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Need Elegant Classy Simple Ring/Diamond

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macker123

Rough_Rock
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Dec 26, 2008
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So I have done a ton of research and feel I know basically the basics about the 4C''s etc.

I guess I am lucky in the sense that I am not really stuck to a budget so I can spend any amount on the ring/diamond, but I hate knowing I wasted money on something.

I am looking to get a diamond that to the naked eye you cant tell the difference between that and something more expensive. i.e. I am not looking to be an IF clarity as I know you basically can''t tell the difference between that and something lower with the naked eye. I dont really need an investment grade diamond.

What I want is a diamond that has the most fire and brilliance, totally clear to the eye and looks white not yellow even beside another diamond. My girlfriend is a short 5 foot girl that is 110lbs with a ring size of 6 so the carat can''t be too big without looking silly on her. She is a very simple girl that only gets dressed up once in a while and is not showy so not only would she hate to know I spent a fortune on her ring she would feel silly wearing it. Not really sure what carat does the trick there.

Here is what I was thinking for a ring:
A nice center stone surrounded by 2 pink sapphires as my girlfriend absolutely loves anything pink. Preferably in platinum but 18k white gold is fine also.

Examples I found on bluenile:
http://www.bluenile.ca/pink-sapphire-diamond-ring_4507?metal_filter=platinum&setting_filter=3stone&set_shape=
http://www.bluenile.ca/pink-sapphire-diamond-engagement-ring_5108?parent_oid=5093

It then comes down to the stone. I really have no idea what will look WAY too big on her finger and what will look perfect. From the reading I have been doing anything over 1 carat sounds like it will appear big and anything over 1.5 carat will just be crazy based on how small she is (5ft, ring size 6) and she is a simple girl.

Based on that here is what I was thinking:
Carat: 1-1.6

Cut: Ideal

Color: Really not sure. I want it to appear white to naked eye and sparkle tremendously. I was thinking D-F

Clarity: Again not really sure. I want it to appear clear to the naked eye, but dont really want to pay extra for a IF etc. That is just crazy in my mind. I was thinking VS1 or VS2 perhaps

Fluorescence: None ?

Symmetry/Polish: Excellent

It seems depending on how everything lines up I am looking $15k - $25k.

What do you guys think will look good on that ring and fit with her style, size etc without looking to big, flashy, silly on her?

Thanks for any help you can give. I have literally spent the last week going through examples and writing down ideas etc and I need to pull the trigger soon :)
 
If you want an opinion, I prefer the second setting the best. If she doesnt like the pink stones can she trade them in for diamonds?
I think having a setting with different colored stones in it is somewhat flashy because you dont see it very often. In my opinion, I think
1.25 would be a nice size stone according to what you are saying (she is small and not too flashy). With that kind of budget you can get
quite a nice diamond/setting.
 
Date: 12/26/2008 4:11:58 PM
Author:macker123


It then comes down to the stone. I really have no idea what will look WAY too big on her finger and what will look perfect. From the reading I have been doing anything over 1 carat sounds like it will appear big and anything over 1.5 carat will just be crazy based on how small she is (5ft, ring size 6) and she is a simple girl.

Based on that here is what I was thinking:
Carat: 1-1.6

Cut: Ideal Be careful here in relying on the term ideal cut, it isn't a guarantee of a well cut diamond. The only meaningful use of the term Ideal pertains to AGS labs and their AGS0 Ideal cut grade. Vendor applied labels and suchlike you need to extra carefully evaluate the diamond on its own physical proportions and desirable visual properties. It is cut which will give your diamond beauty so it is important to make it a high priority.

Color: Really not sure. I want it to appear white to naked eye and sparkle tremendously. I was thinking D-F You could certainly choose D - F, or even a reliably graded ( GIA/ AGS) G can still be very white.

Clarity: Again not really sure. I want it to appear clear to the naked eye, but dont really want to pay extra for a IF etc. That is just crazy in my mind. I was thinking VS1 or VS2 perhaps. VS clarity can be a good compromise or even a verified eyeclean by a trusted vendor, and again reliably graded SI1.

