Newbie Here: Advice Needed

[gemox2000]

Hello all. I am preparing to by an e-ring. My budget is $6000 for the stone and setting. I know I want a solitaire platinum ring. I also know that I want to the biggest best looking ring I can get but I am not too concerned with quality or aspects of the stone that can''t been noticed with the naked eye. I know that I should pay attention to cut and color more so than clarity. I also think I should stay with a table % 54-59, a depth % 59-62, a crown angel of 34-35 and a pavilion angel of 40.5-41.1. I am only looking at stones of excellent or vg cut. Would you suggest a round or princess cut ring? My GF has told me that she likes princess cut and all her friends have princess cut. I am thinking round due to reading that they look better and I think it would be nice to have her ring differ from her friends who all have princess cut with side stones. Could I get a bigger princess cut of the same quality for less money than a round? Which looks bigger a 1 carat princess or a 1 carat round? Here is the stone I am considering. What do you guys think? I really would appreciate any advice.

Item Code: GIA-12951012
Price: $5,100.00
Report: GIA
Shape: Round Ideal Cut
Carat: 1.04
Color: D
Clarity: SI2
Depth: 59.7
Table: 57
Crown Angle: 34.5
Crown %: 14.8
Pavilion Angle: 40.7
Pavilion %: 42.7
Girdle: Thin to Medium
Polish: Very Good
Symmetry: Very Good
Culet: None
Fluorescence: None
Measurements: 6.60-6.66X3.96

This one would send me a little over budget but she is worth it if it would make a big difference on the eye.

Item Code: GIA-13924082
Price: $5,490.00
Report: GIA
Shape: Round Ideal Cut
Carat: 1.15
Color: G
Clarity: SI2
Depth: 60.1
Table: 56
Crown Angle: 34.7
Crown %: 15.2
Pavilion Angle: 40.9
Pavilion %: 43
Girdle: Thin-Medium
Polish: Excellent
Symmetry: Excellent
Culet: None
Fluorescence: None
Measurements: 6.81-6.89X4.12

Which one do you guys like better? Are they good or am i off base?

Thank you in advance.

 

[Blenheim]

Welcome!

I''m going to opinions on those particular diamonds to people who are much more educated than I am, but I just wanted to comment on the princess vs. round decision. A lot of girls have fairly strong preferences as to what stone shape they want, and if she''s told you that she wants princess then you should probably go with a princess. While you think that rounds look better, she might think that princess cuts are the most beautiful things in the world. And rather than thinking about what looks bigger, I''d just go with what looks best to her eye.

If you''d still like to get her something different than what her friends have, how would you feel about taking her shopping just to look at things? If all that she''s seen are rounds and princess cuts (which are the ones that I most see day-to-day), she might not realize that there are a lot of shapes out there that might seem perfect to both of you. I''d look into shapes like radiants, cushions, and square H&As.

I hope that this helps!

 

[gemox2000]

Few more questions. Would I be better of getting maybe a .95 carat and saving $1000? Is SI2 going to be eye clean or should I step it up to SI1? Thanks again.

 

[JulieN]

Hi. Princess vs round: for the same carat weight, the princess will have a smaller face-up area, but will cost less.

I'd try to stick to SI1.

 

[JulieN]

Also, round will perform better than princess, but the lady''s wishes are your command.

My pick for a one ct princess:
Princess: http://www.whiteflash.com/princess/Princess-cut-diamond-2371019.htm

 

[Kaleigh]

Welcome to PS gemox

A word to the wise here, if your girl wants a princess cut get her a princess cut. But for fun take her shopping for rings. Have her try on RB''s, princess cuts, and other shapes. If she keeps coming back to the princess cut then your selection process is that much easier. Too many stories on here of guy''s making the wrong choice. She''s told you what she wants. She''s going to be wearing it for the rest of her life, ( at least we can hope) so make her happy. But do the shopping trip. It''s fun and she can see what looks best on her hand. Good luck!!!

 

[KristyDarling]

Yup, I agree. If your lady wants a princess, you probably shouldn''t deviate from that. They are very different, distinct looks and I''m not so sure she''d be crazy about the round if she already has her heart set on the princess. To answer some of your questions, a 1 carat round will appear larger than a 1 carat princess (but probably not dramatically so), and a 1 carat round is *definitely* more expensive than a 1 carat princess of similar quality. Trying to aim just under the 1 carat weight, i.e. a .95ct princess will probably save you some money, but they are harder to find.

Why not do more research on what she likes (i.e. setting styles, sidestones or not, etc) and then get a custom ring made? That way you''ll be sure that she''s getting a totally unique design, and it''s also something that she''d love!

 

[codex57]

If you know what she wants, GET IT!!! End of story. Don''t try and be cute. You''ve been given the advantage that many guys don''t get... you don''t have to read her mind to try and guess what shape she likes.

