Enlisting your expert help in finding a H&A 3-4 carat center stone

[ice empress]

@CareBear I must say I’ve been super impressed with Whiteflash so far. Brittany has been so communicative, professional, comprehensive and prompt to respond.

Though it is a possibility, I don’t anticipate wanting to upgrade... my concern is having a ring that is too pretentious/ostentatious for my community, so much so that I feel uncomfortable wearing it out. Already, I know I will only be wearing it out on select nights out and not more than that.

@carbonfan you make great points. As @sledge points out, Whiteflash custom cut ACA’s are also eligible for their 100% lifetime trade-up warranty. In fact, Brittany confirmed this for me when we started exploring this option altogether.

This was her response:

“Yes, your custom cut A Cut Above diamond would still have a 100% lifetime upgrade policy. You would receive 100% of your diamond purchase price, minus shipping if applicable, to put towards another in-house diamond of greater value (it could be $1 more and still qualify).”

Perhaps this thread and experience will inspire others to go the custom route too!

 

[Dancing Fire]

Though it is a possibility, I don’t anticipate wanting to upgrade... my concern is having a ring that is too pretentious/ostentatious for my community, so much so that I feel uncomfortable wearing it out. Already, I know I will only be wearing it out on select nights out and not more than that.

Send the ring to me and I'll take care of your problem. I wanna be ostentatious everyday of the week.

 

[MissGotRocks]

@CareBear I must say I’ve been super impressed with Whiteflash so far. Brittany has been so communicative, professional, comprehensive and prompt to respond.

Though it is a possibility, I don’t anticipate wanting to upgrade... my concern is having a ring that is too pretentious/ostentatious for my community, so much so that I feel uncomfortable wearing it out. Already, I know I will only be wearing it out on select nights out and not more than that.

@carbonfan you make great points. As @sledge points out, Whiteflash custom cut ACA’s are also eligible for their 100% lifetime trade-up warranty. In fact, Brittany confirmed this for me when we started exploring this option altogether.

This was her response:

“Yes, your custom cut A Cut Above diamond would still have a 100% lifetime upgrade policy. You would receive 100% of your diamond purchase price, minus shipping if applicable, to put towards another in-house diamond of greater value (it could be $1 more and still qualify).”

Perhaps this thread and experience will inspire others to go the custom route too!

Is this the only engagement ring you will have? Is it worth spending this money on something that you will only wear occasionally? Maybe a smaller diamond would be more wearable for you? I guess I just don't understand this reasoning. It will surely be stunningly beautiful so it makes me sad it will only come out for special evenings. . .

 

[Dancing Fire]

Is this the only engagement ring you will have? Is it worth spending this money on something that you will only wear occasionally? Maybe a smaller diamond would be more wearable for you? I guess I just don't understand this reasoning. It will surely be stunningly beautiful so it makes me sad it will only come out for special evenings. . .

Me neither.

 

[BlingDreams]

Is this the only engagement ring you will have? Is it worth spending this money on something that you will only wear occasionally? Maybe a smaller diamond would be more wearable for you? I guess I just don't understand this reasoning. It will surely be stunningly beautiful so it makes me sad it will only come out for special evenings. . .

Hopefully with time it won't feel so ostentatious. Think of how many of us felt the same way, whether it was a 1ct, 2ct, or 3ct+ ring. At first it feels SO large, and then not as much, and before you know it you're no longer conscious at all about wearing it out. But if not, at least OP will have an amazing ring for whenever she wants to wear it and it'll scratch the itch of having a huge diamond

 

[sledge]

Whatever the size, I say you rock it like the queen each of you are...worry less about society and your peers and more about your own happiness. No need to feel shame wearing what you can afford and like.

Unless traveling to a foreign country. Then go low key so you don't draw unwanted attention and problems to yourself.

 

[ice empress]

Send the ring to me and I'll take care of your problem. I wanna be ostentatious everyday of the week.

 

[ice empress]

@MissGotRocks sorry, I didn’t mean special occasions only. Rather, not every day...for one, my line of work just isn’t conducive for daytime wear. As for nighttime wear, I’m hoping that I’ll simply learn to rock it (and feel more comfortable doing so) and ignore my peers and society, as @sledge and @ILikeShiny said.

This will indeed technically be my only engagement ring... though I’m already thinking of indulging in second ring in the next few years for perhaps more everyday use. Something like a 5-stone trellis.

It’s hard to explain, but I like nice things for the enjoyment they bring me personally, but not for the attention they then bring from others.

 

[MissGotRocks]

@MissGotRocks sorry, I didn’t mean special occasions only. Rather, not every day...for one, my line of work just isn’t conducive for daytime wear. As for nighttime wear, I’m hoping that I’ll simply learn to rock it (and feel more comfortable doing so) and ignore my peers and society, as @sledge and @ILikeShiny said.

