Going to pop the question soon! Which diamond should I get?

[Chanash]

Hi Everyone,

EXTREMLEY Long time lurker, first time poster – I can’t believe the sheer amount of information on this website. I can’t begin to explain how thankful I am that I found this website!!!

I’m planning on finally asking my G/F of 5 ½ years. It seems that the longer I wait the more expensive the ring gets . I’d like to get some opinions on a few diamonds. I’m looking at 1 ct. SI1/VS2/VS1 princess cuts with either a G or H color.

Princess: 1.01 / G / SI1 - $4,890
1: http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-search?filter_id=0&track=head#diamonds_pid=LD01859866
Princess: 1.01 / G / VS2 - $5,301
2: http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-search?filter_id=0&track=head#diamonds_pid=LD01842125
Princess: 1.01 / G / VS2 - $4,575
3: http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-search?filter_id=0&track=head#diamonds_pid=LD01855262
Princess: 1.07 / H / VS1 - $4,435
4: http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-search?filter_id=0&track=head#diamonds_pid=LD01855251
Any opinions and help would be much appreciated.

This is the setting on planning on buying for her:
http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-engagement-ring-setting-platinum_5088



Thank you in advance!

 

[slg47]

Re: Going to pop the question soon! Which diamond should I

OK...I would pick none of those. Blue Nile does not give images or ASET images of their diamonds as they are a drop-shipper so it is just too hard to gauge. I would go with WF, GOG, or HPD for a princess cut. If you are set on BN, I would pick the AGS0 princess (the 1st G VS2 you posted)

Also regarding the setting, 3.5 mm is a little on the thicker side (for my taste). I would go with a 2.5 mm band unless you really prefer the look of a thicker band. congratulations on your upcoming engagement!

 

[Chanash]

Re: Going to pop the question soon! Which diamond should I

slg47 - Thank you for your reply. I appreciate your advice!

What do you think of this expert selection diamond from Whiteflash? The ASET looks pretty good but I'm definitely not good enough to completely confirm my assumption. Also - the specs look pretty good minus the table size (74%).

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut-loose-diamond-2152678.htm


Shoot - even this one looks pretty decent
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut-loose-diamond-2324697.htm


Thank you!

 

[E B]

Re: Going to pop the question soon! Which diamond should I

Hi Chanash!

I'm afraid I can't help with the diamonds above, but this one may be worth a look as well. You'll need to give them a call for the price, but they're very nice people and their shop is open today.

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/7376/

 

[Chanash]

Re: Going to pop the question soon! Which diamond should I

Hi Chanash!

I'm afraid I can't help with the diamonds above, but this one may be worth a look as well. You'll need to give them a call for the price, but they're very nice people and their shop is open today.

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/7376/

Wow, definitely a pretty diamond - I'll give them a call today to see about the price.

oooooh -They also have the Vatche X-prong that my G/F likes. This could be an easy decision.

Thanks!

 

[tyty333]

Re: Going to pop the question soon! Which diamond should I

Hi Chanash!

I'm afraid I can't help with the diamonds above, but this one may be worth a look as well. You'll need to give them a call for the price, but they're very nice people and their shop is open today.

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/7376/

Wow, definitely a pretty diamond - I'll give them a call today to see about the price.

oooooh -They also have the Vatche X-prong that my G/F likes. This could be an easy decision.

Thanks!

$5735 on that stone...I dont think that includes the PS discount. I love solasferas. Its a branded stone with life
time upgrade.

 

[E B]

Re: Going to pop the question soon! Which diamond should I

$5735 on that stone...I dont think that includes the PS discount. I love solasferas. Its a branded stone with life
time upgrade.

I don't think GOG has PS discounts, but they do offer a discount if paid by bank wire. Something like 3-4 percent, I think? Someone at GOG will be able to tell you the exact price if paid by wire (which will probably be closer to $5500).

If the Solasfera's in budget, that'd be my choice.

 

[Chanash]

Re: Going to pop the question soon! Which diamond should I

Hi Chanash!

I'm afraid I can't help with the diamonds above, but this one may be worth a look as well. You'll need to give them a call for the price, but they're very nice people and their shop is open today.

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/7376/

Wow, definitely a pretty diamond - I'll give them a call today to see about the price.

oooooh -They also have the Vatche X-prong that my G/F likes. This could be an easy decision.

Thanks!

$5735 on that stone...I dont think that includes the PS discount. I love solasferas. Its a branded stone with life
time upgrade.

That's not bad at all - I think that if I go with a branded stone and the Vatche setting it will hold its value a lot more. Looks like this ring would probably cost between 7,000 and 7,500. I was shooting for a budget of roughly that range. I'll have to wait until I hear from GOG, I emailed instead of calling them.

-Thanks!

 

[tyty333]

Re: Going to pop the question soon! Which diamond should I

$5735 on that stone...I dont think that includes the PS discount. I love solasferas. Its a branded stone with life
time upgrade.

I don't think GOG has PS discounts, but they do offer a discount if paid by bank wire. Something like 3-4 percent, I think? Someone at GOG will be able to tell you the exact price if paid by wire (which will probably be closer to $5500).

