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Help for a Novice

procaregiver

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Messages
8
First and foremost, I want to give thanks to the Pricescope community. I have been lurking for the past two weeks and am continuing to learn more and more every day.

I am looking to bite the bullet and make an engagement ring purchase. I will be making my purchase from James Allen and have a few questions regarding the ring and center stone. My budget for this entire purchase is $6500. I'm planning on using the PriceScope discount, along with the 1.5% wire transfer discount.

I've decided on the .30ct Common Prong Brilliant Diamond Engagement Ring. The question is: White Gold or Platinum?
http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/settings-with-sidestones/Common-Prong-Engagement-Ring.html
http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/settings-with-sidestones/Platinum-Common-Prong-Ring.html

A week ago there was no question in my mind... White Gold. Since then, I've read about the upkeep required, rhodium plating, white gold turning yellow, and issues with rubbing against a wedding band. Can somebody put my worries to rest and convince me White Gold is the way to go, or that I should suck it up and go Platinum?

Regarding the center stone, these are my requirements...

Princess Cut
Minimum 1.00 ct
Clarity VS2 or SI1 (eye clean)
Color F-H (realistically, I want the center stone to be more colorless than the sidestones)
Total Depth 65% to 75%
Ratio 1.00 to 1.05
Table Below 75%
Cut Ideal/Premium (based on JA ratings)

Ultimately, I'd like to get the largest eye clean stone as possible, that is a great cut and is not going to look yellow compared to the ring's sidestones.

These are the stones I've picked out so far. As a novice, which ones have issues that I've missed and which would be the best choice for what I'm looking for?

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds-search/?View=4&Tab=3&Comparison=1381080,1376607,1337696,1373996,1378670,1384361,1389222,1376096,1326962,1350175

Although its not the biggest, I am really drawn to this one. http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/F-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1384361.asp

Thanks in advance for all of your help!
 

slg47

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Apr 4, 2010
Messages
9,667
there is nothing wrong with white gold. you will need to replate it occasionally (frequency will depend on the wearer's skin) but many people prefer white gold.

as far as having the center stone be visible whiter than the sidestones, I am not sure if that is realistic. the sidestones will appear whiter because they are much smaller. however if you stick with F-H the center stone will not look 'yellow' in comparison.

I am not crazy about the last one you picked because it appears to have some dark zones.

these might be promising?
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS1-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1384796.asp
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS1-Premium-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1381196.asp
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/F-VS1-Premium-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1389214.asp
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1371203.asp
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS2-Good-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1349947.asp

also keep in mind JA will only let you request 3 ASET images so make sure to choose ones you are really interested in.
 

procaregiver

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Messages
8
I didn't know I could request ASET images, so I've already learned something new.

Regarding the color of the center stone, I worded that incorrectly. I'm not looking for the center stone to look noticeable colorless in comparison to the sidestones. I'm looking for the center stone to match the sidestones and or for the center stone not to be noticeably more yellow than the sidestones. If that makes any sense...

Good suggestion so far; I'm taking a good look at them.
 

farmer gal

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Mar 26, 2011
Messages
1,063
If you are at all interested I would call and put three of them on hold and request asset images. It seems like diamonds have been getting snatched up really quickly :wink2: The diamonds that have been posted all look really great!
 

Christina...

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Mar 7, 2011
Messages
5,028
NO worries, the setting that you chose will not make your center stone look yellow. The diamonds in your setting are very small and even though they are not D E F in color they will appear white and a great match to your center stone. My sides are G H (all from JA as well) and they don't even make my I center stone look yellow, they are just too tiny.
 

TristanC

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jun 6, 2011
Messages
995
I personally love platinum. It develops patina much more slowly, and it is a more metallic patina. White gold to me at least seems more yellow shortly. It is presented as very white, but it tends to degrade faster.

As to rhodium plating, it makes it last longer and ups the white factor. But it depends on whether you're ok with slightly yellowish tones, or you like the more 'metallic' patina of platinum. It is far more forgiving of a casual attitude towards cleaning as well.
 

farmer gal

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Mar 26, 2011
Messages
1,063
I would go with the white gold. With your budget I personally would try to hit the 1 carat since diamond prices keep raising. On a tight budget I don't think it is worth getting platinum. I have a white gold bridal set and it doesn't look yellow in the slightest. You will once a year probably have to get it redipped but it takes a couple of minutes and it is not a big deal :twirl:
 

procaregiver

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Messages
8
Thanks everybody for the input. I was not able to make a purchase when I first opened this, however am back in action and looking to make a purchase in the next two days. I am having a huge problem trying to narrow down choices this time and am stuck with a lot of 18. I'd like to get it narrowed down before I ask JA to confirm eye clean and then narrow further down to 3 to request ASET images. Any additional help in first narrowing and removing some of these from my list would be appreciated.

