Did I make the right choice?

[Kojack]

Sorry for the long post...if you have a couple of minutes I would love your input.

I made my first online ring purchase a week ago. After much research I took the engagement ring plunge. Don''t get me wrong, I am definately ready and I know she is as well. She has been asking for a ring for over a year now. Been together 3 1/2 total. Anyways, she fell in love (like a lot of women) with the Ritani Endless Love princess cut at Bailey Banks and Biddle. She tried on the .50 setting and really liked it. Then tried on the 1 carat and liked that too but I definately didn''t like the price tag- 9600.00 + tax. Typical price for a mall jeweler I guess. But after talking about the ring for a couple days and to me the outrageous price of the 1 carat, she felt she would be happy with the .5 carat G IS. She even admitted the 1 carat would look too big for her small hands. Imagine a woman saying that! Figured she just wanted me to feel better. What woman would turn down a 1 carat?

So I went with what she said. 4500 for the .50 I can do. 9600 for the 1 carat is a no no! But then I learned that I could go through an online dealer and pick my diamond and still have it set in Ritani. So that increased the diamond size range for me to choose w/o increasing the price too much and I ended up picking a .71 E VS2 that I am quite happy with. Not a 1 carat but bigger than the 1/2 and the numbers were a better cut, color, and clarity than Ritani would have given me.

So a few days ago we were in the mall again and she wanted to look at the ring. I knew this was gonna happen and it did. She proceeds to tell me she definately wants the 1 carat. I played along with her and told her I would have to save for awhile...a long while if she wanted it and she wouldn''t have it until sometime next year. That depressed her, I know she wants it in time for Xmas. So I kept playing and told her if she wants a ring soon, she will have to agree on the 1/2 carat. I also told her if I got the half she wouldn''t get it until at least February due to Ritani being so far out in making the rings. Gotta keep the surpirse!

So my main concern and question to everyone is: Did I make the right choice in buying what I did and not waiting to give her what she ultimately wants? She is not a diamond fanatic and by no means an expert on them. This will be her first diamond ring. She has the "bigger is better" mentality now though. I felt the same way before coming to this site and learning a lot. Her friend (that she hasn''t seen forever!) just got engaged with a 2 carat. All my GF was talking about was a 2 carat and how she needs a 1 carat for sure now. For all she knows her friends ring could be flawed up the @$$! I just know she is looking forward to people asking the size of her ring and her telling them its a carat. Does this really matter to women or would you be happy with whatever you received. I could have saved for awhile and gotten a 1 carat but I am ready now and know she is too.

If anyone is familiar with the Ritani ring I chose, is what people say true about the setting making the diamond look bigger? Will a .71 look like a 1? It does have a nice spread to it. I know she will be happy in the end. She isn''t that vane...trust me. It just kills me that I can''t get her what she really wants now! For those of you who have been proposed to, with a ring under a carat, were you dissapointed in the size? Or was that the last thing on your mind.

Thanks again for dealing with my ongoing post.

 

[lilyinct]

Kojack-

You made the right choice- side by side, you can barely see the difference in a .71 and a 1 carat stone.... and in case she does, you can always think about upgrading in a while....

I think she''s going to be so excited about a ring and being engaged, the miniscule difference isn''t going to matter!!!!

Good luck!

 

[Kojack]

Thanks Lily. You are right, down the line an upgrade is definately a possibility. I guess I just got caught up in the whole "enagement rings are mostly 1 carat and over these days" idea. Hanging out on this site so much really had an effect on my thinking of diamond size. It seems everyone has a huge rock here! Hey, for a first time buyer and knowing zilch about diamonds, she will have to give me credit on my effort

 

[JDgirl]

I think her mind will be much more focused on the joy of getting engaged. We all have a goal size that we lust after, but in the end, it''s the proposal and the thought that matters the most. If she initially liked the .5 in the store, there''s no way she''ll be disappointed with a gorgeous E color .7! Nice choice!