If the Solasfera's in budget, that'd be my choice.

I checked the bank wire price on another stone and it looked like it was 3.5%??? That would make that solasfera about $5535
(well worth it to me!) but I'm not sure what his budget is.

Edit - the stone I checked the discount on was a small stone...dont know if they give bigger discount on bigger stones or not.

 

[Chanash]

Re: Going to pop the question soon! Which diamond should I

I checked the bank wire price on another stone and it looked like it was 3.5%??? That would make that solasfera about $5535
(well worth it to me!) but I'm not sure what his budget is.

Edit - the stone I checked the discount on was a small stone...dont know if they give bigger discount on bigger stones or not.

$7500 is my ceiling.

 

[slg47]

Re: Going to pop the question soon! Which diamond should I

ooh awesome, I would call GOG on Monday for sure.

Edit...I think stone is right, PLUS today is Saturday (silly me!) so I would call TODAY!

 

[stone-cold11]

Re: Going to pop the question soon! Which diamond should I

I think GOG is close on Monday, so call them now.

 

[ValentinesJewelryDesign]

Re: Going to pop the question soon! Which diamond should I

Please note that branded cuts do NOT hold value longer. You are paying extra for cutting labor and the name, nothing more and nothing less. If you ever went to sell the stone again, you would get an offer based on color, clarity, carat etc....the 4 c's. Unless there is HUGE demand for a particular branded cut the time of sale, then the brand does not hold value. The quality of the cut is more important than the name. Also, those stones are gorgeous when clean but the moment they get oil and soap buildup under the stone the added effect can get lost. At that point, there won't be a huge visual difference between the branded stone and a well cut AGS or GIA standard princess. For your budget, you could get a much better quality center stone for the same price by going with the standard princess and making the design of the ring the thing that makes it "your own". I wish you all the best!

 

[slg47]

Re: Going to pop the question soon! Which diamond should I

the cut quality of the solasferas is AWESOME and I would totally go with it if within budget.

 

[stone-cold11]

Re: Going to pop the question soon! Which diamond should I

GOG has an upgrade and buy back policy for the that stone, so do not worry about that.

 

[ValentinesJewelryDesign]

Re: Going to pop the question soon! Which diamond should I

The future value is going to be higher if you invest in something that nature determines i.e...color, clarity, carat.....rather than what a cutter determines. You could probably get Internally Flawless for the same price and there aren't many stones out there with that grade....and supply and demand will produce value any day! Combine IF clarity with a GIA VG VG or EX EX and you have a GORGEOUS stone that is RARE! Only mother nature can determine how many 1ct IF's are out there! I wish you all the best!

 

[slg47]

Re: Going to pop the question soon! Which diamond should I

I wouldn't buy a diamond for 'investment value' since they are not a good investment...I would just buy something that you LIKE. Also, I would not personally buy an IF diamond...you are just paying a premium for something you can't see.

 

[stone-cold11]

Re: Going to pop the question soon! Which diamond should I

Ya, a crappy cut will always look crappy, even if IF clarity. A well cut stone will look very good when you keep it clean.

Resale value, with a vendor with a buy back policy with a buy back policy, you will get more back then you will ever trying to sell it privately or to another vendor.

 

[ValentinesJewelryDesign]

Re: Going to pop the question soon! Which diamond should I

Re: "I wouldn't buy a diamond for 'investment value' since they are not a good investment...I would just buy something that you LIKE. Also, I would not personally buy an IF diamond...you are just paying a premium for something you can't see. "

I agree with this. My IF comments were directed toward his comment about branded cuts holding value. I was simply making a comment that you can get a intensely well cut IF princess for probably the same price. Or you could get a 1.20-1.25 H VS1. Either way, you're paying for something that man can't determine. If having a custom branded cut is "valuable" to you then that is what you should pay for. I guess I'm just trying to figure out what his definition of "value" is. Is it liquid, instant emergency money, value.....or intrinsic "unique" value? Ultimately, the value lies in your fiance loving the ring.....you can't put a price on that.

 

[E B]

Re: Going to pop the question soon! Which diamond should I

Valentine, no one is suggesting this diamond because it's branded. We're giving it a thumbs up because it's a spectacular cut. Have you seen the videos of it at GOG?

As for going for a lesser cut because it'll look the same when dirty? What an odd suggestion. In that case, why care about cut at all? A heavily-lotioned diamond isn't going to look great anyway.

(If the OP is worried about this, an ultrasonic machine can be purchased for frequent, at-home cleaning. I think mine was $40.)

 

[E B]

Re: Going to pop the question soon! Which diamond should I

This is just meant as a healthy, well meaning conversation. Personally, I value cutting over clarity and color any day....I just like presenting all views rather than pushing what I personally prefer. This way he can make a more educated decision. I wish you all the best!

Fair enough, and I agree!

