engagement ring advice

[jonbol]

I am proposing to my girlfriend and desperately need advice on choosing a ring. I will be picking the ring out to suprise her - I know everyone advises to consult the girl first, but my gf is traditional in that she thinks the guy should pick it out and the proposal should be a suprise (it will be). Most of her married friends picked out the rings themselves and she expressed displeasure at this. So, doing detective work, I know her ring size. I also know she does not want a huge diamond - something more modest is up her alley. In terms of the Cut, I don't know what she would like - when hinting around the subject w/ her I've learned that she has not thought enough about rings to say "I prefer Princess cut over Round"..etc Her usually answer is she will love whatever I give her since it came from me (This doesn't help!).

My Budget is $5K-$7K. My ideal diamond is: Cut:Ideal-Very Good Color: D-G Clarity: VVS-VS. I personally prefer Round diamond (not a fan of the Princess cut). I am leaning towards 3-diamond setting/multiple diamond versus a Solitaire setting.
For Reference, Tiffany settings I like are:
Round-Brilliant With Bead-Set Band
http://www.tiffany.com/expertise/engagement/engagement.aspx?style=round_brilliant&ring=bead#

Pear Side Stones
http://www.tiffany.com/expertise/engagement/engagement.aspx?style=round_brilliant&ring=pear


I can't afford Tiffany and my budget is fixed so I need to save some $$$ here:

- Virtually all of the jewelry she wears is yellow gold, - is this a good indication that a Yellow gold engagement ring is the way to go?

- Should I buy the diamond separately from the setting to save money, or the ring as a whole? How would this work on a 3-prong setting (Don't you have to know the setting to be able to get the right diamonds)?

- I am considering going to New York Diamond District - is this only for buying individual diamonds or do they have engagement rings as well? Are the deals on rings at DD as good as the diamond deals?

- If i do buy from DD, what happens if the ring doesn't fit? Will vendors resize it or is the sale final?


Thanks,
Jon

 

[chrono]

Date: 8/1/2007 3:48:10 PM
Author:jonbol
I am proposing to my girlfriend and desperately need advice on choosing a ring. I will be picking the ring out to suprise her - I know everyone advises to consult the girl first, but my gf is traditional in that she thinks the guy should pick it out and the proposal should be a suprise (it will be). Most of her married friends picked out the rings themselves and she expressed displeasure at this. So, doing detective work, I know her ring size. I also know she does not want a huge diamond - something more modest is up her alley. In terms of the Cut, I don''t know what she would like - when hinting around the subject w/ her I''ve learned that she has not thought enough about rings to say ''I prefer Princess cut over Round''..etc Her usually answer is she will love whatever I give her since it came from me (This doesn''t help!).

My Budget is $5K-$7K. My ideal diamond is: Cut:Ideal-Very Good Color: D-G Clarity: VVS-VS. I personally prefer Round diamond (not a fan of the Princess cut). I am leaning towards 3-prong/multiple diamond versus Solitaire.
For Reference, Tiffany settings I like are:
Round-Brilliant With Bead-Set Band
http://www.tiffany.com/expertise/engagement/engagement.aspx?style=round_brilliant&ring=bead#

Pear Side Stones
http://www.tiffany.com/expertise/engagement/engagement.aspx?style=round_brilliant&ring=pear


I can''t afford Tiffany and my budget is fixed so I need to save some $$$ here:
I would stick with rounds, they are easier to buy (more options) and sparkles the most.

- Virtually all of the jewelry she wears is yellow gold, - is this a good indication that a Yellow gold engagement ring is the way to go?
You can do yellow gold with platinum prongs. I''d probably stick with yellow gold too so that it matches all her other jewellery.

- Should I buy the diamond separately from the setting to save money, or the ring as a whole? How would this work on a 3-prong setting (Don''t you have to know the setting to be able to get the right diamonds)?
It is better to purchase the diamond separately to be able to buy a better looking diamond. What do you mean by a 3 prong setting? Those are NOT safe. I recommend at least 4 prongs. You don''t need to get the setting first. Settings are made in many different sizes to be able to fit YOUR stone.

