First time diamond buyer looking for e-ring advice!

[Chaosin1983]

Hello all!

I'm looking to get an engagement ring for my girlfriend of almost 3 years now, and to say the least I am completely overwhelmed by the plethora of information available out there! I have never bought a diamond before so please bear with me! I have spent the last month oggling over diamonds and rings on my computer screeen, and I have educated myself by reading what feels like a gazillion articles and tutorias. I am now familiar with the basic diamond jargon, the 4C, etc. Mind you that I have not gone and seen any diamonds with my own eyes yet!

I want the proposal to be a surprise, and although I have talked with her and what she would like, I would like to choose a design without consulting her directly. She has shown interest in several designs, she initially showed me some three stone princess cut e-rings, and then went on to say she loved this double halo Vera Wang design from Zales (http://www.zales.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12111051). She has said that she would like the ring to be square-ish. I personally find it way too big, and I am sure I would end up paying just for the name and I know I can do a lot better quality-wise on the diamonds for less money.

After considering the previous as well as my finances, I have narrowed it down to:
- Maximum Budget $5,000 (stone and setting)
- Princess Cut Diamond 0.75ct to 1.00ct
- White Gold Split Shank Halo Setting

I have browsed through Blue Nile, James Allen, Whiteflash, Gabriel & Co, Good old Gold, Eternity by Yoni and some others for both the setting and the diamond. For the setting I have found two on Eternity by Yoni that I really really like.

18k White Gold Stella Princess-Cut Diamond with Diamond Accents (.25 ctw.)
http://www.eternitybyyoni.com/engagement-rings/diamond-engagement-ring/Stella-Princess-Cut-Diamond-with-Diamond-Accents-(.25-ctw.....)-126.htm

18k White Gold Mercedes Princess-Cut Diamond with Diamond Accents (.62 ctw.)
http://www.eternitybyyoni.com/engagement-rings/diamond-engagement-ring/Mercedes-Princess-Cut-Diamond-with-Diamond-Accents-(.62-ctw.....)-127.htm

About Eternity by Yoni, are they reputable? it seems they have good but few reviews here on PS, I would love to see these setting in real pictures. Do you think I could save a few bucks if I ask them to make the setting in 14K gold instead? Should I do this, or is 18K that much better?

Her ring size is 4 i believe, still need to confirm this as I got the diameter by quickly tracing her ring when she was out of her room, how would these settings look on her finger with a 0.75ct - 1.00ct stone?

For the Diamond, I would like the brightest, shiniest and fieriest possible stone within budget, but here is where I am a little lost and would really like recommendations from the experts! Where can I cut corners in order to up a bit on size while maintaining the spark of the diamond.

- Cut: Ideal? Very Good?
- Clarity: VS2? SI1? the diamond does not have to be perfect, but I would not like to see inclusions with the naked eye.
- Color: G or H? I have no clue on this one as I have not seen the difference with my eyes, as long as it looks white I'm OK with it.
- Depth? Table? Polish? I have no clue on this one!

One last question, how does buying the stone and the setting with different vendors work? do you ship the diamond to the setting vendor? do you have to do it locally with a jeweler of your choice? I am located in Nicaragua, and I although I would ship the ring to the US, I would like to receive the ring with the diamond already set.

Sorry for the long post! I really want to do this the right way, and get the best ring possible for my girlfriend.

Thank you very much!

 

[CymoneD]

You can cut corners on color but not so much with the cut. The cut is where you are going to get all of the sparkle and fire that you're looking for in a diamond. Not all SI's are made the same so you just want to check the lab reports and make sure that the inclusions are not RIGHT UNDER the table of the diamond. Good old gold is a great place to be able to determine the fire of the stone without actually seeing it because of the Diamxray photo (the more red and the less white the better the performance will be).

 

[CymoneD]

These are from Good Old Gold (halo mounts are generally over $1,000)

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/3380/ (great light performance)



http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/10163/ (still pretty good light performance)


http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/10174/ (Getting some light loss here but still a good size)

 

[Chaosin1983]

Thank you very much for the suggestions and the tips! Do you recommend buying the diamond and the setting separate? and if so how does it work? do you get them delivered at home and then take them to a jeweler?

