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Q&A: Looking for a 1 Ct. Round Brilliant for a Solitaire for Under $5k In Total

By Mike Fried,

I’ve been looking through your site for the last two months. I found it incredibly resourceful and informative.

James Allen seems to be the vendor of choice… I have had my eye on this 0.90 VS2 Excellent cut for a while… My budget is 5k with the setting (solitaire, sleek, 18k WG, $730) but would like to get a decent 1 carat if possible.

Can you help me find a good S1 or S2?

I’m glad you like our website so much.

I found these two diamonds for you:
www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.01-carat-i-color-si2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-2384081?a_aid=dmnd1357

www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.96-carat-j-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-2243598?a_aid=dmnd1357

Both are great choices. The first one has a big inclusion close to the edge, but it could be partially covered with a prong. Let me know what you think.

Thanks for your help. The I, SI2 looks very nice… Curious why it doesn’t look yellow in the slightest?

Compared to the 0.9 I’ve had my eye on, which is also an I…
www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.90-carat-i-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-2325044?a_aid=dmnd1357

If I go for an I, or the J, should I get one with a little fluorescence? So it will appear whiter?

Thanks again. I will be using this email address to purchase.

……

Also this one I can barely see the visible inclusions and the the color is better. What are your thoughts?

Last one I’ll bug you with before deciding…
www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.02-carat-h-color-si2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-2259646?a_aid=dmnd1357

There is no reason for an I color to look yellow. None of them will.

I like the I VS2 you found. I looked at it many times after you sent it and what’s making me nervous is the feather tat is mentioned in the cert. I can’t find it in the 3D view. Ask JA directly about it. If the feather doesn’t affect the diamond’s integrity and it isn’t visible, it’s a perfect choice.

The H color one’s report says “Clarity based on clouds that are not shown.” This means there is a very large cloud (even though it isn’t visible on the screen) that covers a large percentage of the diamond and saps the brilliance from it.

Thanks. I ended up buying the I SI2 you gave me. They said the prong would mostly or completely cover up the inclusion and it was overall bigger for the buck.

Thanks so much for your help!

Anything else I have to do to get you the commission?

I’m glad to hear that. It was a pleasure helping you.

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

There you go! She loved it!

That looks great! Thank you for the picture.

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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