Solitaire pendants: Which jeweler and which of the 4 Cs?

[urbaneastgirl]

I just bought the following 0.73c/round/I color/SI clarity pendant in a 4-prong setting from BlueNile:

http://www.bluenile.com/product_details.asp?oid=7482&nav1=necklace_channel.asp

I'm planning to return it since it's not as sparkly/brilliant. (I'm new to diamonds, so it's hard for me to describe the problem more precisely.) Would I see a difference if I went up to an H color/VS clarity, or should I just be shopping for a better cut.

For those who've bought solitaire pendants, which jeweler (online or off) has the best cut diamonds without the Tiffany's premium prices?

Thanks very much!

 

[gailrmv]

I got an Expert Selection (AGS000) ideal cut from Whiteflash, and it is a J color SI1 clarity. The cut makes it sparkly! I love mine and the lower color and clarity made it a very budget friendly option. One thing I really like about Whiteflash is that the salespeople are very educated and helpful and it is a lot more personal than some online shopping.

 

[helpryan]

I just got the solitaire I ordered for my girlfriend in today from BlueNile and love it! Thanks to everyone here who helped me out with that Anyways, did you try doing the "build your own" pendant instead? I didn''t see anything about the cut in the link you provided. I am new to the diamond world myself, but from what I hear this could be your problem.

 

[iheartscience]

The most important C by far is CUT. If a diamond is not well cut, it will not be sparkly and beautiful. You should read up on all the diamond tutorials here to learn the precise angles, table and depths that make up an ideal cut diamond.

If you want to take the easy way out, so to speak, get an ACA (''A Cut Above'') diamond from Whiteflash. That''s what I would do! Their ACA diamonds are super ideal, Hearts & Arrows diamonds that are certified by AGS and are graded AGS 0. (The best cut grade possible from AGS, a highly respected lab.)

 

[Mara]

That''s pretty pricey for an unknown random diamond in there.

I''d do build your own for sure. Even if you absolutely want to use BN you can get a diamond for around 1800 and a setting for 300 and call it a day and know what is actually going into the setting in terms of the cut.

The color/clarity on that are fine, it''s the cut you should know more/be concerned about.

WhiteFlash, Wink, James Allen are all great places to shop as well for something like that...but with probably a better diamond than the one in the ''premade'' option.