Q&A: Looking for Round Diamond for Pave Halo Setting

First let me echo many other comments & say that your website is absolutely wonderful! The information you provide is invaluable to the less knowledgeable such as myself.

I’m hoping you will be able to provide some guidance for my situation. I have been married for 6 years & in that time I have worn a simple band matching my husband’s. My engagement ring is sitting in my jewelery box.

For sentimental reasons, I would like to take the diamond out of my engagement ring (it’s a princess cut) & use it as a sidestone in a three stone ring. So I will need to purchase an additional sidestone & a center diamond to go along with it. Initially I thought of trying to find a similar sidestone & having a higher quality center diamond with the same colour (around 1 carat) but I’m not sure if that would make the ring look weird or not.

However if it isn’t possible to purchase diamonds that compliment what I have without the ring looking strange, then as an alternative I am willing to purchase one larger diamond & having it switched with the current diamond in my ring.

My budget for both stones is $6000, but like most people if I am to stay under this amount & save money then great!!

The setting of my current ring is white gold & I am considering getting platinum for the 3 stone ring, but am undecided as I have heard platinum can dull & looks more grey. I would be getting the setting for the 3 stone ring locally.

I am planning to purchase the stones early to mid December, so still about 2 months away, give or take. Ideally I would like to go through James Allen as I feel they have a great return policy, they have the virtual loupe, have fantastic reviews & offer free shipping to Canada (where I live).

Do the prices of diamonds fluctuate around holiday time? Or is that just a ploy made be big box jewelry stores you’d find in a shopping mall? One thing I’m wondering is if I should wait until after Christmas, or does time matter?

Now here is where I am running into most of my difficulty. My husband had decided to propose on a whim while on vacation in Cancun & purchased my ring down there. He didn’t have any knowledge about diamonds & therefore did not invest a large amount of money in the event the stone was garbage (for lack of a better word).

The diamond came with an EGL (USA) certificate (which I now realize is not ideal). When we got home to Alberta, Canada I had an appraisal done, however I have since learnt that many stores where I live do not have gemologist graduates so I am not sure how accurate either document is.

In order to gain a more accurate description of the diamond, I was considering sending the diamond to the GIA in the USA to have a report created for it or taking it to someone locally who possesses a degree from the Canadian Gemological Association & has a Registered Master Valuer Certificate. However I am not sure if the documents I have are sufficient enough to finding a match so perhaps this is not necessary.

The EGL information is as follows:

Measurement: 4.28 x 3.97 x 3.31 mm

Weight: 0.48 ct

Clarity: SI3

Color: F

Now on the back of the little booklet there is an additional sticker that has the following, but it doesn’t list what the information is regarding:

Thin to Think Polished

83.4% (then a space) 78% (I’m assuming this refers to table & depth but it doesn’t say which is which)

Good (space) Good

None (space) None

The local appraisal (graded in setting) has the following information:

Shape & cut: Princess cut

Measurement: 3.92 x 4.26 x 3.35 mm

Weight: 0.50 (calculated)

Clarity: SI-2

Color: G-H (graded in setting)

Proportions: Good

Finish: Good

There is nothing about table, depth, or anything else on this appraisal. The person who completed the appraisal has the following after his name:

F.C.GmA-CGA

Certified Gemmologist – Certified Goldsmith

What would you recommend in my situation? Do you think I should take my diamond somewhere else for further grading? Do you think it will be possible to find 2 stones that would look nice with what I currently have? If so, is it possible with the budget I have & when would be the ideal time to purchase?

I apologize for the long winded message but I wanted to provide as much detail as possible. This is something I have wanted to do for a long time but am nervous about the process given the amount of money I will be spending. I am confused as to what to do & what to buy & from where so any information you can provide would be more than appreciated.

Many thanks in advance for your assistance.

Thank you for your reply & no worries on the time to respond. I imagine you are busy & get lots of enquiries!

Yes I would love some help please!!! I’m not really sure where to start since I’m not sure how accurate the information I have for my current diamond is.

Some of my questions are:

Should I get further analysis done on my current diamond or is what I have good enough to try to find complimentary diamonds?

If I should get the diamond looked at, where should I take it? Send it to GIA or get it looked at locally?

