ER arrived - need opinions - keep it or not :/

[kay1]

Hi!

So i got this Pave Petal setting from Blue Nile, and am going back and forth on weather I actually like it, and more importantly if she’ll love it!

Sometimes i love it, other times i don't know if the petal part is too old fashioned or detracts from the diamond itself (being a bit bulky). There are tiny diamonds embedded into the petals, but unless you move the ring around and see the reflection it can almost look like an engraved pattern in the petal instead. You can see what I mean in the videos.

What do you think? I need a female opinion - as the proposal is a surprise next month I have time to change the setting and even the diamond if you think this looks terrible :/

(PS, that's a 1.71 carat / IF / H stone for reference - I may change it as i'm not sure about it's light return)

Video 1 - Ring from top
http://youtu.be/6kxdhD3ZlSg

Video 2 - Ring from side
http://youtu.be/KbBYJjVH5zg

Video 3 - one i took from a preview on the site
http://youtu.be/6XtPRnIKtD4


Oh and some background - We recently went into debeers and she liked the Aero double Halo ring (but decided a more traditional ring worked better for engagement).

http://www.debeers.co.uk/bridal/engagement-rings/j1dd17b10p/de-beers-aura-double-halo-solitaire-ring

Of the more traditional ones she liked this one:

http://www.debeers.co.uk/bridal/engagement-rings/j1fd01b03p/de-beers-promise--solitaire-ring

So I know a centre stone plus side diamonds is what she likes.

 

[Stephny691]

I've got to be honest- for me the setting looks a little bulky. The ones you looked at in Debeers, were they delicate settings or were they fairly solid too? I can't really tell from the pictures. If she has shown a preference for more solid rings then this should be fine. Otherwise I would maybe consider changing the setting for a more refined version of this?
Also what finger size is she?

 

[redroze]

I think the concept of the ring is beautiful but it's not executed properly. The thickness of the petal prongs swallow the diamond. It looks unbalanced to me overall and I think you can do better.

 

[kay1]

I've got to be honest- for me the setting looks a little bulky. The ones you looked at in Debeers, were they delicate settings or were they fairly solid too? I can't really tell from the pictures. If she has shown a preference for more solid rings then this should be fine. Otherwise I would maybe consider changing the setting for a more refined version of this?
Also what finger size is she?

That's exactly what my concern is. In real life it looks really nice from the top, and although the band is 3mm, because the diamonds go very close to the edge it looks nice. Also the reasonably large 1.71 ct helps too.

From the side though unless you catch it at a certain light it just looks like engraved metal to me. I typically like delicate settings and small prongs etc that show more of the diamond, but I thought the sparkle of the petals would counteract the fact that they are so large. Now i'm not sure if they do.

Then i flip the other way and think well they'll only shine when light hits them so this is normal. Then i flip back and think not much light will hit them from below

The debeers rings are all super delicate, and seem to all be micropave on the bands. Some are even paved round the sides which doesn't seem very durable to me. Her finger size is 7 to 7.5, which makes a super delicate ring look a bit lost on her finger. I'm in such a dilema!

This ring is totally returnable, but i'm not sure where I could get a very nice delicate setting anyway :/

 

[kay1]

I think the concept of the ring is beautiful but it's not executed properly. The thickness of the petal prongs swallow the diamond. It looks unbalanced to me overall and I think you can do better.

I'm searching for other settings to see if I can find something better.

I see right now it's 6 - I love it, to 2 - petals ruin it. I need some comments from people who do like it

 

[motownmama]

I think it's a knock out. remember it's really close up and bigger looking in the videos. I don't think it's bulky IMO and when it's on her finger in-real life I think it will be beautiful!!!!!!!!!

 

[MarionC]

Personally I love it and think it is a gorgeous ring. I love how the petals cradle the stone. The more "delicate" idea is a totally different style and I think this setting would be quite suitable for her finger size.

