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Need advice on E-ring

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yrubselas

Rough_Rock
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Sep 26, 2007
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Let me start by saying that this forum is AWESOME!!! I''m on this website every day trying to learn more than I currently know (which isn''t much). Here''s the scoop: My girlfriend and I have been together for nearly 4 years and I''m planning to pop the question soon. What I been noticing that aside from how difficult it is to get the perfect ring for my girlfriend, it''s actually even harder to actually go shopping for a ring since my girlfriend and I spend so much time together. Fellas, I think this is the only time it''s okay to lie to your girl about "where you''ve been," "what did you do all day today," etc.

Okay, now on to my situation. My girlfirend cares more about quality than the carat size. She likes the SPARKLE. The problem is...I like both to be the best since I care for her so much. But I know I can''t have that. I woould have to sacrifice one of the 4 C''s to go one way or the other. The ideal situation for me is to find the perfect balance. My budget is $12,000 - $13,500. I''ve been going to her family jeweler often and most of the diamonds he''s shown me were EGL certified. I''ve been hearing from many people to get a GIA certified diamond. Nothing else. Now, the GIA certificate will eat up more than an EGL certificate on my budget. That''s fine. I understand that it''s one of the sacrifices I have to make to find the perfect balance for me.

Here''s my ideal diamond:
- Round diamond on a platinum classic Tiffany setting
- 1.52 and higher Carat
- Ideal Cut (Depth: 60.1% - 62.8%) (Table: 53 - 57)
- G - F Color
- VS2 and higher Clarity
- Polish: VG to EX
- Symmetry: VG to EX

Here''s my questions:
- GIA and nothing else? Is EGL really not that great in comparison to GIA?
- How noticable is a G and F? I''m really bad at this. The jeweler showed be both side by side and it''s so hard to tell the difference. I wouldn''t have noticed which was which if he didn''t point it out.
- On VS2 clarity, can you tell the inclusions right away or not? I''ve heard numerous answers to this.
- For Polish, is there a substantial difference in how a diamond sparkles from a Very Good to an Excellent?
- Is VG symmetry decent?
- I''m 28 and I just want to know if this is a good ideal ring for my age. My girlfriend is 26. I wouldn''t want the stone too big or too small.
- Am I thinking too hard about this?
- Am I going insane??? - hehe.
 

nsaids_nurse420

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Nov 30, 2006
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hi, welcome to PS
26.gif
! i would definitely go with something that was ags or gia certified. many maul stores carry igi or egl stones that have vs2 and lower, and a lot of them have visiable inclusions. definitely not pretty when u are going to spend your hard earned buck. i would check out whiteflash aca stones and they also have the tiffany classic setting. i can''t give u advice on the color f-g. mine is a k, i prefer warmer stones, but faces up plenty white to my liking. good luck, and again welcome...
 

yrubselas

Rough_Rock
Joined
Sep 26, 2007
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Did you mean malls? For some reason I haven''t even bothered to look for a ring in a mall. It''s either really expensive (Tiffany''s, etc.) For me I prefer the jewelry districts. Yeah I am spending a lot of money but I know it''ll be worth it!
 

Shay37

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Mar 1, 2004
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3,343
Date: 9/26/2007 5:47:46 PM
Author: yrubselas
Did you mean malls? For some reason I haven''t even bothered to look for a ring in a mall. It''s either really expensive (Tiffany''s, etc.) For me I prefer the jewelry districts. Yeah I am spending a lot of money but I know it''ll be worth it!
Inside joke. The joke is that some of these chain stores maul you so it''s a maul store. Get it? LOL Some are okay. You just have to be a smart shopper. True of anything I guess.

shay
 

yrubselas

Rough_Rock
Joined
Sep 26, 2007
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Oh!!! hahaha!!! I still have to learn this lingo...
 

Ellen

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jan 13, 2006
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24,433
If you are buying from a retailer, I'd stick with GIA Ex cut, or AGS with 0 light performance grade. The latter would be easiest, as there's so much range within GIA Ex cut, and AGS0 has already done most of the work for you.

Also, a G would be more than fine, you might even look at H's and I's. If extremely well cut, the last two will face up white, although you might see just a hint of color from the side, but you shouldn't with a G. SI1, if eyeclean, will also keep the cost down, and there are many out there.
28.gif
 

stebbo

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Jun 8, 2006
Messages
466
Date: 9/26/2007 1:55:19 PM
Author:yrubselas
Here''s my questions:

- GIA and nothing else? Is EGL really not that great in comparison to GIA?
EGL-USA is fine, but GIA/AGS will always be better if (I mean when!) you need to upgrade (or sell!). And as Ellen mentioned, AGS (and to a lesser extent GIA) takes a lot of the learning out of locating a top diamond.