This will indeed technically be my only engagement ring... though I’m already thinking of indulging in second ring in the next few years for perhaps more everyday use. Something like a 5-stone trellis.

It’s hard to explain, but I like nice things for the enjoyment they bring me personally, but not for the attention they then bring from others.

Oh, I definitely understand this. I buy and wear what I like and while it is fun to get compliments, it is for my viewing pleasure! I hope that you too will get a lot of wear out of this diamond - it will certainly be beautiful! It just pains me for folks to choose beautiful things and then not wear them because they are uncomfortable with them or because the rings themselves are not comfortable to wear. Diamonds are meant to be worn and enjoyed and like others have said, your eyes quickly become accustomed to their size. That's the beginning of diamond shrinkage syndrome - lol! I think you have chosen a size though that you probably feel you never need to upgrade. I just want you to be able to wear it and enjoy it! Can't wait for the stone to be cut and pictures to be had!

 

[ice empress]

@MissGotRocks I’m hoping indeed that the size will last me through DSS and the coming years. It will probably, as you said, result in me feeling more comfortable wearing it out as well.

The deposit is being transferred today! The cutting process then takes 4-5 weeks...

I’ll have to start another thread about insurance, appraisals, etc thereafter...

 

[Wewechew]

@MissGotRocks I’m hoping indeed that the size will last me through DSS and the coming years. It will probably, as you said, result in me feeling more comfortable wearing it out as well.

The deposit is being transferred today! The cutting process then takes 4-5 weeks...

I’ll have to start another thread about insurance, appraisals, etc thereafter...

So which option did you choose?!

 

[ice empress]

So which option did you choose?!

3.60-3.65!

 

[sledge]

@MissGotRocks I’m hoping indeed that the size will last me through DSS and the coming years. It will probably, as you said, result in me feeling more comfortable wearing it out as well.

The deposit is being transferred today! The cutting process then takes 4-5 weeks...

I’ll have to start another thread about insurance, appraisals, etc thereafter...

I'm so happy for you @ice empress and can't wait to hear about the rest of your journey, and see pictures once WF and VC have both worked their magic.

Just curious, but will WF also post all the typical images, cert and video of your custom diamond like they do for ones they advertise for sale? I'm sure we'd all love to see them. At least I know I would. I suspect they will at least send them to you if they don't create a page for your specific stone.

 

[BlingDreams]

3.60-3.65!

Congrats!! We’re all looking forward to seeing the outcome. I’m sure the next six weeks will feel like torture

 

[carbonfan]

3.60-3.65!

So exciting! Glad to hear that the custom-cut stone will be eligible for all trade-up benefits as well; that will give you added peace of mind going forward! It sounds like you know what you want, and you will certainly be in great hands with Whiteflash and Victor. Please keep us posted with details, photos, etc. as things progress!

 

[ac117]

3.60-3.65!

Soooo exciting!!! Congrats!!!

 

[ice empress]

Congrats!! We’re all looking forward to seeing the outcome. I’m sure the next six weeks will feel like torture

They sure will, though it will likely be even longer until i see anything in person. I may just have whiteflash send the stone direct to VC to be set rather than book a trip out to Houston to see the under stone. I’m confident I’ll love it!

@sledge WF indeed will send the usual photos, video, aset, idealscope images to me once the stone has been inspected and appraised. Which is why I’m not sure it will be worth traveling to Houston to see the stone in person prior to it being shipped to VC.

 

[Dancing Fire]

@sledge WF indeed will send the usual photos, video, aset, idealscope images to me once the stone has been inspected and appraised. Which is why I’m not sure it will be worth traveling to Houston to see the stone in person prior to it being shipped to VC.

Yeah, You can pretty much tell how well the stone will perform with all those informations.

 

[HappyNewLife]

if it were ME, and if money wasn't a huge factor, I'd go with #3 and here's why:

If for some reason DSS set in overnight (like it did with my 2.937ct ACA), my mind would go "oh but I got the biggest ACA of the 3. I picked the right diamond and have no regrets. It's just my mind playing tricks on me"

In terms of value, $8K for .2mm is nonsensical to me, but again, since you're not overly worried about $, I'd go with avoiding the pitfalls of DSS

 

[Texas Leaguer]

I shall call forth @Texas Leaguer and politely ask if he would be able to confirm if WF custom cut customers can request certain parameters, or whether it is entirely down to how the rough plays out!

In case this hasn't already been answered, our custom cut program is predicated on the diamond meeting all of our A CUT ABOVE specifications and qualifications. We guarantee a price based on MINIMUM weight, color and clarity. Anything over that is to the benefit of the the client. So Whiteflash assumes any risks in the project, while the the client owns the upside potential.

