Another ACA on 24h hold (1 week before trip to WF)

[Bruin Bling]

Hi everyone,

A huge thank you again to everyone who responded to my last thread re:: https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4344283.htm. Per my SA, the 'declined' diamond quickly went to another home so I guess that's good.

Meanwhile, we are about 1 week away from visiting WF (yay!), and I've continued to monitor their inventory. A listing for an ACA 2.1 H VS1 was recently added, so I asked my (very patient) SA to pull it and take some pics/video. Her team used an ACA 2.0 G VS2 and an ACA 2.33 H VS2 from last month as points of comparison. I'm wasn't loving the inclusions on the other two when I saw them previously, but really just using them now for color comparison.

My SA said that the 2.1 H VS1 is a solid H in her opinion, but holds up well against the G. I checked the HCA tool and the 2.1 H VS1 scored a 1.1 which I believe is a positive.

Here is a link to the diamond: https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4359593.htm
Here is a link to the comparison video:

The amazing H color diamonds posted by @Dmndsr4evr11, @munchee, @daisygrl, @Dancing Fire, @LLJsmom and @TweetyBird23 has caused a rethink about G vs H colors. @diamondseeker2006, you also mentioned a higher H could be reasonable (assuming a larger size) but that 2.34 H VVS2 never reappeared unfortunately. @Karl_K, there is internal graining noted on the cert, but my SA assures me it's not impacting the stone at all.

@'ing a few others kind enough to have also provided input last month - @NicoleNeedsHelp, @MrsBlue, @MamaBee, @Titan7 and @CareBear

My current thinking is to grab this diamond so that my fiancé has the option to keep it or pass on it after viewing in-person. I think I was the one that wanted the G color more than she did, so maybe she won't be color sensitive and maybe she will be happy with the 2.1 size. Or maybe she won't and we'll keep waiting, LOL. We'll being looking at other colors and sizes while at WF to hopefully help with our education and decision-making process.

With that said, do you all think the 2.1 H VS1 is worthy of consideration? Need to make a final decision by tomorrow/Wednesday... TIA (again)!

 

[NicoleNeedsHelp]

How exciting! I would think that they would be willing to hold it for a week because you are specifically going there next week. I would ask that question directly. However, I completely understand if they cannot because diamonds are hot right now and you want a very popular combo. If they cannot hold it, I don’t see a downside in buying it because of their return policy. Double check, but I’m almost certain they will give you a full refund If you don’t like it next week???

As far as the G vs. H color, there is such a range that you need to see the diamonds in person. As you arrange your trip to WF, I would make sure that you see a F and G diamond (even if not in your size range) and compare to this H color. For me, I bought a H color from HPD and there was visible tint so I returned it and found a G, VS1 from Canera. But, there does not appear to be any tint in @munchee new stone. I think you need to see this stone in person and decide if you love it. It does look amazing!!

also, have you asked WF what’s coming down the pipeline? I had considered WF and was working with Becca and she was amazing at giving me a heads up about what they were cutting, sending to AGS, what AGS was returning to WF etc.

Can’t wait to see if this is your stone!!!

 

[LLJsmom]

The H is worth an in person viewing and an opinion from your fiancé. Good luck!

FYI. I can see the difference in color between all 3.

 

[Morenita21]

High H is my sweet spot. I’d say it’s worth a look!

 

[daisygrl]

I actually really like the 2.1 H one you have just found. Price seems good as well. From the video, I do not see any difference aside from the size. From the upside down as far as the color, the 2.1 looks second whitest (after the G one). If I were you and if you are content with the size, I would definitely consider the 2.1 H.

Can you ask WF to compare other H colored stones of the same/similar size to the one you selected (2.1)?

 

[munchee]

That stats is what I’m looking for my diamond to be!!!!! But mine isn’t exactly what I want it to be... hope you and your fiancé love it... I’m pretty sure you’ll love it... as for the color, I believe that higher color for sure is showing less tint. But it all comes down to if you can accept the level of the lower color. For me personally, if I can accept H and with my budget I can get a bigger diameter, I’ll take the H. But if for the same size I can afford D/E of course I’ll choose E, unfortunately not everything can be perfect, so we only can choose based on our priority.