- I am considering going to New York Diamond District - is this only for buying individual diamonds or do they have engagement rings as well? Are the deals on rings at DD as good as the diamond deals?
Unless you are experienced in picking well cut diamonds, I would not choose that route. If you are in NYC, give Mark of www.engagementringsdirect.com a call. He is in the NYDD and is a trustworthy PS vendor who is able to help you buy a great diamond without getting ripped off.

- If i do buy from DD, what happens if the ring doesn''t fit? Will vendors resize it or is the sale final?
Most vendors will resize your ring. Some might charge a small fee, but I think most will not.

Thanks,
Jon

 

[jonbol]

Thank your for the input. I meant to say that I am a considering a setting with multiple or side diamonds (not 3 prongs!). This would seem to make buying the diamonds seperate a bit harder since now you need 3 instead of 1? Do the side diamonds need to be as good quality as the main one?

- Jon

 

[Lorelei]

Welcome to PS!

I would advise real caution regarding shopping in the DD, it is a minefield for the unwary it is said, you need to know what you are doing. There are some good vendors there such as Michael Jay Fifth Avenue, Engagement Rings Direct - or even if a drive out to Long Island isn't unreasonable for you, Good Old Gold has a B&M store as well as an online inventory and service. But overall the DD is perhaps not the best option for the inexperienced.

It is probably safest to go with a round diamond for your GF if she hasn't expressed a preference for a particular shape, as the all important cut quality is more predictable. Colour and clarity - a good bang for the buck can be a G or H colour ( or lower) and an SI1 or SI2 clarity if eyeclean - this is something that needs to be taken on a case by case basis. As your GF prefers yellow gold and she knows a ring is coming, I would ask her if she wants this too in YG in case she was thinking of a change - even though she wears mainly yellow gold, I feel it is best to try to see what her preference is with her e-ring.

It would be good to look at online vendors such as those named above, Whiteflash, Wink Jones, James Allen and Bill Pearlman all have a great rep here and can be used with confidence. Also they have a wide range of settings as well as diamonds to make the whole process easier, and can set it for you too, if you decide to go this way.

I would urge you to consider carefully your options and read the tutorial on the all important cut of a diamond, it is this what makes a diamond beautiful. Before you commit to buying from the DD, have a look at the vendors I mentioned, top right of the page you will see resources then vendors - the details will be there. That way you can see what diamonds are available for your budget ( online is usually the cheapest way to go) and all the cut analysis is normally done for you so you can make a great choice.

 

[chrono]

Date: 8/1/2007 4:02:30 PM
Author: jonbol
Thank your for the input. I meant to say that I am a considering a setting with multiple or side diamonds (not 3 prongs!). This would seem to make buying the diamonds seperate a bit harder since now you need 3 instead of 1? Do the side diamonds need to be as good quality as the main one?

- Jon

No problem, we are here to help when time permits. If buying a setting with multiple diamonds, you only need to worry about the center stone. Many settings already come with the side diamonds. If you purchase a quality branded setting, you are assured of getting good looking sidestones too.

 

[Lorelei]

A good vendor can help source suitable side diamonds to go with the centre stone, unless they are already in the setting. If not , as long as they are eyeclean this is fine, with colour you need an experienced eye to check they are a good match with the chosen centre stone, pears show colour differently to rounds and as normally 2 colour grades is considered safe, depending it might be best to go for the same grade or one lower - an expert vendor is the best person to advise here.

": Cut:Ideal-Very Good Color: D-G Clarity: VVS-VS. "

I just wanted to clarify the quote above

Labels such as Ideal Cut/ Very Good cut don't mean a diamond IS well cut, each needs to be taken on a case by case basis.

D - G colour is going to cost, unless this is very important to you for various reasons, a G or H will still look very white - DEF carry a premium.

Same with clarity - VVS unless again is important to you, some consider overkill, VS and many SI are still eyeclean and will look the same as VVS.

 

[jonbol]

THanks for the input. Sounds like the jury is still out in terms of whether yellow gold is a smart choice for me. Can anyone recommend a site/online vendor that creates unique rings/settings? I am thinking about a Round-center diamond with 2 sides stones - tear-drop shaped or heart-shaped. However, I''d like to find an actually ring that is a bit more ornate than the typical Blue Nile style. Just wondering what is out there.

Thanks,
J

 

[jayreneepea]

Knox has a good selection of engagement rings.