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

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!!

I’m contacting you for your expert advice, or at lest nudge in the right direction. I am looking at engagement rings with diamonds in the ~10k range.

The Bride-to-be is interested in size over quality, she thinks 1.5ct would be about right. Setting is a Platinum channel setting.

I noticed in one of your daily diamonds you selected a 1.51 and a 1.60 diamonds, both of which seem to still be available. Have you come across any other stock that would be better then these?

A: Thanks for writing and the kind words about the site. What shape are you looking for?

Q: I think we will stick with the round shape.

A: I just took another look, and i still think that 1.60 is your best bet!
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-SI2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1310703.asp

Q: I know you will find this hard to believe, but she has changed her mind regarding size. I took her to show what some 1.60 looked like and it is just too big for her hands. So, can you recommend something in the 1 – 1.2 range?

Round shape, with price around $5,000.

A: This looks like the closest I could get for about $5000.
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-SI2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1334591.asp
Let me know what you think!

Q: I think it looks fine, but what the heck do I know. I’m a little worried (uneducated about the whole thing) about the SI2, is it worth expanding the value range up to $7,500, or is there no significant increase in “sparkle”.

A: Sorry for the delay! I wasn’t able to respond due to the Jewish Sabbath followed by the holiday of Purim (which is the celebration recounted in the biblical Book of Esther).

I’m pretty confident that stone is clean to the naked eye. As long as that’s the case, then there’s no visual difference. An SI2 and a flawless stone will look exactly alike as long as all else is equal.

Q: I’m sorry to keep bothering you on this, but when I went to place the order today the last diamond you picked out, has now been sold.

A: No problem! Here goes:
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-SI2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1362693.asp
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1235887.asp
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-SI2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1326360.asp
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-SI2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1338554.asp

Let me know what you like!

Q: Great! I went with this one.

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1235887.asp

A: Looks like a great choice! Please stay in touch and let me know what you think when it arrives!

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!

http://www.bluenile.com/build-your-own-diamond-ring?offer_id=12959&forceStep=STYLE_STEP

Any comments or concerns you have about the ring would be greatly appreciated. We didn’t know if these stones were significant enough in size that we have to worry about color matching to the center stone. Also was wondering how much we should be worried if the side diamonds are eye clean. I had a diamond previously that did have black inclusions (2 fairly small but visible) and it was always disappointing. Even though otherwise it was a beautiful diamond, those black dots always bothered me.

As for the center stone the most important thing to us is that it’s brilliant, white and sparkly. We are looking for a round cut, eye clean and somewhere between 1-1.35 ct. We don’t want to have to pay for something unneccessary, but would like a big wow factor. We realize that there is a lot left open on options for size, but we’re more concerned with the other factors that fit within these size parameters.

Also, I know you often suggest diamonds from james allen just because you can actually see what you are buying before you buy it. If that is the case would we be able to take the setting purchased from Blue Nile and separate center stone to a local jeweler to be set or do you have another suggestion?

Thanks for your site and all your help! It’s much appreciated.

A: That is a beautiful ring indeed! Lets move forward like this – your best bet in this situation would be to have JA match the setting from BN for you. I’ve helped many people in the past accomplish this and they’ve always left very satisfied.

Btw, these side stones aren’t small at all (as far as sidestones go), so you do need to be concerned about color. If JA can make the ring with G/Hs, then it should be perfectly fine to stay in the H/I range for the center stone.

I’m CCing to this email Mr. Jim Schultz from JA who will hopefully respond to us both positively or negatively re: their ability to match this setting for you. Keep in mind also that when JA matches a ring, it is not simply pressed out of a mold, but is rather hand made and considered to be of higher quality.

Best wishes for a wonderful weekend!

Response from James Allen:
Ira/xxxxx,

Thank you for the email. We can reproduce the setting in the link below for $3,000. Production time is approximately two weeks. As a custom design, however, the ring would be subject to a 15% restocking fee if returned.

I want to quickly also point out that we offer a similar setting that is substantially less expensive and also has a matching wedding band. Our item number is 11009p and a link to the design can be found here:
http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/settings-with-sidestones/ring/item_58-1935.asp

To give you some sense of how this diamond looks with a 1.00ct center diamond, you can view this photograph from our Recently Sold Collection:
http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/sold/settings-with-sidestones/1502/Engagement-Rings-Side-Stones.html

The 11009p features slightly smaller side diamonds that the other design, but they are still large enough to make a really “pop” next to the center diamond. By reducing the size of those side diamonds by just a few tenth of a millimeters, you can still get a fantastic look, but free up almost $1,300 that can then be applied towards the center diamond.

Hope this helps!

Q: Thanks for the suggestion of having JA custom match the setting. We looked at the setting Jim suggested from JA and have one concern when compared to the one we had picked out from BN. The setting from BN (to us) looks like the first diamond off the center stone on either side is farther to the side, allowing it to be seen better. It seems to us that the first stone on either side of the center stone on JA setting is 1/2 hidden by the center stone. We had actually seen that one and ruled it out previously because of that. Do you think that is a non issue or valid concern? We have discussed possibly going with the JA setting and if we are not satified with the look of it we could return it and have them custom match the other setting at that point. Do you know, if we went ahead with having them custom make the ring would we be able to pick out the side stones or would they just do that as they do with their settings? Thanks for all of your help with this!

