Hello! I'm hoping to get some advice on buying an engagement ring but unfortunately, I'm pressed for time as I'd like to pop the question less than a month from now.
- I've looked at some diamonds on James Allen and White Flash and I noticed in the magnified view that the diamonds with a VS1 rating have tiny specks visible. How obvious are these in person to the naked eye? When I spoke with someone at a reputable local shop, he told me that I'd be fine with an S1. Any thoughts on this?
- What websites should I be looking at other than James Allen and White Flash?
- Should I be getting the setting from where I order the diamond or should I get them separately? Are there positives and negatives that I should be aware of?
- I don't know my girlfriend's ring finger size and there's really no way for me to find out. How should I go about handling this? One shop suggested I propose with a loaner ring, which would also help solve the time crunch that I'm in (I could order a custom engagement ring after and my girlfriend could be part of the creation process). I also spoke with Tiffany and they said that they would sell me an available completed ring so that I could propose with it, and then I could have it resized after. While I would much prefer to propose with the actual ring, the "problem" is that Tiffany diamonds carry a huge premium (I was also disappointed to learn that the diamond they have available for me has a colour grade of I).
- Thoughts on the big name diamond engagement shops? Tiffany, Cartier, Bulgari, etc.
- Any recommendations for shops in Canada?