Not sure how to make my budget work, help!

[violet02]

Okay so my bf has given me a budget of about 12K total. I was hoping to possibly get a nice setting (doesn''t have to be uber designer but I want to see it in person before I pick it), maybe a Halo/Prong set type ring. I was perusing solitaires today to maybe try and bring the price down but I know I''d rather have something with a big more ''bling'' to it then that.

So if I was going to go with say a D. Vatche ring or similar I''m looking at something in the 2500-3k range for the setting. I was *hoping* to get between a 1.5 and 1.7 carat RB diamond. We went and looked at GIA diamonds the other day and we saw one that was decent that was an I, SI1, VG cut. It was 1.56 and cost about $9300. Honestly I''d would really like a better cut with more clarity. I know that may mean sacrificing some size but it would be nice. I would like to get an EX or Ideal cut stone and bump up the color to an F or a G and at least a VS2 but I know we''re talking too much money here.

Everytime I try to come up with something I wind up adding it up to $15K and not $12K. Plus if I buy locally we''re talking sales tax etc. Buying the stone/setting online can mean no sales tax if out of state right? We do get a nicer discount though if we buy the setting/stone at the same place locally. This process is killing me so far though... my head hurts! A friend of mine got his gf an estate ring thats an E, VS2 1.6 RB European cut for $11K with side diamonds and sapphires. It''s a 1920''s ring.. I don''t dig the style per se but what a great deal. I''m not sold on the vintage route yet though since most of the ones I''ve seen I don''t like or aren''t the size etc I want.

Anyways any help/advice/pointers on this would be great, thanks!

 

[lyra]

I''m usually no help at all, but personally, I''d put more towards the stone to start, than the setting. I found that over the years (about every 5 years actually), my own tastes changed, and I would always want something a bit different. I''m also like you: give me a budget, and what I want is always just out of reach.

I''d go the online route if at all possible, because as you mention, that''s a signifcant $$$ tax savings right there. The vendors recommended here are wonderful, and everyday I''m seeing people get great fair deals. Take advantage of that. I''m sure you can make that budget work and love the end result.

 

[Regular Guy]

This one''s $10,185 wire priced...

 

[neatfreak]

I personally wouldn''t complain with a $12k budget. That is a VERY hefty budget, far above what most people get. Unfortunately we can''t always get entirely what we want, so you''ve gotta make the best of the situation.

BUT...to maximize what you can spend, you need to decide whether the RING is more important to you than the STONE. If it''s the stone, then spend your max. on the stone and then switch settings later for more bling when you have more cash to spend. If it''s the ring, then pick the setting you LOVE and then work within your budget to find a stone that fits.

But that is just my .02 here.

 

[Gypsy]

Date: 9/6/2007 11:00:09 PM
Author: neatfreak
I personally wouldn''t complain with a $12k budget. That is a VERY hefty budget, far above what most people get. Unfortunately we can''t always get entirely what we want, so you''ve gotta make the best of the situation.

BUT...to maximize what you can spend, you need to decide whether the RING is more important to you than the STONE. If it''s the stone, then spend your max. on the stone and then switch settings later for more bling when you have more cash to spend. If it''s the ring, then pick the setting you LOVE and then work within your budget to find a stone that fits.

But that is just my .02 here.

Ditto Neatfreak completely.

 

[snlee]

Date: 9/6/2007 11:23:04 PM
Author: Gypsy

Date: 9/6/2007 11:00:09 PM

Author: neatfreak

I personally wouldn''t complain with a $12k budget. That is a VERY hefty budget, far above what most people get. Unfortunately we can''t always get entirely what we want, so you''ve gotta make the best of the situation.

BUT...to maximize what you can spend, you need to decide whether the RING is more important to you than the STONE. If it''s the stone, then spend your max. on the stone and then switch settings later for more bling when you have more cash to spend. If it''s the ring, then pick the setting you LOVE and then work within your budget to find a stone that fits.

But that is just my .02 here.

Ditto Neatfreak completely.

Thritto! Once you make this decision we could be more helpful.

 

[BigDiamonds]

If I wanted a solitaire for $12k, I would maximize the stone size and quality and put it in a temporary white gold setting. You could get this simple on from WF for $550, then upgrade to the D Vatche somewhere down the line.

