$15000 Budget | Truth About Diamonds

Q: Hi Ira, I’ve been trolling your site for *months* while I have tried to surreptitiously find out what style setting, cut of stone (and other attributes) my girlfriend of six years would like on an engagement ring. I think I’ve finally managed to narrow it down to an emerald cut diamond on a baguette-tapered platinum setting. I’m looking to get max bang for buck with the stone and have always been intrigued by your eye-clean SI’s and near colorless with a hint of fluorescence picks… …So can you help me find the best rock that’s eye-clean, sparkles in natural light, no visible inclusions and offers value? I feel terribly guilty asking someone on the Internet to help me find a stone… But I’ve read so many other email exchanges that today I finally bit the bullet Looking forward to hearing from you! Thanks

Categories : Q&A

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Feb

Best Cushion Cut Diamond for $15000: 2.04 Carat H Color VS2 Clarity Ideal Cut GIA Certified Cushion Cut Diamond

Posted by: Ira Weissman | Comments (0)

Following our previous selection of the best Cushion Cut Diamond for $16,000, today we present you with the best Cushion Cut Diamond for $19,000.

Here’s the Stats (Or Click Here for a Copy of the GIA Certificate):

Diamond Magnified 20x - Click to Enlarge

Carats: 2.04

Diamond Color: H

Diamond Clarity: VS2

Measurements: 7.50*7.48*4.99

Length/Width Ratio: 1.00

Depth: 66.7%

Table: 58%

Diamond Polish: Very Good

Diamond Symmetry: Very Good

Diamond Fluorescence: None

James Allen Engagement Ring

Diamond Price: $15,250

Don’t forget to use our exclusive coupon code TADJ10 with James Allen for 10% off Engagement Ring Settings!

James Allen also has a large variety of engagement rings to choose from to pair with today’s daily diamond selection. Today’s diamond has a very uniquely “antique” look to it. As you can see in the GIA certificate copy, there is a comment that the “crown angles” are higher than 40 degrees. This is more of an old-fashioned look for a cushion cut, giving it more of a “pillowy” feel. The relatively small table and open culet also add to this antiquey look.

I mention this here because I wanted to find an antique-style engagement ring on James Allen to match with the same look on the diamond. I found one such ring in James Allen’s 18k White Gold Tapered Baguette Diamond Engagement Ring. This look with a center stone surrounded by tapered baguettes is a tried and true classic design that will match this diamond perfectly.

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Categories : Daily Diamond

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Feb

Q&A: Skeptical About Brokering Service for 2 Carat Emerald Cut. Ends up Completely Satisfied.

Posted by: Ira Weissman | Comments (0)

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

Categories : Q&A

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Dec

Best Princess Cut Diamond for $15000: 2.02 Carat G Color VS1 Clarity GIA Certified Ideal Cut Princess Cut Diamond

Posted by: Ira Weissman | Comments (0)

Following yesterday’s choice of the best princess cut diamond for $16000, today we offer you the best princess cut diamond for $15,000.

Here’s the Stats (Or Click Here for a Copy of the GIA Certificate):

Diamond Magnified 20x - Click to Enlarge

Carats: 2.02

Diamond Color: G

Diamond Clarity: VS1

Measurements: 7.03*6.96*4.89

Length/Width Ratio: 1.01

Depth: 70.3%

Table: 69%

Diamond Polish: Very Good

Diamond Symmetry: Very Good

Diamond Fluorescence: Faint Blue

James Allen Engagement Ring

Diamond Price: $15,070

Don’t forget to use our exclusive coupon code TADJ10 with James Allen for 10% off Engagement Ring Settings!

James Allen also has a great selection of engagement rings to choose from to match with this diamond. What better way to show off this large perfectly made princess cut than with a simple solitaire setting such as James Allen’s White Gold Cross Prong Diamond Solitaire Ring. From working with readers who buy from James Allen, I can tell you that this ring is definitely one of their most popular. While I wouldn’t recommend it with a smaller princess cut diamond, since the shank is quite wide, I feel it would look perfect with a 2 carat stone like today’s.

As always with our daily diamond selections, today’s diamond is 100% eye clean and an ideal cut for a princess cut. The stone strikes the perfect balance between spread and brilliance.