 

[marymm]

I also think this ring is gorgeous! I think the petals work beautifully with this 1.71ct center stone - the tiny diamonds on the petal undersides are a lovely touch and will be visible to the wearer (we move our hands and fingers all day long and those little diamonds will light up and flash and catch her eye) - the reverse-taper of the shank highlights the center stone - and the diamonds on the shank up the bling factor in an elegant way. I don't think the flower is old-fashioned but rather timeless and graceful.

 

[ecf8503]

(PS, that's a 1.71 carat / IF / H stone for reference - I may change it as i'm not sure about it's light return)

Why are you questioning it's light return? Does it not look good to your eye? What are the stats on it?

 

[kay1]

You're begining to sway me back to loving it again

Here's a few more pictures - for some reasons they won't upload here - it uploads, then uploads again, then fails :/

(I think its fair to keep in mind that these are static and zoomed in, but in real life and in motion the petals have more life. You do see more clearly what i mean here by it almost looks like an engraving - or maybe i keep staring at it in the box too long!)

http://imgur.com/8l4NHfi

http://imgur.com/VtwiZG0

http://imgur.com/0vfg4dq

http://imgur.com/f9TBFai

PS. Sorry for the digital zoom, it's the only way my iphone would focus properly

 

[Cluless]

It's gorgeous you did very well stop worrying Imo she'll love it!

 

[kay1]

(PS, that's a 1.71 carat / IF / H stone for reference - I may change it as i'm not sure about it's light return)

Why are you questioning it's light return? Does it not look good to your eye? What are the stats on it?

It has a very low HCA tool score - 5.0 (which i realised after i ordered it). I was going to switch the stone, but because it would have delayed the order a fair bit, I decided to just let it arrive so I could check it out, and at least be sure on the setting.

http://www.bluenile.com/uk/round-diamond-1-carat-ideal-cut-h-colour-if-clarity_LD04053403
(GIA report is there too)

In real life it looks sparkly when in motion, but i think it looks dark in the table. On the forums i was told it would have leakage in the center so I'm not sure if i'm seeing that or it's all in my head. I was hopeing someone might be able to simulate an idealscope for me (.gem file or in diamcalc) so i'd know what I should be looking for.

I'm so indecisive at times :/

It's gorgeous you did very well stop worrying Imo she'll love it!

I'll try to stop worrying, but I can't promise anything lol. My parents love it - but I don't know if that means its old fashioned - see i'm beyond help!!!!

 

[maccers]

I think it will look more delicate once you see it in person. Pictures and videos tend to amplify things; delicate prongs can look like huge blobs, delicate milgrain can look fuzzy instead of sharp and fine etc. Also, the side view in the video is not how you/she will be viewing it in real life. I especially like the top view. I think you did a good job.

 

[purplesparklies]

Prongs are too bulky for my taste. I would prefer thinner, more delicate prongs IF it were mine. I also would much prefer a better cut on the diamond over the IF clarity. I'd go down to VS2 or possibly even S1 as long as it is eye clean at 6" because it would look the same to my eye as the IF without the premium $.

Best of luck!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I wish you had come here before ordering rather than after! I think the ring is beautiful, though. Magnified pics make things look much bulkier than they are in real life. People here are used to seeing hand forged delicate settings, but there is nothing at all wrong with that setting. You could have done a better on the diamond. I, personally, would have gone to H VS1-VS2 and gotten a little larger stone with an HCA of 2 or less. But the setting is beautiful, so I would not return based on that.

Here are a couple of potentially better diamonds (and I have no idea of the cost of your current stone):

http://www.bluenile.com/uk/diamond-search?pt=setform&track=NavDiaSeaRD#diamonds_pid=LD02632755

http://www.bluenile.com/uk/diamond-search?pt=setform&track=NavDiaSeaRD#diamonds_pid=LD03274824

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Prongs are too bulky for my taste. I would prefer thinner, more delicate prongs IF it were mine. I also would much prefer a better cut on the diamond over the IF clarity. I'd go down to VS2 or possibly even S1 as long as it is eye clean at 6" because it would look the same to my eye as the IF without the premium $.

