A man in a color conflict!

[xenodna]

I just want to say first of all I am tremendously grateful for all of your generosity and honest opinions on this site. I have been reading everyones posts for months, and I would be lost if it were not for the education I have received here. I hope you all realize how much of a positive effect you have on the decisions people make. There really is nowhere a guy can go to get this many opinions from women with so much knowledge.

I mention women because I believe I need a woman''s opinion here. As a biochemist I know womens color sensitivity is higher than a mans. I have been going mental for a while over my engagement ring purchase. I initially believed it would be easy, woe is me. The more I learned the more crazy it gets. Here is my dilemma. I purchased an H-color VS1 princess from Blue Nile 1.02 ct, it is a sparkling beauty, for around 4600. All the numbers are goor etc, but I can get a 1.34 ct J-color VS1 pricess for the same price. The J will 3/4 of a mm larger per side, but will it be too yellow for a platinum setting?

My gentle, loving G-friend is half Cuban-half Italian with slighty olive/yellow skin. I was afraid the J would be too yellow. Yet I have seen gorgeous J or I stones here, i am not sure what this one will look like. Isn''t 4600 very cheap for a 1.34ct? I was thinking it is a bad cut, with little sparkle. I dont think she will care about the size but I am still worried the 1ct will be too small. It looks so small, will it look larger once mounted? It will be a solitaire mounting. I dont know if it just me that wants a better quality stone, or just go bigger so her friends and family possibly will be more impressed? We live on Long Island NY, there are many large diamonds around here, I dont want her to feel bad about a smaller stone. I have read all the color posts at least twice, yet none seem to settle me. I am not sure and wanted to see what you all think. There is very little time because the Tacori Serendipity setting is being made now. I would have to call by Monday to change the basket size.

I am sorry for the long post, I know most are much shorter. I have great respect for the knowlege represented here and have nowhere else to go. Thank you all for your time and generosity, you have made a very important decision a little easier.

 

[hoorray]

Wow! I was keeping up with the questions until that third paragraph, which was sort of a stream of consciousness!

I can't answer your questions -- they are all really personal preference. I can tell you that color shows more in princess cuts than in round. That said, there are several people with J color rounds who are very happy with them in platnium. My initial reacion is that her olive skin might compliment the more yellow tones rather than clash with it, but I would check that out with someone who really knows.

Since you are in Long Island, I would get myself over to Good Old Gold, and look at some different stones in person. I think seeing them in person, and asking someone who has dealt with all these questions lots of times is probably your best bet.

Good luck!

 

[glitterata]

If you live on LI, have you checked out Good Old Gold (GOG)? They have a stellar reputation on this board.

Are you and your girlfriend set on a princess? Princesses and most other fancy cuts show more color than round cuts, so you could go lower in color if you got a round instead. (I think rounds are much prettier anyway, but that's just my personal preference.)

Does she know you're shopping? Have you considered consulting her? I know many men don't want to do this, but many women would prefer to have a say. Many women would prefer to be surprised, too. You know her best, of course.

I've always wondered what difference, if any, skin tone makes. Anyone want to weigh in on that? Any yellow/olive skinned board members? Anybody very pale? Anybody with dark brown skin? I'd love to see pictures of different colored diamonds on different colored hands.

 

[reena]

As the others have said, it's really a personal decision--BUT if you really do have a 1c sparkler on your hands, AND you're planning to mount it in a gorgeous Tacori setting

I think it's going to look simply amazing as is. Why mess with perfection?

Does the Tacori setting have sidestones?

 

[xenodna]

Yes I have gone to GOG. They are great. Most jewelrs say stay with the H I have, it is very well cut. The J's they have seen were kinda yellow to me. I have taken her out to look at rings and she seemed to prefer the whiter ones but the I and J can look warm, so she was ok with those too. I want her to be surprised so I didnt push too much. She has no idea i am proposing in 2 weeks. No, the Tacori has no side stones. It is the Serendipity 10937 with the scroll work instead of the wheat pattern. i like the channel side settings but she doesn't.

 

[reena]

the only reason i asked about the sidestones is that, if there were sidestones, you might have to worry about the center stone being a lower color (i.e., if you went with the J).

i think your ring is going to be beautiful.

 

[reena]

is this the one? i love it!

 

[valeria101]

You really seem to have went through the options so carefully.

From the first post I would have never guessed you did get to see all those grades in person and together with the 'end user' to boot!

This is it, really

 

[xenodna]

Yes that is it. I thought it was similar to the ones that caught her eye, and like the stuff she already has. I hope she likes the setting, sometimes I think too much. Thank you for you feedback. She is so sentimental I know she will not return it, so I want it to be perfect.

 

[jesrush]

Color toleration varies by individual, but most of the people i know (including myself) who have looked at J stones in person were slightly put-off. It's not that there is anything *wrong* with a J color stone, its just that the noticeable yellow tint was not what we *expected* when viewing diamonds.

Keep in mind that within each color there is a range... i.e. a hard "J" is right in the middle perhaps and a "soft J" is more towards a "K".

Personally I'd go for beauty over size. Size feels a little too rat-race-ish

 

[quaeritur]

I vote you keep the stone you have. I'd be worried about going down to a J in a princess... Round maybe, but not a fancy shape unless I wanted a really vintage look, and then I'd go L or M in an old cushion or OEC...

BUT, that's my personal preference. I also prefer great and super sparkly cuts, which it sounds like you have in this stone.

I think that's a beautiful setting. What size ring does she wear?

As for skin tone, I'm very fair but with olive undertones. Some color/makeup type consultants have called me a winter. I do well in deep blues and reds that have a blue component. I do horribly in yellows and orange shades, and many greens. I think that's why I gravitate to colorless diamonds -especially ones with blue fluor. I just love blues

What color clothing looks best on your girlfriend? If she's great in yellows/oranges/brick shades, then a warmer diamond may be beautiful on her.

 

[purduephotog]

Howdies-

I just posted about J coloured stones in Plat.

I had the opportunity to buy a 1.2 carat 6.89mm RB J SI2. The colour was too poor for me to consider platinum. Under Fluorescent light it appeared OK- not good, just OK. Under dim light it was fine... but under tungsten and mixed lighting it was awful.

I realize many others will say its fine and thats grand... but I look at photos for a living and have very particular eyeballs (of course, thats why I approve all paint colours with the gf ;P)

So... my opinion... skip the J.

 

[xenodna]

She wears a 5.5. She is fairly petite, and she does look great in red, brown, and green clothes. What you say about the shape makes sense. The GOG people pointed out the princess can look yellow in the corners. She really does not know anything about diamonds, but I imagine she will after she gets it. I dont want her to think I skimped on brilliance just to go larger. She is the artist type and appreciates symetry and beauty. Like the women here! Your opinion means alot to me. I should have asked about this a month ago. I didnt realize i was in over my head. I feel like a lurker for not posting earlier. thanx again

 

[xenodna]

Thank you. I think she has that type of photo editors eye. She paints and loves photography so what you say scares me away from the J. I know it must be platinum so I cant take the chance of her saying "is it supposed to so yellow?"

 

[MrsFrk]

In my experience, stones do look bigger once mounted. Keep the H, you sound smitten with it.

 

[reena]

keep the H!

it will look great and very substantial in that setting.

 

[hoorray]

Keep the H. If she is an artist type who appreciates the subtleties of beauty, I think she'll appreciate the quality of the H more than the extra size. I know I would.

The setting is beautiful, and together should make for a substantial and beautiful ring.