 

[Dmndsr4evr11]

Hi everyone,

A huge thank you again to everyone who responded to my last thread re:: https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4344283.htm. Per my SA, the 'declined' diamond quickly went to another home so I guess that's good.

Meanwhile, we are about 1 week away from visiting WF (yay!), and I've continued to monitor their inventory. A listing for an ACA 2.1 H VS1 was recently added, so I asked my (very patient) SA to pull it and take some pics/video. Her team used an ACA 2.0 G VS2 and an ACA 2.33 H VS2 from last month as points of comparison. I'm wasn't loving the inclusions on the other two when I saw them previously, but really just using them now for color comparison.

My SA said that the 2.1 H VS1 is a solid H in her opinion, but holds up well against the G. I checked the HCA tool and the 2.1 H VS1 scored a 1.1 which I believe is a positive.

Here is a link to the diamond: https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4359593.htm
Here is a link to the comparison video:

The amazing H color diamonds posted by @Dmndsr4evr11, @munchee, @daisygrl, @Dancing Fire, @LLJsmom and @TweetyBird23 has caused a rethink about G vs H colors. @diamondseeker2006, you also mentioned a higher H could be reasonable (assuming a larger size) but that 2.34 H VVS2 never reappeared unfortunately. @Karl_K, there is internal graining noted on the cert, but my SA assures me it's not impacting the stone at all.

@'ing a few others kind enough to have also provided input last month - @NicoleNeedsHelp, @MrsBlue, @MamaBee, @Titan7 and @CareBear

My current thinking is to grab this diamond so that my fiancé has the option to keep it or pass on it after viewing in-person. I think I was the one that wanted the G color more than she did, so maybe she won't be color sensitive and maybe she will be happy with the 2.1 size. Or maybe she won't and we'll keep waiting, LOL. We'll being looking at other colors and sizes while at WF to hopefully help with our education and decision-making process.

With that said, do you all think the 2.1 H VS1 is worthy of consideration? Need to make a final decision by tomorrow/Wednesday... TIA (again)!

Looks good to my untrained /non- expert eyes. Hopefully, you’ll get more input. Would ask for pics in natural lighting compared to other H and also G of the same size.

Also, I believe you can put it on hold for a week if you’re going down to Houston. You just need a deposit.

So exciting. Can’t wait to hear all about your trip and what you and your soon- to-be fiancé end up picking.

 

[Dancing Fire]

I'm a G/H person. I'm wearing a G now but wouldn't mind going back to an H if the right kind of H stone came along in the future. Now, if I had a lot of $$$ then I'll go with an F color.

 

[headlight]

You are questioning color so I say go for G and put your hesitation to rest.

 

[Bruin Bling]

Wow, so many replies so quickly. Greatly appreciate everyone's input!

@NicoleNeedsHelp & @Dmndsr4evr11 - yes, it looks like I do have the option to place the deposit to hold it until next week. So long as it's refundable, really don't have anything to lose. I did ask WF about their pipeline, but nothing that checks the box is in the queue (yet). Have made note about looking at them in various lighting too. Good point.

@daisygrl - I agree with you re: some other comparisons... will see what they can do before and/or during our visit.

@munchee - I was following your recent (re)search and looks like you found another great stone. I really hope it works out for you too!

@Dancing Fire - Seems like have found some really great stones from your posts that I've read while researching... color G or H!

@LLJsmom & @Morenita21 & @headlight - I want to let her viewing of the diamonds and their color guide the decision regardless of my initial opinion. If she ultimately wants a G or F or different size, I'm glad going back to the search to track one down. Interestingly, I did look at some of my mom's rings this past weekend, and I was really pressed to tell the difference between her F (oval) and high H (pear). Ultimately, I found the difference in lower lighting conditions.

I think/hope this trip is going to be informative for my preferences too....