Best of luck!

100% this...says the woman wearing an IF stone on her left hand...

 

[MarionC]

Prongs are too bulky for my taste. I would prefer thinner, more delicate prongs IF it were mine. I also would much prefer a better cut on the diamond over the IF clarity. I'd go down to VS2 or possibly even S1 as long as it is eye clean at 6" because it would look the same to my eye as the IF without the premium $.

Best of luck!

I don't think of them as prongs, but as a lotus flower cradling the diamond. I feel that if it were more a more delicate head it would just be prongs and a very different style.

I have to add, to the OP:
PS is a great tool, and everything comes together in the end, but there can be a lot of soul-searching and confusion in the process! [Like any kind of committee work ]

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Prongs are too bulky for my taste. I would prefer thinner, more delicate prongs IF it were mine. I also would much prefer a better cut on the diamond over the IF clarity. I'd go down to VS2 or possibly even S1 as long as it is eye clean at 6" because it would look the same to my eye as the IF without the premium $.

Best of luck!

I don't think of them as prongs, but as a lotus flower cradling the diamond. I feel that if it were more a more delicate head it would just be prongs and a very different style.

I agree. This is part of the style of the ring. I think it makes it more unique and modern, if anything.

 

[two_little_birds]

Prongs are too bulky for my taste.

+1, otherwise I think it's beautiful.

 

[purplesparklies]

I don't think of them as prongs, but as a lotus flower cradling the diamond. I feel that if it were more a more delicate head it would just be prongs and a very different style.

I have to add, to the OP:
PS is a great tool, and everything comes together in the end, but there can be a lot of soul-searching and confusion in the process! [Like any kind of committee work ]

I see your point and it is a lovely lotus flower. However, I much prefer to have dainty prongs so I can see more sparkly, delicious diamond. Lotus or no lotus, the diamond is the star of my show. The lotus petals are covering too much sparkly real estate for my taste. Either way, I'm sure the intended will be thrilled with the thought and effort put forth. Seems I've heard a time or two......"People vary."

 

[kay1]

Thanks for the input, I really do appreciate it I feel a lot better about the setting now

Prongs are too bulky for my taste. I would prefer thinner, more delicate prongs IF it were mine. I also would much prefer a better cut on the diamond over the IF clarity. I'd go down to VS2 or possibly even S1 as long as it is eye clean at 6" because it would look the same to my eye as the IF without the premium $.

Best of luck!

I wish you had come here before ordering rather than after! I think the ring is beautiful, though. Magnified pics make things look much bulkier than they are in real life. People here are used to seeing hand forged delicate settings, but there is nothing at all wrong with that setting. You could have done a better on the diamond. I, personally, would have gone to H VS1-VS2 and gotten a little larger stone with an HCA of 2 or less. But the setting is beautiful, so I would not return based on that.

When i ordered I searched around for a supplier I could easily deal with being in the UK (no hassle/duty etc). Then I looked at their settings and saw that Monique Lhullier one (The one above) and thought ooh this is nice! I also liked the fact it was 'designer' and not some mass produced china setting. This fixed me on Blue Nile. (This was before I saw the likes of Vatche, tacori etc at other vendors)

Then I went through their list looking for the best 'deal'. My minimum size was 1.5 carat, put for only a bit more I noticed I could get certain 1.6 carat stones. Then i discovered the price/ct column and narrowed down on 1.7 carat. Finally I noticed one which seemed to stand right out because it was IF as well as being 1.7 carat for not that much more than some VS 1.5's. Thats how i ended up at that diamond - totally un-educated thinking 'wow I got me a bargain, quick buy it before bluenule notice' lol.

The diamond cost £9,345 (or $15264), which is actually remarkably cheap for a 1.71 GIA tripple ex IF / H.

