Engagement Ring advice

[sdapples]

Please help.

I am very new to diamonds, and engagement rings. I really want to get my future wife (strange to say) the best I can afford. Unfortunately my budget is pretty tight.

Budget: $5500

I would very much like to get her a 1 carat round stone, with excellent to ideal cut, vs2, I color. I have found a few of these stones around the $4000 range.

I have also found the setting I would most like to get her:
http://www.robbinsbros.com/engagement-rings/engagement-ring-detail.asp?prod_id=31867&pType=ring&set_shape=1012
price: $2210

In which area should I skimp. Smaller diamond, or less expensive settting. I know she wants a vintage style halo ring.

Thank you so very, very much for any advice that you can offer.

 

[MissGotRocks]

Date: 3/9/2009 8:11:10 PM
Author:sdapples
Please help.

I am very new to diamonds, and engagement rings. I really want to get my future wife (strange to say) the best I can afford. Unfortunately my budget is pretty tight.

Budget: $5500

I would very much like to get her a 1 carat round stone, with excellent to ideal cut, vs2, I color. I have found a few of these stones around the $4000 range.

I have also found the setting I would most like to get her:
http://www.robbinsbros.com/engagement-rings/engagement-ring-detail.asp?prod_id=31867&pType=ring&set_shape=1012
price: $2210

In which area should I skimp. Smaller diamond, or less expensive settting. I know she wants a vintage style halo ring.

Thank you so very, very much for any advice that you can offer.

Doing a search under the ''pricescope your diamond'' toolbar, I found this one http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1193890.asp?b=16&a=12&c=77&cid=131 in the size, color and clarity you are looking for. I don''t know where the ones you''ve found for 4k are but this is a very well cut stone and PSers could get it for about 5200.00. You could get a plain four or six prong mounting and still be in the ballpark of your budget.

For my money, I''d rather put the bulk of it in the stone, not the setting. You can always have it reset down the road if she wants a more intricate setting.

Good luck!

 

[urseberry]

That is a great budget! I don''t believe you''ll be able to get a good quality halo setting for less than $2000. Since you know she wants that sort of setting, I would skimp on the stone. Going under the 1 carat mark will save you a lot of money, and halos increase the apparent size of a diamond significantly.

 

[sdapples]

Date: 3/9/2009 8:16:10 PM
Author: MissGotRocks

Date: 3/9/2009 8:11:10 PM
Author:sdapples
Please help.

I am very new to diamonds, and engagement rings. I really want to get my future wife (strange to say) the best I can afford. Unfortunately my budget is pretty tight.

Budget: $5500

I would very much like to get her a 1 carat round stone, with excellent to ideal cut, vs2, I color. I have found a few of these stones around the $4000 range.

I have also found the setting I would most like to get her:
http://www.robbinsbros.com/engagement-rings/engagement-ring-detail.asp?prod_id=31867&pType=ring&set_shape=1012
price: $2210

In which area should I skimp. Smaller diamond, or less expensive settting. I know she wants a vintage style halo ring.

Thank you so very, very much for any advice that you can offer.

Doing a search under the 'pricescope your diamond' toolbar, I found this one http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1193890.asp?b=16&a=12&c=77&cid=131 in the size, color and clarity you are looking for. I don't know where the ones you've found for 4k are but this is a very well cut stone and PSers could get it for about 5200.00. You could get a plain four or six prong mounting and still be in the ballpark of your budget.

For my money, I'd rather put the bulk of it in the stone, not the setting. You can always have it reset down the road if she wants a more intricate setting.

Good luck!

Thank you very much for your help MissGotRocks.

The stone you referenced is beautiful. The stone you mentioned has ideal symmetry and polish. The stones I was looking at were only very good in those qualities.

Is that an important factor when looking for a stone to go in a vintage, halo design ring? I was hoping that since there are diamonds all around the stone, that might be the area to skimp a little.