However, you do have a lot of flexibility with a solitaire setting, so if you want to spend $ on the setting now, you can easily upgrade the stone later.

 

[violet02]

Thanks everyone, all helpful!

I have to just figure out which I want more right now the setting or the stone, for sure. That''s my big hurdle. It seems that EITHER way is workable though, particularly since I can upgrade the stone.

It''s funny, I totally know 12K is a huge budget but for some reason I get so picky and want to squeeze every bit out of that I can to maxmize the value. I should just be grateful and work with it. I just want to get a good deal for what I have to work with.

 

[violet02]

Date: 9/6/2007 9:36:23 PM
Author: Regular Guy
This one''s $10,185 wire priced...

How did you find that one on the whiteflash site? I spent a big part of today looking at Expert Selection stones. I assume that''s not in that category? I''m still trying to get used to looking at this stuff online. The picture of the stone looks good!

I plugged it into the HCA calculator and it came up with a 2. I was spend time today doing that with all the stones I found. The best one I found was .08 I believe but it had a very visible inclusion right in the center of the stone. I guess you can''t go by that number alone. I''m not sure what ''Very Good - Worth buying if the price is right'' means exactly yet since I''m still trying to work out what good prices are. I was in the expert selection section trying to aim for the better cut stones thinking that would maxmize the look. I hope I''m on the right path!

Thanks again for that link.

 

[violet02]

Actually how does that stone compare to this one?

http://whiteflash.com/round_ideal_cut/Round-Ideal-Cut-cut-diamond-140223.htm

This is the stone with with the line or inclusion or whatever thats called just to the right of center. I assume since its so visible its probably not a great choice?

 

[violet02]

Date: 9/7/2007 12:47:23 AM
Author: BigDiamonds
If I wanted a solitaire for $12k, I would maximize the stone size and quality and put it in a temporary white gold setting. You could get this simple on from WF for $550, then upgrade to the D Vatche somewhere down the line.

However, you do have a lot of flexibility with a solitaire setting, so if you want to spend $ on the setting now, you can easily upgrade the stone later.

You know I realized the only problem is if I get some sort of fancy halo setting then the setting would have to be totally alterted if I upgraded the stone at all later. At least I think that''s the case.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 9/7/2007 6:00:39 AM
Author: violet02

Date: 9/6/2007 9:36:23 PM
Author: Regular Guy
This one''s $10,185 wire priced...

How did you find that one on the whiteflash site? I spent a big part of today looking at Expert Selection stones. I assume that''s not in that category? I''m still trying to get used to looking at this stuff online. The picture of the stone looks good!

I plugged it into the HCA calculator and it came up with a 2. I was spend time today doing that with all the stones I found. The best one I found was .08 I believe but it had a very visible inclusion right in the center of the stone. I guess you can''t go by that number alone. I''m not sure what ''Very Good - Worth buying if the price is right'' means exactly yet since I''m still trying to work out what good prices are. I was in the expert selection section trying to aim for the better cut stones thinking that would maxmize the look. I hope I''m on the right path!

Thanks again for that link.

Violet, the HCA is an elimination tool which basically ''passes'' or ''fails'' diamonds with a score under 2( desirable), or over 2. Once you score under 2, then you need to use other tools to help your selection such as Idealscope, ASET, Sarin and your own 2 eyes ultimately.

 

[Regular Guy]

Violet,

Lorelei is correct...between 0 - 2 on the HCA...by and large...options are equivalent.

Date: 9/7/2007 6:04:47 AM
Author: violet02
Actually how does that stone compare to this one?

http://whiteflash.com/round_ideal_cut/Round-Ideal-Cut-cut-diamond-140223.htm

This is the stone with with the line or inclusion or whatever thats called just to the right of center. I assume since its so visible its probably not a great choice?

Though expert selection is frequently excellent shopping territory, the one you found scores a "5!" The simple way, and in answer to ... "how I found the one I found..." was by only, quickly, using the "search by cut" tool on this site. Save for some that may slip through for updating, it is a comprehensive resource for quickly doing the math for you, and only including diamonds that do score between 0 - 2 (or whatever threshhold you select. It''s above, under Prices, or above at Pricescope your Diamond...or here.