 

[daisygrl]

Wow, so many replies so quickly. Greatly appreciate everyone's input!

@NicoleNeedsHelp & @Dmndsr4evr11 - yes, it looks like I do have the option to place the deposit to hold it until next week. So long as it's refundable, really don't have anything to lose. I did ask WF about their pipeline, but nothing that checks the box is in the queue (yet). Have made note about looking at them in various lighting too. Good point.

@daisygrl - I agree with you re: some other comparisons... will see what they can do before and/or during our visit.

@munchee - I was following your recent (re)search and looks like you found another great stone. I really hope it works out for you too!

@Dancing Fire - Seems like have found some really great stones from your posts that I've read while researching... color G or H!

@LLJsmom & @Morenita21 & @headlight - I want to let her viewing of the diamonds and their color guide the decision regardless of my initial opinion. If she ultimately wants a G or F or different size, I'm glad going back to the search to track one down. Interestingly, I did look at some of my mom's rings this past weekend, and I was really pressed to tell the difference between her F (oval) and high H (pear). Ultimately, I found the difference in lower lighting conditions.

I think/hope this trip is going to be informative for my preferences too....

FYI, you are more likely to see a color difference or just a color in different shapes (like your Mom's rings). Round stones hide color the best.

 

[LLJsmom]

I agree that it is much easier to see the color difference in “not perfect lighting and ideal color for environments.” That’s where I see it too. For me, life has too many environments that are not ideal.

 

[rogue]

For me, these are so gorgeous and color so negligible in real life that I would go for the biggest. I had a G for 14 years (in my avatar pic still), then during my recent upgrade process wore around an I for a while that had a quite noticeable tint when loose next to Gs and Hs, but when I got it set and outside of a lab setting it was amazing, not yellow in the least to my eyes. Ultimately I ended up with a bigger D (with the color being a D just based on inventory and stone quality) and quite honestly I can't tell the difference set and in real life - it could very well have been that I. Among the ACA, go for size!

 

[CareBear]

Wow! That is a very clean VS1! I went from a G to an I, to a J, and finally settled on a H. The tint in my H doesn't bother me any more than the tint in my G did. But the tint in the I & J were definitely more visible. I'm glad to hear you are considering H color as well!

 

[Bruin Bling]

Thanks again to everyone that replied! I will be following up with my SA to submit your questions and also request viewing in different lighting during our visit. I'll also inquire about the pipeline again, though she previously said this was the only one that was 'mind clean' and met the specs / budget limit we set.

Decided to submit the deposit this morning so that the diamond is held until our visit. Feels good to be inching closer to a final decision (assuming this one turns out to be a keeper!).

 

[AnastasiaBeaverhausen]

Thanks again to everyone that replied! I will be following up with my SA to submit your questions and also request viewing in different lighting during our visit. I'll also inquire about the pipeline again, though she previously said this was the only one that was 'mind clean' and met the specs / budget limit we set.

Decided to submit the deposit this morning so that the diamond is held until our visit. Feels good to be inching closer to a final decision (assuming this one turns out to be a keeper!).

Kudos of taking another step towards your end goal. Hope you guys have a great time at WF next week and your partner loves this stone as well.

 

[MrsBlue]

Gorgeous stones !!!

Because I'm thrifty even when virtually spending other people's money, here's a slightly smaller option with lovely geometry:

Diamond | 1.903 ct H VS1 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond AGS Certified | 3256284

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 1.903 carat H color VS1 clarity loose diamond is graded by the American Gem Society (AGS) Laboratories. | 3256284

www.whiteflash.com

Good luck with your search and enjoy your trip!!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I am a little late, but the stone looks good. Still, I hope you have requested all 2ct+ G-H stones within budget to be pulled. I think you might be worried about inclusions that really cannot be seen with the eye, so it is important to only judge by seeing. Some people will prefer greater size over a color or clarity grade higher. Others might rather have a less than 2 ct F. I do think G-H is a great range since it is in the high end of near colorless. Can't wait to hear about your visit!

 

[munchee]

With the winter storm in TX going on, were you able to cancel your trip?

