Advice on 3 carat stone

[Dancing Fire]

SO definitely wants round and a four prong. I am leaning towards the smaller, higher quality option that could later be upgraded. 2.2 carat still seems like a pretty large stone, right?

Then HPD or WF would be your best bet.

 

[Miss Marple]

This is a little on the small side given your criteria and will have a bit of tint, but it comes in under budget, has fantastic light performance and a better upgrade policy than JA and Adiamor (at least $1 more and upgrade at least 2 of the following: color, size and clarity).

https://www.briangavindiamonds.com/.../2.430-m-vs1-round-diamond-ecags-104097991003

 

[seaurchin]

In general, 2.2ct stone is not small, BUT - you looked at a 3.16ct diamond with your girlfriend, 2.2ct is a whole carat smaller!! Don’t do it. Please follow her desires and get the largest possible diamond within your budget! She clearly doesn’t care about color or clarity - she just wants a big rock. I would recommend that you honor her wishes since she will be the one wearing the ring.

Good point.

 

[big_steve123]

In general, 2.2ct stone is not small, BUT - you looked at a 3.16ct diamond with your girlfriend, 2.2ct is a whole carat smaller!! Don’t do it. Please follow her desires and get the largest possible diamond within your budget! She clearly doesn’t care about color or clarity - she just wants a big rock. I would recommend that you honor her wishes since she will be the one wearing the ring.

Here is a beautiful 2.7 K VS1 - https://www.jamesallen.com/mobile/l...k-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-6696257

I’d recommend that you put it on hold ASAP and ask JA for their advantage pricing.

ETA: here is another promising one: https://www.jamesallen.com/mobile/l...k-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-6532840
Again, with advantage pricing, the asking price might come close to budget.

Really great advice! These are good finds. I'm really debating now whether to stretch the budget to get the 3 carat or stay within my budget for the smaller 2.7.

 

[seaurchin]

Get the big one!

 

[SimoneDi]

Really great advice! These are good finds. I'm really debating now whether to stretch the budget to get the 3 carat or stay within my budget for the smaller 2.7.

First ask JA for their advantage pricing to see the final prices and put them both ON HOLD. Decide after you have the full information. Also ask for IS images.

 

[mrs-b]

Another lovely stone - slightly warner, but very clean and nicely cut. With stones of this tint level, the secret is all in the setting and they can look every bit as nice as a whiter stone:
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...-l-color-if-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-6217334

This one has an obvious mark over one of the arrows, which helps conceal it a bit, but it's a BIG stone and it's a gorgeous cut. Set it in a rose or yellow gold bezel or halo, and it will look smashing. It's also a thousand dollars under budget:
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...k-color-si2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-6559877

 

[headlight]

So I know I am going to get pushback on what I’m about to say... and for those of you who remember me from a long time ago you will think I’ve totally lost it lol, but a 3 carat for your budget means a lot of “compromises” (subjective word, I know!) with regard to the other Cs.
Will your girlfriend regret the depth of warmth of color after she sees it around her friends who have a stone that doesn’t share that warmth? I’m not even looking at the other areas where you may have to compensate due to the targeted size in you price point.
Your price point is definitely an awesome one, and you most definitely can get a beautiful stone still sizable just not the 3+ carat.
Before everyone bans me from PS, let me just speak from personal experience. I went for the ginormous one, 3.29ct. Had to go “lesser” on the other 3 Cs. So less than desirable cut, clarity and color (I do think there are great values with SI2s, just not the one I had) and the I color was warm and you are looking at a K which is a big jump between the 2. Yes, I will concede that if you have a stellar cut it will compensate for those other 2... however, here’s what my experience was:
I felt (I pretty much knew) that when people looked at my diamond they said to themselves or amongst others “Sure, she has a huge diamond but it’s not a good diamond”.
You can still get your girl a sizable diamond that everyone will say “wow, that’s quite the rock and what a stunner!”
I’m not trying to ruin your day nor disagree with others who have given great input... I’m just speaking my experience. I am a world of difference in happiness now that I traded that large but not so good diamond in for my new much smaller but way FINER diamond. ALSO, I now see it’s true... a beautiful diamond that’s smaller is way more noticeable across the room than a much larger one that isn’t so hot.
Maybe it’s because I’m almost 54 - I’m sure age and life stage plays a part... certain things aren’t as important and others that weren’t so much appear in a different light.
I’m rambling on and on... my point I’m trying to get across is that you can have both... a beautiful diamond and something people would consider as great size... I don’t know where you live but I am a native So Cal girl, lived on the coast my whole life, amongst much affluence and I don’t know anyone that would look down on a 2 carat (even amongst those who have and/or can afford larger).
Don’t hate me... I’m just trying to give another point of view to consider... so you and your girl can make the best choice for you two, even if you still go for the larger one.

