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Non-Round Diamond Shape that Still has Sparkle?

keyska

keyska

Rough_Rock
Joined
Sep 14, 2011
Messages
7
It is very unusual for me to un-lurk from a forum, as I am very shy, even over the internet. From what I can tell though, people here seem to be friendly with newbies, so that gave me the nerve to post :)

I am a 28 year old divorcee.

My ex-husband and I got married very young, and my first engagement ring was a piece of crap CZ from sears that cost about $100. It had a Round center diamond and baguettes on the sides.

I have a $3200-$3400 budget for my new engagement ring, which my boyfriend and I will be purchasing from James Allen sometime in either December or January (It all depends on when we meet our savings goal).

I will probably get a simple solitaire setting.

For the centre diamond I want to get the biggest diamond I can afford after ensuring it is eye clean and has the best cut available. Color is not important to me as long as the ring has sparkle.

Which brings me to my problem . . . I know Round Brilliants have the most fire and sparkle, but I've tried some on these past few months and every time I did I got this "EW" feeling and I made this face :sick: because it reminds me of my first engagement ring. I also cringe at the sight of baguettes.

Clearly I cannot go with that shape, no matter how much fire it has :p

Shape wise I really have no preference, I just want the sparkliest one I can get - that isn't round!

I would really appreciate any advice I can get :)

EDIT: I just re-read my thread and the moderator in me hates how my title isn't as descriptive as it should be, so I'm going to change it :P
 
I would consider a different vendor. Both Brian Gavin and Good Old Gold carry non-rounds with ideal light return. BGD has princesses and the Quadex and Good Old Gold has the AVC, Princess of Hearts, and the Jubilee. Also consider Eternity Diamonds they have some lovely halo settings (which would give you more size and a completely different look) at an affordable price.
 
hi and welcome! I think it is definitely possible to find a non-round diamond that has lots of sparkle and fire. What shapes do you generally like? have you tried on any shapes that you like? (princess? oval? pear?)
 
Thanks for those suggestions Gypsy, I will look into those vendors. Though I am already quite fond of JA and their customer service, I still enjoy looking around, especially since I have another 3-4 months before I can actually purchase the ring :p

slg47 I am actually very fond of Oval and Pear :) And thank you for the welcome :)
 
Plenty of non-round diamonds have great sparkle! It just depends on how well-cut the diamond is. A well-cut stone of any shape will sparkle.

Princess cuts are the 2nd most popular after rounds, and they're the only other shape whose cut is graded by a reputable lab (AGS). They have a look that's very distinct from rounds, not only because of the square shape but also because the facet patterning is completely different. That's where I'd start if you want something completely opposite to a round.

If you don't like the sharp corners or the little splintery sparkles of a princess, but you prefer rounder edges and/or chunky flashes, look into antique or antique-style cushions like the August Vintage Cushion at Good Old Gold, which is cut specifically for light performance.

If you want a non-round stone with "hearts and arrows" optics similar to an ideal-cut round, look at the Jubilee, Princess of Hearts, and Quadex cuts as Gypsy mentioned. However, these may remind you too much of your old round stone because the patterning is intentionally designed to be similar to a round.

ETA: None of these "specialty" cuts are available at JA, though. Good Old Gold is usually the easiest place to find most of them. The AVC is only found at GOG, and the Quadex is found at Brian Gavin.
 
Oh you like Ovals and Pears? Then I'd definitely take a closer look at those. I love ovals and there are so many fun ways to set them! Pears too.

Plus you get a MUCH lower price per carat... and they are spready, so you can get a really lovely ring for your budget!

JA has a nice selection of these. I know ERD can find lovely fancies... as well as GOG.
 
Also, have you considered an antique diamond? And OEC is round, but the faceting is completely different. And so is the personality of the stones.


Oh and finally... I think you need to look at settings. The right setting can completely win you over to a diamond shape.
 