Thank you,

 

[CymoneD]

Anytime and also you can check other threads to see what that size looks like in a small finger if you search through pricescope

Also the way I am doing mine is we have ordered the stone and are getting it set at an out of town jeweler so I'm expecting we would just drop it off after seeing settings in person and then the ring would be delivered to our home.

 

[CymoneD]

Also it will be personal preference to buy them separately, if you go with Good Old Gold they may even having a setting you like so start looking in the same place and if you don't find something then search elsewhere.

 

[CymoneD]

Maybe she would also consider this style?

http://www.bluenile.com/princess-cut-floating-halo-engagement-ring-14k-white-gold_33943

http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-engagement-ring-setting-14k-white-gold_20370

http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-14k-white-gold-engagement-ring-setting_25646

 

[Chaosin1983]

Thank you CymoneD very much for your suggestions and replies. I have contacted GOG to see if they can find me a setting which will fit the style and budget I am looking for.

Surfing the GOG website I came accross the Solasfera Princess Cut diamonds, and I must say they look mighty impressive in their videos!!! do you think these are worth over the regular princess cut diamonds??

Thank you!

 

[CymoneD]

Of course!

Honestly, diamonds are worth what ever you're willing to pay for them at the time, but I will say that the cut does make a difference in pricing in general because of the amount of fire that you see compared to poorly cut diamonds.

Good luck with your search! I can't wait to see the final product

 

[Chaosin1983]

Hi again! I am having second thoughts on the Solasfera.... mainly because I do not know if the premium I would pay for the brand name would allow me to get a larger non-branded stone with the similar brilliance, spark and fire. What is your opinion on this? Thank you!

 

[CymoneD]

My opinion on that is, unless you are connected to a well known lapidary that has amazing gem cutting skills that you know will produce top knotch gems you may not find something with the same sort of sparkle as the branded diamonds. You can find diamonds that sparkle with no problem, but the diamonds that produce optimum brilliance are branded for a reason. It's because they deserve a title lol

You can always give up a few color grades and stay around the SI1 clarity and get a decent sized stone with the name brand cut and be very satisfied.

 

[RockyRacoon]

My opinion on that is, unless you are connected to a well known lapidary that has amazing gem cutting skills that you know will produce top knotch gems you may not find something with the same sort of sparkle as the branded diamonds. You can find diamonds that sparkle with no problem, but the diamonds that produce optimum brilliance are branded for a reason. It's because they deserve a title lol

You can always give up a few color grades and stay around the SI1 clarity and get a decent sized stone with the name brand cut and be very satisfied.

The reason the Solasfera is branded is because it's a different cut than what you would expect in a princess cut. It is not necessarily 'superior' to other cuts, just cut differently.

Chaosin - watch some of the videos from Good Old Gold on YouTube showing the Solasfera. Only you can decide if you like this 'flavor' of cut.

This is not just buying a H&A or ACA or BG Signature stone due to its superior light performance. Solasfera has an entirely different look, which some may not prefer.

 

[CymoneD]

The reason the Solasfera is branded is because it's a different cut than what you would expect in a princess cut. It is not necessarily 'superior' to other cuts, just cut differently.

RockyRacoon You wouldnt consider a Solasfera superior to the typical princess cut in terms of light performance?

 

[RockyRacoon]

The reason the Solasfera is branded is because it's a different cut than what you would expect in a princess cut. It is not necessarily 'superior' to other cuts, just cut differently.

RockyRacoon You wouldnt consider a Solasfera superior to the typical princess cut in terms of light performance?

Would I consider a Solasfera superior to an extremely well-cut princess? Definitely not.

Some people might prefer them in some situations, but it's definitely not a generality you can draw.

I would choose an equally well-cut 'traditional' princess stone over a Solasfera every single time. This is a preference issue, based on the type of light return you prefer.

The Solasfera is a different flavor of cut, not a superior one.

