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Q&A: Ideal Cut Round Diamond Just Under 1 Carat for $4K Budget

By Mike Fried,

Thank you so much for all the information on your website. It is exactly the information I was looking for. I find it way too easy to get caught up with features in diamonds beyond what the naked eye can see.

I was wondering if you could help me select a diamond for an engagement ring. I like what you’ve written about JamesAllen, and I’ve selected a setting that I think is perfect. I’m looking at JamesAllen Item#: 17123P (in platinum) and was wondering if you could suggest a diamond for it.

My budget for the diamond is around $4k and I was thinking of selecting a weight size in the sweet-spot right before the 1 Carat jump. I was thinking of matching the color of the side stones (F-G), but I’m open to whatever advice you may have. I like seeing pictures of the diamonds on the website, but I don’t really know what to look for and would appreciate your expert advice.

Many thanks in advance

Thanks for writing and thanks for the kind words about the site!

I agree that especially for this ring, you definitely need to match the color. So here’s what I like for you:
https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1370977.asp
https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/F-SI2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1315254.asp

Let me know what you think!

Thanks for the quick reply. I have a few questions about your recommendations:

Option 1: I see the inclusion on the side that I image could be covered by the prong. Am I correct? The only other thing that I noticed is that the center is quite hazy. Does this mean that the diamond might be a tad milky? I imaging the tiny white scratches in the middles will be imperceptible to the naked eye, is this a correct statement?

Option 2: This one seem extremely clear (or is it just the picture?). In your opinion, will the inclusions be visible to the naked eye? Also, will the yellow in the middle be noticeable?

Thanks again

1) Yes, that’s correct. The center is hazy because of the photo not being in focus 100%. Yes, the scratches will not be visible as far as I can tell.
2) The picture is more in focus that the 1st. The inclusions are all on the side, which is great. The yellow will not be visible. That’s just because it’s a still photo of a very sparkly lively diamond. So it’s like it was caught in mid-sparkle.

Good luck! Let me know what you decide to go with in the end!

Thanks a lot for the info. I’m really torn right now between those two options. I’m leaning towards option 2, but I’m just concerned that the inclusions might bother me. Do you think they’ll be visible to the naked eye once installed in the setting?

When diamonds deviate from color-less, it is my understanding that they mostly go towards yellow or blue in some cases. Is there any way to know which way these two options are leaning towards? From the pictures, it looks like option 1 in leaning towards blue while the option 2 is leaning towards yellow (I prefer blue). Am I just looking too much into the pictures? (I imagine they could just be reflections of the environment)

Of the two options you’ve suggested, which one would you go with?
…….
What is your opinion of the following diamond:

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/F-SI2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1371187.asp

It is listed at over 10% above rapaport pricing, but looks really clear. I see one inclusion at 9 o’clock that could be covered by the prong, and a small one at 4 o’clock – both really close to the edges. Am I missing anything else? Let me know what you think.

It’s true what you say – it’s all a reflection of environment. You can’t tell color at all from these pictures. They’re only good for evaluating clarity and cut.

Personally, I would go with 0.92 F SI2
…….
That looks great! And a great deal to! The difference in size would be noticeable, but just barely so.

Thank you so much for all your help. I’ve placed the order with the 0.83-F-SI2 diamond below, I figured saving $1k for a 0.2 mm diameter difference was worth it. Can’t wait to see it!

Thanks again for your expert help, much appreciated.

Great! Thanks so much! Please stay in touch and let me know what you think when it arrives!

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!

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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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