Regards,

 

[mimzy]

Date: 9/7/2007 6:06:17 AM
Author: violet02

Date: 9/7/2007 12:47:23 AM


You know I realized the only problem is if I get some sort of fancy halo setting then the setting would have to be totally alterted if I upgraded the stone at all later. At least I think that''s the case.

if you find a halo setting you love and a good sized stone (maybe 1.45 instead of 1.6 which in a halo is still going to look gigantic), maybe you wouldn''t have to upgrade. i mean, there is a chance that you''ll fall in love with the ring as it is and won''t want to change the stone. in a halo setting you don''t miss the extra few mm''s anyways.

or are you dead set on skimping on either the stone or the setting now so that you can definitely upgrade in the future? and if that''s the case....does your FF know about it?

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I agree, I''d never spend $3000 on a setting if you plan on upgrading later. And if you do, by all means buy from someone like GOG or WF who give you full value for your current stone toward the upgrade with no time limit. I think H SI1 will be a good color and clarity if you want to get the permanent stone and setting now. Otherwise, if you spend all the money on the stone and put in in a simple setting, then you can go larger or higher color or clarity. really, with a halo setting, I don''t think you''d ever need to worry about upgrading a 1.5 ct. stone!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

That second WF stone was waaaay too deep! A 1.5 carat stone should be at least 7.4 mm in diameter and that one was only 7.2mm. The other stone posted for you was much better!

 

[partgypsy]

I wouldn''t rush in. When I thought of getting an anniversary ring it took me a year to get it all together. Looking at the online stock it looks like what you want (around the 1.5 carat mark) is very popular, and right now you may not be able to find that sweet spot. The prices going from 1.5 to beyond highly escalate; even if you wanted to spend all your budget on the stone you can''t really go past 1.5 carats without going really beyond your budget. Especially when you look at F, vs2 ideal cuts they are going for 16- 20 grand.
So in the 1.2-1.5 carat range it''s a hard thing to know what to prioritize; size, clarity, color, and "cut." Everyone is different. Some people are color sensitive, others are not. I don''t think I''m very color sensitive, but am more sensitive to clarity and cut quality. Myself I think that cut quality has a great deal to do with the appearance of the stone''s beauty and "life."
If you could go to a better quality store take a look in person at different clarities and color ranges and see if you are color or clarity sensitive. All that means if you are, you will have to restrict the lower range on that category on the stones you are looking for. If not, SI and even I color may be safe depending on the stone. An ideal cut hides a multitude of sins.

Personally I think you can find a beautiful stone around 1.2 carats and have a beautiful setting, possibly a halo which would make it look either bigger. Or, a knock out 1.5 carat stone in a solitaire setting.

 

[havernell]

Remember, if you want more bling, you can always add bling by getting a wedding band with diamonds on it. That way, even if you get a solitaire e-ring, you can still have extra sparkles once the wedding band is next to it.

 

[Jenn5504]

Hi violet02! I think you can definately make this work on $12k. I had a similar budget, a little less actually, for my replacement rings (original stone broke........thank God for insurance!). I went through WF, they are wonderful. And although I love my home state of TX, maybe you''re lucky enough to not live here so you can save the salestax. Sounds like you and I are a lot alike---we want to take these money paramaters and push it the the limit to maximize every bit we can.

I found my AGS000 1.59 J SI2 in WF''s "virtual inventory", meaning not one of their in-house ES or ACA stones. I''d have to look to tell you exactly, but the stone cost me less than $6800. It was actually listed on their site as a 1 or 2 star---don''t remember, but I do know it would turn most people away. You have to remember, some lower star rated stones are bad, but some are just lack of info. In my case, WF didn''t have the cert on several stones I was interested in, and so these did not have good ratings. I put together a short list---3-4 stones---that I did like what info they had on them----table/depth/$$$$. The wonderful people at WF checked on the stones for me and we thought we had a winner in at least a couple of them. We decided which to have brought in-house. They reviewed it thoroughly and gave it the thumbs up----now, if/WHEN (if being my Husband''s attitude, WHEN being more my idea of reality, ha ha!) I upgrade my stone I am told mine will go back into WF''s Expert Selection. ALL THAT JUST TO SAY, there are winners hiding in the virtual inventory by all means. Here''s my stone: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-new-new-rings-wf-tiffany-knife-edge-solitaire-with-elaineh-inspired-modifications.63794/

 

[violet02]

Date: 9/7/2007 7:02:40 AM
Author: Regular Guy
Violet,

Lorelei is correct...between 0 - 2 on the HCA...by and large...options are equivalent.