 

[Bruin Bling]

Hi @munchee ! We were able to push our appointment back until this coming Monday after our flight was cancelled. Weather situation in Houston should hopefully improve over the weekend. Fingers crossed!

 

[Vegasvick]

Hi everyone,

A huge thank you again to everyone who responded to my last thread re:: https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4344283.htm. Per my SA, the 'declined' diamond quickly went to another home so I guess that's good.

Meanwhile, we are about 1 week away from visiting WF (yay!), and I've continued to monitor their inventory. A listing for an ACA 2.1 H VS1 was recently added, so I asked my (very patient) SA to pull it and take some pics/video. Her team used an ACA 2.0 G VS2 and an ACA 2.33 H VS2 from last month as points of comparison. I'm wasn't loving the inclusions on the other two when I saw them previously, but really just using them now for color comparison.

My SA said that the 2.1 H VS1 is a solid H in her opinion, but holds up well against the G. I checked the HCA tool and the 2.1 H VS1 scored a 1.1 which I believe is a positive.

Here is a link to the diamond: https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4359593.htm
Here is a link to the comparison video:

The amazing H color diamonds posted by @Dmndsr4evr11, @munchee, @daisygrl, @Dancing Fire, @LLJsmom and @TweetyBird23 has caused a rethink about G vs H colors. @diamondseeker2006, you also mentioned a higher H could be reasonable (assuming a larger size) but that 2.34 H VVS2 never reappeared unfortunately. @Karl_K, there is internal graining noted on the cert, but my SA assures me it's not impacting the stone at all.

@'ing a few others kind enough to have also provided input last month - @NicoleNeedsHelp, @MrsBlue, @MamaBee, @Titan7 and @CareBear

My current thinking is to grab this diamond so that my fiancé has the option to keep it or pass on it after viewing in-person. I think I was the one that wanted the G color more than she did, so maybe she won't be color sensitive and maybe she will be happy with the 2.1 size. Or maybe she won't and we'll keep waiting, LOL. We'll being looking at other colors and sizes while at WF to hopefully help with our education and decision-making process.

With that said, do you all think the 2.1 H VS1 is worthy of consideration? Need to make a final decision by tomorrow/Wednesday... TIA (again)!

Wow seeing these incremental sizes all lined up is very educating. That 2.33 is impressively larger then the other two its making me rethink things a little bit myself.

 

[Bruin Bling]

Hello again, Pricescopers! I'm back with another (long) follow up post.

My dear fiancé and I finally visited WF today and it was a real treat! We met Becca and Vera, and both were super sweet. Unfortunately, I was a bit too distracted and excited to forget taking any pictures, so I apologize for that.

Color: After receiving a “crash course” in loose diamond viewing (a first for both of us), we then reviewed a number of diamonds from F-H in color including the one we had reserved. The larger H's a more visible tint that both my fiancé and I picked up on immediately. And we were able to correctly distinguish between the G’s and H’s when side-by-side, so I guess we are both somewhat color sensitive after all. However, once a G and an H were put into temp settings, the differences became much less obvious to us after viewing them in various lighting (including under the counter per ds2006’s past suggestions to others).

Clarity: We also spent time discussing and comparing levels of clarity. As others had pointed out, inclusions online were much less or not at all visible in real life without the use of a loupe. Only after using one did more (but not all) of the inclusions become visible. There were some VS2’s and even an SI1 that looked perfectly fine to me, but surprisingly my fiancé felt more comfortable with a mind-clean stone than I did. Go figure.

Carat: We both could not immediately distinguish when the sizing difference was .2mm above 2 carats. When .3mm or greater, it was much more obvious. There was one that was .3mm larger that we liked the size of, but we both could see a dark crystal easily from the side at 12 inches and one the table at 6-8 inches viewing distance.

So... we decided to keep the H VS1 diamond that has no visible inclusions to our eyes nor when using a loupe. Down the road, if a larger H or G comes available, I told my fiancé that I am open to upgrading it for her if she wishes. But she felt comfortable with the size, color and clarity of the diamond on hold, which makes me happy too.

