Completely overwhelmed...PLEASE HELP!

[miss_rmdg]

Hi everyone,

I am a long time lurker on this website, and now I finally have the go ahead from the BF to look for my engagement ring.

This is the setting I will be getting:
http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/settings-with-sidestones/14k-white-gold-common-prong-30ct-brilliant-diamond-engagement-ring-11104w14.html

But I am getting completely overwhelmed when trying to find the best value for money when it comes to my diamond.

I am looking for a 0.50ct RB, colour range F-H, VS1 or above, with as much sparkle for my buck as possible. We're only looking at spending around $1,700 for the stone. The diamond searches on the JA and WF websites are coming up with so many stones I'm having trouble narrowing it down, seeing as I don't really know what I am looking for in the images.

If anyone has time to help direct my search or provide any helpful pointers, I would be VERY appreciative.

Thanks in advance

 

[distracts]

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1513621.asp

That's the only JA True Hearts within your color range and budget. VS2 will be eye-clean.

These two also look pretty good, and are ideal-cut:
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS1-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1517101.asp
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS1-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1516992.asp

You really want ideally cut stones because they sparkle and look whiter than non-ideals. If you limit your search to True Hearts and Ideals within your budget and other constraints, there are far fewer stones.

 

[miss_rmdg]

Thank-you so much for your quick post. Still learning all the diamond terms, being a complete newbie!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

This is an easy choice at $1812 with pricescope/wire discount:

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS1-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1517586.asp

But I will list a couple more that you can ask them to provide idealscope images for (they will do them for 3 stones):

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS1-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1472891.asp ($1635)

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS1-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1464275.asp ($1743) (nice diameter on this one.. I would choose it if the idealscope image is good)

Come back here and post idealscope images and we can help you interpret them!

 

[miss_rmdg]

As these are all True Hearts the Idealscope images are available on the page. I have around size 5.25 fingers so I am not fussed about the size of the centre diamond, I would be happy with anything above .40ct.

I have no idea what I am looking for in the Idealscope images, so if anyone has the time to have a look and let me know which of the following is my best value for money, I'd be very appreciative!

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1513621.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/D-VS2-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1521845.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/E-IF-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1520622.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VVS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1493072.asp

 

[Christina...]

I go with the H VS2. With DEF, and IF VVS stones, you are paying a huge premium that in this size stone you won't be able to fully appreciate. When the stone is set, the average person will have a difficult time distinguishing it from an F. An eye clean VS2 will look as flawless as a IF or VVS stone. You aren't going to be walking around with a loupe asking all your friends to try and locate the inclusion, nor are you going to walk around with a master set of diamonds comparing your H to a D. A persons eye is going to take in the size of the stone first, so I would keep the size up. There is a significant visual size difference between a .5 and a .4. I think that the best 'value' or balance rather, in diamonds, is G H, VS1 or VS2. However, some cultures highly value colorless flawless stones, and for some people they need this color and clarity to feel as though the stone is 'mind' clean to them. Only you can say which is the right combination for you, but if you want the largest stone in your budget with great light performance that will still be white, bright and flawless to the naked eye, I would go with the H VS2 that DS recommended.