Hello!! First of all, thank you very much for your information, it has been incredibly useful!
I am currently looking to purchase an engagement ring and have narrowed in on some basic criteria. Right now, I am looking at diamonds (Blue Nile) that are around .9 carats and very high in all other categories (D-color, VVS1 clarity). My question is, are there aspects beyond the carats that I should lower my standards on to get a better overall ring for the money? (~4,000-4,500).
You can definitely lower your standards and still get a beautiful diamond that’s eye-clean and colorless. D-VVS1 is a waste of money: https://www.diamonds.pro/education/color/
I’m happy to recommend some options to you, can you just tell me what shape you are interested in and what style setting you are going to use?
Thank you so much!!
Currently, I am thinking about an oval diamond with a very thin setting, though I’m not sure what the style is called (the one with accent diamonds on either side). Here are links to the exact arrangement I was favoring. However, I am completely open to suggestion.
That’s a pave setting.
The diamond you found is a big no-no. You should never buy a D color diamond with strong fluorescence. It is practically guaranteed to have a hazy/dead look in most lighting. Another issue is a strong bow-tie. It doesn’t look good.
Something like this is going to look much more beautiful:
Blue Nile LD10669385
It has fantastic specs, a minimal bow-tie and will be very bright and brilliant.
What do you think?
Thank you! I would have had no idea…
And I really like that one you recommended! Could you possibly compare it to this one?? (Another one I found trying to keep those aspects in mind, they differ in only a few ways)
Blue Nile LD10396000
…
How about this one?? (Sorry, just trying to narrow in on which aspects matter most)
Those two are absolutely beautiful!
Awesome! Should I be concerned with the small dark facets that appear sometimes throughout the diamonds?
Not at all. That’s a perfectly normal feature and all diamonds have it.
Could you possibly give me your thoughts on these two diamonds?? Both in comparison and in general. I’m having trouble picking a winner of the ‘eye test’.
These two stones are also beautiful and they do have great specs. At the same time, you would pay a lot extra and I don’t see a reason for that.
The 0.90 is the longest thanks to its ratio. So if you want to pay the extra buck for this, go for it. But I wouldn’t go for the G IF.
Let me know what you decide.
Where would you say the extra or wasted money is?? Is there another combination you recommend for the price range? And you recommend longer oval cuts?
When you compare the last two stones with the one you found previously, both (of the new stones) are significantly more expensive (that’s why I’m saying the extra buck).
Since the G VVS is also significantly bigger, you would benefit from paying more. The IF stone is also a little bit bigger (than the VS1 0.91 carat) but not that much. You would pay more for specs you see on the paper but not on the stone. That’s why I think that this would be wasting your money. Does it make more sense?
I don’t really recommend going for more elongated shapes. I believe that this is mainly up to your personal taste. If you prefer more rounded ones, I’d stick with the 0.91 VS1.
Could you give me your thoughts on this diamond??
It’s gorgeously cut, I love it. No visible inclusions, no red flags in the cert, this diamond is going to have a lot of added brilliance.
Fantastic! This may be close to a final decision 🙂 Was I right to notice and value the strong appearance of symmetrical arrows? Also, with this size stone, what setting would you recommend? Do you think the pave setting would add something, or detract from the diamond itself?
You chose a fantastically cut diamond and that’s what causes the “arrows” you see 🙂 Such a diamond is going to look amazing in any setting you choose. Go with something that works well with your (and the ring wearer’s) personal taste and style.
Awesome! Thanks so much!!!
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
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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