Welcome to Questions & Answers Page
In this section of the site, I publish some interesting private exchanges I have had with readers of the site who have contacted me via the "Got Questions?" form. I believe you will find that the questions and answers are both interesting and educational.
To browse through Q&As of the past by topic, please use the tag list on the right-hand side of the page.
Q: Hello, I Was wondering if this is fairly typical, and if not, how “visible” would the markings be on the SI1 diamond referenced?
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1261007.asp?a_aid=dmnd1357
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1274235.asp?a_aid=dmnd1357
Those are two stones I’m looking at for an engagement ring, and it is quite obvious that one has visible (feathering?) on the table. I can’t imagine how this wouldn’t be totally visible to the naked eye, and how it could justify an SI1 ranking? Just as a counter-reference, the second link is much harder to find flaws. Thanks, and your site has been a Great help!
Q: Hi Ira, I’ve been looking at your site for many months now so first of all I’d like to thank you for explaining what to look for in a diamond in such a clear yet thorough way. I appreciate that you must be a very busy man but 2 minutes of your time would be greatly appreciated. I’m looking to buy an engagement ring for about $3000 ($1000 for the platinum setting and ~$2000 for the princess cut diamond). I spotted this (and it turns out so did you). I’ve asked JA whether it is eye clean or not and I’m waiting for their reply.http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-SI1-Premium-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1277345.asp?a_aid=dmnd1357 I also spotted this which looks like a good I1. But the bottom left corner concerns me – is that an inclusion there that might be susceptible to breaking off? Otherwise I think it appears to be an excellent find for the price. http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/F-I1-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1240349.asp?a_aid=dmnd1357 Your views would be really appreciated.
Q: Hi, I’m looking for the best diamond I can get for my budget. I’m hoping I can spend $5,000 or less on an engagement ring but I am also willing to step it up to $6,000 if it is an absolute killer deal. What I’m looking for: Shape – Round diamond Ring – Platinum/White Gold Weight – 1 to 1.5 carat Color – H or higher but after reading your color article, I guess I can go lower considering the ring color and shape of diamond. Clarity – No preference as long as the flaws cannot be seen through the naked eye. Like I mention above, I would like to spend $5,000 or less but am willing to step it up to $6,000 if its a killer deal. Let me know if there is any additional information you would like to help me out in choosing a diamond.
Q: You just did a post (link below) about a situation just like mine. http://www.truthaboutdiamonds.com/2010/02/14/qa-3500-budget-first-wants-round-brilliant-then-changes-mind-and-opts-for-a-princess-cut/#more-2447 Just looking for an update if anything new/better has come across James Allen. I am in the $3500 for the diamond range, +/- a couple hundred if there is that “$3800 special”. We swapped emails a bit ago, finally looking to pull the trigger. Thank you for you help (again).
Q: Hello, I have been dating my girlfriend for 8 and a half years ever since the beginning of high school, and now that we are both graduated and working, it’s time to propose. On top of that, we are taking a trip to europe in the first week of February, and I would love to have a ring to propose with in Paris!
I think I have decided to buy online. The lack of tax on most of the online retailers is a big price advantage over local jewelers, and I would love to spend that extra cash on a better diamond. I am looking to spend about 8000 dollars or less on a round diamond, with an absolute max around 8500.
I am a scientist, so I love reading about the specs of a diamond, but I am still unsure how important each is. After all the reading, I think I would like something with VS1 clarity, G color, and ideal cut or better, but from reading your wonderful website it seems I could get away with less in the color and clarity categories. I looked at James Allen’s Diamond Color Tool, and the jump from G to H color seemed more noticeable than the other jumps.
After looking at so many rings, I really like the Nouveau Diamond Ring in Platinum at BlueNile.com. Since I like this setting the most, it feels like I am limited only to the diamond selection of Blue Nile. What do you think? It doesn’t seem possible to order just the setting from Blue Nile. If Blue Nile’s diamond selection isn’t good, do you know of any close alternatives where I might get a similar setting and a better deal on a diamond? What’s your opinion of Blue Nile’s diamond collection? They have a 1.20 carat, VS1, G color, with strong blue flourescence for $7795. Is this a good deal?
