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Grad student back....ready to buy

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Uggh, I got an error when trying to post right now...

But as I was saying, the simple solitaire setting is not high at all. I got to see it first hand when I helped my brother pick a ring for his ex-gf. The proposal didn''t work out and they ended up breaking up, but the ring was a beauty. It was the 14K WG 4 prong with a J/VS1 .71 stone I believe. I requested for the prongs to be as claw-like as possible, and it come out beautiful. I was sad to have to return it to BGD and considered keeping it myself but I didn''t want my brother to feel bad if he ever saw me wearing it. The setting is really pretty, much prettier in person than in the pictures, and especially for it to be their lowest priced setting, I think it is a good price.

As far as the color, me, personally, having seen a J color stone from BGD''s signature line, and not being as color sensitive as I thought I''d be, I''d go with the J. It is a larger stone and is lower in price. But if you are worried about the color, it is probably best you go with the G. It will give you peace of mind, and the size difference won''t be as noticeable as the color will probably be.
 
Date: 3/3/2010 1:02:06 AM
Author: dreamer_dachsie
Date: 3/3/2010 12:43:52 AM

Author: totally_lost

Dreamer, so you feel that the difference between a G and J is more pronounced than the difference between .75 ct and .80 (and is worth a few hundred more dollars)?
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It is 3 color grades versus 0.2mm. To me, yes, color is more important. To me
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I completely agree. I'd go with the G, esp. if you're not sure if she's color-sensitive.
 
totally_lost, the information you provided about your gf is very helpful. The BG bezel setting you linked is just gorgeous. You could e-mail Lesley to see if she could recommend anything to lower the cost (14 kt. instead of 18 kt. gold?).

But given what you''ve said about your budget and your gf, I think I''d put most of your budget into the diamond for now, get it set in the least expensive BG setting, with instructions to set the diamond as low as possible into the setting. The diamond will look big and gorgeous and lovely in a simple solitaire setting.

Then, later, if your gf decides she''d like a different setting, you could have BG reset it in another style. That may sound strange to you, but lots of guys propose with "temporary settings" so that their new fiances can enjoy wearing the diamond right away. Then later on, they choose a new setting for the ring together. Think of it as extending the excitement of the proposal and engagement for a little while longer...it''s also a lot easier on your budget!
 
Date: 3/3/2010 11:45:23 AM
Author: E B
Date: 3/3/2010 1:02:06 AM

Author: dreamer_dachsie

Date: 3/3/2010 12:43:52 AM


Author: totally_lost


Dreamer, so you feel that the difference between a G and J is more pronounced than the difference between .75 ct and .80 (and is worth a few hundred more dollars)?
Click to expand...


It is 3 color grades versus 0.2mm. To me, yes, color is more important. To me
4.gif
Click to expand...


I completely agree. I''d go with the G, esp. if you''re not sure if she''s color-sensitive.
Click to expand...

Ditto -- go with the G color. It''s the safest color option, and Lesley checked the clarity for you, and I agree that the few millimeters in size won''t be noticeable.
 
Date: 3/2/2010 2:07:15 AM
Author: dreamer_dachsie
In a .80ct diamond an I color is no problem in my opinion. Face up you won''t see a thing, and from the pavilion at most you would see a slight hint of warmth, like cream or off-white. Not yellow.

Clarity, unless it is a mind issue, is low on my totem pole. If ya can''t see it, who cares? VS2 is a *very* safe grade, and I personally prefer to look for an eye clean SI1 for the savings.
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Ditto. I have a .80 I color (GIA cert) and am color sensitive and can''t see any color in my stone.
 
I''m sorry but I''m torn...

I called BGD yesterday and spoke to Brian while he looked at these two stones.

.746 G

.805 J

He said that the J stone is obviously less white than the G but that it will not appear yellow when set in white gold. Both are eye clean but he said that the inclusions in the G stone are near the side while the J stone has an inclusion nearer to the center. That being said they are both "signature" diamonds so this is maybe much ado about nothing.

The J is larger and less expensive. The G is whiter and smaller. I''m sorry, I''m just horribly indecisive. Any final thoughts would be much appreciated...
 
Hello, again, T-L! Don't apologize, we've all been there!

