Please help, 1st time buyer choosing stones

[Southy142]

I am a first time buyer who has been lurking around this site for about a month. My proposal idea requires me to make a decision pretty soon, so I was hoping for comments on the stones listed below. My gf and I did a tour of the NYC diamond district (we live 1/2 hour away) and learned that she doesn''t care about color differences from I up. I''d like to stay close to 5k for the center stone and have a setting picked out with a local jeweler. I''m looking for an round ideal cut, I color, VS2 or SI1 and the more I learn here, the more I realize how much I still don''t know. All of the stones I''m looking at come from James Allen. The stone specs are as follows:
1.1. Carat, I Color, VS2, Depth 60%, Table 57%, Crown 34 degrees, Pavilion 40.8 degrees, Thin Girdle, no culet or fluorescence, GIA Cert, Excellent Cut, with an HCA of .9.

1.12 Carat, I, SI1, Debth 60.6, Table 57, Crown 34.9, pavilion 40.8, thin-med girdle, no culet or fluorescence, AGS ideal cut, HCA 1.5.

1.168 Carat, I, VS2, Dept 62.8, Table 54.3, Crown 35.3, pavilion 40.6, thin-med faceted girdle, no culet or fluoresecence, AGS ideal cut, HCA 1.3.

I have a terrible eye for detail personally so I need to decide based on specs alone as far as possible. My gf (who has a much more discerning eye) was happy to be consulted but does not want to be involved in the final decision. I could also try to buy in the district, but I suspect my potential savings would be more than offset by my chances of being ripped off. Which stone would you buy, or should I pass and keep looking? Thanks for the help.

 

[phoenixgirl]

It might help PSers to have links to the actual stones:

1.1 I VS2 for $5064

1.12 I SI1 for $4921

1.16 I VS2 for $5273

Well, just looking at the numbers I''d eliminate #3 because it has a smaller diameter than the other two stones but you''re paying for a few more points of carat weight. However, it does have a nice appearance when looking at the magnified images. I doubt you''ll see that inclusion in the SI1 without magnification but it can''t hurt to check. I''m sure others will chime in . . .

 

[Ellen]

Assuming it''s eye clean, I vote for the I SI1.

 

[jayreneepea]

I like #1 for some reason. Although I''m a huge fan of SI eyeclean diamonds. Have you considered an SI2? Might be able to find one that is eyeclean and save a few bucks -- or go slightly bigger

 

[Southy142]

I am a little uncomfortable looking at SI2s just because my gf has such a good eye for detail. I should also say I have no particular loyalty to any vendor, James Allen just seems to have good prices on the size stones I''m looking for. I''m leaning towards the SI1, thank you for your suggestions.

 

[kcoursolle]

Another vote for the I/SI, it has nice proportions and a wonderful value at I/SI. Be sure to ask Jim if it''s eye-clean.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

For the extremely small price difference, I''d choose the first stone. That''s a tiny amount to pay to get VS2, and then you won''t have to worry about that inclusion in the other one.