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Engagement Ring Advice

I

IowaM

Rough_Rock
Joined
Mar 4, 2014
Messages
5
I have been researching rings for a few months now with the plan of asking my girlfriend to marry me at the end of the month. She has dropped a few hints but hasnt given me much direction on what she wants other than she doesnt like the halo rings. She wants something sparkly and classy (that narrows it down). Either way, after looking at some local brick and mortar stores as well as online i think i found the setting i like the most. The problem is it is at Bluenile and i am preturbed that it is not possible to see the center stone before i buy it. Also they will not accept a centerstone i purchased elsewhere.

http://www.bluenile.com/monique-lhuillier-half-moon-engagement-ring-platinum_44075

The above link is the setting I am thinking about. After scowering this website a bit i have a couple questions:

1. I know BN isn't as popular as Good as Gold or Whiteflash but I dont like their settings as much. Does anyone have experience working with BlueNile?

2. The above setting can handle princess cuts and cushion cuts. I am leaning towards the cushion. From what i read i think i am crazy for buying a cushion site unseen. If i buy a Signature Ideal cut do you think i am ok?

3. What's your thoughts on the setting?


Thank you everyone
 
IowaM|1393940357|3627153 said:
I have been researching rings for a few months now with the plan of asking my girlfriend to marry me at the end of the month. She has dropped a few hints but hasnt given me much direction on what she wants other than she doesnt like the halo rings. She wants something sparkly and classy (that narrows it down). Either way, after looking at some local brick and mortar stores as well as online i think i found the setting i like the most. The problem is it is at Bluenile and i am preturbed that it is not possible to see the center stone before i buy it. Also they will not accept a centerstone i purchased elsewhere.

http://www.bluenile.com/monique-lhuillier-half-moon-engagement-ring-platinum_44075

The above link is the setting I am thinking about. After scowering this website a bit i have a couple questions:

1. I know BN isn't as popular as Good as Gold or Whiteflash but I dont like their settings as much. Does anyone have experience working with BlueNile?

2. The above setting can handle princess cuts and cushion cuts. I am leaning towards the cushion. From what i read i think i am crazy for buying a cushion site unseen. If i buy a Signature Ideal cut do you think i am ok?

3. What's your thoughts on the setting?


Thank you everyone
Click to expand...
My thoughts on that specific setting? That it's overpriced and probably has low quality diamonds in it? (based on the average cut grade listed as "good" therefore not very sparkly...) That is an awfully specific setting to surprise someone else with who is not involved in the process of selection? Let me just say that up front. You aren't going to be the one wearing this so what "you like" isn't really primary here, it's what SHE will like. So keep that in mind when making your setting selection. It's better to go very simple and spend much less on a more simple setting. I'd rather have a nice cushion that is larger, with a nice pave solitaire band. That would be my definition of classy and sparkly. Just my two cents, since you asked.

Also, you definitely don't want to buy a cushion sight unseen. "Signature Ideal" means jack squat. You still don't get the images. GOG and ERD are primo for cushions. And both can help you get a nice, simple, sparkly, and classy setting--and above all--one with WAY better quality diamonds set into it than the one you're willing to pay $5400 for.
 
It would be very difficult to buy a cushion without pictures. There are just too many ugly ones
Out there.

The setting...Hmmm...what do you like about it specifically?
I don't know what it is but its not doing much for me (maybe its just me?)

Do you know what shape stones your GF likes?
 
Thank you for the candid responses.

My girlfriend is by no means an expert when it comes to diamonds. She has told me she doesnt care what shape it is. As for the setting I like that it is unique but not over the top. I also do like the three sided pave diamonds on the band. I understand she is the one that is wearing it and not I, but we have similair tastes and she has made it clear she wants it to be a surprise and does not want to be involved in picking it out. I know i am trying to defend my choice in settings but I am very open to suggestions. If i could find something I liked on a site that showed actual pictures of the center stone i would be all for it
 
I like that setting personally. It's classic and unique at the same time. Deffenty not trendy like a halo. What about buing the setting and a stone from another place (assuming you know the size will get) or using this picture and having it made custom somewhere.

My FI and I have similar taste and I wanted to be surprised also. It worked out amazingly!

I have read about many with Blue Nile rings on Wedding Bee and they have all said how much they love the rings and if your FI isn't a "diamond" person I think the side stone grades won't matter to her.
Just my thoughts.
 
Well, the ability to see these with a cushion is tough, I do grant you that. So visualizing that isn't easy.

But I don't personally feel the one you're looking at is going to be "classic". Besides that, it sucks a TON of your budget up.

