Need to find a Diamond (round)

[Tttp]

I’ve been searching for a diamond but can’t seem to find the right one. It’s for an engagement ring and I’ve been looking for quite some time now so I wanted to come here and see if anyone would be able to help.

I’d like to purchase through Blue Nile and I’ve “favorited” quite a few diamonds but I’m not quite sure if they are good stones after reading through some posts about proportions/angles/dimensions here. I have a link to all the favorited diamonds which I think are pretty good being that they look eye clean, colorless, good size, etc although some are priced a bit high being that I would like to stay around/under $8k. I will post links at the bottom.

What I am looking for:

Blue Nile. $8k budget. Round stone. 1ct+ (preferably closer to 1.3). H or better. SI1 or better. Ideal cut. Faint/No fluorescence. ”eye clean”

Are the stones I picked any good? I don’t expect you to look through them all just one or two. (So I can weed out the bad ones) The reason a lot of them are VVS2 is not purposefully chosen to be VVS2 it’s just that all of the other stones Ive seen have visible inclusions or “additional clouds” in the comments on the GIA report which I want to avoid.

Any better stones you guys can recommend? I know there are a lot of links I don’t expect anyone to look through them all. Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

1/. 1.13 H VVS2 $8450
https://www.bluenile.com/build-your-own-ring/diamond-details/LD22017728?click_id=561561789

2/. 1.07 H VVS2 $8020
https://www.bluenile.com/build-your-own-ring/diamond-details/LD22037991?click_id=227878645

3/. 1.17 H VS2 $7693
https://www.bluenile.com/build-your-own-ring/diamond-details/LD22057587?click_id=590002862

4/. 1.11 H VVS2 $7550
https://www.bluenile.com/build-your-own-ring/diamond-details/LD22038067?click_id=395973244

5/. 1.08 H VS2 $7372
https://www.bluenile.com/build-your-own-ring/diamond-details/LD21861475?click_id=980893975

6/. 1.21 H VS2 $8907
https://www.bluenile.com/build-your-own-ring/diamond-details/LD21861671?click_id=53695383

7/. 1.11 G VVS2 $8460
https://www.bluenile.com/build-your-own-ring/diamond-details/LD21641089?click_id=916782252

8/. 1.20 H VS2 $8396
https://www.bluenile.com/build-your-own-ring/diamond-details/LD22046004?click_id=206617967

9/. 1.12 H VVS2 $8380
https://www.bluenile.com/build-your-own-ring/diamond-details/LD22017685?click_id=391195829

10/. 1.13 H VVS2 $8316
https://www.bluenile.com/build-your-own-ring/diamond-details/LD21438505?click_id=520665523

11/. 1.11 H VVS2 $8029
https://www.bluenile.com/build-your-own-ring/diamond-details/LD21931766?click_id=591975506

12/. 1.15 H VS1 $7892
https://www.bluenile.com/build-your-own-ring/diamond-details/LD21873539?click_id=933473633

13/. 1.11 H VS1 $7487
https://www.bluenile.com/build-your-own-ring/diamond-details/LD21377836?click_id=768221277

 

[lovedogs]

Stones to immediately reject:

3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13

The others are OK (1,2,4,7,9), but none are blowing me away. Do you need to work with blue nile?

 

[Tttp]

Stones to immediately reject:

3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13

The others are OK (1,2,4,7,9), but none are blowing me away. Do you need to work with blue nile?

Thank you! Blue nile was the preference because of a friend’s recommendation. Seemed to be a smooth process and they have nice settings. Reading more through these forums I see Whiteflash is popular. I’m open to suggestions.

 

[lovedogs]

I would definitely look at other vendors. Blue Nile is fine, but there isn't anything special about them that would make me recommend them over others.

This from whiteflash is much better than any of the stones above: https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-di...-si1-clarity-round-excellent-cut-sku-a4575452

 

[DejaWiz]

Thank you! Blue nile was the preference because of a friend’s recommendation. Seemed to be a smooth process and they have nice settings. Reading more through these forums I see Whiteflash is popular. I’m open to suggestions.

Definitely check with Whiteflash, Brian Gavin, Continental Diamond, JannPaul, and Victor Canera.

