Diamond WB to go with Solitaire - Help!

[barnsiebear]

Hi PSers,

I am looking at some diamond wedding bands to go with my 1.19 carat solitaire (G, VS2, AGS0, 6.86*6.83*4.16mm) and would appreciate any help on the following questions. Please keep in mind that my solitaire has a pretty thin band (1.5 - 2.3 - 1.85mm) and I''m looking for a wedding band to make the solitaire pop and seem bigger! I also like the look of shared prongs and know that this type of setting puts the diamonds more at risk.

1. Originally, I was set on this great deal on Costco for a 7-stone, 1.00ctw platinum diamond band for only $1,799! Costco guarantees that their stones are VS-2 clarity, I color, or better. The band is just over 1/8 inch in width. However, after reading the reviews, I was a little troubled and concerned about the craftsmanship on the ring. Would you agree and feel the same way? Or would you take the gamble and buy from Costco? I really like how delicate and feminine the setting looks, but am aware that it may possibly overpower my solitaire (in which case I may just wear them on different hands since the band wouldn''t sit flush anyways).

http://www.costco.com/Browse/ProductSet.aspx?Prodid=11307633&whse=BC&Ne=4000000&eCat=BC|108&N=4019083&Mo=29&No=9&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&cat=59138&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&Sp=C&topnav=

2. If Costco is out of the question, is Signed Pieces the best place to go for good deals on wedding bands? I know PSers love and rave about them. I like Signed Pieces because the cut quality is better and the color and clarity match that of my solitaire''s. However, is cut really noticeable at smaller carat weights? In looking at Signed Pieces, I was leaning more on the smaller side with a 9-stone 0.47 ctw shared pronged band at $1,021. The band is 2.5mm wide. Would going up in carat weight be too big, especially in terms of the thickness of my er band? When I called SP, they assured me that the 9-stone would give me full finger coverage (size 5) and that the current price had already been reduced to reflect the drop in platinum prices (by a couple hundreds of bucks). Ideally, I''d like to wear the ER with the WB even if they don''t sit flush, but if the WB ends up being a lot of bling, I wouldn''t mind wearing them on different hands.

3. Do you think diamond wedding band prices will fall much more? We''re not getting married until July, so there''s still time for us to wait if you think that it will.

4. Bottom line: where would you buy the diamond wedding band, what type would you get in terms of # of stones and carat size? (I am not looking for eternity bands)

Thanks!

 

[barnsiebear]

Here's my ER shown on my bf's pinky:

 

[barnsiebear]

Here''s the 9-stone 0.74 ctw band from SP:

 

[barnsiebear]

Bump...does anyone have any opinions on what they think?

 

[katamari]

So, I can''t answer all your questions, because I know nothing about the metals market and I have not worked with Signed Pieces.

In terms of WB size to ring size, I personally think that the WB should be considerably smaller in tcw than the e-ring. To me, when you get too much going on with the WB, it becomes the focus and you loose the e-ring, making it look smaller, not bigger.

When I was shopping at B&Ms recently, the story I got was that as long as the WB tcw doesn''t exceed the tcw of the e-ring, they will work together. I felt like it should be more 60% or less in my taste. If pop is what you want for the set, you could go bigger. But, if you want the e-ring to pop, I would go smaller. This is just my opinion, though. I am sure there are some PSers in the more bling the better camp.

Also, why not go to Costco and see if they have any rings in stock. They keep the store prices the same as the online prices, so you may get to see it for yourself to be able to decide. At least at our location, there is a pretty sizable jewelery department.

 

[mercoledi]

I can''t address all of your questions either, it sounds like you should head out somewhere and try on different band styles to see what you prefer.

I will second SP, their work and customer service are great, but they can only help you once you know what you want. Make sure that whatever you get your band stones won''t rub against your e-ring; it''s bad for both parties.

And cut does matter, even in small stones. The difference between a SP or tiffany diamond band and the junk you get at other places is remarkable, melee should look like the most amazing glitter, not like little white gunky thinks in shiny shiny metal.

 

[onedrop]

For what''s it''s worth, I really like that SP band you posted. I am really not sure how to answer all of your questions because some of them are a matter of personal taste. However I will say this: when considering your wedding band, keep in mind the issue of the girdles of the stones in that SP ring you posted (possibly) rubbing against the prongs of your engagement ring. This seems to be a common issue with shared prong diamonds bands. AS for the quality of the workmanship, if you were to purchase from SP I don''t think you''ll be disappointed. Using F-G colored stones and VVS clarity stones will make a difference even in smaller stones IMO.

If you are worried about the width of the wedding band, SP might be able to make it a little thinner. I read somewhere on here that they were able to do so in at least one case. Though, I think 2.5mm will probably be just right. If it doesn''t work for you, at least SP has a great return policy!