I''m new, which ring???

[nc2tarheels]

Hi everyone, my name is keith, i''m new to the board and went shopping for the first time today for a ring. I''m 21 years old so bear in mind that i know jack sh*t about this. hehe. Hoping this will be a one time thing.

Anyways, I learned alot while shopping for an engagement ring. Just remember that my soon to be fiance (man that feels good

) is my age and therefore will like the more contemporary styles. Anyways, here is one of the rings i found which i liked. I never saw the emerald cut until this one and actually liked it. CLICK HERE FOR PICS
That ring is $1999 and it''s 1/2 carat set in platinum.

The other ring i''m intrested in is CLICK HERE FOR PICS
This is the princess cut and i know that it''s four that are set in this but it''s also in platinum and it''s a carat total. This ring is $2999. I don''t wanna go above that price but that''s the two i liked. I can''t decide if she''d like a solitaire or if she''d like the other style but of course i know when i present it to her, she won''t care.

I don''t have the exact specs on the second ring except that it''s E color. I forgot if it''s VS1 or Si1. The first ring is VS1 and F.

ALL help is appreciated on price and opinions of the ring itself. Thank you so very much.

 

[hoorray]

I love the first one. It's classic and enduring along with beautiful and modern. The second one is too busy for me, and you don't get the benefit of a single center stone.

Do some crusing online and you should be able to get a good feel for the wide range of choices out there.

 

[abbymax825]

I too am 21 and my hopefully soon to be fiance (or boyfriend of 6 years) is 23. I love the look of clean crisp modern elegent adn romantic. I think that the first ring is right on target. It is unique and classic!!! Go for it, she is a lucky girl!!! Keep us posted about your search and let me know what you decide!!! Good Luck!!!

 

[dimonbob]

nc2tarheels

Welcome to the forum.

Door number one is my easy choice.

Good luck to you!

 

[weemodin]

Why don't you go in between and get her a 3/4 ct. emerald cut set in white gold? You can do that for under 3k, and it will look bigger than the 1/2 ct but classier than option 2.

 

[nc2tarheels]

wow thanks for the quick replys. Another question though. Is emerald ugly?? I liked it but was unsure if she'd like it. I'm doing the COMPLETE SUPRISE type of proposal. She knows its coming sometime but she doesn't know i've been shopping and doesn't know much of anything else. So i don't know what shape and what type she'd just ADORE but i kinda still know her taste. I looked for a 3/4 carat emerald in that band and didn't find anything. What do you guys/gals think of the different styles?? I haven't seen alot of Emerald so it looked a little different. As for the princess cut, what do you think of it? Remember, i want something that isn't as TRADITIONAL cause we will be a young couple and something DIFFERENT is a good thing. The only thing with a solitaire is it looks alot smaller then a band with little diamonds on the sides. I've searched and searched for a nice emerald with little diamonds on the side and the band itself, not be too wide. I definitly want her to feel SOOO proud when she shows it to people and with the emerald cut, i'm afraid it won't give the WOW effect. Anyone??

I know, i'm a very confusing guy. Forgive me.

 

[weemodin]

Try looking for the diamond loose and then getting it set in the band -- that's the standard way to do it. Look on some of the pricescope vendors.

Here's one that looks nice, and it has a good cut too:
0.81
F
VS2
61.8%
65%
GIA
sltk
no
vg
vg
no
5.49x5.36x3.31

$2697
from Dirtcheapdiamonds.com

It's almost square, which can be a really neat look in an emerald cut. I'm sure they could put it in a simple white gold setting like the one you posted for ~200-300 dollars.

Here's one from usacerted:
0.80
E
VS1
63.3%
65%
GIA
thn-thk
sm
gd
gd
no
6.59x4.6x2.91

$2771

It's much less square.

Should get you started. I think the emerald cut is pretty and unique!

 

[chris-uk04]

First off, don’t get a “cluster” ring as the second are called. They are too busy as lop said. As for the type, I think both emerald and princess cuts are pretty if they are cut well. You also could check out a radiant or an asscher cut. Go out to some reputable jewellers and browse so you get a feel for how the stones look. I would avoid pear, marquis, oval, and heart shaped diamonds.

Color and Clarity are easy enough to pick up on, but learn as much as you can about the quality of a cut. It’ll make or break the sparkle and the wow effect

Look here: http://www.niceice.com/privatereserve/fancy.htm and here to get started http://www.goodoldgold.com/fancy_shapes.htm

 

[fire&ice]

Tarheel, step away from the maul stores!

You can get the ring of her dreams if you do some research & work yourself around this site.

First, emerald cuts are indeed nice. A couple things to consider though. They appear smaller than their carat weight. And, color & clarity need to be good because the shape does not mask color & imperfections like a Round Brilliant does.

My thought is that you explore the Round Brilliant Route in a simple setting such as the first one. You will find better quality & be able to afford a larger stone from one of the pricescope vendors. Please keep in mind, I am not a vendor - just a seasoned diamond buyer who hailed from the Tarheel State.

What is your budget? Maybe we can go from there. What size/shape are her friends receiving?

 

[hoorray]

I love emerald cut diamonds. We have suddenly seen a surge of interest in them here it seems like. However I think they are still not the most common cut for an e-ring. Rounds and princess are, so it would be more unique.

