Help Required - Want to Buy a Diamond Ring

[sam0180]

Hi All,

Our 5th marriage anniversary is coming up in a 2 months. Ever since we were married, my wife has been dying to get a solitaire ring. Unfortunately, I could not afford one when we got married (so she had to settle for one with small multi diamond stones).

I would really like to get her a solitaire ring. My budget is around $2500USD with the setting (my budget is really around $3000, but since i am in canada I will have to pay taxes, etc if I buy online from the US which will bring the price to $3000).

She prefers a setting where the band has small diamonds on it (I believe this is called pave?).

Anyways, I have been reading up on the 4 C's and spent quite a long time on James Allen.

I selected the below setting and diamond and wanted your opinions on how you think they will fit together? Do you think the diamond selected is the best I can get for ~$2000? I know cut is the most important. But I also want the diamond to look as large as possible while not having a tinted color. From what I can see, $2000 can get you an excellent .60 carat diamond. Any thoughts or help would we appreciated

Here is the diamond
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-VS2-Premium-Cut-Round-Diamond-1442333.asp

Here is the setting - I selected this, because it is thin, which I think may look more elegant. It also has the stones, which my wife would like.

http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/pave/18k-White-Gold-Thin-French-Cut-Engagement-Ring.html

 

[JulieN]

J color? http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/J-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1455334.asp

 

[mayerling]

I don't know much about diamonds, but I wanted to say that I love the setting you chose!

 

[TristanC]

I wonder if you would consider platinum if you are going to go with larger french pave. The price goes up about $200, but the fact that you won't need to replate, and can send for repolishing is a bonus in my eyes.

 

[Ravinmad]

here's a .5ct Canadian diamond in a price that allows you to go platinum with the setting and such

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1445233.asp

going pave, you'll have to consider the color of the melee that's going to be used.


As for going thru another site, here's a nice Brian Gavin Diamond that you will get 10% off if you order before the 1st of the month

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/d...ls/0.586-i-vs1-round-diamond-ags-104055878130

and as for a pave setting, you could get this setting in platinum for 1700ish

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/e...nes/the-valentine-micro-pave-1-platinum-5688p

or in white gold its about 925 dollars

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/e...valentine-micro-pave-1-18k-white-gold-5688w18

BGD stones are amazing, and if you talk to them about what you're looking to do, price including any VAT or taxes and such I'm sure they can come up with a combo that will make you smile. For the record, James Allen has some amazing selections too but with the 10% off right now Its hard to overlook if you ready to jump!

 

[sam0180]

Thank you all for your responses.

So it seems, I should go for a platinum settings. Any ideas what the advantages of platinum over white gold are? It seems to be more expensive. Is it because it is easier to maintain?

Also, I like the fact that Brian Gavin has 10% off. The diamond link posted from their site looks great too, but I was wondering why it looks like chunk of the diamond is missing in the picture?

I will look through some of your suggestions and post if I have any further questions.

 

[distracts]

So it seems, I should go for a platinum settings. Any ideas what the advantages of platinum over white gold are? It seems to be more expensive. Is it because it is easier to maintain?

Also, I like the fact that Brian Gavin has 10% off. The diamond link posted from their site looks great too, but I was wondering why it looks like chunk of the diamond is missing in the picture?

For the BGD diamond, are you talking about the reflection on the top? That's just light reflecting off the facet.

If you search the forum, you can find a gazillion threads on platinum vs white gold, many with pictures, but here's a summary: Platinum is heavier, whereas WG is lighter (this is part what makes it more expensive - metal is sold by weight, and a platinum ring and a gold ring of the same size weigh differently, with platinum weighing more. The other part is that platinum rings use more platinum than white gold uses gold - alloys are usually 90 or 95% platinum, whereas gold alloys are usually 58.3 or 75% gold). WG is usually an off-white, slightly yellowish color ("white" as compared to gold-gold) and is plated with rhodium to make it whiter, whereas platinum is naturally white (or greyish, really). Platinum is soft and scratches more easily, which creates a patina over time - this can be polished off. Rhodium is one of the hardest metals, so it scratches much less visibly and gives WG that chrome-shiny look. WG should be replated every so often to keep it looking white and shiny- there's no hard rule as to when, as plating wears off at different rates depending on how well the piece was originally plated, the thickness of the plate, and other factors. It's worth keeping in mind that white gold is usually made with nickel, and a higher-than-you-would-think percentage of people have nickel allergies.

There's no clear answer as to which one is "better" - it really depends on your preference. I prefer platinum, because the heaviness of it feels luxurious to me. But I know some people dislike it for that reason.

Another way to approach this though - I assume your wife is keeping her wedding band? What metal is that in, and would you guys want the new ring to match?

 

[sam0180]

Thanks for the reply. I think you answered my question, I should go with platinum.

The ring my wife currently has is made of gold, and it was giving her a rash on her finger. Also, I will not be matching this new ring to that one.

 

[Amys Bling]

Thanks for the reply. I think you answered my question, I should go with platinum.

The ring my wife currently has is made of gold, and it was giving her a rash on her finger. Also, I will not be matching this new ring to that one.

Then def go with platnium!

 

[distracts]

Thanks for the reply. I think you answered my question, I should go with platinum.

The ring my wife currently has is made of gold, and it was giving her a rash on her finger. Also, I will not be matching this new ring to that one.

Yikes! White gold? She may have a nickel allergy then. Definitely go with platinum, and let her know that she may have a nickel allergy (an allergist or dermatologist can confirm with a patch test). Often with skin allergies like that, the more you are in contact with the offending substance, the worse the allergy gets, so she should probably not wear her ring, or else should coat the inside of it with nail polish or metal enamel until she has her new one. If you are trying to surprise her with the ring, you can tell her you were searching the internet for why the old ring was giving her a rash, or something.

 

[sam0180]

Ok, so I need to take a step back here. I was getting carried away and was going to spend way over my budget.

I was talking with my wife to get a better idea of what she would like

She would definitely like the setting to have some small/micro diamonds on it (I guess this is known as pave). I tried to convince her to consider a simple setting, but she has her mind set. She is ok with a white gold setting (which helps as it is easier to fit my budget rather than platinum).

She wants the diamond to look reasonably big (she is not so concerned about the 4 C's - she just wants a bright diamond that visually looks like a decent size). However, I personally know the 4C's are quite important in order to achieve this.

I guess I am looking for the best value diamonds since my budget is around $3000 with setting. In order to get that sparkle, I think I will need an ideal cut? What if I was to be more flexible on the color and clarity to allow me to get a larger diamond? I was thinking perhaps a diamond with a color in the I to H range and a clarity of SI1, SI2, or VS2?

Regarding the clarity, I read on the forums that it is possible to get diamonds that are SI1 / SI2 that are eye clean. I will definitely be happy if the diamond is simply eye clean. I don't think I need to pay extra for the higher clarity ratings. The only issue is confirming that the diamond is actually eye clean.

Also is it possible to get an H&A type diamond with the above characteristics? What if the diamond is not H&A will it still have that amazing sparkle?

Given the above, can anyone suggest any diamonds / settings that would work?