In regards to specifying certain parameters within A CUT ABOVE specs, we are not able to guarantee that, although if a client has some preferences we will attempt to satisfy those where possible. The rough crystal does have some say in what is possible within the already tight tolerances of A CUT ABOVE.

Our full range of diagnostics and lifetime trade up are included. Custom cut is a great option for someone looking for something specific that we don't have in stock or in the pipeline. This often involves larger diamonds where available selection tends to be more restricted.

 

[ice empress]

@Texas Leaguer thanks for chiming in and for the information. The deposit is being transferred today (if it hasn’t already been) and I can’t wait to see the final product!!

So far, I’ve absolutely loved the custom cut route and process! It has been convenient, flexible, adaptive, and above all, personalized. Also, as you mentioned, any upgrades in colour, clarity, or carat come at no additional cost (I’m secretly hoping for a pleasant surprise ) while if it conversely falls short, I have no obligations to take the stone and can get a 100% refund.

I would encourage anyone having difficulties finding their dream stone to strongly consider going the custom cut route!

I wonder if there’s a minimum budget or cut required for one to be able to go this route?

 

[Texas Leaguer]

@Texas Leaguer thanks for chiming in and for the information. The deposit is being transferred today (if it hasn’t already been) and I can’t wait to see the final product!!

So far, I’ve absolutely loved the custom cut route and process! It has been convenient, flexible, adaptive, and above all, personalized. Also, as you mentioned, any upgrades in colour, clarity, or carat come at no additional cost (I’m secretly hoping for a pleasant surprise ) while if it conversely falls short, I have no obligations to take the stone and can get a 100% refund.

I would encourage anyone having difficulties finding their dream stone to strongly consider going the custom cut route!

I wonder if there’s a minimum budget or cut required for one to be able to go this route?

@ice empress,
Thank you for allowing us to help with your special project. We appreciate your trust and confidence!

There is no strict minimum to go the custom route, but because we have a substantial (and growing) inventory, it's rare that we don't have something in-stock (or already in our production pipeline) to satisfy the the more common requests.

I look forward to seeing your project develop!

 

[OoohShiny]

In case this hasn't already been answered, our custom cut program is predicated on the diamond meeting all of our A CUT ABOVE specifications and qualifications. We guarantee a price based on MINIMUM weight, color and clarity. Anything over that is to the benefit of the the client. So Whiteflash assumes any risks in the project, while the the client owns the upside potential.

In regards to specifying certain parameters within A CUT ABOVE specs, we are not able to guarantee that, although if a client has some preferences we will attempt to satisfy those where possible. The rough crystal does have some say in what is possible within the already tight tolerances of A CUT ABOVE.

Our full range of diagnostics and lifetime trade up are included. Custom cut is a great option for someone looking for something specific that we don't have in stock or in the pipeline. This often involves larger diamonds where available selection tends to be more restricted.

Thank you for the detailed response, kind sir!

 

[ice empress]

I’m considering a trip to Houston just to meet the lovely folks at Whiteflash and play with, admire, and perhaps leave with, some of their inventory!

 

[Texas Leaguer]

I’m considering a trip to Houston just to meet the lovely folks at Whiteflash and play with, admire, and perhaps leave with, some of their inventory!

You should definitely do that. The TEAM would love to meet you. We don't get to meet many empresses.
What is the proper way to address you; is it "your highness"? Or maybe "your ice-ness"?

 

[sledge]

I’m considering a trip to Houston just to meet the lovely folks at Whiteflash and play with, admire, and perhaps leave with, some of their inventory!

This is probably what I would do. Especially after your last thread on the color sensitivity thing. I think it'd be best to see your stone in-person.

On your way back, you could stop by LA and have a "kick off" meeting with VC as well, to ensure things get started on the right foot. If you have the luxury of a private jet, I might just fly out to LA to pick up the ring too.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I would absolutely have zero issue sending this stone directly to Victor to set. We have people here with I color Whiteflash ACAs in the Emilya, and I am certain the G will be fabulous! Besides, the jump to F color in this size diamond would cause a huge increase in price. So I think you chose well, and the diamond will be gorgeous!

However, if you ever have the chance to go to Houston, I highly recommend a visit (by appointment) to Whiteflash! Their diamond jewelry is just gorgeous, and going there was SO much fun!

 

[ice empress]

You should definitely do that. The TEAM would love to meet you. We don't get to meet many empresses.
What is the proper way to address you; is it "your highness"? Or maybe "your ice-ness"?

Any of the above would do just fine

 

[ice empress]

However, if you ever have the chance to go to Houston, I highly recommend a visit (by appointment) to Whiteflash! Their diamond jewelry is just gorgeous, and going there was SO much fun!

Does one need to make an appointment, or is there a storefront open to the public?

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Does one need to make an appointment, or is there a storefront open to the public?

No, it is a private company suite with a showroom. You should make an appointment.