What type of diamonds would look the best with what I have? For example, for the center diamond I was thinking of somewhere around 1 carat with H colour, VS 1 or 2 clarity, ideal or very good cut & for the sidetone I was thinking somewhere around the same carat weight as what I have (0.48 carats) with H colour, SI 1 or 2 clarity & very good or good cut. Since my current diamond isn’t exactly square I would be looking for diamonds that aren’t perfectly square either. I would be comfortable spending $6000, give or take a little bit, for both diamonds.

However I’m concerned that the ring might look funny if the one or both of the new diamonds sparkle more or that the colour may be slightly off. This makes me wonder if I’ll be able to find something to match and maybe I should just buy one diamond & have it put into the setting I already have.

If I go with the 3 stone, I would get a simple trellis style setting. This I would purchase locally as the prices I’ve seen online are similar to what I can buy here. As well I know that Canada Customs charges duty on ring settings/rings with stones, but not on loose diamonds so it may cost more to order the setting from outside of Canada.

My other questions is do diamond prices go up in December due to Christmas and is it better to wait until January?

I have talked to three local jewellers and the price range I was given for the two diamonds & setting was $10 – $14,000, which I believe on the high end is about double the price as to purchasing the diamonds online. Naturally all three companies were enthusiastic to help me & assured me they could find diamonds that wouldn’t look strange when set with the diamond I already have.

Perhaps I am analyzing the situation too much but I’d like to make sure I am doing the right thing!

Thank you in advance for any advice you can provide 🙂

I really appreciate your advice. After some consideration, discussion with hubby & some research I’ve decided to abandon the 3 stone ring and head in a totally different direction by going with an entirely new ring.

I have decided on a round halo pave ring with a matching wedding band from James Allen. The width is a bit too narrow for me so I contacted James Allen & was able to find out they can make the rings wider. I have decided on the following setting, but it will be 2.3-2.5mm wide in 14k white gold.

https://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/settings-with-matching-bands/18k-Pave-Set-Diamond-Wedding-Set.html

Where I’m having difficulty now is I’m not really sure what to look for in a round diamond. Up until a few days ago I knew nothing about them. My preference would be to find one that is 1.00 – 1.10 carats, is eye clean, looks colourless & has great sparkle. I am more concerned about the cut as opposed to the clarity and colour. I don’t plan on walking around with a microscope for people to look at my ring under, so as long as you can’t see any imperfections, it looks white & sparkles I will be happy. My absolute maximum budget for the diamond is $6000 but of course, like most people, the less I need to spend the better!

That being said, from what I have read on your website I am thinking I should look for a stone with an excellent/ideal cut, table & depth around 60%, I – J colour range & SI 1 – VS 2 clarity range. Can you please let me know if I am on the right path? For example, I found the following that I thought may work, but I really have no idea.

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/J-VS2-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1519191.asp

Since the pave diamonds on this particular setting are G-H in colour I wasn’t sure if having a J colour stone would look off, but I thought maybe because the pave stones are small you won’t be able to tell??

I’m also not sure how to tell exactly if a diamond is eye clean. Perhaps it’s just me, but this area seemed a lot easier with princess cut diamonds. The majority of the SI 1 stones I looked at, I could see marks when I looked at the picture of it, even more so when I used the virtual loupe. However from reading posts on your website I know it is possible so perhaps it’s just my inexperience in this area.

Unfortunately I will not be able to order the ring until December 7th so I’m guessing anything I try to pick out now will be sold by then, but I’m hoping to at least gain some knowledge as to what criteria would best meet my ideas/budget and will work with the setting I will be getting.

Would you mind if I contacted you again closer to the date with a few diamond options for your opinion? Also, since this will be a custom order & I won’t be ordering in the same method as a typical purchase, do you know how I would go about ensuring you get recognition from James Allen? It’s important to me that you do and I’m just thinking that if I tell them over the phone which diamond I want to with, then they won’t realize you helped me like they would have had I clicked on the link of a diamond you recommended & had the cookies placed on my computer & whatnot.

Any guidance you can provide would be greatly appreciated. I can not express enough how much your knowledge and willingness to assist me means.

Thank-you again 🙂

Thanks Mike! This gives me a better idea of what to look for. I anticipated spending around $6000 on diamonds and a few extra hundred dollars in addition to that doesn’t make a difference so that price point will work for me.

I’ll be in touch with you early December. Thanks again!

I’m planning to order my ring on Friday (Dec 7) so I’ve been looking at the diamonds James Allen has & I’m finding this process really difficult! I have a hard time telling if a diamond is eye clean. There are also so many that I’m not really sure how they all compare & which is best.

