.42ct for an engagement ring

[audiotube]

Is .42ct diamond size too small for an engagement ring. Is there a "recommended" or "average" size that one should buy for his fiancee or I can just buy what my budget "allow". Thanks.

 

[jennalyns]

I don't think it is small at all, but I have a feeling I'm in the minority on here... I think it depends on her. If she's really active, or doesn't wear a lot of jewelry, a .42 size would be great for her. Personally I think bigger than .5 ct is too big for ME, but most people on here seem to feel that even 1 ct is too small. And personally if I were following a budget I'd go for quality over size; then again I'm in Japan, the land of $2,000 .25 stones. My center stone is .33 ct, and it isn't too small for me... it's perfect. It depends on a lot of things, look at the size of her friends' rings, it might be smart to stay around that size... basically look at what she wears in her regular jewelry and try to gague from there... but no, personally I don't think .42 ct is too small, if it's high quality and it comes from your heart.

 

[mingagreen]

Audio, I would say that .42 isn''t too small, I have a .52 high quality diamond that was my mother inlaws, sure I wish it was bigger sometimes and I am actually going to have it reset, however I love it for what it means. My husband TOTALLY surprised me with it, me having never dreamed I wanted a diamond, but as they say they are a girls best friend. I do have friends who have larger stones but at the end of the day get alot of compliments on my stone and am happy with the size, it is just big enough to make a (small) statement! If it is all you can afford at the time, and you think she would want bigger in the future, maybe buy from a place that has an upgrade policy. Good luck.

 

[valeria101]

I guess the right Q here is: is it big enough for you and your circle ? Does size even matter ?

A 5mm sparkling diamond is quite charming in itself. No reason not to like it as long as it is well received.

Now, there are many ways to skin a cat.

I bet you have more choice than you think... what diamond is this all about ?

 

[denverappraiser]

Tim,

The purpose of an engagement ring is to allow your beloved to look at her finger every day for the rest of her life and be reminded that she is loved. It''s an enduring gift and a 0.42ct diamond can serve this purpose wonderfully. A cigar band works pretty well too. Buy within your budget. Don’t go into this feeling like you are trying to prove something to DeBeers or us or anybody else. Your fiancée is aware of your financial position and if you have more important things to spend your money on, like food, housing or schooling, I’m sure she will appreciate the wisdom of your decision. You will have the opportunity to upgrade the stone later when your finances improve.

If you are feeling self conscious about the size, you might consider getting a non-diamond stone like a sapphire as your center stone. You can get a much larger stone for a lot less money.

Neil Beaty, GG ISA
Independent Appraisals in Denver

 

[fortheloveofdiamonds]

When a gift comes from the heart, IMO nothing can be too small. If you have a budget, stay within it. If you feel it is too small, you can always surprise her with an updgrade later...

 

[strmrdr]

most e-ring diamonds in my area are .23-.25ct
anything bigger is almost always an upgrade.
*flame suit on*
So a .42 should be fine and in my opinion if she complains about it being too small then find someone else to marry cuz she isnt worth it.

 

[valeria101]

Date: 11/10/2004 9:53:32 AM
Author: strmrdr
...if she complains about it being too small then find someone else to marry cuz she isnt worth it.

Thoughtful ?

Dangerous ?

 

[soulsis]

Date: 11/10/2004 4:58:31 AM
Author:audiotube
Is .42ct diamond size too small for an engagement ring. Is there a ''recommended'' or ''average'' size that one should buy for his fiancee or I can just buy what my budget ''allow''. Thanks.

In Canada, that is bigger than most women''s diamonds. I had a 1.20 princess for my first marriage and that was the largest out of any of my friend''s or relative''s rings.

 

[Hest88]

The most important thing is to get what your budget can allow. There is no right size for an e-ring; what matters it that it comes from the heart.

 

[headlight]

I think that whatever your budget will allow is the first consideration, as that is reality.

Also, I think that a stone of that size would be well-suited for some sort of mounting that has the pave'' diamonds framing it, such as the popular, elegant and very "user friendly" (really comfortable and easy to wear yet lots of bling!) Ritani mounting. Having the stone framed in tiny diamonds will give it the appearance of a "one carat" across the hand.

