Need Diamond and Ring Help!

[littledebbie]

I need advice. I''ve been married 14 years and have a 1 carat round that I''ve been wearing in a simple solitaire setting. I decided I want to remount the stone, so I''ve been looking around a lot on the internet (thanks to this web-site!). I wasn''t sure exactly how my husband felt about it because whenever I would talk to my husband about what I had found, he would jokingly roll his eyes. I figured out exactly what I wanted and I decided I wanted to ask Leon Mege to make it. Well I finally pinned my husband down last night and told him I wanted a new setting and it could be for Christmas and my birthday. I was so shocked because he suggested I get a new stone because he didn''t think the stone I have now is nice enough for such a nice setting. I never would have imagined that my husband would SUGGEST I get a new stone. He is a total cheap skate (lovable, but a cheap skate non-the-less!). I had put a new stone out of my mind completely because I thought it would be hard enough just to get him to agree to a new setting. Well he threw out the figure $20,000 for a stone and ring. I am in total shock. The setting I had in mind was for a 1 carat round, but now that I have the option of getting a new stone, I definitely would want a different and larger cut. Here''s the info on the current stone. It''s okay, but nothing spectacular. I recently went to a friend''s wedding that had a Tiffany diamond and it was so brilliant. I had never seen a diamond with so much brilliance. My diamond does not have any certification, so I''m not sure of it''s exact specifications. It is white from the top. From the side against a white background, I can see that it''s slightly yellow. I''m guessing it''s a J in color. Before the stone was mounted, I saw that there is an inclusion that you can see from the back of the diamond with the naked eye. From the top of the diamond I can''t see it (maybe a trained eye could, but I can''t). I think the cut is decent. It looks very nice in certain lighting (and have actually received compliments on it) but in other lighting it looks a little dark. That''s the background.

Part of me is nervous about walking around w/ a $20,000 ring. So part of me is saying I should just work w/ the stone I have. But another part is saying I should go for the whole 9 yards, because if I don''t do it now I never will. Especially if I have Leon Mege make the setting.

Question #1: Does anyone have an idea how much insurance on a $20,000 ring would be?

Question #2: Should I work w/ my stone or buy a nicer, bigger one?

So I''ve been scouring the internet last night and this morning and I think my favorite overall ring is this one by Leon Mege (sorry for the cut and paste):

http://www.artofplatinum.com/4images/details.php?image_id=216

I love how fluid the ring looks and how the platinum curves around the side diamonds. So I love this ring, but before I had always been attracted to rings with an antique look.

Question #3: Can you think of a way to make this ring look antique without ruining the ring?

I wear a size 3 ring and have matching small hands. I don''t want anything that looks too heavy, bulky, or gawdy on my finger. I''d like an elegant look.

Question #4: Keeping that in mind, what size center diamond do you think would be appropriate proportionally for this ring?

Previously I had always thought my dream stone was an emerald cut, but now (since looking around on ps) I think I want something w/ more brilliance. I don''t know. I am so confused! Any advice or ideas you have would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Little Debbie

 

[anyjackie]

Little Debbie,
What a sweet husband you have! As for insurance, you can use this little calculator at Jeweler''s Mutual to figure out your premium:
http://www.jewelersmutual.com/pj/CalculatePremiumnew.htm

And as for antiquey-looking rings, maybe you could get some inspiration from Surfgirl''s ring. I think it''s beautiful without being over the top, and anything is going to look great on those tiny fingers of yours!

 

[ButterBean]

Wow, what a nice problem to have ... enjoyed your story!
Even though you like the current one, I would get a diamond that sparkles like crazy in ALL lighting. Whatever size you decide on, I doubt you''d ever regret it. You could always use part of the money to reset your existing solitaire into a pendant or something else you would enjoy wearing. Have fun trying on the endless possibilities! And please share the photos.

 

[littledebbie]

Thanks anyjackie. I checked on the insurance link and the 20k premium is only $280/year. That''s not bad. Surfgirl''s ring is very pretty. Excellent taste.

Butterbean, you know I think you are right that I wouldn''t regret getting a new stone. My husband bought me some baguette earrings 5 years ago that I wear everyday. Everytime I see them in the mirror, they make me happy. (Does that make me sound like a lunatic?!)

 

[surfgirl]

debbie, what a nice husband you have! First off, you''ll get over the price tag, trust me! Second, insurance on a ring in the $2-25k range differs depending on what part of the country you live in. For example, LA and NYC are the highest for insurance premiums, with all of SoCal being high as well. If you live in one of these areas you''ll likely pay in the area of $500/year for a Chubb policy (I have Chubb because I wanted to option of getting a full check, without hassling with the ins. co. on a ring replacement!). As for what size/cut/style, we can talk all day about that but in the end it is YOU that has to decide what size and cut and style looks better on you. For example, I always wanted a square EC but that shape only looks good on my bigger fingers in a 3ct.+ size and since that was out of the question, I looked at other shapes. You should go shopping - either by yourself or with a gf, and when you''ve narrowed it down to a couple of shapes/sizes/styles, then bring the hubby with you for a final decision. As for the setting, Leon is a master and you will love whatever you get from him but he is the only one who can tell you which styles can be made to be a bit more antiquey or not.

