e-ring guidance - please help!

[missbennett]

Hi all!

My name is Amanda. I've just gotten engaged but we have just begun ring shopping. Our budget is tight because my fiancee is ring shopping too - double the brides, double the expense, I suppose! Hers was easy - at a ring size of 3 and with a preference for smaller stones, she's very happy with a .25 ct round brilliant, of which we've found many (on Blue Nile, James Allen, and elsewhere) that fit our budget and which offer the color, cut and clarity she wanted. However, I'm a problem! And I really need some help

I am a 7-7.5 and have always wanted a solitaire. I'm not especially fussed about the shape of the diamond because I'm concerned about coverage. I'm hoping you can give me some ideas as to how best to maximize my 1500 USD/900 GBP budget for the stone. I really need help figuring out how to balance my wish for excellent quality with a stone that's roughly in the 5 mm range (or larger). (If it helps, I think the 3.5 mm round garnet I'm currently wearing is too small; conversely, I have a 6.5 mm blue topaz ring that I find really big. I guess I'm lucky that my taste runs small?)

Our current pick (there have been so many I think the only way I'm keeping them straight is by keeping the cart updated!) is this one: http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.43-carat-h-color-if-clarity-very-good-cut-sku-248224 - does that look as good to you as it does to me? (and FWIW, we're also considering this one at Blue Nile: http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-search?pt=setform&track=NavDrawDia#diamonds_pid=LD04369353)

Thank you very much in advance for any help you can offer!!

 

[Gypsy]

How about a nice old cut?

http://www.loveaffairdiamonds.com/0-74ct-old-european-cut-diamond-gia-l-vs2/ Beautiful, bright, and big but not too big.

I'd snap that up in a heartbeat if I were you.

 

[tyty333]

That JA stone you picked is not well cut...Puts to much emphasis on clarity over color/size.

That one Gypsy posted is gorgeous!!! A great size for your finger too...I would snap it up in a heartbeat too!!!

 

[missbennett]

That's beautiful, Gypsy! Thank you so much for the link; I really love the natural warmth. It actually puts me in mind of my great-grandmother's e-ring diamond, which is quite a bit smaller, however. It's also an OEC, from the turn of the 20th century, and K color. I've forwarded the link to my fiancee, who of course has final say !

Thanks again!

 

[missbennett]

Thank you very much for the info, tyty. I'm curious though - what about the JA stone makes you say it's not very well cut? I'd just really like to learn so I know what I'm looking for. Apologies if this is super basic, which I'm sure it is. I really am proficient in studying things in detail...but only as regards artwork. I'm just an art historian who is currently feeling very out of her depth, and wondering what she keeps missing Thanks again!

 

[puppalini]

Thank you very much for the info, tyty. I'm curious though - what about the JA stone makes you say it's not very well cut? I'd just really like to learn so I know what I'm looking for. Apologies if this is super basic, which I'm sure it is. I really am proficient in studying things in detail...but only as regards artwork. I'm just an art historian who is currently feeling very out of her depth, and wondering what she keeps missing Thanks again!

MissBennett - I'm new around here, so take this with a grain of salt but here's what I think those with a lot more experience on here will say..

the JA stone you linked to is a 'Very Good' cut. Cut is by far the most important thing to look for and 'Very Good' just isn't good enough. With JA I look at their True Hearts & Ideal range only
It's also an IF so you're paying for that when you may be able to find a bigger stone, with a better cut that's an VS2 or SI1 that is eye clean for the same money. For example this one...

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.51-carat-h-color-si1-clarity-ideal-cut-sku-306994 is an "Ideal Cut", H colour and SI1 but blowed if I can see the inclusion that makes it an SI1 (better trained eyes than mine will I'm sure).

It has an HCA (https://www.pricescope.com/tools/hca) rating of "0.6 - Excellent" which is good, but unfortunately has some light leakage (from the AGS certificate) on the table and bottom right so probably not ideal.

Gypsy.. how did I go??!

 

[bagelboy]

If you look at the GIA lab report, under cut grade it says Very Good. The top cut grade from GIA is excellent. If you look at the diagram of this diamond, you will notice that the crown height is lower, the crown and pavilion angles are not the best. There is a knowledge tab above, click on advanced tutorial tab for more information. For my money I would look for an excellent cut grade(GIA) or ideal cut grade(AGS) for starters. I would also suggest lowering the clarity level from internally flawless (IF) to VS-1 or VS-2 to maximize the size of the stone.

 

[Serendipity99]

I'm just writing to second the OEC idea. It looks so pretty!!

If your fiance approves of it... I have been looking at lots of vintage settings lately so just to plant a seed, something like this could maybe continue the vintage theme but still be a solitaire. http://www.beverleyk.com/r10108-a-d-d-cz.html

From what little I know about that designer so far, their pricing seems very reasonable too.

Congratulations on your engagement!