Hello. Help, help, help :). I’m proposing to my GF of 19 years in 2 months. Looking for a round diamond on Blue Nile (preferred vendor) for no more than $7,000. Would like to have a diamond that has fire and is brilliant, but would like the imperfections not to be so visible. But in a day and age where bigger is better, I know you can’t have it all. The setting will be a halo.
After reading your blog and forum for years, I’m happy to be here for myself finally.
You can definitely get a great quality diamond for your budget.
Here’s a couple of options that I found:
Blue Nile LD12020963
Blue Nile LD12741640
They look amazing and will have a lot of brilliance in a halo setting.
Will an H color be visibly yellow to the eye on these diamonds? If we went above an H (say a G or F), would I totally blow my budget? Or are we at the point where going higher in color adds very little to the diamond?
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Additionally, I found the following diamonds on Blue Nile:
Blue Nile LD12684953
Blue Nile LD12523348
Blue Nile LD12679615
H color is absolutely fine for a halo setting. BN usually uses I/H-color melee diamonds so an H-color center stone wouldn’t make a color difference. And I wouldn’t recommend a diamond that would look yellow when it shouldn’t.
I would exclude the D VS2 as medium fluorescence would make it look hazy. The LD12523348 has a cloud as the only clarity note which might be a problem. The LD12679615 is beautiful.
I wound up going with the 1.16 carat, and it is absolutely beautiful.
That’s wonderful news, Tracey, I’m glad you love the diamond.
What we love about them:
- No questions asked returns within 30 days of shipment. James Allen will send you a paid shipping label to return the ring.
- Lifetime Warranty
- Free International Shipping
- Free prong tightening, repolishing, rhodium plating and cleaning every 6 months
- Provide insurance appraisals
- One free resizing within 60 days of purchase
- Free ring inscriptions
- Best-in-class high quality imagery of all diamonds in stock
- 24/7 Customer Service
- Best-in-class packaging
What we love about them:
- No questions asked returns within 30 days of shipment. Blue Nile will send you a paid shipping label to return the ring.
- Lifetime Warranty
- Free Shipping
- Free prong tightening, repolishing, rhodium plating and cleaning every 6 months
- Provide insurance appraisal
- One free resizing within the first year of purchase
- High quality images of about half of their diamonds
- 24/7 Customer Service
- 100% credit towards future upgrades (must be at least double in value)
- Best in class fulfillment
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