Fluorescence: None ? This depends, fluorescence is a matter of preference, rarely strong blue can cause some diamonds to appear cloudy in some lights, but this is very unusual. Faint to medium blue you might not even notice any effect from.

Symmetry/Polish: Excellent It is said good and above for both is indistinguishable to the naked untrained eye, however if you buy a high quality cut then these details of finish are normally at least very good or above.
Click to expand...
And welcome to Pricescope!
 
Greetings Mack,

I can relate to your situation. I also did a ton of research and education about in''s and out"s of trying to pick out a ring with a womans personal taste in mind. By the way, the first post of the mount I like the best...no too much distraction , on the other hand depending on the center stones size the other set may work out.

I purchased my stone from BlueNile and bought the setting from Good Old Gold. Both did a great job, especially Good Old Gold (great workmanship and customer service). It seems with your budget of 15K C, you should be able to be right in that ballpark +/-2k. One carat for the center stone is deffinetly the benchmark it seems, as far as bragging rights and Price :) I also went with 14k yg.

Good Luck with your search and dont be afraid of giving either those companies a call with a list of questions, in fact, I would reccomend it. Use the PriceScope search for a stone as well.

Regards,
 
Thanks for all the help. Everyone is so fast here.

OK, I think I am pretty comfortable in making sure I get an ideal cut. I have read alot about that.

I just have the three things I need to decide on.
- color
- clarity
- carat

It seems I am on par for a D-F color. In all reality will having say a D color over an F color make any difference when a naked eye is looking at the diamond either by itself or beside another diamond? I want to make sure I maximize the fire/brilliance when looking at it.

With regards to clarity will choosing a VS2 look any different than say choosing a WS2? I want to make sure I maximize the fire/brilliance when looking at it.

With regards to carat and based on the ring size she is and that she is not flashy etc what seems the most reasonable carat forgetting about money. Between 1 - 1.6?

Thanks for all your help everyone.
 
I would stick with a fantastically cut F VS2 [my sweet spot!] but I would skip the pink sides - too limiting. If you want to add pink you can add an eternity ring in pink.

Have you decided on a RB? The most classic settings, to me, are the simple, classic 6-prong Tiffany and the 4 prong with side baguettes. An EC is also very classic. Teh EC I would set with the baguettes.

Make sure you don''t go too small. Diamonds have a way of shrinking while you are asleep. I would go for at least 2 carats especially since price is not an issue.
 
Are you sure she wants color in her ering? As much as I may love a certain color, when it comes to something I''m going to wear everyday I prefer the classic look of only diamonds. In regards to what you have said about your girlfriend being being simple and not dressing up too often, my first thought was "does she want color?" I don''t dress up that much, I do prefer the occassional bling, but for my ering I went with a classic cathedral solitaire. My FI proposed with one with side stones and we returned it. I just wanted simple and elegant. But I like the first setting the best of the two.

I have a WF ACA F in color and SI1 in clarity. Can''t see the inclusions at all. Love the color. I know you can go lower in color and not be able to tell but I am color sensitive and felt like F was as low as I could go. LOVE the ACA diamonds though. :)
 
Have the 2 of you gone and tried on rings to see what size diamond she likes? If she doesn''t like really flashy jewelry she may not like that large of diamond. Also, I agree with what some others have said about sticking with only diamonds in the ring. As long as you get an ideal cut diamond you can go down in color and clarity and still have a white and sparkly diamond.
 
Date: 12/26/2008 5:21:44 PM
Author: macker123
Thanks for all the help. Everyone is so fast here.

OK, I think I am pretty comfortable in making sure I get an ideal cut. I have read alot about that.

I just have the three things I need to decide on.
- color
- clarity
- carat

It seems I am on par for a D-F color. In all reality will having say a D color over an F color make any difference when a naked eye is looking at the diamond either by itself or beside another diamond? I want to make sure I maximize the fire/brilliance when looking at it. I don't think you would notice any difference ( GIA or AGS graded) - both will be very white and are colourless stones.

With regards to clarity will choosing a VS2 look any different than say choosing a WS2? I want to make sure I maximize the fire/brilliance when looking at it. I don't think you would notice any visual difference between them as with VVS you will not see any visible inclusions and it is unlikely with VS.

