Need e-ring help and advice.

[thebozz]

I need some advice on getting my fiance a suitable engagement ring.

I'm aware of the 4 Cs with cut being the most important factor. I've settled on looking for a G or H VS2 stone at 0.9-1.2cts as my minimum specs though I may consider something a little bit lower.

What cut/shape has the biggest face up size? I realize how a stone is cut will affect that and not all cuts/shapes have an ideal cut. But would a properly well cut 1ct Round brilliant tend to be bigger face up than say a princess or cushion cut?


I'm leaning towards a platinum setting as it seems to be more durable than white gold. Any reason (aside from cost) that I should choose WG over plat?


I want a design that is fairly robust as my gf is not the easiest on jewelry. Even though she has a desk job she's pretty much trashed the watch I got her. Scratches and nicks all over it. So I wonder how well a ring might hold up. Are halos pretty fragile? I wonder if the halo would help protect the center stone. I've seen some emerald and rounds that have quite a few chips on the edge or girdle so I'm wondering if a halo design might help protect the center. I don't want a ring that encompasses the stone as most seem to detract from the stone by hiding it in the ring and diminishing the stones brilliance. Any suggestions on a design that are notoriously fragile and should be avoided? Likewise, any design that can tolerate more vigorous environments?

 

[tyty333]

I need some advice on getting my fiance a suitable engagement ring.

I'm aware of the 4 Cs with cut being the most important factor. I've settled on looking for a G or H VS2 stone at 0.9-1.2cts as my minimum specs though I may consider something a little bit lower.

What cut/shape has the biggest face up size? I realize how a stone is cut will affect that and not all cuts/shapes have an ideal cut. But would a properly well cut 1ct Round brilliant tend to be bigger face up than say a princess or cushion cut?
If she has not requested or shown interest in a particular shape I would probably stick to a round. You can use this tool to see
how different shapes of the same size compare.
www.diamdb.com



I'm leaning towards a platinum setting as it seems to be more durable than white gold. Any reason (aside from cost) that I should choose WG over plat? Nope, not in my opinion.


I want a design that is fairly robust as my gf is not the easiest on jewelry. Even though she has a desk job she's pretty much trashed the watch I got her. Scratches and nicks all over it. So I wonder how well a ring might hold up. Are halos pretty fragile? I wonder if the halo would help protect the center stone. I've seen some emerald and rounds that have quite a few chips on the edge or girdle so I'm wondering if a halo design might help protect the center.I think it would help protect the center but then she might be damaging the halo and having to get that fixed. I don't want a ring that encompasses the stone as most seem to detract from the stone by hiding it in the ring and diminishing the stones brilliance. Any suggestions on a design that are notoriously fragile and should be avoided? Likewise, any design that can tolerate more vigorous environments?If she is hard on rings I would not suggest
a halo or a setting with a lot of pave. She would do better with a solitaire. Perhaps with 8 prongs or a semi-bezel like a
Sholdt
https://www.pricescope.com/blog/jewel-week-sholdt-semi-bezel-engagement-ring-oec

 

[VRBeauty]

I agree with tyty that a bezel set is the safest bet for someone who's hard on jewelry. This thread is pretty old, so some of the styles and/or jewelers may no longer be available, but it might give you some idea of how diverse and stunning bezel-set styles can be:

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/show-us-your-bezel-rings.121897/

I also love the classic Sholdt style tyty posted. Here are some other Sholdt options:

https://www.pricescope.com/forum/show-me-the-ring/the-sholdt-thread-t175520-30.html

 

[solgen]

Biggest face up can be misleading as certain shapes can trick your eye to an extent. Marquise and pear cuts tend to look fairly big as they'll tend to have a length greater than other cuts. Princess and Cushion cuts seem to some of the smallest face up so you might want to avoid those.

I'd stick with platinum as it should be stronger and if she's rough on jewelry then WG might need to be refinished or dipped more often.


Bezel design does seem the way to go to protect the center. But if she doesn't like it then a halo could be a good option. They can be fragile but at least it'll take the damage instead of the center. Though some halos are set real low so they don't offer much protection.


Also watches tend to scratches pretty easily just from typing on a keyboard or even writing. The dings could be of more concern as it indicates she bumps into things.

Find out what design she likes and go with that. If she likes halos then get her what she wants. If she damages the halo and the melees fall out then she'll have to be more careful or switch to another design like the bezel.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I would say to stick to a solitaire that does not set the stone too high. However, she needs to know some basics about caring for a valuable piece of fine jewelry so that she doesn't damage the ring. It is best to just take the ring off when you get home from work if you are going to be doing things around the house such as cooking, washing dishes or loading or unloading the dishwasher, cleaning, etc. Taking care of the ring will make it look it's best much longer. It should be cleaned a couple of times a week to keep the diamond sparkly and brilliant! A round is going to have the most impact partly because they face up larger than some stone and they can most easily be found in ideal cut which is the most important factor in a diamond's brilliance.

The more durable platinum alloys are 95% platinum with 5% ruthenium, or 90% platinum with 10% iridium. The most common is 95plat/5iridium and that is the softest of the three and will scratch the most easily. Fortunately platinum can be polished, though.