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Engagement Ring Suggestions.

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tmelsh

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jan 27, 2009
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Hi, I am a first time poster and occasional reader.

Anywho, I am planning on proposing soon and have been researching diamonds and rings forever.

I think I have picked out something nice for my price range (around 1600 or so, I sold my motorcycle to budget the ring), but would like some feedback.

I am planning on ordering from novori.com. The setting I picked out is the following:

http://www.novori.com/diamond-tension-rings-12651R2-p.html

The diamond I am looking at is the following:

Shape: Round
Four C''s:
Carat: 0.39
Cut: Ideal
Color: H
Clarity: VS1
Proportions:
Dimensions: 4.72 x 4.74 x 2.90 mm
L x W ratio: 1 to 1
Table%: 56 %
Depth%: 61.30 %
Polish: Very good
Symmetry: Very good
Girdle: Medium-Slightly Thick

The price of the diamond is $521

The overall total is $1,646

Now I know a lot of choosing an engagement ring is up to myself and my fiancee, but I am mostly curious as to whether I have picked out something fair for my meager price range, if anybody has heard much about Novori (BBB ranked them with an A- so they seem quite safe), and any suggestions on what might be a better trade (for example, sacrifice clarity for an even better cut, table and depth % suggestions).

Basically, are any warning lights coming up from the information I have given before I make a purchase?

Thank you all for your time and consideration, it is greatly appreciated!

Theo
 
What is the crown and pavilion angle of the stone?
 
The site does not appear to say unfortunately.


Here is a link to the diamond:

http://www.novori.com/product.php?did=4221140
 
I would drop the clarity to VS2 - SI1, just call the vendor and check if they are still eye-clean. At that size, most likely.

Here is one I found, 0.38c H SI1 for $531. 62% depth, 55% table, 35° crown angle, 40.4° pavilion angle, HCA = 0.7.

EDT:
The stone you found might be good, but we like to know the crown and pavilion angles so as to predict if the stone performs well optically. If you want to consider that stone still, ask for the GIA report number from the vendor and we can probably get the angles from the gia reportcheck site.
 
Date: 1/28/2009 5:14:26 AM
Author:tmelsh
Hi, I am a first time poster and occasional reader.

Anywho, I am planning on proposing soon and have been researching diamonds and rings forever.

I think I have picked out something nice for my price range (around 1600 or so, I sold my motorcycle to budget the ring), but would like some feedback.

I am planning on ordering from novori.com. The setting I picked out is the following:

http://www.novori.com/diamond-tension-rings-12651R2-p.html

The diamond I am looking at is the following:

Shape: Round
Four C''s:
Carat: 0.39
Cut: Ideal
Color: H
Clarity: VS1
Proportions:
Dimensions: 4.72 x 4.74 x 2.90 mm
L x W ratio: 1 to 1
Table%: 56 %
Depth%: 61.30 %
Polish: Very good
Symmetry: Very good
Girdle: Medium-Slightly Thick

The price of the diamond is $521

The overall total is $1,646

Now I know a lot of choosing an engagement ring is up to myself and my fiancee, but I am mostly curious as to whether I have picked out something fair for my meager price range, if anybody has heard much about Novori (BBB ranked them with an A- so they seem quite safe), and any suggestions on what might be a better trade (for example, sacrifice clarity for an even better cut, table and depth % suggestions).

Basically, are any warning lights coming up from the information I have given before I make a purchase?

Thank you all for your time and consideration, it is greatly appreciated!

Theo
Click to expand...
Welcome Theo!

If you prefer VS1 clarity thats absolutely fine, you could lower the clarity if you wished but it is a personal preference. Ask the vendor for a copy of the GIA report, if it is recent then it will have the angles needed on it - the crown and pavilion angles are crucial to judge light return and sparkle.
 
Date: 1/28/2009 5:58:23 AM
Author: Stone-cold11
I would drop the clarity to VS2 - SI1, just call the vendor and check if they are still eye-clean. At that size, most likely.

Here is one I found, 0.38c H SI1 for $531. 62% depth, 55% table, 35° crown angle, 40.4° pavilion angle, HCA = 0.7.

