Help with ~ 0.5 Carat Diamond

[Sparky_fry]

After some research It's time to buy the diamond. I am a little hesitant in buying a setting online without seeing it but with knowledge of certs/images (and hopefully help from you guys) I think getting a diamond online is much better than dealing with stores. I am getting a setting custom made by a local jewler who will also set the center diamond for 3K. My girlfriend and I were looking at pave/halo designs in rose gold. She also has a somewhat smaller size 4 finger.

So I have picked out these options:

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/0.515-h-vs1-round-diamond-ags-bl-104087405015#!prettyPhoto[gallery2]/0/

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.45-carat-g-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-2043569

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.51-carat-h-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-1944262

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3222820.htm#

any thoughts? Since the metal will be rose gold I can save a bit on the color?

Also are the super ideals, true hearts etc. cuts work it?

Thanks for any help!

 

[OoohShiny]

Do you have a link to the setting you like online?

Some of the regulars might be able to comment on quality and suggest options


On a side note, $3k for a setting for a half carat diamond seems quite a lot - but that is entirely my personal opinion!!

 

[Sparky_fry]

Thanks for the reply

The 3k does include accent diamonds though. He has said the price would depend on how many/size of the accent diamonds.

Comparing the rings I've been looking at in the store they are ~5k for a lesser quality diamond. I think a 3k custom setting with a better purchased diamond online would for ~2k would be a better purchase? I actually have an appointment scheduled with the jewler in 20 mins.

I've also attached some pics of what we were looking for. The last picture is a 0.4 carat diamnd she liked in the store for $2800.

Thanks again

 

[farrahlyn]

that is a very common style of setting and frankly, unless he's VERY well known for his custom work and quality, 3k could very likely be a rip off. Shop around and put off the purchase of the setting. have you seen any of his custom work?

 

[farrahlyn]

Check this setting out from WHiteflash, a Vatche setting and you could purchase the diamond here and have it set here as well. one stop shopping.

http://www.whiteflash.com/engagemen...ace-diamond-engagement-ring-by-vatche-255.htm

 

[ac117]

Where are you located? I would highly recommend contacting Yekutiel at IDJ. He is the best at maximizing size on a budget and has access to many quality stock settings and also has great benches for custom work!

 

[Sparky_fry]

Thanks for all your replies!

I thought I had mentioned in my original post but I am located in Canada. The prices I have said were all in Canadian dollars. I haven't committed to anything yet but am having a difficult time finding the setting.

@farrahlynm-I really like that setting, It is basically exactly what I'm looking for except that the ring width is a little smaller than what she has suggested. The rings she tried and liked were slightly wide, ~3mm. I had been looking for something around 2.75mm. Do you have any recommendations for this? Most of the bands I've seen online were all below 2.5mm.

Do you suggest any other places for choosing a setting?

 

[farrahlyn]

Thanks for all your replies!

I thought I had mentioned in my original post but I am located in Canada. The prices I have said were all in Canadian dollars. I haven't committed to anything yet but am having a difficult time finding the setting.

@farrahlynm-I really like that setting, It is basically exactly what I'm looking for except that the ring width is a little smaller than what she has suggested. The rings she tried and liked were slightly wide, ~3mm. I had been looking for something around 2.75mm. Do you have any recommendations for this? Most of the bands I've seen online were all below 2.5mm.

Do you suggest any other places for choosing a setting?

I do apologize, i had not realized you were posting in Canadian dollars. I retract what i said about price but you still should look into the quality of his custom work REGARDLESS of price.

what about this one? 2.69mm band

https://www.gabrielny.com/engagement-ring/ER10284W44JJ

ETA this one: 2.80mm band
https://www.gabrielny.com/engagement-ring/ER11724R4W44JJ

i agree with ac117, try Yekutiel at IDJ. I think there is probably a Gabriel NY setting (the two i posted are) that would fit exactly what your lady wants and he can source you a diamond as well. Their CS is reportedly fantastic!