 

[ccuheartnurse]

In general, 2.2ct stone is not small, BUT - you looked at a 3.16ct diamond with your girlfriend, 2.2ct is a whole carat smaller!! Don’t do it. Please follow her desires and get the largest possible diamond within your budget! She clearly doesn’t care about color or clarity - she just wants a big rock. I would recommend that you honor her wishes since she will be the one wearing the ring.

Here is a beautiful 2.7 K VS1 - https://www.jamesallen.com/mobile/l...k-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-6696257

I’d recommend that you put it on hold ASAP and ask JA for their advantage pricing.

ETA: here is another promising one: https://www.jamesallen.com/mobile/l...k-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-6532840
Again, with advantage pricing, the asking price might come close to budget.

Gorgeous options. Put them on hold. I'm not sure what color setting you want to buy but go through this thread for some ideas.

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/show-me-your-k-colored-diamonds.112476/

 

[SimoneDi]

@headlight of course we all have our own points of view and there is nothing wrong with yours. You tried different sizes and different colored diamonds and found out what works for you! Your new ring is beautiful and I am sure that your prior ring was pretty as well. I myself bounced around different colors to find what works for me at this point in time.

Nonetheless, it is really, really important to consider what OPs intended desires. Had he come here and sought advice without speaking or seeing stones with his girlfriend prior, even my own advice might have been different. But they went and looked and she liked a 3ct + GIA K even with a huge carbon inclusion on the table. So that is what she wants, not a 2ct, not a colorless stone, but a large stone. That is what he should get her if he cares to satisfy her wishes. Our job is to make sure that he can get the best possible stone in his budget based on the requirements and that is what we should be doing. His girlfriend has stated her preferences very clearly, we shouldn’t be trying to persuade him otherwise, because we won’t be the ring wearer.

Also, I have had 2 K color stones and they were gorgeous.

 

[mrs-b]

Just wanted to come back to add -

If you're wondering how the James Allen stone I (or anyone) linked for you in this thread, go to the right hand side of the rotating picture, and decrease the picture from magnification to real life size. Assuming neither she, nor any of her friends, will look at her ring under a loupe, I absolutely stand by the 3.29 K SI2 I linked. When you decrease it, you see the beautiful uniformity of the arrows. Yes, I know it has a blurt in the middle that you will see on rotation if you look closely enough, or if you use a loupe. But all stones reflect their budgets, and this one is a whole lot of beautiful diamond for the price, and leaves you enough money left over to get a killer setting, which will complement, rather than fight, the warmth of this wonderful stone.

You don't *only* need to get size with your budget. Yes, you'll need to make compromises, but this is a lovely diamond, not 'just a compromise'. I think most women would be thrilled to wear this diamond, so long as it's set well.

Good luck!

 

[headlight]

Simone... thank you for breaking it down in that way... that we are here to help someone get the best in their parameters, not to CHANGE the parameters. I appreciate you pointing out the subtleties. I will keep that in mind going forward!

 

[SimoneDi]

Simone... thank you for breaking it down in that way... that we are here to help someone get the best in their parameters, not to CHANGE the parameters. I appreciate you pointing out the subtleties. I will keep that in mind going forward!

No worries, it’s difficult to be completely impartial since we all have our own preferences, but at the end of the day, what matters to us is not necessarily important to others. It’s not always easy to strike a fine balance.

 

[big_steve123]

Ok update, I placed a hold on two stones with James Allen:

I was able to get a price match on this one down to $16,850:
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...k-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-6696257

Advantage pricing on this one at $21,000. Could not find the same stone at another vendor:
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...k-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-6532840

Leaning towards the 2.7 since it is still in my budget. I think it is close enough to 3 carat that she will be happy with the size.

I'm also curious what other people think about the huge stone that mrs-b posted:
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...k-color-si2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-6559877

 

[SimoneDi]

Ok update, I placed a hold on two stones with James Allen:

I was able to get a price match on this one down to $16,850:
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...k-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-6696257

Advantage pricing on this one at $21,000. Could not find the same stone at another vendor:
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...k-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-6532840

Leaning towards the 2.7 since it is still in my budget. I think it is close enough to 3 carat that she will be happy with the size.

