Choosing An Oval Diamond From Blue Nile with $15k Budget

Q:

Hi Liz,

I am looking for an oval diamond engagement ring with a micro-pave band.

I am trying to stick with higher-end color and clarity since I can’t see the diamond in person and want to make sure it looks good; H-D color and VS1+ on clarity. But I would love any guidance here.

I am also struggling on whether I want to stick with lower end of my range and get a 1.5 carat, vs going to a 1.7 on the higher end of my range. I am not sure .2 carat makes much of a difference.

I was looking at diamonds from James Allen, since they have very nice 3d images, and some 1.7 that fall into my price range, but I just realized they don’t have have a micro-pave band, so perhaps I should switch to Blue Nile. Sorry for the long email, any help is appreciated.

Thanks,

William

A:

Hi William,

I’m happy to help you.

Oval Diamond set in Blue Nile Micro Pave setting in platinum

The petite micro pave setting from Blue Nile seems to be exactly what you are looking for: http://www.tkqlhce.com/2e106gv30v2IQSPOMMKIKKNMPKQK?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bluenile.com%2Fbuild-your-own-ring%2Fpetite-micropave-diamond-ring-14k-white-gold_48629%3Felem%3Dimg%26track%3Dproduct%26vtype%3Dsample

As for the oval diamond, here are a couple of recommendations from Blue Nile:

1) 1.53ct H VS1 for $9,489.00: http://www.tkqlhce.com/s265dlurlt8GIFECCA8AADCFAGA?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bluenile.com%2Fdiamond-details%2FLD09320857

I love the cut of this oval! It has a high crown angle and small table facet which is very common in ovals. This combination offers this oval more ‘fire’ which is the beautiful effect of many shimmering colors when the diamond is moved in various light sources. This diamond was graded by GIA on July 20, 2017 and has Excellent Polish and Symmetry, no fluorescence, no bow-tie and measures a nice 8.27×6.38mm; length/width ratio is 1.29, so on the ’rounder’ side of an oval shape.

2) 1.60ct G SI1 for $9,938.00: http://www.dpbolvw.net/6q121gv30v2IQSPOMMKIKKNMPKQK?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bluenile.com%2Fdiamond-details%2FLD09535480

This oval has a much more elongated shape, length/width ratio is 1.34. The grade making inclusion is a few feathers which are not visible without magnification. I love the large chunky facets that this oval has making the light reflection ‘pop’ with big bright flashes of white. This ‘G’ colored oval has strong blue fluorescence which is a natural characteristic in a 1/3 of all natural mined diamonds. This diamond was graded by GIA on September 17, 2017. It’s a lovely stone that offers a bit of a different look than the first oval.

3) 1.70ct F SI1 for $13,953.00: http://www.tkqlhce.com/sm68cy63y5LTVSRPPNLNNQPSNTN?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bluenile.com%2Fdiamond-details%2FLD09399884

This oval has everything! A stunning ‘F’ color with super clean SI clarity (grade making inclusion small scattered feathers which are not visible without magnification), this oval has a beautiful length/width ratio of 1.35 and faces up a nice large size of 9.17×6.77mm, no dark bow-tie. GIA graded this oval on August 17, 2017.

If you have any questions, please let me know. I look forward to hearing what you think!

Best,

Liz

Q:

Thank you so much for your suggestions! I really appreciate the work your company does for helping out confused online buyers!

I am currently leaning towards your #3 suggestion since that has most of what I am looking for. #1 only has a ‘good’ cut, which scares me a bit and #2 has a strong blue fluorescence which scares me a bit. Are these concerns here not really warranted?

Also one thing I want to make sure, these rings would work well with a platinum setting, correct? Is there any recommendation between platinum vs white gold?

A:

Hi William,

There is no ‘cut’ grade for an oval diamond. GIA does not issue a cut grade for fancy cut diamonds. Therefore, the ‘cut’ reference that you refer to as only ‘good’ is supplied by Blue Nile which really doesn’t have any value at all. I would ignore this and simply evaluate the diamond visually. The 1.53ct H VS1 from Blue Nile is an ideal cut oval diamond and is very nicely cut.

As for the blue fluorescence in the 1.60ct G SI1, there is nothing to worry about. Blue fluorescence poses a negative visual effect in only a small percentage of diamonds and this diamond shows no negative effects as we can clearly confirm by the image and HD 360 video.

I really like the 1.70ct F SI1 too! http://www.tkqlhce.com/sm68cy63y5LTVSRPPNLNNQPSNTN?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bluenile.com%2Fdiamond-details%2FLD09399884

Finally, I do prefer platinum over white gold. Please see this article for more information: https://www.onlinediamondbuyingadvice.com/white-gold-vs-platinum/

Please let me know if you have any additional questions!

Kind Regards,

Liz