Help finding an engagement ring like this?

[runemelody]

I would appreciate any help that can be provided! I'm looking for an engagement ring for my future fiancé and I have a pretty good idea of what kind of ring I am looking for. I was told I could get some great advice here so I hope some of you can help me out!

I'm not too educated on ring types, etc, but I've learned a bit while searching around. What I've come down to is I know I want a cushion-cut, with a somewhat twisted band, and in the range of $3,000-4,000. I will post some images of examples I found which represent what I am looking for in a ring. I originally found one at Zales, but then being told that was a mall store, I decided that is not what I wanted. I'm looking for high quality, and something that will sparkle and not get "clouds" or look dirty over-time. I don't know if my price range offers that, but I know for sure that I just want it to retain it's beauty through the long run. The mix of a cushion design, with the size of the diamond and with the twist of the band is mainly what I'm looking for, like the rings below.


(Pretty much prefer everything about this ring except the blue sapphire, and I know she would love it. But due to the lower quality, I would rather have something better. The appearance is spot-on though.)
http://www.zales.com/product/index.jsp?productId=29974696



(This one was nice, but the middle is framed a little differently, and I'm not sure she'd be as much of a fan that, but it still seems similar in terms of design!)
http://amavidabridal.gabrielny.com/product/ER10255W83JJ#sthash.CO16gly8.dpbs

I'm just trying to get a head start on this to locate the right ring that will not only last but continue to show it's sparkle and quality over time.

Thank you for any help or suggestions!

 

[Gypsy]

Okay well, if you don't want your jewelry to get dirty over time then Dawn, Hot Water, and a good Toothbrush are your friends.

But if you want a quality ring... then yes, mall stores aren't the place to shop.

Are you READY to buy. Or just doing research?

 

[runemelody]

Okay well, if you don't want your jewelry to get dirty over time then Dawn, Hot Water, and a good Toothbrush are your friends.

But if you want a quality ring... then yes, mall stores aren't the place to shop.

Are you READY to buy. Or just doing research?

Thanks for the reply. I'm not QUITE in the buying stage yet, so I would say more research at this point. I wanted to get a head start and if I found one I knew would be great I would be much more set to purchase when that time does come.

 

[Gypsy]

Ok so here's what I'd do:

This is a much nicer setting in design (the others are very clunky) and Eternity by Yoni has been doing some very nice work recently AND they customize everything. So I'd call them about this: http://www.eternitybyyoni.com/engagement-rings/diamond-engagement-ring/Eleanor-Twisted-Diamond-Band-&-Halo-Ring-%28.62-ctw.%29-361.htm and ask for it in 14kt white gold and with a cushion shaped halo instead of round for a cushion shaped center.

Hopefully that will come out to about 1800 for the setting. Which leaves 2200 for the center stone if you can stretch the budget a little bit you can get this lovely stone with FABULOUS performance: http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/10886/ ($2500) it's 80 points and 5.5 mm which is a good size, especially in a halo.

So it would come to $4300.

I think for the price this will get you the best quality.

I know you said you are just looking. But if you can do it, I'd buy that center stone now. And then save up and buy the setting from Eternity by Yoni when you can.

 

[Lorelei]

Okay well, if you don't want your jewelry to get dirty over time then Dawn, Hot Water, and a good Toothbrush are your friends.

But if you want a quality ring... then yes, mall stores aren't the place to shop.

Are you READY to buy. Or just doing research?

Thanks for the reply. I'm not QUITE in the buying stage yet, so I would say more research at this point. I wanted to get a head start and if I found one I knew would be great I would be much more set to purchase when that time does come.

Hi Runemelody and welcome!

You are very wise researching as much as you can prior to purchase! As you have questions and concerns please go ahead and ask, we will do our best to help you. If you would consider buying online, we can help you there too, there are various settings available that are similar to the ones you like ( Gypsy is a wizard with finding settings), so we can help you with both stone and setting if you give us an idea of budget when you are ready.

 

[runemelody]

This is a much nicer setting in design (the others are very clunky) and Eternity by Yoni has been doing some very nice work recently AND they customize everything. So I'd call them about this: http://www.eternitybyyoni.com/engagement-rings/diamond-engagement-ring/Eleanor-Twisted-Diamond-Band-&-Halo-Ring-%28.62-ctw.%29-361.htm and ask for it in 14kt white gold and with a cushion shaped halo instead of round for a cushion shaped center.

Hopefully that will come out to about 1800 for the setting. Which leaves 2200 for the center stone if you can stretch the budget a little bit you can get this lovely stone with FABULOUS performance: http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/10886/ ($2500) it's 80 points and 5.5 mm which is a good size, especially in a halo.

