J or K Diamond purchase?

[NJ201]

Hello everyone,
I am a first time diamond shopper, and looking for an engagement ring (my diamond knowledge is 100% reading articles from internet....so not much). I am debating between 3 diamonds. The diamonds are J and K. I have lowered the color to trade with the best cut.
1. Diamond | 0.651 ct K SI1 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond AGS Certified | 4153209 (whiteflash.com)
2. Diamond | 0.624 ct K VVS2 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond AGS Certified | 4311105 (whiteflash.com)
3. Diamond | 0.603 ct J VS1 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond AGS Certified | 4367832 (whiteflash.com)

My concerns:
1. Will J or K have a tint that will be very visible?
2. With an SI1 that is eye-clean, will the inclusions be still visible when looking closely? (or is it eye-clean only when it is seen from far)
3. Diamond 2 is heavier, has better clarity and is cheaper than diamond 3 (only color is lower by one grade). Is the color difference between the two diamonds that drastic for the difference in price?
4. Is the carat too low? My gf ring size would be 4.5.
5. I am planning a setting of 14K white gold with 6 prongs solitaire (6-Prong Classic Diamond Solitaire | 582 (whiteflash.com)) - will this be a good choice?

Please advise which would be the better diamond to purchase.
Thank-you all in advance

 

[lovedogs]

Hi NJ! Is the stone for you, or for a GF? I ask because it is important to know that most J/K stones won't face up completely white (although in sub .75ct they will be pretty white!) and it's critical to know whether your GF will be bothered by that or not.

 

[NJ201]

Hi NJ! Is the stone for you, or for a GF? I ask because it is important to know that most J/K stones won't face up completely white (although in sub .75ct they will be pretty white!) and it's critical to know whether your GF will be bothered by that or not.

It is for my gf. The problem is I want to make it a surprise, so I can't ask her. The good news is, she is not very picky. But I don't want to get one if it looks like a fake diamond with tints.

 

[lovedogs]

It is for my gf. The problem is I want to make it a surprise, so I can't ask her. The good news is, she is not very picky. But I don't want to get one if it looks like a fake diamond with tints.

This definitely won't look like a fake diamond. I am (in general) very much against "surprise" proposals. Have you discussed the possibility of getting engaged? If yes, I think it is important to at least ask what style of ring she likes. She will be wearing this (hopefully) every day for the rest of her life, so her not having any say is not ideal. Some women are really disappointed that their partners didn't ask for their input before buying a ring.

Also, what is your budget, and what setting are you looking at?

 

[NJ201]

This definitely won't look like a fake diamond. I am (in general) very much against "surprise" proposals. Have you discussed the possibility of getting engaged? If yes, I think it is important to at least ask what style of ring she likes. She will be wearing this (hopefully) every day for the rest of her life, so her not having any say is not ideal. Some women are really disappointed that their partners didn't ask for their input before buying a ring.

Also, what is your budget, and what setting are you looking at?

That is a good point. We did talk about getting engaged in the future, so that is not completely out of the blue. I will try to get her feedback indirectly.
My budget is about $2K. I like the look of 6 prongs solitaire.

 

[lovedogs]

That is a good point. We did talk about getting engaged in the future, so that is not completely out of the blue. I will try to get her feedback indirectly.
My budget is about $2K. I like the look of 6 prongs solitaire.

I would strongly suggest trying to do that. And going with WF is great if you ever want to upgrade in the future, as they have a $1 upgrade policy.

 

[NJ201]

I would strongly suggest trying to do that. And going with WF is great if you ever want to upgrade in the future, as they have a $1 upgrade policy.

That was a great suggestion, thank-you. I did talk to her, and she is not a fan of the ring being all one color. But she likes the yellow gold band and white gold prongs. I will go with that setting.

 

[lovedogs]

That was a great suggestion, thank-you. I did talk to her, and she is not a fan of the ring being all one color. But she likes the yellow gold band and white gold prongs. I will go with that setting.

yay, that's important info to have! If I were you I would email WF and ask them to take IRL pics of all 3 stone options so you can see them next to each other. I know that Ks are sometimes much more obviously tinted than Js (just depends on the stone). I would also ask them if they have any other alternatives in your budget.