But your comment that they are both Brian Gavin signature diamonds, so it's much ado about nothing is a good way to look at it. Either way you will get a lovely stone.

No, the J will not look yellow when mounted. I've owned a J and an I color stone, and they do not look yellow, they look very white. If you compare them to a D color stone, side-by-side, unmounted, you will see that the D has an icy, cool white tone and the J has a warm white tone. Still white, though, not yellow. When they are mounted in a ring, the differences in color are even harder to detect. When viewing the diamond from the bottom or the side, a slight color tint -- not yellow, soft white -- may be noticeable to you. But as some people on PS are fond of saying, we don't wear diamonds mounted upside down, we mount them face-side up.

If you and your gf have not seen many diamonds up close, or if what you've seen has been at jewelry stores in the mall, chain stores, or JC Penney jewelry department, etc., you've probably seen lots of diamonds that are lower in color than a J. It is very common to see J, K, L stones that may be labeled G, H, I by the store because they use a less stricter color grading system than AGS or GIA. So what I'm saying is, the J will not be noticeably different from what you see in your day-to-day life on American women everywhere!

But some people are more color sensitive than others, and some women just like the more icy white color of D, E, F, and G stones.

I think you'll be okay on clarity if Brian has looked at both stones and told you they are eye-clean.

So then it comes down to thinking about the size and price difference...

.80 is 4/5ths of a carat. and .746 is as good as a quarter carat. In terms of judging the actual size difference between the stones, here's an exercise to help you visualize it: Look up the diameter of the .746 stone and average the two numbers; do the same for the .80 stone. Take a fine tip marker or pen and draw out these circles on a piece of paper. If you are as fanatical as some of us are, you can cut the circles out with an exacto-knife and hold them up next to each other on your finger. The size difference will be quite small, but mentally, you may prefer to give your gf a diamond that is 4/5ths of a carat instead of 3/4 carat. Only you can decide that.

It is kind of nice to get a bigger stone for more money, there's no doubt about that, but make sure that going down in color grade to go up in size is a good trade-off for you.

Either way you will have a gorgeous ring to give your gf.

ETA: I just thought of something else; perhaps you will decide to show your gf the images of the stone and the grading report, etc. (Some guys do; some guys keep the details private). Forget about price for a moment -- just think about if you'd be more proud to show her one stone's report/images over the other...think of it from her perspective; what might be more important to her? The larger size? The higher color? Where the inclusions are?
 
True, the J will in *no way* look yellow. It is a warm, creamier white. In my experience going from a K to a G, though, the colorless grades have an icy quality that makes the diamond really pop. Also, the characteristics of the scintillation look different and more flashy to my eye. I much prefer the appearance of the G color and it is not about the tint but about the overal optical qualities.

That said, you must stop thinking of it as "bigger" and "smaller". You are an engineer you said, so you know measurements I would suspect. The size difference is 0.2mm. Even side by side you will be *very* hard pressed to see that one is bigger than the other. So really, price and color and the only deciding factors in my book.

If your budget is tight, and the difference in price will allow you to get a nicer setting, then I might opt for the J. Then you could get something like this: http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/home/ring-details/?product_id=5478 or http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/home/ring-details/?product_id=5374, both of which will look so amazing compared to the $250 basic settings. That trade is completely worth it in my mind.
 
I''m color sensitive enough that I''d get the G. The first BG setting DD just linked to looks to be of very good quality for $750. That''d make a lovely combo.
 
Date: 3/3/2010 1:23:07 AM
Author: totally_lost
''There is no chance at all you can see the difference in size between a .70 and a .74. It is a .05mm difference in diameter.''

Is the same true for .75 ct and .80 ct? If these two are difficult to distinguish, I think the .75 ct G stone is a pretty great option (that''s higher on the color scale than I thought I could get when I first started looking).

As for the settings, I think the $250 solitaire option is best at this point in my life. It''s good to know that you don''t consider this to be too high of a setting though.

Thanks!
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but once you hit .70ct the price per ct goes up to the next bracket...in this case .70-.89ct
 
Hi, T-L

I agree with what Dreamer said about the difference between J and K color stones, and higher color stones like a G. The way the stone looks is quite different -- it is an icy white and the scintillation is different. I believe the icier white of the G will make the stone look a little bigger, too.

