How big is "too big" for a 4.5 ring size finger?

SDplaya · Feb 21, 2012

I'm curious just how big is too big as I was leaning towards a 1.70 or 1.80 carat stone but then found out my GF's hands are very small and she has a 4.5 ring finder size. This has me thinking that a 1.50 carat stone will be pretty darn big and work just fine. Thoughts?

AllieLuv83 · Feb 21, 2012

6ct would be too big

Skippy123 · Feb 21, 2012

SDplaya|1329849740|3130936 said:
I'm curious just how big is too big as I was leaning towards a 1.70 or 1.80 carat stone but then found out my GF's hands are very small and she has a 4.5 ring finder size. This has me thinking that a 1.50 carat stone will be pretty darn big and work just fine. Thoughts?

have you asked her what size she likes? I hve a 1.5 rb size 5 1/4 finger & it feels great to me but people vary so I guess it depends on her likes

Dreamer_D · Feb 21, 2012

What does SHE think?

My friend has small fingers and she tried on my former 1.67ct solitaire and felt silly and cartoonish wearing it. She prefers a stone no bigger than 1.2ct. Other women clearly feel differently

Do try rings on, its fun and romantic.

Amys Bling · Feb 21, 2012

Dreamer_D|1329850136|3130942 said:
What does SHE think?
My friend has small fingers and she tried on my former 1.67ct solitaire and felt silly and cartoonish wearing it. She prefers a stone no bigger than 1.2ct. Other women clearly feel differently Do try rings on, its fun and romantic.

Yup. Honestly some women would only feel comfortable wearing a certain size because of lifestyle, job, social norms of the area, friend's diamond sizes... for others- there is no such thing as too big!

OCgirl · Feb 21, 2012

I guess it depends on her age, her social circle, where she lives, her dressing style, her normal activities (active in sports)... etc.

I wear a size 4.25/4.5. I'm in my late 20s but I grew up and live in a pretty affluent area. I think "too big" for my age and location *for me* would be 1.8+ ct. I would not feel comfortable wearing anything bigger right now (I think once I get older it's gonna be different). I think a good average size is 1.0 - 1.25 ct. If you want to really go "WOW", then 1.5 - 1.7 is fine. I have a 1.22 ct right now for your reference.

SDplaya · Feb 21, 2012

Well I should re-phrase in that I shouldn't be so caught up in stretching my budget to accommodate a 1.8 carat when the 1.50 carat stones look awesome and I can upgrade a level or two on clarity.

OCgirl · Feb 21, 2012

I saw in your other post that you are looking for an asscher cut. An asscher cut faces up smaller so I think a 1.5 ct asscher will look more similar to a 1.2 - 1.3 ct round face up. The thing with step cuts is you see inclusions easier so it's safer to stick with VS clarities. For round cuts I would not worry about dropping to SI1. Regardless I think a 1.5 ct asscher will look amazing on a 4.5 finger. What setting are you considering?

Dancing Fire · Feb 21, 2012

SDplaya|1329849740|3130936 said:
I'm curious just how big is too big as I was leaning towards a 1.70 or 1.80 carat stone but then found out my GF's hands are very small and she has a 4.5 ring finder size. This has me thinking that a 1.50 carat stone will be pretty darn big and work just fine. Thoughts?

i think your asking the wrong crowd...

diamondseeker2006 · Feb 21, 2012

It makes a huge difference if you are looking at asschers since they face up smaller than rounds. It also depends on what kind of setting you are planning. If we know those, we can help you.

Also, does she have any sisters or good friends who have engagement rings? If so, what shape and size diamonds do they have?

makemepretty · Feb 21, 2012

I wear a size 4.25 and have a 2 ct round, I don't find it too large for daily wear. I also wear a a 2 ct eternity with it and don't find it too blingy. I think the sizes you are looking at sound great. Honestly, there is no such thing as too big a diamond...well, not in my lifetime at least. Better too large than too small! Plus, even if it seems big to her at first, that will go away after awhile when she's used to it.

Amys Bling · Feb 21, 2012

How big is "too big" for a 4.5 ring size finger?

SDplaya said:
Well I should re-phrase in that I shouldn't be so caught up in stretching my budget to accommodate a 1.8 carat when the 1.50 carat stones look awesome and I can upgrade a level or two on clarity.

