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Need advice for diamond engagement ring. Complete newbie...

N

NSJ

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jan 2, 2015
Messages
2
Hi all,

I really hope I'm not posting this in the wrong part of the forum.

I'm looking to buy and engagement ring for my girlfriend but feel completely out of my depth because I know nothing about diamonds. I did a bit of reading around the internet but still only have the most basic, preliminary idea of what things mean. A friend told me that this forum was super helpful for him when he was buying a ring, so I was wondering if you guys could give me some advice.

I'm a student in professional school, so I don't really have a huge budget. I'm aiming to have the total cost be <10k CAD (this is after duty/tax to Canada ><).

My girlfriend mentioned that she really liked this setting/style: http://www.whiteflash.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/swan-solitaire-engagement-ring-by-vatche-272.htm
I just need diamond to go with it now - I know she likes wrong diamonds.

So that leaves me about 4-6k to spend on a diamond. I was browsing the selection that whiteflash has but am feel super overwhelmed as I have no idea how to interpret the numbers and images.
My girlfriend has pretty slim fingers (Size 4.75) and I'm looking to get the most bang for my buck, that is a diamond that doesnt appear to small and looks/shines the best (to the average person) for my price range.

From what I've been reading here and elsewhere, people seem to say that if I'm shopping on a budget, the most important things are cut and colour. Here were a few I was looking at: http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/compare.aspx?idnos=3273904,3273896,3253501,3273905,3297292

But again, I have no idea how to interpret those numbers. I'd be extremely grateful for any suggestions and advice you guys could provide. Please bear with me if I ask any dumb questions. I'm a huge newbie/beginner when it comes to this and am quite clueless when it comes to shopping for jewels.

Thanks in advance for all your help! I really appreciate it!

J
 
Re: Need advice for diamond engagement ring. Complete newbie

Whiteflash makes it easy for you, the "A Cut Above" aka ACA diamonds are top notch cut, they make shopping easy. They are pretty much the best of the best in terms of cut. The rest of it is up to you, color and clarity tolerance that is. Most people here are comfortable clarity wise as long as a diamond is "eye clean" which in your size range can often be SI1 clarity. No need to pay for what you won't be able to see. Color is more of a touchy subject and personal preference. In an ideal cut, like an ACA, many here are comfortable with I, J, and even K color stones. These will show a slight tint, especially from the side view, but many here don't mind. To play it safe you can stick with H and usually I color stones. If you really want to get an idea of what these diamonds look like in person see if you can go to a higher end jeweler that will carry GIA or AGS certed stones. Then you can see the colors in person to get a better idea. Only GIA or AGS though. Once you know better what you are comfortable with come back here and the real experts can recommend specific stones when you're ready. You can then put them on hold and decide.
 
Re: Need advice for diamond engagement ring. Complete newbie

I prefer this one.
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3253501.htm

Vatche makes lovely settings. That one isn't my favorite, in my mind the two diamonds plus the center prong remind me of.....

BUT like I said they make lovely settings.

If you picked one less fancy, you might be able to get that magic one ct mark, though her fingers are small enough anything will look huge
 
Re: Need advice for diamond engagement ring. Complete newbie

Ignore the poster above me and stick with WF.
 
Re: Need advice for diamond engagement ring. Complete newbie

Thanks for the advice so far! I really appreciate the responses.
 
Re: Need advice for diamond engagement ring. Complete newbie

What is your timeline like? This is not diamond related, but you might want to wait until the dollar comes up a bit, because it is abysmal right now. Not sure how long it would take (or if you'd even want to wait), but even if you waited until it was at like, $0.90 vs $0.85 as it is now, you can squeeze an extra $500 out. Just a random thought!
 
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