shape
carat
color
clarity

Help me choose a round diamond!

circacirca9

Rough_Rock
Joined
Sep 12, 2011
Messages
8
Long time lurker, first time poster.

So luckily i've already found the setting I will be buying for my engagement ring. Now I just need to choose a diamond. Ideally i would want a 1.5c ring, however i'm not sure i can get a great stone in my price range which is ~$13-$14k. What would you experts recommend for cut, colour, clarity in this price range? It seems like I'd be on the low end of the 1.5 carat spectrum in my price range. Should i just drop the carats and get a better stone? I'm totally lost in this process and some advice and guidance would be appreciated! Basically i'm looking for the best stone in price range!

thanks in advance.
 

slg47

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Apr 4, 2010
Messages
9,667
Have you seen diamond colors in person? That is the best way to determine what you are comfortable with. Also with clarity...do you want it to be 100% eye clean from all angles (no inclusions visible to naked eye?) Or are you OK with eye-clean from the top only, but not from the side view? Keep in mind that some settings will obscure the side view.

I would not sacrifice on cut, as a well cut diamond will reflect more light back to the eye and will appear brighter. Once you narrow down your color/clarity preferences we can suggest some potential candidates. Ultimately you need to find the best balance of color/clarity/carat that works for you.
 

CharmyPoo

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Dec 10, 2004
Messages
7,007

circacirca9

Rough_Rock
Joined
Sep 12, 2011
Messages
8
thanks for all the great replies. to answer some of your questions:

- the setting is a halo setting, so it will cover the sides of the ring.
- i have seen a few diamonds in person however not very many so i don't know much about color. i guess i should get out and see some diamonds in person.
 

slg47

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Apr 4, 2010
Messages
9,667
circacirca9|1315837956|3015752 said:
thanks for all the great replies. to answer some of your questions:

- the setting is a halo setting, so it will cover the sides of the ring.
- i have seen a few diamonds in person however not very many so i don't know much about color. i guess i should get out and see some diamonds in person.

if you are going with a halo setting I would go down in size and up the color. Once set in the halo the difference between a 1.3 and a 1.5 will not be noticeable but you may see some contrast with the melee.
 

tyty333

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Dec 17, 2008
Messages
27,198
circacirca9|1315837956|3015752 said:
thanks for all the great replies. to answer some of your questions:

- the setting is a halo setting, so it will cover the sides of the ring.
- i have seen a few diamonds in person however not very many so i don't know much about color. i guess i should get out and see some diamonds in person.


Make sure you are looking at well cut GIA/AGS graded stones. If you have a Jareds near by you can look at their Peerless line
or if you have anyone near by that sells Hearts On Fire stones. You need to make sure you are looking at well cut stones.

Here is a video that shows relative color difference...
http://www.vimeo.com/3288695

Here are some JA stones I found. They would have to be checked for eye-cleanliness.
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1384386.asp
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-SI2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1362605.asp

Since you are putting it in a halo, I would probably drop down in size, get a little cleaner and go with a higher color (G/H at least).
So...the ones I've pointed out may not be the best for what you want to do but did want to give you some options.
 

Amys Bling

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jun 25, 2010
Messages
11,025
slg47|1315845535|3015828 said:
circacirca9|1315837956|3015752 said:
thanks for all the great replies. to answer some of your questions:

- the setting is a halo setting, so it will cover the sides of the ring.
- i have seen a few diamonds in person however not very many so i don't know much about color. i guess i should get out and see some diamonds in person.

if you are going with a halo setting I would go down in size and up the color. Once set in the halo the difference between a 1.3 and a 1.5 will not be noticeable but you may see some contrast with the melee.


Couldnt agree more SLG. If you are doing a halo- you can afford to drop in carat and go up in color so the melee in the halo matches the center stone better :)
 
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