Advice for the Purist..D IF or D VVS1?

[snowballs mom]

"When’s the last time you saw a huge-ass, wait-is-that-actually-real diamond on the perfectly manicured finger of your #Engaged friend’s “Some personal news!” Insta post?"

Uh, any time anyone got engaged???

I do know a lot of people who have smaller diamonds and are only into smaller diamonds. COINCIDENTALLY these people make much, much less money than those who have and prefer larger diamonds. I suspect the smaller diamond trend is due almost entirely to how comparatively less wealthy millennials are to the previous several generations.

"and by “smaller,” we mean those hovering around the one-carat neighborhood."

uh, ok, so by "smaller" they mean "the average engagement ring stone size"?? that's a way to define it. lol.

I just checked with my 25 year old daughter, and I quote: "Big diamonds are always better"

 

[Starfacet]

I just checked with my 25 year old daughter, and I quote: "Big diamonds are always better"

Amen.

 

[rocheapplied]

If it were totally up to me...I would be selecting a 1+ carat CBI / BG
Alas..she wants a smaller diamond

What a unique problem to be facing lol

 

[AV_]

.
Let this be the first!

 

[AV_]

It could still be a CBI:

https://www.hpdiamonds.com/en-us/diamonddetail/HPD10575

https://www.hpdiamonds.com/en-us/diamonddetail/HPD10185

& this is still less than one carat:

https://www.augustvintageinc.net/co...ct-d-vs2-august-vintage-european-cut-74592515


I can easily immagine wanting to wear a ring that is hardly much different than a band - so the diamond gets compared with the width of reasonable wedding bands, hence six mm is allot already.

 

[Starfacet]

If it were totally up to me...I would be selecting a 1+ carat CBI / BG
Alas..she wants a smaller diamond

We want what we want, just be sure you know what her definition of "smaller" is. Has she tried on stones and can say for sure what carat weight she wants? If she wants a 40 pointer, then it's a waste of time to start considering diamonds like the BGD one you posted.
I see the .42 ct E CBI is on hold. Is it on hold for you?

 

[greenteabiscuit]

When I tried on a diamond ring for the first time ever, .5ct looked good on me. Dainty, feminine, etc. As my then bf and I visited different stores to try on different rings, I realized I did not want to compromise on cut (as stated in the article), but neither on size. My dh proposed with a 2ct ACA. It looked huge at first but 3 years later, I am wishing for a 3ct. DSS is real. I am also a member of a huge forum with all women where they ask a lot about engagment/wedding, etc. and there is a trend among people in early 20-30 that haven’t done much jewelry shopping to think that small diamond is better and anything close to 1ct is gaudy, etc. They have now become 30-40s and most are kicking themselves in their butts. Some people really do not care about rings, though, and they are happy with smaller diamonds. But many end up wanting larger diamonds.

 

[rocheapplied]

All very very valid points... that’s the worry that I have as well to be honest.


I think mrs-b, had a very wise posting where she said get the stone that best fits her. Throughout our relationship I’ve tried to get her things that I *thought she would want but they ended up being things she didn’t want. An example of this is trying to get her a Van cleef and Arpels necklace and she complained that it was too “flashy” and that she wanted something more dainty and delicate. She ended up really liking a necklace from a local store that ended up costing..... drumroll..... 15 dollars.


When we walked around a jewellery store she tried on a few pairs of erings and she resonated with a lot of the smaller stones (0.2 and even 0.3 carats :/ ) I kept saying to her hey... don’t u think it’s a little bit small but she said I don’t feel comfortable or want to be flashy with my jewellery- subtlety is the best. Money is not a problem for me - honestly I would love it if she wanted a bigger stone, I would’ve gotten a 1 carat D VVS1 in that case lol. I think why I’m also struggling with this is that as a guy I think I also want her to have a bigger rock as sometimes it’s *mistakenly associated with a mans pride (or maybe that’s just me)


Who knows, her opinion might change when she reaches her 30s and 40s.. in that case I’ll just upgrade the stone at that time :p

 

[AV_]

@rocheapplied Perhaps a gift of high jewelry could come with a suitable occassion to wear some. Jewelry is a walk of life...

Thinking out loud

 

[Starfacet]

All very very valid points... that’s the worry that I have as well to be honest.


