Looking for a RB, please help me!

[lookingforever]

Hi,

This is my very first post (!), although I have been on this forum for hours every night for probably the last six months, going through diamonds, then ering settings and finally wedding bands. I think I have decided finally on an ering setting and eternity band, although I still need to look into how they look together. I decided on the WF Comtemporary 6-prong for the ering and the Elena 3/4 eternity band for the wedding band. I have a feeling I will change my setting later on, when my budget allows, so I wanted something simple and relatively inexpensive to start. I am thinking white gold also for that reason.

Anyway, now i am looking at RB diamonds. Upon recommendation of this forum, I visited a jewelry store in person (Shane Co) and looked at different sizes and colors. I really liked their version of ACA (I forget how they branded it) so i definitely want the best cut possible. I think i want around 1.25-1.3cts (of course I won't say no to bigger!), at least J color (but prob prefer H or I), and the best cut possible. It seems like most PSers like the ACAs from WF so that is what I have been searching. I'm not really sure on clarity since many PSers say SI2 is fine so i guess that would be my bottom as well. My budget for the diamond is probably around $9-10K and I guess anything over or under will be made up for in the ering setting and wedding band (so probably about $12-13K all in)!

I was looking on WF and found a couple of RBs that I thought looked okay. Can you please provide your opinions or other recommendations? I don't need to go with WF since I am open to picking an ering setting and wedding band from other vendors as well, but probably want to get everything at the same place just for the convenience. I'm not in a big rush to find a diamond, but I have booked my venue for October 2014 so I am hoping to get a diamond in the next 2-3 months! There weren't a ton of options in the 1.25-1.3ct on WF; does the inventory on WF seem picked over right now? Should I wait?

Thanks so much for your help! I really hope I can find something soon!

Here are a couple that I thought might be good options:

1.25-1.3 is ideally where I think I would want to be, but this was really the only option:
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2949575.htm

or this 1.214cts (the diameter seems to be a bit bigger than the other 1.2cts):
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2949576.htm

 

[Sidius]

I definitely support your decision to go with WF. I just recently put a 1.26 H VS1 on hold with them for my future wife's e-ring. I would say, don't discount the Expert Selection diamonds. I was looking almost exclusively at their ACA diamonds and then found a good price on the ES diamond that I mentioned above and it just barely missed being an ACA. The only thing was the "Star %" was 76 and ACA diamonds are 75 and under. When I talked with their gemologist, he said it wouldn't make a difference in the performance but they can't deviate from their ACA guidelines. He said next an ACA stone, you'd never know it wasn't one. So long story short, their ES stones can be just as nice and you don't pay the ACA premium.

 

[lookingforever]

I definitely support your decision to go with WF. I just recently put a 1.26 H VS1 on hold with them for my future wife's e-ring. I would say, don't discount the Expert Selection diamonds. I was looking almost exclusively at their ACA diamonds and then found a good price on the ES diamond that I mentioned above and it just barely missed being an ACA. The only thing was the "Star %" was 76 and ACA diamonds are 75 and under. When I talked with their gemologist, he said it wouldn't make a difference in the performance but they can't deviate from their ACA guidelines. He said next an ACA stone, you'd never know it wasn't one. So long story short, their ES stones can be just as nice and you don't pay the ACA premium.

Thanks for the advice. I haven't been as focused on the ES stones but definitely am open to them as well.

 

[lookingforever]

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2680538.htm#

Here is an ES that looked like it might be nice. Anyone have any thoughts or other suggestions please? Thank you.