I have made my brain hurt looking at settings so much! I don't know how I'll ever decide.

My boyfriend doesn't understand why it's so complicated to just "pick one" :roll:

I'm a bit clumsy so I think a nice sturdy solitaire setting is my best bet.

So far I'm fond of this one http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/contemporary-rings/diamond-solitaire-ring.html

Though if I need to lower my setting cost to allow for a better diamond I may get something less expensive, like this one http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/2-5mm-Comfort-Fit-18K-Gold-Solitaire.html..

If I wasn't concerned about breaking something so delicate I would get this one http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/pave/-18k-White-Gold-Pave-Set-Diamond-Engagement-Ring.html
 
I love pretty ovals or you might like a cushion. Ovals look bigger for the weight and cushions tend to look a bit smaller because
they are deeper. Both can be lovely though.

That first setting you linked is pretty wide at 3.3mm. What size is your finger? Might take that and the size of the stone
into consideration.

I'll see if I can find some decent ovals from JA in your price range...just FYI.

...I actually didnt find too many that I liked...
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/D-SI1-Premium-Cut-Oval-Diamond-1359563.asp
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/E-SI2-Ideal-Cut-Oval-Diamond-1411662.asp
 
Hi keyska. Welcome to Pricescope. I second Gypsy's suggestion about an antique diamond. That would be the furthest thing from your original CZ ring. You can find some warmer colored diamonds out there that are beautiful and have sparkle. As it was said earlier - any diamond will sparkle if it is well-cut.
 
I was looking at a thicker band not because I especially like the look of it, but because I'm afraid I'll destroy a thinner band. I'm a nanny, I'm on the go all day doing lots of cleaning and spending a lot of time outside. I also do a lot of camping/hiking whenever I can. My ring size is 5 and a half. My hands aren't huge but they aren't tiny either. My fingers are pretty long. I'd love to get that halo setting but 1.9mm scares me!
 
I love the square hearts and arrows cuts too. As others suggested BGD has them as well as Good Old Gold. I would look at both of them,
they both have great customer service as well as other methods of showing you how well a stone performs. Unfortunately, I don't think
you can get that at James Allen. Getting the best cut stone with the best performance will maximize you sparkle dollars no matter the
size of the stone, and both vendors have good upgrade policies for later, if you choose.
 
Can you go try on some rings with different shape stones? I think an oval would make a very pretty and classy ring for you. All diamonds are pretty just in different ways. :appl:
 
I LOVE ovals. I have a feeling my BF has already purchased something for me (or it's in the works... Pretty sure he's proposing in either 3 weeks or 5 weeks!), and I told him I liked RB, oval, and asscher, but if I were certain he hadn't purchased anything yet I'd definitely steer him towards ovals - they're gorgeous, a little unique, sparkly and brilliant, but you can get a much larger stone for the money than you can with a RB.
I really like the first JA setting you posted, as well as the 3rd. The 2nd wasn't my favorite, and it really wasn't THAT much less expensive than the first, so I say you should go with what you LOVE! In the grand scheme of things, the 100ish dollars difference between the first and second setting will probably not make a huge difference in the quality of stone you can get, and really it's just a month worth of lattes you would have to give up ;)
 
I think you should consider an oval set east west in the sholdt semi bezel. It's a great look, clean and contemporary and it's durable. No melee to worry about and with an oval it will be just different enough for you.

sd_R379_2_(2)_front.jpg
 
You might find this video useful. It compares my favorite, the Princess of Hearts, with Jubilee (another branded square H&A cut), and a round hearts and arrows diamond. Both these brands are carried by Good Old Gold. This should give you an idea of how the square H&A's measure up with top notch rounds. Enjoy!

http://vimeo.com/3895218
 
An east-west oval would be lovely. I have attached one that I think is dreamy...just so you can get a visual on what it would look like...it is a yellow diamond and I know you dont want that. I have no idea who this belongs to...I liked it so much, I saved it.
 

