how large a stone...

[pooji]

Hi all.

My situation is that i would very much like to propose to my north-american girlfriend early next year. Knowing that in Canada, it is still customary to give an engagement ring, I would really enjoy any help you could give me on how large the ring should be, how much to spend, et cetera.

My girlfriend has medium size hands (for a girl, anyway with not-so-long fingers. I love her hands, but it seems that she is not so happy. maybe a diamond will change that?

*ggg*

Thanks in advance, and keep your fingers crossed!

Regards from Switzerland

 

[magna2]

pooji,

Welcome aboard.

----------------
On 10/28/2003 3:57:04 AM pooji wrote:



Knowing that in Canada, it is still customary to give an engagement ring, I would really enjoy any help you could give me on how large the ring should be, how much to spend, et cetera. blockquote>



Please be advised that typically engagement rings have diamonds that are about 0.75 ct in size. However, if you ask on this board for advice on the size of e-ring diamond you'll get recommendations of 1+ ct weight. You should buy a diamond that is within your budget. If you are buying the e-ring through financing arrangements then it is my opinion that you have already overextended yourself on cost. Buy what you can comfortably afford - only you can truly answer that.

Now, regarding your question of what to buy. I would recommend that you first go through the tutorial on this site and educate yourself on the four "C"s if you have not already done so. After familiarizing yourself on what the "C"s are then you can proceed on looking for a diamond and buy informed and wisely. However, prior to proceeding, you must determine what your priorities are in terms of the "C"s.

Personnally, I would put cut above all others. A well cut diamond will increase the likelihood that it will be a very good performer. After you've set your cut parameters then search for a diamond that fits your other criteria (i.e., carat size, color, and clarity) in your price range. You can trade off amongst size, color, and clarity to get the best cut diamond that fits your budget.

Please note that a G or H color diamond still are quite white and when faced up in a well cut diamond you can't really tell it is not white without having other whiter stone to comapre in a side by side comparison. So my recommendation would be to not waste yur money on a "D" color stone becasue surely you'll pay a premium for that color that can't really be discerned from a G or H by an untrained eye.

As you can see, everything is a personal choice. There is no norm for what a e-ring should be.

Best wishes.

 

[pooji]

Dear Magna2

Thank you for your help, i appreciate it a lot. After this,
I talked to my fiancee-to-be, who stated that she would really
like a square-cut diamond.

Now i have another problem.

My price range? Air is getting a little tight above USD 1500
right now

(or I'd postpone and save some more)...

Any suggestions??

Thanks everyone in advance

Regards
Pooji

 

[hawaii_justine]

I think you could get a really beautiful stone, set and everything for that price. Since I am a very picky person my boyfriend gave me the job of picking out the exact stone that I wanted that fit with the price he wanted to spend on it. I did a lot of research and I think that one of the best things you can do is use the search engine on ps and put in the price you want to spend and see what comes up. I got a really good deal and I was able to find it through ps search. Good Luck, I bet you will get lots of help by using this forum. I feel that I did. Justine

 

[strmrdr]

.75 average? where is that?
.25 is far more common here with anything larger usualy being an upgrade.

 

[canadiangrrl]

Well, you're in luck if she wants a square, because overall, they tend to be less expensive than rounds.

In a square, you can do a radiant or a princess, amongst others. Princess stones seem to be more abundant, so you will have more choices if you go with a princess shape.

Does she like yellow gold or white metals (platinum/white gold?) Because if she likes yellow gold, you're in even more luck.

You can find yourself an I or J coloured princess (square shaped) stone, and mount it in a simple yellow gold setting, and the slightly yellow body colour will not be as apparent as it would if you set it in a white metal.

If you go with a simple yellow or white gold setting, put aside approximately $100 USD for it. As for stones, you'd be looking at something in the half carat to 70 point range, roughly. Check out the following sites for information on specific princess cut stones:

www.dirtcheapdiamonds.com
www.whiteflash.com
www.diamondbrokersofflorida.com

I am Canadian (hence the user name) and I can tell you from personal experience that engagement diamonds tend to be generally smaller here than in the US, even amongst affluent couples. There just doesn't seem to be the same priority placed on size in Canada. Overall, I would say that most of the e-ring stones I see here in Toronto are less than a carat.