I think mrs-b, had a very wise posting where she said get the stone that best fits her. Throughout our relationship I’ve tried to get her things that I *thought she would want but they ended up being things she didn’t want. An example of this is trying to get her a Van cleef and Arpels necklace and she complained that it was too “flashy” and that she wanted something more dainty and delicate. She ended up really liking a necklace from a local store that ended up costing..... drumroll..... 15 dollars.


When we walked around a jewellery store she tried on a few pairs of erings and she resonated with a lot of the smaller stones (0.2 and even 0.3 carats :/ ) I kept saying to her hey... don’t u think it’s a little bit small but she said I don’t feel comfortable or want to be flashy with my jewellery- subtlety is the best. Money is not a problem for me - honestly I would love it if she wanted a bigger stone, I would’ve gotten a 1 carat D VVS1 in that case lol. I think why I’m also struggling with this is that as a guy I think I also want her to have a bigger rock as sometimes it’s *mistakenly associated with a mans pride (or maybe that’s just me)


Who knows, her opinion might change when she reaches her 30s and 40s.. in that case I’ll just upgrade the stone at that time :p

I think you're on the right track then with getting what *she* wants, not what our culture dictates. Just curious if you put the .42 CBI on hold? If you do see a stone you want, please put it on hold so no one else gets it!

 

[mrs-b]

@rocheapplied -

My feeling is that you might be under-shooting a tad. Just a smidge. I'd be aiming for a .5ct diamond. On a very small finger, .5ct still looks nice and has a nice symbolism, and if she decides to go more substantial as she gets older and her fingers get larger (and they will), she can add 2 x 1/4ct stones either side and end up with a 1ct 3 stone ring. And if she decided to keep it simple - also fine. She could also add an eternity wedding ring with a half ct in it, or you might like to gift her one as an anniversary gift one year. It would make a beautiful set. (If you ever do that, tho, or if you get a diamond wedding ring for her, PLEASE get one from CBI; anything next to a CBI e-ring that's just a normal mass-produced diamond ring is going to look as dead as a door nail!)

But .42 just seems a tiny bit small to me. Despite my own large ring, I am *well* documented on these pages as loving smaller rings. My all time favorite ring on PS is a half ct solitaire. If my fingers were your girlfriend's size, I'd wear a ring under a ct also. But I think .42ct is punching just a tiny bit below optimum weight.

Think about going up to a half ct; it has NO chance of looking overpowering - remember, when all is said and done, we're talking about 5.1mm and she WILL get used to it - fast! - and it won't look big to her at all. It *feels* big because she's not used to it - that's all. When she IS used to it, it will feel much smaller.

Using any form of measurement or comparison, a 1/2ct is what I'd call petite. But a petite, top notch CBI 1/2ct solitaire is a wonderful ring, and VERY romantic!

 

[rocheapplied]

I think you're on the right track then with getting what *she* wants, not what our culture dictates. Just curious if you put the .42 CBI on hold? If you do see a stone you want, please put it on hold so no one else gets it!

Hi Starfacet!

Yes - I put it on hold - just waiting to get confirmation on payment method!

 

[Starfacet]

Hi Starfacet!

Yes - I put it on hold - just waiting to get confirmation on payment method!

Good for you!! She can always upgrade later or add a stacking band or two if she decides to. It's all about what she wants to wear every day!

 

[rocheapplied]

@rocheapplied -

My feeling is that you might be under-shooting a tad. Just a smidge. I'd be aiming for a .5ct diamond. On a very small finger, .5ct still looks nice and has a nice symbolism, and if she decides to go more substantial as she gets older and her fingers get larger (and they will), she can add 2 x 1/4ct stones either side and end up with a 1ct 3 stone ring. And if she decided to keep it simple - also fine. She could also add an eternity wedding ring with a half ct in it, or you might like to gift her one as an anniversary gift one year. It would make a beautiful set. (If you ever do that, tho, or if you get a diamond wedding ring for her, PLEASE get one from CBI; anything next to a CBI e-ring that's just a normal mass-produced diamond ring is going to look as dead as a door nail!)

But .42 just seems a tiny bit small to me. Despite my own large ring, I am *well* documented on these pages as loving smaller rings. My all time favorite ring on PS is a half ct solitaire. If my fingers were your girlfriend's size, I'd wear a ring under a ct also. But I think .42ct is punching just a tiny bit below optimum weight.