I think that is a good way of looking at it. If a 1.8 is a real stretch for your budget then go 1.5-1.6 range. It will look great on her

SCDP · Feb 21, 2012

This is such a personal preference. When my fiance and I went to some local jewelry stores to try on rings I got a good laugh from everyone because I put on what was probably a 1.5-1.8 ct round brilliant and immediately said "this is too big". The owner and salespeople all said "I've never heard that before!" But to me it honestly felt too big, it made me self conscious, and I would have been uncomfortable riding the metro and working at my job with such a big stone. Others do not have this problem, and who is to say what may happen in a few years when we are more established in our careers (I'm 25, he's 26). I may decide I want to upgrade! For now I am in love with my 1.22 ct August Vintage Cushion (faces about 6.0 by 6.5mm so about the size of a 1ct round).

SDplaya · Feb 21, 2012

Awesome help, and yes I am in the asscher market. She loves them but I've learned a ton about Asschers that i know now to avoid an SI-1 but man it was a beauty and a few thousands more than I'd like to spend, plus the cut was only good and symmetry as well.

I haven't even thought about setting yet but know that my best bet would be a nice solitaire and then on our 1yr anniversary we could pick out something different if she wanted to. A few sites like to mention that approach and I know its marketing but I'm afarid to pick a setting she won't like, so my thoughts are simple for now. What settings work best for 1.50-1.60 ASSCHER?

OCgirl · Feb 21, 2012

SDplaya|1329866839|3131205 said:
Awesome help, and yes I am in the asscher market. She loves them but I've learned a ton about Asschers that i know now to avoid an SI-1 but man it was a beauty and a few thousands more than I'd like to spend, plus the cut was only good and symmetry as well.

I haven't even thought about setting yet but know that my best bet would be a nice solitaire and then on our 1yr anniversary we could pick out something different if she wanted to. A few sites like to mention that approach and I know its marketing but I'm afarid to pick a setting she won't like, so my thoughts are simple for now. What settings work best for 1.50-1.60 ASSCHER?

I love asscher cuts too but I have a round as my engagement ring. A solitaire or a pave band setting on a asscher always takes my breath away.

Have you looked at the Octavia collection at GOG? I drool over the asschers listed there from time to time. They charge a bit of premium but the cuts are absolutely beautiful.

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/7104/

SDplaya · Feb 21, 2012

OC Girl, thanks for the setting help, i need to check that out a bit more. I did look at Good as Gold's asscher's and the premium is just too much over my budget for comparable stones that Ive seen online from some other vendors. They are gorgeous though...

OCgirl · Feb 21, 2012

AsschrFan · Feb 21, 2012

I'm the owner of that thin solitaire ring & my guess is that for a 1.5 carat asscher you might want to go up to ~ 2mm width.

I think it's a great idea to go with a solitaire setting for a couple reasons: 1) it's classic 2) it's usually less expensive so if you want to upgrade later, not a big deal 3) you can pair with many different wedding rings. I want a diamond wedding band which is why I picked a non-pave solitaire - for me, I really wanted the clean lines of the asscher cut to shine through. If I had a pave e-ring & diamond wedding band, I think my stone would get lost. That might be different in a 1.5 carat size though. Just my 2 cents

Haven · Feb 21, 2012

I'm have to say that I just plain don't agree with the advice that is so often given in response to questions like this. I really don't think it matters what size rings her friends wear, where you live, what size her sisters wear, etc.

In my opinion, the only things that matter are:
1) What is your budget?
2) What does SHE want?

If her wants fit in your budget, then you have your answer right there. If she wants more than your budget can handle, then you figure out what her priority is, and get the best stone you can based on what's most important to her. Period.

As for me, I don't really think anything is too big when you're talking about Asschers. But that's just me, and my preferences shouldn't mean squat to you.

Gypsy · Feb 21, 2012

OCgirl|1329851751|3130968 said:
I saw in your other post that you are looking for an asscher cut. An asscher cut faces up smaller so I think a 1.5 ct asscher will look more similar to a 1.2 - 1.3 ct round face up. The thing with step cuts is you see inclusions easier so it's safer to stick with VS clarities. For round cuts I would not worry about dropping to SI1. Regardless I think a 1.5 ct asscher will look amazing on a 4.5 finger. What setting are you considering?

