Assistance with Ring Purchase (Halo with Emerald)

[TheOneHC]

So I am completely new to this site, let alone new to diamonds, but I have been doing research and this site has a ton of help and I would love to receive assistance from this amazing community

First and foremost, we are looking into a platinum halo setting with emerald - influenced from this: http://www.tiffany.com/Engagement/item.aspx?GroupSku=GRP10073&selectedSku=31694574&search_params=

Though, since this is expensive for what it's worth, we would like to go on a more affordable route, therefore, I would like to customize it myself by getting a similar setting and diamond. I've been looking at these settings:
http://www.ritani.com/engagement-rings/french-set-halo-diamond-band-engagement-ring-in-platinum/6464
and
http://www.bluenile.com/emerald-cut-halo-diamond-engagement-ring-platinum_41101

What do you guys think about these? And if there is another setting you guys would recommend with similar price (or lower), in platinum & halo that's skinny/thin, that would be great!

For diamonds, we were looking into .30 to .55 in carat but in emerald. I was told that the cut does not come into play as much as color and clarity since it's an emerald diamond. Therefore, I found this:
http://www.ritani.com/diamonds/emerald-diamond-0-36-Carat-D-color-GIA-certified/D-M26SJX

But I would like to have it a little bit more bigger if possible without sacrificing the beauty of the diamond, is this possible?
But I still do not mind the carat size, just a thought.
To the Pricesope community, could you please recommend me with a setting and diamond that will similarly fit to our needs in the budget of around $2500? I am located near Seattle, WA.

Some must haves':

• Emerald cut
  Platinum metal
  Halo

Thanks so much in advance as I am looking forward to these responses.

 

[tyty333]

Can you let us know what your budget is? Cut is very important in an emerald cut stone.

Gabriel and Co has something similar. GOG and ID Jewelry both sell gabriel.
http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/style/ER5822W44JJ
http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/style/ER7840W44JJ
http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/style/ER5874W44JJ

I would contact ID Jewelry.
http://idjewelryonline.com/index.php

 

[tyty333]

Do you have to have Plat?

Here is the plat version of the least expensive Gab and co.
http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/style/ER7839PT4JJ

I dont think you can do what you want in Plat and stay under $2500.

 

[heididdl]

I have always loved the Ritani I have an emerald and I would love to put it in that (with pink diamonds)

 

[ecf8503]

I would look around the James Allen site for ideas and education. I bought an EC from them, and I love my stone. They have videos for you to actually see the stone before purchase.

That said, if I were looking for the absolute best of the best cut, I would tell Good Old Gold what you are looking for setting wise and stone wise, and let them call in stones for you, work them up to analyze light performance, and they'll even make you a video.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

You also need to go down to around F-G VS and get a larger emerald cut diamond. I think .36 is too small and it just doesn't make sense to me to spend 80% of your budget on the setting and only 20% on the diamond. I would go to 14k wg to reduce the setting cost and increase the diamond size in a F-G VS.

If you can just increase your budget a little, you can get this diamond in that platinum Ritani setting. If not, then change the setting to white gold. But I wouldn't make this ring with an EC under .47 or so (preferably a half carat+) because it will just look better at his size or higher. Only consider the Ritani diamonds that have the video. You can't choose a diamond without seeing it.

http://www.ritani.com/diamonds/emerald-diamond-0-53-Carat-F-color-GIA-certified/D-M01NP0

 

[JulieN]

Have you seen a .3-.5 emerald cut in a halo before?

 

[TheOneHC]

Can you let us know what your budget is? Cut is very important in an emerald cut stone.

Gabriel and Co has something similar. GOG and ID Jewelry both sell gabriel.
http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/style/ER5822W44JJ
http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/style/ER7840W44JJ
http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/style/ER5874W44JJ

I would contact ID Jewelry.
http://idjewelryonline.com/index.php

My budget is around $2500, I know it's a bit low, but it's what I can afford at the time But we do not mind it at all
I was told by a "gemologist" from Ritani that cut doesn't matter for EC, so it's not true I am assuming?

Great suggestions! I don't mind going to 14K setting if I can get a better/bigger stone.
Something like the first one you suggested http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/style/ER5822W44JJ

and have the stone look amazing like the one in your suggestions they use in the example here: http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/style/ER7839PT4JJ

Okay, say I go with the first setting, what about the diamond?

 

[TheOneHC]

I would look around the James Allen site for ideas and education. I bought an EC from them, and I love my stone. They have videos for you to actually see the stone before purchase.

