Help finding a 1.5 carat round diamond

[auburngirl06]

Hello everyone. I have been working on a e-ring reset with DKJ for an upcoming anniversary. I received the wax model last week and after days of wearing it around I realized adding a halo to my 1 carat round is not going to cure my desire for a bigger diamond. So here I am. My husband is borderline losing his mind on me for changing my mind this far in the process but hey.. you guys understand right!?

I’ve been reading a lot of info about lab diamonds and ideal proportions from all of you wise people. I found this 1.5 carat from James Allen. Could anyone look at it and tell me if I’m moving in the right direction? I was ideally only wanting to spend $2500 on the stone. This one is a little higher. I really want to hit the 1.5 mark. My stone is 6.36mm so want to increase a whole mm if possible in the budget.

I currently have an uncerted 1 carat eye clean SI1, G color. I have no idea of the cut or proportions. My husband blindly picked this out from a brick and mortar 20 years ago. I am perfectly happy with it. I just want it bigger. And maybe a bit more sparkly.

Thank you in advance for your help!

Lab-Created 1.56 Carat round diamond

This 1.56 carat Lab-Created round diamond E color vs2 clarity has Ideal proportions and a diamond grading report from IGI

www.jamesallen.com

 

[Kim N]

That one has lovely proportions but has a touch of blue nuance. How about this stone?

Lab-Created 1.52 Carat round diamond

This 1.52 carat Lab-Created round diamond E color vs2 clarity has Ideal proportions and a diamond grading report from IGI

www.jamesallen.com

 

[DejaWiz]

Here's another one to consider...it's an SI1 with a thin strand of metal flashing that is positioned between the arrow shafts which may be easily obscured by a ring prong. Nice puffy 15.5% crown height for that added sparkle and fire you're after.
Refer to the links in my signature to get an idea about clarity appearance...that's my wife's 1.69 E SI1 with a needle inclusion that's bigger than the one in this 1.55 D SI1.

Lab-Created 1.55 Carat round diamond

This 1.55 carat Lab-Created round diamond D color si1 clarity has Ideal proportions and a diamond grading report from IGI

www.jamesallen.com

 

[auburngirl06]

Thank you both. I do like the 1.52 but I almost feel I want a larger spread than that size. I’m already getting greedy and I don’t even have it yet. How can you tell about the blue nuance?

@DejaWiz another amateur question. All those lines I see in the video… those aren’t visible to the naked eye? I kind of panic when the videos show all of that. Do you think I can get more bang for my buck if I increase the budget a few hundred? I set aside a good chunk for the setting but now I wonder if I should spend more on the diamond.

Are there any other vendors you recommend ?

 

[DejaWiz]

Thank you both. I do like the 1.52 but I almost feel I want a larger spread than that size. I’m already getting greedy and I don’t even have it yet. How can you tell about the blue nuance?

@DejaWiz another amateur question. All those lines I see in the video… those aren’t visible to the naked eye? I kind of panic when the videos show all of that. Do you think I can get more bang for my buck if I increase the budget a few hundred? I set aside a good chunk for the setting but now I wonder if I should spend more on the diamond.

Are there any other vendors you recommend ?

They might be visible at an extremely close distance (probably within 4-8 inches away, maybe even closer than that) in certain lighting conditions while the diamond is being held stationary in order to purposely try and find them. All the lines that you are seeing are internal reflections of the same inclusion, which can be obscured by the prongs of the ring since those will reflect a bit internally, as well, once the diamond is set.

There are a fair amount of us that would definitely recommend pumping as much of your budget into the diamond and worry about the setting later on in the coming months/years since the setting is always the easiest and more cost effective piece to change/swap.

