Quick Question for everyone

[BigDs2002v6]

My Girlfriend is 5''7, 115lbs, and wears a size 4 1/2 ring size, will a 3/4ct Princess look good or still look kind of small on her? I have a budget of $1000 for the antique setting and $2500 or less for the stone. Is this possible at all?? I found the setting I really like and I know she will love it also.

http://www.tivoli-us.com/html/bridal_18k_or_pt7.html

Page 8 first one on the very bottom (Ref. # RB070) $990 And will get the band and little bit later.
Just looking for a well cut princess that will shine and sparkle like crazy. I searched PS and all the other vendors but I really do not know what im looking for when it comes to the Pav, and all the angles. Any help will be greatly appreciated!

 

[ame]

Well as far as size you could get a bigger looking stone with a different shape but I can't imagine a 3/4 ct looking small on a small girl. She has really thin hands so that will definitely make it look like its bigger by comparison. The only problem is your mounting looks like its for a Round not a princess.

 

[alexah]

For the center stone, what color are you looking for? Clarity?

 

[reena]

hey, you just described me to a T! am i your girlfriend?

just kidding. luckily all stones look pretty big on we ladies of small fingers, so i think you'll be just fine--plus your setting will add some sparkle. i really like it by the way.

re the stone, you'll have to await a response from someone more princess saavy than i.

 

[alexah]

Here's a starting point - I found two nice H VS2s under $2500

.72ct H VS2 $2231

.81ct H VS2 $2472

 

[valeria101]

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On 8/26/2004 10:31:21 AM BigDs2002v6 wrote:



I searched PS and all the other vendors but I really do not know what im looking for when it comes to the Pav, and all the angles. Any help will be greatly appreciated!
----------------

Those numbers would not help much with a princess cut. Any measure of brillaince taken on the actual stone (Brilliance or Ideal Scope pics, for example) will do way better to tell a greta stone apart.

There are no ruls to judge a princess cut by angles (like the HCA works for the rounds, for ex), but you could use the AGA chart for ref. It does not measure brilliance per se, but definitely helps avoid the worst. Did you take a look on the "Fancy Shapes" page here?

As an aside, size and carats are two different things when it comes to princess cuts because the proportions of the stones vary so much. It would be nice to know the dimensions of that setting to get some idea of what the respective princess cut will look in it.

 

[kevinng]

My girlfriend's ring size is 4 1/2 too. I bought her a 0.62ct diamond and it looks like this when mounted:

Show me the ring

 

[alexah]

Here's one more princess that's got potential - it's $2011 .81 H SI1 w Med Blue Fluor (you'd have to ask if it's eye clean)

LINK

 

[verticalhorizon]

Agreed. In the real world, a 0.75ct is nothing to shake a stick at. Plus even though Princess measures less in width than a Round Brilliant (comparing squares to rounds), the diagonal (corner to opposite corner) measurement larger than an RB of the same weight. Is that too confusing?

Plus, if you get the typical V shaped prongs that hold Princess diamonds, they give the illusion of the stone being bigger than it is.

And as you will hear about a million times on this site, if you research your specs well, you will get a good spread (physical measurement in mm) for its weight (in carats) and higher optical performance (which also makes it appear bigger by blinding the viewer).

Good luck.

 

[Todd07]

Hi BigD,

No one here can tell you whether she will think a .75 is big enough

My suggestions, from one novice to another
- give yourself 1-2 weeks to read and learn, don't rush your purchase.
- read the tutorial and dig into understanding the Idealscope and Holloway Cut Adviser. Read the forum and do searches on subjects of interest.
- Stretch your budget by considering I-J colors and SI1 clarity.
- The ring indicated you wanted a round. If so, use the search by cut quality to find stones to investigate. https://www.pricescope.com/sift.asp

You can easily buy a sparkler (well cut) under 2500 in the I-J and VS2-SI1 range

Your setting - If your GF didn't choose it, I wouldn't buy the final setting. If you want to suprise her, buy the stone with the 50-80$ simple solitare ring offered by all the vendors. After the suprise, both of you can find the perfect setting together. Bezel settings and other designs may make the .75 look larger if that's an issue.

A well cut stone will be beautiful regardless of the size and will outshine a larger stone that is poorly cut.

 

[BigDs2002v6]

HOLY COW THAT WAS A FAST RESPONSE!

First off thank you all for your Info and ideas!
AME, we have a very good family owned jeweler here that has been in Oklahoma for 30 years that is well talked of and i will take the setting there and let them put the prongs on it to hold the stone.

Alexah, Thank you for finding those stones for me! I think around the G-I range, and vs1-si1 (eye clean of course). But will the G-I range be a real noticable yellow, cause i do not really want that. Also is that website pretty good with helping out, as in BrillianceScope, Idealscope, and checking them for being eye clean?

I dont really care for the Princess shape but about 3 years ago when she graduated college i got her a very nice set of F, vs1, 1/2ct earrings and now she wants the ring to match. Just a little scared of buying thats all, dont want to get something thats ugly or to small. anymore ideas i would appreciate it. And yes Verticalhorizon it is very confusing! ive been on this website for about 1 or 2 months and im still not sure!
Thanks guys and gals!

 

[valeria101]

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On 8/26/2004 12:15:56 PM BigDs2002v6 wrote:




I was think around the G-I range, and vs1-si1 (eye clean of course). But will the G-I range be a real noticable yellow, cause i do not really want that.

I dont really care for the Princess shape but about 3 years ago when she graduated college i got her a very nice set of F, vs1, 1/2ct earrings ----------------

There will be no difference between F and G when set. So if F is ok, so will be G. There is always some exception to the rule, but even grading is done down to a split color grade for set diamonds.

