Expert Advice Needed: Her Criteria -vs- My Criteria

[sobriquet]

First time poster looking for some advice. I've tried to do my homework so that this is a well thought out and informed post, but please let me know if you you need any additional information.

Her Criteria:
Round Center Stone
Halo Setting
Very skinny band
Wedding Ring must be circular and able to sit flush against the engagement ring
Diamonds down the side of the ring with shared prongs

My Criteria:
Highest possible quality on center stone (especially cut)
Overall high quality trumps brand name

Together we have looked and found a Hearts on Fire ring that seems to meet these criteria. See photos below:





My reservations with this ring is that the center stone is not graded by AGS or GIA. Should I be concerned by the proprietary HOF stone grading? How do I know I'm really getting what I pay for? Additionally, neither of us care about brand name, eg HOF. Can I get a comparable/better center stone and/or setting if I essentially "create it myself" at a lower price? Or get "more ring" for the same price?

Please let me know your thoughts on the above. I would also love to see alternate suggestions fitting these criteria in case I do not go the HOF ring route.

Thanks!

 

[JulieN]

Does it indeed have HoF in -house grading?

A GIA or AGS report is incredibly cheap compared to the markup of a HoF vs Internet pricing.

http://www.heartsonfire.com/history-of-diamonds/how-is-my-diamond-graded.aspx

 

[sobriquet]

Thank you for the reply, JulieN. Yes, the store indicated that HOF uses in-house grading and that the diamond will come with a certificate issued by them.

 

[krisjon]

You can get a perfect Hearts and Arrows cut stone from an online vendor like Brian Gavin, White Flash or High Performance Diamonds that will match (and more likely exceed) a Hearts on Fire - for less.

You can also find a similar setting for less, too.

 

[teobdl]

Todd Gray had a nice little writeup about Hearts on Fire vs. one of the highly regarded PS vendors http://niceice.com/hearts-fire-versus-brian-gavin-signature-hearts-arrows-diamonds/

No need to pay the HoF premium to get a nearly perfect diamond. In fact, a Brian Gavin Signature, Crafted by Infinity, or A Cut Above will likely be even more perfect. Brian Gavin was an early industry leader in setting the cut criteria for hearts patterning.

 

[Gypsy]

please read this thread: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/likelihood-of-finding-a-signature-super-ideal-diamond.174235/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/likelihood-of-finding-a-signature-super-ideal-diamond.174235/[/URL]

I will post more lster

 

[krisjon]

If you can give us an idea of your budget, carat size and other specs you're looking for, the membership here can definitely steer you in the right direction - and save you some money.

Hearts on Fire are nice, but they're a heavily branded cut with an accompanying price tag. A joke in the industry is that they're called "Wallets on Fire."

 

[sobriquet]

I appreciate the responses, krisjon and teobdl. I believe those answers hit at the crux of my post.

What similar settings would you recommend? Also I am looking at those vendors you mentioned. Are there any stones in the 0.8 - 1.0 ct range that you would suggest?

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Yes, Hearts on Fire diamonds are very overpriced. That style setting is available everywhere, too. I have bought Hearts and Arrows stones from both Good Old Gold and WhiteFlash, and I would say that they were about a third less than the HoF stones I saw and absolutely equal in cut.

As others have said, if you give us your budget, we can give you some examples.

I will caution you that with a pave shank, you don't want less than 1.8mm or you will be at risk of a shank may not be structurally sound. We have seen shanks that have gone out of round and that is an especially bad thing if there is pave on the shank!

 

[JulieN]

Depends... specs on the HOF one you looked at, plus price?

Your budget and desired specs?

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Well, here are a few that span the .8 to 1.0 ct range, $4300-6800.

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/11741/

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/11574/

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/10102/

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3034521.htm ($5852 with Pricescope/wire pmt discount)

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3034525.htm ($6174 " )

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3034523.htm ($6890 " )

 

[sobriquet]

This has been extremely helpful so far. Thank you all! I wish I had found the thread Gypsy posted prior to starting mine.

Per your request, regarding budget I am relatively flexible. I'm not sure what a setting costs, but does a center stone at approximately $7000 USD put me at around $10,000 USD for the whole ring? Perhaps this will be a good place to start and allow me to see what I can get for that price.

As for specs, I want to prioritize diamond quality over size. I've read up, but clearly am not an expert on, HCA and such so I'll defer to you on what you recommend.

Please let me know if you need any additional information.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

With AGS ideal cut, you do not use the HCA. With a $7000 diamond budget, you can get a 1 ct stone in addition to the .90's I posted above.