...Shot in the dark guess at around a $3500 budget if you went the route of max diamond now, dream setting later:

Lab-Created 1.56 Carat round diamond

This 1.56 carat Lab-Created round diamond D color vs2 clarity has Ideal proportions and a diamond grading report from IGI

www.jamesallen.com

Lab-Created 1.56 Carat round diamond

This 1.56 carat Lab-Created round diamond E color vs1 clarity has Ideal proportions and a diamond grading report from IGI

www.jamesallen.com

Lab-Created 1.57 Carat round diamond

This 1.57 carat Lab-Created round diamond D color vs2 clarity has Ideal proportions and a diamond grading report from IGI

www.jamesallen.com

Lab-Created 1.58 Carat round diamond

This 1.58 carat Lab-Created round diamond D color vs2 clarity has Ideal proportions and a diamond grading report from IGI

www.jamesallen.com

Lab-Created 1.71 Carat round diamond

Lab-Created 1.71 Carat round diamond

www.jamesallen.com

Lab-Created 1.70 Carat round diamond

This 1.7 carat Lab-Created round diamond E color si1 clarity has Ideal proportions and a diamond grading report from IGI

www.jamesallen.com

 

[Kim N]

Thank you both. I do like the 1.52 but I almost feel I want a larger spread than that size. I’m already getting greedy and I don’t even have it yet. How can you tell about the blue nuance?

@DejaWiz another amateur question. All those lines I see in the video… those aren’t visible to the naked eye? I kind of panic when the videos show all of that. Do you think I can get more bang for my buck if I increase the budget a few hundred? I set aside a good chunk for the setting but now I wonder if I should spend more on the diamond.

Are there any other vendors you recommend ?

You can usually spot blue nuance by looking at the profile view, particularly at the edges of the crown.

I think few people on this forum would try to dissuade you from going bigger now. I would recommend Adiamor in addition to James Allen, although on a quick look I didn't see anything better.

Here's another option if you decide to increase the budget.

Lab-Created 1.71 Carat round diamond

This 1.71 carat Lab-Created round diamond E color si1 clarity has Ideal proportions and a diamond grading report from IGI

www.jamesallen.com

 

[DejaWiz]

You can usually spot blue nuance by looking at the profile view, particularly at the edges of the crown.

I think few people on this forum would try to dissuade you from going bigger now. I would recommend Adiamor in addition to James Allen, although on a quick look I didn't see anything better.

Here's another option if you decide to increase the budget.

Lab-Created 1.71 Carat round diamond

This 1.71 carat Lab-Created round diamond E color si1 clarity has Ideal proportions and a diamond grading report from IGI

www.jamesallen.com

Kim N that one is a slight blue nuance, as is the 1.71 E that I posted above.
Just wanted auburngirl06 to be aware and what to expect, should one of those be selected.

 

[Kim N]

Kim N that one is a slight blue nuance, as is the 1.71 E that I posted above.
Just wanted auburngirl06 to be aware and what to expect, should one of those be selected.

Ah, my bad!

 

[DejaWiz]

Ah, my bad!

No worries...it is extremely slight.
Might not be an issue, but there's always a slim chance that some abnormal slight turquoise may peek out here and there. Take this one, for example. It appears to face up excruciatingly white with not even the slightest hint of blue or steely-blue but, when viewed from the side, the light blue tint is definitely noticable.

Lab-Created 1.54 Carat round diamond

Lab-Created 1.54 Carat round diamond

www.jamesallen.com

I know that you know all of this already, @Kim N ...just posting as an example for anyone else that pops in and is learning about blue nuance.

 

[auburngirl06]

Thank you for taking the time to teach me about the blue nuance! And for finding these stones for me. It is a lot to think about. I’m going to look at each of them and revisit the budget. My husband was hoping ( bless him) with this upgrade it wound be the end of diamond talk and I that I could get the bigger stone and the setting and be happy… part of me wants that too but I don’t want to regret. I have a lot to think about. Thank you again! If you find any amazing eye clean SI1 hot deals in the mean time send them my way!

 

[auburngirl06]

Ok quick follow up question. I really like this one. Should I be concerned that it is D color but my wedding band is G-H color /SI1 diamonds? IGI usually show a couple color grades lower right? So this D could very well look more like a F? Should I be looking more in the F-G range instead of D?

This one is beautiful though. Wow.