Also, we see the clarity rating of the diamonds in the JA is slightly less… any way we could make sure they would be eyeclean?
…….
After doing a little more talking and window shopping at local jewerly stores this weekend we’ve decided we are going to have James Allen match the setting from BN. We are also looking for a center stone between 1.25-1.5. We did some searching through JA site and picked out a few that we thought might be possibilities but wanted your opinion on which are the best/cleanest and best value. Also, if you have any other suggestions, we’d love to look at them!

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Premium-Cut-Round-Diamond-1280700.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1344860.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Premium-Cut-Round-Diamond-1347641.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1353926.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-VVS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1360339.asp
We haven’t asked Jim yet if the quote he gave for matching the setting was with diamonds in the G/H range or the F that BN had on their site. We’re going to have it made with G/H diamonds though.

Hope you had a great weekend.

A: I think that’s a great choice! I don’t know if the price of the ring will be any cheaper for G/H color side stones, but I’m sure they can definitely accomodate that request!

Can I assume that 12,000 is your max budget? I think the stones you picked, for the most part, are really nice. My only suggestion would be to allow some lower clarity stones in the mix. I can help you find ones that will be clean to the naked eye. For example:

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1192013.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1333866.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1360374.asp

Let me know what you think of those!

Q: Wow! There sure is a lot to get excited about when looking at diamonds. The 3 you sent us were beautiful. Yes, max budget for the diamond is 12,000. Of course if we can get a great looking diamond for less that’s even better. After we sent off that email last night we did find one more that was a lower clarity and wanted to have you look to see if it would be eye clean.

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1306843.asp

I guess the question now is where do we go from here. Which of the ones we sent you would you stay away from? Any suggestions as to how to make a decision from the choices we have or should we do more searching for a lower clarity diamond? You have been so extremely helpful in this process!

A: All that’s really left to do is make a decision! You can definitely save a lot of money going with a 1.2ct stone like the one you linked to (which is really nice btw). But going up to a 1.50ct stone will definitely be a noticeable jump in size. It’s about 0.5mm which is very easily noticeable.

Maybe pick your favorite 3 and have JA do a side by side comparison for you?

Q: Wanted to let you know we made a decision. We split the difference on the diamond size. We purchased the 1.36 diamond you had offered as a suggestion.

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1360374.asp

The customs setting has been ordered and will take a couple of weeks for production. Thanks for all your help, we’ll let you know what we think when we receive the ring!

A: Great! I can’t wait to hear your reaction!!

Here are the details:

- Is your goal cheapest price for given parameters, or best diamond for fixed budget?
No, it is not. Quality is very important.

- Shape
Princess shape.

- Desired Color Range
I, H, G

- Desired Clarity
VS2 – VVS2

- Desired Cut
Very Good – Ideal

- Desired Size
1.70 – 1.90

- Budget
8,000 – 12,000

Thank you.

A: Here are some very fine options. Each is eye clean of course, and each has a near-perfect cut:
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS1-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1314714.asp
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1280747.asp

Q: I had actually picked the first one – 1.77, so this reassures my decision. Thank you for your help. Would you recommend buying off of James Allen?

…….

Can you please provide me with your opinion of this diamond versus the other ones that you sent. It seems to be priced well:
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-VS2-Premium-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1243862.asp

A: Most definitely I recommend them. I’ve had a ton of experience over the past year and a half since I started the site sending people to JA – I’ve never heard any complaints. Everyone’s extremely pleased with them.

As for the I VS2 you linked to, the cut isn’t QUITE as nice as the H VS1, but you know what, for that much of a difference in price, you might be better off with the one you picked! If you’re setting it in a solitaire setting, then for sure go with the I VS2. Otherwise, you might need to stick with H or better in color to match the side stones.

Q: Thank you for your help. It is very much appreciated. I am looking at this setting with a single diamond.
Selected Setting:
http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/1-carat-solitaire-engagement-ring.html

Here are the 5 diamonds I have narrowed it down to:

I VS1 – $9520
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-VS1-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1318388.asp

I VS2 – $9780
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-VS2-Premium-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1243862.asp

G VS2 – $12170
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1280747.asp

H VS1 – $11050
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS1-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1314714.asp

I VS2 – $9270
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-VS2-Premium-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1339636.asp

I am having trouble deciding if I should spend the extra 2000-3000 dollars on the G and H. I guess I just don’t have the experience to determine the exact difference in the diamonds.
I am trying to keep the diamond at around $10000 since the setting is around $1500.
Which one would you recommend? Also do you think the setting I selected will look fine with the selected diamonds?

Thank you!

