye, there are some visual cues to a better vs. worse quality cut within the same grade.

I plan to use a solitaire setting in white gold or platinum, with a round diamond. My girlfriend loves the classic Tiffany Setting, so I’m honing in on this ring from JA which seems to be the most similar:
www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/14k-white-gold-six-prong-knife-edged-solitaire-engagement-ring-item-22590?a_aid=dmnd1357

Unfortunately it’s also one of the most expensive solitaire rings that JA offers. I like the low profile of the prongs and overall minimalism, which seems to maximize the “diamond to ring ratio”.

I also like this setting from Blue Nile: Petite Nouveau Six-Prong Solitaire Engagement Ring.

My total budget is $10,000 including the setting, so I’ve been looking at diamonds with a price ceiling of $8,500-9,000. I’m hoping to reach 1.5 carats for the diamond. So I’m looking for either the most beautiful 1.5 carat I can find, or the biggest possible diamond within that price range that would look good to laypeople like my girlfriend and I.

Thanks again.

I have decided to go for the diamond that you recommended on James Allen. Thanks so much for your help!