Date: 9/7/2007 6:04:47 AM
Author: violet02
Actually how does that stone compare to this one?

http://whiteflash.com/round_ideal_cut/Round-Ideal-Cut-cut-diamond-140223.htm

This is the stone with with the line or inclusion or whatever thats called just to the right of center. I assume since its so visible its probably not a great choice?

Though expert selection is frequently excellent shopping territory, the one you found scores a ''5!'' The simple way, and in answer to ... ''how I found the one I found...'' was by only, quickly, using the ''search by cut'' tool on this site. Save for some that may slip through for updating, it is a comprehensive resource for quickly doing the math for you, and only including diamonds that do score between 0 - 2 (or whatever threshhold you select. It''s above, under Prices, or above at Pricescope your Diamond...or here.

Regards,

I''m a bit lost, how did that stone score a 5? I thought I entered it inot the HCA correctly? I agree that the stone posted on here was better though. When I used the tool on here to look up cost it seemed like the prices were higher than when I checked on the specific sellers site that''s why I didn''t use it. I should start though!

 

[violet02]

Date: 9/7/2007 1:11:02 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
That second WF stone was waaaay too deep! A 1.5 carat stone should be at least 7.4 mm in diameter and that one was only 7.2mm. The other stone posted for you was much better!

I''m still learning how to read what a good stone is... this type of info is very helpful thanks!

 

[violet02]

Date: 9/7/2007 5:28:50 PM
Author: Jenn5504
Hi violet02! I think you can definately make this work on $12k. I had a similar budget, a little less actually, for my replacement rings (original stone broke........thank God for insurance!). I went through WF, they are wonderful. And although I love my home state of TX, maybe you're lucky enough to not live here so you can save the salestax. Sounds like you and I are a lot alike---we want to take these money paramaters and push it the the limit to maximize every bit we can.

I found my AGS000 1.59 J SI2 in WF's 'virtual inventory', meaning not one of their in-house ES or ACA stones. I'd have to look to tell you exactly, but the stone cost me less than $6800. It was actually listed on their site as a 1 or 2 star---don't remember, but I do know it would turn most people away. You have to remember, some lower star rated stones are bad, but some are just lack of info. In my case, WF didn't have the cert on several stones I was interested in, and so these did not have good ratings. I put together a short list---3-4 stones---that I did like what info they had on them----table/depth/$$$$. The wonderful people at WF checked on the stones for me and we thought we had a winner in at least a couple of them. We decided which to have brought in-house. They reviewed it thoroughly and gave it the thumbs up----now, if/WHEN (if being my Husband's attitude, WHEN being more my idea of reality, ha ha!) I upgrade my stone I am told mine will go back into WF's Expert Selection. ALL THAT JUST TO SAY, there are winners hiding in the virtual inventory by all means. Here's my stone: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-new-new-rings-wf-tiffany-knife-edge-solitaire-with-elaineh-inspired-modifications.63794/

That stone is FANTASTIC! Thanks for posting this!! I was already of the mindset that CUT was going to be my first priority. It's really great to see how much of a difference that makes with your stone.

Also I wanted to add that I think that I'm going to pick a nice setting and either compromise a bit on stone size or go the route of a vintage/antique ring with an OEC setting or obtain an OEC stone for a vintage setting. If I do the halo I definitely agree that I can go just below 1.5 and still have a nice big looking ring... we'll see how it goes though. I know in theory this all sounds right but like I said I'm picky so I have to see what I like! I'd rather not upgrade later though... I know my bf wouldn't be crazy about that!

 

[kellyfish]

I have not read the whole thread, but would get a plain setting now and put the extra $$ on the stone. You can always upgrade the setting.....