Lab-Created 1.58 Carat round diamond

This 1.58 carat Lab-Created round diamond D color vs2 clarity has Ideal proportions and a diamond grading report from IGI

www.jamesallen.com

 

[DejaWiz]

Ok quick follow up question. I really like this one. Should I be concerned that it is D color but my wedding band is G-H color /SI1 diamonds? IGI usually show a couple color grades lower right? So this D could very well look more like a F? Should I be looking more in the F-G range instead of D?

This one is beautiful though. Wow.

Lab-Created 1.58 Carat round diamond

This 1.58 carat Lab-Created round diamond D color vs2 clarity has Ideal proportions and a diamond grading report from IGI

www.jamesallen.com

Such a beautiful diamond!
Don't worry too much about the color grade of your band when paired with this...smaller diamonds have a tenacity of facing up very white.

 

[Kim N]

Ok quick follow up question. I really like this one. Should I be concerned that it is D color but my wedding band is G-H color /SI1 diamonds? IGI usually show a couple color grades lower right? So this D could very well look more like a F? Should I be looking more in the F-G range instead of D?

This one is beautiful though. Wow.

Lab-Created 1.58 Carat round diamond

This 1.58 carat Lab-Created round diamond D color vs2 clarity has Ideal proportions and a diamond grading report from IGI

www.jamesallen.com

That's a beautiful stone. If you can go to F or G color, though, I think you could squeeze in a few more millimeters. A 1.7ct will be around 0.25mm more than the 1.58, which is quite noticeable.

 

[auburngirl06]

So after lots of discussion the all in budget for the stone is max $3500. I have this one on hold. It’s part of the lab sale going on so take home hits right at max. I’m really loving it and I think it’s going to give me the finger coverage I want. I’ll be upgrading from a SI1 to VS1 which I am most excited about. Can you guys give a me a final thumbs up? I’m nervous to pull the trigger. Is it normal to think there could be something better and I should wait?! lol

I’m going with a setting similar to this one. My current setting is bulky and covers up so much of my stone.. I’m kind of nervous about having so much of the diamond exposed. I know I can see some small inclusions on my stone from the side so I just want to be sure I won’t see that with the new one.

Lab-Created 1.56 Carat round diamond

This 1.56 carat Lab-Created round diamond E color vs1 clarity has Ideal proportions and a diamond grading report from IGI

www.jamesallen.com

 

[DejaWiz]

Check this one out;

Lab-Created 1.56 Carat round diamond

This 1.56 carat Lab-Created round diamond D color vs2 clarity has Ideal proportions and a diamond grading report from IGI

www.jamesallen.com

 

[Kim N]

So after lots of discussion the all in budget for the stone is max $3500. I have this one on hold. It’s part of the lab sale going on so take home hits right at max. I’m really loving it and I think it’s going to give me the finger coverage I want. I’ll be upgrading from a SI1 to VS1 which I am most excited about. Can you guys give a me a final thumbs up? I’m nervous to pull the trigger. Is it normal to think there could be something better and I should wait?! lol

I’m going with a setting similar to this one. My current setting is bulky and covers up so much of my stone.. I’m kind of nervous about having so much of the diamond exposed. I know I can see some small inclusions on my stone from the side so I just want to be sure I won’t see that with the new one.

Lab-Created 1.56 Carat round diamond

This 1.56 carat Lab-Created round diamond E color vs1 clarity has Ideal proportions and a diamond grading report from IGI

www.jamesallen.com

I think it's gorgeous! And I love your setting choice. It's totally normal to second-guess, but the good thing is that James Allen has an upgrade policy in case you want to go even bigger down the line.

 

[auburngirl06]

Check this one out;

Lab-Created 1.56 Carat round diamond

This 1.56 carat Lab-Created round diamond D color vs2 clarity has Ideal proportions and a diamond grading report from IGI

www.jamesallen.com

So I opted for the E / VS1 because I really like the G range and I am hoping the E will show right around there. Shouldn’t I expect the diamond to show 1-2 grades below what the IGI grade is? Or am I completely off with that?

