Best Bang for the buck 35 to 40k

[Mara]

I know there are some other pictures of Leota with her mom''s 3c ring on...but I couldn''t find them..this is the only one I could find.

Her fingers are small too, I want to say a size 3 or 4.

This is a 3.06 H&A I SI stone from GOG that she and her sisters purchased in Dec 2003 as a gift for their Mom.

She also posted pictures of her 2.75c with ACA sidestones in another thread, I''ll try to find that as well since it looks huge on her hand as well.

So if your GF/Fianceetobe does have tiny hands and small fingers, as you can see a 3c would look massive and probably almost cover the whole finger area!

 

[Mara]

Here''s the other ring on her hand.. it''s a 2.75 G VS center H&A stone with two .40c''s and a few melee on each side.

I personally love this ring on her hand...if I ever do a 3 stone I''d love to modify my existing solitaire setting to add the other stones to it and keep the rest eternity, how fun is that!

 

[hoorray]

Just an FYI, I know April seems like it is a long way off, but larger stones seem to be in fairly short supply these days, so if I were you, I''d do a lot of reading so that you can narrow into what you really think you want, and then start calling some of the vendors to see both what they have and if they can help you find something. You''ll get a feel for the vendors fairly quickly. Find one or two that you feel comforatable working with and have them start looking for what you want if they don''t have it. Don''t wait until April. Start the search soon, and buy when you find the right one. It''s a big purchase, and your choices will come and go, so be ready whenever you find THE stone.


FYIW, I was given the chance to buy the stone of my dreams -- undefined by budget or size for my upgrade. I bought a 2.5ctw because it seemed to be the right size for my hand. (Size 5 finger, medium length fingers, overall fairly small hands.) I don''t run with a crowd of big rock sporters, although I live in a wealthy area with many people around me wearing major stones. This size just seemed right for me. 3ctw was too big in our opinion on my hand. Maybe not a doorknob, but it was more than I wanted to wear everyday. Maybe you should make sure the vendor you work with has a liberal return policy so that if you find it isn''t the right size/style, or whatever, you can exchange it for what is right with her involvement. Just a thought. Not the most romantic thing, but it lets you keep the surprize and still ensure it is right for her.

 

[lostdog]

(People may scream at me for this, but here goes

That's a massive amount of money. Are you set on blowing people away with size?

(And only partially tongue in cheek are you prepared to deal with the fact of wearing such an obviously expensive thing everyday, out in public, paying the insurance for it, and so on? More than 3 carats is really huge as a ring. It might begin to be something to worry about as much as enjoy.)

What I would leave time and budget for is the setting. You can commission something very special, a work of art basically, with the money you have to spend. For example, Mark Morell does tremendous custom-designed and custom-made one of a kind, and there are others people might point you towards.

 

[Dancing Fire]

my wife''s 3.34 ct rb 9.70 mm solitaire looks pretty big on her 4.75 size finger. i''ll buy the best cut G-H VS1 or VS2 stone with the $40k.

 

[valeria101]

At some point there was one H/VS with EGL report and one I/SI with GIA - given that these two labs talk different languanges, the stone may be abut the same in color and clarity. Either would need some quality check before buying - especially since neither is ideal cut (meaning - proportions are not known - even though WF and BN jump at using the "I" word on them)

Perhaps pick three of the options for a vote ?

The 3.1 H/VS ACA Solange picked beckons really badly...

 

[Kaili]

If you''re looking for proportion, here is Julian''s ring posted in the Eye Candy thread. E-ring: 3.01ct RB E/ VVS2, ring size 4

 

[Munchkin]

Hello. I just wanted to take a minute to chime in here - from a young woman''s perspective.

First of all, I think that it is sweet and romantic that you wish to completely surprise her with the ring, and that you have saved so much so to give her a real stunner.

I noticed that you mentioned that she is "cool" with stuff like this, and it does not appear as though you will do much reconnaissance work into what she may like. I do not know your girlfriend, and I have no idea what she is truly like. I do, however, know many women that are typically indifferent about other jewelry and gifts - and yet had a VERY clear picture of what they wanted in an engagement ring. In a few cases, the women were given gorgeous rings that simply didn''t represent them as a person.

One of my dear friends was actually sent into a bit of a tailspin, because it bothered her that a) her boyfriend didn''t know her tastes ( in a less rational moment of nerves, she wondered if it was actually representative of him not knowing her as a person- ), b) he hadn''t set out to learn her tastes before making such an important purchase, and c) she felt she couldn''t tell him how bothered she was because she didn''t want to break his heart.

For example, one look at me and my tastes, one would dub me a round brilliant solitaire girl - without any question. The problem? That is specifically what I don''t want. In my case, I am just surrounded by beautiful RBs all day and want my ring to be more unique.

Specifically what I am trying address here, is that this is a ring that you will be giving her with the intention of her wearing it for the rest of her life. Wouldn''t you like to be sure going into the proposal that she will love it so much you''ll have to administer CPR to get her over the shock?