These are what I would go with, frankly, with a cushion or a round, and they're both from vendors that have good cushion selections that are good with cushions. I think they'll work well with most matching bands (3 sided pave will require you get a spacer to go with a matching band) and will look good for a long time. They're classic, sparkly, and will have better quality melee:

http://goodoldgold.com/images/classicjewelry/Vatche/Vatche%20Serenity%20Collection/1535/collage.jpg

http://goodoldgold.com/images/classicjewelry/Vatche/Vatche%20Serenity%20Collection/1533/collage.jpg


or even this through ERD:

http://www.engagementringsdirect.com/elise-split-shank-4-prong-micro-pave-ribbon-enagement-ring-bpid-150-18.html
 
My 2 cents: My first online diamond purchases were with Blue Nile. Basic settings were a bit rough. I then purchased from James Allen. Their basic settings were better quality, more refined. I then made a purchase from White Flash and the setting I received was better still.
Granted I am talking about the more basic settings, so I don't know how that translates to the more "complex" settings of these vendors.
 
Jimmianne|1393947599|3627208 said:
My 2 cents: My first online diamond purchases were with Blue Nile. Basic settings were a bit rough. I then purchased from James Allen. Their basic settings were better quality, more refined. I then made a purchase from White Flash and the setting I received was better still.
Granted I am talking about the more basic settings, so I don't know how that translates to the more "complex" settings of these vendors.
Click to expand...


What do you mean by "a bit rough"?
 
[/quote]
My thoughts on that specific setting? That it's overpriced and probably has low quality diamonds in it? (based on the average cut grade listed as "good" therefore not very sparkly...) That is an awfully specific setting to surprise someone else with who is not involved in the process of selection? Let me just say that up front. You aren't going to be the one wearing this so what "you like" isn't really primary here, it's what SHE will like. So keep that in mind when making your setting selection. It's better to go very simple and spend much less on a more simple setting. I'd rather have a nice cushion that is larger, with a nice pave solitaire band. That would be my definition of classy and sparkly. Just my two cents, since you asked.

Also, you definitely don't want to buy a cushion sight unseen. "Signature Ideal" means jack squat. You still don't get the images. GOG and ERD are primo for cushions. And both can help you get a nice, simple, sparkly, and classy setting--and above all--one with WAY better quality diamonds set into it than the one you're willing to pay $5400 for.[/quote]

I also meant to ask about your statement that "Signature ideal means jack squat". there is a markup on BN for sig ideal square cuts. If i was going to go with BN would you suggest not paying the extra for Signature Ideal and just go with Very Good?
 
In all candidness: my suggestion is not to buy from them for this particular project. But regarding your question of my phrase: their use of "Signature Ideal" means NOTHING in terms of quality. It means you're paying more for what they want you to believe is "better." It's kinda like how Tiffany uses that whole "Tiffany Diamond" nonsense, and plays the emotional game to make you think that because you bought it there it's somehow better than anywhere else, which is absolutely nonsense. But that terminology has no bearing in reality, it's just marketing. You cannot buy a cushion with just a report and numbers on a screen. You NEED photos. You NEED someone that KNOWS CUSHIONS. And Blue Nile is not that vendor.

We are trying to give you guidance here to get the best for your money and blow your fiance (and yourself) away. We're not trying to be jerks to push you into a vendor. Please let us give you the input that many of us have spend years and in many cases THOUSANDS to actually learn the right way, not just from experience. The vendors we're recommending (and settings in some cases) are really because they're better for this particular end-goal: a great diamond in a beautiful setting.
 
I'm just commenting on the setting issue.

$5400 is very overpriced for that particular setting. If you are willing to spend that much on a setting, contact Victor Canera or Steven Kirsch and have them make a hand forged platinum setting for you. Victor carries beautiful cushion cut diamonds.
 
I appreciate the candidness and your help. I have looked at Whiteflash, engagement rings direct, and Good Old Gold (does anyone else find it tacky that they make you request a quote on each setting?) but what other online vendors would you guys suggest me to look at.
 
IowaM|1393959729|3627339 said:
I appreciate the candidness and your help. I have looked at Whiteflash, engagement rings direct, and Good Old Gold (does anyone else find it tacky that they make you request a quote on each setting?) but what other online vendors would you guys suggest me to look at.
Click to expand...
For a cushion ERD and GOG are tops.

Most require a request for pricing because metal prices change constantly with the markets, it's not really tacky so much as they don't want to give you a bid they either can't honor or over bid you and have it be way overpriced. There are rarely set prices for settings across the board, the vendors need to confirm metal costs before rattling off a price. With Vatche being a designer, they have to usually call to confirm pricing, as well.

Brian Gavin has a different type of cushion cut, theirs is a hearts and arrows style, not sure if that piques your interest.
 
I am also going to say that $5400 unless you are going to Victor Canera or Steven Kirsch is ridiculous, for that price or less than that price you get top top pave or a halo and it will be handmade and 1000 times better crafted, more refined and nicer to look at than what you are thinking of buying.

http://www.victorcanera.com/
 
Just a hunch, if she likes classy and does not like halos (a girl after my own heart) I doubt she will like a pave setting. I would go with a beautiful classic cushion that you can actually see the stone and set it in plat with two tapered baguettes or bullets. You can later bling it up with stacking wedding bands.
 
Just a hunch, if she likes classy and does not like halos (a girl after my own heart) I doubt she will like a pave setting. I would go with a beautiful classic cushion that you can actually see the stone and set it in plat with two tapered baguettes or bullets. You can later bling it up with stacking wedding bands.
 
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