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Helping my niece research her (potential) engagement ring

Thanks all..given she's open the door to white diamonds, I am gonna take a step back and get a better sense what kind of settings appeal to her, then once we have a few options, start narrowing in on stone shapes, then actual stones.

If there is a 'where the heck do we start thread' please do send it along. It's not in the reference sticky at the top of the page.

Now, if you excuse me, I'm gonna go put on my late great aunt's (avatar) ring for some afternoon sparkle :)
 
Thinking aloud...

..your niece is young and 5K is a lot of money, so IMHO buying an expensive extravagant ring is a waste of money she'll regret.

I'd help her to get
an extravant ring only if under 1k
OR
a classic quality 5k ring she'll enjoy for many years to come.
 
purplesilk said:
Thinking aloud...

..your niece is young and 5K is a lot of money, so IMHO buying an expensive extravagant ring is a waste of money she'll regret.

I'd help her to get
an extravant ring only if under 1k
OR
a classic quality 5k ring she'll enjoy for many years to come.
Click to expand...

i think you're saying her tastes may change if it's a trendy or avant garde type of ring vs a classic style but i don't know if i agree if she finds something she loves. a lot of people prefer non-traditional rings. she's just starting the search process and it's good to consider all her options.
 
@bludiva : many women have extravagant tastes when they're young, then they start to appreciate classic style when they get older, just expressing my opinion.
 
Again, just expressing MY opinion and giving another point of view
 
bludiva said:
i think you're saying her tastes may change if it's a trendy or avant garde type of ring vs a classic style but i don't know if i agree if she finds something she loves. a lot of people prefer non-traditional rings. she's just starting the search process and it's good to consider all her options.
Click to expand...

Agree. I'm going to show her a lot of options, then focus on a ring she loves now....and if her tastes change as she grows older, then we'll cross that bridge when it happens. But not going to sacrifice bling or quality in the short term. For many reasons, I want her to have all the happiness in the world if/when she looks at her ring.

In the words of the immortal Josiah Bartlet, "What's Next?" :)
 
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TechieTechie said:
Agree. I'm going to show her a lot of options, then focus on a ring she loves now....and if her tastes change as she grows older, then we'll cross that bridge when it happens. But not going to sacrifice bling or quality in the short term.

In the words of the immortal Josiah Bartlet, "What's Next?" :)
Click to expand...

That's a good idea- and if you could steer her in the direction of a nice stone whether it is a gray spinel, a black diamond, or whatever she likes, that can be reset eventually if she wants, that's a win too!
 
Would she take a grey spinel? I know an amazing grey spinel that would fit in a gaudy af ring on eBay
 
Niel said:
Would she take a grey spinel? I know an amazing grey spinel that would fit in a gaudy af ring on eBay
Click to expand...

Bring it on! I think at this point, everything is on the table. She does have a small hand, if that makes a difference.
 
The first thing that came to mind was Carrie Bradshaw's black diamond from Sex in the City.

www.glamour.com

Would You Want a Black Diamond Engagement Ring?

Sure, Carrie Bradshaw could rock a black diamond—Big gifted her one in Sex and the City 2—but would a black diamond work on a real-life girl?
www.glamour.com www.glamour.com

Since she is now open to more "traditional" diamonds, my recommendation is to go with a colorless or near colorless diamond as her tastes may change. Although, she can always get a 2nd engagement ring later on too!
 
diamondsR4eVR said:
I was also thinking there’s a host on QVC and I’ve always admired her black stone. You can look at her IG page to get a better look.
That’s where I grabbed this picture:
61872ABA-C2FF-4319-B5A0-DD57E795F79C.jpeg
Click to expand...

I love this! What’s the name of the IG?
 
A white diamond solitaire in black rhodium would be lovely, or does she want a unique antique like a georgian or edwardian ring? Or something new but different like these? 20200418_214103.jpg
 
Check out Misfitdiamonds on Instagram. They also have stones for sale online. They specialize in grey diamonds.
 
She could do colorful

0.63ct Yellow SI2 Oval Diamond Ring

This is a gorgeous .63ct Fancy Yellow SI2 oval shape diamond set into a split shank diamond halo ring with pink diamonds.
www.diamondsbylauren.com

BF0AB3ED-C26E-422F-A830-BC7F9F71C8CA.jpeg

Mix and match

1.38ct M SI1 Radiant Cut Diamond Ring

This is a great 1.38ct M SI1 Radiant Cut Diamond Ring. We set this in our super popular pink halo setting - a light Pink Lemonade.
www.diamondsbylauren.com

DDB4CC69-1655-4E36-9EE4-209701EABAE9.png
 
Then really she has her pick of whatever setting she could want with her budget
 
Did she buy it? I hope so I see it’s sold
 
I noticed that too.
 
Just trying to explain my point of view.

Your niece should think about durability and wearability - both of mounting and stone.
Does she plan to wear her engagement ring everyday or only on special occasions?
Some semiprecious stones are beautiful but they are too soft for everyday wear.
Does she plan to stack the e-ring with a wedding band?
Some fancy mountings can be fun but they don't t allow to stack with a wedding band.
If you niece doesn't t like the classic solitaire, she can choose other wearable styles like three stones, halo, toi and moi,..., but please help her to get a setting and a stone she won't be ashamed by in few years.
About salt and pepper diamonds: I think they're a waste of money.
ANYWAY de gustibus non disputandum est.
Best to you and to your niece,
purplesilk
 

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Have her check out Misfit Diamonds on Instagram, he does have a fair amount of diamonds that might fit her interest. He is a wholesaler( think that's how he described himself) gladly directs prospective customers to Jewelers. Or if you have a jeweler then they can work together on making the purchase/ ring. Elliot Gaskin has also shown pretty grey diamonds ( also on Instagram) solitaires and eternity rings. Hope that's helpful.
 
Niel said:
Did she buy it? I hope so I see it’s sold
Click to expand...

Niel, she did not. Too early in the process. I'm getting closer to understand what she likes in settings, then we'll go from there.
 
TechieTechie said:
Niel, she did not. Too early in the process. I'm getting closer to understand what she likes in settings, then we'll go from there.
Click to expand...

Ah someone else here must have. I’d been for sale for ages but sold last night
 
Okay, spoke with her today. She wants:

1. Ring she can wear 24/7 (which means stone hardness will be a factor)
2. She likes: Halo, Tiffany, and Cluster/gypsy styles
3. She wants an ER that will allow for a wedding band
4. She likes Art Deco 1920s styles (but we need to narrow that down a LOT). She's open to modern stuff too.
5. Salt and Pepper not a requirement (she thought it was affordable, but she's not married to it).

I proposed spending a weekend ring shopping in Chicago or New York (once stay at homes are lifted) just so she can try on a lot of rings to see what styles she likes. Totally psyched about that idea.

Cannot believe my little Banana is really considering this. I was literally in the delivery room when she was born (sniff sniff).
 
REVISED FACTS (I hate that you can't update old posts after awhile)

The Basics
1. Ring she can wear 24/7 (which means stone hardness will be a factor)
2. Ring size is 4.5.
3. She likes: Halo, Tiffany, and Cluster/gypsy setting styles
4. She likes: round, oval, and pear-shaped stones
5. She wants white gold, platinum or rose gold for metal
6. She wants an ER that will allow for a wedding band

The we'll figure it out as we go section:
a. She likes Art Deco 1920s styles (but we need to narrow that down a LOT). She's open to modern stuff too.
b. Salt and Pepper stones not a requirement (she thought it was affordable, but she's not married to it).
 
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