Fay Cullen setting...questions!

[tawn]

First time here....need advice!

Found this unique setting at Fay Cullen. Really wanted platinum, cuz I''m very active and concerned about the wear and tear, but unfortunately, it only comes in 18K whitegold! The weight is 3.7 grams, (which means nothing to me!) Does that sound like it will be sturdy enough for everyday wear?

It''s priced at $1000...and there are .30 of diamonds. Does that sound reasonable?

If I choose this setting)...I''ll need to find an eyeclean, decent cut, white enough, 6.5mm stone! Any suggestions about where to look?

Thanks in advance for the advice...

Tawny

 

[dancingmelimel]

I can't answer any of your questions, but that's a gorgeous ring!

Good luck!

-Melissa

 

[Mara]

I love Fay Cullen settings!! I was in love with a few of her pieces before we got our e-ring. The setting is beautiful. $1k for .30c of stones and a made ring sounds good to me. As for white gold being durable for everyday wear, it should be fine, but you may have to have it replated from time to time as the WG tends to turn Yellower over time (as the yellow gold shows through).

Can't help you on the 'grams' question...but I think if you love it and the price is right, you should do it. Finding an amazing setting is the hard part..the stone is easy!!

 

[tawn]

Thanks...I think I'm fairly sold on the setting! I'm thinking about seeing what the price would be to have it made in platinum somewhere else? But, I'm not sure if they can do that or not?

So, where is a good place to find a 6.5mm stone? I'm not super concerned that it's a perfect rock! I want it to be clean and sparkly to the naked eye, be white enough to set in white gold!

I have a basic idea about color, and grades, but I have no clue about what to look for regarding depth, table, cutlet, etc...And, how important is it to get a stone that is GIA or EGL??

 

[Mara]

Round stone?

6.5mm round would be a perfect 1c. Is that what you are looking for?

What are your thoughts in terms of color and clarity? What is your budget?

Pricescope has an excellent tutorial and many diamond searches you can use to start yourself off. Depending on your budget, you may be able to pick up an excellently cut 1c stone if you can compromise a little on color and clarity. IMO (and many of us on here!) cut is king and should be your top priority. If you want sparkle, fire and all that brilliance, get a well cut stone. Buy educated!

Good luck

 

[tawn]

Okay...so I need a "premium cut" and I think as far as color...I don't want to go any less than "H"...

...and for clarity, I'm fairly confused since the term seems to vary greatly from person to person!

 

[Giangi]

I think an antique stone would look fabulous in that setting too!

 

[winyan]

I couldn't agree more, Giangi, an old mine cut, or old european, or even a transition cut would be perfect in that setting.

I favor the OMC, however I did see a gorgeous transition in a 1.17 just last nite that I was drooling over.

win

 

[NagsHead]

Hi Tawn! I just wanted to say that I just got a Fay Cullen setting and love it! Mine is platinum, but originally they mailed my fiance the wrong setting in white gold, so he had to propose with that, then I got my platinum one back a couple weeks later. I really could not notice much of difference between the two, besides that the platinum is a little heavier. I agree with the others that platinum will wear better, but her designs are so unique that if you found one you love (I love that one too!), then go for it! Also, you might try calling Caroline at Fay Cullen and asking her if it is possible for that setting to be made in Platinum, I know it is not advertised, but it is a thought. Also, in my setting we have a Superbcert/H/VS1 and it faces up very white and sparkles like a beauty! Best of luck!

 

[Giangi]

Thank you my dear Win! Great minds think alike!

 

[Lanee]

I don't mean to hijack your thread but can any one tell me where I can see all of the different round cuts together. I hear about Old Euro, Old Mine , Round Brilliant, Old American, Old Rose, and is cushion a round? I want to see how these face up.

BTW, loooooove this setting, nice choice and I would call and ask if platinum is possible.

 

[Mara]

Here is an old rose cut 1c stone that I found on eBay and thought the picture was interesting. Most people don't realize that rose cut stones have many less facets (and no table)...they were one of the original 'faceted' cut diamonds way back when. Pretty cool looking, but almost not really like a diamond, more like a pretty glass stone. Interesting. The pinpoint in the middle is the culet.

 

[Lanee]

I'm definitely not interested in that cut.

 

[Mara]

Well since I am picture girl today..here are some others I have in the archives.

2.6c old euro cut ring--more of a romantic mysterious look in the stone, sometimes larger culets.

 

[Mara]

and here is an unset 2.55c old mine cut stone, see how it is less round and more of a squared round...almost like today's Dream HOF or the Regent stones--but probably less 'well cut' from a symmetry standpoint since these are old stones. Pretty.

 

[winyan]

Personally, I rather fancy the rose cuts as side stones, so as not to take away from the central, more dramatic OMC or OEC.

win

 

[Lanee]

Winyan, I would like to see a pic of such a setup, do you hav one?

 

[Hest88]

Purty. Thanks Mara.

