shape
carat
color
clarity

Need Engagement Ring Help/Thoughts/Opinion

loose_change

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 31, 2013
Messages
9
Newbie here, in the market for an engagement ring (ering?) and I'm pretty sure I know exactly what I want. I'm thinking cushion cut diamond split shank single halo, with a high quality center stone just under 1 carat. My budget is about 7-8k. I visited a few jewelry stores and found some things I liked but nothing I loved so I'm exploring a custom made ring. I took a local jeweler with a good reputation the attached photo and he said he could make me something similar in platinum for about $4500. That leaves me about $3500 for the center stone. I was looking at something like this: http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/0.88-carat-g-color-if-clarity-sku-206004 I liked James Allen because you could see the actual stone, which can vary a lot in cushion cuts. First question - is it strange to spend more on the setting than on the center stone? Second question, is the price of the setting reasonable? Third - do you think i will notice a difference in size .8 carat vs .9? Fourth - any other thoughts or opinions? Appreciate any help you guys can offer!
Thanks!

mightbetheone2_0.jpg
 

chrono

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Apr 22, 2004
Messages
38,364
$4500 is expensive for a simple split prong halo platinum setting as shown; you should be able to get one custom made (CAD/CAST) specifically for your stone for around $3000 to $3500. Size wise, check the mm size; there are some 0.8 ct diamonds that will face up as large or bigger than a 0.9 ct diamond, depending on the cut. As for the JA cushion, I am not crazy about the cut; it looks as though there is a hole in the middle due to the darkness.
 

loose_change

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 31, 2013
Messages
9
Thanks, that's what I came here for! I'll keep looking appreciate your input.
 

jramy278

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Oct 16, 2013
Messages
122
Yes they are a great designer brand, make very sturdy yet delicate looking halos, that are relatively easy on the wallet. I might be a bit biased since I just got my ring from them, haha! Look them up in the PS forums for many testimonials. One thing to keep in mind, you have to go through an authorized dealer (whiteflash or Pearlman jewelers) if you want to buy the diamond from elsewhere and not ritani
 

Niel

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jul 23, 2012
Messages
20,044
This setting is 3k in plat on their site, and I believe good old gold will sell it to you at a lower price

http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/style/ER7262PT4JJ

They can source a stone for you or you could choose one of the ones they have. I wold suggest you focus on cut first, then color, them clarity. IF stones you are paying for something you truly cannot see. And it only means IF at a 10x magnification. Unless she cares that much about what the certificate says, drop down. You don't wear the certificate on your finger. Color you will see but to a lesser degree than cut. If color and clarity was all that mattered we would all wear CZs. Cut is what makes the diamond sparkle and sparkle is what makes you want a diamond ;-)
 

loose_change

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 31, 2013
Messages
9
Niel|1388701560|3585063 said:
This setting is 3k in plat on their site, and I believe good old gold will sell it to you at a lower price

http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/style/ER7262PT4JJ

They can source a stone for you or you could choose one of the ones they have. I wold suggest you focus on cut first, then color, them clarity. IF stones you are paying for something you truly cannot see. And it only means IF at a 10x magnification. Unless she cares that much about what the certificate says, drop down. You don't wear the certificate on your finger. Color you will see but to a lesser degree than cut. If color and clarity was all that mattered we would all wear CZs. Cut is what makes the diamond sparkle and sparkle is what makes you want a diamond ;-)

That makes sense. I've been trying to focus on cut, especially since the cushion cuts seem to vary a lot. Someone told me that the ideal or very good cuts aren't official from GIA for a cushion cut. Does anybody know if that is true?
 

msop04

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Dec 3, 2011
Messages
10,051
Does the setting have to be in platinum??
 

loose_change

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 31, 2013
Messages
9
msop04|1388762823|3585501 said:
Does the setting have to be in platinum??

Don't think so, white gold would work as well.

Anybody have any thoughts if .8 would be noticeably different than .9?
 

smilligan

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Oct 6, 2013
Messages
301
loose_change|1388763072|3585502 said:
msop04|1388762823|3585501 said:
Does the setting have to be in platinum??

