2ct ideal cut round diamond for engagement ring .. help for a newbie

[AbsolutPower]

I will be proposing to my girlfriend in a few month so I''m shopping for an engagement ring. She just wants a simple 18k gold band with a 4 or 6 prong tradional setting so that part is simple. My budget is ~$25k. With that kind of setting, how important is the cut and clarity ratings? I.e. since she prefers yellow gold band, does this mean that H color diamonds should be fine or does F or G ones still look much better (or is that just a personal perference?). Also, what clarity should I be looking for? VS1? VS2?

Basically, I''d like to get the best diamond for my budget. If H / VS2 looks just fine to most people, then I''d rather to spend any extra money on a larger diamond rather than getting a F or G / VS1 or VVS1/2. I''m really clueless :-/.

Also, how do the depth & table measurements affect the look of the diamond?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Maxine]

There''s lots to learn!!!! Start by reading the diamond infornation here and pn the vendors'' websites.....Good Old Gold has lots of information......After you get some info., you can run a search at the top of this page to show you what you can get for your price.....Remember that the pricescope mantra is "cut is king"....especially with your budget/stone size, you need to get the best possible CUT first....A well cut H stone should be fine...also VS2, or even an especially clean SI1 (depending on what the vendor tells you abou the clarity).....In any case, start reading!!!

 

[Lynn B]

No expert here, but here''s my humble 2 cents!

You have a GREAT budget and lots of choices. Her simple setting allows you to really concentrate on getting a big, beautiful diamond. YAY! My personal preference is that you can go way "lower" in color in a yellow gold ring. You''ll save lots of money there and never compromise beauty. With a larger stone, clarity can become a bit more of an issue, so if you are worried about that, you may want to stay in the VS range (personally, I think VVS is overkill... I mean, sure, it''s great -- but I''d rather have the $$$ in a larger stone or in my pocket.). There are lots of folks here with wonderful, eyeclean SIs and that would really be great. I think the key is just that -- "eyeclean".

Hey -- Wink has an awesome 3 carat "M" color stone that looks like a killer!

I think her simple gold setting would really set that stone off. It''s 15K. You could get a GREAT stone, bigger than you even expected to get, and still have 10K left for a honeymoon or towards a house!!!!

Lynn

 

[Maxine]

Here''s one example.......http://www.goodoldgold.com/2_018ct_h_VS2_h&a.htm

 

[Stephan]

Date: 2/26/2005 5:41:37 PM
Author: Lynn B
No expert here, but here''s my humble 2 cents!


You have a GREAT budget and lots of choices. Her simple setting allows you to really concentrate on getting a big, beautiful diamond. YAY! My personal preference is that you can go way ''lower'' in color in a yellow gold ring. You''ll save lots of money there and never compromise beauty. With a larger stone, clarity can become a bit more of an issue, so if you are worried about that, you may want to stay in the VS range (personally, I think VVS is overkill... I mean, sure, it''s great -- but I''d rather have the $$$ in a larger stone or in my pocket.). There are lots of folks here with wonderful, eyeclean SIs and that would really be great. I think the key is just that -- ''eyeclean''.


Hey -- Wink has an awesome 3 carat ''M'' color stone that looks like a killer!

I think her simple gold setting would really set that stone off. It''s 15K. You could get a GREAT stone, bigger than you even expected to get, and still have 10K left for a honeymoon or towards a house!!!!


Lynn

Hi Lynn !
I don''t know why, but about the 3ct diamond, I prefer it in white gold.
At least the prongs should be white.
I think it looks warm but not really yellow, and the fire is just killing.

 

[Sashabella]

I personally prefer a colourless stone (and they are more valuable). Provided you stay away from retail jewellers (like Tiffany''s), you can get a very substantial, ideal cut colourless, high clarity stone. To give you an example, I was looking at a GIA certified 1.56 ideal cut, F colour, VS1 brilliant cut diamond for $13,500 USD from a reputable jeweller in Toronto (Mark Lash). I decided to get a smaller stone - 1.22 -- (I have small fingers) of equal quality and it cost me $11000 USD. Tiffany''s was charging double. Birks (the Canadian equivalent of Tiffany''s) said the stone was of equal quality to thiers which go at $25k per pop.

