At this point, don’t know what I should be searching for under the microscope. Would love to see some suggestions from you and/or commentary. Also see that by expanding the carat search size to 1.01 opens it up to even more diamonds.

Appreciate your expertise. Thank you.

A: I’m very happy to help! As for these two suggestions, I don’t like the H SI2 since it only has an excellent grade from AGS – which is akin to a VG grade from GIA. I do like the I SI1 very much, though.

As for your budget, does that include the setting as well?

Q: Thanks for the reply.  I would like to spend total of 6k including the platinum setting, so right around 5k for the diamond. Ideally would like to stay under total of 6k, but could spend a little more if you think it makes a big difference from a diamond standpoint.

If you could send some links for me to evaulate that would be great. Also, does using your discount code get you proper sales credit?

Thank you

A: If you’ve clicked on any links from my site to JA, then I’d actually get credit even without you using the coupon. But the coupon does add a level of security just in case the tracking software doesn’t work for whatever reason. Anyway, here’s some suggestions for you:
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-SI2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1332376.asp
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-SI2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1338554.asp

Let me know what you think of those!

Q: You are the man. I went with the first and put the order in. Let me know where I can leave you feedback because you took the guess work out of this important purchase. Can’t say how much I appreciate your help on this. Thank you!

A: Hey! That’s great news! Congrats! Please stay in touch and let me know what you think when it arrives.

Thanks!

Q: I’ll let you know when I receive the ring. Thanks again for your help!

A:  Please do stay in touch. I would love to hear what you think when the ring arrives.

The new mobile site boasts a fully interactive experience to make browsing their jewelry easier than ever. You can price-check diamonds for the best deal and build your own engagement ring setting from the full selection of setting styles like solitaire, channel, pave, and contemporary rings. If you’re in the market for other diamond jewelry as we approach Valentine’s Day, you can also use the new site to shop for diamond pendants and studs.

“We have worked hard to provide mobile users with a first-class interactive user experience, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive,” says David Berkovits, Marketing Director at James Allen. “To celebrate, we are giving away an amazing diamond iPhone case. This giveaway is our most exciting to date and it’s our way of saying ‘thanks’ to all the James Allen fans that have helped elevate our brand to the next level.”

“We’re the only site on the Internet that displays over 20,000 actual photos of our diamond inventory, and now you’ve got them all in the palm of your hand. This Valentine’s Day, shop with our mobile site and don’t miss the opportunity to win an incredible diamond iPhone case,” added Berkovits.

To sign up for this gorgeous give-away, go to http://www.JamesAllen.com .

Source:

http://enewschannels.com/2012/01/25/enc14175_035820.php

courtesy of ronmartin.net

Well, that seems to be only part of the story. While it’s true that this segment of the population is the most Internet-savvy, it does not necessarily imply that such skills influence shopping behavior. We may surf online to compare prices and get an idea of what inventory is out there, but we may still want to step into a brick-and-mortar store to get a personal encounter with a product.

This is what JCK Magazine recently discovered about the 18-25 year-old shoppers: more than 68% prefer to shop for clothing and shoes in stores rather than online, according to a joint survey by LIM College and the National Retail Federation Student Association.

“Retail observers have been significantly overestimating our use of online and digital technology for shopping,” said Nicole Flasch-Mihalko, a member of the LIM College NRFSA team, in a statement. “We like shopping in stores and are not as engaged in shopping on the Internet as many have touted. I guess the demise of the brick and mortar format of retailing—at least for 18-25 year-olds—is grossly exaggerated.”

Interestingly, 66% of this age group shops online to check out prices and browse what’s out there, but only 23% shop from a tablet or smartphone. And only 20% of young shoppers purchase from “flash sale” sites such as Rue La La and Gilt Groupe. Actually, the survey found that most interviewed were not familiar with these sites at all.

Olivia Cornell from Cornell’s Jewelers in Rochester, N.Y., says the young crowd wants to come in and see what the jewelry looks like in person. “I see a lot of young women shopping for special occasions like graduations, a new job, or a promotion,” she says. “Girls nowadays are much more sophisticated. They have a handle on their own style.”

Sharran Selig from Bill Selig Jewelers in Windsor, Conn., says that her customers “typically look online, but generally want to come in and see the jewelry in person.”

And when it comes to buying fashion jewelry in a brick-and-mortar store versus buying online, there may not be huge savings since both types of establishments must stock quite a bit of inventory. But when we start to think about big ticket items like diamond jewelry – specifically engagement rings, stud earrings, and the like – there are clear advantages to buying online.