 

[Kaleigh]

I think you bought very wisely. She will be thrilled with it I''m sure. .71 is a great size and E VS2 will be gorgeous. Don''t worry, honestly.

 

[marvel]

Hi Kojak,

Does her ring look something like this with a halo, but a princess cut? If so, yes, the setting will make the stone look larger. The stone you picked out sound BEAUTIFUL...an E...WOW!! She is going to LOVE it...I promise. Even if you decide to upgrade, I bet she will always keep THAT stone for sentimental purposes.

I think you did a great job! She's a lucky girl and she's is going to be thrilled. Can't wait for handshots!!

 

[Kojack]

Yes, the setting is just like that but in a princess. It looks even nicer in person....like they all do

 

[pebbles]

I think you made a great choice. And the setting definitely does make the center stone look bigger. Heck, you don''t *really* have to tell her the size

-- let her think you got her the 1ct.

I was proposed to with a .38ct diamond. I was so thrilled to be engaged (the proposal was a complete surprise) that I didn''t care what the ring looked like. It could have been a piece of tin foil. I now wear that diamond in a pendant as I eventually did get a bigger stone.

 

[hazydazy]

I''ve been lurking for a while (even before I got engaged 2 weeks ago), but really wanted to comment on this thread. I also kind of wanted a 1 carat stone, but got engaged 2 weeks ago with a beautiful, excellent cut .72ct E/F color VS2/SI1 stone (the cert and appraisal differed somewhat). I LOVE my ring. It was inspired by the Tiffany''s Deco ring which was well out of my FI''s price range. I''m thrilled to be engaged and don''t care in the end how big my stone is. I thought it was a lot bigger till he ended up telling me exactly how big it is. I also think mine looks bigger because it has .50tcw of channel set stones in the band- all the sparkles are so eye catching.The halo will have this same effect AND will add diameter.
In the end, in day to day life we don''t walk around wearing our diamond stats on our sleeve and so no one needs to know any more info than we want them too. The other thing is when random people I barely know get too nosy and ask how big it is (which I think is rude in the first place) sometimes I tell them the tcw rather then the center stone ct. I just say, well its a carat and a quarter total. Or I say, it''s under a carat, but I''m so thrilled that my fiance picked a smaller sparkler rather than a big dull rock. I think your choice sounds beautiful and you''ll know you did the right thing after you propose and notice the immediate glow and giddy grin that is stamped on her face for the next month (or 60 years!). Good luck! I think you''ve made a great choice and will give her the best of both worlds- not having to wait AND a bigger stone then she''s expecting.

 

[chil1]

Wow HazyDazy! I hope more ladies read your post.

Hey Kojak: Can you tell me what you did exactly? Buy online and send to you or to a Ritani-sponsored store? Or did you buy the diamond and have them send directly to Ritani somewhere and have it mounted?

Thanks.

 

[researcher]

Although it''s not exactly the same thing, I have a friend who REALLY wanted a 3+ carat diamond. Her man REALLY wanted to get her what she wanted, but he just couldn''t afford it. So, he bought her a 2.62ct stone. In his mind it was close to 3cts, and all he felt comfortable spending. Now, the setting my friend wanted was platinum with side baguettes. Knowing she wanted a 3+ carat ring, her now hubby asked that the baguettes be at least .4 ctw so my friend can say her ring is "a little over 3cts"! Is that silly? Yes. BUT, she really wanted a ring that was at least 3cts, and no one has ever asked her if the 3cts included her side stones. So, her hubby saved money and she has her dream ring! I think your girl can do the same thing--tell people it''s over 1ct even though the center stone is slightly less if it''s really important to her to hit that mark.

Oh, and I agree with everyone else that she will be SOOOO excited about getting engaged and having a ring that the size of the diamond really won''t matter!