I agree with you about putting the bulk toward the stone. My g/f would be happy with anything I got her (she is very sweet like that). Unfortunately, I know she really likes vintage items, and loves the halo style ring. I was thinking maybe I could do it backwards and upgrade her stone later. Bad idea?

Would you have any advice as to looking for rings at a different location? I went into the RobbinsBros store here in San Diego and that was my favorite setting.

Thank you again for your help.

 

[sdapples]

Date: 3/9/2009 8:21:02 PM
Author: urseberry
That is a great budget! I don''t believe you''ll be able to get a good quality halo setting for less than $2000. Since you know she wants that sort of setting, I would skimp on the stone. Going under the 1 carat mark will save you a lot of money, and halos increase the apparent size of a diamond significantly.

Thank you urseberry.

I do agree that the halos do increase the apparent size. I just got worried when I was looking at a few other halo styles and they accomodated a .25 carat all the way up to a 6 carat stone. I worried that if they could take a 6 carat, my measley 1 carat or less might look a bit pathetic.

 

[sdapples]

Sorry, 1 other line of questions. Is it important to get a designer setting? Is Scott Kay a good designer?

 

[atroop711]

how about this setting http://www.knoxjewelers.biz/index.htm?crn=203&rn=1507&action=show_detail kind of like the one you posted but less $$$

 

[atroop711]

another http://www.knoxjewelers.biz/index.htm?crn=203&rn=1110&action=show_detail

 

[atroop711]

another http://www.knoxjewelers.biz/index.htm?crn=203&rn=1082&action=show_detail

 

[atroop711]

more http://www.knoxjewelers.biz/index.htm?crn=203&rn=712&action=show_detail

 

[atroop711]

last one http://www.knoxjewelers.biz/index.htm?crn=203&rn=1282&action=show_detail

 

[sdapples]

Those are nice settings. I think I like those better than my original settings. Thank you Atroop711.

Is paladium vs. white gold important? Or at my budget is the least expensive the best?

 

[atroop711]

Date: 3/9/2009 8:48:37 PM
Author: sdapples
Those are nice settings. I think I like those better than my original settings. Thank you Atroop711.


Is paladium vs. white gold important? Or at my budget is the least expensive the best?

You're welcome. I'm a white gold gal...but I've read nice things about paladium. You can do a search on here for paladium. I personally saved $$ by getting the white gold. BTW check out this stone from WF

http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/Whiteflash-ACA-cut-diamond-1982367.htm# I didn't put the numbers in to check them since I'm doing this while cleaning up..but WF ACA's are great

I just checked and it's 1.4 on the HCA.

 

[MissGotRocks]

Date: 3/9/2009 8:32:54 PM
Author: sdapples

Date: 3/9/2009 8:16:10 PM
Author: MissGotRocks

Date: 3/9/2009 8:11:10 PM
Author:sdapples
Please help.

I am very new to diamonds, and engagement rings. I really want to get my future wife (strange to say) the best I can afford. Unfortunately my budget is pretty tight.

Budget: $5500

I would very much like to get her a 1 carat round stone, with excellent to ideal cut, vs2, I color. I have found a few of these stones around the $4000 range.

I have also found the setting I would most like to get her:
http://www.robbinsbros.com/engagement-rings/engagement-ring-detail.asp?prod_id=31867&pType=ring&set_shape=1012
price: $2210

In which area should I skimp. Smaller diamond, or less expensive settting. I know she wants a vintage style halo ring.

Thank you so very, very much for any advice that you can offer.

Doing a search under the ''pricescope your diamond'' toolbar, I found this one http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1193890.asp?b=16&a=12&c=77&cid=131 in the size, color and clarity you are looking for. I don''t know where the ones you''ve found for 4k are but this is a very well cut stone and PSers could get it for about 5200.00. You could get a plain four or six prong mounting and still be in the ballpark of your budget.

For my money, I''d rather put the bulk of it in the stone, not the setting. You can always have it reset down the road if she wants a more intricate setting.

