Advice Requested: Yellow and Colorless Radiants

[Pilotlight16]

Hey all! We're looking for advice/opinions on selecting a Radiant cut diamond for a solitaire engagement ring, size 5.
We envision the band will be either plain platinum or pave, with a yellow gold head if we select a yellow.

We've narrowed it down to a few options - are any of these a better quality by than the other? Are there any concerns about these that we're not seeing?

Yellow

2.61-Carat Intense Yellow Radiant Cut Diamond | Blue Nile

www.bluenile.com

2.51-Carat Intense Yellow Radiant Cut Diamond | Blue Nile

www.bluenile.com

Colorless

2.44-Carat Radiant Cut Diamond | Blue Nile

www.bluenile.com

3.11-Carat Radiant Cut Diamond | Blue Nile

www.bluenile.com

Yellow is her favorite color, but she has tan skin - which makes me feel like the colorless may compliment her tone better.

We appreciate the help! We're a little out of our comfort zone on this one.

 

[distracts]

If she wants yellow, I'd go with yellow. Have you thought about putting a white halo around it so it "pops" colorwise? That's what I do with gems I want to wear that don't look good with my skin color. I'm a person who prefers colored stones to white, so if you think she will like the yellow more, I'd go with the yellow and not worry about it. It will certainly be a lot more unique too, and in my experience, unique engagement rings get a ton more compliments than white diamonds - idk if that sort of thing is important to her, but it is to some.

I think both of the yellows you have look fine (and both of the white diamonds), but to give you more options, most PSers buy their fancy colors from Diamonds by Lauren or Leibish.

Here is a bigger option from Diamonds by Lauren:

3.60ct Yellow SI1 Cushion Diamond Ring

This is an awesome 3.60ct Fancy Yellow SI1 Cushion Cut Diamond. Set into an uber setting that is substantial and beautiful.

www.diamondsbylauren.com

Here's a W-X they have in a halo, just so you can see how it "pops" off the skin more:

4.24ct W-X VS2 Cushion Diamond Ring

This is a 4.24ct W-X VS2 Cushion Cut Diamond. In an amazing ring. Beautiful cut and an amazing stone for a great price.

www.diamondsbylauren.com

And another:

3.01ct Yellow Cushion Diamond Ring

This is a stunning 3.01ct Fancy Light Yellow SI1 Cushion Cut Diamond Halo Ring. The setting is hand forged.

www.diamondsbylauren.com

Some from Leibish:

Colored Diamonds: Shop Natural Loose Colored Diamond | Leibish

LEIBISH specializes in Natural Fancy Colored Diamonds & Colored Diamond Jewelry. Discover our collection of fancy color diamonds.

www.leibish.com

Yellow Diamonds: Shop Natural Loose Yellow Diamond | Leibish

Leibish & Co. specializes in Natural Fancy Yellow Diamonds & Yellow Diamond Jewelry. Discover our collection of fancy color diamonds.

www.leibish.com

3.01 carat, Fancy Intense Yellow Diamond, Cushion Shape, SI2 Clarity, GIA, SKU 389329

3.01 carat, Fancy Intense Yellow, Cushion shape Diamond with SI2 clarity, graded by GIA. A beautiful Yellow Diamond with super Canary color saturation and fine sparkle. The stone has Excellent polish and Very Good symmetry. For more information about this item please contact our customer...

www.leibish.com

 

[headlight]

@distracts love your idea to add the halo!

 

[Pilotlight16]

@distracts : Thanks for the reply! We did decide to go yellow, and I'm checking out the additional diamonds you recommended. (We're not doing the halo but did also appreciate the idea.)

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

You really should put some white diamonds nearby because in low light you need the contrast to say "" oh, that is a yellow diamond" other wise you will get " oh(no) what a lovely ring (not)".
but either small rounds or cuts that do not have a lot of brilliance as say 1ct rounds will make the yellow diamond look dull.
google images for yellow diamond ring and you will note there are no large round brilliants with yellow diamonds. AND no solitaire yellow diamond rings.

 

[Rad_Fan]

Have you both decided which grade of FY you like? I personally think that it's important to know that while searching.

Just some more inspiration on a bigger halo...