 

[treysar]

The prettiest ring I have ever seen was uner 1/2 carat. It was a beautiful round diamond in an antique setting - absolutely gorgeous and dainty. It outshone some of the bigger rocks that I''ve seen, and it totally fits my beautiful friend who owns it.

It really is about the sentiment - and if you can get a great quality .42 carat diamond, then I guarantee she will love it. Especially if whe knows that you are investigating into the quality - any guy on here that cares enough to find out about the quality of what he''s buying is obviously going above and beyond to please her - now that''s a sign of love to me, no matter what the rock weighs.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

My eng. diamond is a .42 and it''s about average in REAL life. Of course on Pricescope it seems smaller than the norm, but in reality, Pricescope isn''t the norm. lol We all love diamonds here and spend endless hours drooling over them, but in reality the most important factor is that you love your girl and want to spend the rest of your life with her. If the size of the diamond is what''s most important to your GF, you''ve picked the wrong girl

My advice to you would be to focus on cut and be sure the .42 you picked out IS the best cut available as regardless of size, you want that diamond to dazzle those who see it

Congratulations!

 

[goldengirl]

.42 is a great size for an ering, and a smart girlfriend would be thankful for any ring you presented her with.

As has already been said, odds are she understands your budget and won''t throw a fit if you purchase the ring with that in mind...and if she does, I agree she needs a swift kick to the curb!!

 

[fortheloveofdiamonds]

Sad story. A friend of mine received a beautiful one carat diamond on a yellow-gold cathedral type setting, with channel set diamonds that went across the shank even under the cathedral. It was a beautiful ring, and trust me, well out of her new fiance''s budget. When she showed me the ring she said, well I wish he would have gotten me platinum, but I like the ring. Anyway, months later, this same friend now had a 1 carat diamond, flanked by 4 0.25 diamonds for a total combined weight of 2 carats on a platinum band. Waaay, more money! Anyway, truth is, I believe in upgrades, but if you are not happy with what you have before you even get married..... So. Im sure none of you would be surprised to know that the marriage is in trouble.

 

[ame]

Id actually say go looking at rings and see what she gravitates towards.. She might like that size, she might like bigger. She has to wear it so keep her in mind. If her hands are TINY she can wear a full carat and have it look like a MONSTER on....but Id go see what she likes that way.

 

[headlight]

Okay, I think you are all making great points here, but I do need to comment because the thoughts and examples expressed are not applicable to everyone:

Everyone on DT knows that I LOVE big diamonds. When I got engaged 16 years ago, I wanted a 2 carat; my DH could only afford 1 carat and would not consider going beyond his "budget". Obviously, I still married him. Since then, I''ve had a 1.51 and now the 3.29, as well as made setting changes.

I just LOVE big diamonds, as well as different setting styles. It has no bearing whatsoever on what I think of my DH or how much I love him.

We''ve been married 15 years, two sons, and still act like we''re newlyweds. Thus, just because a girl might wish she had a larger stone or a different setting doesn''t mean her feelings for her DH aren''t true.

And, as for "average", I do believe the "average" is 1 carat. But that is so "relative" to the rest of the country and the world. We all know that amongst the Japanese, very small diamonds are the norm despite the fact that the group as a whole is most likely more able to afford the larger diamonds. What is the "norm" in Manhattan, NYC or Newport Beach, CA isn''t going to be the norm in "middle America".

I really don''t think that the preferences of a woman in regards to her ring are an indication of marital stability. Yes, I will concur that it could be a "sign" but that element will also be present in other areas, not just over a ring. Yes, I wanted a large diamond, but I didn''t "demand" it, nor am I demanding in any other areas of life or my personality. My DH loves his luxury vehicles -- that''s his "thing", mine happens to be "bling". I guess the diff between that example of the lady who said, upon receiving her e-ring, that she wished it was "this and that" is that when I received my e-ring (and, coincidentally, I too wanted a white metal and got yellow) was that I was on cloud 9 -- my feet didn''t touch the ground!

 

[pearcrazy]

Don''t worry about the norm for your area or what her friends are wearing. Buy her what you can afford and what you think she will like. If she knows you well enough to be your wife then she already knows what you can afford to give. If you want to see if you can afford to go larger and want to go larger than .42 then post your budget and let some of the bargain hunters here help you out and see what''s out there. Either way best wishes to you and your intended.