Don't think so, white gold would work as well.

Anybody have any thoughts if .8 would be noticeably different than .9?

First of all, congrats and good luck on your search! If you go with white gold, I would choose a setting that alloys with palladium rather than nickel or the like. Palladium is naturally white and therefore the ring will stay whiter even when the rhodium plating wears off. Most people choose platinum if they can afford it, but there are pros and cons to both. Some people like the extra shine of rhodium plated white gold (platinum can also be rhodium plated, though not necessary). Both metals will age and require slight maintenance to keep them looking new. Platinum will develop lots of tiny scratches and end up with a duller, gray, patina look. It can be easily polished to bring back the shine. Rhodium will wear off at different rates depending on body chemistry. When it does, the original color will show. It's generally an eggshell white color, though some alloys can be more yellow or white. 18k gold will also have more of a yellow hue. Platinum is more malleable than gold, which means it bends more easily. This can be considered a good thing because platinum prongs generally do not break. It tends to acquire more scratches, but the metal is simply displaced rather than lost. Very little metal is lost from a platinum ring over it's lifetime. White gold (or any gold) is more brittle and does not bend like platinum. Also, when it acquires scratches or gets polished, a small amount of metal is lost. The loss is still pretty negligible and a white gold ring will easy last your lifetime if taken care of. As for the diamond, Chrono is correct. Carat weight doesn't determine size. A diamond could be 2 carats, but have a huge girdle and be very deep. Or a diamond could be very shallow and face up large. You have to find a balance that works for you. With average sized diamonds, the difference between 0.88 and 0.9 cts would be invisible. Even going from 0.88 to 1 ct would be difficult to see, IMO. I do think that the jeweler is overcharging for that setting. Have you seen any of his work? Is he worth the price? Out of the settings posted so far, the Ritani is the one I'd go with. It's cheaper, in platinum, and high quality. They also use high quality melee. I too am biased, however (I purchased a Ritani). The Gabriel is very pretty, but their settings are manufactured in factories that also produce settings for chain stores and others. There's nothing wrong with that, but for almost the same price, I would trust Ritani more.
 

msop04

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Dec 3, 2011
Messages
10,051
...because you could save $1K if in 14K white gold -- to spend on a great stone. To my knowledge, Ritani's WG does not have to be plated due to the alloy they use.

Either of these:
http://www.ritani.com/engagement-ri...band-engagement-ring-in-14kt-white-gold/10615 $2100
http://www.ritani.com/engagement-ri...-band-engagement-ring-in-14kt-white-gold/6277 $2470

Set with any of these -- I have included size in mm so that you can see that carat weight doesn't determine size...
http://www.ritani.com/diamonds/cushion-diamond-1-02-Carat-G-color-GIA-certified/D-GY3RVN $5467 (6.45 x 5.71)
http://www.ritani.com/diamonds/cushion-diamond-1-07-Carat-G-color-GIA-certified/D-TM3JRM $5981 (6.91 x 5.78) largest
http://www.ritani.com/diamonds/cushion-diamond-1-05-Carat-G-color-GIA-certified/D-Z3RM9W $5884 (5.81 x 5.76) significantly smaller, but pretty

Good luck with your search!!
 

loose_change

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 31, 2013
Messages
9
smilligan|1388764283|3585512 said:
loose_change|1388763072|3585502 said:
msop04|1388762823|3585501 said:
Does the setting have to be in platinum??

Don't think so, white gold would work as well.

Anybody have any thoughts if .8 would be noticeably different than .9?