I know you said you are just looking. But if you can do it, I'd buy that center stone now. And then save up and buy the setting from Eternity by Yoni when you can.

That design is gorgeous! And it really is what I am looking for, if they are able to customize it to the cushion shaped halo! One thing I'm wondering about is the crown logo underneath the center stone setting. Would it be realistic to ask them to to remove that or is that not normal? That's just the only other thing I see that I think she'd prefer changed.

I'm just very nervous about buying online solely because I can't see the ring in person, and I'm worried it won't come out right or feel right in person. That's my only drawback right now, but I trust you when you say that center stone would be great. It's just a big purchase to make without seeing it myself, and it's hard to judge from a stock image rather than in person, or a video even. But trust me when I say I think she would absolutely love that!

Is there a reason you would suggest buying the center stone now? Will the price change? Just thought I'd ask. Also, are there any stores you'd recommend for engagement ring purchases? You have no idea how helpful this is!

P.S. Thank you for the welcome, Lorelei!

 

[little_birdie]

[quote="runemelody|1404463525|3706605"
Is there a reason you would suggest buying the center stone now? Will the price change? Just thought I'd ask.[/quote]
Just thought I could help answer this question as a newbie
Price may not change, but stones don't always sit there for months waiting to be purchased by you and there are not multiples of the same stone-performance, etc for the same price either. That stone may not be there in a months time.
There are others who read the forum and sometimes recommended stones for a good price are purchased in the time the OP is making up their mind ie within a day.
That's why Gypsy recommended buying the stone now since its both a good size and has great performance. HTH

 

[EvangelineG]

People lurk, and buy the stones recommended by the PS experts. Easier than doing their own homework or posting their own thread, I guess. That's why you may want to buy the stone right away. Also on a tighter budget it is sometimes hard to find just the right one, like the beautiful cushion Gypsy linked to!

I just wanted to comment on the worries about buying diamonds sight unseen over the internet. I am also a newbie who benefited from all the education and advice here, and ended up buying diamonds online from GOG and HPD. My husband and I had visited at least a dozen local B&M stores, and nothing matched the quality, service, value and selection that I found online with the PS recommended vendors. We found that being such newbs, seeing a diamond in person under the jewellery store lights, with the salesperson in attendance giving info that was often misleading, really didn't do us much good anyway. What did do us good was being able to look at ASETs, grading reports, macro shots and the wealth of info that we could find online. GOG made us videos of the diamonds we were considering, and any of the vendors we considered had great return policies, so we could see the diamond in a variety of everyday lighting situations once we received it before making our final decision. For us, buying online was a win win situation, and really felt less risky than purchasing locally in the end- we knew exactly what we were getting.

As far as buying settings online, this can be a little trickier, but since you already have very specific style inspiration you should be able to find something much better quality with the amazing advice you are getting here. Good luck!

 

[VRBeauty]

With most PS-recommend vendors you also have the option of asking them to place a stone on hold for a few days while you consider you options and/or get more info about it and others you might be considering. The hold would also prevent someone else from buying the stone out from under you. Not sure if that's possible today since it's a holiday, but it's worth a try.

 

[Gypsy]

Cushions are fancy stones. That means they are much harder to shop for than rounds. Many have poor performance and cutting issues. So it's not just a matter of saying: I want an 80 point I SI1! It takes a lot of hunting sometimes. But, sometimes it doesn't! And GOG is sincerely one of our best vendors for fancies and customer service. They do have a brick and mortar stone in Long Island, NY. They have a great return policy and you can have the stone sent to you and see it in person and see what you think. And if you want we can help you find a local appraiser to take the stone to, for peace of mind.

So the reason I advise to buy the stone now is it is exceptional in cut and performance, LARGE for your budget, and exactly what you want.

Where are you located?

As for this:

One thing I'm wondering about is the crown logo underneath the center stone setting. Would it be realistic to ask them to to remove that or is that not normal? That's just the only other thing I see that I think she'd prefer changed.

Yes, I'm sure that can be changed. The easiest thing to do is ask them to change that from the tulip flower shape (it's not a crown actually) to just a round bezel around the surprise stone.

As for seeing it or not... here is some of Eternity by Yoni's previous work:

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/new-engagement-ring-from-eternity-diamonds.180794/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/new-engagement-ring-from-eternity-diamonds.180794/[/URL]
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/charlotte-has-a-forever-home.200421/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/charlotte-has-a-forever-home.200421/[/URL]

You would have to decide if it's a good fit for you. But I think it's a low risk transaction. And if you buy the stone from GOG then you can shop in person with it for a while and see if anything better pops out at you. If it doesn't, then you know this is always an option.