Think about going up to a half ct; it has NO chance of looking overpowering - remember, when all is said and done, we're talking about 5.1mm and she WILL get used to it - fast! - and it won't look big to her at all. It *feels* big because she's not used to it - that's all. When she IS used to it, it will feel much smaller.

Using any form of measurement or comparison, a 1/2ct is what I'd call petite. But a petite, top notch CBI 1/2ct solitaire is a wonderful ring, and VERY romantic!

Hey Mrs-B

Based on what you said, I think so too....
I may be undershooting, but part of me is worried that if I get a bigger stone, it won't look as proportional to her fingers (her hand is really small). She mentioned that a *bigger stone looks out of place, but I am really worried about the DSS sinking into her. The past few days, I've been obsessively looking at pictures of under 0.5 carat ring sizes.

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/under-0-5-carat-rings.194645/page-3

The post by curiousgem19 comes to mind (she has a 0.452) in a ring size 3.75. My gf has a size 3 ring size

If I were to go the 0.5 carat size, what CBI Diamonds you would recommend in the 0.5 range? They are all listed as around VS1 - in Clarity (I know its eye clean and it won't come with any problems however, for me it definitely won't be mind clean, and I prefer to stick to the VVS range). I wonder how often they replenish their stock, and if theres a chance that a 0.50 D/E VVS1 will be coming along soon..

https://www.hpdiamonds.com/en-us/diamonddetail/HPD9773
https://www.hpdiamonds.com/en-us/diamonddetail/HPD9765
https://www.hpdiamonds.com/en-us/diamonddetail/HPD9770

The other option is to go with the BGB diamond:

https://www.briangavindiamonds.com/...0.528-e-vvs1-round-diamond-ags-c-104107046002

It punches over the 0.5 carat mark, is the clarity I want. However, most people have said there isn't a difference between the two type of cuts, just that its a bigger diamond. In my experience, both are stellar vendors!

 

[mrs-b]

Hi @rocheapplied - and good morning!

My problem with a .42ct diamond is in the numbers as much as the size.

"What size is your ring?"
"It's 42 points."
"Oh."

....or....

"What size is your ring?"
"It's a half carat."
"Nice!"

To me, both the half ct or 1 ct thing plays to the you + me = one whole symbolism. A half ct (to me) says "This is me, making half of us." A whole ct says the same thing that my husband has engraved on my wedding ring - "One." Either way, it speaks to a unity between 2 people. Forty two points is fine - it just has no symbolism - which is why I'd be looking for exactly half a ct, rather than 55 or 51 or 58 points, for instance. While, physically, it's a tiny bit larger, she's not going to look at it and think "It's sooooo much larger and waaaay too big!" Even on a size 3, a 1/2 ct is a dainty sized diamond and the difference is between 4.8mm and 5.1mm.

As for which diamond - I like this one from CBI; small table, nice fat arrows, fantastically clean!

https://www.hpdiamonds.com/en-us/diamonddetail/HPD9765

Give it some thought - I think you want maximum romance with this!

 

[Weecam]

IMHO .5ct is not too big. I’m not a size 3 but a 4.5 which is still fairly small. I started out with an eternity ring 23 years ago then slowly upgraded.
.88ct, 1.18ct, 1.4ct, 1.63ct and now for our 23rd anniversary we upgraded to a 1.76ct CBI. Attached is a picture of the 1.18ct on my finger. DSS is real....

 

[rocheapplied]

Hi @rocheapplied - and good morning!

My problem with a .42ct diamond is in the numbers as much as the size.

"What size is your ring?"
"It's 42 points."
"Oh."

....or....

"What size is your ring?"
"It's a half carat."
"Nice!"

To me, both the half ct or 1 ct thing plays to the you + me = one whole symbolism. A half ct (to me) says "This is me, making half of us." A whole ct says the same thing that my husband has engraved on my wedding ring - "One." Either way, it speaks to a unity between 2 people. Forty two points is fine - it just has no symbolism - which is why I'd be looking for exactly half a ct, rather than 55 or 51 or 58 points, for instance. While, physically, it's a tiny bit larger, she's not going to look at it and think "It's sooooo much larger and waaaay too big!" Even on a size 3, a 1/2 ct is a dainty sized diamond and the difference is between 4.8mm and 5.1mm.

