Newbie needs help fast! Almost bought from kay. march deadli

[mdsniper7]

Ok so I want to propose here soon in march and I am looking at a neil lane at kay on sale for 2,200 around total for 1ctw but I found out from her friend that she likes solitaires. And now the problem is I need to stay under 2200 total. But I want to get something big with really good quality. I try reading all these faqs and its overwhelming. There is so many things like depth girth etc thats like holy cow. Then I am trying to find out on shape and I love marquise and princess and round and heart. Now I am noticing rounds cost the most compared to princess and I don't know why. Also I notice marquise have different things listed compared to like a round. So some questions,

1. out of those 4 shapes is there anything I should know. Is one better than the other.

2. So many online retailers and labs, when I do the search these guys are always really cheap http://www.usacerteddiamonds.com/usagia/index3.html Why is that.

3. Is quality better than size?

4. why are there labs like usa israel and gia etc. Can you trust them all.

5. Save ME.

 

[Gypsy]

Re: Newbie needs help fast! Almost bought from kay. march de

Please don't buy from Kay.

I don't have a lot of time this week. But I know there are a lot of capable people who can explain why round cost more than other cuts. So I will let them. But in the meantime: rounds face up larger than squares of the same carat weight. A 1 carat Princess faces up at 5.5 mm and a 1 carat round at 6.5. So it is a noticeable difference.

I would not buy a marquise, pear, princess, heart without knowing if she specifically likes them. Does she have a Pinterest page? Maybe she has links listed of rings she likes? And no offense, but what you love has very little to do about it. She's wearing it for every day of her life, she has to love it. And most people dislike marquise and hearts. And many dislike princesses and will not consider one.

Can you ask her friend, mother, cousin, sister... what shape she wants for sure? Cause that's a lot of money to spend on an uncertain thing.

To be safe I'd stick with rounds, cushions and emerald cuts only for a surprise.

We can work with your budget. And its great that she wants a solitaire cause that's a smart choice on a budget.

 

[mdsniper7]

Re: Newbie needs help fast! Almost bought from kay. march de

Please don't buy from Kay.

I don't have a lot of time this week. But I know there are a lot of capable people who can explain why round cost more than other cuts. So I will let them. But in the meantime: rounds face up larger than squares of the same carat weight. A 1 carat Princess faces up at 5.5 mm and a 1 carat round at 6.5. So it is a noticeable difference.

I would not buy a marquise, pear, princess, heart without knowing if she specifically likes them. Does she have a Pinterest page? Maybe she has links listed of rings she likes? And no offense, but what you love has very little to do about it. She's wearing it for every day of her life, she has to love it. And most people dislike marquise and hearts. And many dislike princesses and will not consider one.

Can you ask her friend, mother, cousin, sister... what shape she wants for sure? Cause that's a lot of money to spend on an uncertain thing.

To be safe I'd stick with rounds, cushions and emerald cuts only for a surprise.

We can work with your budget. And its great that she wants a solitaire cause that's a smart choice on a budget.

I was looking one day with her online about shapes and she like the marquise princess and rounds never asked on heart. The only one she hated was pearls. See I was mad when I found out she wanted solitaire cause the fancy neil lane ones have more bling. Also she loves 3 stoned and sapphires but there is so many I don't know what to do.

 

[Gypsy]

Re: Newbie needs help fast! Almost bought from kay. march de

Your lady has good taste. Those fancy looking Neil Lane ones are overpriced junk, quite frankly. And their pave will not stand up to every day wear.

If she likes princesses and marquise and rounds we'll stick with those. No hearts.

 

[ChristineRose]

Re: Newbie needs help fast! Almost bought from kay. march de

Princess are cheaper because they are closer to the original shape of a raw diamond when it comes out of the ground and there is less waste. They are also a little bit out of style right now.

Marquise are cheaper because they were very much in style 25 years ago and are more or less out of style right now.

Rounds as a group have overall the best light performance because they don't have corners or points. Any sort of corner will leak some light. But within the marquise and princess shapes there are large variations in cut quality and cut styles. There is a standard cut for round brilliants so it's fairly easy to find a round brilliant that is at least very likely to be high quality, but there is no standard cut for princesses or marquises.