As you can see from our review of the brick-and-mortar establishment Zales, there are significant advantages to buying diamonds online. First, online stores like James Allen and DiamondWave have “virtual” inventory in that they showcase private stock from all over the world on their websites, but only when the consumer makes the purchase does the website then buy the diamond from the private vendor. This is in stark contrast to a conventional walk-in store that must stock – at its own cost or on commission – a sizable amount of expensive inventory.

This takes us to our second advantage of buying online: it’s just too expensive for traditional stores to carry inventory that can match the sheer selection of products that you can find online. When you go online, your options of what’s out there, from the most classic round brilliant cut one carat diamond to the more daring two carat cushion cut, are just so much more varied.

And finally, let’s look at one more area that will really drive the point home. Brick-and-mortar establishments have astronomical overhead costs for a much smaller clientele. Each month they must pay rent, employee salaries, utilities, insurance, etc. and all these costs are passed on to the consumer in the price of the diamond jewelry. By contrast, online vendors have worldwide exposure and much less overhead to contend with, often hiring a fraction of the employees in one or two locations and spending far less on rent, utilities, and insurance.

Now how do we resolve the advantages of buying diamonds online with the findings of shopping habits of the younger generation? First of all, there is nothing wrong with walking into a jewelry store and seeing what catches your eye. It’s important to know your style, and for some people, that means actually putting the ring on your finger for a trial run. Many Truth About Diamonds readers have done just that in order to get a more accurate idea of what looks good on their hands.

But ultimately, we need to remember that the Internet is still young, and we have some catching up to do in terms of our shopping behavior. The more people educate themselves about purchasing diamonds online, the better it will be for the growing online diamond market. In short, it’s just a matter of time until the rest of the market climbs onboard the savings train. All aboard!

Source:
http://www.jckonline.com/2012/01/23/survey-young-consumers-still-favor-brick-and-mortar-stores

Retro is in and vintage settings are definitely a great option if you are looking for a more traditional look. The attention to fine detail in these heirloom settings is evident in the hand-crafted metal and diamond work, making this option a great one for a classy timeless ring, already perfect to be handed down to the next generation some day. You will most likely see the conventional yet stunning round brilliant cut diamond in this setting.

hydroponicsonline.com

Another trend that we expect to see more of this year is the “diamonds-all-around” look both on engagement rings and wedding bands. If you’re going for a glamorous, eye-popping style, then this might be right for you. And most likely you will see this setting using platinum, the hot ticket metal this season.

Here’s a quick FYI on diamonds-all-around, or pavé, as it’s known in the industry, from James Allen: “A pave diamond ring is one that is encrusted with very small diamonds all along the band to give the appearance of solid diamond surface, rather than a metal band. Because pave-set diamonds use only tiny beads or prongs to hold them in place, very little of the metal band shows through and the diamonds all appear to be free-standing. Settings like this can either go around the whole band (“full pave”) or stop halfway around (“half pave”). Most people find a full pave setting visually impressive, but prefer the comfort of a half pave setting, as the tiny diamonds are less likely to rub against the other fingers. Also, a full pave ring can almost be too much brilliance, drawing attention away from the center diamond.

“Micro pave rings are even more delicate and intricate than regular pave settings. The individual stones are so small that they appear to blend together and create extraordinary fire. Also, because the diamonds are smaller than in a traditional pave setting, the surface is much smoother and less likely to rub against the other fingers.”

Diamonds-all-around can enhance the size of your center diamond and generally make what would have been a plain solitaire setting into a sparkly work of art. This style is appropriate for all diamond shapes and the possibilities for creativity are endless. 

I hugely value cut and I have been looking at Blue Nile and their signature cut. Obviously, I am paying more for the signature brand. So, I used the more stringent table(60.1 to 61.9) and depth%(55 to 57) values for the signature to filter out some ideals on Blue Nile and James Allen. Am on the right track to get the shiniest diamond?

A: Not necessarily. GIA’s cut grade innovations proved that you can’t look at diamond measurements in a vacuum. It’s the combinations of measurements that matter. Send me the links to the stones you’re considering and I”ll be happy to take a look!

Q: Thanks for the quick response. I have beeen spending a lot of time on your website and am learning a lot from the Q & A’s of others and your responses. I am almost certainly going to order the ring from James Allen and want your advice before I do so. I will start short listing stones real soon. The one thing I couldn’t find something on was the Hearts and Arrows cut on James Allen. Is it worth going for the Hearts and Arrows cut vs the ideal cut? I obviously want to get the best cut possible. I hope the H & A doesn’t increase costs by by a 1000!