 

[Rhino]

Re: Going to pop the question soon! Which diamond should I

Thanks for your input Valentine. I realize I may be in a minority within our trade but I beg to differ. I would invest more dollars per carat on superior optics that a "standard" princess cut 7 out of 7 days of the week even if some dirt gets on the diamond. I say this because I show these comparisons to consumers daily who will pick a Solasfera Princess Cut over a standard princess every single time, even if the standard is a D IF and an Ex/Ex in polish & symmetry.

With regards to value, when I know and have the scientific evidence to back my claim regarding the superiority of a particular diamond (regardless of the name or brand), and is worth the value, we'll back it with lifetime policies that ensure the client what they paid should they want to trade and a good percentage back should they ever want to sell it back. We'll put our money where our mouth is.

At the same token if a consumer does not care about the diamonds optics and requires little service and no lifetime policies (such as we offer) but is more concerned with carat/color/clarity we can just as easily source all the standard cuts they like and even show them how they look alongside of any other we have here for a comparison for an educated decision.

The ones I personally invest in however are those which are markedly different in appearance because of cut and are what I know to be needles in teh haystack with regards to optics and diamond beauty.

If you like standard princess cuts more though, to each their own. They are certainly easier to acquire.

All the best,

 

[Chanash]

Re: Going to pop the question soon! Which diamond should I

Wow! Quite the responses back. I appreciate that all of you have taken your time to give your feedback. Now to answer some of your questions!

Unfortunately, by my very nature i look at most things from an investment perspective (which I understand is a horrible thing to do when buying a diamond) - but really what I'm looking for is that I'm getting a good value for my money. Obviously I can easily go a purchase a similar diamond with similar characteristics (4 C's). But as one of you mentioned, knowing that this diamond is scientifically superior than the average diamond means a lot to me - especially since I'm buying sight unseen for the most part.

Also - i won't know until Tuesday about pricing for the Vatche setting. I'm going to put a hold on the diamond for now and hopefully come Tuesday when I get the price quote for the setting I won't be too surprised.

Anyways - is there any reason why I shouldn't buy this diamond due to characteristic flaws? It seems to have a small table (57%). Will this negatively affect it when someone is looking at it face up? Or am I just being paranoid now?


Thank you!!

 

[Hest88]

Re: Going to pop the question soon! Which diamond should I

Nah. I love a small table, myself. Not a problem at all.

 

[stone-cold11]

Re: Going to pop the question soon! Which diamond should I

The small table is because of the cut, it is designed to be small.

 

[ValentinesJewelryDesign]

Re: Going to pop the question soon! Which diamond should I

Rhino, I agree with you on optics. There is very little point in buying a poorly cut diamond. I just make sure that people understand that a standard cut can still be spectacular. I've shown people designer cuts next to standards and many have initially chosen the designer cut. However, is this due to "light return" or is it simply because it's different? As you know, you could have 3 AGS 000 stones side by side and for some reason one will stand out more than another. I've even had customers view 4 or 5 stones side by side and pick a RBC G SI2 61/61 make over a RBC F SI1 56/60! Why? He simply liked the way it looked more! The papers can say whatever they want, but when it comes to personal preference and style, the way the stone looks to that individual is all that matters. IN this case, if the customer likes the visual appearance of the designer cut then that should be the one he picks! However, the monkey in this wrench is that whenever the word "value" or "hold it's value" is used, I feel it's the industry's responsibility to make customers aware of the resalability of desinger cuts and brands. Brands and designer cuts only maintain resale value if that particular brand is in demand. The standards will always have demand. Will the designer cuts? How many HOF customers have been disappointed because the value of their stone when they realize that they don't get extra resale "value" because dealers usually only treat it as an ideal cut? The whole thing boils down to what an individuals definition of value is.....is it appearance or is it resale or monetary value retention? Buy back guarantees are great, but isn't that guarantee only good from the place that sold you the stone? Is there any guarantee that they will be in business 10 yrs from now? If not, then the consumer needs to think about the value they'll get from other sources. Again, this is only if resale value is important. I'm 99.9% sure you won't get your original investment back regardless of who you buy from or sell to. Again, the only reason I even brought any of this up is because the customer mentioned value and I have to say what I honestly feel is in a customers best interest. I wish everyone the best!

 

[Ella]

Re: Going to pop the question soon! Which diamond should I

Please remember that trade members are not allowed to comment on or discuss other vendors or their items.

 

[ValentinesJewelryDesign]

Re: Going to pop the question soon! Which diamond should I

Very sorry Ella......how do I edit my post to remove the comment? Sorry guys.....new to this forum and need to become accustomed to the rules.

Matt Valentine

 

[Chanash]

Re: Going to pop the question soon! Which diamond should I

Got the pice quote today for everything... The diamond will be $5,375 via BW and the Vatche setting will cost $2,112 for 18k white gold, which is on the higher end of my budget. There is also (unless I misunderstoood) a mounting charge that I'm trying to get a price on. Does that seem pretty reasonable (price wise) for what I'm getting? I know my G/F will love it.

Thanks everyone!

 

[slg47]

Re: Going to pop the question soon! Which diamond should I

seems reasonable, which vatche setting is that specifically? i searched online for price comparison and found several x-prong settings with diamonds...