Ok. My engagement ring shopping indecisiveness is driving me (and my boyfriend) mad and I'm in desperate need of opinions. I have 2 dilemmas which I need help with.
Firstly, the only things that I am 100% certain of are:
a) the ring must be platinum and art deco inspired
b) the diamond must be an AVR. I may consider an antique OEC if I can be assured it will be a showstopper.
First dilemma. Halo or Solitaire. I have tried on so, so many ring styles and my heart has skipped a beat with two particular settings - one halo and one solitaire. The halo featured a .40ct J colour transitional cut centre stone. It is dainty and darling, but the small size of the diamond makes it impossible to appreciate the beautiful chunky facets. And I know I'd get DSS in like one week, lol. If I were to decide the halo option, I would have it custom made with about a .70 to .80ct AVR. I am worried I will not get exactly what I envision if I went the custom route- I know it can be risky sometimes. The solitaire features a 1.15ct H colour antique OEC. I think this is a bit too big for my liking, I would probably get a .80ct to 1.0ct but in K to M colour. The H was beautiful, but it's out of my budget and I think I would prefer a bit more warmth to the stone, however perhaps going down to an M is too yellow? Should I stick to K/L? The band is also very thin at 1.3mm, I'd have it custom made at 1.8 or 2mm.
The shop owners generously allowed me to photograph the rings so I will include them here (they all look better in person, I promise):
Halo.
Halo mirror hand shot.
Solitaire. Disregard the halo on the pinky, that is not the one I am considering.
Solitaire mirror hand shot. This is the moment when my heart skipped a beat for the solitaire.
I like the halo because to me it screams art deco and it's a bit different. No one in my social circle has a ring similar, and I doubt they ever will. I like that the bezeled halo offers the centre diamond protection, and the halo obviously offers more finger coverage however I am not too bothered about that. What worries me about the halo is if the custom make won't turn out delicate and exactly like the inspiration (it will be a different jeweller) and I might outgrow the halo, wishing I chose something a bit plainer with better focus on the diamond. I like the solitaire because all of my attention goes to the diamond, the beautiful OEC. The band has stunning engraving and the 6 prongs have delightful pierced details in the basket. Solitaires have proven that they are truly timeless, and this one is just that little bit different than the classic Tiffany setting. I am after something slightly different, but not totally out there. What worries me about the solitaire is I'm not sure it suits my biggish hand (size 6.5) and I may need more finger coverage from the halo as better balance. The setting on this solitaire also seemed quite high, but that's hopefully something which can be lowered slightly if custom made.
What are your personal opinions on the two options? FWIW I think the halo will allow my budget better "finger coverage value", with a budget of 4.5-5k in total. However finger coverage is not my highest concern.
My second dilemma is choosing the AVR. I'm particularly hoping you can help me with the different types of cuts available. To me, some AVR facets are broad and petal like, with almost no space between the facets under the table. Those appeal the most to me online. Whereas other AVRs seem to have narrower facets under the table with some 'gaps' on the outer corners of them. Would these differences be obviously visible in person for a .80ct to 1.0ct diamond? Will one have more obvious OEC features than another?
Examples of the different AVR cuts (neither of these diamonds I am considering):
Broad, petal like facet examples: http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/12280/
Narrower facet like example: http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/12314/
Sorry this post is so long! I hope some of you can help me finally make a decision. I look forward to hearing anyone's opinon! You are welcome to share your personal experiences too
Firstly, the only things that I am 100% certain of are:
a) the ring must be platinum and art deco inspired
b) the diamond must be an AVR. I may consider an antique OEC if I can be assured it will be a showstopper.
First dilemma. Halo or Solitaire. I have tried on so, so many ring styles and my heart has skipped a beat with two particular settings - one halo and one solitaire. The halo featured a .40ct J colour transitional cut centre stone. It is dainty and darling, but the small size of the diamond makes it impossible to appreciate the beautiful chunky facets. And I know I'd get DSS in like one week, lol. If I were to decide the halo option, I would have it custom made with about a .70 to .80ct AVR. I am worried I will not get exactly what I envision if I went the custom route- I know it can be risky sometimes. The solitaire features a 1.15ct H colour antique OEC. I think this is a bit too big for my liking, I would probably get a .80ct to 1.0ct but in K to M colour. The H was beautiful, but it's out of my budget and I think I would prefer a bit more warmth to the stone, however perhaps going down to an M is too yellow? Should I stick to K/L? The band is also very thin at 1.3mm, I'd have it custom made at 1.8 or 2mm.
The shop owners generously allowed me to photograph the rings so I will include them here (they all look better in person, I promise):
Halo.
Halo mirror hand shot.
Solitaire. Disregard the halo on the pinky, that is not the one I am considering.
Solitaire mirror hand shot. This is the moment when my heart skipped a beat for the solitaire.
I like the halo because to me it screams art deco and it's a bit different. No one in my social circle has a ring similar, and I doubt they ever will. I like that the bezeled halo offers the centre diamond protection, and the halo obviously offers more finger coverage however I am not too bothered about that. What worries me about the halo is if the custom make won't turn out delicate and exactly like the inspiration (it will be a different jeweller) and I might outgrow the halo, wishing I chose something a bit plainer with better focus on the diamond. I like the solitaire because all of my attention goes to the diamond, the beautiful OEC. The band has stunning engraving and the 6 prongs have delightful pierced details in the basket. Solitaires have proven that they are truly timeless, and this one is just that little bit different than the classic Tiffany setting. I am after something slightly different, but not totally out there. What worries me about the solitaire is I'm not sure it suits my biggish hand (size 6.5) and I may need more finger coverage from the halo as better balance. The setting on this solitaire also seemed quite high, but that's hopefully something which can be lowered slightly if custom made.
What are your personal opinions on the two options? FWIW I think the halo will allow my budget better "finger coverage value", with a budget of 4.5-5k in total. However finger coverage is not my highest concern.
My second dilemma is choosing the AVR. I'm particularly hoping you can help me with the different types of cuts available. To me, some AVR facets are broad and petal like, with almost no space between the facets under the table. Those appeal the most to me online. Whereas other AVRs seem to have narrower facets under the table with some 'gaps' on the outer corners of them. Would these differences be obviously visible in person for a .80ct to 1.0ct diamond? Will one have more obvious OEC features than another?
Examples of the different AVR cuts (neither of these diamonds I am considering):
Broad, petal like facet examples: http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/12280/
Narrower facet like example: http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/12314/
Sorry this post is so long! I hope some of you can help me finally make a decision. I look forward to hearing anyone's opinon! You are welcome to share your personal experiences too
But if you have any concerns at all about your ring eventually being out of fashion, maybe a solitaire is the safer bet. You can't go wrong with either choice in terms of beauty, both styles look lovely on you!
let us see what you settle on.
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