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Advice Request: Too Much diamond?

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monkeyman2000

Rough_Rock
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Jul 26, 2008
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Semi-long time lurker, first time poster...I''ve been working to gain as much knowledge as I can and I think I''m finally mostly ready.

-So I''m aware that the answer to this question from most forum regulars may be "you can never have too much diamond" but seriously...I''d like to get some opinions on the following.

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/4473/

It looks to have pretty good scope and comes out nicely on the HCA.

1. Because the lady this is for has small fingers (size 4) I''m hesitant to go any bigger than this. I''ve done some comparison with her friends and they all agreed that 1ct was oversized (one said "grotesque") in relation to the size of the finger. So I''ve invested in the other attributes. What''s the general opinion on this?

2. GoG seems to get pretty positive reviews for service. I''ll be doing this as a remote transaction with a short time window (by the time I see it in person, I''ll have almost no time to change my mind) so I want to be as sure as I can. Any suggestions?

3. Is this a good value at ~$7100? To me it seems to be, based on the other shopping around that I''ve done, but it''s pretty hard to tell.

Thanks in advance for any helpful advice!
 
Welcome to Pricescope,

As to the pricing GOG's prices should be competitive, you can do a search for similar using the tool above. I take it D VVS are your preferred specs? The reason I mention this is that you could drop to a G or H colour and VS or possibly SI clarity, and still have a very white and clean diamond, but this is a personal preference.

As to the size, my personal opinion is that it is perfectly fine and even a carat would be too and in no way 'grotesque', do you know if the person who used that description has ever seen a 1 carat on that size finger? But of course, if your GF prefers a smaller diamond, then that is what you should get her, and the one above could be a nice middleground.
 
First of all, welcome!
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Second of all, I see that your stone (which looks lovely) is a D VVS2. Is there any particular reason for this exceptionally high colour and clarity? You could easily drop to an F or even a G if the colourless range was not imperative and get a rockin'' white diamond and save some cash. You can also drop in clarity to a VS which will be just as eyeclean to the naked eye and save yourself some more money.

Also, although I think it''s great that you''ve asked her friends about what size they think is appropriate, there are a number of ladies who have small fingers who like bigger diamonds. If possible, I would check with your lady love to see what *her* preference for diamond size is. Chances are she''ll think similarly to her friends, but maybe not, and especially if this is a forever ring, I think it''d be a good idea to have her try some rings on with you to get a sense of what she prefers on her finger.

Just my $0.02. Best wishes finding the perfect ring for her!
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You picked a very nice diamond, and GOG is a great company to work with. I also agree that a 1 ct. would not be too large for her size finger. However, if everyone in the circle you run with has smaller diamonds, your girl might feel a tad conspicuous, but only you know if that would be the case. If in doubt, go with a bit less than a carat, and if sometime in the future she wanted to go larger, GOG has a great upgrade policy.
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I see you say that since you went smaller, you invested in other attributes. While there''s certainly nothing wrong with that, it''s not absolutely necessary. You will not be getting an "inferior" diamondby lowering the color and clarity, just saving some money on things you wouldn''t see anyway! You can easily go to G-H, and VS1-VS2 without seeing anything. Even SI1''s can be totally eyeclean.

Here''s just a few examples of what you could get and still have a totally white, beautiful diamond Need to ask if eyeclean on SI1.

This one must be new, all info not up yet.

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/4722/

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/4727/

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/4535/

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/4537/
 
I wouldn't listen to her friends...they may in fact be jealous...I actaully do think that large rounds can look tacky...and by large I mean over 3 carats on certain fingers...maybe evern 2.5 on a tiny finger...1 carat is timeless and classic....not grotesque. Please. That looks like a very nice stone. If you are set on a high quality stone like that than I can imagine absolutely no reason why it wouldn't blow you away...
 
Monkeyman -- 1 ct on a size 4 finger is absolutely not "grotesque!" I''m surprised they put it like that to you. Maybe they haven''t seen many 1 ct stones and are just speculating?