Good luck and enjoy the shopping process! So fun!!!

anyjackie, thank you so much for the lovely compliment!

 

[Fly Girl]

Welcome to Pricescope, LittleDebbie! Your husband really loves you.

About 8 years ago my husband suggested a new ring for me. I was shocked too.

But I got over it!

I ended up with a well cut 1.5 ct F VS2 in a custom platinum mounting with colored diamond side stones. I really enjoy my ring. It''s not too big for daily wear, but it is big enough I can wear it proudly in some very nice places. It is not ideal cut, but it is bright and sparkly and so pretty. My ring was pre-Pricescope, and today, with all I have learned here, I''m sure that I would choose an ideal cut stone.

Enjoy your hunt. Find a wonderful new diamond and setting. You have a great budget to work with.

And, we are all here to help and enjoy your journey!!

 

[Lorelei]

Welcome also Debbie!

Again - what a nice Husband you have! I would personally really make the most of this process, take my time and make sure that 20k was very well spent!

Cut is the most important for a diamond''s beauty, easier to judge with various proportions with a round diamond, rather than a fancy shape if you go that way - fancy shapes can throw curve balls sometimes with a not so good set of proportions on paper and be insanely gorgeous! So cut is a huge priority to enable you to end up with a lovely stone- it was very likely the cut of the diamond you so admired at the wedding, which gave it the brillance you wish to emulate.

I would stick around and read the tutorials and learn about the C''s - again especially read up on cut - then you can build a profile of what you want in your new diamond also colour and clarity wise. I would also get out to jewellers and try on different sizes and shapes to see what you like, as diamonds can look and feel very differently in wear to how you can imagine them to be. Also take note of colour grades to see what your tolerances are. Perhaps a nice size range to look at would be from 1.30 cts to 1.75 to begin with to see what you like, then you can adjust from there. You may find in a different shape such as an Emerald cut that you mentioned, that you would be comfortable going larger than you thought too.

Also emerald cuts are a wonderful classic look, but they have a different personality to rounds - so try to see and try some on in person so you can compare.

I hope this helps.

 

[ButterBean]

Date: 10/5/2007 12:21:37 PM
Author: littledebbie
Thanks anyjackie. I checked on the insurance link and the 20k premium is only $280/year. That''s not bad. Surfgirl''s ring is very pretty. Excellent taste.

Butterbean, you know I think you are right that I wouldn''t regret getting a new stone. My husband bought me some baguette earrings 5 years ago that I wear everyday. Everytime I see them in the mirror, they make me happy. (Does that make me sound like a lunatic?!)

A lunatic? No, of course not! Just sentimental ...

 

[Gypsy]

I love that Leon setting. It is hands down my favorite

I would get your current stone re-cut and set it into a pendant, personally.

Then I would take the budget and get diamond around 15K and put 5K toward that stunning setting.


Now... what shape diamond? I would personally either do fat oval from Good Old Gold (see Kaleigh''s oval three stone from Leon Mage) or a round, if you want something SUPER brilliant with spread.

But you DO have smaller fingers so... I''d probably seriously consider a Square Hearts and Arrows from GOG for that setting cause it would be STUNNING. Fire, brilliance, square shape, in that setting. SWOOOOOOOONNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[wolftress]

What a sweet husband you have! You have size 3 fingers, so I think you won''t have to worry about a diamond looking small on you, no matter what size you get. The most important thing is cut and with $20k as a budget, you can easily get an ideal cut diamond. You mentioned brilliance as your top priority so a round brilliant ideal cut is probably the way to go, or maybe a square H&A like Gypsy suggested. That mounting by Leon is to die for, and I''m sure you''ll build a stunning ring with your budget!

 

[littledebbie]

Thanks so much for the advice! I guess I do need to go out and look at some diamonds locally to figure out the cut and size I am interested in. I just feel bad because chances are I won''t be buying locally. I know I don''t want a round diamond. I love how the cushion cut looks in that leon mege ring that I love. Gypsy and Wolftress suggested a H&A square diamond. That might look very nice too, but it''s hard to picture for sure. What about Jubilee diamonds? Wolftress, you said that since I have small fingers that a square might look nice. I was just wondering why? I''ve been thinking maybe I should take a trip to NYC to look for a diamond and meet with Leon Mege in person. Do you think this is necessary, or do you think I will be able to do just as well long distance. Sorry this posting is so stream-of-consciousness. I think I''m tired and should go to bed!