EDT:
The stone you found might be good, but we like to know the crown and pavilion angles so as to predict if the stone performs well optically. If you want to consider that stone still, ask for the GIA report number from the vendor and we can probably get the angles from the gia reportcheck site.
Click to expand...
The link isn''t working.
 
Date: 1/28/2009 6:04:34 AM
Author: Lorelei
Date: 1/28/2009 5:58:23 AM

Author: Stone-cold11

I would drop the clarity to VS2 - SI1, just call the vendor and check if they are still eye-clean. At that size, most likely.

Here is one I found, 0.38c H SI1 for $531. 62% depth, 55% table, 35° crown angle, 40.4° pavilion angle, HCA = 0.7.

EDT:

The stone you found might be good, but we like to know the crown and pavilion angles so as to predict if the stone performs well optically. If you want to consider that stone still, ask for the GIA report number from the vendor and we can probably get the angles from the gia reportcheck site.
Click to expand...

The link isn't working.
Click to expand...

It is, just the ring is not selected, the stone tab is active.

Lorelei, do you know if any of the vendors carries novori too?

I am re-thinking on the SI1, read somewhere that it might not be good for a tension mounting...
 
Date: 1/28/2009 6:06:38 AM
Author: Stone-cold11


Date: 1/28/2009 6:04:34 AM
Author: Lorelei


Date: 1/28/2009 5:58:23 AM

Author: Stone-cold11

I would drop the clarity to VS2 - SI1, just call the vendor and check if they are still eye-clean. At that size, most likely.

Here is one I found, 0.38c H SI1 for $531. 62% depth, 55% table, 35° crown angle, 40.4° pavilion angle, HCA = 0.7.

EDT:

The stone you found might be good, but we like to know the crown and pavilion angles so as to predict if the stone performs well optically. If you want to consider that stone still, ask for the GIA report number from the vendor and we can probably get the angles from the gia reportcheck site.
Click to expand...

The link isn't working.
Click to expand...

It is, just the ring is not selected, the stone tab is active.

Lorelei, do you know if any of the vendors carries novori too?

I am re-thinking on the SI1, read somewhere that it might not be good for a tension mounting...
Click to expand...
Ok, I must have misunderstood, I thought it was a link to the diamond....I believe an SI1 for tension need evaluating on each individual case, but I haven't seen too many to know for sure.

I don't think any of the PS vendors carry Novori that I can recall, but it is possible they might be able to obtain a particular setting on request.
 
Theo,

I just realized I had omitted something potentially important that needs to be raised - are you sure your GF wants a tension setting? They aren''t for everyone, if she does then fine but I just wanted to make sure she wouldn''t rather have a more traditional solitaire.
 
Theo,
Ditto what Lorilee said. They are not for everyone...are you sure that is what she wants? Most (I cant speak for all)
women would want to put more money into a bigger stone and less money into the setting. You seem to have
already figured out that this is what she wants and thats great. I'm just double checking to make sure
1.gif
.

tyty333

Also...now that I've looked at the $350 setting...if I were going to get a tension setting I would go with the excel
$350 one. Its lines are more feminine (not so chunky) and...its a nice ring for only $350!!! Spend the money you
save on a slightly larger stone.
 
I am quite sure she would like a tension ring, though I have not told her my plans directly (as I want it to be a surprise). Don''t worry guys, I know she will say yes, she has been wanting me to propose for a while! We have been together for roughly five years now, and our anniversary is actually on Valentines Day (hurray, a real reason for celebrating it).

I am fresh out of grad school, and still job hunting, so my budget is somewhat frugal as all the money going into this ring is from selling my motorcycle (somewhat symbolic, no?).

Anywho, she does not really care about having a large diamond. The only thing she is picky about is that it is white gold.

That $350 tension ring looks nice, but I have some reservations. I read that you really need to make sure your tension ring is from a quality jeweler, as it takes quite a bit of knowledge to make them properly. Why is this setting so cheap compared to every other tension setting I have seen before? That concerns me just a bit...is exceldiamonds.com a reputable jeweler?