 

[Kojack]

You guys have really eased my mind on this one. Thanks a bunch everyone. To comment on a few responces:

Hayzdazy: I whole heartedly agree with you. I actually never thought of telling her the tcw. Of course I would tell her the center stone size but having her know the tcw is over a carat is a nice touch I think she might use this on the friends that really are only into size. Sometimes its an image thing I guess and no matter how much we want to stay away from that, there are those times you can''t and have to stretch the truth a little. Especially when you are in your mid 20''s and all your friends are getting enageged left and right. It becomes a competition with even your closest friends, kind of sad. Again, thanks for the positive reply.

Chil1: I purchased the diamond by itself from an online vendor back east (im in California) that carries Ritani. I was hesitant to purchase a diamond w/o seeing it in person but did as much research as I could on the vendor and the diamond until I felt comfortable making the purchase. The vendor then sent the diamond in one of their temporary settings to Ritani to have it mounted in the Endless Love setting. So the diamond will not be from Ritani, just the setting and band. I have found out that Ritani will only do this with select dealers. The complete ring will then be sent back to the vendor and then overnighted to me. Very excited!

Researcher: Thanks for the story. I have a feeling my GF will do the same thing once in awhile. You were also one of the reasons I selected the diamond I did. I have come to learn you know what you are talking about when it comes to princess cuts and I respect your opinion. Much appreciated

 

[ellewoods]

Hi Kojack!

Congratulations on getting the ring! And getting the exact one your girlfriend wanted too -- now that shows you''re a guy who actually listens to stuff your girlfriend says!

Anyway, I think you made the right decision for sure. You already got 3/4 of the way there by buying the setting she had her heart set on. And I think a .72 carat is definitely respectable and most girls will be thrilled to get that size (well maybe not all the women on Price Scope, but we''re kind of an obsessed bunch!). 1 carat is still in the large range these days, even if it seems that people are getting 1 carats or larger -- it''s just the constant talk in celebrity magazines and all of that that''s making people think that 2+ carats are the norm (i.e. Paris Hilton''s supposed 10 carat, Ashley Judd''s 5 carat).

She said she''d be happy with a .5 carat, and then she decided she wanted the 1 carat. I think a .72 carat is a great compromise between the two. Also, it sounds like you''ve really thrown her off the track and she doesn''t expect a proposal anytime soon (well at least until 2006 right?)....so she is going to be sooo thrilled that you guys get engaged this holiday season.....she''s not going to ask what size it is, what color, clarity, etc. She''s going to be thrilled you proposed, and the beautiful ring is an added bonus.

If it ever comes up, don''t mislead her about the size though. There''s nothing wrong with the size you got and I''m sure it looks plenty big enough in the beautiful setting.

Good luck on the proposal!!! Remember to come back and share details and pictures!

 

[Psychobroker]

If she feels she needs a 1 carat to compete with her friend''s 2 carat, then she''s just insecure. On top of that, a 2 carat is still twice as big, so what''s the point in trying to compete size vs. size. Hell, it''s not a freakin'' competition anyway. I think you did just fine. This is something I also did, but my fiance didn''t want anything bigger than .75, and felt no need to compete with anyone. Good job in getting her quality vs. quantity. Depending on the cut, your .71 may sparkle better than her friend''s 2 ct anyway!

 

[BrightSpot]

I agree that you made the right choice! The stone you chose sounds lovely & is much larger than the .5 ct she might be expecting & of better quality to boot.

Also, the setting makes a huge difference in the appearance of the center stone. Take a look at the before & after pictures below if you don''t believe me!

While we on PS have gotten quite accustomed to seeing halo rings (and very large center stones), I don''t think they''re super common on the street. I live in NYC (home of very big rocks!) & haven''t seen too many rings in halo settings. My halo ring has gotten a lot of attention & people seem to think my center stone is much larger than it is because of the setting. So I think people will be blinded by the sparkle in your gf''s ring & impressed w/ the total package. I doubt they''ll question the size of the center stone. And if they do, that''s just tacky!