A: That ring will look fantastic with any of these stones. Since you’re setting it in a solitaire, I really think your best bet is to go with an I color. There’s almost no visual difference between an I and H face-up mounted in a ring. So $1500 is a lot of money to pay for such an extremely minor effect.

Let me know what you decide in the end!

Q: That helps me narrow it down. Now to choose which I color one i want.
When I make my final decision I will be sure to let you know.

…….

Does a “thick” girdle matter? Do you think I should not consider diamonds with thick girdles.

…….

I think I have picked this one. I am not 100% certain yet, but I am leaning towards this one. It seems to be the best value for the largest size, and overall it seems to be a clean diamond.
What do you think?
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-VS1-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1249096.asp

Thanks.

A: Thick is Ok. Just stay away from “extremely thick” or “extremely thin”

…….

That’s a fantastic stone with an amazing value at 1.91cts. These are very very rare, so you should snap it up before someone else does!

Q: That’s great news. I was reading information online that said you don’t want a diamond in the 1.5-2.0 range that has a “I color” since you will really notice it. I guess that is not the case?

A: nope. Complete nonsense!

Q: Excellent, I will order it as soon as I can. Thank you for all of your help.

A: My pleasure! Please stay in touch and let me know how it goes and what you think of it when it arrives!

Q: I really appreciate your help and expertise. I ordered the ring tonight. I am anxious to see what it looks like.
Is there anything I can do to put a review on your website or help you out in any way?

A: Thanks for letting me know! Lets make a deal – wait until you get the ring. If you love it, then I’ll hit you up for a review

I’m currently in Bahrain with the Navy and am planning on proposing to my girlfriend a few months after I get home (need to have the ring made). She likes a modern-looking ring and is particularly enamored with a platinum half-bezel solitaire setting (I don’t have the link to the site; will get it to you later).

I’ve heard stories of guys who have had diamonds they bought here appraised for significantly more than they paid for them. However, I only have a few more days here and don’t want to pull the trigger too fast just to have a diamond – I just want a beautiful stone that I’ll be glad I bought and that she will love.

I’d like to keep my budget around $6-8k for the stone and ring; more if I have to. My girlfriend hasn’t set any requirements for size or anything, which is nice, but I’m starting my search around 0.90ct and going up to 1.5ct or so. Based on the setting, a round brilliant makes the most sense to me, though a princess cut would be fine (though I’m nervous about there not being an organization that will classify princess cuts).

I’m torn right now because I did find an absolutely beautiful stone last night – a 0.9ct round brilliant, SI1 D GIA certified stone that was absolutely radiant compared to the other stones I saw. The dealer quoted me $3,600 or so for the stone alone, and I feel like I’m paying a lot for the perfect color (which will be relatively unnoticeable once the stone is set) that I could get back in a little more size for the same money.

Any guidance you could provide would be wonderful – thanks in advance.

A: Thanks for writing! I hope I’m able to help. If that dealer was showing you a 0.90ct round diamond for $3600, then that’s an unbeatable deal. It’s so good, in fact, that it makes me wonder if you’re being cheated. If it’s GIA certified with a dossier (small cert), then the girdle of the diamond should be inscribed with the cert number. You should check that to make sure it’s the same diamond on the cert.

Also make sure the cut is at least VG and it doesn’t have strong blue fluorescence.

Let me know what you discover!

Q: I’ll check the diamond tonight – is the laser engraving relatively easy to see on the girdle with 10x magnification? I looked at your loose diamond pricing tool last night as well and from everything I could see, it looked like I was getting the diamond about $700-1000 below comparable stones, which is hard to believe.

I had been planning on going back to buy it yesterday evening, but became engrossed in the rest of your articles. Assuming that the diamond is the one on the cert, I’m thinking that I’m paying a lot for the D color, which will end up being far less important, and could even get a larger stone for roughly the same money.

Again, I’m not part of the “bigger is always better” crowd, but my girlfriend is tall (6′) and wears a size 7 ring, so I don’t want to get her a diamond that’s going to look underwhelming on her. Thoughts?

Last – some of the stones I looked at seemed to positively explode with fire, and others seemed completely lackluster. Obviously the latter I’m staying away from, but what’s the difference with the others? Is it simply the cut is that much better?

Thanks again!

…….

So I returned to the store tonight and confirmed that indeed it is the diamond in question – the ID number on the stone matched the paperwork. However, I also determined that while the stone exhibits no fluorescence, it’s rated a fair cut, not VG like you recommended.

I just looked up the pricing for a similar stone on your website and included the additional fluorescence, polish (rated excellent) and symmetry (rated good), and only two stones were left in the category, one at $4,219 and one at $4,470. Obviously I’m not exactly comparing apples to apples since you don’t have a “Fair” cut option, but equally obvious is the fact that I’m not looking at as great a deal as I initially thought.

I’m probably talking well past my experience level, but the diamond in question is exceptionally brilliant, more so than any of the other stones I’ve looked at in the last few days. There are two conclusions I can draw from this. One possibility is that most of the other diamonds are pretty inferior stones as a whole, so this one simply shines in comparison (there are very few stores here that carry GIA certified diamonds – most are IGI and I’ve been less than impressed with most of them). The other option is that the cut was rated a little low due to it being borderline in some way, which I find hard to believe.