Also, I’m concerned about the eye clean visual from the side in the setting I’ve chosen. There probably is not much visual difference between VS1&2 though right? I am definitely not knowledgeable enough to be making these decisions. Thank you both so much for all your help so far.

@Kim N Ahh I really don’t want to WANT to upgrade again. I’d like this to be the one. Maybe I need to rethink my specs to go a little larger. I hope everyone is this indecisive because I am struggling!!

 

[DejaWiz]

So I opted for the E / VS1 because I really like the G range and I am hoping the E will show right around there. Shouldn’t I expect the diamond to show 1-2 grades below what the IGI grade is? Or am I completely off with that?

Also, I’m concerned about the eye clean visual from the side in the setting I’ve chosen. There probably is not much visual difference between VS1&2 though right? I am definitely not knowledgeable enough to be making these decisions. Thank you both so much for all your help so far.

@Kim N Ahh I really don’t want to WANT to upgrade again. I’d like this to be the one. Maybe I need to rethink my specs to go a little larger. I hope everyone is this indecisive because I am struggling!!

VS2 is expected to be eye clean, but there can be some rare outliers. The one that I posted is not one of them...it will be perfectly eye clean. Keep in mind the size of the diamond and then realize just how tiny the inclusions are...nearly microscopic!
I understand your yearning to go with a slightly lower color grade. In this case, the price difference between an E VS1 and D VS2 is rather negligible and the tint differences between these two particular diamonds won't be blatantly discernable. That may not be the case for other E-F diamonds graded by IGI, since they can sometimes be a smidge lenient in their color grading.
The only reasons that I am suggesting the D VS2 is due to the proportions and angles with a huge crown height to help maximize sparkle and fire.
Ultimately, it is up to you so go with whichever diamond calls to you the most. I don't think you can choose wrongly, here.

 

[Kim N]

So I opted for the E / VS1 because I really like the G range and I am hoping the E will show right around there. Shouldn’t I expect the diamond to show 1-2 grades below what the IGI grade is? Or am I completely off with that?

Also, I’m concerned about the eye clean visual from the side in the setting I’ve chosen. There probably is not much visual difference between VS1&2 though right? I am definitely not knowledgeable enough to be making these decisions. Thank you both so much for all your help so far.

@Kim N Ahh I really don’t want to WANT to upgrade again. I’d like this to be the one. Maybe I need to rethink my specs to go a little larger. I hope everyone is this indecisive because I am struggling!!

I think you'll be really pleased with the 1.11mm increase to the E from your current stone. And if you like the G range and are most excited for the clarity improvement, your E VS1 choice seems like an excellent decision. James Allen has a great return policy, so I'd bring it home and wear it around for a little while to see how you feel.

 

[auburngirl06]

I ordered it last night! Thank you both so very much for all of your help. I am more grateful than you know. I never thought I’d get nearly a 1.6 with these specs. I will try and post some pictures when it comes in. Once I give it a once over it’s off to the master David Klass.

 

[DejaWiz]

I ordered it last night! Thank you both so very much for all of your help. I am more grateful than you know. I never thought I’d get nearly a 1.6 with these specs. I will try and post some pictures when it comes in. Once I give it a once over it’s off to the master David Klass.

Fantastic! The 7.5mm spread should be nice!

 

[Kim N]

I ordered it last night! Thank you both so very much for all of your help. I am more grateful than you know. I never thought I’d get nearly a 1.6 with these specs. I will try and post some pictures when it comes in. Once I give it a once over it’s off to the master David Klass.

That's wonderful! Can't wait to see it.

 

[auburngirl06]

She’s here! It’s more beautiful than I could have imagined. I have never seen a colorless diamond in person but this has to be one. I prepared for more warmth but I don’t see it. It was very cloudy today so I haven’t taken her outside yet but inside she is amazing. All I have are crappy iPhone pics. I did the cup around trick and was able to see the arrows. My husband is speechless as am I. The size feels just right and I already feel like she’s mine! Hopefully I will still love her this much outside. Does she look good to you??

