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$2.5k budget e-ring (halo)

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yourwhiteshadow

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 22, 2011
Messages
14
my SO and i are ready to get engaged and she's picked out a ring style she likes, halo 14k white gold. she's not too picky about the center stone, in fact, i think she could care less. however, i think she definitely does want a diamond, but not sure if she would be ok with a cz for the time being. some of the settings i've been looking at are between $1000-1200 which leaves me about only $1300 for a stone. again, she doesn't care about the center stone, she's mostly worried about the setting. but i want to get her something nice, my principles won't allow me to get her a cz or a small stone for now. i'm looking at 0.6-0.7, F-H color, SI1-SI2, excellent cut, round or princess.

this is my first time buying any sort of "fine" jewelry, except for a pair of ear rings and a necklace i got her a while ago. as such, i'm a little hesitant with dealing online because of my inexperience and possibly also due to the time factor (i am leaving for NYC dec 29, and will be there until the 17th of jan). there is a diamond cutter who has a few in my range for around $1200-1300, so i was thinking of buying loose and getting is set wherever i buy the setting.

however, i am going to NYC in a week, in fact, i plan to propose in NYC. would it be worth my time and hassle to visit diamond district? i say hassle because we will only be in NYC area for a week, and i'm specifically planning to propose at a certain spot in NYC, so i would need the ring ready by then.

thoughts?
 
Here are some options for you:)

Diamond:
http://www.eternitydiamonds.com/diamond_detail.php?id=611849

call to get the pricescope discount on the diamond

Setting:
http://www.eternitydiamonds.com/engagement-rings/diamond-engagement-ring/Diamond-Halo-Ring-402.htm


Diamond:
http://goodoldgold.com/diamond/8933/

Settings:
http://www.gabrielengaged.com/style/ER7818W44JJ

http://www.gabrielengaged.com/style/ER7807W44JJ

I would call GOG and see what setting they have that could bring you on budget with that stone:)

Diamonds:
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1445236.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1445219.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/F-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1445231.asp

I would call JA and have them compare these stones and tell you if they are eyeclean

Setting:
http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/pave/-18k-White-Gold-Pave-Set-Diamond-Engagement-Ring.html
 
What about something like this one from JBEG? I'd see if you can negotiate the price or just buy the engagement ring and put the wedding band on layaway?

http://jewelsbyericagrace.smugmug.com/Jewelry/Rings-Antique-diamonds/71ct-center-Transitional-Cut/18182075_MCSP3h#1398658227_rRLQTtr

If you do decide to hit the diamond district, meet with Mark T at www.engagementringsdirect.com.. There are a lot of scammers there and if you really don't know what you are doing its easy to get taken advantage of. Mark is very well respected on this forum. just be sure to call and make and appointment ahead of time..
 
mrssalvo|1324734803|3087922 said:
What about something like this one from JBEG? I'd see if you can negotiate the price or just buy the engagement ring and put the wedding band on layaway?

http://jewelsbyericagrace.smugmug.com/Jewelry/Rings-Antique-diamonds/71ct-center-Transitional-Cut/18182075_MCSP3h#1398658227_rRLQTtr

If you do decide to hit the diamond district, meet with Mark T at www.engagementringsdirect.com... There are a lot of scammers there and if you really don't know what you are doing its easy to get taken advantage of. Mark is very well respected on this forum. just be sure to call and make and appointment ahead of time..
Click to expand...

This one from JBEG will have the most bang for the buck, probably. A .70 with a halo will be a very nice size! And as MrsS said, make a lower offer and ask for the wedding band to be put on layaway. I would confirm that the sizing would be possible based on her ring size.
 
how exactly do i make an offer at jewelsbyericagrace?
 
If you think your girlfriend my be open to a colored stone engagement ring, look at this 1.77 ct Tsavorite Garnet Halo ring, about halfway down the page: http://www.jewelsbyericagrace.com/modern_and_estate_rings It's $2,300 right now. More pics here: http://jewelsbyericagrace.smugmug.com/Jewelry/Modern-and-Estate-Pieces/177ct-Tsavorite-Garnet-Halo/16941527_wPzHDT#1280835136_QFpDfSW

ETA: I also really like the ebay Ritani above.

ETA2: Oh, and contact info for Jewels by Erica Grace, from the website: ph: 888-285-5423, fax: 360-780-3082, emai: [email protected]
 
thanks, that halo/pave from jewelsbygrace is perfect. too perfect in fact, hope the price is in my budget.
 
yourwhiteshadow|1324758245|3088081 said:
how exactly do i make an offer at jewelsbyericagrace?
Click to expand...