I'll post some more stones, but Good Old Gold carries many setting vendors, but Gabriel and Co has many nice halos (and more on the site. They also can be made in platinum):

http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/style/ER7261W44JJ

http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/style/ER7278W44JJ

http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/style/ER7292W44JJ

WhiteFlash carries many halos as well:

http://www.whiteflash.com/engagement-rings/halo-engagement-rings/

 

[krisjon]

Just a couple of examples:

Top color, great clarity

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/0.905-d-vs1-round-diamond-ags-104067957045#

Great color /clarity, slightly smaller, significantly cheaper

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/0.843-f-vs1-round-diamond-ags-104064814017

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Here are two great 1 ct stones:

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2953769.htm ($7161.with PS/wire discounts)

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3034167.htm ($7145. with PS/wire discounts)

If you want to go with VS2 clarity, you'll be back to the .90 range (see my previous post with a few .90's). G-H is a great color range at the top of near colorless.

These will leave you about $3000 for a halo setting in platinum, which is doable.

 

[sobriquet]

Yay, keep the suggestions coming! I promise I am looking at each one!

Does it make sense to stay at around the .9 ct range and up the clarity and color specs? I also worry that with the halo at some point it may become "too big" for her finger.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Too big is relative because we have people here with half carat stones up to over 5 cts! What size is her finger? Do any of her friends or sisters have e-rings yet, and if so, what size are they?

I will just add that it is best to go a little larger now so that she'll be happy with the size when she is older. A one carat stone in a delicate halo is a beautiful size, really. But certainly the .90's are a good value.

 

[krisjon]

Yay, keep the suggestions coming! I promise I am looking at each one!

Does it make sense to stay at around the .9 ct range and up the clarity and color specs? I also worry that with the halo at some point it may become "too big" for her finger.

It all depends on what you're comfortable with.

H and up is good for color. G is really safe. Anything above G is icy white.

There are eye clean SI1s and even more VS2s. VS1 is pretty much guaranteed eye clean and mind clean clarity. Anything over that is a waste. Dropping clarity (while still eye clean) will allow you to go up in size or color.

Size-wise, buying shy (just under 1ct) will save you a decent chunk. Price goes up as soon as it hits 1.0

 

[sobriquet]

Her ring size is 5.5.

As an aside, what spec/image is the best predictor of scintillation in the stones that have been posted? That tends to be what personally draws my eye the most.

 

[JulieN]

Setting looks similar to this Ritani: http://www.ritani.com/engagement-rings/french-set-halo-diamond-band-engagement-ring-in-platinum/4975

But if you want a very skinny band, this is the one: http://www.ritani.com/engagement-rings/french-set-halo-diamond-band-engagement-ring-in-platinum/4966

The price jumps at .9, and again at 1 ct, are fairly significant.

 

[teobdl]

Scintillation is poorly defined. But for me, the best predictor of scintillation is perfect hearts on an ideally cut diamond. Perfect hearts indicate that the facets are aiming in such a way that maximizes creation of virtual facets when light enters. These virtual facets are largely what gives the modern round brilliant its dynamism (my own equivalent term for scintillation).

 

[Gypsy]

Here are the diamond/setting combos that would be on my short list, in your place.

#1
http://www.engagementringsdirect.com/1.12-carat-h-si1-hearts-and-arrows-round-cut-diamond-gid-108294.html
and
http://www.engagementringsdirect.com/emily-micro-pave-halo-engagement-ring-bpid-239-15.html

#2
http://www.victorcanera.com/diamonds/twfhb6
and
http://www.victorcanera.com/jewelry/engagement-rings/the-emilya-with-cathedral-shank

#3
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/11574/
and any halo in the below link:
http://www.goodoldgold.com/SettingsGallery/beverley_k/

 

[sobriquet]

Thank you for the continued help!

Do I have to buy the ring and diamond from the same vendor? Otherwise, how do I get them mounted together?

 

[Gypsy]

No, you don't.

As for how you get them together: it depends. If the setting is a custom design, then you will want to send the stone to the setting vendor. You need to ask it if they will insure while setting, as many don't, in which case you will need insurance before you do this. There should be no setting fee, as that should be included in the setting price. If you are getting a stock setting (ordered for your stone, but not a custom design), you just need to give the stone information to the vendor ordering the setting, then have them send it to the stone vendor and the stone vendor will set it (and they will insure it as you bought it from them, so you don't need your own insurance before setting). There will usually be a setting fee this way, usually $100 or so for a one carat-ish stone.

 

[sobriquet]

I created a spreadsheet for all of these choices! Is there any difference between the vendors you have been posting? Does any one tend to be better?

Are there any more diamond options in the G / VS range? Even if slightly over 7k?

 

[krisjon]

Nothing over a carat, but here are some .9, G, VS2s that are AGS 0 and H&A:

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/0.907-g-vs2-round-diamond-ags-104067973047
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/0.914-g-vs2-round-diamond-ags-104064191011