 

[maryjane04]

I think it is also good that you are going for the 6 prong. The tint will be more visible from the side if your partner is colour sensitive. Face up they should be pretty bright.

 

[NJ201]

yay, that's important info to have! If I were you I would email WF and ask them to take IRL pics of all 3 stone options so you can see them next to each other. I know that Ks are sometimes much more obviously tinted than Js (just depends on the stone). I would also ask them if they have any other alternatives in your budget.

Just requested for the side by side pictures. They will send it as soon as the photographer takes the picture.

 

[monipod]

6 prongs in white gold will help the stone face up white and it'll look bigger too. Good choice of setting!

 

[MMtwo]

Here is a picture of a .82 J GIA XXX on a 6.75 finger in the yellow gold knife edge setting (Ritani). I hope it helps you visualize. Usually, it looked pretty white with reflected light.
I just upgraded this ring for the ring in my avatar. I chose an L.

 

[tyty333]

1. Will J or K have a tint that will be very visible?
So I have a .46 and a 1.14 both "J" both Super Ideals. The .46 always looks bright and white to me however, my 1.14 is big enough to show
its tint and in certain rooms/lighting it does. I suspect at around .6ish a J colored stone will still look pretty white.

2. With an SI1 that is eye-clean, will the inclusions be still visible when looking closely? (or is it eye-clean only when it is seen from far)
You'll have to ask about each individual stone specifically. I imagine that they will be eye-clean at any level at this size but you will need to
ask WF for specifics on each stone. EDIT ...I had not looked at the stones when I entered the previous reply. Now that I have looked at the
stones I'm pretty sure they will be eye-clean at any level. But...you need to ask WF to be sure!

3. Diamond 2 is heavier, has better clarity and is cheaper than diamond 3 (only color is lower by one grade). Is the color difference between the two diamonds that drastic for the difference in price?
See how they compare in the picture. Everyone's color tolerance is different.

4. Is the carat too low? My gf ring size would be 4.5.
Not sure how to answer this. Can your budget go any higher if were to say its too small? (I'm trying to make a point.)
Size range is somewhat based on where you live, what her friends wear, what her sisters may have, what is norm/average where you live.
But...if your budget is your budget you cant really go any larger. She is so lucky to have small fingers!

5. I am planning a setting of 14K white gold with 6 prongs solitaire (6-Prong Classic Diamond Solitaire | 582 (whiteflash.com)) - will this be a good choice?
I think the yellow gold band with white prongs is a good idea.

Here is the relative size of the stones on a size 4.5 finger. Smallest stone on left...bigger on right.

 

[NJ201]

Here is a picture of a .82 J GIA XXX on a 6.75 finger in the yellow gold knife edge setting (Ritani). I hope it helps you visualize. Usually, it looked pretty white with reflected light.
I just upgraded this ring for the ring in my avatar. I chose an L.

It does help in visualizing on a finger. Thank-you.

 

[NJ201]

1. Will J or K have a tint that will be very visible?
So I have a .46 and a 1.14 both "J" both Super Ideals. The .46 always looks bright and white to me however, my 1.14 is big enough to show
its tint and in certain rooms/lighting it does. I suspect at around .6ish a J colored stone will still look pretty white.

2. With an SI1 that is eye-clean, will the inclusions be still visible when looking closely? (or is it eye-clean only when it is seen from far)
You'll have to ask about each individual stone specifically. I imagine that they will be eye-clean at any level at this size but you will need to
ask WF for specifics on each stone. EDIT ...I had not looked at the stones when I entered the previous reply. Now that I have looked at the
stones I'm pretty sure they will be eye-clean at any level. But...you need to ask WF to be sure!

3. Diamond 2 is heavier, has better clarity and is cheaper than diamond 3 (only color is lower by one grade). Is the color difference between the two diamonds that drastic for the difference in price?
See how they compare in the picture. Everyone's color tolerance is different.