THANK YOU @Kim N and @DejaWiz !!

ETA: Sorry the pics are huge!

 

[Kim N]

She’s here! It’s more beautiful than I could have imagined. I have never seen a colorless diamond in person but this has to be one. I prepared for more warmth but I don’t see it. It was very cloudy today so I haven’t taken her outside yet but inside she is amazing. All I have are crappy iPhone pics. I did the cup around trick and was able to see the arrows. My husband is speechless as am I. The size feels just right and I already feel like she’s mine! Hopefully I will still love her this much outside. Does she look good to you??

THANK YOU @Kim N and @DejaWiz !!

ETA: Sorry the pics are huge!

She looks FABULOUS! And her size looks very substantial on your fingers. You made a fantastic choice! If you get a sunny day tomorrow, I'd bring her under the dappled light of a tree and watch her flash with rainbows.

 

[DejaWiz]

Wow what a difference! Glad to hear that you and your husband are thrilled with it!

 

[JenniferMarie90]

So I opted for the E / VS1 because I really like the G range and I am hoping the E will show right around there. Shouldn’t I expect the diamond to show 1-2 grades below what the IGI grade is? Or am I completely off with that?

Also, I’m concerned about the eye clean visual from the side in the setting I’ve chosen. There probably is not much visual difference between VS1&2 though right? I am definitely not knowledgeable enough to be making these decisions. Thank you both so much for all your help so far.

@Kim N Ahh I really don’t want to WANT to upgrade again. I’d like this to be the one. Maybe I need to rethink my specs to go a little larger. I hope everyone is this indecisive because I am struggling!!

If it makes you feel better I posted like 1-2 months ago and still didn't buy anything lol I am THE MOST indecisive! But these folks are super helpful. And purchasing from somewhere with a good return policy or upgrade policy will give you a peace of mind too.

 

[JenniferMarie90]

She looks FABULOUS! And her size looks very substantial on your fingers. You made a fantastic choice! If you get a sunny day tomorrow, I'd bring her under the dappled light of a tree and watch her flash with rainbows.

Absolutely beautiful! Which setting from David Klass are you looking at? I didn't realize he accepted outside stones, thats good to know. Whoops my bad, its Victor Canera I'm thinking of. But yes what setting are you looking at!

 

[auburngirl06]

Thank you! I went outside today since it was pretty.. still only have crappy iPhone pictures. Is it normal to look a little dark or even blue? Am I seeing things? It does sparkle like crazy. I can’t capture all the arrows with this phone. Maybe I’ve never seen this nice of a stone up close.. but it almost looks glass like and gets kind of dark in some lighting. Normal or because it’s lab? Why am I starting to panic!

@JenniferMarie90 I am having DKJ make a setting similar to the Vatche serenity except with no donut and couple minor tweaks!

 

[Kim N]

Thank you! I went outside today since it was pretty.. still only have crappy iPhone pictures. Is it normal to look a little dark or even blue? Am I seeing things? It does sparkle like crazy. I can’t capture all the arrows with this phone. Maybe I’ve never seen this nice of a stone up close.. but it almost looks glass like and gets kind of dark in some lighting. Normal or because it’s lab? Why am I starting to panic!

All well-cut diamonds turn dark in bright sunlight. Totally normal!

 

[JenniferMarie90]

Thank you! I went outside today since it was pretty.. still only have crappy iPhone pictures. Is it normal to look a little dark or even blue? Am I seeing things? It does sparkle like crazy. I can’t capture all the arrows with this phone. Maybe I’ve never seen this nice of a stone up close.. but it almost looks glass like and gets kind of dark in some lighting. Normal or because it’s lab? Why am I starting to panic!

@JenniferMarie90 I am having DKJ make a setting similar to the Vatche serenity except with no donut and couple minor tweaks!

Wow she's gorgeous. There's a Vatch setting I'm lusting after as well! Please post the final result I can't wait. Great nails too btw.