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Q&A: Looking for 1 Ct. Round Cut on JA

By Mike Fried,

I’m writing because I recently purchased a ring setting I had not been able to find anywhere online. The retail store (Mervis Diamond) I purchased from is great and it would be nice to keep everything in house; however, I can tell there is a significant markup. I am weary about purchasing diamonds online and am a little unsure of the type of stone I should look for outside of avoiding the diamonds with the obvious black occlusions. I am trying to stay in the 1ct range for under 7k and see that I can get more diamond in the “near colorless” range but am trying to understand how you can tell whether or not the diamond will appear yellowish without a comparison. Any pointers you can give would be greatly appreciated. I have browsed your site and am really impressed with the different perspective but I guess I lack the confidence since jewelry is definitely not my niche.

I understand peoples’ concerns with purchasing online, but I think they are misguided. Mervis is a perfect example; they are notorious for overcharging and try to push diamonds with illegitimate certification on you as well. So long as you purchase GIA diamonds (that you can see photos of) from a reputable site with a decent return policy, there is no risk to making the purchase. I have yet to have a reader show me a diamond recommended from Mervis that was a halfway decent deal. So instead of overcoming the concerns of buying online, you’d be practically guaranteeing that you end up with a bad deal.

You have a very valid point. I had a diamond on hold with JamesAllen and I’m going to take the chance. You validated everything I was thinking and I wholely agree that there would be no advantage for me to buy a diamond from Mervis.

Let me know what you pick out. I’m happy to help you out with it.

I went with one very similar to the one in the link below. I didn’t choose this one because I feel like I can see a black dot on the crown and I would obsess over anything visibly obvious. If you have any other suggestions, I’d love to hear them as I have 60 days to make a return.

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.01-carat-h-color-if-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-191651?a_aid=dmnd1357

That one looks great. Let’s see how it looks when it arrives.

Received it yesterday and I have to say it looks great. I kind of wish I went bigger because I’m realizing the 40x magnification they use is not how I’d see it everyday. Either way the diamond is beautiful. Thanks for all of your help Mike.

Thanks for writing and letting us know. I’m delighted that you were pleased with our help.

We wish you and your partner a life of happiness and fulfillment.

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!

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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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