I would give them a call on monday and say you are interested but it's a little bit out of your budget. Since it's consignment, the owner might be willing to accept a lower offer. You might be able to get the set for you budget depending on how motivated the seller is. If the price is firm then I would see if they will take an offer for the e-ring and then put the band in layaway so you can pay it off later. Do you know your girlfriends ring size? You'll want to make sure if it's not her size that it can indeed be sized to fit her. You can also email them and just let them know what you are thinking and that you will follow up with a phone call next week when they are back in from the Holiday.

The price for the set is located here ($3895) : It's over budget but again, I think you can make an offer and/or negotiate the split and layaway..

http://www.jewelsbyericagrace.com/antique_vintage_and_reproduction_rings
 
i will contact them on monday, and see what can be done.

although, i'm looking at a similar thread:

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/bride-to-be-in-love-with-a-helzberg-diamond-masterpiece.168698/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/bride-to-be-in-love-with-a-helzberg-diamond-masterpiece.168698/[/URL]

and it seems to me that that person got exactly what i was looking for at exactly my price. i think GOG has more of those gabriel and co rings, but i can't seem to find a diamond (i would prefer princess cut for that ring) that would fit my budget. is there a chance GOG has diamonds that they don't list online?

diamond:

http://idjewelryonline.com/diamond_details1.php?id=25882851&shape=PR&pricefrom=0&priceto=1200&caratfrom=.45&caratto=.55&colorfrom=F&colorto=H&clarfrom=VS1&clarto=VS2&polish=ANY&cert=Any&symmetry=ANY&depthfrom=&depthto=&tablefrom=&tableto=&cut=Array&item_id=

setting:
http://idjewelryonline.com/product_info.php?products_id=9472&osCsid=jakgluk4in0isrpop45lcc4554

picking up in NYC might actually be perfect for me, since that's where i plan to propose anyways.

the only question i have is, will a 0.5 ct fill that setting well enough?
 
Keep in mind that carat is a measure of weight, not dimension or "spread." I know you said your GF isn't that into the center diamond. How sure are you of that? How old is she? What looks huge at 20 tends to shrink quite a bit by 40.

A 1/2 carat princess is going to be about 4.4 mm across. A 1/2 carat round diamond is going to be about about 5.1 mm across. Yes, that 0.7 mm is a noticeable difference. By way of comparison, to only get a 4.4 mm spread on a round cut, you'd need to drop almost to 0.3 carats. Square cuts tend to face up smaller than round cuts, so it looks a lot smaller for the same carat weight. Unless you're certain that she wants a square cut diamond, I would advise you to look into stones that face up larger for the carat weight.

I'd also make absolutely certain that she wants you to prioritize the setting over the center stone to this degree. A halo will certainly help give you more finger coverage for your budget, but you may be able to get a larger center stone with a ring that has a halo but a plain shank instead of lots more pave work. In general, and speaking as a woman, it's the rare woman who wants you to go smaller on the center diamond. In fact, I've never met one. The rule of thumb is to get the largest center stone that your budget will allow, without sacrificing on cut and light performance.

Moreover, given your budget, you might want to consider getting the largest solitaire stone that you can afford now and set it in a plain solitaire, with a plan to set it in a more blingy halo setting at a future date. I'm just trying to communicate that most women want a bigger diamond. Are you absolutely positive that your GF is one of the rare ones who does not? On what basis have you concluded that? Are you really sure? And are you sure that she won't become dissatisfied with it in the future? You were given some great options above to get at least 0.7 round center stones, that's a very good size, and is going to be more visually impressive than a 1/2 carat round, and far more than a 1/2 carat princess.
 
Re: what you posted above, you're looking to spend more on the setting than on the diamond. That's not the typical priority.

The suggestions above that you will get a better value in a pre-owned ring are on the mark, you will.

But here's an idea for a halo setting with a plain band for $850 in white gold: http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/pave/-18k-White-Gold-Pave-Set-Diamond-Engagement-Ring.html

It would allow you to get this: http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1445236.asp for $1,620 with PS discount.

Maybe this - you can call to ask if it is eye clean, the pic is under magnification and shows a carbon fleck, but that might not be visible under normal viewing conditions: http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1445219.asp for $1,640.

If you run the search from the toolbar on this site, it should show the Pricescope discount for the diamonds.

