Colour/clarity advice please

[Pandora II]

I'm helping my brother with an e-ring for his gf.

Having spent a Saturday in Cartier, De Beers and Graff so that he could see the best out there, we narrowed his choice down to:

Yellow gold shank, with either yg or platinum head. Tapered baguettes - c. 0.35 tcw and an RB centre around the 1ct size. Basically the classic Harry Winston 3 stone e-ring.

We won't be able to see the diamond in advance as we're in the UK and doing the ring in the US.

I have suggested that he goes for a G VS2 with as good a cut as possible.

He wasn't at all colour sensitive - I showed him from a D to a G next to each other and he couldn't pick out the D at all.

With a yg setting the diamond is likely to pick up some yellow anyway - correct? If so, will a G look much more yellow and should I go for an F instead?

His budget is around $7k (max $7,500) - is a 1ct G VS2 feasible at this price (budget includes setting and side stones?) I'm looking at the PS listings for diamonds - but could do with a heads up on likely price for setting and sides.

Thanks

 

[ccuheartnurse]

Hi Pandora,

Did a quick search around & found that a VS-2, G, ideal is running about $6000ish so if in yellow gold, maybe could be done for $7500.

Regarding your concern about yellow gold making the stone look more yellow, I think it would help mask a lower colour so he probably can safely go down to an I. I say this because I just helped my brother in law buy a J, with no fluor., with a white gold head, sidestones & a yellow shank. The stone does NOT reflect yellow at all & although I wouldnt say its white white, it was white enough for me & I''m colour sensative. I''ve seen a few I''s lately that I think look great.

I did a search too on I, VS-2 stones & the price was considerably lower, around the $4800-5000 mark. So he might even be able to swing platinum if he wanted. Not sure from your post if your future sister in law prefers yellow gold, or if its a matter of what will fit in the budget.

It''s fun helping other people buy jewelery. It keeps your bank account safe but still gives you that "I want to buy" fix. LOL LOL Works for me! My husband says it works for him too.

Judy

 

[Pandora II]

I love spending other people''s money for them - I''m getting quite a few e-ring commissions coming in. PS is my little secret!

Good to know on the colour.

Brother''s GF is half mexican, so she has lovely dark skin which looks really good with yellow gold - also my brother has this thing about wedding bands being yellow gold. I suggested a platinum head so as to keep the diamond as white as possible, and for security etc.

I might think about dropping to an H in colour then.

 

[aljdewey]

I'd highly recommend the two-tone plan of yellow shank, but go with a white metal head (either WG or plat). Stones reflect the colors around them, so if you put yellow in the head, it will reflect yellow in the stone.

I, too, prefer yellow gold with my skin tone, so I did a yellow shank and platinum head.

Since you've done the color thing with him in person and discovered that he's not color sensitive, I'd say you can EASILY go to an H or an I center stone and comfortably hit your budget. The VS is likely a bit of a stretch.....I see two 1.04 H, VS2 stones, and they are priced at $6432 after a discount......eating up most of your budget.

If you're dealing with any of the solid vendors here, I think you can be very confident a clean SI stone too. They will all be candid, and emphasize that returns aren't practical for you being overseas. They are all straight shooters here.

Here are a few possibilities:

http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-48346.htm#
1.121 H, SI2 ACA H&A stone for $5586 - inclusions are off to the sides (easily prongable), and the 40x mag pic of the stone looks *really* clean. A phone call could easily confirm this.

http://www.whiteflash.com/round_ideal_cut/Round-Ideal-Cut-cut-diamond-283321.htm#
1.08, H, SI1 Ideal cut stone for $5264 - It appears in the 40x mag picture that the inclusions are white inclusions; the 10x mag pic doesn't show them at all. Again, a quick phone call could confirm if it's eyeclean.

http://www.niceice.com/certcopies2007/ags0008966210/index.htm
1.07 I, SI1 - looks gorgeous, and they are clear that the inclusions can't be seen without magnification.

I think you can do really well in your brother's budget. Stones like these could leave you with plenty of budget left for the baguette setting you're describing.

On the setting, if he wants yellow and platinum, you may have to have that specially made. I couldn't find it locally, so I had Whiteflash make my e-ring. Same with my 7-stone wedding ring - it's yellow shank/platinum heads around the diamonds, and I couldn't get that in a pre-made product.

Good luck!

 

[chrono]

I like yellow gold and put my J coloured diamond in a platinum head (to keep it looking colourless) with the shank in YG. No yellow tint at all since it is picking up the white from the platinum head.

 

[Lorelei]

I thritto the WG or plat head with the YG shank PD, I also have an L colour diamond set this way and it shows the diamond to it''s best advantage I think.