Also, I placed an order for the ring yest. evening. It’s tacori style 2616rd65 in white gold http://www.tacori.com/Engagement-Rings/2616RD65. She’s a fan of Tacori and I like this ring because of the crescents and intricate work. The diamonds on it as I’m sure you already know are G and VS. So, my solitaire has to be min. G correct? Do you have any comments on the kind of solitaire I should be looking for? I want to go over carat and below 1.15. the max the ring can hold i’ve been told is 1.2. My budget is 8000 Canadian dollars. I obviously don’t want to max out my budget -unless there is something really worth it.

I will propose on March the 19th (date obviously is imp. ) and the Tacori ring will be here by the first week of March for sure. I plan to order the diamand by then so that I have enough time to set and possibly return it and get another one.

Sorry for the ramble.

A: I think you could actually go down to an H center stone and still have a beautiful white looking ring. The question of H&A is a tricky one. There is a small visual benefit, that’s true, but it’s not exactly mind-blowingly noticeable. It’s subtle. And that subtle difference costs a lot of money, so it’s a call you’ll have to make on your own.

Q: It’s been a while. I’ve just been waiting for the Tacori ring and it is going to be in this week. So, I want to get on the diamond right away since the day is very close.

1) Since you said that the H&A cut costs a lot of money, can you by looking at the technical specs on the James Allen site be able to tell which less expensive Excellent cut would just about make the H&A or is close enough? I don’t want to purchase from Blue Nile simply because of the inability to see the diamond (as you said).

2) You said that I could go also go for a H colour diamond and be fine for the ring I’ve chosen. I’m wondering what effect the colour/cut would have on a diamond. For example, would a diamond with Excellent cut and colour G or perhaps E have the same effect as colour H and H & A keeping everything else constant? Or am I way out to lunch?

3) Based on you response, do you have any recommendations for:

Carat: 1.0 to 1.2 (the bigger the better)
Clarity: Eye Clean
Colour: G or H depends on your answer
Cut: depends on your answer
Budget: Canadian Dollars 8500 max.- I don’t want to max it out for sure . Unless there is something great that you recommend.

I think my ideal case would be SI 1 (eye clean), H&A, G colour in the 7K or less range. But maybe I want my cake and eat it too. Pls. be brutally honest with me if my thought process is nuts!

4) I saw a few H&A SI 1 diamonds on James Allen and they had a black spot in the middle. Surely that would be visible to the naked eye right?

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1336412.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/E-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1255560.asp

Thanks a lot!

A: nice to hear back from you. The two H&A stones you linked to definitely have great cuts, but their strong black inclusions worry me. I think they will indeed by visible to the naked eye.

Since your ring will be so white with such high color diamonds, I think pushing to a G color might actually be a good idea in this case. Lets see what I can come up with!
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/F-SI2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1334506.asp

I think this stone has it all for you. Let me know what you think!

Q: Thanks for the quick response. That’s a beautiful stone. I would prefer to bring the size down a to 1.15/6 max. I’m concerned the setting may be affected since the jewweller told me that 1.2 is the absolute max.

What about my question, “Can you by looking at the technical specs on the James Allen site be able to tell which less expensive Excellent cut would just about make the H&A or is close enough?” Are the specs for the diamond you gave me for close in terms of H&A and excellent cut?

I saw a few neat ones below. They are all H&A. Would I be overpaying for any of these?

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/D-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1236916.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/D-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1195055.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1354956.asp

Do you have any ‘steals’ in the H&A category Ira? Because I’m sure only you’d find it.

Thanks again.

A: That’s a smart move, because the 1.20ct stone I recommended was particularly large for its weight – it faces up more like a 1.30ct stone.

Sorry I didn’t answer the other question. Unfortunately, I can’t tell for sure re: finding a non H&A that’s close to H&A. I can estimate, but there’s no way to know for sure without seeing the stone up close.

The H&As you linked to look great! This one seems the best to me:
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/D-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1236916.asp

Unfortunately, there aren’t any steals in the H&A category!

Q: Thanks for the reply Ira. I am hoping that you can look at these next few that are in my $8000 range.

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1354955.asp (not worht the price for a VS2 over the SI 1 that you preferred in the previous e-mail)

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1344947.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1317136.asp

Which one is your pick?

Apart from price, which one do you recommend for the style of ring between your pick from above and the your pick for the 7000 range (http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/D-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1236916.asp). Would D colour have a big impact as opposed to G?