If you think she will feel conspicuous or a little ostentatious with a 1 ct ring, then by all means go for something a little smaller, but if you think she will like the 1 ct size, forget what her friends say. It all depends on your soon-to-be-fiancee''s style. (Background -- I have a size 4 1/4 finger and a 1.21 ct diamond and think it''s a lovely size).

Also, I second others'' advice that D, VVS2 is not absolutely necessary for a gorgeous stone. You do end up paying a considerable premium for VVS clarity vs. VS, a difference you cannot see on an everyday basis. That said, that particular diamond sounds beautiful.
 
Definitely go with a 1 ct stone - if her friends said it will look "grotesque" then they are just jealous. I love me a D color stone, but you could drop down to F VS2 and NO ONE will be able to tell the difference except a jeweler with a microscope.
 
just throwin in my opinion - my gf has a size 4.5 finger and due to my budget I am searching for a 0.65 - 0.7 c. rock.

If I had unlimited budget, my max carat size would probably be around 1 c or a bit less. I honestly think that when it starts getting above 0.85 - 0.9 for that finger size, it can look TOO big. Just the other day I saw a family friend who has pretty small fingers and she had a huge diamond (at LEAST 1 c - maybe even 1.5 c) and my reaction was "wow that looks way too big on her", not "wow thats an awesome huge diamond". And not out of jealousy or anything.
 
Just an opinion, but Monkeyman, do you know what your girlfriend''s preferences are? I agree with some of the other posters that at a certain point, a diamond is just TOO large - but 1 ct. is definitely not at that point. One of my friends has 3.5 size fingers and a 1 ct. ring and it looks absolutely stunning on her - it looks big, but in a very classy, timeless way. At 4.5, ~0.85 will look perfect...but on the other hand, something bigger may look just as good. So don''t discount larger stones unless you know the gf definitely doesn''t want something that big
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But the stone you showed us is beautiful! And of course, PS is known for the (good!) advice of "quality over quantity"!
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Date: 7/26/2008 11:03:27 AM
Author: denverboy
just throwin in my opinion - my gf has a size 4.5 finger and due to my budget I am searching for a 0.65 - 0.7 c. rock.

If I had unlimited budget, my max carat size would probably be around 1 c or a bit less. I honestly think that when it starts getting above 0.85 - 0.9 for that finger size, it can look TOO big. Just the other day I saw a family friend who has pretty small fingers and she had a huge diamond (at LEAST 1 c - maybe even 1.5 c) and my reaction was ''wow that looks way too big on her'', not ''wow thats an awesome huge diamond''. And not out of jealousy or anything.
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Hey Denverboy -- I think a .65 - .7 ct diamond is a great size. I guess it all boils down to personal preference.

But just wanted to note that if you thought your family friend''s diamond looked way too big on her, my guess is that it was actually in the 1.5 - 1.8+ range. A 1 ct. diamond should look substantial but really shouldn''t look too big on anyone. I think when talking about carat weight #s, the difference between .7 or .8 and 1 ct can sound huge -- maybe because there''s such a price increase at that point! -- but you really have to go substantially over 1 ct, even if someone has small fingers, to get into the range of potentially looking too big.

So for the OP here, I just recommend (1) looking at different diamonds in different carat sizes in a store and (2) finding out from his girlfriend (without giving away the surprise?) what she would llike best.
 
A 1ct diamond will not look too big on a 4.5 finger. That is my size and my stone is somewhat larger. I would definitely go for the 1ct. It will not look "grotesque." That comment is uninformed and just plain silly!
 
I wear a 4 and have a just-less-than 2 carat solitaire and it doesn''t look too big. In fact, I''m looking to go bigger...I don''t think 1 carat is too big for any size finger.
 
I have never and I repeat NEVER seen a 1 ct look too big on any woman''s finger and I certainly would never use the word grotesque to describe it. If that is the size that you and your lady prefer, go for it and enjoy. Don''t worry what all the other people think. Many will be wishing it was theirs even if they won''t say it to you.
 