In your price range, you should have no trouble getting a large, excellent quality and colourless stone.

WWW. diamondreview.com has excellent tutorials. I really recommend oging to a bricks and mortar store and looking at stones to get an idea of what different coloured stones look like in person. I agree with your idea of getting an ideal cut diamond - my diamond has increadible fire and it just stunning. Ideal cut is they way to go and, in your price range, you can get a fabulous stone.

I also looked on Bluenile.com to get an idea of prices but realize you can get a better deal out there (though I would not personally buy on the internet as I like ot see what I am buying and compare stones side by side).

 

[Jennifer5973]

Definitely make cut your #1 priority and you can''t go wrong. With the sparkle that comes from a superior cut, you can choose among VS2-SI2, F-I and the stone will look flawless (in my experienced consumer''s opinion

).

I have a 3 ct SI2, H Ideal cut that people ask if it''s flawless becasue it is so blinding...all you see is sparkle and shimmer. The cut does it.

Your preference for clarity and the subtlties of color among the "colorless" ranges will be determined as you see stones, but a good cut can allow you to search for eye-clean SI stones because and go for size.

With your budget, she will get a stunner of a ring.

 

[AbsolutPower]

Thanks for all the responses!

A number of you mentioned that getting an "eyeclean" SI1 diamond would be the best deal. How would I go about determining if a diamond is eye-clean? If I order it sight eyeseen, can I trust who I''m buying it from to reliably tell me if it''s eyeclean?

 

[Regular Guy]

Not sure, personally. Also, not sure how important it is, since to my eyes, it''s unlikely I''d see anything in a diamond that''s SI1, I''d bet. VS2 will let you sleep better, and may have better cache. Also, Garry Holloway, co-conspirator of this board, sometimes mentions he''d usually go for an SI1.

Suggestions: specifically ask the vendor if it''s eye clean or not.
Have an appraiser look at it before your purchase warrantee runs out, and so you can return it if you want.

SI 1 will save some money over VS2. If the question is...are those costs reasonable...the answer would be a personal one, I think.

 

[Colored Gemstone Nut]

Hi Absolut Power:

Eye Clean is a term which is used in representing stones which are given the si-1 grade being viewed in the face up position. Diamonds given the si1 grade can exhibit flaws which can be detected fairly easily under magnification , and their flaws may sometimes be visible without magnification when viewed from the backside or laterally.

There are si-1 stones which have very small inclusions which may be faint, like small white feathers or small colorless crystals. Many faint inclusions spread out all over the stone is preferred over a couple dark noticable inclusions which carry the same grade. Some diamonds which fall in the same grade are more "cherry" than others with respect to the amount and color of their inclusions and location. A little shopping around and a dependable trustworthy vendor you can save yourself a good amount of money and still not be able to notice the inclusions if their faint or spread out.

Some si-1's are better than others depending on the size location and color of the inclusion as well as si-2's.

For Example:

If the flaw is visible from the pavillion side and only from the pavillion side it will have the least adverse affect since it is least visible from the top.

If positioned near the girdle it will also be hard to see and hardly noticable from the top. This is the kind of flaw that can be hidden or covered by the prong of a ring.

A inclusion under a star facet or one positioned directly under the table will be more easily visible. An inclusion under the table is the least desireable position and is a location where the flaw is most visible which may reflect on the value (pricewise).

Like I mentioned before these inclusions should be readily visible under magnification. With thiis being said, there are many vendors who stock inventory in house such as Whiteflash, GoodOldGold, Niceice, Garry Dutton (DiamondExpert) and Wink Jones who all have access to these high magnification photo's to show exact placement, size, color and location of these flaws. Furthermore all of these vendors have great reputations and competetive price points for branded and unbranded stones. These vendors will also pull a stone out and explain to you what they are viewing in the face up position and furthermore some companies like Wf will give you direct access to the cutter in describing the inclusions and how they appear face up.

There are many reputable vendors. I purchased an si-1 for my fiancee as well as si-1 earrings and I can't tell the location at normal viewing distance, especially because of cut.

Hope this Helps...