Congats on your purchase & good luck w/ your proposal! Be sure to post hand shots of that baby on your Fiancee''s finger after you do the deed!

 

[curlygirl]

Kojack, you''ve gotten a lot of great advice here and I hope it puts your mind at ease. I completely agree that the important part is the actual getting engaged.

Just to give you another story, I had my heart set on a 1.5-2 carat stone. My fingers are tiny but that''s what I wanted and some of it did have to do with "keeping up with the Joneses", if you know what I mean. Anyway, I ended up getting a 1.3 carat cushion but it has a halo around it and let me tell you, it looks HUGE!!! I would never have guessed the size and whenever anyone sees it, they can''t believe how big it is!! In real life, people don''t ask how many carats my ring is, just as I will RARELY ask someone about theirs. If it''s a true honker, that''s another story! But I have to say that none of my friends or family ever asked about the size. They just look at it and see the illusion of hugeness thanks to that halo! You really have nothing to worry about. Sounds like you got a great stone and you can''t go wrong with the Ritani setting. Good luck and let us know what happens!!

 

[Waited2Long]

Date: 11/18/2005 11:48:54 AM
Author: curlygirl
Kojack, you''ve gotten a lot of great advice here and I hope it puts your mind at ease. I completely agree that the important part is the actual getting engaged.

Just to give you another story, I had my heart set on a 1.5-2 carat stone. My fingers are tiny but that''s what I wanted and some of it did have to do with ''keeping up with the Joneses'', if you know what I mean. Anyway, I ended up getting a 1.3 carat cushion but it has a halo around it and let me tell you, it looks HUGE!!! I would never have guessed the size and whenever anyone sees it, they can''t believe how big it is!! In real life, people don''t ask how many carats my ring is, just as I will RARELY ask someone about theirs. If it''s a true honker, that''s another story! But I have to say that none of my friends or family ever asked about the size. They just look at it and see the illusion of hugeness thanks to that halo! You really have nothing to worry about. Sounds like you got a great stone and you can''t go wrong with the Ritani setting. Good luck and let us know what happens!!

I''ve been doing this a lot lately--asking women how big their stones are. Hope I haven''t been offending anyone! I can kind of understand being offended, depending on the reason for asking, but don''t discount simple curiosity! The person asking may just be entirely clueless and is trying to learn. In my case, I''m trying to get a feel for carat sizes so I can predict how a certain-size stone will look on my gf''s hand. I''ve been looking at some 1.2C stones online, but after asking around recently, I''m starting to think 1.2C might actually be too big for my gf, who''s petite and conservative. I tried learning at a B&M store, but I''m not willing to sit through the sales pressure, plus the stones there are in a case, not set and worn on the hand.

 

[researcher]

Kojak~
Are these the specs of your stone?

Lab: GIA
Shape: Princess
Carat: 0.71
Color: E
Clarity: VS2
Measurements: 4.97 x 5.06 - 3.49
Girdle: M - STK /P
Depth %: 70.2
Table %: 68
Culet: N
Polish: VG
Symmetry: VG
Fluorescence: N
Crown Angle: 37.2
Crown Height: 11.3
Pavilion Angle: 54.9
Pavilion Depth: 55.9
Girdle %:2.7 - 2.9
Culet %:0.5
Lab Comments: None


If so, I think you DEFINITELY picked a winner! Do you have an ideal scope image? I''m sure this stone is amazing!!! I can''t wait to see the ring when it''s complete. There''s no way any girl would not fall in love with a stone with those specs!

 

[Kojack]

Curlygirl: Yes, I have definately calmed down since writing the original post. Thanks to everyone for their positive feedback. I can now concentrate more on the proposal and the small details of what will probably be the most important day of my life thus far!

Researcher: Yes, those are the specs of the diamond and I am glad to have your approval! Unfortunately I was only able to receive a brilliance scope which scored quite nicely for the diamond. All in all, I am sure I will be content with my choice and am really looking forward to becoming engaged! Compared to most Princess cuts around that size and with the given dimensions, do you believe the spread will be average, bigger, or smaller than others?