As for which diamond - I like this one from CBI; small table, nice fat arrows, fantastically clean!

https://www.hpdiamonds.com/en-us/diamonddetail/HPD9765

Give it some thought - I think you want maximum romance with this!

I absolutely LOVE The symbolism you laid out...
I am terribly conflicted now

 

[AV_]

I am still seeing the word 'purist' in the title of the thread - D/VS1? WWW I am more of concerned with colour than clarity, although neither changing from D to E, not from VVS to VS1 amounts to any substantial difference.

The differences of cut are too slight to comment...

 

[mrs-b]

@rocheapplied -

I think you're over-estimating the visual difference between 42 points and a half ct. (ETA - you CAN see it - but you have to look closely. Most people will NEVER look that closely.)

Symbolically, if you look at it in reverse (and I mean this humorously!) 42 points is...a bit less than half!

Laughing here....

I truly do like the 'diamonds are forever' aspect to diamonds, tho. And a half ct says "I want to be half of us - forever." Nice.

 

[rocheapplied]

I am still seeing the word 'purist' in the title of the thread - D/VS1? WWW I am more of concerned with colour than clarity, although neither changing from D to E, not from VVS to VS1 amounts to any substantial difference.

The differences of cut are too slight to comment...

I agree with the purist comments.
Trust me if there was a 0.5 D IF / D VVS1 with a super ideal vendor, I would snatch it up in a heartbeat.

Only this is, supply isn't there, and I'm not sure when CBI, etc will ever if they ever get those types of stones for that weight..

 

[rocheapplied]

IMHO .5ct is not too big. I’m not a size 3 but a 4.5 which is still fairly small. I started out with an eternity ring 23 years ago then slowly upgraded.
.88ct, 1.18ct, 1.4ct, 1.63ct and now for our 23rd anniversary we upgraded to a 1.76ct CBI. Attached is a picture of the 1.18ct on my finger. DSS is real....

What a beautiful ring!!
And that's a 1.18 ct? It looks beautiful and proportional to your finger!!!

 

[deorwine]

If she says she likes 0.4/0.3/0.2 better than 0.5 I'd get her the 0.42 and not an 0.5. Like you said, you have been burned before by getting her what you thought she "ought" to want, or what "culture" said she ought to want, rather than what she said to you she actually wanted.

Be aware that these women are amazingly lovely -- and also that we are a self-selected group who reeeeally likes hanging around talking about shiny things. We're in general going to like bigger stones, it only stands to reason!

I'm one of the people who kind of wishes I'd gone smaller -- my engagement ring is 0.75ct, I'm a finger size 4, and I had several people say to me, "Wow, that's so big!" My peer group in general got married on the early side and tend to have fairly small diamonds, and I feel sort of ostentatious and I rarely wear my engagement ring as a result.

(But I just lurk here -- I'm really a Colored Stones sort of person -- and if you gave me a 4ct sapphire I wouldn't say no to that )

 

[AV_]

Trust me if there was a 0.5 D IF / D VVS1 with a super ideal vendor, I would snatch it up in a heartbeat.

IF hardly ever happens, perhaps because few ask... You could ask if such a CBI might be in the pipeline.

 

[Dancing Fire]

https://www.hpdiamonds.com/en-us/diamonddetail/HPD9773
https://www.hpdiamonds.com/en-us/diamonddetail/HPD9765
https://www.hpdiamonds.com/en-us/diamonddetail/HPD9770

The other option is to go with the BGB diamond:

https://www.briangavindiamonds.com/...0.528-e-vvs1-round-diamond-ags-c-104107046002

[/QUOTE] these are all beautiful stones... I have purchased from both HPD and BGD. Their both top notch vendors.

 

[rocheapplied]

If she says she likes 0.4/0.3/0.2 better than 0.5 I'd get her the 0.42 and not an 0.5. Like you said, you have been burned before by getting her what you thought she "ought" to want, or what "culture" said she ought to want, rather than what she said to you she actually wanted.

Be aware that these women are amazingly lovely -- and also that we are a self-selected group who reeeeally likes hanging around talking about shiny things. We're in general going to like bigger stones, it only stands to reason!