With regards to carat and based on the ring size she is and that she is not flashy etc what seems the most reasonable carat forgetting about money. Between 1 - 1.6? Sure, maybe a bit over a carat would be a good compromise, say around 1.2 - 1.3 ct as a suggestion. But I would see if you can get her to look at some in person to see what size she likes if that would not be spoiling any surprise.

Thanks for all your help everyone.
Click to expand...
 
ask her what she wants, usually women are dissapointed very quicky and have different taste then men
 
You won't see a difference between D-F. I think G also falls into that category. A few very color attuned people can see a very slight warmth to G, but not most. Since you are looking for value, I would stay away from D. You pay a premium for D due to it's rarity, not because it looks different or better. In this range all ofthese colors will have comparable flash.

VS or even a good SI1 clarity will not impact the flash/sparkle of the diamond. Just be sure that the stone is eye clean from all angles, and you'll be fine.

I disagree with the poster who said go with 2 ct. If she is small and casual, I think something in the 1.25 - 1.6 range will be nice and bigger than standard without being too big.

I like the settings, but also like the idea of a pink eternity band with a solitaire. Trust your judgement on what you think she would like best or go looking to get some input with her. You know how good you are at picking out what she likes. Also think about if she will be into "all things pink" 10 and 20 years from now.

Good luck -- you're on the right track for narrowing things down.
 
I agree with considering a G. I have a 1.40 G that just looks white, no warmth. G is safe at almost any size except for those extremely rare color sensitive people.

I think you're looking at a great size range. Here's a few I would suggest. Of course SI1 needs to be determined if eyeclean, many are, so you might consider those as well. Don't go by the plots and pics, they aren't representitive of the stone in real life.
28.gif


This one gets you the look of 1.5 cts without the price jump. Perfect. Bankwire is discount.

http://goodoldgold.com/diamond/5207/

http://goodoldgold.com/diamond/4949/

http://goodoldgold.com/diamond/4974/

http://goodoldgold.com/diamond/5027/


ETA I don't think BN will sell a setting without purchasing a diamond also. But I think you could definitely find something similar/duplicate a 3 stone setting.
 
I would advise you to notice the size diamonds of her friends or sisters. Most of us would rather not have a diamond that is a great deal larger or smaller than our social circle. Her finger is average size, so you can really choose any size stone. My inclination is to say that 1.3 is a really nice size unless that is smaller than her friends wear. I''d also go with F or G VS1 or VS2.

And I''d definitely advise against putting pink stones in the e-ring setting. All diamonds goes with everything, and I think it would be a huge mistake to put pink stones in the setting. Save that idea for a pretty right hand ring for another occasion!
 
I''m close to your gf''s height and I have the same hand size. I''ve got a 1.3 carat which looks plenty big on my hand. It''s a F VS1, but you can easily go down to G VS2/SI1 and it will still look icy white as long as its well cut. If she''s not a showy person, I''d go for some classic solitaire setting (I''m not a fan of blue nile settings, and I love the grace of Mark Morrell''s settings) and opt out of the pink sapphires. It''s really not going to go far for everyday wear, especially with clothing, and will stand out b/c it''s different. Instead, as others have suggested, you could go for a right hand ring later, or even a wedding band that features diamonds and pink sapphires.
 
I second the advice to look at the diamond sizes of her coworkers/ friends/ family. If it's way bigger or smaller... she might feel uncomfortable.

That said, I think the size you are looking at is a good range. How about just putting her diamond into a simple solitaire. She can dress up the ring with a sparkly band, or wear a plain band on non-dress up days. But do ask her what she'd like, or if you want to be sneaky, ask her best friend/ sister/ someone who can be trusted, what type of ring she likes.

If she likes pink, have you considered a pink diamond? Might be a lot more expensive though!
 
I have a finger size 6 1/4 and a 1.37ct solitaire and to me it is a good size as it is not to big but not small either, the finger coverage is substantial but it doesn''t get in the way
2.gif
.

Saying all that though if this one Ellen posted is eyeclean I would snap it up in a heartbeat :).
 
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