shape
carat
color
clarity

noticable size differences

Status
Not open for further replies. Please create a new topic or request for this thread to be opened.

RyanGS

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jun 30, 2003
Messages
2
Hello all. This is my first time posting. I''m looking for a diamond for an engagement ring for my unsuspecting future wife. I''ve spent countless hours researching diamonds, because I want to be an educated consumer. Well, now that I know all about the 4 Cs, I hope some of you can enlighten me on a very important factor.. size.

The problem is her friends have rounds around the 1.6 - 2.2 CT range. I''ll be spending money on a quality diamond, and since she will wear it forever, I dont want her to feel insecure because I''ve given her a 1 CT and her friends have much larger stones, and I''m willing to spend more now because I dont want to have regrets either later.
Am I being superfical? Maybe, but I want to give her the best I can. Anyway, I''m not looking for people to criticize me on how size doesnt matter, its a symbol of love, yadda yadda. I already know.

FYI, I''ve sacrificed color and clarity to get a bigger size, but not cut of course. I think an H-I SI2 makes an impressive stone.

Assuming everything is the same, how small can I go in milimeter size difference from the 1.6 CT so I can save as much as I can, without sacrifing visual size? I''ve been looking at diamonds already set in the stores to see size difference, and it can be somewhat noticable, but they wouldn''t compare rings side to side like that- I think.

I''m thinking a 0.4-0.5 milimeter wouldn''t be detectable on different hands. Also, I''m torn between getting a solitaire or adding side stones. Most of her friends have a tiffany-style solitaire, but I''m thinking if I''m going for a smaller diamond anyway, and get side stones, would that detract from the size of the center stone? Do solitaires make the center stone look bigger? Thanks for the advice

-Ryan
 

jlim

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Apr 29, 2003
Messages
250
Rich Sherwood posted these.

carat_size_chart1.jpg
 

Giangi

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jan 23, 2003
Messages
2,530
I don't think you're being superficial. You're just worrying about your future fiancee's happiness.

I'm sorry to say that a 0.5mm difference will be quite noticeable, unless her friends' diamonds are lousy cut.
A 1.60Ct should measure about 7.60mm, so if you want to ''impress'' your friends you can go with an ideal 1.50ct, which will measure about 7.40mm. It won't be too big a difference. Otherwise go with a nice, shallower cut stone. Many stones that do not fall within the AGS 0 category can be very attractive. Mara's diamond is an excellent example. I believe (please correct me if I'm wrong) it has 56.9 depth, making it look MUCH larger than an average (or even ideal) stone with 62/63/64% depth. Another possibility is a J/K color diamond. These can be inexpensive when compared to G-H's, but will look fairly white once set. An SI 2 at ~2cts in most cases won't be completely eye-clean, but if you're lucky enough to find one with inclusions that can be covered with a prong, you'll get a VS look at the SI price. Not bad at all.
1.gif


As for the setting, if you want to make your diamond look larger, then get a thin, dainty 4/6 prongs band. It will compliment your diamond and make it look a bit larger. Don't spend money on side stones right now; you can do it in the future and she will be able to choose the style she loves, rather spend the $$$ on a better quality or larger diamond.
 

Mara

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Oct 30, 2002
Messages
31,003
I agree, get a very thin setting, about 2mm if you can..it will make the center stone look much larger than a 3mm or 4mm band will.

SI2 will very likely not be eye clean at 2+c as Giangi noted. Definitely take this into consideration when you set your priorities. With a well cut stone, you can go I color or even a J..I would not go to a K but that's just my personal preference..don't like the very warm colors.

I would suggest something like an I SI1 or J SI1 but not H SI2....my personal preference anyway. I'd rather have a slightly warmer stone (but again with an excellent cut the stone will face up whiter than with a regular cut stone..) and eye-clean than a whiter stone with a noticeable inclusion.

I personally like the larger sized stones myself, my fiance and I passed up an excellent Tolowsky type 'ideal' cut that scored .9 on the HCA to get a little big more 'spread' with a slightly shallower stone. This enabled us to get a larger size stone and not pay the larger sized stone pricing. Though alot of the decision for us was based on what we saw with our eye, my fiance really liked this stone better, and they both looked pretty to me.
2.gif
At this time my stone scored 1.5 on the HCA...so both were fine choices in our eyes. Our stone has a shallower depth of 56.9 (good job Giangi!) and a larger table of 61.4...this gives you the larger diameter up top which actually scored us an extra .13c of stone from a visual perspective.