I'm also curious what other people think about the huge stone that mrs-b posted:
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...k-color-si2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-6559877

The 2.7 K VS1 has a great new adjusted price! They didn’t give much of a break on the 3ct K and I also wasn’t able to find it listed elsewhere, but I found other other 3K VS2 that retailed at even higher prices.

Would your girlfriend like a halo setting? If yes, I would suggest that you place the 2.7ct K VS1 in a halo and that will give it an absolutely impressive finger coverage. Something like this will be lovely as it will hide much of the profile where the color is visible: https://www.jamesallen.com/mobile/e...-edge-pave-diamond-engagement-ring-item-49492

The 3.29 K SI2 is an absolute no for me. While I understand why mrs-b suggested it and it could be a perfectly fine buy for someone else, I would not select it for you.
1. It is graded by IGI. IGI is not always reliable in terms of grading color and clarity. The color of the stone seems closer to an M IMHO.
2. It is included. Yes, your gf did like a GIA SI2 and she will be happy with the size, but once she spends more time with it, she will never be able to unsee the inclusions. That huge black crystal on the table is not something you want in an e-ring.
3. IGI stones do not hold the same value on the secondary market and while you are not buying the stone to eventually sell it, I am assuming that you still want to spend $17k on a diamond that will retain the most of its value over time.

The 2.7 K VS1 or the 3.02 K VS2 are the better choices.

 

[bludiva]

Can you share the 2.7 and 3.3 with your intended amd see which she prefers? To my eye the 2.7 looks prettier in how it is cut even if we ignore the spot on the 3.3. And close to 9mm is a large stone. But she is the one who will wear it, those are 2 good options to present...it's a really clear choice between size vs clarity and neither answer is wrong.

The extra 5k for the 3ct would be wouldn't be worth it to me personally so I would take that out of the mix but again I'm not the wearer or the buyer. Congrats on your pending engagement!

 

[Ss52]

I love the first one because it says size AND quality. And you initially mentioned looking for a 2.70+ stone, so it would within her wishes. Happy future to you both!

 

[seaurchin]

Just want to say I'm blown away by all the thoughtful replies to the OP on here.

 

[Wewechew]

I love the 2.7ct you put on hold.

I’m not crazy about the 3.29ct SI2- the carbon spot in the middle would drive me nuts. But only you know if that would matter to your gf.

 

[tigertales]

Is it possible for you, OP, to post additional pics of the original stone? I'm trying to get a feel for the color in different lighting, and the inclusion. I want to compare it with the stones proposed on here.

 

[big_steve123]

Would your girlfriend like a halo setting?

No, she has been pretty clear that she wants a gold solitaire setting.

Is it possible for you, OP, to post additional pics of the original stone? I'm trying to get a feel for the color in different lighting, and the inclusion. I want to compare it with the stones proposed on here.

Unfortunately, that was the only photo that I got. Rookie mistake!

 

[big_steve123]

I got Idealscope images for the two stones that I have on hold:

2.7 carat (https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...k-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-6696257):


3 carat https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...k-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-6532840


How do these look? Is the 3 carat worth the extra $4k?

 

[SimoneDi]

I got Idealscope images for the two stones that I have on hold:

2.7 carat (https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...k-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-6696257):


3 carat https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...k-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-6532840


How do these look? Is the 3 carat worth the extra $4k?

The 3ct K VS2 has a better aset. The 2.7 is not a bad stone, but there is a little bit of leakage under the table. It will still be a beautiful stone. Also, both stones are much better cut and overall better quality than the one you saw in person.

Only you can decide if $4k would be worth it to you. If you can stretch your budget without getting in debt, then I would personally prefer the 3ct K VS2 and this will likely be a stone that you will never have to upgrade.

Does she like yellow gold or white gold?

JA sometimes runs a promotion for a free setting with purchase, ask them if they are willing to do that for you. You are already going above your budget and if they are willing to work with you, that will save you some money.

 

[SimoneDi]

The 3ct K VS2 has a better aset. The 2.7 is not a bad stone, but there is a little bit of leakage under the table. It will still be a beautiful stone. Also, both stones are much better cut and overall better quality than the one you saw in person.