Attachments

DonnaH|1316057163|3017985 said:
An east-west oval would be lovely. I have attached one that I think is dreamy...just so you can get a visual on what it would look like...it is a yellow diamond and I know you dont want that. I have no idea who this belongs to...I liked it so much, I saved it.
Click to expand...


That's a gorgeous ring. And that's a VERY affordable Beverly K setting.
 
Another vote for either an OEC, an oval, or a pear: while a lot of the specialty-cut stones (AVCs, Quadex, etc.) have amazing light return, they tend to be cut very deep in order to achieve it. I'd also suggest bezel-setting, as that can give you a little more visual "heft" to your stone ....
 
Wow so many replies! Thanks everyone :)

I have checked out the vendors some of you have suggested and I love some of the diamonds on GOG. I especially love that they have M color stones, as I'm fond of warmer colors :) I fawned over this one august vintage M stone for quite some time actually.

But alas, the BF says it's a no-go, "If I'm buying online I want to see the actual diamond" and went on about me changing my mind too much :roll: It's taken a LOT of convincing to get him to agree to buy from an online vendor at all so I don't want to push my luck or I may end up with a crappy l2 diamond from People's . . . they don't even list the cut grade on their website :shock:

I guess I'll just hope that when the time comes there will be a stone with sparkle within my budget on JA. The customer service person I've spoken to has been amazing so I find that reassuring.

As for that JA bezel setting, I *love* the pear! But again, my bf disagrees. Maybe I can change his mind though :)

I'm horrible at making decisions. I just want to tell someone "Here's $3200. Find me something pretty!" :lol:
 
If he wants to see the actual diamond then Jonathan at GOG could make a video of it for you for a real life comparisson, an easy resolution for your SO ;))
 
keyska|1316113819|3018338 said:
...
Color is not important to me as long as the ring has sparkle.
I have a $3200-$3400 budget for my new engagement ring.
...
I'm horrible at making decisions.
I just want to tell someone "Here's $3200.
Find me something pretty!" :lol:
Click to expand...

I think this is exactly what you are looking for. Perfect in fact.
It's an August Vintage Cushion 0.93 ct M SI1 for $2,902 by wire.
That will leave enough for a classic solitaire setting.

Call GOG to see if it is eye clean and discuss what that means with them.
Ask them where the inclusions are since they did not show up on their scan of the AGS report.
(Still, they have a great return policy if you don't like it.)

I don't think you are going to find better sparkle in anything near this large for under $3K.
Plus GOG is a wonderful trustworthy vendor.
I've bought from them twice and they have good customer service.

These AVCs are really sparkly and have because of the cut and optical performance they huge light flashes for their weight.
A radiant or pear or oval or princess, no matter how well-cut, will have much smaller (though more) flashes.
Asschers and emerald cut may have larger flashes for the same weight but are not going to be the fireballs that the AVCs are.

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/7851/
 
I'm all the way up in Canada on Vancouver Island and I bought an EC and setting from GoG a few months back. They have a rock solid return policy aside from some very minor costs for shipping (which I more than recouped on their price vs local prices). Do talk to them about the process involved, it was very straightforward and, once the ball got rolling, didn't take very long. They made a video for me so I could see the stone in different lighting conditions. Seriously, it was a very nice experience and Sarah feels like a friend now. I would use them again no hesitation. I just wish I could win the lottery so I could go in person and have lunch with them all. :bigsmile:
 
I won't point you to specific diamonds but here is some information you might find useful.
Round brilliants have the most sparkle when ideally cut, reflecting up to 92% of the light that enters the diamond. Here is the light return of other shapes compared telling you what percentage of the sparkle (refractive quality) of a round diamond they can have. (Of course, the question is then to find a fancy that has the optimum refractive quality it can have--not as easy as you would think, because only rounds and square H & A's are graded for light performance, as observed above.)