More like a 1 carat round if you are talking about a 1.5 asscher. If you are shopping for asschers. No, you will be find with H VS2 and as big as you can get with that. Bigger is better with asschers.

1.5 asschers face up at 6.5 ish. That's the spread of a 1 carat RB.

SDplaya · Feb 21, 2012

Haven|1329873314|3131294 said:
I'm have to say that I just plain don't agree with the advice that is so often given in response to questions like this. I really don't think it matters what size rings her friends wear, where you live, what size her sisters wear, etc.

In my opinion, the only things that matter are:
1) What is your budget?
2) What does SHE want?

If her wants fit in your budget, then you have your answer right there. If she wants more than your budget can handle, then you figure out what her priority is, and get the best stone you can based on what's most important to her. Period.

As for me, I don't really think anything is too big when you're talking about Asschers. But that's just me, and my preferences shouldn't mean squat to you.

Well said. I am beating myself over this and I know she will love anything I get her. What i do know is that the size matters due to the Asscher shape and how they face up and leave so much of stone on the bottom.

SDplaya · Feb 21, 2012

Gypsy|1329873490|3131296 said:
OCgirl|1329851751|3130968 said:

I saw in your other post that you are looking for an asscher cut. An asscher cut faces up smaller so I think a 1.5 ct asscher will look more similar to a 1.2 - 1.3 ct round face up. The thing with step cuts is you see inclusions easier so it's safer to stick with VS clarities. For round cuts I would not worry about dropping to SI1. Regardless I think a 1.5 ct asscher will look amazing on a 4.5 finger. What setting are you considering?

Click to expand...

More like a 1 carat round if you are talking about a 1.5 asscher. If you are shopping for asschers. No, you will be find with H VS2 and as big as you can get with that. Bigger is better with asschers.

1.5 asschers face up at 6.5 ish. That's the spread of a 1 carat RB.

Gypsy would i be digging too low in color with an I color? Bigger is better due to the fact of how it faces up correct? I can be very happy with an H , VS2 but I've also learned on here just how important cut is. Should I be lured by the marketing machine on say BN's "Signature" cut of James Allen's hearts, etc?

Gypsy · Feb 21, 2012

Any one claiming to have an "ideal" asscher is just assigning their own criteria unless it's a branded asscher (Octavia or Royal Asscher). There is no cut standard for asschers. And there are more duds out there than nice stones.

I would be okay with an I color stone if it eeked out a little more size. But it will show some tint. I don't find it objectionable.

Just because you SEE color doesn't mean you have to be offended by it. Seeing it just means you have functioning eyes. Liking or disliking color is all subjective and depends on what looks good to you and what doesn't.

With asschers everything depends on how they look. Faceting is the most important thing. Followed by being eyeclean.

Gypsy · Feb 21, 2012

I personally wouldn't buy from Blue Nile because you cant' see the asscher before you buy it and seeing the asscher is really the best way to evaluate if you have a good one or a bad one.

That said, the best cut you can buy is what you should go for. I know Engagement Rings Direct has found some lovely step cuts in the past, I'd give Mark a call and give him your budget and your specs and see what he comes up with for you. His photography skill have recently gotten much better and he's very good with budgets (unlike some other vendors that are good with fancy cuts).

SDplaya · Feb 21, 2012

Gypsy|1329875225|3131322 said:
I personally wouldn't buy from Blue Nile because you cant' see the asscher before you buy it and seeing the asscher is really the best way to evaluate if you have a good one or a bad one.

That said, the best cut you can buy is what you should go for. I know Engagement Rings Direct has found some lovely step cuts in the past, I'd give Mark a call and give him your budget and your specs and see what he comes up with for you. His photography skill have recently gotten much better and he's very good with budgets (unlike some other vendors that are good with fancy cuts).

Appreciate that gypsy, I will do that. Should I focus on 4 step stones that are the true asscher or still allow 3 step ones to be acceptable.

How have jamesallen's Asschers scored in your mind? They are showing me a lot of nice stones but most have 3 steps...cut on them is always excellent and close to 1.01 ratios.

