Stressed out about picking an e-ring shape.

[peonygirl]

My boyfriend and I have been looking at rings for a few months now, and I''m really stuck on which shape to get. I tend to be a pretty indecisive person in general, and having to choose a stone shape that I''ll love for the rest of my life seems like a monumental task. My band is going to be a thin plain or prong-set diamond band, so almost any shape could look good with it.

We''re going shopping again this weekend, and my "deadline" to choose the shape is mid-November. What''s the best way to go about choosing a shape if nothing just grabs me? Thanks so much!

 

[Tali]

For the indecisive, myself included, I''d recommend getting a round. It''s timeless and classic. And the flip side is, b/c you aren''t drawn to any one in particular, you''ll be happy with any.

 

[mrssalvo]

I think once you try some on you will find that some shapes look better on your hand than others. some fit better with your personality. once you get it narrowed down a bit it will help to find the setting and see how it will look with your wedding band. are you wanting a solitaire or something more elaborate with side stones etc..?

 

[peonygirl]

mrssalvo, I'm thinking about getting a solitare because our budget is somewhat modest (6-8K). Unfortunately I've already tried on a ton of rings and nothing has jumped out at me yet.

 

[mrssalvo]

Well i love the look of a round solitare with a shared prong band. classic, gorgeous and Tiffany famous for a good reason

 

[Kaleigh]

Go try on as many as many different shapes as you can and see if any one speaks to you. I am a huge fan or RB''s myself. I never get tired of them. Good luck and happy shopping!!!

 

[Bagpuss]

Plus, for the beginner diamond buyer, it''s probably easier to pick a round well cut stone. This forum will tell you all about how to do that. Other shapes are more difficult to pick, without someone who really knows what they''re doing to advise you, as there''s less info for the beginner to go on. I''m not saying it''s impossible, but listening to people here who have gone for other shapes, it seems they''ve had more difficulty getting a really good stone.

Haing said that, if there are people you know who can help you to pick a stone other than a round, then by all means, get their input and go for a different shape.

I hanker after an emerald shape myself, but know very little about how to go about picking a good one.

 

[peonygirl]

I do really like the round shapes, but I think they look a little ordinary and boring in smaller sizes (around 1 carat). No offense to anyone who has this shape of course! If my budget was more like 20K, I would definitely get a round stone.

 

[decodelighted]

I love looking at the Good Old Gold homepage & comparing shapes. I did that the other night with my b-friend (FF!!) & said ... if you were a chick, which one you''d you want. It''s interesting: He picked Asschers & Flanders (My fave is Asschers). Neither of us is drawn to rounds at all. It''s so personal.

 

[ame]

Why not just get another band then. Get a diamond band for your ering and a plain band for your wband. Then you don''t have to decide.

 

[decodelighted]

Ame has a cool idea too! My old boss/mentor has a beautiful shared prong eternity band that she wore solo actually. There were so many big rocks in NYC in the biz she was in, why compete?

 

[laney]

here''s a silly question. Are you looking for a shape and then applying the budget?

Or,

Are you looking for the "largest" looking stone?
Most sparkely stone..

Most...anything else.

What criteria do you have BESIDES shape that you''ve decided on... and maybe that can direct you.

 

[MissAva]

No worries. What shapes do you find intreasting around the one carat mark? Personally I am getting a round, but I think emerald cuts are super stunning! They will show more color and inclusions easier but in a simple solitaire setting....

1.01 D/VS1 Emerald Cut 5203$ from GOG
If you wanted something with a bit more sparkle you could try a radiant cut, they fun and again look nice is a solitaire.
1.01 F/VS2 Radiant from GOG 4665$
1.16H/SI2 SQ H&A Call for Price$
I have had a 1ct or so princess cut honestly I did not like it, they need to be much bigger to be worn on the finger. IMO.
Personally I really enjoy ovals but I think it would be hard to find one that is really spectacular, but I could not find any good pictures in the size range you are looking for. If you want to see pictures of the actual stones Whiteflash and Good Old Gold both have a ton of pictures and info. HTH.

 

[FireGoddess]

I'd definitely suggest trying some on. Some jewelers around you are bound to have solitaires in at least a few shapes, if not all. They may not have any asschers or radiants, flanders, regents, or the like, but you can at least figure out whether a princess, marquise, emerald cut, oval, or pear shape suits you. It's kinda hard to tell online - they all look good! Unless you can rule out a few based on the look of the cut (prefer or don't prefer step cuts like emeralds or asschers) it's best to see them in person! Maybe that will take some of your ambivalence away. If after that you really can't decide - let your bf pick!

 

[lumpkin]

Selecting the shape can be difficult. What do your hands look like? Do you have long slender fingers? If so, anything will look good. If your fingers are shorter or a little thicker, a marquise or rectangular shape, and perhaps a pear, will give the appearance of elongating your fingers. I think the best place to start is with what will be graceful on your hand. A step cut (asscher or emerald) will show every smudge and will need to be cleaned all the time to look their best, but they are so lovely. Consider your lifestyle and personality-- are you extremely active and sporty or are you reserved and quiet. Is jewelry important to you or do you just like the symbolism of your ring? Then look at what your $6000 to $8000 will buy. That''s actually a pretty nice budget and you should be able to get something very nice.