It is truly possible to find one confidante to sniff out her preferences as well as her hand size- just choose wisely. Think of it as an insurance policy to "ensure" her absolute delight. You may be surprised how many women in serious relationships have told their friends / family what they like, "just in case."

I am certainly not trying to talk you out of buying such a large stone (btw...can I give you my boyfriend''s phone number?

) However, 3 things to think about: 1) if she works with her hands at all, please be sure that it is set super low. A stone that size will be tall, and likely to catch on many things. (Other shapes may sit lower if you think this could be a problem.) This can result in prongs loosening, losing the stone

or simply in her not wearing it all the time - which could result in losing the entire ring. 2) Please learn her ring size first. You would NOT want that thing slipping off her finger! 3)Be aware of where you live. Some of my friends with 2+ carat stones feel extremely uncomfortable wearing their rings on their daily commute. They often turn their rings around into their palms so others will not see them.

I truly hope I haven''t been discouraging in any way. These are just some points that (as a woman) I have thought through quite thoroughly. I think that some of these ideas are often overlooked by men in the excitement of the purchase.
This is a life-changing, truly representational gift you will be giving her. It should give her as much joy to receive it as it is to give. Hopefully, it will be a ring that both of you are thrilled to have on her hand as a symbol of your commitment.

I''ll get down off my soapbox now!

Good luck with the process!
Munchkin

 

[AGBF]

Date: 1/26/2005 2

5:15 AM
Author: Munchkin

In my case, I am just surrounded by beautiful RBs all day and want my ring to be more unique.

Your post was thoughtful and contained some very good points, munchkin, but the phrase above leapt out at me! Why are you surrounded by RBs all day and how do I get to wherever you are?

Deb

 

[fire&ice]

As the rest have said, this is quite a bit of change. I don''t think there exists two camps. The one that wants quality & the one that *only* wants to impress. There exists a camp that wants a nice visual stone & not break the bank. And, some simply loves sparklies - and big stones to boot.

Question is what would she prefer - smaller "finer" on paper stone? A balance between size, price & specs? A smaller nice balance on specs & banking the rest.

Is this breaking your bank; or, is it change? In other words, can you afford it and not sacrifice something you all may need?

That said, I own an eyeclean 3c I/SI stone. It''s set in platinum with two much better color side stones. I don''t see any yellow. Mine has med/strong blue fluor which may counter balance the color. As Mara said, I''s are when you can start to see color - warmth to others (again personal preference). I did view some I color 3c''s that indeed showed too much yellow/warmth for my taste. But, some can face up very white. Color is graded face down & can be deceiving face up.

If you want to proceed with your budget, then personally a 3c G/H Vs2 stone would be the direction I would head.

 

[Lord Summerisle]

Ya could buy a house for that!

Makes ya feel inadequate when your struggling to afford a diamond 1/10th of the ct!

As mentioned... with that amount of money A) you can afford to get a great stone - it would be a great shame to sacrifice a stunning looking diamond purely in the persuit of size alone. B) personally i would want to be quadrulaply sure that i was getting what she wanted... thats a HUGE gamble to get wrong. - a smaller ring and spend the change on making it a VERY special proposal... romantic destination et al. - transatlantic cruise on the QMII, round the world cruise... a trip on the London to Venice Orient Express... the possiblities are endless...

 

[roppongi]

I would like to respectively disagree with Windowshopper and Amytude

.

I am a petite woman of 5'' tall with size 4 fingers. Last summer I changed my rbc 3 carat (F/Si1) into a 3 stone ring by adding .55 rounds to either side. I also wear this with a 3 carat plus eternity band. This past December my husband told me that I could upgrade the sides to .75s for a fuller look, but I decided against it. The ring would have been massive on me.

I live in the San Franicisco Bay Area where the size of the stones tend to be large, and the rings ornate. But they are always worn tastefully...I haven''t seen anything over-the-top.

My only regret is that my husband paid retail for my rings (gulp). It sickens me to think what I could have scored if I used the internet.

Live and learn.

 

[ForteKitty]

And where are the pictures to this ring?!?!?

 

[lostdog]

Well, with that kind of money to spend, it sure makes sense to at least try to peg the meter on more than just size.

There are a lot of $50,000-60,000 stones out there, too.

Look at it this way, somebody will always have a larger diamond than you. . But put that money towards finding an ultimate quality cut with prime color and clarity, and you may never cross paths with a better diamond. Add it to an art quality custom setting and that is truly bang for the bucks, something truly unique.

Given your timeframe, I'd go visit a few of the PS vendors in person.

 

[Munchkin]

ABGF:

The RBs I am surrounded by on a daily basis are on the hands of my grad school classmates.

I am of that age where it seems as though everyone around me is either recently married, engaged or waiting for a ring. So, there are always new, beautiful sparklers to admire.

Unfortunately it is not as though I am able to play "dress up" all day long. Now that would be a fantastic job!
Munchkin

 

[Kamuelamom]

Date: 1/26/2005 12:37:44 PM
Author: Lord Summerisle
Ya could buy a house for that!

Not according to the current prices being shared on the real estate thread going on.

Maybe a few windows and a garage? lol