THE $3,000 DIAMOND SOLITAIRE

Looking for a $3,000 solitaire?

Why $3,000?

Because 3 grand is the average engagement ring sale price, so that’s the number we’re focusing on.

When you talk about solitaire rings, there are 2 main styles of rings to choose from:

1. Single diamond on a plain band
2. Single diamond on a multi-diamond band

The first one is the classic. A $3,000 diamond on a simple, plain band (Often called the “Tiffany Style“, selling for around $175-$300).

Like so…

The second type of engagement ring is where a diamond is set onto a much more elaborate ring, something with a wider band, ornate sides, diamonds down the side; pave set, halo set, channel set, and so on, like these:

These styles are varied and vast, and the carat weight gets distributed over the entire ring; .50 tdw (half carat total diamond weight)… Versus the classic plain band could have one diamond that equals .50 ct alone.

When you buy one diamond, all the money goes into that one stone. And as the carat weight grows, so does the price. So for a $3,000 budget, you could buy diamonds of SI1, G, Ideal cut, like these stones here…

Now you could go lower in color and clarity (which is perfectly fine as long as you scope the diamond under magnification before you buy it; and are happy with what you see)… to get yourself into larger diamonds like these… .90-1.00 ct, I1+ clarity diamonds…

But for the small size increase, I would probably stick with the .80 ct diamonds, SI1, G (that way you don’t see any visible inclusions).

With the second style of rings, the solitaires with side stones, you can set the stones into a mounting that makes the diamond look bigger. That way the majority of money goes into the center stone, the other to the mounting. Like these $3,000 engagement ring styles here…

These are pretty impressive rings and will give you more bang for the buck.

My Recommendation is this:

Buy a loose diamond from James Allen (you can’t find them cheaper; compare them with mall stores and you’ll see a huge price difference), then have it set in the mounting of your choice:

You could definitely spend more money, for sure. You could get yourself into a better diamond (like these True Hearts for $8,000+)…

But it’s really not necessary (unless she’s demanded she wants a one carat diamond ring. Then your only option would be to buy a lower quality 1 carat (like these stones here), or buy a ring with multiple stones that total 1 carat together (that’s the best bet).

See all the different diamonds and mountings here at James Allen.

Cheers! :)