Newbie overwhelmed by diamond search!!! Seeks HELP.

[calliquaquaversal]

Hello folks,

Well, the subject explains my sentiments. I`ve been trying to learn a bit on the internet. From what I can gather, it appears that all things being equal, the quality of the cut should be of utmost concern. I`m concerned/confused about what I`ve read in regards to color and clarity. The diamond I buy will be for beauty - not an investment. At what point do inclusions matter to a diamonds beauty? Same with color? This weekend I`ll begin eyballing loose diamonds. What`s the difference between looking at a loose diamond compared to how it may look on a ring? My girlfriend and I both want a diamond that really sparkles. She`s leaning towards a princess cut and I`m leaning towards a round. My price limit is about $15-20,000. (gulp) Any advice is MOST appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Kamuelamom]

Hi & welcome to Pricescope!

You've come to the right place and have the right idea. Cut *is* king.

While I don't know much about princess cuts, I'll say that having a budget and knowing that cut is important sets you off on the right foot. You should be able to find a great stone for your budget.

Round brilliants tend to be more than princess cuts.

Sparkle is what you are going for in a diamond. With the right cut, color and clarity become secondary, providing the stone is eye clean, depending on yuor personal tolerances. Clarity in the SI1/2 is totally acceptable as long as it's eye clean as mentioned. Heck, if you are any kind of lucky, you will end up like Patty with an I1 that dazzles!

The more you are willing to compromise on color and clarity, the bigger the stone you can get.

My advice is to move your thread into Rocky talk. You will get a much better response there.