If you are looking to maximize bang for the buck you can go for a marquise, but you will either have to find a jeweler to help you sort through them (which will cost you more in both time and money) or you can hunt through a whole bunch of them yourself (time, but less money).

Rounds are by far the easiest to buy online, especially if you are in a hurry.

As you are in a hurry, you might start with a jeweler who specializes in well cut stones, has stones in stock, and can talk to you about the stones they have in stock.

 

[Gypsy]

Re: Newbie needs help fast! Almost bought from kay. march de

OK so, any of these:
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/marquise-cut/0.69-carat-g-color-vs2-clarity-sku-274502 VERY NICE stone, and a lot of bang for the money!
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.50-carat-f-color-si1-clarity-ideal-cut-sku-272398
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut/0.58-carat-g-color-vs2-clarity-sku-257546

In one of the solitaire settings from JA would be beautiful



Okay so if you can stretch your budget a bit to 2,500 you could ask if this seller would come down to that price for you: http://diamondbistro.com/category/216/Natural-Diamond-Center/listings/37145/168-ctw-OEC-EGL-USA-three-stone-diamond-ring.html


I love these settings by Gabriel:
http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/style/ER8076W4JJJ
http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/style/ER6576W4JJJ
http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/style/ER7222W4JJJ

You can call ID Jewelry, www.IDJEWELRYONLINE.COM a VERY affordable vendor who carries Gabriel and tell him you want a "Pricescope Quality" center stone in either a Princess, Marquise, or Round for it. And see what he has for you.

Or you can work with Good Old Gold, who also carries Gabriel and get one of these stones for in it:

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/11520/
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/11015/
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/11750/

 

[RockyRacoon]

Re: Newbie needs help fast! Almost bought from kay. march de

With a March deadline, it will be tough for you to become an expert and still make the purchase on time.

Learn as much as you can, and use the expert advice you receive from this website to make a final decision.

Here is an option, which I'm certain can be made to meet your deadline:

Classic Six-Prong Solitaire Setting:
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/six-prong-solitaire-14k-white-gold-5351w14

.6ct, H, SI1
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/0.600-h-si1-round-diamond-ags-bl-104068959004

Ask for a Pricescope discount, and you'll be out-the-door with a beautiful, classic ring with a top-notch diamond, at under $2k.


If you wanted to get a fancier setting, you can get this one with the stone I mentioned above, and still be under your budget:
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/ashleigh-14k-white-gold-5853w14

 

[Gypsy]

Re: Newbie needs help fast! Almost bought from kay. march de

With a March deadline, it will be tough for you to become an expert and still make the purchase on time.

Learn as much as you can, and use the expert advice you receive from this website to make a final decision.

Here is an option, which I'm certain can be made to meet your deadline:

Classic Six-Prong Solitaire Setting:
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/six-prong-solitaire-14k-white-gold-5351w14

.6ct, H, SI1
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/0.600-h-si1-round-diamond-ags-bl-104068959004

Ask for a Pricescope discount, and you'll be out-the-door with a beautiful, classic ring with a top-notch diamond, at under $2k.


If you wanted to get a fancier setting, you can get this one with the stone I mentioned above, and still be under your budget:
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/ashleigh-14k-white-gold-5853w14

NICE JOB! That's a fantastic diamond and those settings are great, I love the ashleigh.

 

[RockyRacoon]

Re: Newbie needs help fast! Almost bought from kay. march de

OK so, any of these:
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/marquise-cut/0.69-carat-g-color-vs2-clarity-sku-274502 VERY NICE stone, and a lot of bang for the money!
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.50-carat-f-color-si1-clarity-ideal-cut-sku-272398
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut/0.58-carat-g-color-vs2-clarity-sku-257546

In one of the solitaire settings from JA would be beautiful



Okay so if you can stretch your budget a bit to 2,500 you could ask if this seller would come down to that price for you: http://diamondbistro.com/category/216/Natural-Diamond-Center/listings/37145/168-ctw-OEC-EGL-USA-three-stone-diamond-ring.html


I love these settings by Gabriel:
http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/style/ER8076W4JJJ
http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/style/ER6576W4JJJ
http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/style/ER7222W4JJJ

You can call ID Jewelry, www.IDJEWELRYONLINE.COM a VERY affordable vendor who carries Gabriel and tell him you want a "Pricescope Quality" center stone in either a Princess, Marquise, or Round for it. And see what he has for you.