But, as you all know - and as do I now - you get what you pay for After the order was in I found this forum and started to read. I found the HCA tool and to my horror the score was a puny 5.0 :/

I started to look for other stones from BN, and thought about maybe their signature ideal range which have great scores and are all guaranteed eye clean. I dropped the scale to VS2 and found 1.5 to 1.6 diamonds at around the £10k/£11k range ($16k to $18k). Then this one stood out £11,884 ($19,744) because it's also IF:

http://www.bluenile.com/uk/round-diamond-1-carat-signature-ideal-cut-h-colour-if-clarity_LD04034214?keyword_search_value=LD04034214

A funny thing happened tho, when I saw a $1/$2k difference between an IF and a VS or VVS my stomach began to turn at the idea of giving her something imperfect I could justify it to myself if i could get something significantly bigger at that price, but otherwise i started feeling a bit cheap :/

Then I would think this is stupid, she won't know the difference, save the money and buy her something else later too.

Because of all this, and some people on another forum saying the HCA tool isn't the be all and end all, i decided to wait for this diamond to arrive to see if I could actually notice any difference. Also I was super unsure about the setting after visiting dabeers with her while this was on it's way!

So here I am, with actually a lot of diamond for the money, but of course compromised on cut. I've had a quick look at other vendors for diamonds and I don't see massive differences in prices, so I was inclined to stick with BN since I don't need to worry about duty/tax on returns. But then I started to question this setting - and I don't like any of their normal settings.

Part of me thinks I should just go to dabeers and get the one she pointed at, but i find it uneasy paying that kind of money for a diamond I know is actually not the best I could get!

 

[tyty333]

I think the setting is really beautiful! I would give it to her!

 

[redroze]

I popped back in just to explain my comment. A lot of this is subjective so I agree you have to see it in person and determine if YOU like it (I assumed the videos were yours and you had seen it in person and had doubts).

From the top view it looks like a flower unfurled with a round diamond in the centre. If that's the look that you're trying to achieve then great - it's pretty! If however you wanted the prongs to look minimal from above and the flower look to only be apparent from the side view, then that's not what you're getting. The photos you posted later give a better view...it's a pretty ring for sure. I love the side view. It's all about how much you want to see the edges of the round diamond from the top view, in my opinion, as the prongs stick out and make the roundness look more flower like. The surprise stone is nice, the concept is nice. I really feel for guys picking out e rings - to me it's like the guy picking her wedding dress! Sooo many endless options. My husband proposed with a diamond knowing it would be better to pick the setting with me.

Any way good luck!

 

[TC1987]

I like the setting. But, no offense meant, but in the first video (top), I thought it was actually about a 1-1.2ct diamond. It just looked... smaller. But when I looked at the profile view, it doesn't look small. But I think that the diamond used in the company's video must be substantially larger than yours, like maybe closer to 3ct, and that's why the head of your ring doesn't have the same proportions as the company's sample.

If you have doubts about the look of the diamond you chose, then just say No and return it or exchange it. Otherwise, I think that the prong tips could be shaved down a bit to not be as bulky there.

 

[kay1]

I popped back in just to explain my comment. A lot of this is subjective so I agree you have to see it in person and determine if YOU like it (I assumed the videos were yours and you had seen it in person and had doubts).

From the top view it looks like a flower unfurled with a round diamond in the centre. If that's the look that you're trying to achieve then great - it's pretty! If however you wanted the prongs to look minimal from above and the flower look to only be apparent from the side view, then that's not what you're getting. The photos you posted later give a better view...it's a pretty ring for sure. I love the side view. It's all about how much you want to see the edges of the round diamond from the top view, in my opinion, as the prongs stick out and make the roundness look more flower like. The surprise stone is nice, the concept is nice. I really feel for guys picking out e rings - to me it's like the guy picking her wedding dress! Sooo many endless options. My husband proposed with a diamond knowing it would be better to pick the setting with me.

