Dilemma: 2.31ct AGS ID in hand, considering a 1.7ct AGS 000

[diamondseeker2006]

Re: Dilemma: 2.31ct AGS ID in hand, considering a 1.7ct AGS

I was just thinking about the car analogy. I see HoF and the major luxury brands like Cartier, HW, etc. as being the luxury cars. I see the online brands of H&A superideals as the best Toyotas and Hondas...they are outstanding cars with better quality/reliability than some luxury brands but you don't overpay for them, and they hold their value extremely well on resale. I am also fine with many well cut stones that fall into the ideal cut range. You have to be selective in choosing them, but they can be a great buy. In this particular instance, she might rather have the Honda Accord or Civic over the Odyssey.

 

[msop04]

Re: Dilemma: 2.31ct AGS ID in hand, considering a 1.7ct AGS

I'm glad you got to compare -- not many get to do that! As far as size goes, I have a feeling she won't feel one bit uncomfortable with a 2 ct. However, her DSS will kick in MUCH sooner with a smaller stone... you've already bought yourself some time!

If she feels it's large at first, I can almost guarantee you she'll feel differently in a couple of weeks (maybe sooner). And, in the end, if she just feels it's too large, it's less expensive to downgrade size than to upgrade! Win-Win!!

 

[dumbo]

Re: Dilemma: 2.31ct AGS ID in hand, considering a 1.7ct AGS

I am glad you were able to compare your stone and it came out so well against HoF! I have one more thing to ask you, though. You said she saw a 1.3 ct stone and was totally fine with that. I will tell you that I would not have been comfortable with an over 2 ct diamond until fairly recently, and I have been married over 30 years. There is a comfort range for most people, and many of us with larger diamonds wore smaller ones for a long time before we had the ones we now have. You are saying that it is more your desire to give her a big diamond than hers, but really think about what SHE might be happiest with. I could afford a 3+ ct diamond right now (and could have bought one with lower specs for the same amount we spent on the current diamond), but I choose to not upgrade to that size because it is larger than I'd feel comfortable wearing. Bigger is not always everyone's choice, and sometimes higher color and clarity in a smaller stone is preferable. I think there is a lot of territory between 1.7 and 2.3 cts.

That was my one concern. Most would think "bigger is better" but she may not. The 1.7ct H might be just the ticket. Impossible to say. I was almost thinking of ordering the other 1.7 H with setting and going from there; maybe present her with options? Give her the big diamond first, if she has hesitation, then we can look at the other?

 

[dumbo]

Re: Dilemma: 2.31ct AGS ID in hand, considering a 1.7ct AGS

I was just thinking about the car analogy. I see HoF and the major luxury brands like Cartier, HW, etc. as being the luxury cars. I see the online brands of H&A superideals as the best Toyotas and Hondas...they are outstanding cars with better quality/reliability than some luxury brands but you don't overpay for them, and they hold their value extremely well on resale. I am also fine with many well cut stones that fall into the ideal cut range. You have to be selective in choosing them, but they can be a great buy. In this particular instance, she might rather have the Honda Accord or Civic over the Odyssey.

I don't know...I have owned a Honda Fit, and a BMW M3 that I used to track; there is much more than a difference in branding! Maybe the ACA diamonds are a Ferrari, but grey market pricing! No way an ACA diamond or a very well cut AGS Ideal is Honda; maybe a top of the line Acura or Lexus, definitely far, far above average.

 

[baroque]

Re: Dilemma: 2.31ct AGS ID in hand, considering a 1.7ct AGS

While I very seriously doubt that she will find the 2.31 too big, the 1.7 size is no slouch. My first was a 1.32 and far bigger than most of the ladies in my social group...BUT, a 2.31 would have been welcome and worn without hesitation, especially in a modest, classic setting.

I don't think you can lose either way, but beating yourself up over the options and having both might make you a little crazy in the long run. You're the only one who knows her well enough to know if 1.3 being "fine" was her way of saying that she would be OK with that but would also be OK with more, if you chose it for her. I hear most people here sharing the opinion of "go big" but I'm feeling your hesitation about the quality vs quantity thought in your head. The "mind clean" thing that people here talk about. Let me ask you this...is she shopping diamonds? Is she researching diamond specs? I'm guessing no, but I would also not want to see you give her this symbol of your love and feel like it was less that the perfect display of sparkliness that you always dreamed of presenting, explaining to her about the clarity being "not as good" if you feel that way. I hope you get what I'm saying. You're the only one who knows her well enough to know if she is going to care about all of those details and if you will feel like you have given her something substandard...which by the way is not what I think, but it doesn't matter what I think!