Or you can work with Good Old Gold, who also carries Gabriel and get one of these stones for in it:

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/11520/
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/11015/
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/11750/

I should say that these are some great suggestions from Gypsy.

She beat me to the punch, as I was collecting my suggestions!

Excellent options.

 

[krisjon]

Re: Newbie needs help fast! Almost bought from kay. march de

With a March deadline, it will be tough for you to become an expert and still make the purchase on time.

Learn as much as you can, and use the expert advice you receive from this website to make a final decision.

Here is an option, which I'm certain can be made to meet your deadline:

Classic Six-Prong Solitaire Setting:
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/six-prong-solitaire-14k-white-gold-5351w14

.6ct, H, SI1
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/0.600-h-si1-round-diamond-ags-bl-104068959004

Ask for a Pricescope discount, and you'll be out-the-door with a beautiful, classic ring with a top-notch diamond, at under $2k.


If you wanted to get a fancier setting, you can get this one with the stone I mentioned above, and still be under your budget:
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/ashleigh-14k-white-gold-5853w14

NICE JOB! That's a fantastic diamond and those settings are great, I love the ashleigh.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner. If you're in a rush, I'd be all over this. In your budget and top-notch quality all the way around. You wouldn't be sacrificing a thing.

As always...great work,Rocky!

 

[mdsniper7]

Re: Newbie needs help fast! Almost bought from kay. march de

With a March deadline, it will be tough for you to become an expert and still make the purchase on time.

Learn as much as you can, and use the expert advice you receive from this website to make a final decision.

Here is an option, which I'm certain can be made to meet your deadline:

Classic Six-Prong Solitaire Setting:
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/six-prong-solitaire-14k-white-gold-5351w14

.6ct, H, SI1
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/0.600-h-si1-round-diamond-ags-bl-104068959004

Ask for a Pricescope discount, and you'll be out-the-door with a beautiful, classic ring with a top-notch diamond, at under $2k.


If you wanted to get a fancier setting, you can get this one with the stone I mentioned above, and still be under your budget:
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/ashleigh-14k-white-gold-5853w14

My only question on this option is doesn't the diamond seem small and weak on quality for the price. For instance sI1 means visable inclusions and H isn't colerless so there will be yellow correct? I also notice noone seems to recommend blue nile is there a reason why?

 

[Dancing Fire]

Re: Newbie needs help fast! Almost bought from kay. march de

This is a well cut stone graded by AGS lab...you can't compare it to the garbage from Kay jewelers...

 

[Gypsy]

Re: Newbie needs help fast! Almost bought from kay. march de

Nope.

What H SI1 means is that you know nothing about diamonds my friend.

SI does not mean visible inclusions. The majority are eyeclean and cannot be distinguished from an IF stone to the naked eye. And THAT particular stone from BGD is definitely eyeclean.

As for color. No H is not yellow. In fact at K you were probably shown a TON of lower color diamonds I-J's that were just 'mislabeled' as higher color. Most mall store chains like Kay sell diamonds in the I-J zone. You just don't know it because the lab reports are very generous.

H is going to be very white. H and above are conservative. D-L are all shades of white. And H isn't even particularly warm white (like a J-K). And you don't get to yellow until M-N.

 

[RockyRacoon]

Re: Newbie needs help fast! Almost bought from kay. march de

With a March deadline, it will be tough for you to become an expert and still make the purchase on time.

Learn as much as you can, and use the expert advice you receive from this website to make a final decision.

Here is an option, which I'm certain can be made to meet your deadline:

Classic Six-Prong Solitaire Setting:
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/six-prong-solitaire-14k-white-gold-5351w14

.6ct, H, SI1
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/0.600-h-si1-round-diamond-ags-bl-104068959004

Ask for a Pricescope discount, and you'll be out-the-door with a beautiful, classic ring with a top-notch diamond, at under $2k.


If you wanted to get a fancier setting, you can get this one with the stone I mentioned above, and still be under your budget:
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/ashleigh-14k-white-gold-5853w14

My only question on this option is doesn't the diamond seem small and weak on quality for the price. For instance sI1 means visable inclusions and H isn't colerless so there will be yellow correct? I also notice noone seems to recommend blue nile is there a reason why?