I only have a day left in town, so any advice you could provide would be greatly appreciated. I also haven’t bargained with the proprietor much, and that’s pretty common here–what would be a truly fair price for the stone as it is right now? Of course, if you believe I’m barking up the entirely wrong tree, point me to the right one.

A: Now everything makes more sense. If it’s a “Fair” cut, then the price you were shown is really nothing special. THe reason is simply that a 0.90 with a fair cut is most likely a stone that is cut too deep, so even though it weighs 0.90cts, it’s going to look like a 0.70ct stone. You’d do much much better with your money just buying an ideal cut 0.70ct stone which will be the same size (in terms of diameter) and be much more brilliant. You should most definitely pass on this stone.

For example:
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/D-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1308045.asp

This stone has an “excellent” cut from GIA, and I’m willing to bet that it’s got larger dimensions than the 0.90ct stone you’ve been shown.

Q: Glad I decided to pass before I got your email! You were pretty adamant on the cut quality being there in your email and articles, so I decided to take your word. I don’t have the dimensions of the stone I was looking at in front of me, but I think you’re right – the “excellent” stone from JA has larger dimensions…

Thanks for steering me the right way; I’ll be sure to touch base with you again when I get back to the States and have a chance to look at some more GIA diamonds in person. I’m continuing to read your articles and get smarter about this process for later on.

Thanks again!

A: My pleasure! Stay safe. And if you stop by israel on your way home, you’ve got a cold beer waiting for you!

Q: I’m back – have finally had a chance to look at what my girlfriend likes and have an idea of where to start at least. The ring she’s interested in is linked below:

http://www.turgeonraine.com/detail.asp?pid=1032

I hadn’t been looking at anything except round diamonds before so I’m trying to get a handle on this area. I’m also finding out the proportions of the CZ that’s in the linked picture; will advise when I have that info. She seemed to be picking things with approximately a 1.5 ratio. Right now I’m thinking 0.95-1.49 carats, VS2-SI2 clarity, F-H color. My budget is still $6-8k for the diamond. Any ideas you could give me would be excellent – I appreciate your help.

A: Looks like you got out of Bahrain just in time! What shape is she looking for? In the past we were discussing rounds, but now you said you’re looking for something with a 1.5 ratio.

Q: Ira, thanks for the quick reply! You’re right; I was just talking to my friends about how lucky we were to get out of Manama when we did…

My apologies on not mentioning the actual cut – she’s liking the look of an oval now. Any ideas? Thanks again!

A: Here are some I like:
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/E-SI2-Premium-Cut-Oval-Diamond-1353366.asp – have JA inspect this one. If they say it’s eye clean, then this is a real winner. It’s borderline to me based on its picture.
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Oval-Diamond-1342819.asp – not quite as elongated, but still very nice.
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/E-VS1-Premium-Cut-Oval-Diamond-1337284.asp – another beauty

Have a look at those and let me know what you think!

Q: Thanks for getting back to me so quickly as usual. I’ve got an email in to JA to inspect the first diamond for eye cleanliness; I agree, the quality of the picture isn’t as good and I wonder how much it will really “pop” and scintillate based on that picture.

I had seen the second one but wondered a little about the lower color grade (we’re debating 18k white gold or platinum; my girlfriend is leaning more towards the white gold now) and the inclusions on the right side of the picture. The facet pattern seemed a little odd to me on this one as well, somehow; the clouds of reflections on the sides of the diamond seemed a little off-putting, but what do I know?

We both really like the last one you picked; I think that’s a winner. We’ll talk about it some more and I will definitely let you know how it all turns out. Thanks again for all your expertise and help – you’re truly one of a kind.

A: My pleasure! I look forward to hearing from you!

A: I’m very happy to help. btw, I noticed the 904 area code. My aunt and uncle live in Jax. They’ve got a relatively well known name for that town – Wolfson. I think there’s even a high school named after my Uncle’s father.

So here’s what I like for you:
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS1-Ideal-Cut-Emerald-Diamond-1245440.asp – very slick looking stone
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Emerald-Diamond-1335840.asp
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Emerald-Diamond-1305493.asp

Have a look at those and let me know what you think!

Q: Wolfson is indeed a big name here. There is a children’s hospital and a high school named after your family. Those diamonds all look really nice. In your opinion, what qualities makes the first stone a better pick that the third? The third seems to have better clarity and color with only a slightly higher price tag? By the way, my friend who used you was Allan xxxxx from Tampa, Florida.

A: Wolfson is the family that my father’s sister married into, so I’m only vaguely familiar with the details. I just know it always impresses people from Jax

I didn’t necessarily think the first one was better than the third. I was just really struck with it’s picture when I saw it, so I commented on it. But I do want to correct one thing you wrote – the third stone is a grade higher in color, but it’s a grade lower in clarity.