I aggree with F&I. Don't buy this at a mall store. You'll spend more and get less. Do some looking at the vendors listed on this site and see if they can help you maximize your budget. Odds are good you might be able to get side stones that way also. But, if not, you can always upgrade the setting down the road for an anniversary or something. You'll have a lifetime of occasions and opportunities for that! (I am also not a vendor -- just a diamond lover and shopper...)

 

[Hest88]

#1 Congratulations on your upcoming engagement!

#2 I usually warn men to really, really know their gals very well before choosing a stone. I know she's 21 and so you think she's going to want something non-traditional. However, you'd be surprised at how traditional even the most unconventional women can get when it comes to an e-ring. Which leads to...

#3 I'm a big emerald cut fan. Love them, love them, love them. However, they are not one of src="http://www.pricescope.com/idealbb/images/smiliesthose stones that appeals to everyone and it has little to do with how modern and untraditional a woman is. Many women, when they think of diamonds, want sparkle, and an EC is not known for its sparkle. Unless you really, really know that she wants an EC, it would be a heck of a lot safer to go with maybe a radiant or a princess. The safest, of course, would be a round--which complements everything. You may think of it as traditional, but it"s actually classic. There's a difference.

#4 So, my suggestion to guys is to talk to her sister or girlfriend and see if you can get a better idea of what she wants. Or try to come up with some sneaky way to show her rings and get her reaction. You might be surprised at how different her wants are from what you think they are.

#5 And...if you decide to completely ignore everything I've just said and spend what is a huge chunk of money purely the way you want

, then definitely go for the first ring. You do *not* want to get the second one which any woman will think of as a cheap, fake e-ring. Plus they tend to be unreliable and you don't want one of those stones falling out.

Good luck.

 

[Griffin]

I really dig the first one, but I would suggest that the second one would look very cool with a single larger princess in the middle instead of that awful cluster.
If you like that style, half the people on here can probably get one to you with a single center stone, and of much better quality to boot, and still keep it under $3k....

 

[Nicrez]

Hest88 is SO right! Know your ladY! I have seen some lovely emerald cut stones, but they do look like stepped glass and don't have the sparkle. IMHO, they make excellent stones in different colors, and great for rings, just not e-rings. Sparkle is a must for a gal, because after all, she wants to stop traffic and get the tongues wagging. She's proud, she's happy, and she wants to be the center of all the new attention she'll get. Try getting a friend of hers, or family member to talk about upgrading a stone they have or just plain looking at stones, and get her into the conversation. It's your time to play spy. Get an insider to help. Once you get a feel of the style and shape, you can get searching...give yourself enough time if it's a shaped stone especially. They are harder to measurre in terms of cut (which IMO is the most important), so your search will be a bit harder). In the end, getting what she wants saves you from having to go to the store all over, and chances are spending MORE. Why? A ring looks great on the finger, but jewelers will start pulling out pricier settings and bigger stones, just you wait. When she sets her eyes on something bigger or sparklier, you'll be done!

Study, and start with "the perfect ring" from the get go. Once you figure out what she would like in a ring, come back here and do some research on the stone, and then price search. Ask people here for ideas, and advice, they are all experts in their own way, some more than others...

Good luck and congrats on your bold step!!!

 

[katbadness]

I agree with what everybody else is saying.

Know your lady. It will save you some frustration down the road.

----------------
On 2/3/2004 9:21:18 PM nc2tarheels wrote:

Just remember that my soon to be fiance (man that feels good

) is my age and therefore will like the more contemporary styles.
----------------

In addition, realize that the contemporary look of a ring is mostly determined on the style of the ring itself, rather than the shape of the center stone. I say *mostly*, because IMHO something like a cushion cut lends itself to a more traditional look.

Generally people think of engagement rings as having round brilliant (RB)center stones. But having an RB center on a ring doesn't mean that the total look of the ring can't be contemporary.

Check out this setting:

compared to this:

They both exhibit RB center stones, but they look totally different.

Just giving you a perspective from a non RB lover (who loves RB on really sleek modern designs!).

 

[nc2tarheels]

THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH for the replies. You guys/gals are great. As far as the price range, I'm looking at under 3k. So i guess 3k is my limit. (i wish i could afford the big 3carat diamonds i see on here, dang they are niiice) I'm new to the whole diamond thing and i started searching online last night with buying the ring seperate and the band seperate. Ive did searches and played on the site alot

hehe. Anyway, thanks soooo much for the input and as we speak, i'm talking to her friend to find out what kinda cut she'd like. hehe. Thanks for the ideas

 

[fire&ice]

3k is a nice budget. In that range I would try to stick to a simple 4 prong setting in white gold & focus mostly on the diamond. A simple setting is clean, classic & always in fashion.

Focus on the stone. Pay attention to cut first. You can get a stone w/ a nice make in the $2500.00 I/SI1 in the .79 - .85 carat range. In a well cut stone an I will face up nicely in a white gold setting. Clarity is graded under 10x. An SI1 in this size range has a very good chance of being eye clean (free of inclusions viewing face up w/ the naked eye.

You could go smaller & better color & clarity. But, my recommendation with your budget is above.

As a benchmark, what are her friends receiving? Or, are you the first one to bite the bullet?