Lanee, OMCs are often referred to as "cushion-shaped." Just think of anything that's perfectly round as round, and anything more pillow-like as a cushion.

 

[tawn]

The first thing I did was call to see if they had it in platinum, and they didnt'! But, took someone's advice from here, and sent it to Tradeshop....and he says he can do it no problem!

So, that's done...

Now, I just have to hunt for a diamond about 1ct! I'm completely new at this...and lost! And, of course, on a budget! The only thing I know is that I should stay above "H" in color, and use the Holloway chart, (if the site gives that info..not all of them seem to), but...the clarity thing confuses me...lots of opinions on what's "acceptable"!!

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

PS. Have no idea what the abbreviations me!

 

[Giangi]

So you want a modern diamond and not an antique stone??

 

[Hest88]

Read the tutorial at www.goodoldgold.com. It's a great place to start you on your way.

 

[Lanee]

Thanks Hest!

Tawn,

OMC=Old Mine Cut
OEC=Old Euro Cut
RB=Round Brilliant

I think the rest you can figure out from my post, I spelled everything out for that very reason. I was confused for a long time.

 

[Mara]

If you don't mind telling us your budget...there may be able to be some suggestions on clarity..assuming you want a more modern round brilliant 1c. Since you know you want a well cut stone around a 1c..if your budget allows for more...you can get a higher color than H and a good clarity to match. (e.g. G VS or similar). Or if your budget is tight, you should go something like H SI1 but make sure its eye clean.

 

[tawn]

Thanks for the great advice...The setting specifed a "full-cut" diamond! Isn't that a RB...(See, now I can use the abbr.!)

So, I'm not sure about an antique diamond...or where you would find one!

I guess that I'm not concered about the "pedigree" of the diamond so much, but rather, how nice it will look in the ring! (To the naked eye)

The guideline for "eyeclean" seems to jump around a lot! What clarity should I not go under?? (Eg. I'm looking only at "H" and above for color).

And, about grading reports...do the values change from each report?

I'm amazed that buying a diamond is such an art form!

Thanks again!

 

[tawn]

Mara,

Aha, you answered my question! So, an H, SI1, premium cut...and a decent score on the Holloway should do it!? What else should I be concerned about checking for?

My diamond budget is about $3000..think I can find something in that range?

 

[Hest88]

Hm. I think with $3K it's going to be a tad difficult without bringing down your criteria. If we can get to $4000 it would be a lot easier.

 

[Hest88]

If you take a look at this thread, here's a 6mm diamond someone's buying for under $3k. Can you call Fay Cullen to see how much size variation they can accomodate?
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/new-i-color.7568/

 

[Mara]

(Hest--From a previous post it looks like Tawn is having it custom made through tradeshop so she no longer has the 6.5mm spec to reach...that's a positive in case she finds a smaller stone that she likes!)

Tawn:
For $3k you can probably get a well cut stone but it will be hard to find. Your budget is tight meaning you will have to look very hard and crunch alot of numbers to find the stone that may fit for you.

I found this one stone on DirtCheapDiamonds (dont let the name scare you)


http://www.dirtcheapdiamonds.com/diamond_detail.cfm?did=1735503

1.02 G SI1 'Best Cut' $3300

Their 'best cut' is not backed up with any real numbers, so you should call and get the crown and pavilion information from a Sarin report on the stone..also ask for a closeup of the stone to be sure its eye clean and ask for a copy of the Cert to be emailed or faxed to you.

But as you can see...something like what you are looking for COULD be possible with a little searching.

I also went to diamondwholesale.cc (an arm of WhiteFlash) and they have tons of old European cuts that could fit in your price range around the 1c mark. You may want to call them up (Denise is very helpful) and see what they think. An OEC would look great in that setting and looks very similar to the modern round brilliant (OEC's are different than RB's..and full cut is not a modern RB either...it's kind of like the pre-cursor to a modern RB).

Anyway, it will take some searching but you can find something! If your budget can go up to $4k you will find much more in your range. I would also suggest considering an I SI1 if its a well cut stone (they face up whiter to the eye than an okay H cut), or even SI2 if you can find one that has an inclusion to be hidden with a prong or similar. Your budget is very tight, so any concessions you can make without sacrificing too much on cut would help you out immensely.

Good luck!!

 

[Hest88]

Oh duh! Thanks Mara. I'd actually read that, but totally forgot.

Tawn, you're also going to need to figure out what cut is acceptable to you. An older cut is not going to be near as brilliant as a modern RB. However, the older cuts have a unique charm that's matchless.

 

[Giangi]

That G/SI 1 looks suspicious to me. It's an EGL and the price is very low...

As for antique stones, they are less expensive and, IMO, will look better in the setting you chose.
There's a great guy named Dave Thomas, he was even a GIA grader... I don't know if he posts here, but I know for sure that he used to post on the other forum.
He sells his stuff on ebay... Currently the biggest stones are in the 0.70s, but I'm sure he could find one for you.
Fay Cullen could help you too.