Hey all! Been lurking for a little while, learning about diamonds, for an engagement ring. Super excited to propose but want to get the perfect ring - who doesn't? I want to get the best ring I can for around $14,000 total, maybe up to $15,000. She's "hinted" she wants a round brilliant in a solitaire setting.
I live and work in NYC and went to Yekutiel at ID Jewelers this week. Really nice and knowledgeable guy - I can see why everyone recommends him. He found me a great diamond - 1.87 ct, GIA Excellent cut, VS1, I with excellent symmetry and polish and no fluorescence. Comes out to 1.4 HCA and AGS 0 for $12,950.
It looks really nice. The inclusions were so small they were hard to find even at 10x - definitely perfectly eye-clean.
But this is the first time I've gone diamond shopping. And when he put it against a poorer-cut 2-ct diamond with an F color, the 1.87ct was better in every way except I noticed the color right away. This was in regular light in a black box, not against white paper. And now I can't get out of my head that I want a better color grade.
I also have a friend who used to work for a wholesaler in the diamond district and can get me in to buy a diamond direct without the mark-up, but I feel I need to come super prepared to know what I want.
Can I expect to get something as good as this diamond, but with a better color grade for no more than $1,000 more? Should I be looking down to SI1 to trade off a little clarity for better color? Expert gemologists and diamond enthusiasts, what should I do?




I live and work in NYC and went to Yekutiel at ID Jewelers this week. Really nice and knowledgeable guy - I can see why everyone recommends him. He found me a great diamond - 1.87 ct, GIA Excellent cut, VS1, I with excellent symmetry and polish and no fluorescence. Comes out to 1.4 HCA and AGS 0 for $12,950.
It looks really nice. The inclusions were so small they were hard to find even at 10x - definitely perfectly eye-clean.
But this is the first time I've gone diamond shopping. And when he put it against a poorer-cut 2-ct diamond with an F color, the 1.87ct was better in every way except I noticed the color right away. This was in regular light in a black box, not against white paper. And now I can't get out of my head that I want a better color grade.
I also have a friend who used to work for a wholesaler in the diamond district and can get me in to buy a diamond direct without the mark-up, but I feel I need to come super prepared to know what I want.
Can I expect to get something as good as this diamond, but with a better color grade for no more than $1,000 more? Should I be looking down to SI1 to trade off a little clarity for better color? Expert gemologists and diamond enthusiasts, what should I do?