The 1.77 is significantly larger in terms of LxW. So, in my mind, that pushes it a notch higher than the other two. So I guess after further thought, I do like the first one better than the third.

Q: You’re right, I was incorrect as to the Diamond 3′s clarity. I know clarity is very important with an emerald cut stone, but what about color grade? Will G or H color grade be noticeable/problematic? Basically, I want the all around best diamond around 1.5 ct. that is on budget. I think we may have found a winner with Diamond 1 though. Again, thanks for your time!

A: Clarity is definitely very important with an Emerald. That’s another reason why I think option #1 is better. THe color’s not an issue. You can’t really tell the difference in adjacent color grades with your eye when a stone is mounted in a ring.

Q: Unfortunate news but Diamond 1 sold before I could make a move. I do like the other two, but could you possibly suggest a stone with similar qualities as Diamonds 2 and 3, but VS1 clarity?

A: This one’s nice:
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Emerald-Diamond-1335840.asp

But honestly, I think #3 from the original list might be your best option now.

Q: It’s so hard to make a decision of this magnitude! To provide more context, this will likely be a platinum ring with small pave diamond’s surrounding the center stone and along with band (similar to this http://www.collectibles-articles.com/antique/collectible-image-large/2-70ct-emerald-cut-diamond-engagement-ring-gia-14k-gold_130472554675.jpg). I agree that diamond 3 looks very nice, but my only concern is the VS2 rating. I see the small inclusions in the center left of the stone. I browsed some VS1 options and found these with slightly different measurements.

Diamond 5

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS1-Ideal-Cut-Emerald-Diamond-1314403.asp

Diamond 6

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS1-Ideal-Cut-Emerald-Diamond-1327058.asp

…….

And I know that I am probably being a little anal about this, but I am trying to maximize value here. I think the stones we have selected place an emphasis on weight, which is what I want. The fact that this is an emerald is just making me cautious about the stone’s clarity.

A: The first one is square. Is that what you want? The 2nd one is very nice. If you’re nervous about the 1.72 H VS2, than you can always have JA inspect it for you and let you know if you can see the VS2 or not.

Q: Diamond 3 from our initial list is the clear favorite. I have requested a JA gemologist inspect Diamond 2, Diamond 3 from the intial list, and the second stone I just sent you. They are holding the stones for 72 hours. Once they get back to me, I think I am going to pull the trigger.

A: sounds like a plan! Please let me know what they say!

Q: I haven’t received the gemologist report yet for the stones mentioned in the previous email, however, I notice that the diamond 1 (the diamond you originally recommended) from our original list is available again. In your opinion, do you still consider that diamond 1 the best available? If so, what makes it more desirable than stone 3? Is it the fact that it is larger with better clarity?

A: Actually, with this stone, it wasn’t anything in particular that drew me to it. Something just looked very slick about it. i think it might have been the larger corners that are at a very steep angle. It just looks like a very nice build.

Q: I am still waiting on the JA gemologist inspection and then I will make a decision likely between diamond 1 and 3. Both seem like great choices. Diamond 1 is slightly larger with better clarity, but a lower color grade (and a great build). Diamond 3 has better color, but smaller and a lower clarity grade (but the inclusions appear to be very faint).

…….

And funny thing, I was browsing your site and found what I am quite sure is your correspondence with my good friend. http://www.truthaboutdiamonds.com/2010/02/04/qa-skeptical-about-brokering-service-for-2-carat-emerald-cut-ends-up-completely-satisfied/

A:

…….

You can see the name if you click the ivouch link at the bottom.

Q: That’s Allan alright. That was a beautiful stone you found him!

A: It really was! I remember.

Q: Here is the gemologist report. It was mainly between stone 2 and 3 of our original list. Unfortunately, they did not inspect diamond 1 as it was unavailable at that time.

Thank you for your patience while waiting for the gemologist inspection of diamonds 1335840, 1305493, and 1314403.

I have great news, our gemologist has determined that diamond 1335840 has a nice H color performance and is completely eye clean. It was noted by our gemologist that this diamond also has the best light performance of your selections.

Diamond 1305493 has a more rectangular make with corners that have a wider cut. This diamond is predominantly eye clean but the high relief crystal located under the table is not impossible to see. Of your selections, this is the darkest and has the weakest symmetry.

Diamond 1314403 faces eye clean and has a mid to H color performance. Our gemologist feels that this diamond has very good symmetry rather than the excellent grade it was given on its lab certificate. This is an emerald cut diamond that has a square ratio.

I see that you are looking for an emerald cut diamond with a rectangular shape. I believe you will be very happy with diamond 1335840 for that reason and that it will look stunning in any setting. As my colleague Stacy mentioned, we are unable to have additional diamonds placed on hold for inspection due to our three diamond limit per customer. After seeing the gemologist evaluation of diamond 1335840, I don’t believe additional inspections would be fruitful.

Please take a moment to review this information and let me know if you have any additional questions. I have extended your hold on these diamonds for an additional 24 hours while you consider your options. After that time we will release them back to our inventory.

