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finding a round shape diamound under 15k

snoshados

Rough_Rock
Joined
Aug 21, 2012
Messages
10
hi everyone. i've been with my gf for almost 9 years and want to propose to her in about two months. however, finding the right ring is harder than i thought and i would really appreciate your input. my girlfriend has a small ring size (size 3.5) and when compared to other girls i know, she seems to place a little more emphasis on ring setting than others. so we looked around some stores - harry winston, van cleep arpel, cartier, tiffany, etc and thought that the ring designs don't look that special. i also thought that these stores were selling for 2x/3x the online prices from bluenile & whiteflash, so it didn't make sense to buy from them.

after getting an idea of what my girlfriend likes, i ventured off on my own to find the "special one." i stopped by philip press' store and found the platinum ring setting i liked. it's pretty simple but classic. although the price is pretty expensive i thought it's still worth it bc my girlfriend cares about the setting so much and philip's reputation and craftsmanship command that price. while philip also has some loose diamonds in stock, i think i can get a better deal on diamonds through online channels. is this a good approach?

suppose it is, i'll be looking for a round shape diamond with VS1 (or better) clarity, ideal cut, and F (or better) color. i'm a little more flexible on the size as long as the price for the diamond is not more than 15k. while bigger is usually better, i'd much prefer to get a diamond that truly looks awesome with the ring and my gfs fingers. besides the 4Cs, i really don't know what all the other stats can reflect how good a diamond is. i am also not trained to just look at images of diamond and know which is better.

can some of you nice people help me out by offering me some advice or choices? oh, i also took a blurry pic of the ring itself - **edited by moderator. please upload photos to forum directly**
just to give you some perspective. thank you for all your inputs in advance!
 
I ADORE THAT SETTING! It's gorgeous!

Since that setting reminds me of some very classic antique rings AND you guys want something more special and unique that the majority of what's out there, I wanted to give you this diamond as an option. It has ideal light return and transitional faceting. For a truly one of a kind ring.

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/8301/ This faceting is what I'd pick if it were me.

I would also urge you to consider this very clean Si1 F: http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/9633/ or this G VS2: http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/9655/

And then there is this F VS2: http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/F-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1493102.asp

And since you mentioned whiteflash: http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2684397.htm
 
thanks gypsy. i like your recommendations and the first one does seem gorgeous.
 
Someone put it on hold, so I hope it was you!
 
I love that setting too and that first diamond gypsy linked would be perfect IMO!
 
I'm not sure if you have selected a stone yet or not, but I came across this one in our pre-loved forum. It's a bit outside of your budget, but it's larger and about as ideal as they come, and it's priced very reasonably!! :love:

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/forum/preloved-ps-jewels/1-58-gia-xxx-g-vs1-and-vatche-tiffany-repro-setting-t178939.html']https://www.pricescope.com/forum/preloved-ps-jewels/1-58-gia-xxx-g-vs1-and-vatche-tiffany-repro-setting-t178939.html[/URL]

might be worth contacting the seller...
 
I think that this really comes down to size and faceting. If you or your fiance like the traditional ideal HA type cuts, then you really really can't go wrong with the 1.58. If you are looking for something a bit more unique and vintage looking than you won't be able to beat an AVR. I agree it's a tough choice. Personally, I would want the nearly 1.6 HA, but that's just me. :naughty:

edit: Just a thought, I know that the HA is a bit over your initial budget, so I was thinking, you could contact the seller and make an offer, maybe they would negotiate?? This particular seller has been a PS member for 6 or more years and has sold other peices as well so I would feel confident in working with her.
 
Hmm. Hard choice.

She has TINY itty bitty fingers. So I think a AVR is going to still look large on her hand and I do love that it will be a truly unique piece. But the other diamond is bigger and still gorgeous. So I guess for me it comes down to unique versus size. If I had a size 3.5 finger I would probably go for the smaller diamond because I love unique. But I KNOW for a FACT that many would not make that same choice.