Any way good luck!

Thanks, you kind of got my thinking too. Overall it does look nice in person because you don't see it that close up, and i do love it from the top. I don't mind the prongs showing from the top, and the more I think about it I think what's bothering me is that I too like thin prongs, but was willing to sacrifice that for something different IF the diamonds on the petals were more blingy, but they seem to be very tiny. That's probably my main issue with it. Either thin, minimal prongs, OR if i have big prongs/petals something to make them sparkle.

Picking this is so hard :/ I saw one of those shows on TV where the guy has to plan the whole wedding. Everyone falls into the same trap, they know what she wants, but ignore it instead thinking - that's before she saw my idea, i know she'll _actually_ want my (totally different to what she wanted) idea instead. lol

I like the setting. But, no offense meant, but in the first video (top), I thought it was actually about a 1-1.2ct diamond. It just looked... smaller. But when I looked at the profile view, it doesn't look small. But I think that the diamond used in the company's video must be substantially larger than yours, like maybe closer to 3ct, and that's why the head of your ring doesn't have the same proportions as the company's sample.

If you have doubts about the look of the diamond you chose, then just say No and return it or exchange it. Otherwise, I think that the prong tips could be shaved down a bit to not be as bulky there.

The company video is actually a 1.52 carat. I think the difference is probably due to the angle and them firing a ton of light at it in their video. Also the ring size is probably different too. No offense taken, I prefer straight up honesty - i won't be offended

I've now seen diamonds such as this:

http://www.bluenile.com/uk/round-diamond-1-carat-ideal-cut-h-colour-if-clarity_LD03991338

Its 1.8 on HCA tool (vs 5.0), and works out about £1200 ($2000) cheaper, although dropping from 1.71 carat to 1.63. The 'saving' isn't the issue tho, it's that I could get a much better cut for LESS money :/

 

[pyramid]

I love the size of the side diamonds bit bigger than most pave but still pave and also how the ring itself looks
from all views.

 

[Ottowife]

Prongs are too bulky for my taste. I would prefer thinner, more delicate prongs IF it were mine. I also would much prefer a better cut on the diamond over the IF clarity. I'd go down to VS2 or possibly even S1 as long as it is eye clean at 6" because it would look the same to my eye as the IF without the premium $.

Best of luck!

I agree with purplesparklies. The petal concept is very interesting, yet I personally think the stone doesn't present well in the setting. As you've said it looks dark. I also would sacrifice clarity for cut and maybe even go to a G color. I'd rather have a great stone in a plain setting. I like the simple diamond band setting your GF picked out.

Whatever your decision, congrats in advance on your engagement!

 

[kay1]

I agree with purplesparklies. The petal concept is very interesting, yet I personally think the stone doesn't present well in the setting. As you've said it looks dark. I also would sacrifice clarity for cut and maybe even go to a G color. I'd rather have a great stone in a plain setting. I like the simple diamond band setting your GF picked out.

Whatever your decision, congrats in advance on your engagement!

Thanks Do you happen to know of any sites which sell simpler settings like the one she picked? Something alot more delicate in that case.

 

[LetItShine]

I think it is a beautiful setting! It is very different from the 2 DeBeers settings you linked above. I think some women like the idea of the lotus petals "cupping" the diamond and others don't care for it. Is there any way you can feel her out to determine if she would like that style of setting? Personally, I would get an ideal cut diamond. I would prefer to drop clarity to VS2 and know that I got a top performer. Congrats on the future engagement!

 

[liaerfbv]

In response to your "mind clean" issue vs. feeling cheap -- diamonds are only graded at 10x. I would bet anything at 30x, 40x, 50x that diamond is not IF. I've never had anyone comment on the clarity of my stone, only the size and sparkle. You have to get what you feel comfortable with, but I'd MUCH prefer a super sparkler (aka well cut) vs IF. I don't think in any universe you could be considered cheap.