From G to I seems to be some difference to most, at least before they start looking at diamonds. Can you jeweler show you a couple of princess cuts of different colors to decide what works?

 

[aljdewey]

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On 8/26/2004 10:42:52 AM kevinng wrote:

My girlfriend's ring size is 4 1/2 too. I bought her a 0.62ct diamond and it looks like this when mounted:

Show me the ring----------------

BigD, while this shows what a .62 round would look like on a 4.5 finger, do keep in mind that a .62 round brilliant and a .62 *princess* cut don't have the same dimensions. A princess will be smaller dimensions when compared to a round of equal weight, so a princess may not look as large on the finger as this round does.

It is true that a princess may measure more *diagonally*, but the eye tends to see the perimeter edges of the stone, not an invisible diagonal line in the middle. When people think "how big is it", it's usually "how much of one's finger does it span", and the diagonal measurement doesn't help with that perception at all.

 

[gingerBcookie]

I am 5'7, 112 lbs, with a 4.5 ring size and I've tried on a .75 RB which I thought looked very pretty proportion wise on my finger. The princess cuts of the same carat weight are a little smaller, but I think especially with the setting you chose with the detailing and intricate sidestone mounting, I think it'll be fine. Of course, like someone else said above, no one can speak for your gf.

btw...the setting you chose is really pretty!

 

[BigDs2002v6]

Actually i think she would be happy with a marble on her hand, its just me that is worried and wants everything to be perfect. Ok, so a princess cut, from G-I color, VS1-SI1 (eye clean) and .75ct or bigger, and a very good cut. I really like that setting to and the company said since her hand is so small they will have to specially make it and then a jeweler here can set the diamond in it. But i will go to a jeweler this weekend and look at colors and claritys to see the difference. If anyone finds some nice stones please post them.
Thank you all,

 

[valeria101]

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On 8/26/2004 2:13:22 PM BigDs2002v6 wrote:

If anyone finds some nice stones please post them.
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See, this is how PS works

Between 70 and 80 points a well cut princess should get at at least 5mm...

There are seven pieces in the "signature series" at DCD that match all those specs (0.7-0.8cts, F-I, VVS2-SI1, signature cut), all worth a look. Betwee F-VS2, I-SI1 and H-VVS there were only a couple hundred $ difference and little difference of size (milimeters as well as carat points)

And THIS piece at WF comes with a more complete descriptio (Iscope and Sarin).

Hope this helps. Keep us posted !

 

[jesrush]

That's a pretty delicate setting so it's probably only available in white gold?

If you're going white gold with that setting, be sure to ask what white gold alloy they use. Ideally you want a palladium white gold alloy. If they use a nickel white gold alloy, understand that you'll have to have it replated with rhodium every couple years.

If you're going platinum, it'll always be white... you won't have any problems.

-J

 

[Rowan]

I think that size will look perfect.

 

[BigDs2002v6]

Yeah i think the settings are 18kt white gold and they are plated with palladium, i think thats what the guy said. Should i get the prongs made of platinum? superbcert, has some really nice stones also for a fairly good price. I was thinking maybe i should just get a cheapy white gold solitare setting and spend a little more for the stone and in time buy the setting she wants like what someone said in the earlier post's. I dunno its a hard decision.

 

[Diamondsbybree]

That is a very good idea. Then later on, she can pick the setting of her dreams.

 

[aljdewey]

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On 8/26/2004 5:36:05 PM BigDs2002v6 wrote:

I was thinking maybe i should just get a cheapy white gold solitare setting and spend a little more for the stone and in time buy the setting she wants like what someone said in the earlier post's. I dunno its a hard decision.----------------

I'm a really huge proponent of this method...and I'm a woman.

Before I received my diamond, I was fairly definitive on what I thought I wanted for a setting. I found that once I received my diamond, though, I changed my mind at LEAST 50 times!!!! on what I'd like to wear for the long-term. I kept changing my mind.

I finally had a setting custom-made, and having thought about it for a while.

Thank GOD my fiance gave it to me in a temporary setting. It let me wear it without making a *rush* decision, and we had the setting made 6 months later.

 

[jesrush]

To buy the setting now or later... indeed that is the dilemma! Remember also, that everytime your stone is set... that's another opportunity for it to be chipped, scratched, or switched with another (unintentionally or otherwise). If you *can* subtly figure out what she wants... and you're confident she'll want that forever... I'd personally reccomend getting the nice setting now. I think my girlfriend would be dissapointed if the ring she had to show to all her excited friends in the weeks after the proposal was just a plain solitare. But different strokes for different folks.

BTW, you sound a little confused about the plating stuff, so here is a summary:

18k/14k white gold + nickel alloy = rhodium plated, and will likely require replating (dipping in rhodium) every couple years as the plating wears off and yellowish alloy beings to show through.

18k/14k white gold + palladium alloy = USUALLY rhodium plated (not always), and will probably not require rhodium replating because the alloy is rather white in the first place... which is why they sometimes can get away with not plating it at all.

There is no such thing (that I've ever heard of) called "palladium plating" like you wrote above.

 

[BigDs2002v6]

the settings are rhodium plated. thanks for setting me straight! And actually i think that is a good idea of buying the nice setting up front instead of waiting. she isnt picky at all and most of the settings she likes are the antique with engraved on the sides, so im sure she would really love that setting i was talking about in the earlier post's.. It's just really crazy to spend $2500 for ONE LITTLE stone! When i could be using that money for other goodies. lolol But i was thinking she really is worth it, plus instead of a $2500 band i wanted i told her to buy me a cheapy white gold band and buy me a rolex i have always wanted.

 

[BigDs2002v6]

http://whiteflash.com/princess/Princess-cut-diamond-753930.htm

How does this rock look? I know you need the rest of the info but you think it may be promising?