Setting: This was a bit tougher than I expected, and we should probably should have spent more time on it. In the meantime, we are waiting for WF to confirm options for us on one specific setting. My fiancé is partial to Pave bands, while I’m more in the traditionalist of a simple 6-prong solitaire. We had a chance to view various options. I liked WF's Elegant Solitaire and Exquisite Half Round the most (but I'm not the wearer).

Meanwhile, we learned that my fiancé does not like heavily tapered bands, nor settings where the diamond sits up too high. She seemed to have warmed up slightly to the idea of a simple solitaire, but I think she was still more focused on pave bands... of which she liked the Vatche Charis Pave setting in Platinum. That pave doesn’t have as “squared” an edge based on how the diamonds are set, and seemed like the size of the individual diamonds on the band appears larger than with other options.

Charis Pave Diamond Engagement Ring by Vatche | 1658

Charis Pave Diamond Engagement Ring by Vatche. Embrace the grace and brilliance of love with the alluring Charis pave diamond engagement ring by Vatche. | 1658

www.whiteflash.com

WF is now working on follow up inquiries re: the 4-prong head vs a 6-prong head just so we know our options before making a final decision.... and I've also asked if the head would come from the U-113 and if there would be a doughnut at the bottom of the head. From the pic I found, it doesn't seem like it would. I should probably also ask about diamond height with 4 vs 6 prongs.

All that said, I’ve read A LOT of threads re: 4 vs 6 prongs with no definitive conclusion... although it seems like most suggest 6 prongs for anything 2+ carats when doing a solitaire setting. However, for Charis Pave (pics below), what do you think??

Also, I believe Vatche uses a 950/50 Ru alloy mixture, so I believe we are set on that front, yes?

Lastly, is there anything else that we might want to ask about or maybe consider/reconsider given what we learned today?

Thanks again, everyone.

Charis Pave with 6-Prongs:


Charis Pave with 4 Prongs:

 

[LLJsmom]

Just get it insured and wear it with whatever setting is reasonably safe. For me, that is any shank at least 1.8mm for your size stone, a platinum setting, and well made setting. I think you're safe in that regard when you go with WF.

 

[MissGotRocks]

Should be beautiful! I loved going to Whiteflash and am glad you got to go and meet Becca and Vera.

 

[tyty333]

What a great trip! Sounds like you learned a lot about your preferences.

I love the 6 prong Charis like you posted above. I think its so elegant, however, both are beautiful so no matter which prongs
you end up with its going to be lovely.

My* take on it is the first picture (6 prongs) has a more elegant feel while the 4 prong has a little bit more of a modern feel.
(I'm not trying to suggest one is better than the other, I'm just saying thats the feelings I* get from the prong layout). Really
depends on how your GF sees them and how they make her feel.

Looking forward to seeing pictures of your final selection!

 

[AnastasiaBeaverhausen]

Congratulations on having chosen your diamond. Both ring settings look lovely. But I agree with @tyty333. The 4-prong looks more modern while the 6-prong looks more vintage. It's really up to your FI what her preferences are!

 

[Bruin Bling]

Happy Friday! I received two add'l images (below) from our helpful SA at WF to illustrate the 6-prong setting by Vatche. My dear fiancé is happy with the images, so I think we are going this route. Now just need to iron out the last details...

Me being my OCD self, I drafted a few questions/requests to send to our SA on Monday morning, but wanted to bounce them off PS first to make sure I'm going about this correctly....

1. Stone Height. WF is estimating 7.5mm for the diamond height. My fiancé doesn't want the diamond sitting high, so I had mentioned a Medium to Medium-Low height request. Our SA said she could also request Vatche set the diamond 'as low as possible.' Too low feels like a potential pitfall based on this post regarding the Vatche Serenity setting that the owner didn't like it at all. Is this setting too low? Should I reset a little higher? | PriceScope I wouldn't want the stone to appear 'squatty' either. Based on new images with the 6-prong head, what height request do you think would look best while ensuring good light performance and presence, but also ease of wearing and of cleaning too?