NOYFB · Feb 21, 2012

SDplaya|1329866839|3131205 said:
Awesome help, and yes I am in the asscher market. She loves them but I've learned a ton about Asschers that i know now to avoid an SI-1 but man it was a beauty and a few thousands more than I'd like to spend, plus the cut was only good and symmetry as well.

I haven't even thought about setting yet but know that my best bet would be a nice solitaire and then on our 1yr anniversary we could pick out something different if she wanted to. A few sites like to mention that approach and I know its marketing but I'm afarid to pick a setting she won't like, so my thoughts are simple for now. What settings work best for 1.50-1.60 ASSCHER?

I just wanted to say that my asscher is an SI1 and is eye clean, so it IS possible to find one. You just have to go and look at them. I looked at countless different diamonds before choosing mine!

Good luck! Can't wait to see what you find!

Gypsy · Feb 21, 2012

Cut on them being excellent is nothing but them running numbers and using very wide criteria. I'd be fine with a three step asscher. I'm not even sure what my own is actually...lol. Bad Gypsy.

James Allen has a lot of selection, but you will be doing the chosing yourself out of dozens of choices, and as you don't have a trained eye what you pick may not be the best of the best. I can do a search for you on there if you like, please post what you want and your budget. The price reflects that self service model. With a vendor with a different business model, you give them your criteria and budget and they weed out the duds and give you three, for example, top contenders to chose from. Provide you with images and other tools to help you evaluate. Then you can chose from those, tell them to keep looking, or pick something from a different vendor. I think that having someone with a good eye, like Mark, help you with something as difficult as asschers is a plus. That doesn't mean you can't continue to hunt on your own or with us as well, though.

Gypsy · Feb 21, 2012

Mine is a four step apparently. LOL. Possibly a five step ( I think there are 5 steps, are there? My memory isn't what it used to be), not sure. But it isn't three for sure. But I HAVE seen lovely three step ones. So don't rule them out. Mine for reference [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/forum/download/file.php?id=92290']https://www.pricescope.com/forum/download/file.php?id=92290[/URL]

stargurl78 · Feb 21, 2012

Haven said:
I'm have to say that I just plain don't agree with the advice that is so often given in response to questions like this. I really don't think it matters what size rings her friends wear, where you live, what size her sisters wear, etc.

In my opinion, the only things that matter are:
1) What is your budget?
2) What does SHE want?

If her wants fit in your budget, then you have your answer right there. If she wants more than your budget can handle, then you figure out what her priority is, and get the best stone you can based on what's most important to her. Period.

As for me, I don't really think anything is too big when you're talking about Asschers. But that's just me, and my preferences shouldn't mean squat to you.

Ditto this. Perfectly said.

SDplaya · Feb 21, 2012

Gypsy|1329876225|3131339 said:
Cut on them being excellent is nothing but them running numbers and using very wide criteria. I'd be fine with a three step asscher. I'm not even sure what my own is actually...lol. Bad Gypsy.

James Allen has a lot of selection, but you will be doing the chosing yourself out of dozens of choices, and as you don't have a trained eye what you pick may not be the best of the best. I can do a search for you on there if you like, please post what you want and your budget. The price reflects that self service model. With a vendor with a different business model, you give them your criteria and budget and they weed out the duds and give you three, for example, top contenders to chose from. Provide you with images and other tools to help you evaluate. Then you can chose from those, tell them to keep looking, or pick something from a different vendor. I think that having someone with a good eye, like Mark, help you with something as difficult as asschers is a plus. That doesn't mean you can't continue to hunt on your own or with us as well, though.

Ok, I like these from James Allen, the vendor I feel most comfortable with so far. I did have a great conversation with Brian Gavin who is going to send me a few stone ideas as well. Blue Nile is out, I just dont get how they have zero pics at all. I have a few from Whiteflash as well. My choices so far:

Bigger sizes (SI-1 but seem eye clean)

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Asscher-Diamond-1373836.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Asscher-Diamond-1113854.asp

Just right

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/asscher-cut-loose-diamond-2723741.htm

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Asscher-Diamond-1302268.asp (this might be best overall?)

I know the title of this thread has morphed so let me know if I should re-post as what diamond is best thread.

How big is "too big" for a 4.5 ring size finger?

Rough_Rock

Brilliant_Rock

Super_Ideal_Rock

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Super_Ideal_Rock

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Rough_Rock

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Ideal_Rock

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