 

[Rhea]

$5000 CAD is about $3750 USD. Is your budget all in, taxes and everything?

Gabriel & Co has some excellent halos for around $2,00 - $3,000 CAD but I don't know if they are offered in Canada. For band width, keep in mind that she'll be adding a wedding band in the future which will make the entire ring wider on her finger.

I like this one www.gabrielny.com/engagement-ring/ER9501W44JJ... It says band width is 1.70 at the very back so I'm guessing it's closer to 2.50 by the halo. It's $2,200 CAD.

www.gabrielny.com/engagement-ring/ER12017W44JJ it's 1.90 at the narrowest, it's $2,650 CAD.
Really pretty but probably too narrow www.gabrielny.com/engagement-ring/ER9509W44JJ
www.gabrielny.com/engagement-ring/ER11445W44JJ 2.20 at back, it's $2,350 CAD

 

[Sparky_fry]

Well 5k is a soft budget. I'm willing to go above that maybe 1-1.5k if the right ring comes along.

There is Gabriel & Co dealer here so I will definitely check them out when I'm able to.

Do you recommend buying the diamond from the store as well? Will it be even possible to buy the setting and stone in different places and have a jewler set it? Or do you think my best option would be to examine the diamonds that the store offers?

Thanks again

 

[OoohShiny]

The diamonds from the recommended vendors on here are the best of the best cut - you are highly unlikely to stumble upon similar quality locally, and if you do, it will be very highly priced with a large mark-up.

By all means do some window shopping to discern what you and your partner like (WRT colour, size, clarity) but resist the hard sell that you will get and come back here to buy the stone.

I did and I am very happy I did - I've not seen anything locally that compares in terms of price or quality!

 

[Sparky_fry]

Thank you all for the helpful advice.

with the recommendations i contacted ID Jewlerry abouth this ring in 0.5 carat:

https://www.gabrielny.com/engagement-ring/ER7525K44JJ#

which is the same one Rhea posted, however this one is meant for a 1 ct diamond so the band is a little thicker at 2.1mm.

Are gabriel NY settings well made?

My only concern is that it is not a full loop ring with the design under the halo. Does anybody have experience with these types of rings and is there anything to be worried about? They said I should be able to get the ring and stone for 4k USD which is my budget. Hopefully the next step is picking out a stone.

Thanks again for all the help!

 

[Sparky_fry]

So there's been a bit of an update. I recieven another quote from a local custom jewler for a more reasonable price. I've attached the images and the gIA of proposed diamonds. Using the hda I know they are not good.

But what are your though on 2k cad custom ring attached?

 

[kb1gra]

I didn't look at the certificate, I'd leave that for someone else, but I would be seriously meh about those CADs.

This isn't an uncommon ring design - you should be able to find it as a ready made setting rather than going custom with people who may or may not be any good at it.

Off the top of my head you've got Unique of New York, who makes a stock setting styled like the Legacy. The gabriel is probably nicer than this.

Stuller makes several stock settings like it, including this one which is basically identical to what you've drawn, so there's no reason to make custom.
http://www.stuller.com/products/build/122793/11967350/?groupId=191457#/mounting-options


That's a lot of setting for a 1/2ct center stone, shown in the CADs but also in general.

 

[Sparky_fry]

Wow thanks for that. How would I go about getting a diamond set in one of those settings?

I've pretty well decided that I'm not going the custom route however this jewler only got back to me now so thought I'd add it to the thread.

 

[Sparky_fry]

And yeah I also agree the the ring in the cad looks really bulky

 

[rubybeth]

A lot of jewelers have access to Stuller settings; you can't buy them directly, they must be purchased via a dealer. ID Jewelry would be one such place (I think). You can just ask if they do.

Also agree that CAD is very bulky. Has your girlfriend tried on a ring that thick? Is she going to pair this with a wedding band of similar width? I ask, because with a finger size around 4, close to 3mm plus another 3mm band is gonna be a lot, a total of 6mm of rings. If that's the look she's going for, that's cool, but she may not be considering band width when looking at engagement rings--she may just like the substantial engagement ring, but most women add a band, too. Maybe you can re-confirm that detail with her you so you'll know if she's going to want a matching band?

