Hi everyone,
before I start I just want to say THANK YOU! Thank you for taking the time to research and post. The information that I have gathered in just the last 2 days alone has saved me a TON of research! You guys really know how to cut through the BS and get right to what's pertinent. Having said that, I will try to keep it short and to the point.
I plan on popping the question in July and my overall budget is $5,000. I don't have budgets in mind for the setting and stone. I figure that whatever combination of both results in the most beautiful ring would be ideal.
For the diamond, I am looking for something with as much sparkle as possible with no visible inclusions when viewing from anywhere between 6" - 12". It should be relatively colorless (G-J) and the size should be between 0.75 - 0.80 (to stay in my overall budget)
I would like your opinion on this stone: http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/8271/
Would this stone be a good fit for my criteria? If not, can you suggest another? I just started my research about a week ago so I am completely new to the process (yikes). Also, do I need to inquire if it has any visible inclusions if it is VS2 or higher? Or should I go with a lower clarity and ask if it is "eye clean"?
As for the setting, I have a fairly good idea of what my girlfriend likes: A round halo pave, set on 4 prongs with no visible metal either when viewing from the top or at an angle from the sides (except for the prong tips). The shank should be set with 1 row of pave diamonds and the thickness should be around 2.5mm (she has told me that she doesn't like the shank being overly thin). As far as metal, I think that if 14K or 18K white gold means a better quality stone or setting then it would be a good compromise. The stone shouldn't be raised too high on the setting. "Too high" being that which would make it overly susceptible to getting caught on something (I love her to death but she's a bit of a klutz). The design should be relatively simple (not vintage with milgrain, beads or overdone with too much detail, etc).
The best image I could come up with is this: http://www.timelessluxury.net/cr-021.htm except with the shank being a bit thicker. But it should have this "clean" and simple look. I have looked online at several places and I have found several candidates but they all seem to have an overly thin shank.
I don't know if my 5K budget is realistic considering this kind of setting
Also, if I get the diamond from one retailer and the setting from another, what are the logistics involved in having them set? Do I get the setting shipped to the diamond retailer or vice versa? Do I get both shipped to me and then have them set locally? I live in Toronto, Canada so taking a drive out to the B&M is probably not an option for me. Any advice navigating these waters would be really helpful!!
Thanks again everyone!
before I start I just want to say THANK YOU! Thank you for taking the time to research and post. The information that I have gathered in just the last 2 days alone has saved me a TON of research! You guys really know how to cut through the BS and get right to what's pertinent. Having said that, I will try to keep it short and to the point.
I plan on popping the question in July and my overall budget is $5,000. I don't have budgets in mind for the setting and stone. I figure that whatever combination of both results in the most beautiful ring would be ideal.
For the diamond, I am looking for something with as much sparkle as possible with no visible inclusions when viewing from anywhere between 6" - 12". It should be relatively colorless (G-J) and the size should be between 0.75 - 0.80 (to stay in my overall budget)
I would like your opinion on this stone: http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/8271/
Would this stone be a good fit for my criteria? If not, can you suggest another? I just started my research about a week ago so I am completely new to the process (yikes). Also, do I need to inquire if it has any visible inclusions if it is VS2 or higher? Or should I go with a lower clarity and ask if it is "eye clean"?
As for the setting, I have a fairly good idea of what my girlfriend likes: A round halo pave, set on 4 prongs with no visible metal either when viewing from the top or at an angle from the sides (except for the prong tips). The shank should be set with 1 row of pave diamonds and the thickness should be around 2.5mm (she has told me that she doesn't like the shank being overly thin). As far as metal, I think that if 14K or 18K white gold means a better quality stone or setting then it would be a good compromise. The stone shouldn't be raised too high on the setting. "Too high" being that which would make it overly susceptible to getting caught on something (I love her to death but she's a bit of a klutz). The design should be relatively simple (not vintage with milgrain, beads or overdone with too much detail, etc).
The best image I could come up with is this: http://www.timelessluxury.net/cr-021.htm except with the shank being a bit thicker. But it should have this "clean" and simple look. I have looked online at several places and I have found several candidates but they all seem to have an overly thin shank.
I don't know if my 5K budget is realistic considering this kind of setting
Also, if I get the diamond from one retailer and the setting from another, what are the logistics involved in having them set? Do I get the setting shipped to the diamond retailer or vice versa? Do I get both shipped to me and then have them set locally? I live in Toronto, Canada so taking a drive out to the B&M is probably not an option for me. Any advice navigating these waters would be really helpful!!
Thanks again everyone!
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