4. Is the carat too low? My gf ring size would be 4.5.
Not sure how to answer this. Can your budget go any higher if were to say its too small? (I'm trying to make a point.)
Size range is somewhat based on where you live, what her friends wear, what her sisters may have, what is norm/average where you live.
But...if your budget is your budget you cant really go any larger. She is so lucky to have small fingers!

5. I am planning a setting of 14K white gold with 6 prongs solitaire (6-Prong Classic Diamond Solitaire | 582 (whiteflash.com)) - will this be a good choice?
I think the yellow gold band with white prongs is a good idea.

Here is the relative size of the stones on a size 4.5 finger. Smallest stone on left...bigger on right.

This is very helpful. Thank-you.

 

[yyc_la_signa]

This definitely won't look like a fake diamond. I am (in general) very much against "surprise" proposals. Have you discussed the possibility of getting engaged? If yes, I think it is important to at least ask what style of ring she likes. She will be wearing this (hopefully) every day for the rest of her life, so her not having any say is not ideal. Some women are really disappointed that their partners didn't ask for their input before buying a ring.

Also, what is your budget, and what setting are you looking at?

I completely agree with @lovedogs here. I'm not big into not having her input on a ring. I would either ask her with a placeholder or get her input. It really depends on her personality.

Tint is really a personal matter. I have an I color (an upgrade I chose) and when I first got it the slight tint drove me nuts but that also had to do with all of the yellow lighting in my house. However it grew on me...but it really depends on person to person. I am a very picky person...

In term of size it really depends on her personal choice. I am a 4.5 size but I have wide hands, even though my fingers are smaller. I had a 0.9 but went up to a 1.5. Size depends on personal preference. It's worth a conversation!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I think you'll be okay with the J stone in the setting with platinum prongs and yellow gold shank/band. That's the lowest I'd recommend going. An ACA will look great in all colors, but J is much safer than K.

 

[NJ201]

I think you'll be okay with the J stone in the setting with platinum prongs and yellow gold shank/band. That's the lowest I'd recommend going. An ACA will look great in all colors, but J is much safer than K.

Based on the recommendation from @lovedogs and @yyc_la_signa, I did get input from my gf (indirectly). I am glad I did She likes the solitaire style but prefers the pave style more (Benchmark LCP1 Small Pave Diamond Engagement Ring - Whiteflash | 4559), so I will go with that (yellow gold band and white gold prongs). The downside is that the difference in cost may be a deciding factor between J or K...

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Based on the recommendation from @lovedogs and @yyc_la_signa, I did get input from my gf (indirectly). I am glad I did She likes the solitaire style but prefers the pave style more (Benchmark LCP1 Small Pave Diamond Engagement Ring - Whiteflash | 4559), so I will go with that (yellow gold band and white gold prongs). The downside is that the difference in cost may be a deciding factor between J or K...

I wouldn't go below J even if it means saving a little longer. It will be very pretty in that setting. I think WF may have some kind of layaway or payment plan, too. Ask.

 

[NJ201]

I wouldn't go below J even if it means saving a little longer. It will be very pretty in that setting. I think WF may have some kind of layaway or payment plan, too. Ask.

Understood. I will check if they have other J's within my budget. Thank-you for your feedback.

 

[lovedogs]

I wouldn't go below J even if it means saving a little longer. It will be very pretty in that setting. I think WF may have some kind of layaway or payment plan, too. Ask.

I think that this is good advice. If you save a few more months could you potentially get a J of that size or bigger? I would be honest about budget constraints (you don't need to talk about specific numbers or anything), and explain that you intend to propose but want to save in order to get her the setting and diamond that you think would work best. See how she feels about that. Likely she will be fine with waiting a few months to get a ring she will be happy with. Also remember that WF has a $1 upgrade policy so you could buy a K in a "placeholder" plain setting and then save to upgrade down the line.

 

[tyty333]

I think that setting is pretty too. I applaud you for getting her input!