 

[wolftress]

Date: 10/6/2007 2:22:17 AM
Author: littledebbie
Thanks so much for the advice! I guess I do need to go out and look at some diamonds locally to figure out the cut and size I am interested in. I just feel bad because chances are I won''t be buying locally. I know I don''t want a round diamond. I love how the cushion cut looks in that leon mege ring that I love. Gypsy and Wolftress suggested a H&A square diamond. That might look very nice too, but it''s hard to picture for sure. What about Jubilee diamonds? Wolftress, you said that since I have small fingers that a square might look nice. I was just wondering why? I''ve been thinking maybe I should take a trip to NYC to look for a diamond and meet with Leon Mege in person. Do you think this is necessary, or do you think I will be able to do just as well long distance. Sorry this posting is so stream-of-consciousness. I think I''m tired and should go to bed!

Any excuse for a trip to NYC!

If you can swing the time to meet Leon, I''m sure that will make the ring-buying experience even better, but a lot of PS-ers just order rings from him long distance. He has a terrific reputation on here and always delivers masterpieces IMHO.

I suggested a square H&A because it''s just as brilliant as a round. Emerald cuts are drop dead gorgeous, but I think you may miss the brilliance of your round brilliant. I too have tiny fingers (2.75) and I found that rounds, squares and square-shaped cushions looked most flattering on my short fingers. I love elogated shapes but they made my fingers look even shorter. You didn''t mention the length of your fingers - if they''re long and elegant, have you considered rectangular cushions? They trick the eye into looking even bigger than their carat weight because of their length.

I too love the Jubilee cut. It seems to be the most similar modern cut to antique cushion cut diamonds, but they seem to have fallen out of fashion. You may have to look harder and do a bit more research for this cut.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

What a wonderful surprise! And a fun project for us to help you with!!!

You definitely do not need to travel to NY to see Leon. He is easy to talk with on the phone if there are existing rings on his site that you can tell him you like. I have done this.

I''d really recommend looking at the Good Old Gold site at shapes of stones, as they carry the best collection of shapes other than rounds. Then call Jonathan and talk to him about what you like. He can access other stones if he doesn''t have one that is exactly what you want right now. I even had them send me two stones (yes, I had to wire the money for both and they refunded the amount for the one I returned), and it allowed me to compare size, etc. I had ordered two stones from other vendors prior to that and returned them. So all that certainly cost less than a trip to NY. But if you can travel there, I''d make the trip to Good Old Gold to look at stones and have Jon send Leon the diamond. They do have a working relationship.

 

[DMBsGirl]

I love that ring you posted from Leon! I think you should definitely get it with a cushion, and if it''s a cushion you want, then Mark T at ERD is your guy! He is also in NY, so I suggest contacting him so he can have some stones in your price range for you to see, then meet with Leon and decide on the setting.

 

[gemgirl]

I agree with surfgirl. I have the Chubb Masterpiece Policy and I think it''s just about as good as it gets for insuring fine jewelry. Pricey? Yes, but they give a full refund for the appraised value of your piece if it is lost or stolen. They are NOT one of the insurance companies that chooses a replacement stone or ring for you.

 

[littledebbie]

Thanks so much for all the advice you have given me! Wolftress, about my hands, I would say my fingers are definitely not short and stubby. They are slender and about medium length. I wouldn''t say they are long or bony looking. I''ll try to post a picture.

I think I will try doing things remotely and if it doesn''t seem like it is working out well, then I will plan a trip to NY.

Thanks for the tip of Chubb. I WOULD NOT want my insurance company picking out a replacement stone and setting!

 

[Gypsy]

I suggested a square stone for you because, generally, square stones will face up smaller than rounds of the same carat weight. But since you have such tiny fingers, and you love the five stone setting from Leon (my FAVORITE SETTING of his)you don''t need incredible spread out of the center stone to get finger coverage. So a 1.5 to 2 carat square would work for you. I love the jubilee, but frankly DROOL over the Flanders cuts. SO incredibly stunning. And they would look fabulous set in a five stone like that. I suggested the Square Hearts and Arrows because your friends ring captured your heart and imagination... all that fire and brilliance, and a square hearts and arrow is the square with the closest fire and brilliance to a round. An incredibly well cut non-branded cushion (Call Pearlmans, they just found the most amazing stone for another person here) would be lovely in that setting (and Leon has a pic of a 3 carat square cushion in that same setting, it''s stunning) as well, but will not have the same type of facetting and fire a round would.

 

[littledebbie]

Gypsy,

That''s funny you mention the flanders cut, because I was surfing last night and saw a picture of one and loved it! What do you know about them? Have you ever seen on in person? Are they hard to find and more expensive than a cushion? In the picture I saw, the cut looked very delicate and antiqueish.