Waitedtolong: But I''m sure you now know that a well cut .8 or .9 can look as big as a 1 carat. So someone stating their ring is 1 carat can be misleading.

 

[Kojack]

With the Ritani Endless Love setting, do you believe the size of the ring (.71 E VS2-4.97-5.06-3.94)will look close in size next to a princess solitaire around 1 carat? Does anyone know the actual measurement of the pave around the solitaire in the E-Love setting? Does it differ with diamond size?

 

[JulieN]

ok, so the area of 1ct PR is about (5.5mm)^sq=30.25 mm^2. your .71ct=4.97x5.06=25.15

the ratio of areas=.8314, so your stone''s spread is 83.14% of a 1ct. looks pretty close to me.

now, let''s assume that the width of the halo is 1mm. adding that to the 1ct gives a total area of (5.5+1+1)^2= 56.25; for the .71 ct, it''s 6.97x7.06=49.21; wow, that''s like a 1.8 princess!

new ratio=87.48% woot!

now go get a ruler, pencil, and paper draw a 7.5 mm square and a 7 mm square. I just did it (had some mm graph paper lying around) and can I see a difference? Yes. It''s pretty darn close, and I''m mostly just astounded by the size. She''ll be thrilled.

 

[Kojack]

JulieN- Thank you so much for the mathematical analysis of the diamonds. I could never come up with those figures! So it seems that the .71 with halo should show up pretty well next to a 1 carat solitaire. I would think it would be tougher to judge the size of a diamond by eye with a surrounding halo anyways. The halo seems to give that larger effect and do its job which in the end works just fine for me So the new ratio of 87.48 would be the total size of the .71 with the halo when compared to a 1 carat and the 7mm figure is the total area?

Thanks again for taking the time to show me the numbers.

 

[Kaleigh]

The halo will make it look a lot larger. I did one for an asscher that was .92 and it looks huge. Sounds like it will be a gorgeous ring!!!

 

[Kojack]

Thanks Kaleigh, I hope so too. As you can tell, my initial concern was size. But now I feel pretty comfortable with the choice. Just trying to get the best idea of how it will look before it arrives. An upgrade is always an option down the line. If I started huge, I would be in some major debt on the next upgrade

 

[Kojack]

How accurate do you guys think this diamond size chart is when printed out properly?

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obi...2526732-8045403

 

[Kojack]

Sorry to keep posting....I just found out that the halo measures right around 2mm which is about the size of the band. Does that sound right? So with the diamond and a 2mm halo, the ring should look mighty nice

 

[maddie80]

Kojack -
We were seriously considering this setting for a while. Just to calm your nerves, we decided that if we did this setting we would not want to go much larger than a 3/4 ct stone because it would be too large once the halo was around it! We thought it looked larger than a more traditional 1 ct solitaire. Of course this depends on the size of your fiancee to be''s fingers, but we felt that it looked plenty large! Especially because the band is so tiny (I think it''s even < 2 mm), it really makes the stone pop. One way to find out would be to measure the actual difference in diameter between the endless love with the 3/4 and with a 1ct. I think it would be pretty minimal. Just the difference in the actual stone diameter.

Good luck!

 

[maddie80]

Check out this link for a similar setting in your size of stone - I think you''ll find the spread is pretty great!

Lmurden, hope you don''t mind me sending someone to your ring!

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/the-wait-is-over.32398/

 

[Kojack]

Maddie80- Thanks for the reply and the link to Lmurden''s ring. After searching forever on this site just looking for a halo ring with a diamond smaller than .8 I never did run across that ring. That really shows off the size! WOW! What a diference. Yes, the finger size should make a large difference too. The soon to be Fiance is a size 5 so I am sure the ring will look large. As soon as I recieve it, I will post some pics on this thread. I still can''t believe Lmurden''s ring! Bling! I am going to have to save that one in my favorites!