The .80 SI 1 is a lovely, lovely stone. It will not look yellow at all. But the G color is at the top of the near colorless scale and the J is at the bottom, so it will look different. Not bad, not yellow, just different.

You asked for opinions, so I'll give you mine, but keep in mind, you will have a stunning ring no matter which option you choose!

My honest opinion is that if you can spend the extra $$$, because this is your first diamond purchase, go with the highest color you can, since you are not for sure how color sensitive you and your gf are. The difference in size between .746 and .80 is, as Dreamer said, minimal.

Personally, I also like that the inclusions in the G SI 1 are off to the side instead of in the center; again, just because this is your first diamond purchase and I think the clarity map of the G SI 1 is the safer choice. But they are both eye clean as verified by Brian, so this is not a big deal. Just a mind clean thing again.

I definitely like the Tiffany solitaire the best between the two you've linked. A Tiffany solitaire setting is a classic, and instantly recognizable as a traditional engagement ring. I would ask Brian and Lesley to have the diamond set as low as possible, as has been discussed earlier in this thread.

I would only get the 4-prong solitaire if it is to be a temporary setting, and you tell your girlfriend that when you present the ring to her.

So that's my opinion -- but, repeat, you could throw a dart at those four choices and end up with a great ring, so go ahead and pick one of the diamonds and settings already, so we can congratulate you and be happy for you!!
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TL--

I would go with the 6 prong setting. It has been bantered about on the forum that a 4 prong makes smaller stones (under 1 ct), look square. As far as the size of the diamond that is up to you and your pocketbook. If Brian and Lesley say the "J" is a great stone, that is enough for me. I have had Lesley pick out many stones for my purchase, whatever she says I go with, 100% satisfaction. Best of luck.
 
Date: 3/7/2010 3:16:59 PM
Author: totally_lost
Which is the best deal? I''m willing to spend more if it seems like it''s worth it...Thanks!

~$2250
.805 J SI1
Four Prong Solitaire

~$2650
.746 G SI1
Four Prong Solitaire

~$2800
.805 J SI1
Tiffany Style Half Round

~3200
.746 G SI1
Tiffany Style Half Round
Click to expand...
It is $1000 difference between the first option and the last, or almost 50% more money. I don''t know if I am comfortable telling you what to spend like that!
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But if it were me, I would go with the G in the nicer setting. In the longer term, it will just look smashing and will be a nicer overall package. Second choice would be the J in the Tiffany, because I think that the setting does matter to the overall appearance of the ring quite a bit. But you need to be sure you are sticking to a reasonable budget for yourself.
 
Definitely, I would stay within your budget!

Any of these will be totally gorgeous!!! I just got a pendant from BGD with a .412 K SK1 and it is totally eye clean and totally white (and gorgeous!!!)

I''d get the G and have it set in the $250 setting, have BGD set it as low as possible, and and then tell your GF that after she wears it for a few years and you can work together to get her dream setting for a future anniversary. Or, I''d set it in one of the settings below which are bezel or half bezel and are really inexpensive. (If you have to get the diamond at excel to get the price on the setting, I''ve posted a few possibilties below, you''d need to get crown and pavilion angles...)

If your budget is a constraint, don''t go way over! It''s much wiser to feel good about this financially than to get stressed about the money.

Settings:

http://www.exceldiamonds.com/-Engagement-Rings-5/Solitaire-Diamond-Engagement-Rings-11/JENR-8958-1876.html (here''s a bezel setting like the one you like but for only $250...)

http://www.exceldiamonds.com/-Engagement-Rings-5/Solitaire-Diamond-Engagement-Rings-11/Half-Bezel-Diamond-Engagement-Ring-JENR-7239-1602.html

Diamonds:
http://www.exceldiamonds.com/Loose_Round_Diamond-143/Loose_Round_0.8_Carat_H_Color_SI1_Clarity_diamond-429441.html

http://www.exceldiamonds.com/Loose_Round_Diamond-143/Loose_Round_0.78_Carat_I_Color_SI1_Clarity_diamond-341008.html
 
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