You're judging 'quality' incorrectly. Cut is the most important attribute, which should be the primary point of emphasis.

SI1 does NOT mean a stone will definitely have visible inclusions, and the stone I had linked is verified eye-clean. Here is the definition of clarity grades from AGS: https://www.agslab.com/education-diamond-clarity-grade.php

At any budget, there will be trade-offs. G/H for color and VS2/SI1 are usually safe 'sweet spots' for budget-minded people that want 'whiter' stones.

I personally own an H-colored stone from BGD, and can tell you that it doesn't look 'yellow.' I'm very color-sensitive, and I'm still comfortable with H-colored stones.

At the price point you're talking about, this is a really great option.

 

[RockyRacoon]

Re: Newbie needs help fast! Almost bought from kay. march de

Nope.

What H SI1 means is that you know nothing about diamonds my friend.

SI does not mean visible inclusions. The majority are eyeclean and cannot be distinguished from an IF stone to the naked eye. And THAT particular stone from BGD is definitely eyeclean.

As for color. No H is not yellow. In fact at K you were probably shown a TON of lower color diamonds I-J's that were just 'mislabeled' as higher color. Most mall store chains like Kay sell diamonds in the I-J zone. You just don't know it because the lab reports are very generous.

H is going to be very white. H and above are conservative. D-L are all shades of white. And H isn't even particularly warm white (like a J-K). And you don't get to yellow until M-N.

...and Gypsy beat me to it, AGAIN.

Again, I second her opinions here.

 

[mdsniper7]

Re: Newbie needs help fast! Almost bought from kay. march de

ok is there something with these labs I should know about like I noticed some are ags some gia is one better than the other.

 

[Gypsy]

Re: Newbie needs help fast! Almost bought from kay. march de

It is important to remember is that color is graded FACE DOWN. Where there is NO light return. Not face up where there is light return and refraction. You wear diamonds set. FACE UP.

Within one color grade, even the labs can't agree on the color grades of stones and something could be a "high" H or a "low" E. So... no. Not really. Within 2 color grades it is hard. Not impossible. But very hard. And it gets harder once set. If you are talking ideal rounds, or any stone with ideal light return and no sharp corners it gets harder still because the ideal light return masks body color.

Generally we say to be conservative stay above H.

If you are talking fancy shapes without ideal light return (because there is no 'ideal' for EC's Radiant, etc) it's a bit different.

This is how I think of it.

Ever gotten one of those HUGE paint fan decks? Where there are literally 100s of colors of whites? And when they are RIGHT next to each other you can TOTALLY tell that one is bluer/colder and one is a bit warmer and which one is one is TOTALLY warmer. One there's one that's slightly greener. One that's slightly pinker? But really. They are all white?

Then you pick one after agonizing over this white or that white and when it's on the walls and people are like: Oh. You painted again. And it's STILL white. Great.

And you're all... BUT it's BLUE white. Or it's a WARM white now. It used to be ____ white. It's TOTALLY different.

It's like that. You are talking about shades of white. D is colder... J is warmer. But it's all white.

YES. If you have an accurately graded F and an H THAT HAVE THE SAME PERFORMANCE you are going to be able to tell them apart when you compare them. Just like you would be able to tell if you painted your walls a warm white, but painted the crown molding a cold/straight white. But both are STILL white.


I want you notice all the qualifiers thought. I'm talking about stones with the SAME performance. An ideal H will out white an F that has compromised light performance from a poor cut.

NOTHING impacts the appearance of a diamond as much as cut. CUT is king.

You want the shinest whitest and brightest diamond out there: Cut is King. No other factor, not color or clarity or anything else impacts how white bright an shiny a stone is.

And that BGD stone is at the VERY TOP of the line with cut. As confirmed by all the images (idealscope, hearts, arrows, etc) and the AGS lab report with the 0 in the light return (ideal).

 

[mdsniper7]

Re: Newbie needs help fast! Almost bought from kay. march de

With a March deadline, it will be tough for you to become an expert and still make the purchase on time.

Learn as much as you can, and use the expert advice you receive from this website to make a final decision.