Diamonds by Lauren, Distinctive Gem, I.D. Jewelers, Delicate Gems are other great sellers that have or can get ideal/super ideal cut diamonds.

Also check James Allen, as they are owned by the same parent company as Blue Nile:

All Diamonds - Magnified in 360° HD | JamesAllen.com | Page 7

James Allen offers a wide selection of GIA, IGI and AGS certified conflict-free loose diamonds, all viewable in 360° HD. Take the guesswork out of buying a diamond. | Page 7

www.jamesallen.com

 

[lovedogs]

Brian Gavin has this one: https://www.briangavindiamonds.com/collections/diamonds/products/1-028-g-si1-signature-round

 

[TXwidow]

Keep in mind that if ever, one day, there might be a 'want' to upgrade (size, color, clarity) folks like Blue Nile, James Allen DO NOT have favorable options from a $$ standpoint. Check out the 'upgrade' options at the first list of vendors that were suggested.

 

[DejaWiz]

Forgot to mention in my previous post: Frank Darling may be another viable route since they do have an ASET scope on-site. You'll have to do the legwork to find and narrow down a short list to have a closer look at.

 

[Tttp]

Thank you guys for your replies. I will be looking into your suggestions and other vendors. I do like the look of the other two stones posted in this thread. I have a question regarding the stone posted from whiteflash. In the additional comments section it has “clouds are not shown” from my understanding should this not be avoided as this might give the stone a “hazy” look? Also do you think the Crystal/knot inclusions on/near the table would be visible to the naked eye?

Sorry for all the questions this is a big chunk of change I’m spending and I want to get it right! Thanks again. Going to check out some more stones on the vendors mentioned in this thread.

 

[lovedogs]

Thank you guys for your replies. I will be looking into your suggestions and other vendors. I do like the look of the other two stones posted in this thread. I have a question regarding the stone posted from whiteflash. In the additional comments section it has “clouds are not shown” from my understanding should this not be avoided as this might give the stone a “hazy” look? Also do you think the Crystal/knot inclusions on/near the table would be visible to the naked eye?

Sorry for all the questions this is a big chunk of change I’m spending and I want to get it right! Thanks again. Going to check out some more stones on the vendors mentioned in this thread.

I would ask WF to show you an IRL pic. That's the advantage of WF is that they have their stones in person.

 

[foxinsox]

quick question. would you pick brand name tiffany over say customized lose diamond stone? It there such a big difference in terms of the quality of tiffany selection compared to say a local diamond shopper?

I wouldn’t because Tiffany doesn’t mean so much to me and I’d rather a super ideal, vetted cut with all the imaging etc to prove it is beautifully cut than what Tiffany chooses to tell me were I buy a modern round brilliant.
I also wouldn’t choose a local stone from just any shop since most of them just use GIA XXX and consider that done.

 

[katyb]

quick question. would you pick brand name tiffany over say customized lose diamond stone? It there such a big difference in terms of the quality of tiffany selection compared to say a local diamond shopper?

There are some settings at Tiffany & Co. that cannot be replicated, in my opinion. There are other styles of settings at Tiffany that can be done equally, if not better, by other jewelers. (One of my favorite jewelry designers is Victor Canera, and I like his halo ring better than the Tiffany Soleste style. In addition, he offers the tools to choose the best light-performing diamond). However, with Tiffany, you won't necessarily have the peace of mind about getting the best light-performance in a diamond because Tiffany doesn't offer ASET imagery and other tools you'd need to assess that in its diamonds. Therefore, you'll have to decide what are the most important factors for you. This is not something others can decide.

 

[Tttp]

Any thoughts on these two diamonds?

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...olor-vs1-clarity-true-hearts-cut-sku-18054049

HCA score: 1.2


https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...-cut-sku-17751859?uniqueID=6w7waww75_18181873

HCA score: 1.1

 

[MissGotRocks]

Diamond | 1.03 ct H VS1 Expert Selection Round Cut Loose Diamond GIA Certified | 4596141

This fabulous 1.03 carat Round Excellent cut diamond has a clarity grade of VS1 and color grade of H.It is an excellent choice for engagement rings. | 4596141

www.whiteflash.com

Would consider this one over the two you posted above.