First of all, congrats and good luck on your search! If you go with white gold, I would choose a setting that alloys with palladium rather than nickel or the like. Palladium is naturally white and therefore the ring will stay whiter even when the rhodium plating wears off. Most people choose platinum if they can afford it, but there are pros and cons to both. Some people like the extra shine of rhodium plated white gold (platinum can also be rhodium plated, though not necessary). Both metals will age and require slight maintenance to keep them looking new. Platinum will develop lots of tiny scratches and end up with a duller, gray, patina look. It can be easily polished to bring back the shine. Rhodium will wear off at different rates depending on body chemistry. When it does, the original color will show. It's generally an eggshell white color, though some alloys can be more yellow or white. 18k gold will also have more of a yellow hue. Platinum is more malleable than gold, which means it bends more easily. This can be considered a gold thing because prongs generally do not break. It tends to acquire more scratches, but the metal is simply displaced rather than lost. Very little metal is lost from a platinum ring over it's lifetime. White gold (or any gold) is more brittle and does not bend like platinum. Also, when it acquires scratches or gets polished, a small amount of metal is lost. The loss is still pretty negligible and a white gold ring will easy last your lifetime if taken care of. As for the diamond, Chrono is correct. Carat weight doesn't determine size. A diamond could be 2 carats, but have a huge girdle and be very deep. Or a diamond could be very shallow and face up large. You have to find a balance that works for you. With average sized diamonds, the difference between 0.88 and 0.9 cts would be invisible. Even going from 0.88 to 1 ct would be difficult to see, IMO. I do think that the jeweler is overcharging for that setting. Have you seen any of his work? Is he worth the price? Out of the settings posted so far, the Ritani is the one I'd go with. It's cheaper, in platinum, and high quality. They also use high quality melee. I too am biased, however (I purchased a Ritani). The Gabriel is very pretty, but their settings are manufactured in factories that also produce settings for chain stores and others. There's nothing wrong with that, but for almost the same price, I would trust Ritani more.

Thanks for all your insight and well wishes. I have seen the jewelers work and to me it looks excellent, that being said I've already admitted to being a novice so I've done my homework and he gets superb reviews everywhere I look. I also felt very comfortable talking with him, he didn't pressure me at all, spent over an hour with me explaining things and sharing his perspective. Basically I felt much better talking to him than any of the jewelry stores I've been to thus far so that was a plus in my book. He's supposed to come back with a final design and price early next week so I'm looking forward to that. At that point I will have to weigh custom vs. one of these settings. I like the idea of a setting that I helped design and my girl having a unique ring but I will have to weigh that vs. the additional cost.
 

msop04

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Dec 3, 2011
Messages
10,051
Chrono|1388503297|3583755 said:
$4500 is expensive for a simple split prong halo platinum setting as shown; you should be able to get one custom made (CAD/CAST) specifically for your stone for around $3000 to $3500. Size wise, check the mm size; there are some 0.8 ct diamonds that will face up as large or bigger than a 0.9 ct diamond, depending on the cut. As for the JA cushion, I am not crazy about the cut; it looks as though there is a hole in the middle due to the darkness.

I agree with Chrono about the price being way too high -- you could have designer custom setting for that price... I highly recommend the Ritani line. I don't own one personally, but have seen many of their settings IRL and they looked to be quality pieces. There are several PS vendors who can vouch for them.

I understand wanting to have a hand in designing a ring for your FF, but... overpaying is unnecessary when you can have a designer piece for much less that you know will be of great quality. If you really want to put a personal touch on it, you can always have Ritani do something to make it special -- just for her. They could place your birthstones inside the band, engrave a message to her or the date of your engagement, or really anything you'd like! To me, that would be just as special... especially when you can use the money saved to put toward an awesome stone!! :))
 

smilligan

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Oct 6, 2013
Messages
301
loose_change|1388765039|3585516 said:
smilligan|1388764283|3585512 said:
loose_change|1388763072|3585502 said:
msop04|1388762823|3585501 said:
Does the setting have to be in platinum??

Don't think so, white gold would work as well.

Anybody have any thoughts if .8 would be noticeably different than .9?