That said, if I were looking for the absolute best of the best cut, I would tell Good Old Gold what you are looking for setting wise and stone wise, and let them call in stones for you, work them up to analyze light performance, and they'll even make you a video.

I'll definitely give them a try and see what I can do with them, thank you very much!

 

[TheOneHC]

You also need to go down to around F-G VS and get a larger emerald cut diamond. I think .36 is too small and it just doesn't make sense to me to spend 80% of your budget on the setting and only 20% on the diamond. I would go to 14k wg to reduce the setting cost and increase the diamond size in a F-G VS.

If you can just increase your budget a little, you can get this diamond in that platinum Ritani setting. If not, then change the setting to white gold. But I wouldn't make this ring with an EC under .47 or so (preferably a half carat+) because it will just look better at his size or higher. Only consider the Ritani diamonds that have the video. You can't choose a diamond without seeing it.

http://www.ritani.com/diamonds/emerald-diamond-0-53-Carat-F-color-GIA-certified/D-M01NP0

I agree with you, it makes perfect sense - to put most of the money on the setting isn't very smart. I really like your idea!

Also, I am convinced that platinum doesn't need to be part of the equation, therefore, I'll definitely be on a scout for a bigger diamond size with F-G VS. Could you recommend a diamond in particular? Thank you for your help, I'll definitely only look at ones with videos from Ritani as well.

 

[TheOneHC]

Have you seen a .3-.5 emerald cut in a halo before?

I have not I am assuming it's not too good looking?

 

[TheOneHC]

I have always loved the Ritani I have an emerald and I would love to put it in that (with pink diamonds)

They look great! But I am very open to any suggestions

 

[krish82]

Hi! Have you tried Adiamor? My fiancé bought my diamond from them. We had 2 choices and picked the cheaper one first 0.70 very good proportions, vvs2, but when they checked it, it had some kind of brown inclusion I think (they always check before they ship it off), and asked us if we would still want to continue and purchase it, but they didn't recommend it, so we ended up buying the next one which of course was a better diamond 0.71, G, IF, excellent everything and bigger dimension when you look at it from the top. They don't have actual pictures of the diamond on the site, but you could always ask for one!

Here's the best diamond that I could find for you that they currently have http://www.adiamor.com/Diamonds/GIA-Certified-G-VVS1-Emerald-Diamond/D20293199 and here's a setting that's very similar to what you want http://www.adiamor.com/Engagement-Rings/Halo/French-Cut-Cushion-Halo-Setting/18KWhiteGold/1652 ,Although it says that you can't use this setting for an emerald cut, they can always make some changes. The setting only cost $1,290 for an 18k gold and $1,650 for platinum. You can also go the custom route which I'm guessing will cost around $1,500-1,600 for an 18k. I'm an 18k or platinum kinda girl, so I do recommend higher quality metals, plus I've never had any problem with an 18k even though they said it's a bit softer than 14k (which is true), I especially love 18k rose gold!

Good luck!

 

[krish82]

By they way, I find this website to be very helpful when it comes to diamond infos. http://www.lumeradiamonds.com/diamond-education/emerald-cut-diamond

 

[tyty333]

Here is the type of stone you can get with a bigger budget by going with 14k instead of plat. I'm not an emerald expert but
this stone looks lovely to me and is of a size that will not look overwhelmed in that setting.


http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/emerald-cut/0.59-carat-h-color-vs1-clarity-sku-265311


Here is a setting that you could use. If you look at the pictures you can see the setting with an emerald cut blue stone.

http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/halo/14k-white-gold-pave-halo-and-shank-diamond-engagement-ring-princess-center-item-17433

This would added up to about $2500 ($1240 for stone and $1250 for 18K gold setting).

 

[tyty333]

Another option (setting)
http://www.ritani.com/engagement-rings/french-set-halo-diamond-band-engagement-ring-in-14kt-white-gold/6466


Stone...its an SI2...I dont see anything but you would have to ask their gemologist to look at it for you.
http://www.ritani.com/diamonds/emerald-diamond-0-51-Carat-E-color-GIA-certified/D-GM17HK

This would be a little over budget...$1770 plus $840 total $2610.

The ritani setting has .45 stones while I think the JA is about .23. I would be more apt to go with the ritani as long as you could
find a nice Emerald cut with them.