Here is an option, which I'm certain can be made to meet your deadline:

Classic Six-Prong Solitaire Setting:
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/six-prong-solitaire-14k-white-gold-5351w14

.6ct, H, SI1
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/0.600-h-si1-round-diamond-ags-bl-104068959004

Ask for a Pricescope discount, and you'll be out-the-door with a beautiful, classic ring with a top-notch diamond, at under $2k.


If you wanted to get a fancier setting, you can get this one with the stone I mentioned above, and still be under your budget:
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/ashleigh-14k-white-gold-5853w14

My only question on this option is doesn't the diamond seem small and weak on quality for the price. For instance sI1 means visable inclusions and H isn't colerless so there will be yellow correct? I also notice noone seems to recommend blue nile is there a reason why?

You're judging 'quality' incorrectly. Cut is the most important attribute, which should be the primary point of emphasis.

SI1 does NOT mean a stone will definitely have visible inclusions, and the stone I had linked is verified eye-clean. Here is the definition of clarity grades from AGS: https://www.agslab.com/education-diamond-clarity-grade.php

At any budget, there will be trade-offs. G/H for color and VS2/SI1 are usually safe 'sweet spots' for budget-minded people that want 'whiter' stones.

I personally own an H-colored stone from BGD, and can tell you that it doesn't look 'yellow.' I'm very color-sensitive, and I'm still comfortable with H-colored stones.

At the price point you're talking about, this is a really great option.

so for cut to say ideal thats more important than a f to a h color? Also I see polish and symetary I take it thats important to correct. Also are princess cuts bad compared to the round cause you guys keep recommending round? And is brian gavin as good as a blue nile james allen?

 

[Gypsy]

Re: Newbie needs help fast! Almost bought from kay. march de

ok is there something with these labs I should know about like I noticed some are ags some gia is one better than the other.

GIA and AGS are both equal. AGS trades at a premium because they go the extra mile with performance grading.
Why the performance grading is a good thing:

The entire purpose of faceting a diamond is to reflect light.
How well or how poorly a diamond does this determines how beautiful it is.
How well a diamond performs is determined by the angles and cutting. This is why we say cut is king.
No other factor: not color, not clarity has as much of an impact on the appearance of a diamond as its cut. An ideal H will out white a poorly cut F. And GIA Ex is not enough.
So how to we ensure that we have the right angles and cutting to get the light performance we want?
https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/diamond-cut
Well one method is to start with a GIA Ex, and then apply the HCA to it. YOU DO NOT USE HCA for AGS0 stones.
https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/holloway-cut-advisor
The HCA is a rejection tool. Not a selection tool. It uses 4 data points to make a rudimentary call on how the diamond may perform.
If the diamond passes then you know that you are in the right zone in terms of angles for light performance. Under 2 is a pass. Under 2.5-2.1 is a maybe. Over 2.5 is a no. No score under 2 is better than any other.
Is that enough? Not really.
So what you need is a way to check actual light performance of your actual stone.
That's what an idealscope image does. https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/firescope-idealscope
It shows you how and wear your diamond is reflecting light, how well it is going at it, and where you are losing light return. That is why you won't see us recommending Blue Nile, as they do not provide idealscope images for their diamonds. James Allen and WF do.

The Idealscope is the 'selection tool'. Not the HCA.
So yes, with a GIA stone you need the idealscope images. Or you can buy an idealscope yourself and take it in to the jeweler you are working with to check the stones yourself. Or if you have a good return policy (full refund minimum 7 days) then you can buy the idealscope, buy the stone, and do it at home.


Now if you want to skip all that... stick to AGS0 stones and then all you have to do is pick color and clarity and you know you have a great performing diamond. Because AGS has already done the checking for you. That's why they trade at a premium.

 

[vintagelover229]

Re: Newbie needs help fast! Almost bought from kay. march de

What about this?

http://loupetroop.com/listings/loose-stones-diamond/1-dot-68-ctw-oec-three-stone-with-natural-sri-lankan-sapphire-sidestones

 

[RockyRacoon]

Re: Newbie needs help fast! Almost bought from kay. march de

ok is there something with these labs I should know about like I noticed some are ags some gia is one better than the other.