2. Prongs. We both like the 'swoopy' basket in the pics, so all good there. Based on the images, I also want to ensure that the prongs A) don't extend too far out from the stone itself, and B) don't reach over the pavilion towards the table too much... This post addresses A) Are the prongs on my ring too thick? | PriceScope I know that my fiancé is not a fan when it looks like the ER has grasped the stone with a tight fist, if that make sense, such that you see the prongs as overpowering vs the diamond being the star. But I also don't want to misdirect Vatche who should know what would look best while maintaining durability and integrity. I've read requests for prongs to be durable, yet petite, snag-free, not too intrusive, delicate and closer to the stone... Thoughts on the best way to convey this request?

3. Arrow Orientation. The 6-prong setting has prongs at the 12 and 6 o'clock positions, and I will ask that the arrows be positioned perfectly symmetrical to the prongs. In terms of orientation of the diamond, I've read requests for the arrows to start at 12, and others for it to be rotated to start around 11. Seems like it's a personal preference thing and not performance thing, correct? https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/orientation-of-mrb-arrows-in-relation-to-prongs.261237/

4. Wedding Band. My fiancé is not currently planning to wear the ER 24/7, and probably will not pair the wedding band and ER very often. The band doesn't need to be 'matchy-matchy' either, though I think it actually works for this ER. To get or not to get, that is the question.... And based on the following post, it seems like if you are EVER going to get a truly matching band with Vatche, the time to do it is during fabrication if there is any hand tooling involved... "Matching" wedding band thinner than ER setting...normal? | PriceScope Also, the Charis Pave wedding band has a 2mm width (and 1.6mm thickness, same as the ER), so it's possibly a bit dainty if she were to wear it alone. Thoughts on that size for a wedding band.. is 2mm durable enough to be worn alone, in your experience??

Vatche 1533 Charis Pave Diamond Wedding Ring | 3724

Embrace elegance with the Vatche 1533 Charis Pave Diamond Wedding Ring. Find your perfect match at Whiteflash and celebrate your love in style. | 3724

www.whiteflash.com

Thanks again to everyone for your continued thoughts while we've been on this journey...

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Congrats on choosing your diamond!!!

With Vatche, you don't need to tell them anything. They set the stone at the correct height, not too high and not too low. You can see in the pictures that the shape of the head (the part with the prongs) is well defined so you don't need to mention that. Basically, you have them send the diamond and tell them the correct ring size. Remember that fingers are often a little bigger in the summer heat, so size a little larger if she was just sized on this visit. She can always use a ring snuggie in the winter if needed. You just cut off a little piece as needed and twist it onto the base of the shank.

Amazon.com: Ring Size Adjuster for Loose Rings Invisible Transparent Silicone Guard Clip Noodle Jewelry Tightener Resizer 4 Sizes Fit Almost Any Ring 4 Pack : Arts, Crafts & Sewing

Shop FX at the Amazon Arts, Crafts & Sewing store. Free Shipping on eligible items. Save on everyday low prices.

www.amazon.com

I'd go ahead and get the matching wedding band. Many of us have more than one, but it is nice to have one you know will work well. When my daughter got married over a year ago, she had two wedding bands, one with diamonds and one engraved rose gold.

 

[Bruin Bling]

Dear @diamondseeker2006,

Thank you for the congrats and for your additional thoughts. I recall reading that you're a fan of Vatche, so it sounds like we will be in good hands with this designer (I was leaning towards the U-113 or possible WF's Exquisite Half Round for my fiancé, but wanted her to make the decision).

As you can see, I've been stressing about some of the final, little details to try to get the ER as close to perfect as I can (even when I sort of know it's ultimately out of my hands). I will tell WF to let Vatche do their thing re: height. Based on the pics, you also don't think I need to be worried about the prongs sticking out too much from the girdle or extending too far into the crown when facing up?

Good point regarding the sizing, and will touch base with the fiancé on that. I know she was measured once in the summer and again last week, both matching the same size, so hopefully we have the right sizing. I think I need to get one of those adjusters for myself!

