Hi Joe,
I’m helping my brother-in-law pick out a new engagement ring for my sister. He’d like it to be round, above 1 carat, with an emphasis on cut and color (you helped me pick out my wife’s engagement ring, and I relayed to him that SI1 should suffice as long as the stone was eye-clean). Budget-wise, he’d like to stay under $6k.
Here are three I came across on Blue Nile:
- 1.05, D, SI1: https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-details/LD13411697
- 1.07, G, VS2: https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-details/LD13481556?track=FCOM&slot=1&type=1
- 1.11, D, SI1: https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-details/LD13327021?track=FCOM&slot=2&type=closestAlternative
All three sit in the overlap between GIA Excellent and AGS Ideal. The last is a few hundred over my BIL’s budget, but if the diamond presents a really good deal, he’s willing to stretch. If you find any others that might fit his criteria, we’d of course be happy to see them. Thanks for all your help!
David
Hi David,
Wow, it’s been two years! Thank you for keeping me in mind for your brother-in-law!
Of these three, I would go with the 1.05 D SI1. The 1.07 G VS2 and 1.11 D SI1 both have strong blue fluorescence. I can see the strain/grain lines in the 1.07 G VS2, which I avoid with fluorescence. The optical symmetry in the 1.11 D SI1 isn’t as good (it’s harder to have clean arrows with a larger 61% table despite the optimal proportions).
That said, the 1.05 D SI1 is medium fluorescence with internal/surface graining, which I’m still wary of impacting the transparency.
At BN, you might consider the 1.04 G VS1. I think this medium fluorescence would be fine because there are no clouds/graining and it still maintains the slightly larger diameter that you’re looking for. However, it’s a bit over the $6k mark.
At JA, I thought the 1.01 G SI1 would be the best fit for your budget. The twinning wisps in SI1 look eye-clean to me. And then right at the $6k mark you could go up in color or up in clarity. All of these have none/faint fluorescence.
Diamond List – Generated by diamondscreener.com
Shape,Carat,Color,Clarity,Cut,Price (USD),Affiliate Link
Round,1.04,G,VS1,Excellent,6179,https://www.diamondscreener.com/bn/LD12136681
Round,1.01,G,SI1,Excellent,5480,https://www.diamondscreener.com/ja/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.01-carat-g-color-si1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-7480924
Round,1.01,E,SI1,Excellent,6050,https://www.diamondscreener.com/ja/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.01-carat-e-color-si1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-7150724
Round,1,G,VS1,Excellent,6050,https://www.diamondscreener.com/ja/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.00-carat-g-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-8515441
