Hi all! You gave me some great advice when I first started shopping for an engagement ring, and now I'm on the final stretch: I'm trying to determine which 3 stones I should have inspected by James Allen.
My budget for the stone is around $8000 -- but up to $9000 if it gets me a great stone that is 1.3ct+, RB, eyeclean (hopefully SI2, as that'd be cheapest). I'm choosing a platinum setting with pave diamonds ala http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/engagement-rings/pave/platinum-pave-set-four-prong-diamond-engagement-ring-item-3249
Note that the sidestones are F-G color. What color should I go with for the stone? I was deciding between H and I, because F/G will run expensive and the sidestones are awfully tiny -- hence their color will be harder to distinguish. I also figure the platinum finish would be conducive to an H-stone. When chatting with JA, they mentioned that an I-color would also be acceptable, and if I'm worried about the difference in color I could request them to do the sidestones in H-I color as well. What's your opinion on which color I should choose?
My second question regard HCA: There are a couple relatively-inexpensive diamonds ($6870) with HCA scores of ~2.6; getting to an HCA score under 2 will cost at least an additional $700+, PLUS this means that the diamond will have a table greater than 59%, which is not great according to various sources that I've read. Even with the large table, they still score under 2.0. Examples:
HCA 2.5, $6870: http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.24-carat-h-color-si2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-132725
HCA 2.7, $6870: http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.24-carat-h-color-si2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-164188
HCA 1.4, $7530: http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.21-carat-g-color-si2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-201520
HCA 1.9, $7570: http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.26-carat-h-color-si2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-142553
HCA 1.5, $7690: http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.20-carat-h-color-si1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-206009
HCA 1.6, $7880: http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.21-carat-f-color-si2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-202363
HCA 1.4, $8110: http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.22-carat-h-color-si1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-194033
HCA 1.3, 1.30ct, $8230: http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.30-carat-g-color-si2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-170904
Meanwhile if I wanted to go down to an I-color, I could get things such as:
HCA 2.4, $7260: http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.34-carat-i-color-si2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-194878
HCA 1.7, $7620: http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.25-carat-i-color-si1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-182222
HCA 1.3, $8250: http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.40-carat-i-color-si2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-213585
Sorry for dropping all these links on you; I am mostly interested in your opinion of i-versus-h color when there are sidestones, and how lenient HCA scores are when a gemologist can inspect the item (which is what will happen once I narrow it down to 3).
Thanks!!!
My budget for the stone is around $8000 -- but up to $9000 if it gets me a great stone that is 1.3ct+, RB, eyeclean (hopefully SI2, as that'd be cheapest). I'm choosing a platinum setting with pave diamonds ala http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/engagement-rings/pave/platinum-pave-set-four-prong-diamond-engagement-ring-item-3249
Note that the sidestones are F-G color. What color should I go with for the stone? I was deciding between H and I, because F/G will run expensive and the sidestones are awfully tiny -- hence their color will be harder to distinguish. I also figure the platinum finish would be conducive to an H-stone. When chatting with JA, they mentioned that an I-color would also be acceptable, and if I'm worried about the difference in color I could request them to do the sidestones in H-I color as well. What's your opinion on which color I should choose?
My second question regard HCA: There are a couple relatively-inexpensive diamonds ($6870) with HCA scores of ~2.6; getting to an HCA score under 2 will cost at least an additional $700+, PLUS this means that the diamond will have a table greater than 59%, which is not great according to various sources that I've read. Even with the large table, they still score under 2.0. Examples:
HCA 2.5, $6870: http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.24-carat-h-color-si2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-132725
HCA 2.7, $6870: http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.24-carat-h-color-si2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-164188
HCA 1.4, $7530: http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.21-carat-g-color-si2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-201520
HCA 1.9, $7570: http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.26-carat-h-color-si2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-142553
HCA 1.5, $7690: http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.20-carat-h-color-si1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-206009
HCA 1.6, $7880: http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.21-carat-f-color-si2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-202363
HCA 1.4, $8110: http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.22-carat-h-color-si1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-194033
HCA 1.3, 1.30ct, $8230: http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.30-carat-g-color-si2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-170904
Meanwhile if I wanted to go down to an I-color, I could get things such as:
HCA 2.4, $7260: http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.34-carat-i-color-si2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-194878
HCA 1.7, $7620: http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.25-carat-i-color-si1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-182222
HCA 1.3, $8250: http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.40-carat-i-color-si2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-213585
Sorry for dropping all these links on you; I am mostly interested in your opinion of i-versus-h color when there are sidestones, and how lenient HCA scores are when a gemologist can inspect the item (which is what will happen once I narrow it down to 3).
Thanks!!!
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