Yes, I've seen that a lot of women on here mix and match the bands over time, so having options would likely be a good thing. It's not exactly inexpensive, but also not nearly the cost of a Tiffany Embrace or Legacy band either.

 

[Dmndsr4evr11]

Hello again, Pricescopers! I'm back with another (long) follow up post.

My dear fiancé and I finally visited WF today and it was a real treat! We met Becca and Vera, and both were super sweet. Unfortunately, I was a bit too distracted and excited to forget taking any pictures, so I apologize for that.

Color: After receiving a “crash course” in loose diamond viewing (a first for both of us), we then reviewed a number of diamonds from F-H in color including the one we had reserved. The larger H's a more visible tint that both my fiancé and I picked up on immediately. And we were able to correctly distinguish between the G’s and H’s when side-by-side, so I guess we are both somewhat color sensitive after all. However, once a G and an H were put into temp settings, the differences became much less obvious to us after viewing them in various lighting (including under the counter per ds2006’s past suggestions to others).

Clarity: We also spent time discussing and comparing levels of clarity. As others had pointed out, inclusions online were much less or not at all visible in real life without the use of a loupe. Only after using one did more (but not all) of the inclusions become visible. There were some VS2’s and even an SI1 that looked perfectly fine to me, but surprisingly my fiancé felt more comfortable with a mind-clean stone than I did. Go figure.

Carat: We both could not immediately distinguish when the sizing difference was .2mm above 2 carats. When .3mm or greater, it was much more obvious. There was one that was .3mm larger that we liked the size of, but we both could see a dark crystal easily from the side at 12 inches and one the table at 6-8 inches viewing distance.

So... we decided to keep the H VS1 diamond that has no visible inclusions to our eyes nor when using a loupe. Down the road, if a larger H or G comes available, I told my fiancé that I am open to upgrading it for her if she wishes. But she felt comfortable with the size, color and clarity of the diamond on hold, which makes me happy too.

Setting: This was a bit tougher than I expected, and we should probably should have spent more time on it. In the meantime, we are waiting for WF to confirm options for us on one specific setting. My fiancé is partial to Pave bands, while I’m more in the traditionalist of a simple 6-prong solitaire. We had a chance to view various options. I liked WF's Elegant Solitaire and Exquisite Half Round the most (but I'm not the wearer).

Meanwhile, we learned that my fiancé does not like heavily tapered bands, nor settings where the diamond sits up too high. She seemed to have warmed up slightly to the idea of a simple solitaire, but I think she was still more focused on pave bands... of which she liked the Vatche Charis Pave setting in Platinum. That pave doesn’t have as “squared” an edge based on how the diamonds are set, and seemed like the size of the individual diamonds on the band appears larger than with other options.

Charis Pave Diamond Engagement Ring by Vatche | 1658

Charis Pave Diamond Engagement Ring by Vatche. Embrace the grace and brilliance of love with the alluring Charis pave diamond engagement ring by Vatche. | 1658

www.whiteflash.com

WF is now working on follow up inquiries re: the 4-prong head vs a 6-prong head just so we know our options before making a final decision.... and I've also asked if the head would come from the U-113 and if there would be a doughnut at the bottom of the head. From the pic I found, it doesn't seem like it would. I should probably also ask about diamond height with 4 vs 6 prongs.

All that said, I’ve read A LOT of threads re: 4 vs 6 prongs with no definitive conclusion... although it seems like most suggest 6 prongs for anything 2+ carats when doing a solitaire setting. However, for Charis Pave (pics below), what do you think??

Also, I believe Vatche uses a 950/50 Ru alloy mixture, so I believe we are set on that front, yes?

Lastly, is there anything else that we might want to ask about or maybe consider/reconsider given what we learned today?

Thanks again, everyone.

Charis Pave with 6-Prongs:


Charis Pave with 4 Prongs:

Yay! Congrats on choosing your stone!!! Love it! Can’t wait to see the finished ring.