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds-search/?View=4&Tab=3&Comparison=1385267,1384475,1376513,1392214,1361948,1371003,1381196,1378670,1337739,1392268,1314652,1376096,1377333,1384790,1384793,1389432,1390372,1370737
 

procaregiver

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Messages
8
I ended up with one of farmer gal's suggestions in my final 3. The following have been places on hold and I'm awaiting ASET images. I'm coming in a squeeze under budget, so I think I'm going to up the band to platinum over white gold. Thanks for your help and I'll post the images once I receive them!

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/E-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1361948.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS1-Premium-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1381196.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1378670.asp
 

procaregiver

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Messages
8
As promised, I am including the three ASET images and need opinions and which one to get. Any help would be appreciated!

1361948
1361948aset.jpg

1378670
1378670aset.jpg

1381196
1381196aset.jpg
 

stone-cold11

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Sep 9, 2008
Messages
14,083
Seems like the ASET are mis-labeled. Facet structure of middle ASET looks like it should belongs to the 1381196 instead of 1378670.

Prefer the middle ASET.
 

procaregiver

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Messages
8
Thanks for the reply, I believe you're right. I sent out a reply to the JA associate asking for confirmation. As much as I am drawn to 1361948 being an eye clean E, if that middle image really is 1381196, I guess the medium-blue fluorescence will help whiten up the G color.

Also, they're claiming that 1361948 has the best light performance of the bunch. Isn't that not true, with the amount of white (light leakage)?
 

Dreamer_D

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Dec 16, 2007
Messages
25,241
Scone posted ASET looks best to me, whichever stone that is. A G color stone will look perfectly colorless to most people.

The issues with wear on the ring you selected is in part its style. Most shared prong rings rub adjacent rings, so if you wear two together you will get wear and it will likely make the rhodium wear faster with wg. It will also scratch and patina platinum faster. Do you think the wearer will want her rings looking always very perfect? If so you might want to choose a plain gold.plat solitaire rather than a shared prong setting.

Both wg and plat have maintenance issues. Some people hate rhodium plating and have bad luck to require it often, other people hate platinum and how it scratches. Six in one half dozen in the other really, maintenance is required or else you just have to accept the look of rhodium free wg or patinad plat!

You can look for white metals that don't need rhodium. Stuller X1 is on metal like that, as is palladium white gold I believe.
 

procaregiver

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Messages
8
I just got off the phone with JA. The images were swapped, and I got rid of 1378670.

1361948
1361948aset.jpg

1381196
1378670aset.jpg

And I'm in a huge dilema. The gemologist's report says that 1361948 has the best lighting performance, however the ASET images show otherwise. Who am I to go against the gemologist's opinion when I'm a novice. Ugh...
 

stone-cold11

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Sep 9, 2008
Messages
14,083
Doubt that. The leakage shown in the ASET correspond well with what is seen in the loupe image, so that almost rules out bad image taking.

EDT:
This is a reference chart on ASET image. Even if there is a tilt in the image taking, at worst it is a slight tilt, it should not show that much leakage.
http://www.ideal-scope.com/1.using_reference_chart_ASET.asp
 

tyty333

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Dec 17, 2008
Messages
27,198
Definitly no to 1361948. That is not the way a well cut princess aset should look. If you want some good examples to compare
with look at Whiteflash's ACA princess line asets. It will show you what a good aset should look like. All that white/light blue
area is bad (leakage).

A few examples:

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut-loose-diamond-2594763.htm
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut-loose-diamond-2561950.htm
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut-loose-diamond-2540817.htm

EDIT -Just in case it wasnt quite clear, I'm not talking about the differences in the way JA/whiteflash take their asets I'm talking
about how well/poorly the stone reflects light.
 

procaregiver

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Messages
8
This is why I knew coming to this community for help was the right thing to do. So whats the opinion on 1381196? The diamond after PriceScope discount is $4600. I really don't know whether I could get a better performing diamond for that good of a price. What do we think with the image, the GIA cert, and the ASET image?
 
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