Hey folks - first post here so please be kind and shower me with your knowledge!
You know the deal - I''m looking for the ring, and it''s all about finding the right diamond.
My girlfriend is Japanese - her ring size is 4.25 on the American scale. We''ve talked about the ring, and she says that she doesn''t want anything too big, although from what I''ve read here, such a sentiment expressed in good faith could soon change once she starts wearing the thing!
I want to get a classic solitaire setting (I have the setting and diamond vendor in mind), and my budget is about $5000 absolute tops for the diamond. Less would be ideal, but I want to get the daddy.
I have learned so much from you here its fantastic, but I would love it if you could help me even more by clearing up some of the following points for me:
* I really want a colourless diamond. PSers often talk about D-E colours together, and my feeling from the posts is that there is a discernable difference going down to F-G. This is slightly confusing as the certificates talk about DEF in the same bracket but that isn''t the sense I get here. D-E is ''ice white''; F is not. Would you recommend I plumped with a D-E rather than the F, or would I be wasting my hard - earned dough? I believe that I may have read somewhere that asian skin colour might come into play here - would i be throwing money away? (I know this is a very subjective question but I asked it anyway - sorry)!
* As for clarity, because I''ll be doing this sight unseen I won''t drop below VS2 although I like the idea of getting a VS1 if the price is right.
* I guess this is the main question - I love the H&A pattern. I''m sure my girl will love it too - it''s truly beautiful. Some of the rings posted up here are truly breathtaking. The ones that speak to me the most are the solitaires where the H&A are most visible. In my budget, looking around vendor sites, I can come close-ish to a carat with specifications close to my ideal ones above. My major question is: will it be possible to see H&A with the naked eye in a smaller (.75 - .95) diamond? If not, then please let me know! But if it is possible, does the visibility of the H&A pattern change with each individual diamond? If so, then I will need to ask my vendor to take a look at similar stones and give me the feedback. The H&A pattern is important to me largely because I have been seduced by the pics posted here!!! Once I receive info about the H&A, I plan to choose the diamond which scores highest on the brilliance, scintillation and fire charts.
I would welcome any input at all about any of the above. many thanks for taking the time to read my post, and thanks to all PSers for your great contributions to the site - I have been spending hours here most days over the months since I''ve started saving my cash!
P.S. Naturally I''m wanting an ideal cut - as for the polish symmetry grades, I''m thinking EX on symmetry and VG/EX on polish. I take it the VG on polish is no biggie?
You know the deal - I''m looking for the ring, and it''s all about finding the right diamond.
My girlfriend is Japanese - her ring size is 4.25 on the American scale. We''ve talked about the ring, and she says that she doesn''t want anything too big, although from what I''ve read here, such a sentiment expressed in good faith could soon change once she starts wearing the thing!
I want to get a classic solitaire setting (I have the setting and diamond vendor in mind), and my budget is about $5000 absolute tops for the diamond. Less would be ideal, but I want to get the daddy.
I have learned so much from you here its fantastic, but I would love it if you could help me even more by clearing up some of the following points for me:
* I really want a colourless diamond. PSers often talk about D-E colours together, and my feeling from the posts is that there is a discernable difference going down to F-G. This is slightly confusing as the certificates talk about DEF in the same bracket but that isn''t the sense I get here. D-E is ''ice white''; F is not. Would you recommend I plumped with a D-E rather than the F, or would I be wasting my hard - earned dough? I believe that I may have read somewhere that asian skin colour might come into play here - would i be throwing money away? (I know this is a very subjective question but I asked it anyway - sorry)!
* As for clarity, because I''ll be doing this sight unseen I won''t drop below VS2 although I like the idea of getting a VS1 if the price is right.
* I guess this is the main question - I love the H&A pattern. I''m sure my girl will love it too - it''s truly beautiful. Some of the rings posted up here are truly breathtaking. The ones that speak to me the most are the solitaires where the H&A are most visible. In my budget, looking around vendor sites, I can come close-ish to a carat with specifications close to my ideal ones above. My major question is: will it be possible to see H&A with the naked eye in a smaller (.75 - .95) diamond? If not, then please let me know! But if it is possible, does the visibility of the H&A pattern change with each individual diamond? If so, then I will need to ask my vendor to take a look at similar stones and give me the feedback. The H&A pattern is important to me largely because I have been seduced by the pics posted here!!! Once I receive info about the H&A, I plan to choose the diamond which scores highest on the brilliance, scintillation and fire charts.
I would welcome any input at all about any of the above. many thanks for taking the time to read my post, and thanks to all PSers for your great contributions to the site - I have been spending hours here most days over the months since I''ve started saving my cash!

P.S. Naturally I''m wanting an ideal cut - as for the polish symmetry grades, I''m thinking EX on symmetry and VG/EX on polish. I take it the VG on polish is no biggie?