Can you ask her if she'd rather have a smaller unique stone or a larger diamond?
 
Hah! I'll also be proposing to my GF on our 9-year anniversary in Sept. She has a 3.5 ring, and my budget is 15k.

I'd really suggest dropping the color down to G or H to go for a larger carat.
 
I wear a size 3.5 and I'd go for the larger pre-loved diamond in a heartbeat :))
 
Wow, that setting is beautiful! You're making the right choice with it.
 
I was just checking out this thread for myself and thought that you might find it helpful as well. It shows the differences in ct weight and how they might look on different sized fingers. I know that it's really hard to visualize the mm size differences between the two without having her try them on, so this might be the next best thing.

Here's the thread

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/diamond-size-comparison.83517/page-3']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/diamond-size-comparison.83517/page-3[/URL]

This comparison may be particularly helpful..

_608.jpg
 
yea the visual diff between 1.58 and 1.17 is pretty significant. and the price on the 1.58 is pretty awesome. if i started my search without a setting in mind, i'd go for that. however i think there is something special about the 1.17 facet with the setting and will choose that despite the conventional wisdom to get the larger carat. if i regret this decision later on, i'll just find some way to upgrade. i really appreciate all of your opinions and insights!
 
snoshados|1345674375|3255609 said:
yea the visual diff between 1.58 and 1.17 is pretty significant. and the price on the 1.58 is pretty awesome. if i started my search without a setting in mind, i'd go for that. however i think there is something special about the 1.17 facet with the setting and will choose that despite the conventional wisdom to get the larger carat. if i regret this decision later on, i'll just find some way to upgrade. i really appreciate all of your opinions and insights!


Well, that diamond is eligible for a full upgrade with GOG. And you can always put a lovely sapphire in the original setting if you do upgrade. And that way she has two rings (one for each hand).

PLEASE, PLEASE come back and post a TON of pictures when it is done!
 
will do - the support i get from here is amazing. makes me actually want to go out and buy more rings.
 
:appl: :appl: :appl: :appl: :appl: :appl:

That's why most of us help others find their diamonds: Limited personal budgets!
 
I didn't post on this thread earlier due to the fact I saw my stone posted.

However, since you have chosen the AVR for sure, I want to bring another AVR stone to your attention. Is is an incredible deal because it is on sale at a special price about $2k less than the normal price! I considered it myself but it was smaller than I wanted. I am posting the link to the stone which I think is on special until the end of the month and also a video Jonathan made for me with the 1.58 ct round as well as this AVR. For a little above your budget, you'll get 1.29 cts. and F VS1! I can't believe this stone hasn't been snatched up!

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/7818/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwiM3COzjFM&list=UUEV7slr-i-VduBBnfv9MxhA&index=1&feature=plcp
 
Nice find DS. AVRs are gorgeous, but I think if I was going to have one that I would want to go as large as I could so that the faceting is more obvious. This thread made me think of an older thread by Catia ( I think :oops:). She was initially considering an AVR in the 1ct range and was disappointed that the kozibe effect and patterning that she was hoping for weren't as apparent IRL as she had hoped. I don't have any personal experience, I unfortunately haven't seen an AVR in person, though I think they a gorgeous based on all the photos others post, but I think that the size is definitely something to consider. I'm sure that you could find lots of pic of AVRs in the SMTB thread, there is something very special about them for sure. :love:
 
Gypsy|1345677624|3255644 said:
:appl: :appl: :appl: :appl: :appl: :appl:

That's why most of us help others find their diamonds: Limited personal budgets!

Isn't this the truth!! :lol:
 
yea i saw that this morning as well and have considered it (and still considering it despite placing an order on the 1.17ct). just not sure if it's worth paying extra $3k to go from 1.17ct G VS1 to 1.29ct F VS1. the facet on the 1.29ct looks a lil diff as well. your 1.58ct is more tempting at that price.
 
snoshados|1345684933|3255701 said:
yea i saw that this morning as well and have considered it (and still considering it despite placing an order on the 1.17ct). just not sure if it's worth paying extra $3k to go from 1.17ct G VS1 to 1.29ct F VS1. the facet on the 1.29ct looks a lil diff as well. your 1.58ct is more tempting at that price.

