Q&A: Help Finding the Best Cut Round Diamond for a Pave Setting With $15-20k Total Budget

Thank you for all of your free educational material. They are very helpful and free of the pressure at retail stores.

I am looking for a channel set or pave set round cut diamond. My girlfriend has slightly smaller fingers (ring size 5.5), so I thought I ought to prioritize the cut than the size of the diamond? I don’t think she has minimum requirements, but I know she wants something that will satisfy her friends — one of whom worked in a family jewelry business. There won’t be any loupes, so I think eye clean SHOULD be sufficient.

I think she’d like a lot of sparkle, so maybe a Brian Gavin is an appropriate choice? I’m not sure how much trade-off there is in size versus cut.

Other than requesting platinum in pave or channel, I don’t think she has other requests. I would defer to whether the pave or channel has more “sparkle” and which is practical.

I have a budget of about $15 to 20k. If you have any other advice, I’d appreciate hearing it.

Thanks!

Thank you for your help.

Regarding the diamond you suggested, I think it looks great. I feel like I should have some comparison though. Since my girlfriend is (hopefully) not fixated on carat, would it be possible to find a smaller diamond with a signature cut? Is that something worth considering? Or is it better to get the slightly larger diamond with the fluorescence?

Thanks.

Oh okay, thanks for the clarification. If the fluorescence is an advantage and also leads to a lower price, that sounds good to me. I’m thinking of using the below pave setting:
www.briangavindiamonds.com/engagement-rings/pave-and-side-stones/six-prong-regal-truth-5401?a_aid=y

This 6 prong design is good for round cut diamonds, right? To keep my total <$20k, can you find a ring between the prices of the first and second suggestions? And I think I’d feel better with at least a VS2 than SI, even though both would be eye clean. An “I” color is sufficient for this setting? Thanks! And sorry for the delayed response.

Looks like I dropped the ball and both of the diamonds are gone! I was hoping to purchase soon.
Is your other recommended diamond the best available (for my preferences and up to $17.5k)?
www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.512-g-si1-round-diamond-ags-104093583011?a_aid=y

I think she’d be happy with it, if so. Thanks!

Thanks for your advice. I’ve started the purchase process for this diamond w Brian Gavin to make sure I don’t miss out on this one too. Please let me know what info you need to ensure you get your compensation for your help!

Thanks.

I used this email address.

After placing the order, it is supposed to be about 2-4 weeks before it shipped.

Thanks again for your help!

I received the ring last week and it looked perfect to me. More importantly, my girlfriend really loves it and said “yes!”.

Thank you for your advice!