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Assistance in finding a Round Halo E-Ring in a 3K Budget

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bps424

Rough_Rock
Joined
May 22, 2013
Messages
3
While this is my first post, I have been lurking for a while and hoping for some help in finding a great round halo engagement ring in a 3K budget. :) This budget includes the setting and diamond.

My boyfriend has asked me to pick out a ring and I find that my style tends be more expensive than his budget. I certainly do not want him to go over so I'm hoping to get some ideas of settings and diamonds that could work. I definitely want a round halo with diamonds on the band.

I have been eying this James Allen setting but I have heard complaints that it is too high which is a concern of mine:
http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/halo/14k-white-gold-pave-halo-and-shank-diamond-engagement-ring-round-center-item-6800

I've attached a picture of my dream ring. While I know that is out of our budget, I'm hoping to find something in the same style. Ideally, I'd love the center stone to be at least .70 carats as I worry that in smaller stones, the halo over powers the center stone. I definitely want them to compliment each other. I'd also love my wedding band to sit flush against the ring so that is another important factor in picking a setting.

Also, for this style ring, is it a better idea to go platinum instead of white gold? I know platinum would take him out of his 3K budget, but he said if it was important to me, he would let me pay the difference to "upgrade" the ring now and prevent having to redip in the future to maintain the white gold. However, I've also heard that platinum is not the best option for pave designs as the diamonds fall out easily?

Any help would be much appreciated! I've been looking on my own and find myself quite overwhelmed and confused so I was hoping PriceScope would be able to help me out!

img_5183.jpg
 
If your budget is a stiff 3k I would not sink so much money into a platinum setting. And with all that diamond, you wont see much metal anyways. Go 14k and save as much ad you can. If the rhodium wares off eventually so be it. Many of us here wear unplated WG. And 14k is pretty white as it is.

I know you said your sold on having diamonds in the band, so I'll only mention you can save more by going plain shank halo, have your wedding band diamond and you get a similar look for less. But if you've explored that option and passed I understand.

Also contact idjewelry. They are stellar at doing budget settings. I've seen them do a plain shank halo with a 0.45 ish center ring for 1.5k, so I think your budget is fine. But go down to si1 in searching for your stone and probably an I color.
 
The only in-house superbly cut .7ct stone that I find in the PS search is http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/8246/ for $3087 wire transfer price. It's SI2 and the inclusion is right in the center in the table region.

You can comb through the "virtual diamonds" in the database, but I don't see much way to get a really nice totally eye-clean diamond of that size and also a high quality setting like you want for only $3000 out the door, unless you are maybe willing to go down to L-M-N color. (eta: someone found you a K)

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2938293.htm $2848 wire transfer price

How about he spends all of that $3000 on just the center stone, and then you buy your setting? I think that's the only way you will get what you want. I have been looking for a really nice halo mounting for a 8mm round diamond, and I can't find much for less than $3000 even in white gold. Platinum will be even more. Plain solitaire settings in platinum go for $1300-$1500. You might be able to find a Lord of Gem Rings or a TraxxNYC halo mounting for under $1000, maybe under $700, but they are not what I'd call engagement ring quality. Maybe ID Jewelry can find you something.

eta: These pics I added are a discontinued Jane Taylor halo that Pearlman's used to carry. It's a plain-shank design that I was contemplating because I have small fingers. It's chunkier than the look that you were going for, but at least gives an idea of plain shank with a halo.

janetaylor2.png
 
I would look into this one. Ask them how white it looks (a lot of people here have J/K colored diamonds and say they appear very white). Put it on hold and ask for an ideal scope. This is the largest diamond you're going to be able to get with a 2k budget.

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.80-carat-k-color-si1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-206609


You could also call ID Jewelry and see what they can find you. www.idjewelryonline.com

EDIT to add my other suggestion which would be to put all of your money into the stone now and for an anniversary get the setting.
 
I would definitely contact ID Jewelry and see what they can do for you. At least keep them as an option.

I don't think the James Allen halo looks too high if you do end up finding a stone that you like from them. I also agree with Niel in that I wouldn't put the money into platinum in your case. My wedding set is white gold and I'm perfectly happy with it.

If you are ok with J color, here are a few stones that could work:
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.70-carat-j-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-217017

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.70-carat-j-color-vs2-clarity-sku-216754

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.70-carat-j-color-vs2-clarity-sku-216757
 
My other thought is you / he spend the entire $3000 or whatever now on the largest center diamond that you can afford but just get a simple temporary solitaire mounting for it. And then later you purchase a wedding set that consists of a halo e-ring mounting with a perfectly matched band, and you have the diamond remounted.
 
I have a K and I love everything about it. Including the price. It was about 2k for .8ct. But a k in a halo will have a noticeable tint next to white melee.


You could save some by going with another shape maybe?
 
Now I'm not trying turn persuade you so don't worry, I just wanted to show you some options if you open your parameters a bit.

This stone shows as sold, but the pser that bought it is returning it. It has proven good light performance, faces up very large for the CTW, and has amazing stats. She bought it for 2500, after discounts and all

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/Emerald-cut/0.76-carat-F-color-IF-clarity-sku-165571

Here is here thread about it.