Click here to be Brought to the Diamond on James Allen

Categories : Daily Diamond

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Sep

Best Hearts & Arrows Ideal Cut Round Brilliant for $15,000: 1.58 Carat H Color VVS1 Clarity AGS Certified Triple Zero

Posted by: Ira Weissman | Comments (0)

Now that we have concluded our series of the best Asscher Cut Diamonds for budgets ranging from $15,000 all the way down to $2000, today we begin a new series of daily suggestions. Today, we begin a series of picks of the best Hearts & Arrows Ideal Cut Diamonds for various budgets. I decided to go with Hearts & Arrows Ideal Cut Round Brilliants because it happens to be that now James Allen is running a promotion offering 5% off on their Hearts & Arrows collection they call “True Hearts.” Today, as with the other series, we begin with a budget of $15,000.

Here’s the Stats (Or Click Here for a Copy of the AGS Certificate):

Diamond Magnified 20x - Click to Enlarge

Carats: 1.58

Diamond Color: H

Diamond Clarity: VVS1

Diamond Cut: Ideal (0)

Measurements: 7.47*7.51*4.63

Depth: 61.8%

Table: 55.4%

Crown Angle: 34.8°

IdealScope View of Arrows - Click to Enlarge

Crown %: 15.60

Pavilion Angle: 40.7°

Pavilion %: 43

Diamond Polish: Ideal (0)

Diamond Symmetry: Ideal (0)

Diamond Fluorescence: None

Diamond Price: $14,920 ($14,174 after discount)

Click Here to be Brought to the Diamond on James Allen

Categories : Daily Diamond

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Sep

Best Asscher Cut Diamond for $15,000: 2.07 Carat H Color VVS1 Clarity GIA Certified

Posted by: Ira Weissman | Comments (0)

A new day, a new daily diamond series. Today, in the same tradition of our Best Round Diamond for Different Budgets series and our Best Princess Cut Diamond for Different Budgets series, we begin the Best Asscher Cut Diamond for Different Budgets series. Today, as with the others, we begin with a budget of $15,000. So with no further ado, I present you with the best Asscher cut for $15,000.

Here’s the Stats (or Click Here for a Copy of the GIA Certificate):

Carats: 2.07

Diamond Color: H

Diamond Clarity: VVS1

Measurements: 7.25*6.94*4.69

Length/Width Ratio: 1.04

Diamond Polish: Very Good

Diamond Symmetry: Very Good

Depth: 67.6%

Table: 64%

Diamond Fluorescence: None

Diamond Price: $15,070

Since we are picking Asscher Cuts, which, like their longer cousins the Emerald Cut, are cut for their luster and not brilliance, they are the poorest of the diamond shapes at hiding inclusions. A VS2 clarity inclusion or even a VS1 clarity inclusion that’s dark and in the table will probably be visible to the naked eye.

Today’s diamond did not have a picture available from James Allen, but since it’s a VVS2, I don’t feel that it is necessary. The make on this stone is fantastic. It has a 67.6% depth which makes this Asscher cut physically bigger than most.

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Categories : Daily Diamond

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Aug

Best Princess Cut Diamond for $15000: 2.26 ct I Color VS2 Clarity GIA Certified

Posted by: Ira Weissman | Comments (0)

Now that we’ve completed our series of daily diamond recommendations by budget (starting with a diamond budget of $15,000 and ending yesterday with a $2,000 diamond budget), we’re going to do it all over again for the second most popular cut: the Princess Cut. Today, we begin again at $15,000.

Here’s the stats (or Click Here for a Copy of the GIA Certificate):

Magnified 20x Time - Click Here to Enlarge

Diamond Color: I

Diamond Clarity: VS2

Carats: 2.26

Measurements: 7.48*7.13*5.29

L/W Ratio: 1.05

Depth: 74.2%

Table: 75%

Diamond Polish: Excellent

Diamond Symmetry: Very Good

Diamond Fluorescence: None

Diamond Price: $14,840

Click Here to Be Brought to the Diamond on JamesAllen.com

Categories : Daily Diamond

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Jul

Top Rock for $15,000: 2.19 carat H Color SI2 Clarity Triple Excellent Eye-Clean GIA Certified Round Brilliant

Posted by: Ira Weissman | Comments (0)

For the consumer who might still be a bit scared of by the Diamond I1 from yesterday’s daily diamond selection for a budget of $14,000, here’s an alternative that’s significantly more clean, has a better diamond color, and is a Triple Excellent GIA certified diamond. Yes, it is smaller than yesterday’s pick. Yesterday’s 2.80 ct diamond has a diameter of about 9.2 mm while today’s diamond has a diameter of about 8.3mm. But not everybody is ready to take the leap of faith and buy an I1 which has an inclusion that’s very noticeable under 20x magnification. I have decided , therefore, to offer two versions of the same photograph in every daily diamond. One magnified, as usual. The other, though, will be zoomed out to almost actual size. This will show clearly that without magnification, the inclusions will not be visible.