 

[kb1gra]

Pretty much any jeweler, at least in the States, can get a Stuller setting.

I am 100% sure Good Old Gold and High Performance Diamonds can. Pretty sure Whiteflash can as well. Would be surprised if ID Jewelry couldn't.

I think these 3mm shanks aren't going to be flattering to a 1/2ct stone. Not that a 1/2 ct is small, it really isn't, but the balance of proportions is more important the smaller the stone is. A band that is 2mm wide is going to look wider next to a 1/2ct than it is next to a 1ct. It might just overwhelm the stone, especially with a band.

Leaving a very generous budget of $2500 for that setting (I'm pretty sure it's a fair bit less than that), you could get this stone:

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond-search/0.52-ascendancy_heart_arrows-I-AGS-I-VS1-diamond-stock-11866-cert-104069991001

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3699542.htm

http://highperformancediamonds.com/shop/i/HPD8132/?shop=yes

Whiteflash has a large selection of color ranges but if you're OK with I color, I grabbed one that is well over 1/2 ct in your pricerange.

I'd ask ID Jewelry to get you a quote on that Stuller setting and a nice stone with your total budget. They are magic with getting the max out of a budget.

 

[Rhea]

I'd stick with a stock setting, even if it's a bit more expensive than going custom. With custom you're having something created for you and if it goes wrong there's probably less you can do about it. It's also a design, with a few minor details, that tons of companies do so there's no reason to go custom and add that stress not knowing how good your jeweller is at pave diamonds. With a stock setting if something goes wrong, especially with one of the bigger companies, they're likely to fix it. They build this setting day in and day out rather than attempting something stupid, like resizing it if they've ordered the incorrect size for you, they'll probably just replace the setting.

The measurements given on Gabriel NY's website are from the back of the ring. If you look at the photos it looks like a lot of the halos which have been posted are wider at the halo and narrower at the back. So 2.1 at the back may actually be 2.5 by the halo. You really cannot look at the 1 carat centre stone rings unless you plan to purchase a 1 carat centre stone. The settings are made to fit a certain size stone and going outside their recommended range may leave a gap or overlap that is not attractive. Ring designers scale up or down to fit different size diamonds. With a $5,000 CAD budget for a fancy setting and diamond you do not have the funds to purchase a good 1 carat diamond for your chosen setting. You can see if Gabriel NY will make the half carat setting in pink gold though.

 

[mrs-b]

Hi Sparky-fry -

I agree you're on the right path with your center diamond, but I think the shank width you're considering is way too wide. With a smaller stone, the wider the band, the smaller the stone will look (actually, this is true of any center diamond). I'd be looking at NO MORE than 2.2mm, and preferably 2mm. There's also plenty of women here on PS with far larger center stones who go down as low as 1.85mm on their band; in my opinion, it's a far more elegant look. That 1mm - .75mm makes a huge difference to the overall look of the ring. Pls make sure your girl has seen rings with slimmer bands so she can see the difference a slimmer band makes to the overall appearance; as it is, I think the halo + wide band overwhelms your center stone pretty comprehensively.

Good luck!

 

[Sparky_fry]

Thank you all for the help! I have officially ruled out a custom ring and will stick stock.

The reason I was going with a thicker ring was when we were looking at rings it seemed she preferred a wider ring. If you look at the last picture in my original post the jeweler said she thought the ring was 3mm? That ring was only 0.4 carats and I thought was kinda underwhelming. Maybe she was wrong on the thickness?

I like the stuller ring but am not a fan of how the ring meets the halo with the round design. It seems to be too much open space under the halo.

I'm leaning towards the garbiel 0.5ct design. It's also hard to judge since she only has a size 4 finger. She actually didn't like the 1ct diamonds since they were so big on her finger (lucky me). But how do you think the garbiel ring will fit given that the band is not a completely round, or is this nothing to worry about?

