Hello,
I was wondering if you could help me choose the right diamond. I have been reading your articles and have learned so much! I have always wanted a 3 carat round solitaire diamond to place on my wedding band. This is my “bucket list” purchase that I have been wanting for many years!
I have narrowed it down to the lab created diamonds for affordability reasons. I am shopping online at James Allen. I think I’ve found 2 possibilities.
www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/3.03-carat-g-color-si1-clarity-ideal-cut-sku-7831515?a_aid=dmnd1357
www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/3.01-carat-i-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-7799825?a_aid=dmnd1357
Also, do you feel that shipping is safe? I’m nervous about getting a diamond in the mail!
What style setting do you want to use? I want to make sure the diamond wouldn’t look yellow in it.
You don’t need to worry about shipping. James Allen have all their packages insured. And over the years, we’ve recommended hundreds of thousands of diamonds from them and receive great feedback on their services, be it customer service, shipping, returns, etc… They’ve got you covered.
Yellow gold halo setting.
I’d be a bit hesitant to put an I-color center stone there (especially a lab-created one, the IGI lab is a bit weaker than the GIA and inflate the grades).
The G SI1 is beautifully cut and even though it has a large feather on its 10 o’clock, the brilliance should help hide it. It’s a great option.
I have a couple of opinion questions for you, if you don’t mind before I make my final decision.
– Would the same diamond (3 carat G-SI1) look a lot different if it were a real one from the earth? Would people be able to tell that this is a manufactured diamond?
– Is the price fair for this one at $13,460? I looked at the prices of the real ones on James Allen website and they were all around $33,000 and up.
– What is your opinion of manufactured diamonds, good/bad buy? I am not looking at this as an investment diamond.
– lab diamonds (when properly cut, eye-cleam, etc…) are unrecognizable from mined diamonds. You’d need to inspect it in lab conditions to tell the difference.
– the price is reasonable for a nice lab diamond with those specs. Mined diamonds are pricier because they have higher resale value, but if you’re not looking at a diamond as an investment, getting a lab created stone makes sense and the G SI1 is certainly a beauty.
Thanks for all of your help, I really appreciate it! I’ll go ahead with the G one.
That’s great news!
What we love about them:
- No questions asked returns within 30 days of shipment. James Allen will send you a paid shipping label to return the ring.
- Lifetime Warranty
- Free International Shipping
- Free prong tightening, repolishing, rhodium plating and cleaning every 6 months
- Provide insurance appraisals
- One free resizing within 60 days of purchase
- Free ring inscriptions
- Best-in-class high quality imagery of all diamonds in stock
- 24/7 Customer Service
- Best-in-class packaging
What we love about them:
- No questions asked returns within 30 days of shipment. Blue Nile will send you a paid shipping label to return the ring.
- Lifetime Warranty
- Free Shipping
- Free prong tightening, repolishing, rhodium plating and cleaning every 6 months
- Provide insurance appraisal
- One free resizing within the first year of purchase
- High quality images of about half of their diamonds
- 24/7 Customer Service
- 100% credit towards future upgrades (must be at least double in value)
- Best in class fulfillment
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