First of all, congrats and good luck on your search! If you go with white gold, I would choose a setting that alloys with palladium rather than nickel or the like. Palladium is naturally white and therefore the ring will stay whiter even when the rhodium plating wears off. Most people choose platinum if they can afford it, but there are pros and cons to both. Some people like the extra shine of rhodium plated white gold (platinum can also be rhodium plated, though not necessary). Both metals will age and require slight maintenance to keep them looking new. Platinum will develop lots of tiny scratches and end up with a duller, gray, patina look. It can be easily polished to bring back the shine. Rhodium will wear off at different rates depending on body chemistry. When it does, the original color will show. It's generally an eggshell white color, though some alloys can be more yellow or white. 18k gold will also have more of a yellow hue. Platinum is more malleable than gold, which means it bends more easily. This can be considered a gold thing because prongs generally do not break. It tends to acquire more scratches, but the metal is simply displaced rather than lost. Very little metal is lost from a platinum ring over it's lifetime. White gold (or any gold) is more brittle and does not bend like platinum. Also, when it acquires scratches or gets polished, a small amount of metal is lost. The loss is still pretty negligible and a white gold ring will easy last your lifetime if taken care of. As for the diamond, Chrono is correct. Carat weight doesn't determine size. A diamond could be 2 carats, but have a huge girdle and be very deep. Or a diamond could be very shallow and face up large. You have to find a balance that works for you. With average sized diamonds, the difference between 0.88 and 0.9 cts would be invisible. Even going from 0.88 to 1 ct would be difficult to see, IMO. I do think that the jeweler is overcharging for that setting. Have you seen any of his work? Is he worth the price? Out of the settings posted so far, the Ritani is the one I'd go with. It's cheaper, in platinum, and high quality. They also use high quality melee. I too am biased, however (I purchased a Ritani). The Gabriel is very pretty, but their settings are manufactured in factories that also produce settings for chain stores and others. There's nothing wrong with that, but for almost the same price, I would trust Ritani more.

Thanks for all your insight and well wishes. I have seen the jewelers work and to me it looks excellent, that being said I've already admitted to being a novice so I've done my homework and he gets superb reviews everywhere I look. I also felt very comfortable talking with him, he didn't pressure me at all, spent over an hour with me explaining things and sharing his perspective. Basically I felt much better talking to him than any of the jewelry stores I've been to thus far so that was a plus in my book. He's supposed to come back with a final design and price early next week so I'm looking forward to that. At that point I will have to weigh custom vs. one of these settings. I like the idea of a setting that I helped design and my girl having a unique ring but I will have to weigh that vs. the additional cost.


Np. Well, if you trust him and believe he does good work, it may be worth it. Establishing a relationship and gaining rapport with a local jeweler is always beneficial. Still, I think you should find a jeweler that carries Ritani and go look at some of their pieces in person. You can find one at Ritani.com. I would just compare the quality of the two. I also understand the desire to "create" something special. I actually worked with Ritani to design a custom version of one of their rings, and it turned out beautifully. They have great customer service and are very helpful. Also, if you want to go solely through Ritani, you can have them design and create the ring, have it sent to a local store to view it in person, and then decide whether or not you want to purchase it. There's no obligation, but you will have to put a hold on a credit card for the amount of the ring. Another thing to keep in mind is taxes. Local purchases are subject to state taxes, whereas online purchases are not. This can be a pretty significant savings when considering such a high dollar item. Personally, I worked with Pearlman's for the e-ring. They were able to source me a great diamond that matched my specs and they also gave me a great price on everything. Keep in mind that they don't stock diamonds, so they won't be able to provide the level of detail that GOG or WF could. Still, they were able to give me idealscope images and some decent pics. I put a lot of trust in them to be my eyes during the process. I think they did a great job, but some people may be less comfortable with it. If you do decide to go with Pearlman's (or any PS vendor), always ask for the PS discount. Some of them are really good.

ETA: I should clarify that if you chose to have a Ritani ring made and sent to the store, and then bought it from the store, you would have to pay taxes.
 

loose_change

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 31, 2013
Messages
9
I wasn't even aware of a PS discount, I need to do more reading!
 

loose_change

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 31, 2013
Messages
9
smilligan|1388767349|3585542 said:
loose_change|1388765039|3585516 said:
smilligan|1388764283|3585512 said:
loose_change|1388763072|3585502 said:
msop04|1388762823|3585501 said:
Does the setting have to be in platinum??


ETA: I should clarify that if you chose to have a Ritani ring made and sent to the store, and then bought it from the store, you would have to pay taxes.

Do you know how the free in store preview applies? Would I pay tax if I like that ring?
 
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