Stone-cold11 - Thank you for your stone suggestion! VS2 or SI1 do not make a huge difference to me....we are not going to be analyzing the thing with magnification, I just want to make sure the diamond looks nice. My g/f knows even less about diamonds than I do (though I have been doing an unhealthy amount of research lately, as neither of us own jewelry really (unless you count my Tokyoflash watch)). I am fortunate to have a lady that is not too terribly picky in terms of weddings and rings. :)

Are there any stones for around 600 or less on novori.com that anybody would seriously recommend for the tension setting I picked?

By the way, I didn''t expect so much feedback, you guys have been great! Thank you!
 
Oh, I forgot to mention that this was my original choice...but the setting was much more expensive than Novori. Perhaps due to the Gelin Abaci name.

http://www.dimendscaasi.com/build/step1.asp?prodID=ten07
 
Definitely ask for the GIA report. The report will provide the most accurate information about the diamond. I also recently purchased a diamond for my girlfriends engagement ring, but I neglected to ask for the GIA report. Once one of my buddies found out he told me that I needed to get that report. I looked them up online and they definitely provide the most astute evaluation of the stone. Buying something as important as a diamond should be done the right way.
Good Luck!!
 
Ok thats fine then if she has expressed a preference for a tension set ring, I just wanted to make sure as we have had ladies here dislike the ring their fiancee gave them if it has been more of an unusual style and I didn''t want that to happen to you!
 
2101422448

That is supposed to be the GIA number for the one I picked out by the way.

*EDIT*

carat weight is 0.39. Here are the specs from GIA:

Report Type: GIA Diamond Dossier®
Date of Issue: December 01, 2008
Laser Inscription Registry: GIA 2101422448
Round Brilliant
Measurements: 4.72 - 4.74 x 2.90 mm
Carat Weight: 0.39 carat
Color Grade: H
Clarity Grade: VS1
Cut Grade: Excellent
Proportions:
Depth: 61.3%
Table: 56%
Crown Angle: 34.0°
Crown Height: 14.5%
Pavilion Angle: 40.8°
Pavilion Depth: 43.0%
Star length: 55%
Lower Half: 80%
Girdle: Medium to Slightly Thick, Faceted
Culet: None
Finish:
Polish: Very Good
Symmetry: Very Good
Fluorescence: Strong Blue
Clarity Characteristics: Feather, Indented Natural,
Cloud
Important Limitations

Still a good choice? what should I be looking for in terms of pavilion angle and depth?
 
This is the report for the stone you picked. http://www.gia.edu/reportcheck/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.showReportVerification&reportno=2101422448&weight=0.39

Looks very good, 61.3% depth, 56% table, 34° crown angle, 40.8° pavilion angle, HCA = 1.

Go with your original stone then. Just note that it has strong blue fluor, ask the vendor to make sure it is not oily/hazy, this only happens in very rare cases.

Good Luck.

EDT:
The crown and pavilion angles are good. use this tool, https://www.pricescope.com/cutadviser.asp and input the required values to check on your stone, which I got a 1. Any number below a 2 is a very good candidate.
 
What about the band? The $350 dollar one, would you consider it to be safe? Is the one on Novoni really thick? It says 11 mm but I am not the best judge. She does have small hands (ring size is 5.5).

Btw, i LOVE the lol cat avatar Lorelei.
 
both are the same at 11mm at the thickest. I really don''t know how well the exceldiamond setting stack up to the novori setting, never had them. But exceldiamond is legit and is based in the diamond district of NYC. I think novori is just brand marked-up but I am just a consumer like you, so that is just what I think. Give them a call if you are interested is the only thing I can say. They are legit and will provide ASET and other stuff if ask.
 
The excel ring doesn''t look like a true tension setting. It appears that there''s a bar under the stone, connecting the two sides.

If you don''t particularly care about it being a true tension setting, it''s a great choice!
 
I talked to one of their online helpers (Novori), and they stated that they will not sell any diamonds where the flourescence hinders the quality of the diamond, and after an order is placed, they inspect the diamond and if there is a problem make a recommendation for something else (or something along those lines). They also recommended that I go down to VS2 or SI1 and try to get close to half a carat. Otherwise the ring will not "look as good as the one shown on the site" - which apparently had a full carat diamond in it.