I know your website says that the strong blue will make the G color actually look worse. Is that why this diamond is much lower priced than other 1.20 carats? I also like the color blue so I keep wondering if a strong blue flourescence is really a bad thing? I think I’d like to maximize the size of the diamond within my price range, but I also don’t want to sacrifice on the color or clarity too much.
Yesterday Blue Nile also had a 1.38 carat, VS2, H color for just 50 dollars more than the 1.20 I mentioned above. Which one do you think is the better deal? Sadly, the 1.38 seems to have sold today so that is no longer an option. Any advice you can give me would be greatly appreciated! I am in somewhat of a rush since I leave for Europe on Feb 27th. Is this cutting it too close? I have really enjoyed reading your website, and I will recommend your site to anyone looking at diamonds in the future.
Q&A: Best Princess Cut for $5000 to $7500 With F or Better Color
Posted by: Ira Weissman | Comments (0)Q: Hello, I am currently looking for the best engagement ring possible within the budget of $5000-$7500. Princess Cut D-F Best Clarity Possible Currently been looking on Bluenile.com and mondera.com, can you recommend any other sites? Also are you aware if they offer insurance? Thanks.
Q: Ira, Thank you for such an informative webpage. I am so thankful I found this before making a rash decision and overbuying a diamond. I am looking for the following: Shape-Round Cut-EX or Ideal. Color-Prefer colorless (I saw that you recommend H) Clarity-SI1 or higher but depends on the location of the inclusion. Carat-About 1 carat, simply for the fact that most people I know have that size and I would like my bride to have similar. -Hoping to find the cheapest price and planning to use a setting of white gold/platinum. I found this diamond on James Allen: http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1268783.asp?a_aid=dmnd1357 Or this one on Blue Nile: http://www.bluenile.com/round-diamond-1-carat-or-less-ideal-cut-h-color-si1-clarity_LD01653921. Both are approximately $3500, is this the range I should be planning for? Can you help me find a better value diamond? Please let me know if you need any other details to help with my request. Thank you so much for your help
Q: Would appreciate your thoughts on getting a surprise engagement ring for Valentine’s Day. My max is $4,000 and my girlfriend has big hands–8 1/2 ring size. She likes round stones. Should I look for a setting with stones rather than a solitare. I was impressed with James Allan site–What do you think about their setting 11103W? Is it a substantial enough setting for her hand or would you recommend something else. Is there a particular stone you would recommend–While bigger would be better I don’t want anything with visible defects nor a stone that appears yellow in any light. If you could direct me to a particular stone or setting on James Allen or Blue Nile I would be most appreciative. Thank you for your assistance
Q&A: Looking for GIA Certified Excellent Cut Round Diamond for Around $4000
Posted by: Ira Weissman | Comments (0)Q: Hi Ira, Thank you for putting together a great site. I’m just starting to look for a diamond engagement ring and had a few general questions for you. As I narrow down some of my parameters, I’ll likely have more for your later. I appreciate your help! 1) Most of what I’ve read (especially about cut) has been about round diamonds. I am also considering an oval shape. Does the oval shape greatly affect the brilliance (sparkliness) of the diamond because of the new/different ratio between table and depth? Are the cuts graded the same way as a round diamond? 2) As I assume most people are, I’m unsure of how the 20x magnified picture compares to real life. For example, would the imperfection near the middle of this diamond be visible?
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Oval-Diamond-1110061.asp?a_aid=dmnd1357 Thank you again for your help. I’ll probably be back to ask more!
Q. Ira, I am currently shopping for an engagement ring and got in touch with a jeweler in the diamond district in New York. He was recommended by a friend and seems like his prices are reasonable. He has suggested one stone which was a little more expensive than I was looking for, but claims it has a very attractive cut. I have pasted his comments below. I am hoping for an independent perspective on his comments and if this one is worth the additional cost. “I looked through all of my emerald cut diamonds. I have one which weighs 2.05 carats. It is a very fine cut, “H” color, clarity “VS2″. It is more expensive than the approximate price I quoted you- the price is $16,000. It is a really beautiful cut. The table is 68%, the depth is 67.9%. I do have some which are less expensive but I know that you are concerned about the cut. The others were either less deep (about 64%) or cut deeper (69.5%) and the tables were not as fine. The price was about $1,000 less- about $15,000.” Thanks for your help in advance