 

[Lorelei]

Welcome to PS

PLEASE listen to the others who have said to get what your girl wants! It is awful when you ask for a particular gift and the guy surprises you with what you DIDN''T ask for, regardless of how much better you think it is or how much extra money you spent! Get her what she wants!!!

 

[salmon]

Gemox2000,


I''m currently in the same situation. If you girlfriend likes Princess cuts, maybe she actually likes the square shape, not so much the princess cut. In IMHO, if you want your girlfriend to have a square shaped stone, yet be different from the others, look at some other options like square Radiant cuts, asschers, Square Hearts & Arrows, or Flanders. The last two cuts will give you the brillance of a round stone in a square shape. If you''re still partial on getting a Princess cut, go with an AGS Ideal 0. I like the radiants alot!!!!!! You just have to be careful on purchasing fancy shapes as their numbers are less reliable on predicting a well performing stone. Make sure you see any fancy shaped stone in person before purchasing it, if you can. Alternatively, contact a really trustworthy e-ring dealer here and ask them to help you pick the best performing stone for your money. I wouldn''t go too low on color with a fancy shape (GHI), and nuthin below SI2 on clarity. You can find a SI2 eye clean fancy, you just have to hunt a bit!!!!! I would suggest going to the Goodoldgold website and reading up on the square shaped diamonds, and see what tickles your fancy. Do a price search and see if it''s within your budget. Excel diamonds and WhiteFlash also have great fancy shapes and are probably cheaper. Have fun on your hunt. I sure am, and I''m still hunting!!

One more thing, have you given any thought to settings???? This is key, many people spend months looking for stones and then get a really crappy setting. DON''T Do that, IMHO, nothing is worst than having a beautiful rock in a cheesy setting. Settings are half the battle. If you''re looking at a platinum setting, you better hurry buddy, because the prices are out of CONTROL. I cringe everytime I think about it. I''m looking at Mark Morrell for settings, a great platimun Smith, but pricey. Google him, or do a search here to see his work. Sqaure cuts look good in the Vatche X prong setting as well, at least they do to me. Have fun!!

SALMON

 

[JulieN]

Oh, schnapp...

AGS H SI1 coming in at a nice AGS1 grade, prime girdle range of med-slt thick, and a l/w of 1.02 and for just over 4K: http://www.bluenile.com/diamonds_details.asp?pid=LD00400241

Only problem is...I don't know if it's eye-clean. Apparently, BN will now ask the supplier if it is! (since the definition of "eye-clean" is subjective, you should probably be clear that it will be sent back if it isn't)

1.15 H SI1 AGS1 http://www.bluenile.com/diamonds_details.asp?pid=LD00400240#grading_report (huge table, though...) but from the plot, I'm guessing it's eye-clean, and a little bigger than the first one (equivalent in size to a 1 ct round)

Enough left over in the budget to go crazy on the setting.

 

[aljdewey]

Date: 5/18/2006 12:44:05 AM
Author:gemox2000

Would you suggest a round or princess cut ring? My GF has told me that she likes princess cut and all her friends have princess cut. I am thinking round due to reading that they look better and I think it would be nice to have her ring differ from her friends who all have princess cut with side stones.

One of the key skills you are going to need to succeed in married life is the ability to LISTEN....and there is no better time to start that than now.

It doesn''t matter what all her friends have.....what matters is SHE likes princess cut. Listen to her.......she likes that cut. So, get her a mind-blowing well-cut princess stone.

You can always have it set in a temporary solitaire setting and then pick out (or design) a unique setting that will make her ring look different from her friends.

 

[gemox2000]

Thank you to everyone for the advice. I should go with a princess cut since i know she will love it. No reason to hope she would love the round. How do I know if a princess cut is an ideal cut? You can just search for ideal/excellent for round diamonds but this isn''t the case for princess cuts, right? I listed the specs I know about round diamonds but are they the same for princess cuts? I plan to buy on the internet so what questions should I ask over the phone/email before buying? Can I go as low as SI2 or should I stay with SI1 or higher? I really would appreciate any advice. Thank you all so much

 

[gemox2000]

Thank you to everyone for the advice. I should go with a princess cut since i know she will love it. No reason to hope she would love the round. How do I know if a princess cut is an ideal cut? You can just search for ideal/excellent for round diamonds but this isn''t the case for princess cuts, right? I listed the specs I know about round diamonds but are they the same for princess cuts? I plan to buy on the internet so what questions should I ask over the phone/email before buying? Can I go as low as SI2 or should I stay with SI1 or higher? I really would appreciate any advice. Thank you all so much

 

[JulieN]

How I search for princess: enter my specifications into the PS database, change the max depth to 77 and the max table to 73, and hit "in-house." If there's nothing there, I check the AGS box, and "search all." I look for AGS 0/1 light performance, 0/1 on proportions, 0-2 on finish, medium-slt thick girdle, and a PA of 40 or higher, l/w ratio of 1-1.3/1.4

I'd stick with SI1 since you don't need to sacrifice clarity to get what you want in your budget.