Q&A: Looking for advice: Princess Cut Diamond from B&M or Online?

Hi! I’m looking at two different diamonds at the moment, both princess cut with the following details:

Diamond 1 – Color E, Clarity I1, 1.4 ct, Polish G, Symmetry G, $5600 USD

Diamond 2 – Color I, Clarity VVS1, 1.34 ct, Polish EX, Symmetry EX, $5900 USD

These diamonds are at two different stores so it’s impossible to compare them side-by-side. Both salespeople have told me different reasons why their diamond is a better value, but I don’t know who to believe. In particular, I was very surprised that the I1 Clarity diamond was impossible for me to see the imperfections with the naked eye. I could definitely see it under the loupe, but I tried finding it without the loupe for 2 mins with no success.

The first diamond’s GIA certificate, so you can get a glimpse of the imperfection, is: 2175971586.

The second diamond is also GIA certified but I did not write it down. I can provide you more details about the length and width if need be.

I have looked at Blue Nile and James Allen and the VVS1 Clarity diamond is priced 200-500 below what I could find on either of the sites and I used the advanced option features to make sure I got as close to the actual diamond I saw as possible. The I1 Clarity diamond was priced ~200-300 above the closest available diamond on James Allen.

Is there a reason why I should choose one over the other? I’m worried that the I1 clarity diamond isn’t a brilliant as the VVS1 but since it was at different stores with different lighting, I can’t tell how much that was due to the diamond itself.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Thank you for your response. Unfortunately, I don’t have the GIA certificate for the VVS1, but I did find out a few more things that I had written down: Symmetry 1.01 (6.11-6.08), depth is 71% and Table is 69.9%. Just so you don’t have to scroll, the other features were Color I, 1.34 Ct, Polish EX, $5900 USD.

To answer your question, we’re looking at a white gold solitaire band. My girlfriend liked this style in particular: http://www.brilliantearth.com/Reverie-Ring-Platinum-BE1M0681-1153198/

I wasn’t too happy with the prices I saw on Brilliant Earth for the stones so I don’t think I would buy my setting there. I personally liked the setting below, but my gf hasn’t seen it so I don’t know what she thinks about it. http://www.angara.com/p/solitaire-princess-diamond-bypass-shank-ring-byr1106pc.html

As far as what diamonds I’m looking for, I have a budget of about $6000 (not including tax) to spend on the stone itself. Princess cut, 1.25ct and above and would trade off clarity or color for a larger stone but for me the brilliance is important. After thinking about it for a while the I1 diamond I sent you just didn’t shine as bright as the others I have seen and will not be purchasing.

Do you have any stones in my range that you could recommend?

To answer your question about fluorescence, the diamond is listed as None.

Thank you for the links. I particularly liked the Blue Nile setting you sent, but unfortunately it’s not available for princess cut. Do you know if there is a similar style to that for princess? I could not find any on Blue Nile, but I’m unsure what other sites you work with.