Engagement Ring Search - Please Help

[warriorsfan]

Hi everyone, I''ve been a lurker for a few months and have been looking around for an engagement ring for my girlfriend. First off thanks for all the information and this is a great website to gain some knowledge of diamonds quickly.

Based upon what I''ve read and seen, considering the following for the diamond:

- Round
- Color F (or better, I think my gf can actually see the faint yellow when I move to G)
- Clarity VS2 (or better, I just don''t want any imperfections that are visible to the naked eye)
- Carat Size - Approximately 2 carats (1.8 - 2.1 range)

I do not want to spend more than $30K at the end of the day and I guess the last C that seems hard for me to nail down is the cut. If you could help me with the following questions, it would be greatly appreciated.

- Any thoughts on Whiteflash''s A Cut Above or Expert Selection vs. James Allen''s H&A, Premium, or Ideal?
- I noticed Good Old Gold does not designate any cut categories, but everything they have seems like a great cut? Is this an incorrect assumption?
- Are there other websites I should take a look at? Bluenile or anyone else?
- Any additional suggestions on how to find a ring with a great cut, given the fact I''ve nailed down the other 3 C''s would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

 

[neatfreak]

All of those vendors have great stones, the ACA's being particularly fabulous IMO. WF and GOG's customer service is just so top notch that I would personally choose from one of them. But I know many PSers have had wonderful luck with JA.

Best thing to do is find a stone you think you love, RESERVE IT, and then post the link here. We'll happily critique it for you and let you know if there are better options! You are doing really well though to focus on cut. I personally would call those vendors, tell them your budget and preferences, and see what THEY select for you. GOG and WF are particularly good at doing this for customers and they will be 100% honest about why one stone might be better than another.

 

[honey22]

Welcome! I second the suggestion for an ACA - they are stunning! I love mine and think they are worth it.

Has your gf seen really well cut stones? You shouldn''t be able to see any yellow in a well cut G at all. You may be able to notice a difference when a D is right next to a G, but it still shouldn''t look yellow. Maybe she has seen poorly cut stones, or ones that weren''t a true G? That said, if you still want to stick to F and up, that''s fine, but you are going to pay a premium for that range. I can''t find any in your price range of ACAs from WF. There was a 2ct E or F, VS1 I think off the top of my head, but they were over $40K. I can''t find an ES that I would recommend either.

GOG has some gorgeous stones too. You need to look for their H&A range

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/4755/

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/3089/


http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/4299/

The last two are way over budget, but I have linked them to show you what to expect to pay for your parameters. I don''t think you are going to get a top cut stone in the colour clarity combo you are after. I would suggest you drop to G SI1 eyeclean to max size, or perhaps aim for the 1.6-1.7ct mark. You have to sacrifice something to get under budget, just please don''t sacrifice cut, it''s what makes the stone sparkle.
I wouldn''t purchase from BN as they don''t have enough info to make an informed choice, ie no IS or ASET images which are important to determine how well the stone performs.

You can get totally eyeclean SI1 clarity stones, and I think that would be your only option in order to get close to the size, colour that you are looking for.

Good luck!

 

[stone_seeker]

you can plug the angles and percentages into the various calculators on PS to get a sense of ideal cut / max light performance. If you want to get great cut over 2ct, you might need to get to a G color - I cant tell the difference but it will depend if your girl likes size.

 

[NeverEndingUpgrade]

You can''t go wrong with anything from GOG. All their diamonds are very well cut.

 

[dbsdiamonds]

There are around 60 diamonds available in 1.80 to 2.10ct GIA F VS1-VS2 search with maybe 8 of these at 2ct pushing at your $30k ceiling. All with VG to Ex on cut/polish/symmetry.

Marty
CEO/Pres
DBS Diamonds
www.diamondsatcost.com

 

[warriorsfan]

Thanks for the suggestion on the G color and going down to SI1 eyeclean. I will continue looking and post some potentials for opinions.

Does everyone usually purchase the setting from the same place they purchase the diamond? Just looking for the classic tiffany setting, 6-prong, in platinum. Any thoughts?

 

[honey22]

It''s a better idea to purchase the setting where you purchase the stone as then it will be covered during setting. If you have the stone set somewhere else, it won''t be covered/insured during setting, and if in the unlikely event it is damaged then you are not covered. You will have to purchase a new stone. It''s just not work it to have it set somewhere else unless you can arrange insurance for the unset stone.

WF and GOG have simple Tiff settings. They are great quality too. Good luck.