I''m Engaged! The (super-long) diamond buying experience

[barry]

flower;

It's really a matter of preference.
Both styles with the right stones look beautiful.
My personal choice is the 4-prong platinum
solitaire which shows off more of the diamond.

Barry
www.superbcert.com

 

[optimized]

I would agree with Barry in preferring a solitaire (actually, the classic six-prong "Tiffany" solitaire is my preference), but I must say that I think I'm still a traditional yellow gold person (as is my sweetie). I really like the look of platinum as well, but I've seen some settings in platinum that look a bit "cold" to me, whereas gold is a "warmer" metal. It's certainly a very personal preference though.

-Tim

 

[Mara]

It definitely is a matter of preference, but I personally LOVE the look of pave or as you can see from my ring...small rounds, etc. I think that side diamonds enhance the center stone, and in my case I think that my stone looks better because of all the baby sparkles on the sides. You should see a ring like mine in restaurant lighting or similar..it literally stops me in my tracks sometimes with all the sparkle and fire going on in the low-lighting. I have seen some amazing solitaire's as well but I have always liked the look of some sort of side stones, and pave was my favorite. Keep in mind that if you want a ring like mine with eternity style all the way around, pave is not the safest bet because the stones are not SET into prongs like with mine...they are kind of floating with metal around them and it's a little easier for them to pop out and be lost if you give your hand a good knock. That is why we went with the small prong set but from arm's length away it looks like pave, for us it was the perfect compromise and my stones are much safer in their prongs.

Chances are if you are already thinking pave and like the look of my ring (thanks BTW) then you know that you don't necessarily want a plain solitaire. I was torn as well while looking, do I go classic and just get it done (we had our center stone for a while as I hemmed and hawed back and forth about the setting), or do I really put the thought into figuring out which style out of hundreds do I really want? Also, I didn't want to have all this work done on a custom setting, or buy some expensive branded elaborate setting, and then get sick of it a few years later and wish I'd just gone plain solitaire which was more classic. So it was difficult, but I am very happy in the end, we love our setting, I think it is a great compromise between classic and elaborate, and I think it's the perfect 'foil' for my center stone. The whole thing *is* incredibly icy white!

I also agree with Tim on the side stones...contrast when it comes to diamonds may just come off as looking wrong, like you didn't know you were buying yellowish side stones, etc. Going a true color such as the yellow diamonds, or blue sapphires etc will show that you wanted the true contrast.

Good luck!

 

[Boston]

Thanks for the kind words, everyone. (Thanks Lanee)
It means a lot to come back to these boards and get some pats on the back...I know my fiance is wowed by the ring, but you guys truly know the whole process.

Of course I like the channel setting, the ring truly shines. I agree with Barry that a 4 prong setting lets the diamond stand out. Moreover, I like Verragio's 'Luminoset' because the whole diamond was raised above the ring, which lets more light shine through. I did not know what color diamonds were in the channel when I was looking. I bought the diamond and made sure it looked okay on top of the ring. AFter the appraisal, the diamonds were F-G colors in the channel setting (11 diamonds). But, as we all know, diamond grading is subjective.
One note that I really want to point out to newbies is that if the inclusions in the diamond are on the bottom, once you put it in a ring you won't see them. I think this is important and worth noting. If you're budget isn't that high, you could probably find an SI1 with some feathers on the bottom that will still look great when it is set.
One last note, the winery I proposed at was Nashoba Winery. It's a nice place and the restaurant is excellent. I'm not big on their fruit wines, but it's a fun place to go.

 

[Binki]

Your story sounds similar to mine. I was amazed how stressful finding and purchasing the right diamond could be. I feel so happy and so relieved that it is over. I''m impressed with people who can just waltz into a jewelry store and buy and engagement ring. The research and product comparison is imperative.

Great job.