I'm one of the people who kind of wishes I'd gone smaller -- my engagement ring is 0.75ct, I'm a finger size 4, and I had several people say to me, "Wow, that's so big!" My peer group in general got married on the early side and tend to have fairly small diamonds, and I feel sort of ostentatious and I rarely wear my engagement ring as a result.

(But I just lurk here -- I'm really a Colored Stones sort of person -- and if you gave me a 4ct sapphire I wouldn't say no to that )

This forum and the support that everyone gives each other made me sort of obsessed with the craftsmanship and beauty of diamonds I probably most likely will just stay even after I've bought everything LOL

 

[whitewave]

Hey Mrs-B

Based on what you said, I think so too....
I may be undershooting, but part of me is worried that if I get a bigger stone, it won't look as proportional to her fingers (her hand is really small). She mentioned that a *bigger stone looks out of place, but I am really worried about the DSS sinking into her. The past few days, I've been obsessively looking at pictures of under 0.5 carat ring sizes.

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/under-0-5-carat-rings.194645/page-3

The post by curiousgem19 comes to mind (she has a 0.452) in a ring size 3.75. My gf has a size 3 ring size

If I were to go the 0.5 carat size, what CBI Diamonds you would recommend in the 0.5 range? They are all listed as around VS1 - in Clarity (I know its eye clean and it won't come with any problems however, for me it definitely won't be mind clean, and I prefer to stick to the VVS range). I wonder how often they replenish their stock, and if theres a chance that a 0.50 D/E VVS1 will be coming along soon..

https://www.hpdiamonds.com/en-us/diamonddetail/HPD9773
https://www.hpdiamonds.com/en-us/diamonddetail/HPD9765
https://www.hpdiamonds.com/en-us/diamonddetail/HPD9770

The other option is to go with the BGB diamond:

https://www.briangavindiamonds.com/...0.528-e-vvs1-round-diamond-ags-c-104107046002

It punches over the 0.5 carat mark, is the clarity I want. However, most people have said there isn't a difference between the two type of cuts, just that its a bigger diamond. In my experience, both are stellar vendors!

Antwerp is on vacation right now, so I don’t think there will be new stock until September.

My first CBI was a .37 and it was just too small (but 7.25 finger), so I immediately traded it for a .56G.

At the get together, I did see about a .42 on a very small finger, and it looked amazing.

We older ladies have been married 24 years (for me) ++ so that is why we think go bigger lol.

But the wonderful news is that with CBI you both can enjoy this one now and upgrade later if she wants. She says she likes smaller so right now, go smaller. There is nothing wrong with that!

Like I said, heck, stick around ps long enough and she’ll wind up with at least 2 engagement rings to alternate lol.

Congratulations!!

 

[whitewave]

I absolutely LOVE The symbolism you laid out...
I am terribly conflicted now

It will look like a half carat, so you can tell people whatever you want lol.

My .64 CBI I just picked up today has the visual appearance of a larger stone, so I have no doubt the .42 will look like a half carat.

 

[whitewave]

CBI .64 in poor lighting. You are going to love it. It’s fireball amazing.

 

[elizabethess]

Forty two points is fine - it just has no symbolism -

Symbolically, if you look at it in reverse (and I mean this humorously!) 42 points is...a bit less than half!

As any sci-fi reader knows, 42 is the answer to the meaning of life, the universe, and everything! (Where's my nerd emoji?)

Symbolism concerns aside, since she's already tried on various sizes, and seems to be firm in her preference, I say get her the smaller diamond that matches what she has clearly said is perfect for her at this point in time, and let go of the imaginary thoughts of what she might want in the future, what society might think of you, etc., etc. And if you get something that gives you a good option for upgrading in the future, and make it clear that you are open to using that option, your bases are covered

 

[whitewave]

As any sci-fi reader knows, 42 is the answer to the meaning of life, the universe, and everything! (Where's my nerd emoji?)

Symbolism concerns aside, since she's already tried on various sizes, and seems to be firm in her preference, I say get her the smaller diamond that matches what she has clearly said is perfect for her at this point in time, and let go of the imaginary thoughts of what she might want in the future, what society might think of you, etc., etc. And if you get something that gives you a good option for upgrading in the future, and make it clear that you are open to using that option, your bases are covered