Hello all,
So I''ve been reading on my own, the tutorials here and at some other sites, and I think I''m beginning to form an opinion about what I want to give my GF for an engagement ring.
As far as diamonds go, I have a small budget, pretty firm at ~$3500 (which is still a ton of money for me as a graduate student) for both the stone AND setting.
My GF seems to want either a traditional round stone or princess cut in a simple setting, but in white gold or platinum (no yellow gold).
What are the principle advantages/disadvantages of a round solitaire vs. princess cut stone?
The ratings seem to be much more "standardized" for round stones, so I''ve mainly been looking at those.
As far as criteria, Cut is at the top. I want to get her a stone that has fire & brilliance with very good symmetry. I''m willing to compromise on almost all the other factors for that.
Of course, "almost" implies that there''s a follow-up, and there is. She wears a large ring size (8.5), so an absolutely tiny stone will look ridiculous I think. I''m thinking I probably don''t want to go below ~.74 carat. I''d also like to keep the stone "eye perfect", so nothing below SI1 or a very nice SI2. As far as color, it''s my understanding that good brilliance can make up for some color, so as long as it''s near-colorless I think I can be content.
Am I being unrealistic with my expectations? Will I be able to find what I want on a budget?
I''ve searched on sites like Blue Nile (and here), and get plenty of stones in the .7-.9 carat range that are ~$3000, with certs that seem to fall into what I think I want; but I don''t REALLY know what they look like.
Am I setting myself up to be disappointed, or am I doing the right things?
So I''ve been reading on my own, the tutorials here and at some other sites, and I think I''m beginning to form an opinion about what I want to give my GF for an engagement ring.
As far as diamonds go, I have a small budget, pretty firm at ~$3500 (which is still a ton of money for me as a graduate student) for both the stone AND setting.
My GF seems to want either a traditional round stone or princess cut in a simple setting, but in white gold or platinum (no yellow gold).
What are the principle advantages/disadvantages of a round solitaire vs. princess cut stone?
The ratings seem to be much more "standardized" for round stones, so I''ve mainly been looking at those.
As far as criteria, Cut is at the top. I want to get her a stone that has fire & brilliance with very good symmetry. I''m willing to compromise on almost all the other factors for that.
Of course, "almost" implies that there''s a follow-up, and there is. She wears a large ring size (8.5), so an absolutely tiny stone will look ridiculous I think. I''m thinking I probably don''t want to go below ~.74 carat. I''d also like to keep the stone "eye perfect", so nothing below SI1 or a very nice SI2. As far as color, it''s my understanding that good brilliance can make up for some color, so as long as it''s near-colorless I think I can be content.
Am I being unrealistic with my expectations? Will I be able to find what I want on a budget?
I''ve searched on sites like Blue Nile (and here), and get plenty of stones in the .7-.9 carat range that are ~$3000, with certs that seem to fall into what I think I want; but I don''t REALLY know what they look like.
Am I setting myself up to be disappointed, or am I doing the right things?
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