Diamond size and ring size

[bzdontpanic]

So I've been zeroed in on this knife edge ring from Whiteflash:
http://www.whiteflash.com/engagemen...ife-edge-pave-diamond-engagement-ring-711.htm

I wouldn't call it "thick", but at 3mm it's certainly noticeably thicker than all those 1.8-2.0 mm rings I see.
FYI my GF's ring size is 7-3/4 and her fingers are slightly stubby. I just think a very thin ring -- especially a plain solitaire one -- would look bad on her hand.

So my main concern now is what size round diamond I need to pair with the ring and her hand. I found a beautiful looking H&A round, but it's only .84 carats (6.08mm wide). That gives finger coverage of only about 34% (ie., width of diamond is 34% of the width of her finger). I'm afraid the diamond will just look too puny, especially with the 3mm ring along with the pave diamonds. But to bump it up to a more "normal" 38-39%, I'd have to start looking in the 1.20-1.25 carat range. But then I'd have to make some serious compromises on cut and clarity to stay within my budget.

So this is a long way of saying, if you had to choose, which way would you go -- smaller, H&A diamond that may look too small, or a large lower quality diamond that may well be better size-wise given the width of her fingers and the width of the ring, but obviously not have the same fire and brilliance.

 

[Gypsy]

How much are you compromising on color and clarity between the two sizes?

Because if you are talking H-I SI1 or SI2 and eyclean... then I'd say it is worth the tradeoff. Even a J would be worth it to me.

You are still talking a white diamond. You don't get to see yellow until you are in the M-O range. And even K-L is off white.

As for the setting. I have (right now) about a size seven finger and my fingers are stubby as well. A 2mm shank looks okay on me.

I think for COMFORT and style this setting from WF is a great choice: http://www.whiteflash.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/comfort-fit-surprise-diamond-ring-183.htm

Another: http://www.whiteflash.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/caroline-solitaire-engagement-ring-by-vatche-251.htm

A lot of people find knife edge rings to be uncomfortable. Did she specify 6 prongs? Or was that your choice?

What is your total budget?

 

[Gypsy]

If you want affordable six prongs ...

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/engagement-rings/solitaires/
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/the-valentine-ring-18k-white-gold-5683w18
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/diamond-faceted-crown-18k-white-gold-5687w18

BGD has a better collection of affordable 6 prongs than WF does.

 

[bzdontpanic]

Wow, thanks Gypsy. That comfort-fit does look very nice, and is less expensive than the knife edge, so I could put the difference toward the diamond. And no, I would actually prefer 4-prong, and it turns out I could in fact get the knife-edge with 4 prongs instead of 6.

My total budget is around $7000. Even with the savings on the setting if I went with the comfort-fit, I couldn't get close to a 1.25 carat size J-SI1 at Whiteflash with their in-house inventory. If I was willing to go with their outside stuff that they just drop-ship, then yes some diamonds are available in that size. But I really would prefer to stay in-house if possible. Of course, maybe with the thinner ring to begin with, I don't need to go all the way up to 1.25.

Thanks again for your help.

 

[Gypsy]

I think if you can get a nice I-J SI1 at 1 carat you will be in good shape.

 

[kmoro]

Personally, I would never trade cut for size. A smaller, ideal cut diamond will always look better to me.

One of my ring shopping trips was looking for a thin band ... found a wider band ... and honestly, I’m not sure it’s true that a wide band makes a diamond look smaller. If it does, the effect is not huge. I think you’re safer getting an ideal cut in a slightly wider band instead of a less sparkly bigger diamond.

An ideal cut will have edge-to-edge brightness and the proper spread for the weight (diameter counts more than weight) ... in ideal cuts they most often correspond across weights ... in less than ideal, the stone can be too shallow or too deep ... usually they are “steep deep,” so the spread is not as good for the weight. Too shallow or too deep and you lose light performance - dull & dark spots, transparent spots (light leakage), less scintillation, less contrast/brightness, less fire, light leakage on the edges making it look smaller, etc.

Pretty much the whole point of going with a vendor like WF is their upgrade policy. If you don’t go in-house, you don’t get that policy. Not worth it. I suggest you try for Expert Selection or Premium Select to save money, not Virtual Selection.

Good luck!

 

[whitewave]

Personally, I would never trade cut for size. A smaller, ideal cut diamond will always look better to me.

One of my ring shopping trips was looking for a thin band ... found a wider band ... and honestly, I’m not sure it’s true that a wide band makes a diamond look smaller. If it does, the effect is not huge. I think you’re safer getting an ideal cut in a slightly wider band instead of a less sparkly bigger diamond.

An ideal cut will have edge-to-edge brightness and the proper spread for the weight (diameter counts more than weight) ... in ideal cuts they most often correspond across weights ... in less than ideal, the stone can be too shallow or too deep ... usually they are “steep deep,” so the spread is not as good for the weight. Too shallow or too deep and you lose light performance - dull & dark spots, transparent spots (light leakage), less scintillation, less contrast/brightness, less fire, light leakage on the edges making it look smaller, etc.

Pretty much the whole point of going with a vendor like WF is their upgrade policy. If you don’t go in-house, you don’t get that policy. Not worth it. I suggest you try for Expert Selection or Premium Select to save money, not Virtual Selection.

Good luck!

This post was from 2014

 

[kmoro]

This post was from 2014

LOL. WOW. An off day. I’ll try to stay off the ‘net until I get my brain back ...

 

[whitewave]

LOL. WOW. An off day. I’ll try to stay off the ‘net until I get my brain back ...

It’s funny lol. I’m surprised I noticed..,having an off day myself.