Need help on the better deal

[avh5252]

So, I am planning on proposing in the near future and am struggling on the ring. My girlfriend and I have shopped around a bit(online, mall stores, and private jewelers) to get ideas. Every time we look it comes down to a 7/8 cttw stone leo princess cut, however she likes the sparkle of round leo cuts better. I found a larger(1.2cttw) 3 stone round cut leo online for very close in price but am not sure if its a good deal or not. I cannot see this ring in person without paying for it in full first for them to ship it out.(I can however return for a full refund if I do not like it. The the MSRP on the one I am interested in is $5000 but it is being discontinued and is half off currently for $2500. The Princess cut that she liked in store is currently
$2650.

The rings seem identical stone quality wise(not great but not terrible). What concerns me is the GemEx rating. The round is rated at GEM EX TRIPLE HIGH, while the princess is rated at GEM EX DOUBLE VERY HIGH. I'm not sure what this rating means, and without being able to see the round in person I am slightly concerned that it might not have as great of a sparkle.

Any insight is appreciated. Links to the rings are below(I know the one is out of stock online)

https://www.jared.com/webapp/wcs/st...5-ct-tw-round-cut-14k-white-gold-211355805--1

https://www.kay.com/en/kaystore/r6-...agement-ring7-8-ct-tw-diamonds-14k-white-gold

Need to stay under a $2500 budget. She really likes the 3 stone rings with halos, but I cant seem to find any besides these two.

 

[Kaycee2018]

Welcine to the forum and congratulations on your upcoming engagement! I’m fairly new as well and was able to locate a great diamond for my e-ring upgrade thanks in large part to the knowledgeable folks on this forum. I will say that mall store diamonds/rings are not well regarded here and for good reason. Once you do a bit of research on the quality of diamonds available in general vs those being sold at mall/chain stores, you will see why. I’m sure if you post your buget and requirements (cut, color, clarity, etc), the fine folks here can point you in the direction of some options that far exceed anything available at mall/chain jewelry stores. Good luck!

 

[Tourmaline]

DO NOT BUY THIS. People here will help you find a much better ring for a great price. You did the right thing by posting before buying.

 

[rockysalamander]

Lets see what we can find, ok? Is 2500 your all in budiet or just for the main stone? A round will generally faceup larger that a princess. But, which is her preference?

 

[farrahlyn]

jared and kays has a great reputation for 1) their settings losing stones and 2) terrible customer service.

i think your absolute best bet is to contact IDJewelry and have him put together a ring for you. Stuller has a really nice setting that i think would work for you. You just need to find a stone, you should be able to afford a half carat or so.

Setting.. should run close to $1600? what do you think?

princess center
https://www.stuller.com/products/12...yId=21350&recommendationSource=CategoryBrowse

round center
https://www.stuller.com/products/12...yId=21350&recommendationSource=CategoryBrowse

 

[Kaycee2018]

FWIW, I found these three stone settings (center stone is extra) from ID Jewelry, who is well respected here...

https://idjewelry.com/14k-white-gol...ond-engagement-ring-setting-er10477w44jj.html

https://idjewelry.com/14k-white-gol...mond-engagement-ring-setting-er6022w44jj.html

https://idjewelry.com/14k-white-gol...mond-engagement-ring-setting-er5374w44jj.html

https://idjewelry.com/14k-white-gol...mond-engagement-ring-setting-er4353w44jj.html

 

[farrahlyn]

IDJ Should be able to source these stones.

not a pro at picking princess cuts but i like these
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut/0.50-carat-e-color-si1-clarity-sku-5167294
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut/0.51-carat-d-color-si2-clarity-sku-5199518 i think this would be eye clean (for me anyway) at this size

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...i-color-si1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-5163033 again, at this size this is probably eye clean.

 

[farrahlyn]

the side stones aren't haloed but i've always loved this setting.

https://idjewelry.com/0-35-ct-diamo...white-gold-diamond-halo-er6977w44jj-igcd.html

 

[Miss Marple]

I wanted to chime in to say that I recently purchased a stone and setting from IDJ. the price they quoted for the setting was actually 20% less than the website price. No idea if this is the case for all settings but it's worth checking with them because it could really help your budget. Customer service was fantastic and they delivered a bit early.

 

[rockysalamander]

I would change tactics. I would buy a solitaire with the best stone you can afford and upgrade the setting in the future. If you go with a company with a generous upgrade program, you can also upgrade the diamond in the future with 100% of the diamond cost toward an upgrade of any size/color/clarity. I would put far less of your budget into a fancy setting and far more into a great diamond that will draw eyes from across the room.

Diamond. https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut-loose-diamond-3816332.htm

Setting. https://www.whiteflash.com/engageme...-solitaire-engagement-ring-for-princess-8.htm

 

[cokitty]

You could reach out to David at Diamonds by Lauren. Give him your budget and see what him comes up with.
http://www.diamondsbylauren.com/ind...ree-stone-diamond-halo-ring-great-price-r4161

http://www.diamondsbylauren.com/ind...odified-brilliant-diamond-halo-ring-gia-r7644

http://www.diamondsbylauren.com/ind...on-cut-gia-split-shank-double-halo-ring-r5090

Or you could look around on second hand sites like 1st dibs, which allows for some negation

https://www.1stdibs.com/jewelry/rin...ut-halo-diamond-engagement-ring/id-j_4035381/

https://www.1stdibs.com/jewelry/rin...shion-halo-gold-engagement-ring/id-j_2447183/

https://www.1stdibs.com/jewelry/rin...le-halo-3-stone-engagement-ring/id-j_1420523/

 

[rockysalamander]

A few more that might work for a simple solitaire that maximizes size.

https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-de...DiamondDetails&action=newTab&catalogView=true (visible inclusion at culet, make sure this won't be visible in setting you choose. Ask for ASET; 5.15 mm)
https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-de...DiamondDetails&action=newTab&catalogView=true {on the fence with this one, need a ASET. 4.91 mm}

WF above, 4.88 mm

If your budget has any room, this is a great very clean choice. Just ask WF if they can work with you on a basic setting with V-prongs on the tips.
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut-loose-diamond-3907544.htm (.712 H VS2, 4.86 mm}

 

[sledge]

I would agree with @rockysalamander. Getting a bigger well cut stone in a solitaire will impress way more than the mall choices you gave us.

I will say out of the choices I saw the round setting was my preferred look. But i love the way princess cuts look in a solitaire like the Vatche X prong.

Nice thing if you buy from WF or similar is you get a killer upgrade program and then later you can couple their beautiful stone with a custom setting from DK or similar. I know all about this as I bought a great stone from BGD and then had DK custom build a clunky Jared setting into a refined and elegant piece.

For me, it was the right decision but with a more limited budget I would have done awesome stone and solitaire and the setting later for an anniversary or money allows as I'm suggesting for you.