I''d just look at the very top thread on the "show me the ring" forum and look at everyone''s engagement rings. There are all different shapes, sizes and settings with lots of photos of the rings on the hands. Look at those whose hands look like yours, and you can get an idea of what looks good and what doesn''t.

Try not to stress. This is supposed to be FUN!!! EXCITING!!! Stress over something else, like how often you''ll be entertaining your new mother-in-law, LOL!

 

[appletini]

Does your BF have a preferred shape? That might help narrow your search. I like lots of different shapes, but my BF thinks engagement rings should have rounds, so a round I will get.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I agree. I was confused and liked RB, Oval, ECs, and Radiants. Tried on all of them and realized I really loved ECs. So classic. Just try them on.

 

[MissAva]

1.92 Emerald Cut Ring I like this one. But then I really do love ECs.

 

[AChiOAlumna]

Date: 10/21/2005 6:46:25 PM
Author: Matatora
1.92 Emerald Cut Ring I like this one. But then I really do love ECs.

Oooh Matatora!!! That ring is gorgeous!!!!!

 

[Odilia]

I too am incredibly indecisive, so I totally can relate. I let my (then fiance) husband pick the center stone, and he seemed to go for RB, probably partly because it''s the most sparkly, partly because it''s the most traditional. When I see others'' e-rings (I am an incorrigible ring watcher!), I tend to be drawn toward any rectangular shapes. Or in pictures, I also love cushions, etc.. Anything unique. But actually not totally; I do admire others'' rounds, and I think what really matters more is the setting and center stone combined, and sparkle, quality etc.. The whole package. When you say about RB, "I think they look a little ordinary and boring in smaller sizes (around 1 carat)." (First I have to chuckle at 1 carat being smaller!

My RB is a 1.09 ideal cut. In my family and circle of friends it''s the biggest. I know here on PS it''s on the small side. No offense taken, BTW.) Anyway, I can totally understand what you mean, that it does seem ordinary. I often feel that way, and then I think, "If I had it to do over again, would I get a round?" But then when I think, what shape would I choose, my head spins, and I think what one person said here, that the other shapes are harder to discern quality, and then I think how round is so classic and sparkly, and I think, thank goodness I let my husband pick it, because I could NEVER decide!!! Plus, I do wonder if I picked one of the unique shapes, would I get tired of it? I think I come to the conclusion that Tali said, "For the indecisive, myself included, I''d recommend getting a round. It''s timeless and classic."

Having said all that, the thing I hate about mine right now is it''s in a lame setting. (Long story why such a bad setting, but luckily it''s temporary!) I am planning to reset it in something white, and with side diamonds, which I think will help a lot with the "boring" factor.

So, I can''t tell you what shape to get, but I can say that the good thing about RB is that it is so classic and sparkly. If you go solitaire, get a beautiful solitaire. I like the ones like x-prong or if you want 6 prong - the crown type. In general anything that flows. Most of the solitaires I see here on PS are pretty. I can''t stand how my prongs just look like ugly hardware. If you don''t go with solitaire, you can make the round seem less boring with a beautiful diamond setting. I think if you go with the right setting, whatever stone you choose will look its best, and won''t seem so boring. I wish I could be of more help, but I know exactly how you feel. I think I should have given myself the username "indecisive."

Oh, one last thing that I found - I was totally stressing myself out about what ring to choose to wear "EVERY DAY FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!...." as some folks put it. I am very sentimental and didn''t want to ever change it. Well, as it was, the whole thing got botched, and now I have changed my setting once, and plan to change it again. I am now wearing a different E-ring with my YG wedding band, and will put my original E-diamond back in a white setting, and might just wear it alone. The point being, try not to worry too much about getting exactly the right thing. You can always change it later, even if now you think, NO WAY , I don''t want to do that. I really didn''t want to either, but it''s how it worked out. After seeing how many folks on Pricescope change rings or stones later, and also some people I know ''in person'', I realized I shouldn''t have put so much pressure on myself during the engagement "to choose a [ring] that I''ll love for the rest of my life" which did seem like a monumental task.

 

[koko]

I agree with others here....for the indecisive you can''t go wrong with RB (but I''d want it to be about 1.25 - 1.50C. and maybe compromise on the color or clarity a little. A beautifully cut ring will look larger anyway. I have a EC which I don''t regret at all....I''ve always loved them & didn''t even look at other shapes.....

 

[MissAva]

What about Halo Bezel Ring from Whiteflash? With this 1.25 I/SI1 RB also from Whiteflash. It would cut pretty close to your budget, but I dont think those rings can be called boring.