Only you can decide if $4k would be worth it to you. If you can stretch your budget without getting in debt, then I would personally prefer the 3ct K VS2 and this will likely be a stone that you will never have to upgrade.

Does she like yellow gold or white gold?

JA sometimes runs a promotion for a free setting with purchase, ask them if they are willing to do that for you. You are already going above your budget and if they are willing to work with you, that will save you some money.

Correction - IS not an ASET

 

[lovedogs]

Agree. I prefer the 3ct, but you need to be sure the extra 4k makes sense for you.

 

[CareBear]

I prefer the K VS2. It has strong blue fluo which will make the stone look whiter than a K. But you need to confirm with JA that the fluo does not cause any milky-ness or cloudiness.

 

[iluvshinythings]

I don't think she's going to notice much difference between the 2.7 or the 3 ct. Below is a comparison of the two on a size 6.5 finger. (the 2.7 ct is on the left)


Both of your options are gorgeous and you've been given some great advice.

I have a 3 ct K OEC with SBF and I love it. It looks very white to me most of the time and the color doesn't bother me at all. I think the SBF might scare some people on the re-sell market so give that some thought if you think she might want an upgrade or change later. Prior to PS I couldn't imagine an upgrade from a 3ct, and don't think I'll ever go bigger for myself, but you never know.

 

[headlight]

I agree that the 3 carat is more desirable due to the 2.7 having the leakage in the amount and location that it does. Also, I actually think she will see the difference in size and, even more than seeing it visually, I think MENTALLY it will matter... A LOT! Even if she couldn't tell in person without knowing the carat weights (although I think she will), once she KNOWS she won't be able to see anything else. The 3 carat was the most important thing to her, so then you should by all means get the 3 carat! It isn't like the 2.7 is of higher color grade (which I had suggested but I'm not her and this will be her ring!)... the color is the same for both stones, even both having the strong blue FL. On that note, the more recent GIA study discredits the concept about the milky/hazy with the exception of a very rare chance (although I don't want to be that person!) but, as the others have said, some people are still of the mindset of the "old beliefs" about FL that you need to be aware of it and make your own decision so excellent point that iloveshinythings brought up - that's good info for you to be cognizant of. Honestly, however, any time you want to sell or trade, you always "eat it" anyhow, so not sure it would make a world of difference with regard to her wanting to upgrade down the road. HOWEVER, if you are getting an upgrade policy from your vendor, I would imagine if you buy from someone with a trade-in/up policy they should honor the stone they sold you and it shouldn't matter that it has SBF, but DO ask all these questions NOW. They should have the machine that can assess if there is that off-chance it does display the milky/cloudy effect so you can easily confirm that element. Irregardless of what happens down the road if she wants to change out her stone, you need to know for THIS diamond that you won't have a milky/cloudy appearance in some settings. Again, back to the size, since this was so very important to her, TRUST ME when I say that when she gets that on her finger and is showing it off to everyone and they all ask, "What is the size?" she is NOT going to be happy to say "Almost 3 carats"... She wants to be BEAMING as the words come out of her mouth ever so proudly, "It's 3 carats" (and, in this case, she can legitimately say, "It's OVER 3 carats" LOL!). I KNOW that the extra 4 grand is a LOT, trust me, I get it. However, if you were to ask my husband (of 30 years), he would say there is no price too high for your wife's happiness... or shall I rephrase and say that there is no amount of money too high for YOUR happiness, and if she has to say that diamond is less than 3 carats you will not be happy You will just have to cut something else out of your life for the time being or finance a little or SOMETHING to make it happen if you want to go forward with the 3 carat diamond that she desires so strongly. This isn't just a big purchase, it is an IMPORTANT purchase that carries so many intangibles with it. The "cost" of not recognizing those intangibles is immense. There are a lot of things you can purchase at any random time... but the e-ring is your one time opportunity to get it right. I know, lots of pressure! But you've been armed with amazing help from everyone here from the goodness of their hearts and their passion for beautiful diamonds and beautiful life moments and I think you are on your way to the perfect proposal

 

[headlight]

Did anyone else notice that aside from both stones being K color with SBF, they both have 4.5% girdles? Interesting.

 

[Dancing Fire]

TRUST ME when I say that when she gets that on her finger and is showing it off to everyone and they all ask, "What is the size?" she is NOT going to be happy to say "Almost 3 carats"...

When people ask me "what is the size?" I say 8.55mm and they really get confused.