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figuring out engagement ring

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Promise123

Rough_Rock
Joined
Feb 24, 2011
Messages
35
Hey guys,

so i figured out what i what for the ring i want to give my future fiancee...

stone - im looking for a princess cut diamond from a little under a carat to 1.25 carats. Budget for stone - $4K

setting - i like this setting i saw at Reed's from the manufacturer ArtCarved but i havent been able to find it online at either Reed's or ArtCarved websites. i even have the Reed's product # which is 19112093.

So, i have 2 questions:

1. Should i get the diamond separate from the setting and have it set in OR get the stone at Reed's as well?

2. As far as the stone goes, im looking for the largest stone in my budget that is clean to the naked eye. Any suggestions?


Any other advice that would help me out is welcome.

Thanks!!!

- Chris
 
You can get into the SI range and still sometimes have things that are eye-clean. With your budget, that's what you'll have to do. You also need to think about color. It has a huge impact on price, so is there any indication to what range you are looking for? People say princess shows more color than rounds (and maybe so do fancy cuts in general). But have you seen different color grades in person? Some people also recommend going down a couple of grades and getting blue fluorescence (for example, a J with blue fluoro, in hopes that it faces up even whiter since the blue would cancel out any slight yellow tinge of the stone).

Here's a stone that I'm sure many would say are the lowest color and clarity they would go for in a princess (but that depends) while still not truly compromising cut:

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut-loose-diamond-2565660.htm

Also, eye-clean is something you have to define (literally in how many inches from your face it has to be). Vendors have their definition and if I'm correct, whiteflash and other popular PS vendors should assess eye-cleanness for you if you ask them to look at the stone. There is an inclusion towards the center of that diamond which indicates it's more likely to be visible. But I think it's a good example of what specs you should look for.

As you can see, it being ~$4600 means you'll probably need to stay in the "just under a carat" range unless you want to go even lower on color or clarity. I really don't recommend going lower in cut, but like most people here, I'm picky about cut. I can see the difference easily.

Overall, with what you want to do, you may have to wait until the right stone comes along (as you can see there aren't many princess cuts just under a carat that have a great cut, ASETs, etc.), but I think you can do it provided you aren't in a huge rush.

As for the setting, I'm not familiar with the vendor you've mentioned. If you have fallen in love with the setting and aren't open to anything else, just talk to them about setting a stone you source from someone else, and make sure it's insured while it's being set (in case something happens).
 
Well - you've definitely got some wiggle room, depending on what your priorities are and how you want to budget carat/clarity/colour -

(get ASETs if interested)
1.2 K VS2 $3.4k http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/K-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1376516.asp
1.1 H VS2 $4k http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Good-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1378098.asp
1.1 I VS2 $3.4k http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-VS2-Good-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1373732.asp

I can't find even mention of the setting on Google - do you have a pic? Or any other info?
 
Here are some more from JA

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/J-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1362114.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/J-VS1-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1388886.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1316160.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VVS2-Good-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1325671.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Good-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1378098.asp

BGD Quadex

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamond/diamond-detail/?product_id=AGS-104049447006

WF X factor

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/radiant-cut-loose-diamond-373349.htm

A tad over budget

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/radiant-cut-loose-diamond-373352.htm

These are not princess cuts but they are unique square cut that I just thought I would throw out at you.
 
I looked for the setting too...cant find it. Can you give us a link?
 
Don't skimp on quality. I know you want the biggest diamond that is still clear to the naked eye, but make sure that you still get a good quality diamond.

I also recommend a GIA certified diamond. I wouldn't invest any money these days without one...

Good luck!
 
Personally I don't think that you are going to have a horrible time finding a stone in your price range. Have you entered your criteria into PS diamond search yet? I also took a look at Blue Nile and Union Diamond and found a couple worth taking a look at. One was just outside your budget ($400) and the rest were within.

I think that the harder part for you will be locating the setting. If you could get a pic of the ring we would have an easier time trying to locate it, or one very similar for you. You could also either source your diamond from an outside vendor and have your jewler set the stone or as someone mentioned purchase the setting and have an online vendor set the stone, which I would prefer, that way if a mistake happens and the diamond cracks it's on the vendor and not on you. I personally haven't heard of this happening but others around here have.

Oh, just another thing to think about....a smaller well cut diamond can have the same spread as a larger poorly cut diamond, so don't view it as giving up bling if you go down to a .85 or so. You pay a premium when you get into the 1ct range. And I also agree with the poster, don't be fooled with the bargain that EGL appear to be. They tend to loosely grade their diamonds and you will more than likely NOT end up with the quality stone you think you just purchased and will have paid more for it than a stone grade correctly by th GIA. Simply put EGL is not a bargain.
 
bridecat|1308849752|2953032 said:
Don't skimp on quality. I know you want the biggest diamond that is still clear to the naked eye, but make sure that you still get a good quality diamond.

I also recommend a GIA certified diamond. I wouldn't invest any money these days without one...

Good luck!
Click to expand...


for princess cuts I would recommend AGS because they grade the cut quality, whereas GIA does not. If you are going with a GIA princess make sure to go with a vendor who provides ASET images.
 
thanks for all the responses guys... i appreciate it!

- so, if i cant find that setting somewhere else, i should buy it from Reed's and send it to the diamond vendor i go with rather than having Reed's set my diamond?

- a few of the recommended stones were K color... however, blue nile doesnt even go that low. is this going to look really yellow?

- im fairly new here... what is this pricescope diamond search all about? is this the way i should go? if so, what specs would you recommend?

- attached is the setting i like... my gf has mentioned that she likes a small delicate band, does this fit the bill or do you think its a bit too big?



Thanks!

-Chris

photo.JPG
 
2 questions:

1. Can anyone find a very similar setting to this online?

2. Would you consider that setting small and delicate?

3. I have an old ring from my mom that i can sell... its a brilliant cut round stone that is just under 1 carat with a simple 14K white gold band. Any recommendation on best way to sell it?

thanks!

-chris
 
1. http://www.pearlmansjewelers.com/jewelry-designers/sholdt-jewelry/rings/16ZZ1/

2. I think the ring is kind of delicate. Not all gals would be a fan of the twist so I'd be 100% sure she'd like that. Are you thinking of this setting with a princess shaped stone?

3. You might be able to trade in your mom's ring to the jeweler you are buying the new ring from. You can try consignment if you aren't in any big hurry or you can always try ebay or craigslist. There are tips to selling here:

https://www.pricescope.com/journal/consumer’s_guide_reselling_diamonds
 
I like the twist band personally for a princess cut. I would stick with I color and above.
 
It is going to be a princess cut diamond.

I like how the Reed's setting gets smaller at the stone to make the stone pop a little more... Just wondering if its not small/delicate enough.

Thanks for the heads up on the info for selling a diamond. Unfortunately, Reeds does not buy diamonds. Just trying to figure out my best route.

Thanks a bunch for your help!

-chris
 
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