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/photos-aset-of-f-if-emerald-cut-from-ja.189184/page-2']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/photos-aset-of-f-if-emerald-cut-from-ja.189184/page-2[/URL]

Personally I'd pop it in a plain shank halo with a pave wedding band, but you could throw in some funds (people do it, I did it) and get a full halo with pave in the shank for only a little over 3k

But that's if you're open to other than round stones. If not, ignore me :lol:
 
Ritani is another option.
 
Niel|1369254084|3452021 said:
I have a K and I love everything about it. Including the price. It was about 2k for .8ct. But a k in a halo will have a noticeable tint next to white melee.


You could save some by going with another shape maybe?
Click to expand...
I think someone said they could do lower color melee if requested. Please
Correct me if wrong

I think j color melee and the k stone would be nice
 
lovebug that is a nice alternative size, platinum, color diamond and rose gold perfect
 
There is a performance difference between melee and larger stones. Even K melee melee will out white a K center in some light.

As someone else mentioned, your best bet is to get a solitaire now and upgrade the setting for an anniversary.

Alternately, call IDJ, talk to Yekutiel and tell him you want a J/K center with an Ex/EX GIA report and a good idealscope. And a halo setting for under 3k and see what he proposes back.
 
Thank you all for the great ideas! I do want to stay with a round diamond as it's just a look I've always loved. I'd rather go down on the color of the stone than a different shape.

Does anyone have photos in real life of this setting that was posted from ID Jewelry:
http://idjewelryonline.com/product_info.php?cPath=42_44&products_id=10119&cType=ER

I think that setting or the one from James Allen are likely to be the winner. Is the quality of ID Jewelry worth the extra couple hundred dollars over the James Allen setting?

I'm definitely interested in the ebay route but I'm nervous on how reliable it is? I'm going to take a look at the auction that was posted but there's definitely something that makes me nervous about ordering from ebay even though most stores take returns.
 
istase2000|1369266507|3452153 said:
Niel|1369254084|3452021 said:
I have a K and I love everything about it. Including the price. It was about 2k for .8ct. But a k in a halo will have a noticeable tint next to white melee.


You could save some by going with another shape maybe?
Click to expand...
I think someone said they could do lower color melee if requested. Please
Correct me if wrong

I think j color melee and the k stone would be nice
Click to expand...

I would not recommend ever going beneath G/H melee.
 
I don't have pics of idj but I have a picture of that JA setting with a. 73ct
I do think going J will be OK. I'd reserve that 0.75 and 2 of those .70 ct one in a pp and see what they say about them.

uploadfromtaptalk1369316840241.jpg

uploadfromtaptalk1369316849419.jpg
 
Thank you for those James Allen photos! That ring really is so beautiful, and from all of your feedback, I think the 14K version for $950 is the best setting we will get for our money. I did a few searches on the forum and I'm starting to rethink my worry that the setting may be too high, it looks like it may be okay.

If we do go with that setting and then a diamond in the .70 - .75 range, ideally no lower than a J color.

Any thoughts on this stone?
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.72-carat-i-color-si2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-212086
 
bps424|1369323934|3452485 said:
Thank you for those James Allen photos! That ring really is so beautiful, and from all of your feedback, I think the 14K version for $950 is the best setting we will get for our money. I did a few searches on the forum and I'm starting to rethink my worry that the setting may be too high, it looks like it may be okay.

If we do go with that setting and then a diamond in the .70 - .75 range, ideally no lower than a J color.

Any thoughts on this stone?
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.72-carat-i-color-si2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-212086
Click to expand...

I like the James Allen setting better than the IDJ one that was suggested too. And it's cheaper too so maybe that is the best route to go.

In regards to the stone, for any stone you are looking at, most of us suggest, running the numbers (which can be found on the grading report) into the HCA calculator:
https://www.pricescope.com/tools/hca

You'll want to consider stones that score a 2.0 or less. That stones scores a 3.9. In addition to that, I think the inclusions might be visible to the naked eye (SI2 clarity stones will most often have eye visible inclusions but you may be lucky and find one that is eye clean). I linked two I-colored stones in my post above that look pretty good, if you decide you're not comfortable with J color.
 
CharmyPoo|1369337439|3452607 said:
This is nice but retail priced. This seller can do ASETs etc ... I think I dealt with them before and they were really good.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/221230651216?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649
Click to expand...
from that same seller:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/GIA-CERTIFIED-77CT-IF-EXCELLENT-CUT-Diamond-Engagement-Ring-/321129873484?pt=Loose_Diamonds&hash=item4ac4d5004c

And see whether you could live with this H SI2 AGS 0 for under $2300. You'd need to get the depth % and also ask questions about the clouds and the visibility of the other inclusions. But that one has potential to score HCA ex/ex/ex/ex due it has a spread like a .8ct. I'd take higher color and size and great cut over totally eye-clean and color in the J/K region.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/AGS-CERTIFIED-73CT-H-SI2-Round-Diamond-Same-Company-Hearts-Fire-uses-/221228503082?pt=Diamond_Solitaire_Rings&hash=item33823f102a
 
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