Hi all 
I have no doubt these questions will have been asked before. Last year me and my better half were lucky enough to be in Philadelphia and popped into Tiffany's. We seen a lovely ring but it is so expensive for my budget. Recently I contacted the store for the details on the ring to see if I can get something similar in the UK. The ring was:
Novo Princess Cut: Sku# 60765847 0.70Ct E VVS2, and looked like this.

I really liked it and my dearest loved it. It really sparkled.
So I have been looking to find something similar but of course cheaper. Through the research I am overwhelmed by the amount of work needed to ensure you get a good product, - it seems much more than the advertised 4 c's. Through my research I began looking at Dubai as a place to get something as reading suggests it is better for price than in comparison to the UK. However, I have found a friendly person in Dubai who suggests a princess cut isn't quite as easy to judge (well words to that effect to me) who recommended this site for some help.
My aim is to buy a ring similar to the above picture which really does sparkle. I would really like;
1.0ct (or as close as)
Princess cut
Platinum band with set diamonds on the shoulders
Size: N
The other details such as clarity / colour / etc all seem to vary based on the cut i.e. you can 'get away with lesser values as they can be forgiving?' that being the case makes it very hard for a complete novice to search and understand the overall ring. Any person's usual search would be to just look for the 'best' cut / colour / carat / clarity in each part of the specification. That's what I started doing, until I started hearing about table specs / culets and ratios. Even hearing all that, it is still hard to compare that like for like.
So that's where I am currently. If people can help to break down my specifications, give any recommendations / advise on what to buy and where from that would be really welcomed.
I have heard various stories of people buying rings in Thailand and Turkey who have all got a bargain compared to UK prices and when they are revalued in the UK they are significantly more expensive. However these people will not have considered any of the work that I have looked into, so perhaps they were just lucky. I am not as confident in taking such a blind risk so I am looking for the help. Even my other half says 'just buy one lol' but I think she would be impressed with the outcome from my effort.
A friend at work showed me her engagement ring, all she could talk about was the '1 carat' must have, but the stone looked like a dull piece of glass. There was absolutely no sparkle at all to my naked eye. I want to avoid that.
I would be so grateful for help, please keep it in laymans terms i.e. 'diamonds for dummies'
Thanks, and sorry for the long post!!

I have no doubt these questions will have been asked before. Last year me and my better half were lucky enough to be in Philadelphia and popped into Tiffany's. We seen a lovely ring but it is so expensive for my budget. Recently I contacted the store for the details on the ring to see if I can get something similar in the UK. The ring was:
Novo Princess Cut: Sku# 60765847 0.70Ct E VVS2, and looked like this.

I really liked it and my dearest loved it. It really sparkled.
So I have been looking to find something similar but of course cheaper. Through the research I am overwhelmed by the amount of work needed to ensure you get a good product, - it seems much more than the advertised 4 c's. Through my research I began looking at Dubai as a place to get something as reading suggests it is better for price than in comparison to the UK. However, I have found a friendly person in Dubai who suggests a princess cut isn't quite as easy to judge (well words to that effect to me) who recommended this site for some help.
My aim is to buy a ring similar to the above picture which really does sparkle. I would really like;
1.0ct (or as close as)
Princess cut
Platinum band with set diamonds on the shoulders
Size: N
The other details such as clarity / colour / etc all seem to vary based on the cut i.e. you can 'get away with lesser values as they can be forgiving?' that being the case makes it very hard for a complete novice to search and understand the overall ring. Any person's usual search would be to just look for the 'best' cut / colour / carat / clarity in each part of the specification. That's what I started doing, until I started hearing about table specs / culets and ratios. Even hearing all that, it is still hard to compare that like for like.
So that's where I am currently. If people can help to break down my specifications, give any recommendations / advise on what to buy and where from that would be really welcomed.
I have heard various stories of people buying rings in Thailand and Turkey who have all got a bargain compared to UK prices and when they are revalued in the UK they are significantly more expensive. However these people will not have considered any of the work that I have looked into, so perhaps they were just lucky. I am not as confident in taking such a blind risk so I am looking for the help. Even my other half says 'just buy one lol' but I think she would be impressed with the outcome from my effort.
A friend at work showed me her engagement ring, all she could talk about was the '1 carat' must have, but the stone looked like a dull piece of glass. There was absolutely no sparkle at all to my naked eye. I want to avoid that.
I would be so grateful for help, please keep it in laymans terms i.e. 'diamonds for dummies'

Thanks, and sorry for the long post!!