movelikemountains
Rough_Rock
- Joined
- Dec 14, 2018
- Messages
- 10
Good Afternoon Pricescope,
I've been lurking for a while but I think now is the time to break out of the shadows. I've read a fair amount but I have almost zero experience when it comes to actually purchasing gemstones - but I'm looking to buy an engagement ring for my girlfriend.
The idea is it should look similar to the attached photo, key points being:
Rose gold setting - she wants a rose gold wedding band and we both think its a good idea to have the engagement ring and wedding band match
Diamond halo... or starburst...? (Either way its the 'pointy' effect of the outer prongs she likes)
Oval sapphire (Clearly the important part!) - I'd prefer it to be lighter in tone than the one in the picture
With regard to the sapphire I've established that I'm after:
An oval
Either Royal Blue or Cornflower Blue
Not fussed by where the stone has come from, more interested in how it looks
Heat treated, but with no other treatment
The most amount of brilliance possible - ie looking to avoid windows on the crown if possible
I have a budget of £1,000-2,000 ($1,250-2,500)
Size... I think in the region of 7.0mm x 5.0mm which I think is about 0.8/1.1 carats dependant on the cut?
Now for the bits I'm struggling with:
She doesn't wanta ring thats 'too big' (an unusual problem for a prospective fiancé to have I know). She has a friend who has an excellent cut 0.42 round diamond solitaire and while my gf thinks that is a little small she doesn't want anything too big (vague I know, but bear with me here). She's a doctor and wants a piece of jewellery which is both obvious as an engagement piece without becoming an issue while working.
Q1 - Would you consider 7.0x5.0mm still 'too big' (when compared to say the standard e-ring of a 1ct diamond solitaire) , particularly when the diamond halo is added? Do I need to look for an oval shape smaller than that?
Q3 - Is it possible to find sapphires of very high quality in these smaller sizes? - most discussion seems to naturally centre around 2-5ct sapphires.
Q2 - Is my budget reasonable? I believe it is, particularly given the size of sapphire I'm after but more than happy to be corrected.
Q4 - Where do I buy? I'm currently working in Bahrain, but will return to the UK in the new year (also visit Abu Dhabi if that's any use). I'm torn between trying to buy a stone and/or whole ring out here in Bahrain (Pros - cheaper, girlfriend still in the UK so unaware of what I'm trying to do. Cons - potentially less confidence in the quality of the stone, being stuck with a miss-sold stone when back in the UK) or waiting until I'm back in the UK (Pros - easier to go back to a vendor if there's an issue, Cons - price, delay in proposing).
Q5 - Many vendors listed are based in the USA, previously I'd found a thread discussing UK vendors but I can't find it anymore, could anyone suggest vendors?
Q6 - What else have I forgotten, misunderstood or ignored?
Sorry for the ridiculous number of questions! Even just answering one of the them would be a massive help to me!
Cheers,
movelikemountains
I've been lurking for a while but I think now is the time to break out of the shadows. I've read a fair amount but I have almost zero experience when it comes to actually purchasing gemstones - but I'm looking to buy an engagement ring for my girlfriend.
The idea is it should look similar to the attached photo, key points being:
Rose gold setting - she wants a rose gold wedding band and we both think its a good idea to have the engagement ring and wedding band match
Diamond halo... or starburst...? (Either way its the 'pointy' effect of the outer prongs she likes)
Oval sapphire (Clearly the important part!) - I'd prefer it to be lighter in tone than the one in the picture
With regard to the sapphire I've established that I'm after:
An oval
Either Royal Blue or Cornflower Blue
Not fussed by where the stone has come from, more interested in how it looks
Heat treated, but with no other treatment
The most amount of brilliance possible - ie looking to avoid windows on the crown if possible
I have a budget of £1,000-2,000 ($1,250-2,500)
Size... I think in the region of 7.0mm x 5.0mm which I think is about 0.8/1.1 carats dependant on the cut?
Now for the bits I'm struggling with:
She doesn't wanta ring thats 'too big' (an unusual problem for a prospective fiancé to have I know). She has a friend who has an excellent cut 0.42 round diamond solitaire and while my gf thinks that is a little small she doesn't want anything too big (vague I know, but bear with me here). She's a doctor and wants a piece of jewellery which is both obvious as an engagement piece without becoming an issue while working.
Q1 - Would you consider 7.0x5.0mm still 'too big' (when compared to say the standard e-ring of a 1ct diamond solitaire) , particularly when the diamond halo is added? Do I need to look for an oval shape smaller than that?
Q3 - Is it possible to find sapphires of very high quality in these smaller sizes? - most discussion seems to naturally centre around 2-5ct sapphires.
Q2 - Is my budget reasonable? I believe it is, particularly given the size of sapphire I'm after but more than happy to be corrected.
Q4 - Where do I buy? I'm currently working in Bahrain, but will return to the UK in the new year (also visit Abu Dhabi if that's any use). I'm torn between trying to buy a stone and/or whole ring out here in Bahrain (Pros - cheaper, girlfriend still in the UK so unaware of what I'm trying to do. Cons - potentially less confidence in the quality of the stone, being stuck with a miss-sold stone when back in the UK) or waiting until I'm back in the UK (Pros - easier to go back to a vendor if there's an issue, Cons - price, delay in proposing).
Q5 - Many vendors listed are based in the USA, previously I'd found a thread discussing UK vendors but I can't find it anymore, could anyone suggest vendors?
Q6 - What else have I forgotten, misunderstood or ignored?
Sorry for the ridiculous number of questions! Even just answering one of the them would be a massive help to me!
Cheers,
movelikemountains