Advice needed — which should i pick? 0.5-0.6carat

[piepie]

hi guys! i’m looking to get a replacement for the engagement ring that i lost — and just needing some advice with what to choose. with my limited budget, i’m looking at something that’s somewhere in the 0.5-0.6 range. because i’m looking at smaller diamonds, i’m hoping i can get away with a J colour. would this be something you would recommend? after lurking a little on this forum, i decided to go with whiteflash. here’s what i’ve whittled it down to:


https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4015027.htm


https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4027048.htm


https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4094437.htm


it’ll be set in a simple, thin solitaire band. i’m not sure whether to go for four prong or six prong either so advice would be very much appreciated. TIA

 

[lovedogs]

I think in .6 you can definitely go with J, especially in an ACA. ACA j color are often very white, and smaller sizes show less color, which is great. I like the .6 choices, they are both nice!

Have you seen a J color in person? And what size was your other stone? Those are my only concerns. I don't want you to be disappointed with the size, or be shocked if you see tint from the size. But both are super gorgeous. The .55 is nice as well, but I would want the largest stone for my money (if I were you).

I think 6 prong settings are amazing, but often overwhelm stones smaller than 1ct. So I'd go with 4 prongs in this size.

 

[piepie]

I think in .6 you can definitely go with J, especially in an ACA. ACA j color are often very white, and smaller sizes show less color, which is great. I like the .6 choices, they are both nice!

Have you seen a J color in person? And what size was your other stone? Those are my only concerns. I don't want you to be disappointed with the size, or be shocked if you see tint from the size. But both are super gorgeous. The .55 is nice as well, but I would want the largest stone for my money (if I were you).

I think 6 prong settings are amazing, but often overwhelm stones smaller than 1ct. So I'd go with 4 prongs in this size.

my lost ring was a 0.31 I color center stone (with no cert — blasphemy!) that we bought at Michael Hill here in NZ. i added a pic of it below. so i’m actually helping myself to a cheeky upgrade here (the options that i shortlisted are actually cheaper than the lost ring). i’ve tried on a 0.52 I at a local store but it wasn’t certified by GIA/AGS so i passed. I was happy enough with the size but in saying that haven’t seen a J color in real life. and yes, definitely! i do want the largest stone that i could get with my budget right now...

 

[lovedogs]

my lost ring was a 0.31 I color center stone (with no cert — blasphemy!) that we bought at Michael Hill here in NZ. i added a pic of it below. so i’m actually helping myself to a cheeky upgrade here (the options that i shortlisted are actually cheaper than the lost ring). i’ve tried on a 0.52 I at a local store but it wasn’t certified by GIA/AGS so i passed. I was happy enough with the size but in saying that haven’t seen a J color in real life. and yes, definitely! i do want the largest stone that i could get with my budget right now...

Sorry you lost your ring but yay for upgrades! I think you'll be thrilled with the ACA. Compared to an uncertified stone, the light performance is going to blow you away! Are you going to be bothered by not having a halo style? Halo vs. no halo (esp a double halo) makes a massive difference in terms of overall finger coverage. Again, you can't go wrong w the ACA, I just don't want it to feel "too small" in a solitaire and then see you disappointed.

What's your budget, and do you see yourself upgrading in the future?

 

[piepie]

Sorry you lost your ring but yay for upgrades! I think you'll be thrilled with the ACA. Compared to an uncertified stone, the light performance is going to blow you away! Are you going to be bothered by not having a halo style? Halo vs. no halo (esp a double halo) makes a massive difference in terms of overall finger coverage. Again, you can't go wrong w the ACA, I just don't want it to feel "too small" in a solitaire and then see you disappointed.

What's your budget, and do you see yourself upgrading in the future?

funny story, i actually didn’t like the double halo that much in the end. i’ve asked around for the pricing of Halo settings but i quickly found that was going to blow my budget. i’ve been lurking the under carat thread on here, and also looked at half carat solitaires on a size 5 finger. i think the coverage with 0.5-0.6 carat seems more than adequate. and i actually love the look of solitaires.

my budget right now is only NZD$3000 (as we have huge IVF bills at the mo). if i do upgrade the biggest i’d go will likely be a 0.80 carat. it’s also why we decided to go with Whiteflash as they have a 100% upgrade plan

by the way thanks for your help so far, you’ve made some great points that are helping me make a choice!

 

[lovedogs]

funny story, i actually didn’t like the double halo that much in the end. i’ve asked around for the pricing of Halo settings but i quickly found that was going to blow my budget. i’ve been lurking the under carat thread on here, and also looked at half carat solitaires on a size 5 finger. i think the coverage with 0.5-0.6 carat seems more than adequate. and i actually love the look of solitaires.

my budget right now is only NZD$3000 (as we have huge IVF bills at the mo). if i do upgrade the biggest i’d go will likely be a 0.80 carat. it’s also why we decided to go with Whiteflash as they have a 100% upgrade plan

by the way thanks for your help so far, you’ve made some great points that are helping me make a choice!

Awesome! You sound super well informed about all aspects of the choice, which is what I wanted to make sure of. I hate the idea of ppl ordering from abroad, waiting, dealing with taxes, and then potentially having to return. Such a pain! But yeah, WF is epic for upgrades (so is HP diamonds), and they have some incredible .6 stones that you pointed out. Don't worry about the J at all (IMHO), you'll love it!

Which setting are you going to choose?

 

[lovedogs]

Would this be possible, or is it 3000 NZ as a hard limit?
I think that 3000 NZ = 2050 ish in USD, so this is about 150-200 over. There are a ton of other options for diamonds, just liked this combo.

 

[Dancing Fire]

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4027048.htm

I'll take this one!. I love the specs

 

[piepie]

Would this be possible, or is it 3000 NZ as a hard limit?
I think that 3000 NZ = 2050 ish in USD, so this is about 150-200 over. There are a ton of other options for diamonds, just liked this combo.

i might be able to convince my husband to go at most 200 over if needed. i was actually looking at the cheapest setting which is the Ritani knife edge solitaire. i like the look of a solitaire with a thin band. the only thing that gave me pause was the seemingly high setting. i much prefer the setting on the one you selected

 

[piepie]

I'll take this one!. I love the specs

i liked it too. i thought it looked great for an SI1! there wasn’t any obvious inclusions and per the cert it looked like the inclusions are on the sides (if I’m understanding it correctly, i’ve only started my diamond “research” two weeks ago)

 

[lovedogs]

i might be able to convince my husband to go at most 200 over if needed. i was actually looking at the cheapest setting which is the Ritani knife edge solitaire. i like the look of a solitaire with a thin band. the only thing that gave me pause was the seemingly high setting. i much prefer the setting on the one you selected

This is by far my favorite of their "budget" settings. It's not too high, doesn't look temporary or cheap, and is just a classic. Now get to convincing!

 

[ccuheartnurse]

Hi PiePie,

Those look like fabulous stones. I would go for the biggest one in budget if the plan was to upgrade in future. LOL Can I ask you to email me ( addy at the bottom of my listing). I have an idea for you.

Judy
https://loupetroop.com/listings/loo...1-dot-06-ct-oval-pink-mahenge-spinel-plus-lot