This one also looks nice but its a little more ...$907
http://www.ritani.com/diamonds/emerald-diamond-0-48-Carat-D-color-GIA-certified/D-DM90QB

 

[LoveLikeCrazy]

If you can just increase your budget a little, you can get this diamond in that platinum Ritani setting. If not, then change the setting to white gold. But I wouldn't make this ring with an EC under .47 or so (preferably a half carat+) because it will just look better at his size or higher. Only consider the Ritani diamonds that have the video. You can't choose a diamond without seeing it.

http://www.ritani.com/diamonds/emerald-diamond-0-53-Carat-F-color-GIA-certified/D-M01NP0

I bought my diamond from Ritani (but i did not buy setting from them) - you can reserve up to 4 diamonds and make an appt with their gemologist. Now, as far as i know, they do NOT have aset, IS, etc....but for my stone (it was ags000), i wasn't concerned with that. After the appt with the virtual gemologist the pics and videos make it's way to the website. Thats how some stones have pics and videos and some don't. Also, if you have a Ritani retailer in your area, you can build up to 2 completed rings online and have them shipped to the retailer for a free in store preview. I have not used this feature but you can read up about it on their website.

http://www.ritani.com/diamonds/virtual-gemologist
http://www.ritani.com/story/free-in-store-preview

With that being said, when looking for a fancy cut you really need to see it and get some expert analysis. The pros here can most definitely help you with that - i just wanted to post about ritani so at least you know that you can hold a bunch of stones and still have a conference with a gemologist, and only you can decide if thats enough info for you to buy.

 

[geoffreysnow]

I just purchased a cushion from Ritani and they do not do ASETs on fancy shapes.

But, I will say that if you live by a major city, they have a great policy where you can have the ring made and sent to one of their partner jewelers and you can see it in person with no obligation to purchase. Or if you don't live near a partner jeweler, then you can have it shipped to you. And if you don't like it, they will cover shipping back to them. I found that policy pretty nice because most online shops charge you for shipping both ways if you return.

I've also ordered from James Allen and Good Old Gold and both are superb! Great customer service and pics of the actual diamond certainly help make the decision easier so no return was needed. I can only speak for these 3, but either of these 3 vendors can help you find the right one.

Regarding the size, .3 carat is pretty small. Take a rule and plot down on a piece of paper 5mm x 3.5mm. Emeralds don't have very good spread (term used to denote finger area coverage per carat weight). So I'd recommend using the advice on this forum to find a nice one, have it made, check it out in person, and hopefully you'll find the right one with pricescope's help

 

[msop04]

OP, would you consider purchasing the largest emerald cut you can and setting it in a solitaire until you can afford your halo setting? Once you have a halo, you cant change the size of the center stone very much...

What about either of these?

I know that D/VVS is overkill, but I thought this one had really great faceting and is super icy! 5.39 x 4.71 mm
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/emerald-cut/0.61-carat-d-color-vvs2-clarity-sku-165574 $1870

This one is a little larger... 5.63 x 4.52 mm
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/emerald-cut/0.76-carat-h-color-vvs1-clarity-sku-244668 $2240

...in a solitaire setting like this:
http://www.jamesallen.com/engagemen...-1.5mm-comfort-fit-engagement-ring-item-22606 $370

 

[MollyMalone]

Have you seen a .3-.5 emerald cut in a halo before?

I have not I am assuming it's not too good looking?

Good, emerald cut diamonds can certainly be lovely no matter what their carat weight is. But I'm not sure if you realize that the hand shot of the Tiffany ring shows an EC diamond that's a full 2 carats, so it doesn't give you a decent idea of whether you'd like a small EC in that same kind of setting.

Have you printed out the shapes-mm dimensions-cw chart on Blue Nile's web site; that could be a handy visual aid for you, altho' there may be even better charts that others know of:
http://pics.bluenile.com/assets/chrome/pdf/diamond_carat_size_0810.pdf

P.S. I like msop's suggestion

OP, would you consider purchasing the largest emerald cut you can and setting it in a solitaire until you can afford your halo setting?

 

[msop04]

OP, this is a 0.91 ct emerald cut in a halo for reference... it's 6.65 x 4.75 mm.

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/emerald-cut-bling.145998/

I will try to find one that is closer to the size you're looking for so that you can have a better idea. Emerald cuts face up smaller than rounds, so it's best that you see what it might look like before committing...

 

[TheOneHC]

Hi! Have you tried Adiamor? My fiancé bought my diamond from them. We had 2 choices and picked the cheaper one first 0.70 very good proportions, vvs2, but when they checked it, it had some kind of brown inclusion I think (they always check before they ship it off), and asked us if we would still want to continue and purchase it, but they didn't recommend it, so we ended up buying the next one which of course was a better diamond 0.71, G, IF, excellent everything and bigger dimension when you look at it from the top. They don't have actual pictures of the diamond on the site, but you could always ask for one!