To finalize a purchase, simply call our Customer Service department at 877-826-9866. We are staffed Monday through Friday from 9am-12am (EST), and from 10am-6pm (EST) on Saturdays and Sundays. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any additional questions. I hope to hear from you soon.

…….

So it’s between 1 and 2 now. I’d love your thoughts when you get a chance. Thanks

A: If they can get #1 inspected soon, then wait, otherwise, I think you’ll be very very happy with #2.

Q: After sleeping on it and speaking with James Allan reps last night, I am going to go with my gut and purchase diamond # 1 even without an inspection report. I will update you when I receive it here in Jacksonville. Again, I want to thank you for all your help and advice on this! You truly provide an incredible service and I wish you all the best!

A: I’m sure it’ll be great! I look forward to hearing your report!

First, I have a 30 day ”no questions asked” return policy on the engagement ring I just purchased about four days ago. My future fiancee really wants an Asscher Cut diamond. I have the IGL report and here is what I purchased:

Weight: 1.00 carat
Color: E
Clarity: VVS2
Polish/Symmetry: Excellent/Excellent
Measurement: 5.53 x 5.31 x 3.80 MM
Cost: $7915.69 + 8.25% sales tax

I also purchased a setting, 18KW 1.07TX .91RAD Gemesis RG for $2479.00 + 8.25% sales tax (originally it was priced at $4795.00 but I ”got lucky” and hit the semi-annual sale. It is a single band with diamonds with a slightly raised halo with diamonds cut on all four sides. The asscher diamond then sits right in the middle of it.

After reading your site I’m beginning to think I paid about 2000-3000 dollars or more too much for diamond features that the human eye will never be able to perceive or appreciate.

Please get in touch with me when you have a chance; normally I would never buy a diamond because frankly I think they are a horrible ”investment” but my fiancee means the world to me and I want to get her what she wants- however, I don’t want to pay more than I have to!!

A: Are you sure the stone is certified by IGL and not IGI or EGL?

Q:The attached file is a scan of the plastic card that I received a couple of days ago. I purchased the diamond from Samuels Diamonds here in Austin, TX.

gemstone certification

A: I’ve never heard of that lab. Sounds like a made up in-house lab that puts down whatever they want to put down to help sell stones. You’re much better off returning it and buying a proper GIA certified stone.

Q: Well, that’s not encouraging. What she really liked about the stone is the cut and the way it set in the halo setting. She liked the setting because of the way it complimented the cut of the diamond.

She and I are prudent in our investing and with our money; however, I want to have something she is proud of and will enjoy wearing.

Originally in my mind I wanted to spend between $4000-$8000. Being at $11,000 is higher than what I planned but based on your website and your connections it sounds like you may be able to find me an asscher cut diamond around the same size (more or less) for a better price. What do you think?

A: Have a look at this:
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VVS2-Ideal-Cut-Asscher-Diamond-1254225.asp

It’s got a great cut. It’ll look totally white and clean to your eye.

What about a setting like this:
http://www.jamesallen.com/designer-jewelry/meno-collection-by-danhov/ring/item_294-1143.asp

It’s a bit expensive because it’s a designer setting, but the whole package is still a lot cheaper than what you got. And I’m sure the diamonds are probably the same quality.

Also, you can apply the TADJ10 coupon code to that ring to knock off 10%.

Q: Thank you for your quick response and for your time. The diamond looks perfect. It meets all of your criteria but one (the depth is 1% over) but for the price it’s amazing. Looks like a very reputable company as well, plus I get a GIA certification which is very helpful. I can’t think of any reason why not to buy it; I know she will love it and it saves me almost $4000.00 over what I’ve currently have on 30 day review.

You must be a bit of a mind reader; the split band setting is almost identical to one we were looking at over at Helzberg Diamond except that the stone was one of their trademark princess cut diamonds with the corners cut off to make it have “the maximum brilliance”. She likes the split band but we decided against it because we could not figure out how to fuse a wedding band to it and get it up under the halo. The band is an absolute “must have” for her, and even by creating a custom band and fusing it on she felt it detracted from the ring and that it looked “lopsided”. Also, my soon to be fiancé has small hands and fingers and she thought that the split band with the wedding band fused on the side looked too wide on her finger.

The setting at Samuels is a single band with diamonds on both sides of the ring (similar to the one in the picture but they didn’t go down quite as far). It has a halo very similar to the picture of the one you sent me except it may be a little wider (maybe it has another square track of diamonds?). However, the one in the picture you sent me is nice and I don’t think would be a deal killer for her. The main reason she went with the single band is so a notch could be cut along the back side of the halo and the thin wire on top of the wedding band could be slid up inside of it to hold it in place thereby making the wedding band sit perfectly flush against the single band of the ring. Do you know if they have one that is closer to the one I have described?

I am already getting very excited about the possibility of getting my fiancée exactly what she wants and having money left over from the savings to put towards the wedding and/or a great honeymoon. Already many, many thanks for your help thus far.