AGS and GIA are both reputable labs. If you don't have years of diamond knowledge, ONLY buy a stone with paper from one of these two labs. Ignore all other labs, at this point.

AGS has a stricter cut grade than GIA. Meaning, if you see an AGS '0 - Ideal cut', it will certainly qualify as a GIA 'Excellent.' However, not all GIA 'Excellent' cut stones would qualify as AGS '0 - Ideal cut.' If you're buying remotely, and with little experience with diamond cut, AGS0 stones are the best bet for a guaranteed winner.

Couple more notes:
I noticed your note about F vs H color. At this size/budget, H will be your better choice.

We have suggested rounds as these are timeless stones. Princess cuts are going out of fashion (I can tell you that walking around LA there are VERY few young women with princess cuts), and are more prone to chipping (princess stones have corners, while rounds do not). A round stone is a solid choice, for years to come.

Brian Gavin offers a higher level of service than Blue Nile. With Blue Nile, you're buying a stone sight unseen, from a drop-shipper. All of the Brian Gavin stones are in-house, and can be inspected. This added peace of mind is what you need, when you're working on a deadline.

 

[Gypsy]

Re: Newbie needs help fast! Almost bought from kay. march de

Yes we are recommending the round because it is BIGGER than the princesses you can get for your budget. That's a great value in your price range.

Brian Gavin is better than either JA or Blue Nile. Both James Allen and Blue Nile are drop shippers. BGD is not.
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/likelihood-of-finding-a-signature-super-ideal-diamond.174235/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/likelihood-of-finding-a-signature-super-ideal-diamond.174235/[/URL] if you want to understand more about Brian Gavin and lines like his.

 

[mdsniper7]

Re: Newbie needs help fast! Almost bought from kay. march de

wow you guys are so helpful its insane, I wish I would have found you guys before my brother got engaged and bought a neil lane at kay. The same mistake I was going to do. So looks like round it is, but now would u say brian gavin and james allen are good is there any others u would recommend for ags reports. Like any other online retailer for that. Also I know this will sound weird but is there a way to see if a ring will look to small on someone I mean my gf is 5'7 120 and her fingers are long. Im just afraid it will look small. Thats why I orginally looked at marques cuts for the size. I also wished these online guys had more options with sapphires.

also that flourence rating scares me

 

[TC1987]

Re: Newbie needs help fast! Almost bought from kay. march de

My only question on this option is doesn't the diamond seem small and weak on quality for the price. For instance sI1 means visable inclusions and H isn't colerless so there will be yellow correct? I also notice noone seems to recommend blue nile is there a reason why?

SI1 should be pretty eye-clean in the size range you are looking at. Always ask the vendor questions to see if it meets YOUR standards for eye-clean: At what distance, from all sides, at a tilt, etc.

Color: The GIA "I" color range is where most people can start to notice tint, a little from the top (face-up) and more from the side view. Up to 1ct round diamond, I think a H would be white enough. I wear an H (sometimes, lol) and I never noticed any tint in it except when it was face-down and unmounted. And it did look a little scary, then, but it's definitely white when mounted in rhodium plated white gold.

 

[vintagelover229]

Re: Newbie needs help fast! Almost bought from kay. march de

wow you guys are so helpful its insane, I wish I would have found you guys before my brother got engaged and bought a neil lane at kay. The same mistake I was going to do. So looks like round it is, but now would u say brian gavin and james allen are good is there any others u would recommend for ags reports. Like any other online retailer for that. Also I know this will sound weird but is there a way to see if a ring will look to small on someone I mean my gf is 5'7 120 and her fingers are long. Im just afraid it will look small. Thats why I orginally looked at marques cuts for the size. I also wished these online guys had more options with sapphires.

also that flourence rating scares me

The ring I just posted has sapphires.

And if you want to go with a sapphire (which I think is a great idea) there are a TON of online options.

 

[krisjon]

Re: Newbie needs help fast! Almost bought from kay. march de

That BG stone recommended is the very best cut quality you can get, which is THE most important factor.

An AGS 0 rating is top of the line, which that stone is. Even the optical symmetry, aka Hearts and Arrows, is probably just about near perfect on that one - which you don't always get.