Here's the best diamond that I could find for you that they currently have http://www.adiamor.com/Diamonds/GIA-Certified-G-VVS1-Emerald-Diamond/D20293199 and here's a setting that's very similar to what you want http://www.adiamor.com/Engagement-Rings/Halo/French-Cut-Cushion-Halo-Setting/18KWhiteGold/1652 ,Although it says that you can't use this setting for an emerald cut, they can always make some changes. The setting only cost $1,290 for an 18k gold and $1,650 for platinum. You can also go the custom route which I'm guessing will cost around $1,500-1,600 for an 18k. I'm an 18k or platinum kinda girl, so I do recommend higher quality metals, plus I've never had any problem with an 18k even though they said it's a bit softer than 14k (which is true), I especially love 18k rose gold!

Good luck!

That's wonderful that they check because that develops trust between vendors and customers. I REALLY like that setting, especially seeing that there is a platinum version that's not expensive. Thank you! And may I look at diamonds from other sites if I do not want to go with this one?

 

[TheOneHC]

Here is the type of stone you can get with a bigger budget by going with 14k instead of plat. I'm not an emerald expert but
this stone looks lovely to me and is of a size that will not look overwhelmed in that setting.


http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/emerald-cut/0.59-carat-h-color-vs1-clarity-sku-265311


Here is a setting that you could use. If you look at the pictures you can see the setting with an emerald cut blue stone.

http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/halo/14k-white-gold-pave-halo-and-shank-diamond-engagement-ring-princess-center-item-17433

This would added up to about $2500 ($1240 for stone and $1250 for 18K gold setting).

That's a great stone! But I see some marks on it, maybe I can call in and get that checked or something? Do you see any?
For some reason, the setting is a bit too dark or is that just me? The halo seems a bit dark and I don't find it attractive.. I do love the stone though and would like to get a in depth view on that.

 

[TheOneHC]

Another option (setting)
http://www.ritani.com/engagement-rings/french-set-halo-diamond-band-engagement-ring-in-14kt-white-gold/6466


Stone...its an SI2...I dont see anything but you would have to ask their gemologist to look at it for you.
http://www.ritani.com/diamonds/emerald-diamond-0-51-Carat-E-color-GIA-certified/D-GM17HK

This would be a little over budget...$1770 plus $840 total $2610.

The ritani setting has .45 stones while I think the JA is about .23. I would be more apt to go with the ritani as long as you could
find a nice Emerald cut with them.

This one also looks nice but its a little more ...$907
http://www.ritani.com/diamonds/emerald-diamond-0-48-Carat-D-color-GIA-certified/D-DM90QB

That's a better setting, definitely! Though, now I have to look more into 14K vs. 18K and learn more about that.

Thanks for the stones as well! I am currently making a list of comparison between stones and settings

Also if the price is a little bit higher, I do not mind

 

[TheOneHC]

If you can just increase your budget a little, you can get this diamond in that platinum Ritani setting. If not, then change the setting to white gold. But I wouldn't make this ring with an EC under .47 or so (preferably a half carat+) because it will just look better at his size or higher. Only consider the Ritani diamonds that have the video. You can't choose a diamond without seeing it.

http://www.ritani.com/diamonds/emerald-diamond-0-53-Carat-F-color-GIA-certified/D-M01NP0

I bought my diamond from Ritani (but i did not buy setting from them) - you can reserve up to 4 diamonds and make an appt with their gemologist. Now, as far as i know, they do NOT have aset, IS, etc....but for my stone (it was ags000), i wasn't concerned with that. After the appt with the virtual gemologist the pics and videos make it's way to the website. Thats how some stones have pics and videos and some don't. Also, if you have a Ritani retailer in your area, you can build up to 2 completed rings online and have them shipped to the retailer for a free in store preview. I have not used this feature but you can read up about it on their website.

http://www.ritani.com/diamonds/virtual-gemologist
http://www.ritani.com/story/free-in-store-preview

With that being said, when looking for a fancy cut you really need to see it and get some expert analysis. The pros here can most definitely help you with that - i just wanted to post about ritani so at least you know that you can hold a bunch of stones and still have a conference with a gemologist, and only you can decide if thats enough info for you to buy.

This is great info to know and I will use it! I believe there is a Ritani retailer in my area so that works wonderfully !

I will get some expert analysis for sure as everyone here has been an expert and kind in helping me out as well and I truly thank everyone!