A: My pleasure to help! What I might recommend, then is contacting JA and asking if they could do a custom job for you and make this ring:
http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/pave/ring/item_412-2227.asp

with an asscher head instead of a round. It’s basically a simple halo setting with two wedding bands that go on either side.

Q: Hmm… That may be a possibility. I’m going to discuss some options with my future fiancée later tonight and see what she thinks. I’ll let you know what we come up with tomorrow. Thanks again.

A: Sounds good. I look forward to hearing from you.

Q: I spoke with her yesterday. She agrees that getting the other diamond and saving $4000+ is a no brainer. We looked at all the settings at James Allen and she didn’t really like any of them; she said they all looked too “modern” for what she is looking for. The one we have on hold at Samuels has a bit of a “Victorian” feel to it, more “vintage”. The halo sits on top of what I can only describe as a small looking pill box or even a tiara. The sides of the band connect into it and it has three very small diamonds on either side. The halo then sits on top of it.

Do any of your sources have vintage wedding bands?

I think I’m going to buy that diamond today. The set I ordered from Samuels is ready. Unless we find another band I’m thinking about asking them to remove the diamond they put in there and setting the one I’ll get from James Allen. Of course the set the original diamond for free; is there anything I need to watch out for when negotiating with them? For instance, if they say “OK we will remove the diamond we put in there but we are going to charge you to set the other diamond for you” what would be a reasonable price for this service? They may try to jack up their price to reset it because they are losing the sale on the diamond (but still getting the band so they should be happy with that). Would there be any other games you can think of that they would try to play?

PS I spent about two hours on your site and read the part about “the truth about the truth about diamonds”. It is important to me to make sure you get credit for the sale of the James Allen Diamond.

A: That’s very kind of you regarding the credit. I really appreciate it.

I have a feeling Samuels is going to give you a very hard time about this. Also, in a way they will be justified. Halo settings need to be made specifically for each diamond since they need to fit perfectly all around. I would actually suggest you send a link to the ring to JA’s customer support to see how much they’ll quote you for a custom job. YOu can be sure that whatever they put together will be of a significantly higher quality than what Samuels will do. So that might be an important consideration in terms of long term wear and tear.

If you want, try Samuels first to see their reaction, but I’m sure it’s going to be very aggressively negative.

Q: Lisa and I went shopping yesterday to several more local jewelry stores and we found one called Benold’s that had the “mother load” of vintage style settings. She narrowed it down to four that she loved and would be very happy with. Therefore at this point I’m thinking of returning the other ring and moving forward with one of these four settings and having them set one of the stones from James Allen.

We have looked at the other Asscher cuts and I want to ask your opinion about the following: Do you think the increase in price is worth it to go with one of the two 1.20+ carat diamonds over the one you already suggested? Is the increase in carat size be noticeably different?

Here is the one you suggested before:

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VVS2-Ideal-Cut-Asscher-Diamond-1254225.asp

Here are the other two we are considering:

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS1-Ideal-Cut-Asscher-Diamond-1336830.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS1-Ideal-Cut-Asscher-Diamond-1279737.asp

Also, here are three of the four settings she likes:

http://www.simongjewelry.com/shop.php?search=mr1840&submit.x=19&submit.y=14&submit=submit (one difference – the wedding band will not be curved – it is straight and will go up under the halo)

http://www.verragio.com/gallery_search.php?field_set=&field_shape=&field_price=&search=yes&keywords=&style=afn5022&submit.x=0&submit.y=0

http://www.verragio.com/S/Verragio-Engagement-Rings/Insignia-Engagement-Rings/INSIGNIA-7005#section1

The fourth one is a Chad Allison Halo; I’ll send you a link if I can get it; we searched their website and can’t locate it. Benold’s said the style number is ME219.

We are ready to move; please let me know what you think as soon as you can. Thanks again.

A: Glad to hear you found the setting she loves! As for the diamonds, here’s what I think: The difference between the stone I suggested and this one:
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS1-Ideal-Cut-Asscher-Diamond-1336830.asp

is not significant. Its JUST BARELY noticeable, and that’s only on one dimension. The other stone, though (http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS1-Ideal-Cut-Asscher-Diamond-1279737.asp) will be slightly more noticeable as a larger stone, but I don’t feel the difference is really worth the major jump in price. It’s not like the extra size will be overwhelmingly noticeable. Especially once it’s set.

Q: Hey! Just wanted to let you know we received the loose diamond today from James Allen; it came in a nice box with the GIA document. I showed it to Lisa and she loves it! After looking at it she decided to go with the Simon G setting because she really wants the setting to draw attention to the stone.

I’m very thankful that I found your site and for all your assistance. I feel like I got her what she wanted at a very good value.

When I ordered the diamond online I typed in the “special shipping instructions” box your name and that you assisted me. Please let me know if you need anything else from me; I want to make sure you get credit.

If I don’t talk with you again best of luck and God bless. Who knows, if we ever get a chance to travel to Israel maybe you and your wife could join us for dinner (my treat of course)!