 

[CymoneD]

If you have any suggestions of any extremely well cut princess diamonds for Chaosin I'm sure it would be appreciated considering the stone in question that is in need of comparing is the Solasfera the Chaosin was drawn to initially.

Also, I was asking about what you typically find not an extremely well cut (by an amazing lapidarist) diamond. I agree that everyone's taste in facets are different as with modern brilliants and OEC's.

 

[RockyRacoon]

If you have any suggestions of any extremely well cut princess diamonds for Chaosin I'm sure it would be appreciated considering the stone in question that is in need of comparing is the Solasfera the Chaosin was drawn to initially.

Also, I was asking about what you typically find not an extremely well cut (by an amazing lapidarist) diamond. I agree that everyone's taste in facets are different as with modern brilliants and OEC's.

Good advice would also be for OP to take a look at some Solasfera diamond videos on YouTube, to get a side-by-side comparison, to see if this flavor is right.

There may be other branded stones that outperform a Solasfera, in OP's eyes. Lumping all branded cuts together, especially when talking about Solasfera, is a mistake.

I was not giving suggestions here, only correcting an incorrect statement.

 

[CymoneD]

Fair enough, correct away. It was an opinion of mine, but apparently an incorrect statement.

 

[Chaosin1983]

Thank you very much RockyRacoon and CymoneD for your repplies!! you both have been much helpful...

I have been reading so much lately that frankly I am getting confused and overwhelmed. I realize the Solasfera are not the "Traditional" cut, and have more facets thus producing smaller yet more flashes of light, I understand this is it's style. But frankly I cannot tell the difference in flashes and sparkles other than that there are more of them in the Solasfera.

In all of GOG videos Solasfera's look more brilliant than their AGS0 or Signature Cuts, and ultimately that is what is important isnt't it? that it shines and sparkles as much as possible? I am afraid I am too much of a newbie and have not seen enough diamonds in real life to notice the difference. I would love to be able to go and see them in real life, but I am not located in Nicaragua, making it a bit difficult to find these diamonds here, and that is the reason I look for them online.

I have also read here that the Solasfera's look "busy" and "chaotic" in smaller sizes, can I have some input by someone who has seen them in person please? What exactly is meant by this? that they sparkle too much?

Now if anyone can suggest me an excelent cut diamond that would rival those Solasfera i've seen in the GOG videos, please let me know as I could probably save the premium of the brand name and invest it in a larger stone.

Now I have another question I would like to ask you for your personal opinions on how a 0.75ct - 0.80ct princess cut diamond looks on a single halo setting? the photos always show big diamond and I don't know if it would look too small on the halo?

Thank you very very much for your input, I greatly appreciate it!

 

[SandyinAnaheim]

Chaos, I have to side with Rocky here. A diamond's cut goes a long way towards determining not just its cost, but its worth. Branded can mean well-selected, which in turn usually means pedigreed, which might then be well-cut. But only you can determine if it looks good to you. I can tell you that once you see a well-cut diamond that you like in person, you will remember and others will never look the same. Go see some in person. Just remember, you get what you pay for in this market.

 

[Gypsy]

The entire purpose of faceting a diamond is to reflect light.
How well or how poorly a diamond does this determines how beautiful it is.
How well a diamond performs is determined by the angles and cutting. This is why we say cut is king.
No other factor: not color, not clarity has as much of an impact on the appearance of a diamond as its cut. An ideal H will out white a poorly cut F.
With fancies, like princesses you need to choose them based on faceting and light performance.
So what you need is a way to check actual light performance of your actual stone.
That's what an ASET image does. http://www.highperformancediamonds.com/index.php?page=education-performance
It shows you how and wear your diamond is reflecting light, how well it is going at it, and where you are losing light return. That is why you won't see us recommending certain vendors, as they do not provide idealscope images for their diamonds. GOG, HPD, GOG, BGD, JA, WF and ERD do. That's why recommend them.

The ASET and the faceting are the section criteria.
So yes, you need an ASET image.
Now if you want to skip all that... stick to AGS0 stones and then all you have to do is pick color and clarity and you know you have a great performing diamond. Because AGS has already done the checking for you. That's why they trade at a premium.

