Help Please: JA round diamond >0.5 carats 2k max budget

[Baja]

Hello oh wise ones,

I am buying an engagement ring setting from James Allen (Item#: 17162P if you're curious) and would also like to buy the diamond from them as well. I'm looking to get the most "bang for my buck" in terms of maximizing first cut, then carat with a 2k max budget (hopefully lower) for the diamond alone. Below are my minimum requirements for cut, carat, color, and clarity.

Shape: Round
Cut: excellent/ideal
Carat: 0.5
Color: J
Clarity: SI2 (but eye clean)

After your suggestions, I hope to choose 3 and obtain the idealscope/gemologist inspection for each!

Your time and advice is much appreciated!

 

[JulieN]

You can get pretty nice .6 and even .7 ct stones with 2K. So would you rather spend 1250, 1500, 1750? Would you rather have .5, .6, or .7 cts? I only ask because there are so many stones that fit your requirements.

 

[emeraldmurphy]

0.61 Carat J-SI2 / $1320 wire price- this one scores 1.4 on HCA - Total Visual Performance 1.4 - Excellent within TIC range
primary inclusion is Twinning Wisp which is not visible by eye.

will look and update if I see a few more

 

[Baja]

To answer JulieN's inquiry,

0.6 carats and up, around $1500

 

[JulieN]

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/J-SI2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1433018.asp

 

[marchesa6989]

all of these score <2 on HCA

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-VS2-Premium-Cut-Round-Diamond-1438994.asp
0.60 I VS2 $1780 after PS discount

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1434884.asp
0.57 I VS2 (check if the strong blue fluor makes it cloudy or not - most likely not) $1360

i tried to find SI1 and SI2 but didn't come up with anything. i personally would try go to I color or above, as compared to J

 

[emeraldmurphy]

0.61 Carat J-SI2 / $1320 wire price- this one scores 1.4 on HCA - Total Visual Performance 1.4 - Excellent within TIC range
primary inclusion is Twinning Wisp which is not visible by eye.

will look and update if I see a few more

unsurprisingly vs. other vendors, JA seems to have best selection
As comparison this is all I saw from WhiteFlash (0.552 ct H VS1 HCA 1. = $1803 and GoG (0.6ct I SI1 $1750 HCA 2.4) and Brian Gavin ( 0.610 J VS2 $1477 HCA=1.4)

It looks to me there isn't much above 0.6Ct under $2k, so it would be whether you want to stick to J/SI or move up in color/clarity

such as 0.66 Carat I-VS2 $1680 - HCA =2.1 or 0.63 Carat D-SI2 $1810 HCA =1.1 (but inclusion at 6:30 position could be a problem?

 

[Ravinmad]

nice stone here for 1210 bucks, twinning wisps

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-SI2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1438965.asp

1500 will get you this stone, which I like at BGD

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/Diamonds/diamond-details/0.555-J-VS2-round-Diamond-AGS-104052896008#!prettyPhoto[gallery2]/1/


You and myself are about in the same boat for what we can afford for a ring. good luck

 

[farmer gal]

Is this ring for you, or your girlfriend?

this setting is pictured with sapphires and to me it looks like it is swallowing the diamond
http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/sold/settings-with-sidestones/3331/Engagement-Rings-With-Side-Stones.html

What about something like this?
diamond
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/8933/

Settings?
http://www.gabrielengaged.com/style/ER6022W44JJ

http://www.gabrielengaged.com/style/ER7999W44JJ

http://www.gabrielengaged.com/style/ER8129W44JJ

GOG carries this line and a lot of others for you to browse through

 

[Baja]

The ring will be for my girlfriend. Do you think the "swallowing" effect is more due to the darker color/contrast between the sapphires and the center diamond? Because I would get 2 trillion cut diamonds as the sidestones which I would think blend better with the center diamond and add to the overall brilliance of the ring.

 

[rubybeth]

The ring will be for my girlfriend. Do you think the "swallowing" effect is more due to the darker color/contrast between the sapphires and the center diamond? Because I would get 2 trillion cut diamonds as the sidestones which I would think blend better with the center diamond and add to the overall brilliance of the ring.

I think with a 3 stone or ring with side stones like the setting you've chosen, the center stone needs to be in proportion with the side stones. If the side stones were half the size they are in the example with the sapphires, it might make the center stone 'pop' more. The setting is also eating up a huge portion of the budget at $1,850. Does she really want a 3 stone or side stones?

 

[Baja]

Yes, the sidestones are desirable. Is it just me, or do the sapphires in the example with the round stone appear to be larger than the trillion cut sidestones in the examples with the princess cut stones? If so, a round ~0.6 carat diamond between the two trillion cut diamonds may be more accentuated rather than swallowed as in the example with the sapphires.

 

[Rhea]

I agree that the sidestones are eating at the diamond in the middle. I think smaller sidestones for the 0.60 centre diamond would look better.

 

[Baja]

Update: have 3 diamonds on hold with JA, also considering BN now as well which has another setting that my girlfriend would love. I started a new thread about the setting since we deviated this one a bit into setting discussion:
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/advice-opinion-choose-1-of-these-2-settings.169525/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/advice-opinion-choose-1-of-these-2-settings.169525/[/URL]

Cheers!

 

[slg47]

I posted in your other thread but I think both settings will overwhelm a diamond of that size (which is not small!) It really just depends on the proportions you want with the side stones. I had my ring custom made and chose to get smaller side stones than the setting usually comes with because I wanted the stones to look more like accent stones than one big ring

 

[Baja]

That's incredibly beautiful! Are you sure you're not my gf in disguise? I think she would love a ring like that. I know I've said I'm getting a round stone, but that's largely because her preference between round vs. princess depends on the setting and it seems it's much more straightforward finding a reasonably priced round that is ideal cut and brilliant vs. a reasonably priced princess that is sure to sparkle in the same way.

 

[slg47]

That's incredibly beautiful! Are you sure you're not my gf in disguise? I think she would love a ring like that. I know I've said I'm getting a round stone, but that's largely because her preference between round vs. princess depends on the setting and it seems it's much more straightforward finding a reasonably priced round that is ideal cut and brilliant vs. a reasonably priced princess that is sure to sparkle in the same way.

haha no I am not your gf my center diamond is actually a square cushion H&A...here are some videos that show square H&A, round, princess

http://vimeo.com/1827120
http://vimeo.com/4775140

if you are looking at princesses I would stick with AGS0 or go with a vendor who provides ASET images.

 

[gomtuu]

Hello Baja,

It's been quite a while since you posted your original message. I was wondering if you ended up purchasing the engraved ring from James Allen (17162P). If you did, are you happy with it?

Gomtuu.