I honestly am hoping to get something in the 1.05/06/07 range that’s 7000K range. But I don’t see any. Do you?

A: Honestly, you can choose between those three stones by flipping a 3-sided coin. I can pretty much guarantee you that if they were in front of you right now, you would not in any way be able to distinguish them one from the other.

The D SI1 is a much better buy than these. You can definitely see the difference if a D is next to a G. The only thing you gain in the other direction is higher clarity, and that adds nothing to the visual appeal of the stone.

Q: 1) Thanks for the response. I am extremely close to deciding here. I saw the AGS certificate for my shortlisted diamonds and it doesn’t show the inclusions clearly at all. The GIA certs are very clear but the AGS isn’t. Is there a risk with the AGS certification particularly with regards to diamond integrity?? Are the certs much better when viewed in person??

2) Also, my short list has come down to 3 choices and I am hoping that you give me some advice to help me decide. The short list and my comments with respect to each other are as under:

2a) http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/D-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1236916.asp
Pros: Colour D. Cons: Size is 1.01 want a 1.05/6/7 ideally.

2b) http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1354956.asp
Pros: Carat is 1.07 Cons: G colour and this huge feather on the left. Would that be visible or affect the integrity of diamond?

2c) http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1344947.asp
Pros: Carat 1.06 Cons: G colour, price is $1000 more.

Ignoring the price, I guess I want you to tell me if the G colour 1.07/6 carat dimond is better or worse compared to the D colour 1.01 carat for my ring style. I feel that the bigger size would mean more surface area causing the diamond to appear to sparkle more. The ring diamonds are VS G. http://www.tacori.com/Engagement-Rings/2616RD65

Thanks a million!
A stressed xxxxxx

A: I still think the D is the better choice. The size difference is only 0.2mm which is just on the border between not noticeable at all, and JUST BARELY noticeable. The difference in color, however, is much more easily noticeable.

Q: So i spoke to a James Allen rep and she said that there is a good enough risk that the diamond inclusion for http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/D-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1236916.asp could be seen if held close to the eye. She spoke about how eye clean is about 6 to 8 inches and encouraged to buy a VS2 instead. I am not doubting her integrity but I would like to have your opinion on the matter.

A: I’m surprised she said that. If you’re concerned, ask them to have the stone pulled and inspected face to face by their gemologists to tell you for sure.
…….
Btw, I spoke with a contact at JA about this, and they were very surprised. Do you by any chance remember the name of the person who helped you on the phone who gave you this advice?

Q: I beleive her name was Angelia or Angelina. She said she’s been in the diamond business since 1990. I called JA again since I thought it could merely be opinion. The second person male ( I forgot his name) didn’t strongly say that I will the D stone inclusion would e visible to the eye, but again spoke about the 6 to 8 inches and said upclose it could be a problem. She also spoke about the diamond getting dirty with oil and dirt which may perhaps make the inclusion more vivisble. It obviously made me very nervous. I want to order the diamond today and am hoping to reach a conclusion soon since I am running short on time.

I’ll call JA and ask them to pull the diamond and have a gemologist look at it face to face.

I can’t tell you how much i appreciate your help Ira. Thanks
…….
I called again and ended up speaking to Josh Cales who is manager there and he said that he was very surprised that I got that information about that D 1.01 diamond. He said that he 100% sure that the diamond in question 1236916 is eye clean and said that he’ll pay in advance for the return shipping because I won’t return it since it’s eye clean. He also bet his next pay chequeover it. He asked me the person’s name I spoke to and was disppointed with what I was told. He said that he will use this example as a training tool today.

I told him that I have been consulting you and that your opinion of the matter and he agreed with you 100%. So, I’ve made the purchase. I am very confident that the diamond will be good. I will look at at it closely when it arrives and hope to see nothing.

Once again, thanks a million Ira. Your website helped immensely clear the air on so very many issues with regards to the diamond and made it possible for me to get to the point of buying one. I wouldn’t be able to do it without you.

I will let you know when I receive the diamond. It’ll probably be here on Monday or Tuesday at the latest since I am using bank wire to save some money.

A very grateful xxxxx

A: My pleasure! Please let me know what you think when it arrives!

Q: I got the diamond after a lot of hassle. It was shipped on the Friday before the last and would’ve been here the next day. But the JA guys put the wrong country code and it was on route to Andorra! After a lot of stress, I got it last Thursday-5 days late.

