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Q&A: Looking for a 1.5-1.8 Round Diamond for a Platinum Halo Setting within a $16k – $18k Budget

By Mike Fried,

Hi, I am looking for a diamond with the following specs for an engagement ring:
– Carat: 1.5-1.8
– Colourless/clear diamond
– Shape: Round
– Colour: F or E
– Clarity: ideally VVS1-VVS2
– Symmetry: Very good / excellent
– Length/width ratio: 1.0-1.06
– Table % / Depth %: 58%-64%

The setting for the diamond will be a cushion halo in Platinum.

Could you please help me source respective diamonds in the 16-18k USD price range? 

Before I send you some diamonds to look at, I have a question. What made you settle on those colors/clarity grades? We don’t think it makes sense to pay a premium for it:
https://www.diamonds.pro/education/color/

For a platinum halo setting, G/H color is what I’d go with and it’ll look fantastic.

These diamonds would be my recommendation:
Blue Nile LD07510743
Blue Nile LD07765080

They are superbly cut and either of them will be incredibly brilliant.

What do you think? 

Thank you for your prompt response.

Re colour/clarity: thank you for the link, colour G/H it is then (with slight preference for G).

Re cut: Ideal cut sounds good – is there anything I should be considering though re table % / depth %? Would I see any visible difference to a signature ideal one?

Both options from Blue Nile I like very much in terms of specs. Let me just ask to questions here:
1) How important is it for me to request pictures from the actual diamond from Blue Nile? Or would you say it is OK to rely on the specs?
2) I have read somewhere that Blue Nile might give your Organisation voucher codes that you then can put forward to your customers – any chance I could benefit from this scheme (no problem if not l, though!)?

I did some further research and would love to hear your thoughts this diamond:
www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.70-carat-g-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-2212212?a_aid=dmnd1357

If I were to decide right now, it would be between the diamond from James Allen above and the first link Blue Nile you sent. 

Great, thank you.

Regarding the Signature diamonds from Blue Nile, we ignore them and use our own parameters. We like to keep the depth% below 61.5 and the table % between 55-57 to maximize brilliance.

Buying from Blue Nile is safe when you go with VS1+ in clarity and have the report. Having the pictures of the diamond is rarely enough to determine its quality.

Here’s the coupon code: [contact us for your own unique coupon code] It’s good for $100 off your purchase (over $1,000).

The diamond you found on JA is very clean, but it’s poorly cut. The angles are a little off and it will negatively affect the brilliance of the stone.

Let me know your thoughts. 

Thanks for clarifying optimal depth and table %.

I really do like the Blue Nile diamond you recommended and have asked Blue Nile to reserve it for me for the next 48 hours.
What did no quite work for me yet, though, is their delivery deadline for the particular ring setting I wanted. I happened to have seen a ring setting on JA that I really like and JA seem to be able to deliver faster. Just for final comparison’s sake, I just wondered whether you would be able to point out 1-2 round diamonds with similar specs to the one on Blue Nile?

I had found the following yesterday but I now see your point that the depth and table % are not ideal:
www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.73-carat-g-color-vvs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-2217486?a_aid=dmnd1357

So after checking again just now I found these two:
www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.70-carat-h-color-vvs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-2186144?a_aid=dmnd1357

www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.73-carat-h-color-vvs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-302637?a_aid=dmnd1357

What are your thoughts on these two? 

I absolutely love this diamond:
www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.70-carat-h-color-vvs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-2186144?a_aid=dmnd1357

Its cut is just superb and it’ll look amazing! You did a great job finding it.

If going with JA works better with you time-frame, go with them. That diamond will make a fantastic ring! 

Great to hear!! 🙂

Just so I do not miss out, is there a similar discount code for JA?

I will let you know my final choice in the next 48 hours! 🙂 

 Unfortunately, these are the only coupons we can offer right now (=nothing for JA at the moment).

If you can let me know what you’ve decided on in the end, I’d appreciate it. 

Thank you for your help.

I ended up ordering the diamond I found on James Allen and you praised! 🙂

The used this e-mail address for the purchase. 

That’s great news!

I hope you’ll love it when you receive it. If you could let me know how it looks when it arrives, I’d appreciate it. 

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
  • 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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