 

[Kaleigh]

She said before she didn''t like rounds... That is a gorgeous ring though.

 

[MissAva]

I know she did, becuase she thought they were boring...so I had posted some other options above. And then I posted that one becuase so many people were offering her round suggestions I thought I would post a ring showing her they did not have to be boring, or set in a six prong solitaire.

 

[pebbles]

Hey, indiecisive is my middle name!

I think the only way to tell what to get is to try on all the different shapes. When I was in school I used to go to the local jeweler on breaks in between classes and browse. I became pretty good friends with one of the ladies that worked there and one day I was there for over an hour trying different rings on just for fun. Shapes that I loved seeing pictures of, I didn''t love on my hand. For example, I always liked radiants, but hated how they looked on me. While I think aschers are pretty, they just don''t do it for me....(don''t shoot me!)

I realized after trying on all the different shapes that I really like symmetry. So that left the round and the princess. I ended up with a round because alllllllll my friends and family members were getting princesses and wanted to be different.

I have not regretted my decision.

 

[valeria101]

There''s something ''good'' about each of them - marquises look large, step cuts ... I don''t know, just love them, radiants are supposed to be a good recipe for the rectangular shape and there aren''t many (any?) other rectangular brilliant cut more often available. And ''cushion'' describes lots and lots of diamonds that didn''t fit any category.

And, who knows, you may like old cuts - perhaps this is not a very often taken choice, but those who like them are rather passionate.

Make sure you see a few and I would think that looking for a range of color grades would be useful to.

Without sidestones or any other support from the setting, this diamond will have allot of showing off to do!


One thing seems clear: if you can''t decide on a particular fancy, you will have to get a round! Good reason to look into it

 

[E B]

When I first started looking at rings, I really didn't know what diamond shape I wanted. I knew I really liked rounds and asschers (and they're still and always will be my favorites), the other diamond shapes being "okay". My boyfriend was the deciding factor. He said he loved the rounds the most, so round we went! Asschers are beautiful, but they're much smaller for their carat weight. If I had $10k to spend on a ring, I'd have chosen an asscher. Alas, I chose a beautiful ideal cut round, and I'm just as happy!

If you don't like rounds, I'd look at asschers, cushions, emeralds and flanders. To me, those are the most striking of the shapes.

 

[cymbrie]

I found this article during one of my searches...perhaps if you can''t decide on what shape you want, your personality can

. You may also want to pay attention to the longevity rates of each cut.

I''m an Asscher girl myself (my fiance loves asschers too) unfortunately this article says nothing about asschers...but many of the shapes are covered...fun read if nothing else best of luck in your decision making process!

http://www.diamondcuttersintl.com/diamond_education/articles/customers/getting_in_shape.html

 

[door knob solitaire]

Peony,

The only thing you have to keep for the rest of your life is your husband! Frankly now that you are a PSer you are going to upgrade before the year is out!...Not husbands, silly...the stone...the ring...So don''t put so much pressure on yourself about the forever thing.

I am not recommending that you buy from this place (please don''t buy anything until you run it past the PS board)...but I recently walked past the Sams club counter, and they have this tray that has all the standard stones in standard tiffany type solitare settings (white and yellow gold)....1/2 carat up to 3 I think. Anyway they are all man made stones...but they do have at least 4 of the shapes and in the graduated sizes. If you had a Sams or maybe a cosco...or what ever your wholesale warehouse is...you could maybe see all in one place. As apposed to running here for the pear and there for the emerald. It is after all the shape you are stressing about. (I ran myself ragged going to every store in town...maybe this will help you.)

Once you get the shape thing down...you may be able to rest your frienzied pace and enjoy your treasure hunt.

You may fall in love with a shape...and search high a low for a stone that talks to you...the one that yaks the loudest may not be your first shape choice...so just have fun...you''ll know it when you see it. But do return to the board with the specs and allow the experts to help you before you purchase the stone.

Door Knob

Pssss, this is a secret. Another non pressured environment is your department store in the costume jewelry. I have returned numerous times to try on mandmade stones set in sterling with gold overlay. There are pave, halo, designer imitations...some center stones may be colored stones, but they are still the shape a particular cut of diamond. And many are exact knockoffs of the high end designers. I know it sounds silly, but if you knew how many jewelers I have visited only to find they had one solitaire...or one pave...you would understand why I think I hit the shopping mother load! Just a silly suggestion, of course.

 

[Bagpuss]

I think that that is a great suggestion. She needs to be able to look at lots of different shapes and where better to do this - without pressure - than in a costume jewellery department.

One thing I do when I''m thinking of an expensive new ring with a shape I''m not sure of, is to buy a simulated ring as similar as I can find to what I want the real deal to be. I wear it for a while and only then, if I''m still as keen, do I go ahead with the real thing. It''s suprising how your taste can change once that ring is on your finger, so it''s much better to make a mistake with a cheap version. The same goes with settings - especially the height of the centre stone. I quickly discovered that high settings don''t suit my lifestyle.