 

[TheOneHC]

I just purchased a cushion from Ritani and they do not do ASETs on fancy shapes.

But, I will say that if you live by a major city, they have a great policy where you can have the ring made and sent to one of their partner jewelers and you can see it in person with no obligation to purchase. Or if you don't live near a partner jeweler, then you can have it shipped to you. And if you don't like it, they will cover shipping back to them. I found that policy pretty nice because most online shops charge you for shipping both ways if you return.

I've also ordered from James Allen and Good Old Gold and both are superb! Great customer service and pics of the actual diamond certainly help make the decision easier so no return was needed. I can only speak for these 3, but either of these 3 vendors can help you find the right one.

Regarding the size, .3 carat is pretty small. Take a rule and plot down on a piece of paper 5mm x 3.5mm. Emeralds don't have very good spread (term used to denote finger area coverage per carat weight). So I'd recommend using the advice on this forum to find a nice one, have it made, check it out in person, and hopefully you'll find the right one with pricescope's help

Ah yeah I've learned that shipping through the stores are the best route to take just from this site. I will definitely use this feature

I've looked into James Allen and they are great! I'll have to look into Good Old Gold now because I want to find the very best options I can.

Yeah, I've come to learn that it is too small as I am taking advice from everyone. Thank you so much for the advice

 

[msop04]

That's wonderful that they check because that develops trust between vendors and customers. I REALLY like that setting, especially seeing that there is a platinum version that's not expensive. Thank you! And may I look at diamonds from other sites if I do not want to go with this one?

OP, I don't think it's the smartest idea to spend an extra $500 on platinum unless absolutely necessary (like if there is a nickel allergy). That's 20% of your total budget to change from 14K WG to platinum. If your total budget is $2500, wouldn't you want to use that money toward the diamond? Also, I think you should see a similar size emerald cut in a halo, as it will look nothing like the photos shown thus far. The stones pictured are much larger, and a smaller one will change the aesthetic quite a bit. Not saying it wouldn't be lovely -- just different. These are just my thoughts, of course...

 

[TheOneHC]

OP, would you consider purchasing the largest emerald cut you can and setting it in a solitaire until you can afford your halo setting? Once you have a halo, you cant change the size of the center stone very much...

What about either of these?

I know that D/VVS is overkill, but I thought this one had really great faceting and is super icy! 5.39 x 4.71 mm
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/emerald-cut/0.61-carat-d-color-vvs2-clarity-sku-165574 $1870

This one is a little larger... 5.63 x 4.52 mm
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/emerald-cut/0.76-carat-h-color-vvs1-clarity-sku-244668 $2240

...in a solitaire setting like this:
http://www.jamesallen.com/engagemen...-1.5mm-comfort-fit-engagement-ring-item-22606 $370

Though I do LOVE this idea, though we came to conclusion that we just wanted to get a halo ring once and that's that, therefore decided to just invest in something simple, small but still beautiful with the budget we have and I believe we can pull it off based on the suggestions people have already given me

I totally love the first one! What makes it SUPER icy like that? The cut? The color? The clarity? Or just a mixture of all three? I've been doing a lot of research ever since I posted on here and have found that color and clarity plays most of the factor when it comes to emerald cuts? Is that true?

 

[TheOneHC]

Have you seen a .3-.5 emerald cut in a halo before?

I have not I am assuming it's not too good looking?

Good, emerald cut diamonds can certainly be lovely no matter what their carat weight is. But I'm not sure if you realize that the hand shot of the Tiffany ring shows an EC diamond that's a full 2 carats, so it doesn't give you a decent idea of whether you'd like a small EC in that same kind of setting.

Have you printed out the shapes-mm dimensions-cw chart on Blue Nile's web site; that could be a handy visual aid for you, altho' there may be even better charts that others know of:
http://pics.bluenile.com/assets/chrome/pdf/diamond_carat_size_0810.pdf

P.S. I like msop's suggestion

OP, would you consider purchasing the largest emerald cut you can and setting it in a solitaire until you can afford your halo setting?

Oh yeah certainly, we were mainly looking at the .25 only, though the other pictures display the 2carat lol.

Thanks for this! Will have this printed out now

 

[TheOneHC]

OP, this is a 0.91 ct emerald cut in a halo for reference... it's 6.65 x 4.75 mm.

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/emerald-cut-bling.145998/

I will try to find one that is closer to the size you're looking for so that you can have a better idea. Emerald cuts face up smaller than rounds, so it's best that you see what it might look like before committing...

Ah good reference! Will definitely look it in person before committing. Looking forward to what you can suggest