Help me help my BF’s wallet :)

[Mya2017]

Hi there!

Well the time has come - my other half and I have been talking about rings, and he’ll likely be pulling the trigger in a few months.

I’d like to help him get the best value possible, as he is generous to a fault and I could see him being overcharged by mainstream jewelers. I’ve spent a lot of time utilizing this forum and would greatly appreciate input.

I think we are both okay at 7,000 maximum for the Diamond (Canadian) so about 5,500 US.

Ring size is 7 and I have long fingers, so bigger would definitely be better (1 carat and above). Cut is important (I want sparkly and round!) as well. Colour - it seems we could save some money by going lower on the spectrum if it has a blue flourescence? Clarity - eye clean, SI1.

Setting hasn’t been chosen but we both like channel set, maybe with a taper (excuse my terminology!)

Open to thoughts and suggestions am I asking for too much within this budget? I fear I may be. thank you!

 

[ringo865]

minimizing (or eliminating) diamonds in the band will maximize your center stone budget. You can always get stacking band(s) with diamonds later for anniversaries, and whatnot.

 

[doberman]

A little bit over budget for the diamond. A plain solitaire setting would be the way to go to save $. You can always reset it for an anniversary.

www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3932396.htm?source=pricescope
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3836206.htm?source=pricescope

 

[lambskin]

IMHO, a beautiful solitaire showcases a big beautiful diamond and the smaller diamonds take away from its beauty. The only exception is a three stone ring with baguettes-my favorite style of ER. I would rather have two baguettes of 10-20 points than the same weight in smaller diamonds. You can always get beautiful wedding bands and stackers with diamonds and the more simple your ER the easier it is to find various styles of bands that will look terrific.

 

[msop04]

OP, do you anticipate upgrades in the future? If so, you'll want to consider vendors with good upgrade programs. Lots of PS vendors have the option to trade in and upgrade, but some offer much better options for buyback than others...

...just something to think about.

 

[tyty333]

WF also has this one
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3706894.htm

Nice settings...
https://www.whiteflash.com/engageme...eek-line-pave-diamond-engagement-ring-422.htm not channel but bead set with a
lovely taper
https://www.whiteflash.com/engageme...tani-1rz2487-diamond-engagement-ring-3911.htm channel
https://www.whiteflash.com/engageme...-channel-set-diamond-engagement-ring-2351.htm channel
https://www.whiteflash.com/engageme...-channel-set-diamond-engagement-ring-3199.htm channel
(I prefer bead set where you get the metal along the sides of the diamonds like channel but you actually have little beads of metal holding the stones in...
but this ring is not for me)

 

[rockysalamander]

Once decision you'll have to make is if you want a super-ideal, several lovely ones posted above, or gain a bit of spread with a non-super ideal. For a future upgrade, JA will require you spend 2x the cost of the first stone, while WF imposes no such restriction provided you spend $1 more on the new diamond. Also, WF diamonds are very precisely cut to maximize performance.

The largest of the above stones is 6.55 mm.
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...rat-j-color-vs1-clarity-ideal-cut-sku-4043036 {6.69 mm, gorgeous AGS stone, great numbers}

With lower color diamonds, the side-view will show the most color. So, these settings have decorative gallery designs and 6-prong making that less visible and adding a nice, pretty detail.

Favorite plain solitaires.
https://www.jamesallen.com/engageme...dern-tulip-diamond-engagement-ring-item-50671
https://www.jamesallen.com/engageme...e-flower-solitaire-engagement-ring-item-50125

With pave.
https://www.jamesallen.com/engageme...ench-cut-six-prong-engagement-ring-item-49518
https://www.jamesallen.com/engageme...-gold-trellis-pave-engagement-ring-item-58991

WF 6.55 on left, JA 6.69 on right. Size 6.5 ring. 2 mm band.

 

[rockysalamander]

Have you seen old cuts? This is lovely old cut with a much larger spread. Its a K, but old cuts tend to mask color better than modern diamonds.

http://www.jewelsbygrace.com/1-43ct-old-european-cut-diamond-gia-k-si1 {6.96 mm, GIA graded}

Edited to add. This is a J, VS2. A little smaller but I love the pattern. This should face up very white. 6.58 mm. Table is 48%...so pretty.
http://www.loveaffairdiamonds.com/1-15ct-old-european-cut-diamond-ags-j-vs2/

 

[doberman]

Another one:

https://www.hpdiamonds.com/en-us/diamonddetail/HPD8707

Don't be afraid of the K color!

 

[Mya2017]

AMAZING! Thank you so much for all the input.

The bead set setting is lovely - I hadn’t heard of it before, and I hadn’t considered the 6 prong option either - that will help my comfort level with colour.

I’m not set on ideal and would consider compromising for spread as long as it still sparkled

No plans to upgrade - I think, in line with some of the posts, that a stack of bands would be more likely.

Question - with the Lower colours (J ish), that indicate no flouresence - will this look odd with a band at a better colour?

 

[Mya2017]

I admit to not knowing much about old cuts - are there any downsides? The K coloured one looks yellow in tone - is this the photo or ?

 

[poshmommy]

I have a large ideal cut J and it is very white. No one that has seen it can tell it is lower color. If you put it against a whiter diamond, you may be able to tell a creamy tint, but you could always put stacking bands that are lower color with yours too. I can see a little difference with my G asscher, but ONLY if the asscher is super clean. I have seen an ideal K in person. It faced up very white, but you can see a tint from the side on the K's.

 

[scarsmum]

I’m just going to flog this one again...https://loupetroop.com/listings/rings-natural-diamond-center/reduced-halo-diamond-ring
It’s a great diamond and a great price. You may not like a halo though, but it does give it the dimension that you’re hoping for.

 

[rockysalamander]

I admit to not knowing much about old cuts - are there any downsides? The K coloured one looks yellow in tone - is this the photo or ?

Yup. It has a yellow tone. Anything H and under can have a tone to some (not everyone has great color acuity). But, old cuts have a lot of rainbow light return and tend to make such color less apparent.

Old cuts are just an older style of diamond cutting. The one's I linked to are true antiques. But, the light return and behavior is totally different than a modern round. They are composed of fewer and large facets. Modern diamonds have many more and they are smaller. So, old cuts tend to give big flashes of light, while moderns give lots of fire (pin flashes). Some find old cuts too subtle and some find modern rounds too splintery. Many PS members have both. You have probably seen them in rings worn by women of your grandmother's generation and older. If you visit the Smithsonian, you've certainly seen them. Much of the UK royal collection is composed of old cuts.

In your case, if you like them (click on the video links on those)...they happen to give you more spread for your budget. But, if you have not seen one in person, I'd not recommend you buy one.

 

[Bron357]

I’m just going to flog this one again...https://loupetroop.com/listings/rings-natural-diamond-center/reduced-halo-diamond-ring
It’s a great diamond and a great price. You may not like a halo though, but it does give it the dimension that you’re hoping for.

I agree, that’s a great price for a fully assembled “ready to go” ring. You couldn’t remake it for near that price. Oh, did I mention that my RH finger is a 7.75 - ddddaaarrrrllliiiinnnngggggg I know it’s just 4 days since THIS Christmas but.............