 

[audiotube]

Thank you all for the wonderful advise. The reason I asked because my mom was helping picking out a ring for her and she told me .42 is a little small. She recommended that I should get her something in a size of .55 or .60 to make the engagmement look "decent". I guess coming from the culture (asian) where most people go for the look and status, mommy maybe right here. Though I could only afford $1000 so .55 or .60 is really out of my range.

I dont think my girlfriend or wife to be would really mind how big or small the diamond is. I just want to give her the best that I could give her.....

Thanks again for all the nice comments and advise.

Tim.

 

[valeria101]

Date: 11/11/2004 45:24 AM
Author: audiotube
I guess coming from the culture (asian) where most people go for the look and status,

He, he... what''s new? There are quite a few posts around here amazed at how small Japanese e-rings are and the like. It just so happens that ''every'' culture - as you say - has it''s own mark of status and these engagement rings seem so tremendously important: once it is "perfection" that matters, the other time "flash" and size. Really, who cares?

Best of luck and best wishes for your engagement

 

[theinquisitor]

audiotube, honestly, a nice diamond is gorgeous whatever the size, and your girlfriend will be thrilled, I''m sure. If, however, you want to take your mom''s advice and get something closer to .5 ct., a quick search on Whiteflash revealed several beautiful diamonds in fancy shapes that are under $1000 and a bit larger. Also, some of the fancy shapes appear larger than rounds of the same carat weight. Just an idea if you decide to go larger. But if she wants a round, believe me, a well-cut round at .42 is going to be a show-stopper, and will bring tears to her eyes, I''m sure. You sound like a really thoughtful guy who wants the best for his girlfriend, and she is a lucky lady. Best of luck to you!

 

[Diamondsbybree]

theinquisitor, nicely put~! I have to agree with you.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Have you considered bezel setting the diamond? This will add about 10 points in size to the diameter of the diamond that you''re considering. I have a .38 that I bezel set and it looks at least 10 points larger than its size when compared to my .42.

 

[glitterata]

If I were you, I would take a look at the antique engagement rings for sale on antiqueengagementrings.com . Look at the last three items on p. 4 of the "engagement rings for sale" page of that website. They''re all three under $1000, and all three are actual antiques (as opposed to reproductions or "antique-y looking"). All are charming in different ways.

I bought a setting from that website, so I can recommend them personally. The owner, Leigh, was very pleasant to deal with.

 

[Mara]

i know sometimes in the asian cultures there is an emphasis on the color and clarity of the stone as 'quality', but one idea is to get an exceptionally well cut stone like an H&A and drop color and clarity to where people can't see that it's not an F VVS but they will notice the cut.

http://www.whiteflash.com/diamonds/diamond_Details.aspx?itemcode=AGS-5507304


This is a .54c I SI2 from whiteflash that is ACA H&A with exceptional numbers and look at that image. The Pscope price is $1077. I want it!

Anyway just an idea if you want more size...sacrifice somethign that no one will really see...because with these H&A stones all people see are fire and beauty. I have .38c I SI earrings and they look beautiful. with the smaller stones...you can get away with more.

oh and i heartily agree with the bezel idea...it will add alot of size and gives the ring some additional interest!

 

[sxn675]

I second the antique idea. I think those rings are very charming

 

[audiotube]

You guys are great.

I am narrowing down to a .50 F VS2 - though it said ideal cut, the polish is good and symmetry is very good on the GIA. Can someone help me understand this. I though Ideal cut suppose to have excellent or Ideal rating on Polish/Symmetry. Maybe it''s not really ideal cut as adverstised. After all Ideal cut is just a term that is advertised by the vendor. Can someone educate me on this subject. Thanks.

Audiotube

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 11/10/2004 4:58:31 AM
Author:audiotube
Is .42ct diamond size too small for an engagement ring. Is there a ''recommended'' or ''average'' size that one should buy for his fiancee or I can just buy what my budget ''allow''. Thanks.

audiotube,

a nice stone is a nice stone no matter if it''s .42 ct or 4.2 ct. justmake sure to get her a nicely cut stone.

btw,

i also have tube amps in my audio system.Audible Illusions L1 pre amp , Mesa Barron power amp,i think is discontinue now.

 

[audiotube]

Dancing Fire,

You ought to try single ended tube amp. You will get hook for life.

I will get her an ideal heart and arrow cut one. Thanks.