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Looking for expert advice on e-ring selection

J

JKL00

Rough_Rock
Joined
Oct 6, 2013
Messages
13
Hi All,

As a first time diamond buyer, I knew nothing about diamonds up until 2-3 months ago. Since then, I've been reading various threads on this forum and have been in a few local stores with my girlfriend to get a feel on what she's leaning towards. She's a huge fan of the Tiffany setting (but of course my budget is nowhere near it), so I've been looking at a few sites that offers one similar to the Tiffany setting.

Whiteflash has one that's pretty close, but feel free to suggest other options that are out there...
http://www.whiteflash.com/engagemen...fany-style-solitaire-engagement-ring-1416.htm
she likes a thin round edge band with relatively low setting - if this info helps

I have a budget of $7,500 - $8,000 (would like to keep it closer to $7,500 as every dollar counts!) for a 1ct diamond and setting. I'm working towards these criteria: Round, Ideal Cut, I-J colour (should I go for higher?), VS2-SI1 and must be eye clean. Are these parameters reasonable?

Since I was looking at Whiteflash's setting, I naturally went through some of their diamond options as well. Here are a few to start:
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2930368.htm
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2909289.htm

They are both "A CUT ABOVE" as Whiteflash calls it but they also offer ones that are "Expert Selections". I would like to get some opinions on diamonds that are listed as Expert Selections. If these are comparable cut to the "A CUT ABOVE", it might be worth it to go for an Expert Selection that is a bit bigger or better in terms of colour and clarity.

Thanks in advance,
JKL
 
Whiteflash is great as is BDG: I would suggest staying at I color and trying for Vs2 so as to be completely eye clean. if you get an optimally cut stone you will have a nice dazzler! oh and expert selections can be great buys. just be sure the stone is still optimal depth and face up dimensions.
 
bgray|1381118988|3533443 said:
Whiteflash is great as is BDG: I would suggest staying at I color and trying for Vs2 so as to be completely eye clean. if you get an optimally cut stone you will have a nice dazzler! oh and expert selections can be great buys. just be sure the stone is still optimal depth and face up dimensions.
Click to expand...

if I may ask, what would be the optimal depth and face up dimensions that I should be looking for? Is there a range that it should be within for optimal shine? Even though I can't afford bigger diamonds but I sure as hell want my girlfriend get a shiny one! She deserves it.
 
check out the AGA cut grading chart under KNOWLEDGE up top of this page--look at the Ideal cut parameters.
 
Will do.
Do you know anywhere else that has something similar to the Tiffany setting?
 
I'll give it a try. My only worry is that the Vatche setting is going to be much more costly than I have budgeted for the setting.
I was checking out WF as well and they carry the same Vatche as well. Price difference between the Vatche and their designer group 6 prong contemporary tiffany replica is $1,000. Not sure if I want to lower my diamond budget for the Vatche setting.
 
Great find! The more I look at the Brian Gavin tapered tiffany style half round setting, the more I think she'll love it! It has a thin band which is exactly what she's looking for. Of course, the price point is perfect as well leaving me with a good amount for the diamond.

I'm going to search for a few diamond options from Brian Gavin tomorrow and post them here as well.
 
Would anyone be able to help me out with the following comparison? I'm worried that the SI1 and SI2 might not be completely eye clean... but in the blog post that Polished provided, that diamond was SI2 and it looks quite nice (from photos) and she also mentioned that it's completely eye clean. Should I speak with somebody at BGD and ask them to provide me with a thorough comparison between the 3 diamonds and maybe make a recommendation to me based on their expertise?

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamond_comparisions/compared_diamond_details?id=jf64b36qvl58ocba20k8kgvvo5
 
I'd go the blue line because they represent good value and I like that you can go a lower colour and the fluoro means the stone will face up whiter. I also personally prefer the higher clarity of these stones that is going to be for an engagement ring. However there are others who know a lot more about diamonds who I hope will chime in.
 
That's nice to know... I'm leaning towards http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.070-i-vs1-round-diamond-ags-bl-104067041002

My only concern is that I'm not sure if my girlfriend will like the blue tint coming off of the diamond. It says Strong Blue but is this going to give off a blue shine out in sunlight?

Btw, has anyone in Canada bought anything from Brian Gavin? I'd like to find out what their experience is like shipping it to Canada. Do I have to pay for insurance? Did you get taxed when you get the item?
 
Thank you so much for your help Polished.
I think I'll be going with this diamond http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.070-i-vs1-round-diamond-ags-bl-104067041002 with this setting http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/tapered-tiffany-style-half-round-platinum-5540p..

The real life pictures really helped. I'm more confident in purchasing a BG Blue diamond now that I've gone read a bit more about it.
I haven't make the purchase yet so if anyone manage to find another diamond that might be a good contender (similar price of course), feel free to post a link here! :P

By the way, are there any additional fees and taxes if I have the ring ship to Canada? Anyone have experience with them not taxing you across the border?
 
JKL00|1381793819|3537772 said:
Thank you so much for your help Polished.
The real life pictures really helped.
Click to expand...

You're welcome. I found the Pricescope link to this ring which had a couple of additional pictures. The size of the diamond is fairly close to what you are planning. I think the tapered band is very flattering on the hand.