I’m also not sure what would be the best value for my money. I am willing to spend up to $7000 on the diamond if needed. However I have 4 little kids so I can’t justify spending any more than that, & of course the less I have to spend the better!

I am including the link for some I found that might fit the bill. Could you please take a look & let me know what you think, or perhaps suggest any alternatives I don’t have listed that might be better options? Again, I’m looking for a round stone around one carat that looks white, is eye clean & has great sparkle.

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-SI1-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1521899.asp

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-SI1-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1529146.asp

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-SI1-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1446838.asp

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/F-SI1-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1529227.asp

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-SI1-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1446881.asp

Do you think I would get better value if I went for a diamond just under one carat? Perhaps I am wrong but it doesn’t seem like you would be able to see a huge difference in size between say 0.96 and 1.02. I found this one that is 0.96 carats that I thought might work.

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/F-SI1-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1520779.asp

I imagine you are quite busy & since I won’t be ordering for several more days, if you could please let me know a few options of what you think would work that would be great! I wouldn’t be surprised if many of these, if not all, are sold by the 7th so I’d like to have a first choice as well as some back ups, just in case the first choice is not available.

Many thanks again 🙂

Thanks Mike!

I’ll steer clear of the 0.96 one & keep my fingers crossed that at least one of the other two are still available later this week. If not I may be contacting you again for your opinion but I’ll definitely let you know how things go!

As always – many thanks 🙂

I’m sorry to keep bothering you but I have another question….the first two diamonds have a table of 59%…is that a bit too high? I’m just wondering if I should go with one that has a slightly lower table? Or would it make a difference? I’m including two more that caught my eye as well & now I’m second guessing (or perhaps I’ve just become too obsessed!) The additional two have a colour grade lower at H as well as them having a slightly lower table at 56%.

Could you please let me know your opinion & how you think the four of them compare?

Original two:

(I mentioned these two to the consultant I’ve been dealing with at JA & he suggested I have them inspected as that would take about 3 days, which would increase the chances of them being available Friday so that’s what I did)

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/F-SI1-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1529227.asp

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-SI1-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1529146.asp

Additional two:

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1538153.asp

https://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-SI1-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1451988.asp

Thanks Again Mike!

Thanks Mike! I read on one website that the ideal table was 55-57.5% then on another one that it could go up to 61% so I really wasn’t sure. This is just one example of why I’m so appreciative of you answering all my questions.

I’m going to stop looking at diamonds now & stick with the F Si1 as first choice, followed by the G Si1 as a back up 🙂 If it turns out neither of those are available on Friday then I’ll deal with it at that point!

I heard back from JA & this is what they said about the two diamonds I requested to be inspected…

You’ll be happy to know that diamonds 1529146 (1.02crt G SI1) and 1529227 (1.01crt F SI1) are exceptionally bright and have great fire, brilliance, and scintillation. Diamond 1529146 has a true “G” color and faces eye clean to the average, untrained eye. Diamond 1529227 has a true “F” color and its twinning wisps blend very well. However, the gemologist said that a sensitive eye may be able to detect a very, very slight haze in it.

While both of your options perform nicely, I highly recommend diamond 1529146 as the cleaner option, and feel that you’ll find it to look stunning in any setting.

Do you agree with their recommendation?

…….

I wanted to let you know I ordered my ring this morning & I went with the 1.02 G SI1.

Thank you, thank you so much for all your help & advice! You & your website definitely made this process a lot easier for me 🙂

My ring arrived this past Monday. It looks AMAZING!!! I was sitting in a dark room with only the tv on & it still sparkles!! I took it to be appraised yesterday & it was appraised at $3000 more than I paid for it. The appraiser I took it to in Edmonton said she sees quite a bit of jeweller from James Allen & thinks they’re a great company.

I also have to say my experience with James Allen was superb. Their service is fantastic & the overnight priority shipping can’t be beat.

I’m including a photo of it, just so you can see. It isn’t the greatest as I took it with my iPhone, but it will give you the idea. I’ve gotten so many compliments on how beautiful it looks. It definitely paid off the go with the best cut & go down on the clarity as much as I could & still have an eye clean stone.

Thanks again for all your help & feedback.

Thanks for the link Mike. It’s the least I can do. My review is posted!