Well, there is a significant difference when you're looking at 6.6mm, 6.9mm, and 7.4mm. You can see the difference between the 6.9 and the 7.4 in that video. I think we're just thinking ahead about the fact that it is better to get as large as you can afford at the outset so there is less of a likelihood to desire to upgrade later. But I don't know where you live or the size of the diamonds of her friends or family, so you are in the best position to make that determination!
 
i LOVE AVRs! the faceting is just mesmerizing! I have seriously considered getting myself an AVR but finally decided to go with RB, because deep down, I know i'd be happier with a bigger stone on my finger :cheeky:

What would SHE like?
 
Hello
I also have 3.5 finger size and am curious: what does GOG say are the mm measurements of the 2 stones?
 
backwardsandinheels|1345729325|3255872 said:
Hello
I also have 3.5 finger size and am curious: what does GOG say are the mm measurements of the 2 stones?


the 1.17 is 6.66 and the 1.29 is 6.9, the 1.58 is 7.4 or 7.5. The comparison I posted is quite close to the visual difference except the the 1.17 would obviously be a bit larger, but still a visible difference.
 
so i've been thinking about ds2006's words about getting the larger size at the outset and called GOG to place the 1.29ct on hold as well. although its a lil over my budget but i think it'd be worth it if my gf is happier with it. i'm not very good at conceptionalizing things - based on my setting http://imgur.com/jbBAV and my gfs 3.5 ring size, the 1.29ct wouldn't look too big right? as to somehow draw attention away from the ring itself?
 
No it won't look too big at all. And that setting can handle the size. If you can stretch it and are comfortable financially with it, since you do have such a gorgeous setting and upgrading would be a shame in that respect (although you can put a nice sapphire it in and have two rings!!) I would go for the slightly larger one in this case.
 
A 1.29 is not going to look too big, I promise! Do you live in CA? There's another girl from CA here who just bought a 9.9mm antique diamond and I believe her ring size is around 3.5. Now that would be too big for me for sure! But anything under 1.5- 2 carats is generally a safe size for most fingers.
 
I don't necessarily think that you should blow your budget, I don't think any of us would recommend that. My only thought/concern was if you would be able to visually appreciate the uniqueness of the faceting at the 1ct size, and that it would be more obvious in a larger size. Remember, I haven't seen one IRL either. I think in general though, when other people see the diamond, their first impression is the size, then color faceting etc. However the wearer will view the stone differently and be able to appreciate it's characteristics more easily and that's whats truly important. Even H&A stones don't always show the arrows, and people are sometimes confused and surprised by this. It would be very unusual for a casual observer to see arrows in someone elses stone or realize the uniqueness of the faceting of an AVR, but again that what makes it special to the wearer.

All of that said, if I'm really honest....if I knew that DH had the ability to get me a larger stone and didn't...I might be disappointed. But that's just me, and I know how quickly DSS (diamond shrinkage syndrome) kicks in. I've had three stones in just over a year. :lol: Like Gypsy said the stones both come with upgrade policies that you can take advantage of later too. Will she be disappointed with a 1.17? I doubt it, but would she happier with a larger stone? Only you can say for sure. =)

edit: as far as the stone being too big..I agree with DS, your safe with anything under 2 cts. I look at it differently than you though, I think of the center stone as the star of the show and the setting as best supporting actress. You don't want to stone to be so large that the setting can't support it, but you don't want all the attention on the setting instead of the main event kwim? Personally I think any of the stones mentioned will look great in your setting...which is gorgeous btw! :love:
 
When you were shopping together and looking at settings, did she try on any with stones? If so, what sizes did you think looked best on her hand? What sizes did she lean toward? I think this might help you make a decision.
 
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