Date: 7/26/2008 12:23:49 PM
Author: vslover
I wear a 4 and have a just-less-than 2 carat solitaire and it doesn''t look too big. In fact, I''m looking to go bigger...I don''t think 1 carat is too big for any size finger.
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I agree... It sounds like her friends are what I like to call "haters".
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People really do have varying size preferences. Different sizes have different advantages. But I do not think that that a 1ct is grotesque in any way. And I also have elf sized fingers like your lady.

Is she the first of her friends to get engaged or are they comparing that size to their own e-rings?

Have you checked out show me the ring-there are specific threads of rings on people with small fingers. I have seen both small sizes and big sizes look just amazing on her size finger. It depends on what her taste is and her taste might be different than her friends. But I really disagree that that size would look grotesque on a small finger.

Check out the pictures in Show Me The Ring and see what you think.



Mrs.2Artists
 
Agreeing with those above me ... I don't know what her friends motivations are, but something about your description of their help strikes me as off. It's one thing if they know that *she* would prefer a smaller stone, and are just passing that on ... but if they're just sharing their own perception of what would be right for her, it's a little hinky. Does it necessarily stem from jealousy? Nah ... but it might well be a case of *their* preferences superseding hers. Check out this handy little chart: a .8 on her hand is roughly equivalent to a 1 ct. on a size 6 (the "average" ring size), and so forth. I think you're still in safe territory if you drop down to an F, VS2 at a carat ... a high quality diamond is a thing of beauty, but why not balance the 4 c's just a liiiiiitle bit more?

ETA: Here's a thread with size 4 fingers: the OP is wondering if a 2 ct. will overwhelm her, but there's a nice showing of stones of all sizes.

RBCSizeOnFinger79876.jpg
 
I agree that 1ct will not be too big. I wear a 4 1/2 and I''m upgrading to a 1.67. If it was in the budget I probably would go bigger. Is there any way to ask her what size she likes?
 
Wow! First of all, thanks for the incredibly useful advice from all!

A couple of comments: 1. Yes, most of her friends do already have rings, and yes, they are mostly smaller. Take that as you prefer...there could be validity to either the point that they would be jealous, or that they were sincerely expressing their belief, and they already went through the same choice. And 2. which is more important, she also felt like 1ct was perhaps a bit large when we discussed it.

Thanks for the comments on the stone, especially related to "balancing the 4Cs." Will continue to consider...that''s part of the reason I tried to start this process EARLY
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Has your dear lady tried on any rings? Meaning has she actually tried on a 1ct and felt it was too big on her hand or is she guessing at this point? Also is this intended to be her forever ring?

By the way good for you for starting this process early that is just wonderful.

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Mrs.2Artists
 
Ditto 2Artists on starting early!

And I'm glad we all could help. If you have more questions, don't hesitate to ask!
 
Ditto, good for you for starting early!

Just another suggestion... since it isn''t going to be a complete surprise, why don''t you and your girlfriend go to a store and check out different shapes/sizes/colors/clarities? From personal experience, sometimes you just don''t know what you really like/what is most flattering on your hand until you try a few styles on. Also, I think ring shopping with each other is very fun/romantic
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If it were me, I would go with that .91 ct. H/VS2 that Ellen recommended. The third one, #4535. That is a great size and the arrows are really speaking to me! They are saying, Buy us, Buy us!
 
1. Because the lady this is for has small fingers (size 4) I''m hesitant to go any bigger than this. I''ve done some comparison with her friends and they all agreed that 1ct was oversized (one said ''grotesque'') in relation to the size of the finger. So I''ve invested in the other attributes. What''s the general opinion on this?
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my finger size is 3 1/4 (even smaller than your GF''s) and my engagment diamond is 1.596 ct. It looks gorgeous on my finger and not incredibly huge and defnitely not ''grotesque'' (honestly i think that comment has a little bit of bitterness underlying it...who would say something like that?). Although 1ct will look very nice, believing that you shouldn''t go bigger because her fingers are smaller should not be the case since my fingers are smaller than hers and i have a larger stone.
 
