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Q&A: Choosing a K Color Diamond with Around $10k Budget

By Mike Fried,

Hi,

for various reasons I have decided to by an engagement ring at Blue Nile. I have been have been comparing the diamonds and reading some advice. To narrow down my choices I have used the cut proportions as my main criteria since these numbers are the one thing you can know for sure when buying online. I am looking at these numbers very carefully because from the pictures I don’t see much of a difference. With this in mind my favorite so far is this diamond:

Blue Nile LD13994233
From everything I’ve read it has great proportions. I think the K-color will not be a big deal since I’ll choose a yellow gold setting. Is this a good assumption?

Another possible candidate I have is this one:

Blue Nile LD14091066
It’s obviously bigger but from what I read it’s a little bit too deep (62.8%). Is this already too much?

Finally there is this one that has a better color but is not so clean:

Blue Nile LD13969386
Even I can see the spot right on the table so I guess it is not a real alternative but maybe in real life without a magnifying glass it is not a problem.

What would you say about these diamonds?

Blue Nile LD13994233
This diamond is a perfect option with a fantastic cut. Great find! May I just ask what style setting you’re using? K color looks colorless only in an all gold solitaire setting (yellow gold prongs). Also, since the stone is on the larger side, the color might be even more visible. It depends on how color sensitive you are.

Blue Nile LD14091066
The depth % of 62.8 is a bit too high. This diamond might end up losing some of its brilliance. Ideally, the depth should be close to 61.5 and never exceed 62.5%.

Blue Nile LD13969386
This one is not eye-clean, the black imperfection would be very noticeable in real life.

Thank you for your advice! Unfortunately someone else snapped the first diamond so I will have to keep looking. It’s good to know though that I was going in the right direction.

To answer your question the setting that I like is this one:
Six-Prong Hand-Engraved Diamond Engagement Ring

Thank you for the picture of the setting. Now I’m glad that the K-color diamond got snatched up because it wouldn’t work with the melee diamonds in the band. They are I color and would make a color difference. I’d go at least one grade up to ensure the colorless impression.

Something like this would look fantastic:
Blue Nile LD14083291

You make a good point about the setting and the contrast it will create. I hadn’t thought about this. Unfortunately I can’t quite escape my wish to get just a little bit more carat size 🙂 The diamond you sent me is great but is smaller than what I was looking for. I would rather sacrifice on color and choose another setting if I have to. Perhaps this is stupid but I can’t help it.

With this in mind my new favorite is this diamond:

Blue Nile LD13994233

No worries, I understand. Just keep in mind that the carat weight is, well, the weight of the diamond, not its size. The carat weight is not a good indicator of how large a diamond appears. In your case, the difference between those two stones (J vs. K) is around 0.3mm.

The newest option is a great one.

Thanks, I really appreciate the help!

I’m glad I could help you.

James Allen James Allen is the leader in online diamond sales. Their imaging technology is the same as inspecting a diamond with a jeweler's loupe. They have the largest exclusive loose diamond inventory online and fantastic prices. They also have the nicest collection of lab-created diamonds online. They currently run a 10% discount on selected lab-grown diamonds!
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
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Blue Nile Blue Nile is the largest and most well-known internet jewelry seller. They have a very large exclusive online inventory. Their high-quality images are catching up to James Allens' and their prices are amazing. Right now, Blue Nile offers up to 50% savings on selected jewelry during a limited-time season sale.
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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