I'm hoping to get to a local store today that carries gabriel and look at the settings.

 

[rubybeth]

I'm leaning towards the garbiel 0.5ct design. It's also hard to judge since she only has a size 4 finger. She actually didn't like the 1ct diamonds since they were so big on her finger (lucky me). But how do you think the garbiel ring will fit given that the band is not a completely round, or is this nothing to worry about?

I'm hoping to get to a local store today that carries gabriel and look at the settings.

Bolded your concern: I don't think this will be a problem at all. It's just a preference thing. You're talking about how the shank doesn't create a perfect circle all around the finger, but rather the gallery area underneath the center diamond has a little curvy flourish instead with a little bezeled diamond. I think it's a really pretty detail, and makes it look more high-end. It's unique. It's very pretty and romantic, and keep in mind that the view of the ring the wearer most often sees is the side of the ring (like when typing), so if she likes the looks of it, go for it!

Here's the same setting for a half carat stone: https://www.gabrielny.com/engagement-ring/ER9509W44JJ (shown in white gold, but I'm sure they can get in rose gold instead). A half carat stone is a very standard size. You can see how the proportions look in this version, it's very balanced. There are fewer diamonds in the halo, so it looks very nice. I think it will be a great ring for a size 4 finger. Also, at a suggested price of $1,450 US, that's a little under $2k Canadian, so that leaves you about $3,000 Canadian for a diamond, or about $2,200 US. This is definitely do-able.

 

[kb1gra]

They can almost certainly do rose gold in that setting and ID Jewelry offers good prices on the G&Co settings - you might end up with about $2800 towards the diamond which should get you above a half carat if you're interested in that.

 

[Sparky_fry]

I just got back from my local jewlerry store and the had the exact setting we were looking at. It was also cheaper at only 1650 cad. I can also source my own diamond are choose one from their selection. It was nice seeing some rings in person after staring at them from a screen for so long. I've attached pics of the ring with about a 1.65 carat diamond.

 

[kb1gra]

Would you consider buying a stone from Blue Nile Canada and having them set it?

C$1650 for the setting, C$200 for having them set it, and this 0.60 I/VS2 Signature Ideal AGS0 candidate stone with video/pictures available for C$2262.

http://www.bluenile.com/ca/diamond-search?stockno=LD07176540
Search bluenile.ca for LD07176540 if that link doesn't work.

Total price C$4112, leaving you money for any taxes.

 

[Sparky_fry]

It is something I may consider. I do like the option of supporting local and a local jewler is easier to deal with then online if there are any problems. It also seems there may be better diamonds out there, such as the ones already suggested in this thread. I'm also considering increasing carat weight to .6-.7 which is within my budget. I'm also living in Alberta currently and the 5% tax is a bonus.

 

[Rhea]

I like it! I almost didn't post that setting because it was too thin, but it was my favourite.

The setting is also made for 0.75 carats so if you have the budget you may be able to get the next size up as you said. Or if a half carat is simply her size (not everyone believes bigger is better) save the extra few hundred to put toward other expenses.

You like the idea of buying local, that's fine. Gypsy has a cheat sheet of numbers to look for rounds. Can the store source and bring in anything with those numbers? Do they charge you to call in diamonds?

If they cannot get diamonds you'd like at a price that works for you, will they set outside diamonds so that at least you can support the local business by purchasing the setting from them? Double check the conditions for this.

5000 budget - 1650 setting = 3350 for a diamond. The cost of the setting does go up a bit for bigger diamonds. And save a bit for the actual cost of setting if you don't purchase your diamond from the same place.

 

[Sparky_fry]

I did ask them if I could source my own diamonds and they said that is fine. I will double check this. If I can't then I'd buy the setting and diamond online. They said they will give me the option of a few diamonds first however. The model number of the ring is also the same number as the thicker band with a .65 carat diamond. I like that look and may look for a diamond around the same size.