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/introducing-sparkler.158232/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/introducing-sparkler.158232/[/URL]
 
Any recommendation on Platinum vs 18k White Gold? Is it really worth the extra $ to go for Platinum?
I had started a conversation with BGD and was recommended the Platinum over the 18k White Gold for mostly maintenance reasons. She also mentioned that Platinum weighs 60% more than white gold which will give it a more 'substantial' feel. I'm still debating between the two as this is pushing me over my original budget... but if it's really worth it, I'll work it out somehow to get it for my girlfriend.
 
I chose to pay extra for platinum for my ring. It's naturally white, unlike most WG alloys, so there's no need for rhodium plating in the future. The rate that the rhodium plating fades on WG depends on your body chemistry. Considering it costs anywhere from $20 and up for the plating, the savings can add up.

IMO one of the best reasons to chose platinum is that when hit or scratched, the platinum displaces rather than chips away like WG, so a negligible (if any) amount is lost. This also is useful with platinum prongs, since the prongs are more likely to bend as opposed to breaking off with WG, which in theory can lessen the risk of losing your stone. Some WG rings are actually made with platinum prongs for this reason. But this causes the unfortunate side effect having to tighten prongs more often than WG, but surely its better than losing the stone entirely.

If you look at really old gold rings, you may see that the shank is significantly thinner than how it started. That's from the gold chipping away (the shank gets the most day to day impact). Platinum rings, on the other hand, don't have this problem, since it just displaces. If it weighed 30g when it was made 50 years ago, it'll weigh very close to 30g today.

Platinum is softer compared to WG, so it will scratch easier. It matters to a certain degree what type of platinum alloy you get. There's 10% and 5% iridium, 5% ruthenium and the lesser used cobalt alloy. It's up to the vendor which alloy they use, each has their own pros and cons. You should keep in mind that the ruthenium alloy is the hardest, therefore the most difficult to scratch, but is the most difficult to work with. FWIW Tiffany and Leon Mege uses this alloy. The softest would be 5% iridium, but its much easier to work with. Sooner or later, the tons of small scratches in platinum turn into a patina. Some like the look, some hate it. But you can always polish the ring back to looking new. I ended up asking WF to use ruthenium, and thought it was worth the small extra fee to do so.

Is white gold a bad metal to use? Not at all, it just has different properties and advantages. It's quite a bit cheaper for one. There are alloys (white gold and palladium for example) that appear white even without the rhodium plating, but I'd imagine you would have to specifically ask for it (might end up as a semi-custom piece, therefore not returnable) the majority of the time. Some people actually like the look of unplated WG, so they avoid the rhodium plating costs. It's much harder to scratch, which is appealing.

IMO platinum is the winner, but in the end it's up to you if it's worth the extra cost. I remember justifying it as a higher price now, lower maintenance costs later (and lets be honest, almost everyone hates to bring their rings in for service).

Here's a thread that shows how platinum fairs after a few months, Yssie did a great job of documenting it in photos.
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/those-who-have-solitaires-question-for-ya.136222/

If you want an overly simplified answer, ask yourself these:
Which one would bother you more? A ring yellowing over time and having to bring it in for rhodium plating, or having patina develop? Are you willing to pay the extra costs for a small (but still significant) extra center stone security? Are you willing to pay extra again for a platinum wedding band so it matches the e-ring?
 
Platinum is also usually hypoallergenic , important to some people who have nickel allergy. You have done a great job doing your homework and made a nice choice. I think she will be thrilled!
 
Thanks hawk25 and AprilBaby.. I'm soaking up the knowledge.
I think I'm going to stick with the Platinum ring just so she doesn't have to think about bringing it in for service every now and then. hawk25 did bring up a good point, that is to match the band with the Platinum e-ring. It didn't even cross my mind to think about that so I'm glad that you brought it up (even if it's for later down the road). If I spent all the effort in selecting the right diamond and right style of setting, I think I should go with Platinum. I just wanted some reassurance that it's not just a gimmick that they add another type of material just so it could be "different" and there is actually real life benefit by selecting Platinum over other types of metal.
 
It's definitely not a gimmick and I'm actually impressed to hear that BGD discussed this through with you as opposed to giving you what you think you want and taking the money and running. I think with the slim setting you've chosen the platinum will provide a more substantial feel to the ring. I also love the smooth satiny feel of platinum. I empathise with the extra cost stretching the budget but relative to the cost of the whole ring I guess the cost of white gold to platinum isn't that great. I think it's really nice that you are prepared to go the distance with this ring, it's consistent with the "an engagement ring should hurt a little" school of thought!
 
Polished|1382065604|3539905 said:
It's definitely not a gimmick and I'm actually impressed to hear that BGD discussed this through with you as opposed to giving you what you think you want and taking the money and running
Click to expand...

Yes, I started a conversation with Denise from BGD and she was very helpful. I originally selected a diamond which was not a Brain Gavin Blue but she asked that I take a look there and also recommended a few diamonds that's within my budget and would be able to WOW my girlfriend. After I have selected my diamond, I told her that I'd like to pair it with the tapered tiffany style half round setting in 18k WG. That was when she asked me to re-think about getting the setting in WG instead of Platinum. I'm glad that she did after reading through everyone's comments. Polished you've been extremely helpful and I'm thankful that you were able to guide me through this process.
 
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