 

[Chaosin1983]

Thank you SandyinAnaheim and Gypsy for your inputs,

As I pointed out in my previous post, I live in Nicaragua, and have limited access to good diamonds, so sadly it would be very hard to find a jeweler that I would carry these, or for that matter one that I would trust enough.

Now, I am pretty clear that "Cut is King" and that Solasfera´s are a type of cut with more facets than traditional cuts. I have inquired with GOG, and they showed me this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qx5CT8Cs2vs and well the Solasfera does look brighter than their Ideal Cut.

So let´s say I were to compare ASETS on two AGS0 vs a Solasfera, even though these probably are out of my range but I want to know for clarifications sake.

So let´s evaluate these options:

Diamond 1: 0.92ct G VS2 Signature Ideal Princess Cut Diamond
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/12036/
Shape: Princess
Carat Weight: 0.92ct
Color: G
Clarity: VS2
AGS Cut Grade: Ideal
Optical Symmetry: Superior
Polish: Ideal
Symmetry: Ideal
Fluorescence: None
Lab Report: AGS
In House: Yes
Width: 5.29mm
Length: 5.29mm
Depth: 3.95mm
Table Percentage: 63.40%
Depth Percentage: 74.70%
Policy: Lifetime Guarantee
Price: $4,800

Diamond 2: 0.91ct H VVS2 Signature Ideal Princess Cut Diamond
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/12035/
Shape: Princess
Carat Weight: 0.91ct
Color: H
Clarity: VVS2
AGS Cut Grade: Ideal
Optical Symmetry: Superior
Polish: Ideal
Symmetry: Ideal
Fluorescence: None
Lab Report: AGS
In House: Yes
Width: 5.19mm
Length: 5.27mm
Depth: 3.92mm
Table Percentage: 64.30%
Depth Percentage: 75.60%
Policy: Lifetime Guarantee
Price: $4,426

Diamond 3: 0.99ct I SI1 Solasfera Princess Cut Diamond
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/12048/
Shape: Princess
Carat Weight: 0.99ct
Color: I
Clarity: SI1
Optical Symmetry: Solasfera
Polish: Very Good
Symmetry: Very Good
Fluorescence: None
Lab Report: GIA
In House: Yes
Width: 5.45mm
Length: 5.47mm
Depth: 4.02mm
Table Percentage: 61.00%
Depth Percentage: 73.70%
Policy: Lifetime Guarantee

According to the ASETs, which would be the stone to get? with more brilliance, sparkle and fire?

Thank you all for bearing with my newbie questions!

 

[CymoneD]

I know you asked for an opinion but I think this may help more.

This video should help, although it's specifically talking about cushions it does explain the ASET and DiamXray test.

http://youtu.be/1O7H8E_MYRM

 

[CymoneD]

Also to answer your other question, this is an example of an .80 pointer in a halo. It's a different shape but, it goes to show that if you pick the right mounting it can make your diamond look fabulous and give her more finger coverage (if that's what you're looking for)

http://www.diamondsbylauren.com/index.php/jewelry/halo-diamond-ring-80-old-mine-brilliant-flawless-diamond-gia-in-gorgeous-platinum

Also here is a .50 pointer on a finger size 5 3/4 (her finger size makes a difference)

 

[SandyinAnaheim]

Well, I will have to bow out at this point as I know nothing about princess cut stones. What I can tell you is that AGS has stricter grading guidelines than GIA, so I would lean towards that. Further, the fact that a stone has more facets doesn't necessarily make it better, it's the precision and symmetry of the facets in relation to the stone's shape and size that make it better. Like was said above, Solasfera is a different look, some people like it and some don't. I personally have never seen a Solasfera princess in person before so cannot comment on that.

 

[Gypsy]

Alll three of those have nice asets. Any of them would be a great choice.

Fortunately you are working with GOG. Have them make a video with all three of them in it for you. that's the best tool for evaluation at this point.

They do that all the time and it's very helpful.