The only good thing out of all that is the diamond. It is absolutely wonderful. It is eye-clean just as you said. I got engaged on Sat and my fiancee loves it! Your recommendation for the D colour diamond instead of the G was excellent. It made the whole setting stand out. I’m glad I went with it.

Thanks a lot once again Ira. I wouldn’t be able to do this without your input and guidance.

A: Glad to hear it all worked out in the end! And thanks for stroking my ego that my call on the D was right!!

If you have the time, do you think you might be able to leave me a review on ivouch? If you could, I would be extremely grateful. HEre’s a direct link should you find the time:
xxxxxxx

Thanks! And congrats!

Q: Done. it was a pleasure. Thanks again.

[LINK TO IVOUCH REVIEW]

A: It’s fantastic!! Thanks so much!!

Courtesy of http://gossiponthis.com

Miami Heat superstar LeBron James and Savannah Brinson recently got engaged at a new year’s party at SL Nightclub in Miami. The happy couple has been dating since high school and has two children together, LeBron James, Jr., 11, and Bryce Maximus, 4.

Now on to the ring! James proposed with a stunning 5 carat pear shaped diamond ring. According to Aslam Bakshi, owner of Diamond Images USA, “The ring is a traditional Tiffany style ring with a pear shape diamond in the center along with two tapered diamond baguettes on each side. The center diamond should be at least 4-5 carats…with an approximate retail value of between $250,000 and $300,000.” Wow.

After the New Year’s countdown, LeBron surprised Savannah in front of other Miami Heat players, as well as friends and family. It was actually a real team effort as Heat guard Dwayne Wade kept the ring safe until the proposal and Heat forward Chris Bosh made sure that everything ran smoothly for the big moment.

“It was real cool,” LeBron said. “It was an opportunity for me with my personal life. She’s happy. My family is happy. That’s what it’s all about. It is a good point in my life right now. I’m very excited about both on the court and off the court.”

It’s too bad LeBron didn’t contact Truth About Diamonds before he decided to buy – we could have saved him a boatload of money (not that he needs it).  Here’s a beautiful 5.01 G SI1 that he could have gotten for $106,320 – less than half the estimated price he paid:

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Pear-Diamond-1392496.asp

Sources:

http://www.hollywoodlife.com/2012/01/03/lebron-james-savannah-brison-engagement-ring/
http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/miamiheat/post/_/id/11049/team-effort-aids-lebron-on-and-off-the-court

A: I think you made a smart move staying with SI2 and excellent cut. My only concern for you is that you can’t buy SI2s blindly. It’s very possible, even almost likely, that any of these could be visible to the naked eye. With James Allen, however, you can make sure since you can view a magnified pic of the actual stone:
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-SI2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1355356.asp
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-SI2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1353951.asp
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-SI2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1338554.asp
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-SI2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1353906.asp

Let me know what you think!

Q: Thanks for getting back to me. Of the 4 you recommended, the first 2 have too many inclusions don’t you think? I’m leaning towards the last 2, with the last one being the front runner. Would that be your selection as well?

A: Yes, 100%. The last one is definitely the nicest.

Q: Thanks again for your time. I went ahead and ordered the last one you recommended.

A: Great! Please stay in touch and let me know what you think when it arrives!

Courtesy of buzzle.com

That’s what a Florida couple did last month when they realized their engagement ring was missing. They remembered last seeing the ring in the cup on their dresser just before Christmas, but were also sure that there were other people in their home at the time.

Enter private eye John Milano, a former police officer. The couple enlisted his expertise to locate the ring, and promised a $5,000 reward to the lucky individual who could lead them to the treasure.

Milano’s first order of business was conducting polygraph tests of everyone who was in the house at the time of the theft. In order to follow the footsteps of the thief, he also contacted local pawn shops in Martin County, Florida, as well as New York City – the diamond center of the country.

The only suspect to fail the polygraph test was 26-year-old house cleaner Cody Mejias. After that, she began to avoid Milano, thus prompting him to get serious about her potential guilt. “I hunted her down,” he said. “She refused to come in so we had to get the police involved.”

After arresting Mejias and charging her with grand theft, the real story began to unfold. She sold the ring to a pawn shop on Jensen Beach. Owner Charles Sarullo said he bought the ring for $4,800. He testified that Mejias explained she had inherited the ring from an aunt who had recently passed away.

According to the police affidavit, the maid was “apologetic and stated she needed the money to feed her children.” She told the police that she used the money to pay for food, bills, gas, and Christmas gifts.