Jealousy is a terrible thing, and it seems as if your girlfriend''s "friends" are quite possibly threatened/jealous at the thought of your girlfriend having a bigger diamond than them. Size 4 is not so small that a 1 carat could even come close to looking grotesque. I mean, honestly! That is ridiculous!

I think you should go for the 1 carat. That baby will shrink up in no time, I guarantee it. You could go to an F or even a G and get a 1 carat for the same price. And one more word of advice...don''t ask her friends for any more "help"!
 
my gf has a ring size 4.5 and I am in the middle of selecting a stone. Personally, I think that a 1.0 carat stone is way too big no matter what the setting. The proportions just aren''t right. I''m going to be shooting for a 0.6-0.7 carat size b/c I think that''s what looks "right". Just my opinion =D
 
Just throwing in some food for thought - in some circles, where diamonds aren't the norm, 1ct DOES seem grotesquely big. When I was in grad school, my peers seemed to echo this idea that diamonds=poor decisions as to how to spend your money, symbolized outdated traditionalism, etc. My stone is a .62 and that's what I wanted (actually, I wanted a 1/2) because I wanted a beautiful stone that I could appreciate, but I also wanted something that would fit my lifestyle. The idea that her friends are being "jealous, catty, mean" etc might not be necessarily true, and for me, it does send a signal to make sure you and your gf meet in the same place when it comes to the e-ring. Does she want a 1ct? More? Less?

That said, I don't think 1ct is too big on any finger, and I do think though that a 1 ct is an average size for most areas in the country, so it's a pretty "safe" weight to choose. I really don't think that finger size changes things ALL that much (remember, on PS, we see pretty blown up pics of diamonds and fingers, so mm differences are noticeable). I might suggest setting it in a low profile setting - if your gf is adverse to large rings, even a 1/2 ct set high could feel "ring-pop"-ish. A 1ct in a sleek, low-set ring, will look classic, clean, and lovely.
 
Date: 7/27/2008 11:43:10 PM
Author: denverboy
my gf has a ring size 4.5 and I am in the middle of selecting a stone. Personally, I think that a 1.0 carat stone is way too big no matter what the setting. The proportions just aren''t right. I''m going to be shooting for a 0.6-0.7 carat size b/c I think that''s what looks ''right''. Just my opinion =D
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As long as she agrees with you, everyone will be happy!
 
The original is one knockout stone. But it does seem that one should only allocate the budget that way (0.8 ct D/VVS) if it is the lady's preference. And, I would err on the side of a little big if possible, as your lady will certainly grow used to the size and 1 ct is not too big most places in the states.

Sadly for us size-whores, a 1 ct is really not that much bigger in appearance than a 0.8 ct. 25% more weight, yes. More than 25% more dollars required for purchase, yes. But the diameter will only be ~8% bigger, and the face-up area will be ~16% bigger, for two similarly cut stones. Thus it will be a noticable but not huge jump in size.

I wear a 1.1 ct on a 6.5 finger, and while it would certainly look a little more stunning on a smaller hand, it would certainly not be grotesque or too big for most women after they got used to it. It was too big for me at first, but I was going from nothing! And yes I was a self-conscious grad student somewhat shocked to be wearing any jewelry. But quite quickly, I grew used to it, noticed larger rings on the check-out clerks at the grocery and other grad students, and certainly wouldn't complain if it were a bit bigger now, a mere few years later.

Long post to say, if this is the forever stone, either ask your lady her own preference on size (and not her friends) or go just a bit bigger to be safe in the long run, since you have the budget for it.
 
Thanks again, all.
I'm going with the .81. This IS after conferring with the woman in question.
Also, for those of you who made points about lifestyle, and what is typical in "the States," you're on to something. We live relatively modestly, and don't live in the US
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For a difference of 0.4 x 0.4 mm on surface, and the price difference, we will choose quality over size for now. After all, when we make our millions then there is room for upgrading
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Picture to follow soon-ish.
 
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