- How noticable is a G and F? I''m really bad at this. The jeweler showed be both side by side and it''s so hard to tell the difference. I wouldn''t have noticed which was which if he didn''t point it out.

Your observation was correct. I very much second Ellen''s recommendations of looking at H''s and even I''s, and SI1''s if you''re buying from a vendor you trust or will be seeing it. VS2''s will be eye clean if graded correctly.

- For Polish, is there a substantial difference in how a diamond sparkles from a Very Good to an Excellent?

Nope - no observable difference at all.

- Is VG symmetry decent?

Yep - you''ll need 10x magnification and know what you''re looking for to see the difference.

- I''m 28 and I just want to know if this is a good ideal ring for my age. My girlfriend is 26. I wouldn''t want the stone too big or too small.

I think it''s more about being consistent with your financial status rather than your age - 1.5 carat is far more than most young brides see.

- Am I thinking too hard about this?

Not at all - I proposed two years ago and I''m still here.

- Am I going insane??? - hehe.

Not yet, but you will be if you hang around here too long...

Good luck, and you might want to start learning about crown and pavilion angles.
 

jayreneepea

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Aug 3, 2006
Messages
704
If you're going to buy EGL, make sure it's EGL USA. If you know what you're doing, you could find a very nice diamond with EGL USA. Another option is to have the sale contingent upon an independent appraisal.

The easiest way to do it is to buy an AGS0 diamond, then you know you're getting a top notch diamond. Are you open to buying online?

I'd stick with either G or H -- both will face up plenty white. You could consider an I (I'm partial to my I) but make sure you have seen an ideal cut I first in case you or your gf are sensitive to any amount of tint -- I personally like it although I don't have much of it. I'd consider dropping (or at least considering) SI1. A well cut stone will face up whiter and mask any inclusions.

Is that budget just for the stone or for the setting too?

http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-232077.htm
 

yrubselas

Rough_Rock
Joined
Sep 26, 2007
Messages
4
Thanks everyone for the GREAT advice / input. I''ll go diamond shopping this weekend and keep my options wide open. I never thought of considering SI1 before, but after reading the replies to this post, I''ll definitely consider it too. When people mention "face up white," what exactly does that mean? It''s white looking down but from the sides there is noticable color? Stebbo, thanks for answering all my questions. Can someone school me on crown and pavilion angles? What numbers are best? Thanks!!!
 

Ellen

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jan 13, 2006
Messages
24,433
Date: 9/27/2007 3:00:43 AM
Author: yrubselas
Thanks everyone for the GREAT advice / input. I'll go diamond shopping this weekend and keep my options wide open. I never thought of considering SI1 before, but after reading the replies to this post, I'll definitely consider it too. When people mention 'face up white,' what exactly does that mean? It's white looking down but from the sides there is noticable color? Stebbo, thanks for answering all my questions. Can someone school me on crown and pavilion angles? What numbers are best? Thanks!!!
Yes, that's what it means. However, in smaller stones, you may not even see a tint from the side, it gets easier in larger stones. And it may not be glaring, may be just a subtle difference, depends on how well cut and how low you go.

There are many C&P angles that will/can work well together. How well it's cut plays a part. I've seen combo's of the same (all other things being equal) and one was gorgeous and one looked like dog food.

If you're looking at AGS graded stones, stick with ones that have 0 for light performance and you'll be fine. If they are GIA, it's trickier, because GIA rounds those numbers, so you don't actually know what they are exactly. I'm giving you a link that has a "cheat sheet" from John Q. that can help. (2nd post down)

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/help-i-think-i-have-been-taken.55849/page-2


Good luck!
 

LMBESQ

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jul 18, 2007
Messages
14
I have to chime in here, as those were almost the exact requirements my FI had when looking for my ring. This is what we ended up with: (His budget was $14,000).

1.59 Round
Ideal Cut
Color: H
Clarity: SI1
GIA certified

We diamond shopped together and looked at several stones and then I left the ultimate decision and setting up to him. We were shown 3 diamonds that were all close in size, but with various colors and clarity. The ideal cut diamond, while being the only H in color, was the most "white" because of its incredible cut. Until then I had no idea how much the cut mattered. I love my stone. I continuously receive compliments on it, and it appears much larger than it actually is because the cut is so fantastic.

So, in brief, if I were you I would get the best cut you can because it allows you to lower your color a bit.

Good luck, I am sure you will find a wonderful diamond within that budget!
 
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