In order to close the deal and bring back the jewelry, Milano offered Sarullo the $5K reward, plus a reimbursement of his $4,800 acquisition fee for the ring. Sounds like Sarullo did pretty well even though he didn’t get to resell the ring for its true value. Actually, Milano did pretty well too since he solved the case and was surely rewarded for that.

But the couple who hired Milano fared the best. They got their $350,000 engagement ring back and kept their anonymity.

Now there’s just one mystery left: who knows of a trustworthy maid to clean their house?

Source: http://privatedetectivelondon.wordpress.com/2012/01/12/350000-missing-engagement-ring-riddle-solved-by-private-detective/

A: If all you’re looking for is white, fiery, and eye clean, then you can go much lower than E/F VS2. First question – what kind of setting will this stone be going in?

Q: Setting is Solitar,platnium, (petite trellis solitar from blue nile to be exact)and she wants princess cut diamond. Yes thats exactly what im looking for, something that shines and is sparkly but is clean and white. I dont care about how perfect it looks under i microscope, but rather flashy and no imperfections noticable to the eye. Any help you can give would be great. thx again

A: So here’s what i like for you:
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1344657.asp
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1329759.asp – great cut. Lighter, but not really any smaller than the one above. Would like to see the pic on this one.

Q: Ira, I emailed james allen and got pictures of the other diamond you said to look at. There looks like brown marks in the diamond, can you take alook and tell me what it is and if its a good clean diamond. Id rather go with a a higher colour like H then G, and have a smaller size stone. So if this one checks out with you ill probably buy it. thx

A: Sure, send me the pics

Q: Its the same picture you sent me. The link is on the page u sent me. if you scroll down on this email and click the link the picture will come up.

A: Aha! Gotcha. That stone is basically perfect. I’d say you should buy it before someone else does. The little orange spot is simply fiery brilliance being caught in a freeze frame. That’s just the colored light being created by the refraction of the light. That’s not a spot in the diamond.

Q: Hey Ira, Thanks for all your help with everything. It’s a very kind thing you do helping guys like me with such a expensive purchase like a diamond with no clue with what we are looking at! I purchased the diamond you suggested so i look forward to getting it. With the little research i have done it looks like its a nice diamond and should be saving at least some money then if i were to buy from a retailer, or at least i hope so? Thanks for everything you do, and from all the clueless guys out there like me; we thank you for your time and expertise in such a difficult decision that we have to make.

A: Great news! I’m sure you’re going to love it!

Getty Images

But what’s making the news these days is a spectacular matching set of diamond polar bear platinum jewelry that bears the official logo of Canada’s Northwest Territories. The regional government of Yellowknife gifted a 4.5 carat platinum and pave diamond brooch to Kate as a sign of “mutual respect and affection,” as well as matching 2.48 carat diamond cufflinks for William.

Inspired by native craftsmanship and bead-work, and designed by legendary Hollywood jeweler Harry Winston, the brooch contains 302 diamonds while the cufflinks hold 390 diamonds. Apparently the diamonds were mined in the Northwest Territories, and thus truly a local souvenir. Altogether the polar presents took 250 hours to make.

In case you don’t pay attention to big shot jewelers, Harry Winston is a pretty big deal. It lends out millions of dollars’ worth of jewelry for celebrities to wear on red carpets all over the world.  Outfitting stars like Gwyneth Paltrow, this jewelry company was also responsible for the famous “Taylor-Burton” diamond – a whopping 69 carat diamond commissioned by Richard Burton as a sign of his love for Elizabeth Taylor in the 1960’s.

Robert Gannicott, chairman of Harry Winston, will not disclose the price tags on these Canadian beauties, saying “who asks how much gifts cost?”

This sentiment was echoed, albeit in a more classically British way, by Clarence House (the royal residence), “It is not appropriate for us to estimate a financial value on these gifts or specify details which indicate a gift is especially valuable to others. It would be discourteous to do so, because it is the gift itself which is important, not its value.”

We couldn’t agree more. When you’re buying 692 diamonds for the dashing royal couple, it’s not polite to ask how much. And even when it’s a one carat engagement ring, your secret is safe with us at Truth About Diamonds. We won’t report it to the paparazzi, because after all, what’s most important is the “gift itself.”

http://kates-wardrobe.com

Sources:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2084973/Kate-Duchess-diamonds-Gift-Canada-listed-officials-brooch-revealed-designer-platinum-302-stones.html

http://www.people.com/people/package/article/0,,20395222_20508129,00.html

http://kates-wardrobe.com/06-07-2011/kate-middleton-gifted-harry-winston-polar-bear-diamond-brooch