Is this just salesmanship? Will the ring look bad with a .39 carat diamond?
 
Tension style looks good with smaller stones. You could definitely save money by going with a "tension style" rather than a true tension.
 
Probably the stone will look small in that setting as the base of the setting is 11mm while the stone is only a 4.7mm. But even a 1c stone will only have a diameter of 6.5mm.

But I don''t see how you could go up in carat size on that budget with novori. Sorry.
 
I've heard good things about excel, and was going to buy there myself, but ended up with goodoldgold instead, nothing against excel though. Judah was very nice and replies very quickly to emails and follows up as well.

You can find a good diamond there, and get that setting. So, if you get the 400.00 excel setting, and the stone from them, you can get more bang for your buck! I'll go search and see what I can find!


Okay, They will be able to call in the stones to see if they are eyeclean or not. So here are a few to check out, they all state ideal cut diamond, and I in color will still face up white if cut ideal. LINKY and LINKY and higher in color higher in clarity and here is a nice looking one as well and this one looks nice

I based those on the IDEAL cut, but I didn't plug them into the calculator.

Here is one setting and I think it is tension...the decription doesnt say anything about it appearing to be a tension setting, but not really being one, although I could be wrong. Best to ask them.

And they have another one HERE for a bit more in price.

They also have an upgrade policy if thats something your interested in.
 
I wonder why excel is offering a tension set for less than $700 dollars cheaper than anywhere else. It just sets off an alarm of worry...esp. when other jewelers are saying beware of cheap tension rings as they will not hold.

I''m concerned that 11mm might be kind of big for her finger now....is 11mm considered "big?" I don''t have a ruler handy at the moment.

I think I am worrying more about the setting than the diamond! :P I might see what I can find in the 49 point or 48 point category with an SI1 and an I or even a J.

Is J bad? I guess there are different levels of J, hehe.
 
In an ideal cut stone, J is still going to face up white to lots of people. So you could lower the color some more, and get the J (I love J colored stones and I own an I colored one).

As far as "cheap settings" go, I''d contact excel directly. I doubt their settings would be considered "cheap quality". I think the price differentail is going to be if it''s a high end jewlery store, then your going to pay for the store itself and the name.

You can always ask to see the setting before hand (same with the stone) and have it sent to an appraiser. I don''t think you''d have to worry about it being cheap settings go.

Just contact them. They''ll be honest with you and tell you about their settings. I''m sure you''d feel more confortable after you spoke with them. They also have a 10 day exam return policy. So, if for whatever reason you feel like you got crap quality (which I highly doubt) they''ll refund your money.

As for as size goes...I have a size 4 finger, and a .85 carat diamond, I don''t think it looks to big at all...in fact...its kinda srunk over the last year...it''s time for a halo setting, lol. I think your gf will love whatever you get her, but in the world of most women...size counts but isn''t everything!
 
Hmm...maybe I should look at some non-tension setting rings... lol.

Sorry, I''m very meticulous when I spend my meager amounts of money. haha.

What a great time to graduate from grad school, right?
 
Hehehe!!! My cat avatar is rather cute isn''t it tmelsh - thanks!
9.gif


I would definitely look at some GIA/ AGS graded J colour if you want to increase the size a bit. One thing though, sometimes a very faint hint of warmth is visible from the side of a J colour, not everyone sees it or even cares - I was examining a similar diamond in person recently and it looked fine to me - but with a tension setting the pavilion of the diamond is more exposed so you might notice the tiniest faintest bit of warmth.
 
Personally, I think that you should propose with the stone, then go setting shopping together. That's just me though.
 
11mm is quite wide. I sometimes wear a 13mm wide ring and it takes up most of the lower part of my finger under my knuckle. It tapers immediately after the stone, which is great, because I couldn''t wear something that wide all the way around. With my 13mm ring I could wear a wedding band of about 2mm before the ring was too close to my knuckle and got uncomfortable.

I''d talk to your girlfriend about priorities. If she wants a tension setting then it sounds like you really need the diamond to be .40 or less. If she wants a simple white gold setting then more of your budget could be put into the stone and you could end up with around .60.
 
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