Good luck!

Thank you very much for your help MissGotRocks.

The stone you referenced is beautiful. The stone you mentioned has ideal symmetry and polish. The stones I was looking at were only very good in those qualities.

Is that an important factor when looking for a stone to go in a vintage, halo design ring? I was hoping that since there are diamonds all around the stone, that might be the area to skimp a little.

I agree with you about putting the bulk toward the stone. My g/f would be happy with anything I got her (she is very sweet like that). Unfortunately, I know she really likes vintage items, and loves the halo style ring. I was thinking maybe I could do it backwards and upgrade her stone later. Bad idea?

Would you have any advice as to looking for rings at a different location? I went into the RobbinsBros store here in San Diego and that was my favorite setting.

Thank you again for your help.

You are very welcome. A halo mounting will be made to fit a particular size stone - if you upgrade the stone later, it probably won''t fit into the mounting. Just one part of the equation to keep in mind.

As for the stone, I wouldn''t skimp on cut. You will still see the total stone in a halo mounting. If you want to look at something smaller because you do plan to halo it, that''s fine. You can use the toolbar to put in whatever size, color and clarity stone you are interested in. Hit cut quality search to come up with some very well cut stones.

 

[sdapples]

Thank you for all those choices Atroop. You are very fast at this!

I liked the first and second settings the best.

That diamond from whiteflash looks beautiful. All aspects of it look perfect as well. Maybe, I just need to increase my budget, or be ok with less than 1 carat for the stone. I think I am starting to realize the size might be more important to me than it is to her.

 

[sdapples]

Thank you MissGotRocks.

I did not realize they had different settings based on the size of the center stone. I thought they just adjusted the size of the prong area. I am such a noob at this.
I also did not realize about the problem of future mounting a different size stone. Do you think a .5 carat increase would not fit properly?

So many things to get right. My poor g/f(future wife) will have to wear my choice, hopefully, for the rest of her life.

Thank you again for your helpful advice.

 

[atroop711]

Date: 3/9/2009 9:01:02 PM
Author: sdapples
Thank you for all those choices Atroop. You are very fast at this!


I liked the first and second settings the best.


That diamond from whiteflash looks beautiful. All aspects of it look perfect as well. Maybe, I just need to increase my budget, or be ok with less than 1 carat for the stone. I think I am starting to realize the size might be more important to me than it is to her.

You''re welcome. When we were looking for a stone..I had hoped for a 2ct..but I wanted quality so I went down in size to a 1.77ct..and put the stone in a Halo setting. I still got my BIG BLINGY LOOK but most importantly I got the cut quality! GL!!!

 

[sdapples]

Date: 3/9/2009 9:14:16 PM
Author: atroop711

Date: 3/9/2009 9:01:02 PM
Author: sdapples
Thank you for all those choices Atroop. You are very fast at this!


I liked the first and second settings the best.


That diamond from whiteflash looks beautiful. All aspects of it look perfect as well. Maybe, I just need to increase my budget, or be ok with less than 1 carat for the stone. I think I am starting to realize the size might be more important to me than it is to her.

You''re welcome. When we were looking for a stone..I had hoped for a 2ct..but I wanted quality so I went down in size to a 1.77ct..and put the stone in a Halo setting. I still got my BIG BLINGY LOOK but most importantly I got the cut quality! GL!!!

Wow, that ring is amazing. Hopefully, someday, I can do something that nice for my future wife.

 

[swingirl]

Just another take on your purchase. I would skimp on the setting and get a larger stone. Once you have the stone you can upgrade the setting for an anniversary. A halo setting is not very flexible for different sized center stones.

Here is a stone that could go into a simple setting. 1ct H SI1 and white gold Tiffany setting

It's just an option and a personal preference as far as what portion of the budget goes for the setting vs. the stone. Ignore this if you have already decided. You have been given some beautiful choices for stones and settings that will make a beautiful ering.