As said before, H color faces up very white and with the ideal cut, even more so. Ask me how I know? Because I just bought an AGS 0/H color two months ago and it's ridiculously beautiful in every way. And I can afford something several grades higher, but I shop smart like people here are trying to get you to do.

A .6 carat isn't that small and in a solitaire setting will look amazing.
With a budget of $2500, that is a ton of quality stone and ring for the money.

If you're dead set on Blue Nile, here's a stone you can contact them about and see if it's still available and eye clean.
It's a .62, F color, AGS 0 that also fits your budget:

http://www.bluenile.com/round-diamond-1-carat-or-less-ideal-cut-f-color-si1-clarity_LD03296509

 

[hawk25]

Re: Newbie needs help fast! Almost bought from kay. march de

Do you know what's her ring size? There's a whole bunch of pictures of similarly sized diamonds on almost every finger size in the Show Me The Bling section of PS, you can do a search on the top of the page. For example, the ring in my avatar picture is a 0.65 H VS2 on a size 7 finger (better pictures are here: https://www.pricescope.com/communit...l-legato-sleek-line-pave-0-65ct-h-vs2.193050/). I'd imagine your gf will have a smaller ring size than that. And there's no worries about the H color, I've never seen tint in the one I bought

There are other vendors PSers trust like Whiteflash, Good Old Gold, High Performance Diamonds, etc, but to be honest that BGD stone people suggested seems just perfect for you.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Re: Newbie needs help fast! Almost bought from kay. march de

wow you guys are so helpful its insane, I wish I would have found you guys before my brother got engaged and bought a neil lane at kay. The same mistake I was going to do. So looks like round it is, but now would u say brian gavin and james allen are good is there any others u would recommend for ags reports. Like any other online retailer for that. Also I know this will sound weird but is there a way to see if a ring will look to small on someone I mean my gf is 5'7 120 and her fingers are long. Im just afraid it will look small. Thats why I orginally looked at marques cuts for the size. I also wished these online guys had more options with sapphires.

also that flourence rating scares me

She can upgrade the size in the future.. and don't worry about the fluorescence on this stone.

 

[ChristineRose]

Re: Newbie needs help fast! Almost bought from kay. march de

A marquise is still doable, you would just have to find a dealer you trust (even it's an online dealer) and ask them if they have one in stock that they can look at for you. Brian Gavin, Whiteflash, and Good Old Gold specialize in well cut diamonds and may have a marquise in stock that fits your parameters. I wouldn't consider Blue Nile or James Allen because neither of them actually own the stones they sell. If you don't like the one you get you send it back to the people who actually own it and JA/BN returns the money to you. It takes too long.

The other way to get a good marquise is to buy yourself an ASET scope and learn how to use it, and visit every pawn and jewelry shop you can reach until you find the right one. You then take it to an appraiser, and either return it or have it mounted.

Sapphires are tricky. It's far easier to cut a sapphire than a diamond because you cut a sapphire with a diamond cutting wheel. So the majority of sapphires are cut near where they are mined and the majority are badly cut. There are a number of expert cutters who buy already cut sapphires and recut them but these sorts of stones are usually ordered in advance or they are sold within hours. It's not a one month process. However you can always hop on over into colored stones and get some links to nice stones for sale and hope the one you want is the one for sale right now.

If you are interested in a princess, you can get a precision cut princess from BG/WF/GOG. But there is no such thing as a standard princess and you run the risk of it not being the same style as the ones you saw at Kay. So you'd have to do some homework.

All that said, you stand a much better chance of finding and pulling off a first rate round in the next six weeks.

 

[vintagelover229]

Re: Newbie needs help fast! Almost bought from kay. march de

This might be the ring for you and I bet he'd take your budget for it.

http://loupetroop.com/listings/rings-colored-stone-center/2-dot-51-carat-blue-sapphire-gold-ring-gia-cert




http://loupetroop.com/listings/rings-colored-stone-center/ritani-endless-love-sapphire-and-diamond-ring-in-platinum


Trillian sapphire in a simple setting but way under budget

http://diamondbistro.com/category/219/Colored-Center-Stone/listings/37431/101ct-Blue-Sapphire-14kt-WG-ring.html

http://loupetroop.com/listings/rings/reduced-1-dot-41ct-ceylon-sapphire-halo-ring-size-4