Walked into Costco to change my membership card...

I saw this 1.69 ct central stone intense yellow diamond ring and liked it. I compared it with the one I have - need to send it to GIA but it will probably be appraised as intense, I assume. But it is antique hence the cutting is not as brilliant. Anyhow, I liked the oval, it is VS1, I think...

www.pricescope.com

If no halo, are you thinking about maybe something similar to Tiffany True Engagement Ring

or

 

[Pilotlight16]

Thanks @Rad_Fan! For our price point, we're looking at both Fancy and Fancy Intense.

You were also pretty spot on with the Tiffany! We're thinking something more like their Novo:

Tiffany Novo® yellow diamond engagement ring with a pavé diamond platinum band. | Tiffany & Co.

www.tiffany.com

 

[Rad_Fan]

Thanks @Rad_Fan! For our price point, we're looking at both Fancy and Fancy Intense.

You were also pretty spot on with the Tiffany! We're thinking something more like their Novo:

Tiffany Novo® yellow diamond engagement ring with a pavé diamond platinum band. | Tiffany & Co.

www.tiffany.com

Oh...I like that kind of contrast design since I am not a halo person. Great taste! I have a feeling that the Novo is at least FIY or FVY.

I had a FY before but it just didn't work for me and completely washed off against my skin tone.

 

[Rad_Fan]

No 3 stone setting, right?

 

[AV_]

You might wish to see this old thread: www

Then, take a look: www Several stones look exceptional to me for one reason or other, but all I see are the same pictures you are seeing.

Else, the colors of yellow diamonds depend dramatically on the way they are set, so it does make sense to turn to a specialist.

Too much to be said! The range of Fancy & Fancy Intense is already quite broad. Fancy Light may be close to Fancy, and the most surreal yellow are diamonds close to the Vivid/ Deep boundary - or so I think...

 

[KKJohnson]

I wanted to toss this one out there but it is not a fancy, it can look like one w/o the price tag. My Diamond is light yellow that I had cupped and it looks like a fancy in all lighting conditions. Either way if you are looking for a colored stone this is the vendor to reach out to as he does top notch venting for his stones and gives honest reviews

2.63ct U-V VS2 Radiant Diamond

This is a great 2.63ct U-V VS2 Radiant Cut Diamond. The cut on this stone is phenomenal. It's really hard to find well cut radiants.

www.diamondsbylauren.com

Here are photos of my stone to help give an idea, with the one I am suggesting the color would be even more saturated as mine is an O/P

my stone unset



My stone set with 18ct yellow gold with colorless trap side stones

 

[distracts]

Thanks @Rad_Fan! For our price point, we're looking at both Fancy and Fancy Intense.

You were also pretty spot on with the Tiffany! We're thinking something more like their Novo:

Tiffany Novo® yellow diamond engagement ring with a pavé diamond platinum band. | Tiffany & Co.

www.tiffany.com

I think that'll look great!

Else, the colors of yellow diamonds depend dramatically on the way they are set, so it does make sense to turn to a specialist.

Too much to be said! The range of Fancy & Fancy Intense is already quite broad. Fancy Light may be close to Fancy, and the most surreal yellow are diamonds close to the Vivid/ Deep boundary - or so I think...

As AV says - the colors of the diamonds depend in part on the way they are set. It's important to ask your vendor if they know how to set yellow diamonds to intensify the color. They can put a yellow gold "cup" underneath it, that does not block cleaning but makes sure the color really pops.

You can see them really well on some of the DBL pictures, especially of the low-color non-fancies and fancy lights. Here is a fancy light yellow with a bit of a cup (the very thick crossbars on the head and a bit underneath) that makes it look more yellow than it does loose:

1.06ct Yellow SI1 Cushion Diamond Ring

This is a stunning three stone diamond ring featuring a 1.06ct Fancy Light yellow diamond. It has such presence on the hand.

www.diamondsbylauren.com

Of course if you get a fancy intense or fancy vivid, you may not need this - but I think it's good to ask your vendor if the stone could benefit from it, especially off-angle when some yellow diamonds can go more clear, etc.

 

[AV_]

The report says FY but the color in the video is something else. If there is no mistake, this is quite a FY.

@diagem