Anyway:

Round 100%
Marquise 90%
Oval 90%
Pear 90%
Heart 80%
Princess 70%
Triangle 70%
Cushion 60%
Emerald 60%
Original Asscher 60% (royal asscher sparkles more)
Radiant 60%
Baguette 45%

This would be a modern round brilliant, not an antique cut,which is cut for other qualities than just sparkle. Many of the other cuts also have special characteristics (you really can't judge a beautiful emerald cut, for instance, or an asscher, on the sole basis that it lacks 40% of the 'sparkle' of a round) but it was sparkle you asked about, so I thought this might interest you. Unfortunately, I have lost the URL I got this from.

Also, people giving you advice here will direct you to some proprietary cuts, which sometimes have more sparkle than the run-of-the-mill stones available in that cut and that informatin is worth considering (though you dont know if YOU will like the proprietary cut until you see it in person. So make sure the vendor has a great return policy, since you are buying online).
 
Great find Kenny!
I think that stone would be perfect for you! They also have a lot of very affordable settings but just in case you want something else here are a few more options. Keep in mind many of these heads are "prong" heads and can be switched out to work with a cushion shaped stone. First up is a Mark Morrell (designer that is carried ONLY by GOG) that I think would work well because it's thick like you want. It's 850.00 though JBEG right now.
http://jewelsbyericagrace.smugmug.com/Jewelry/Mountings/Mark-Morrell-Antique-Solitaire/18332321_TdMkff#1411678364_S9G7VX3

Other options are though dover
http://www.doverjewelry.com/catalog/ring_settings/diamond_040cts_gold_mounting_engagement_ring.html

http://www.doverjewelry.com/catalog/ring_settings/estate_030ct_princess_diamond_14k_gold_mounting_engagement_ring.html

Also if you don't want to go with the M (which I think is yummy!) here is a J also in your budget
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/8580/

Unique ebay ring
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ANTIQUE-65CT-OLD-MINE-DIAMOND-PLATINUM-ENGAGEMENT-RING-/230663340573?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35b49b421d

Another
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ANTIQUE-58CT-OLD-MINE-DIAMOND-PLATINUM-ENGAGEMENT-RING-/260839831297?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cbb43f701

Rubylane rose gold bezel ring
http://www.rubylane.com/item/490404-RoseGold062ctBezel/Understated-Vintage-14kt-Rose-Gold

If you like sapphires here is a pretty option
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ART-DECO-90ct-DIAMOND-SAPPHIRE-ENGAGEMENT-RING-1930-/230654854059?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35b419c3ab

I realize some of these rings are round but the settings are so different than your first that I didn't think it would hurt to link you to them. If you can convince your fiance to go with GOG that's the route I'd take :love:
 
kenny|1316115688|3018355 said:
I think this is exactly what you are looking for. Perfect in fact.
It's an August Vintage Cushion 0.93 ct M SI1 for $2,902 by wire.
That will leave enough for a classic solitaire setting.

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/7851/
Click to expand...

This is exactly the one I was fawning over!! I love it so much <3
 
keyska|1316121232|3018420 said:
kenny|1316115688|3018355 said:
I think this is exactly what you are looking for. Perfect in fact.
It's an August Vintage Cushion 0.93 ct M SI1 for $2,902 by wire.
That will leave enough for a classic solitaire setting.

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/7851/
Click to expand...

This is exactly the one I was fawning over!! I love it so much <3
Click to expand...

So why not buy it?
 
Because my budget has to include duty fees :(
 
keyska said:
Because my budget has to include duty fees :(
Click to expand...


Shoot Jonathan an email and tell him what your budget is and what you are looking for. He has TONS of estate pieces NOT listed on his site and might have a beautiful Old mine cut ring (cushion shaped) that fits your budget, style and even duties included. Doesn't hurt to email him...he may just have YOUR ring waiting for you to find it :naughty: ::)
 
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