Also, this is the worst time of year to be shopping for diamonds, inventory is usually pretty scarce after a big rush to buy for Christmas and New Year's. If you don't need to buy now, you might wait a bit to see what comes up in your price point.
 
i talked to her about the center stone many, many times to clarify. she just wants the halo, pave setting. she's actually a fairly interesting and unique girl, but every guy thinks that otherwise would they propose? i asked her if CZ in the center until we can get a bigger stone would be ok, but she said she absolutely wanted a diamond. so i told her that i can't promise how big it will be, and she said that she didn't care as long as it was conflict free (which by her definition is not from certain african countries and not from israel). in fact, we're going back to school and the last thing she wants is more debt, we both have student loans and she has a car loan and we'll both be taking loans for medical school. of course, what's a $5000 ring to $200k in medical school loans, right? so while i wouldn't mind making payments on the ring for a while, she will absolutely NOT agree to it. she has very interesting principles. i'm planning to pay $2500 cash, so i'm hoping that might be able to help me get a slightly better deal somewhere.

mostly, she wants the commitment, if i presented anything to her she would say yes, in fact, she's practically already said yes before i even asked. of course, we're just doing it for the cultural ritual part of it. also, while i'd hate to replace the center stone in the future, i ultimately will or i could always buy something bigger and better in the future.

for now, i just want to get the best that i can since i'm a "slickdealer". unfortunately, there aren't jewelry deals on slickdeals.net that often, except for the occasional bluenile deals.

i've also been thinking about doing a solitaire with a bigger center stone. while i'm open to that, it just seems to counter what she wants. she's 100% set on a pave halo, she's sent me over 3-4 styles. ideally, i would save up and get a 1 ct in her ideal setting, but i've put off the proposal long enough because we were both busy with medical school applications. she wants it now, so i will do the best i can.

so if i'm understanding this correctly, i should go with a round cut instead of princess because it will simply look bigger in a halo? also, i'm willing to bump my budget up to $2750, but that's probably the max i would go. she's more likely to get upset at our debt than the rock on her hand, we're both 23 years old and are very goal oriented, as in we are very focused on our careers and school.

thoughts on the following from my local CL:

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/jwl/2761834066.html

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/jwl/2768161682.html

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/cph/jwl/2754893688.html
 
I definitely think the second hand market will give you the most bang for your buck. I really like that third CL you posted with the radiant. Keep in mind it is an EGL cert, which means it will likely be lower than an F color (which is pretty high anyway) and who knows with the clarity. However, if you see it in person and it looks good to your specifications, I think it's a good deal! Keep in mind the radiant cut is a unique cut...make sure your lady is okay with it.
 
I rly like that first CL ad you posted.

:)
 
I'm not liking the clarity of the two halo'd craigslist links that you posted. Both appear to be pretty included. FWIW, SI3 is not used by GIA or AGS, the two most respected grading labs, and you should consider an SI3 to really be an I1 clarity grade. At your ages, with the sharp eyesight of people in your 20s, you're going to see the inclusions in those rings. I would not want to give a diamond with visible inclusions for an engagement ring.

The Ritani on ebay really does seem to be a better bet.
 
I also recommend contacting JBEG about that halo ring set to see if you can work out a deal to buy just the ring and wait on the band until later. But since your going to be in NYC I recommend checking out GOG and see if they have a setting to work with this stone

http://goodoldgold.com/diamond/8486

Here are setting options
http://www.goodoldgold.com/settingResults.php?metal=2&centerShape=257

This is a very nice stone option leaving a bit of room for a nice setting if you pay with cash. I can't recommend Jonathan at GOG enough and I bet they can make it happen with your budget. Good luck!
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond.php?d=19147&shape=1&optSym=10&priceMax=2000&resultsColumns=268435471&singleResult=1
 
really digging the plethora of options. looks like i will have to up my budget just a bit. i really like the ring at JBEG, if i have to up my budget to $3000 for just the e-ring to get that i think i will.
 
I love the JbEG ring. Its really pretty and with the halo will give nice finger coverage. :love:
 
yourwhiteshadow|1324855939|3088492 said:
really digging the plethora of options. looks like i will have to up my budget just a bit. i really like the ring at JBEG, if i have to up my budget to $3000 for just the e-ring to get that i think i will.
Click to expand...

Please let us know what you find out!
 
She sent it go JbEG too. That is a beautiful ring.
 
that is a beautiful ring, but too bad its way outta my budget. at $3k i would buy it in an instant, but at $4k i just don't have the cash and i got explicit orders from the SO not to overspend. if i had to go with a smaller diamond in her dream setting, but upgrade later on, i will go that route.
 
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