A: Thanks for this very kind email! I appreciate you doing what you could to make the sale go through! Mind if I ask you for a couple of favors?

If you have the time, do you think you might be able to leave me a review on ivouch? If you can, I would be very grateful. Here’s a direct link if you have the time:
xxxxxxx

And if you do ever come to Israel, DEFINITELY be in touch. My wife is a licensed tour guide – she can be a big help!

May God bless you and your wife to be with a long life together filled with health, happiness, and love!
Ira

Q: I’ll certainly go to ivouch and write a very positive review.

That’s most auspicious about your wife being a tour guide; I’ll certainly be in touch if we ever have the opportunity to visit.

Your site and guidance have been a tremendous help; I feel good about the diamond that I purchased. You saved me almost $4000.00 over the other stone I had purchased plus the one I have now has GIA certification, etc. etc. Thanks again!

…….

How are you? I hope things are going well. Thanks again for all your help – the entire setting turned out to be gorgeous.

I forgot to fill out a review on ivouch. When I clicked on the link below it said that the link had expired.

If you can please send me a new one and I’ll go online and fill it out.

Take care and all the best to you and your family.

A: Sure! Thanks so much! That’s very very kind of you!

[LINK TO REVIEW ON IVOUCH]

I am looking for a diamond for my girlfriend’s engagement ring. I was hoping to get your opinions on a few diamonds and perhaps have recommendations for other diamonds that you may come across. Specifically, I am looking for a princess cut diamond in the 1 carat range for around $4,000, give or take a few hundred dollars. From reading your site, it seems like a nice diamond would be one that has G or H color with VS1 or VS2 clarity. All things being equal, I think I would sacrifice a bit of size for better color. I also was looking at SI1 diamonds, but I couldn’t find any that didn’t seem like the inclusions would be noticeable to the eye.

I found the following diamonds at James Allen and was interested to see what you thought of them:

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS1-Premium-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1232675.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS1-Premium-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1344733.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS2-Premium-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1311317.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS2-Premium-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1261297.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS1-Premium-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1344001.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS1-Premium-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1345791.asp

Again, if you see any other diamonds that you would recommend, feel free to do so. I’m not totally against purchasing a diamond from a vendor other than James Allen, but it really is nice to get a good idea what you are getting. I greatly appreciate your help!

Thank you very much!

A: Thanks for writing and thanks for the kind words about the site! Is there a reason why you’re not considering more nicely cut stones like these:

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VVS2-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1337584.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1333900.asp

??

Q: Thanks for getting back to me so quickly! I was including them in my searches, but I guess I wasn’t looking at them too closely because they were more slightly more expensive, with everything else being equal. If you think it is better to only look at ideal cuts, I will do that.

Both the diamonds that you linked look very nice. For the second one you linked to, I wanted to ask about the medium blue flourescence it has. I know that you mentioned on your site that flourescence in G or better diamonds might lead to cloudiness. Do you not see any reason for concern with this diamond? It looks like a very nice diamond!

I also saw the following ideal cut:

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds-search/diamonds/G-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1326696.asp

What is your thought on that spot near the center? Do you think it will be noticeable to the naked eye? Other than that, the diamond looks really nice.

Similarly for this one: http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds-search/diamonds/G-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1326505.asp

Thank you again for your help!!

A: The spot on the 1.03 makes me nervous but the spot on the 1.04 doesn’t. I actually REALLY like the 1.04.

I also wouldn’t worry about MB on a G color. The odds of that combo turning out milky are extremely low.

Q: I hope I’m not being too much of a pain! I think I’ve come up with a list of diamonds that I like based on your recommendations and I was hoping you would give me your thoughts on them (and maybe let me know which one you like most).

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1333900.asp (I like this one a lot too)

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1326505.asp (I still really like this diamond. I’ll be sure to ask if it is eye clean because of that spot on the top)

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VVS2-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1350176.asp (I think this would be my fallback if the others aren’t eye clean)

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/E-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1237769.asp (the GIA report shows that there are some naturals on the table of the diamond. I can’t make them out in the photo, so do you think they would be of concern?)

Thanks again for your help!! I think I’m about ready to make a decision

A: They are all really nice. Btw, the indented natural is not what you see on the inlcusion plot on the table. Naturals only occur on the underside of the diamond under the girdle. They’re nothing to worry about because you can’t see them.

If it’s eye clean, then this is your best bet:

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/E-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1237769.asp

Q: Hi again Ira,

I just wanted to thank you for all of your help! I purchased that E SI1 diamond and am very pleased with it. No inclusions are visible to my eye and I couldn’t see anything under a loop. Very beautiful. I’m sure my girlfriend will love it! I will definitely recommend your site and resources to others!

A: So great to hear! Congrats!

If it’s not too much trouble, do you think you could do me a small favor? I would very much appreciate it if you could leave me a review on ivouch. Here’s a direct link if you have the time:

xxxxx

Thanks again for this email! I love getting emails like these!

[LINK TO REVIEW ON IVOUCH]