BTW since you asked about the mm differences and visuals...the ideal cut stone we were looking at was a 1.24c stone with a diameter of around 7mm which is correct for that size. The 1.23c stone we bought has a diameter of 7.15 (average) which makes it look like a 1.35c stone. The difference is only .15mm but it makes a huge difference. You will see anything over .10mm as a difference in my opinion. A .5mm is HUGE from a visual perspective when you get into the larger sized stone.

I believe Jonathan at GOG had a few of the shallower, larger spread stones on his site, and he had full workups on them too--though that was a bit ago and they may be sold. Though I do have to mention that once you start geeking out and looking at cut reports, brilliance scores etc...it is easy to sacrifice a bit of size and go with a VERY well cut stone over a larger spread. So you may have to see what your eye tells you!! Larger spread or the epitome of well-cut.

Good luck!!
1.gif
 

phoenixgirl

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Mar 20, 2003
Messages
3,388
One number thrown around for noticeable size differences is about 20% difference in carat weight will be noticeable -- so in this case sticking with 1.4 might be a good idea. Plus you'd be under the bump up in price for a true one and a half carat.

I have no idea what your budget is, but here are some ideas of various sizes close to the specs you mentioned:

http://www.goodoldgold.com/1_423ct_i_si1_h&a.htm

http://www.goodoldgold.com/1_82ct_j_si2_h&a.htm

http://www.dirtcheapdiamonds.com/diamond_detail.cfm?did=1660018

http://www.dirtcheapdiamonds.com/diamond_detail.cfm?did=371377

http://www.dirtcheapdiamonds.com/diamond_detail.cfm?did=1710585

http://www.dirtcheapdiamonds.com/diamond_detail.cfm?did=1729528

http://search.virtcert.com/cgi/u/1041/v.cgi?stock=1185174&_s=1041&_p=98fg98f7g&_c=&_fs=1&prestock=

http://www.icestore.com/search/diamond_inventory_detail.asp?ID=58401
 

NewbieHere

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Messages
37
I agree with the posts above - stay with an SI1 and go down to a J color in a H&A. I personally looked at some H&A's recently and was amazed how "white" the J could be. Also a H&A - I believe they measure wider than a standard round cut. I punched in a 1.4 to a 1.75 J SI1 in the pricescope and found one that measured 7.48 mm across - right in your ballpark. Not sure if the $$ is right, but it looked good to me.
9.gif
 

Mara

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Oct 30, 2002
Messages
31,003
Oh and BTW..you think girls wouldn't compare hands or rings side by side? WRONG!!! I did that with my co-worker the second day I had my ring..and it wasn't about 'comparing size' or anything..but was rather just comparing the two rings (totally different styles) on each other's hands. We both tried on each other's rings and then tried them on both TOGETHER which shows the differences between two rings very quickly. Of course we didn't SAY what we were thinking (e.g. me thinking..wow her stone looks a little yellow compared to mine--which was interesting because when not compared against my stone, her stone looks pretty white!) but it did happen.

I would also highly suggest not to buy the size or the style/ring *solely because* you want your girlfriend to be able to play with the big dogs, but rather because she would love what you get her..and the size is just a perk. Just because friends have larger stones, does not mean you should base your decisions on that factor solely. She has to wear this ring forever, what if secretly (or not so secretly) she wanted side stones? Does she have a preference? If so, getting a solitaire just because it makes her stone look bigger may not appeal to her.

I also would not be super jazzed if my guy proposed to me and then when I was asking what made him so 'attracted' to the setting or stone (typical chick question here--correct answer depending on the time of the month is something very sappy about how it hit him in the gut as being perfect for me)--he said something like...well I wanted it to look as big as possible so you can impress your friends!

Just something to throw in there. If you have already discussed with her, or you know what she wants, nevermind then
2.gif
 

trichrome

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Dec 9, 2002
Messages
397
Get a 10 cts emerald, emerald cut....that will blast any of
her coworkers or friends.....

hehehehe

Trichrome.
 

pqcollectibles

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Feb 22, 2003
Messages
3,441
Hi Ryan!
wavey.gif


Keep in mind one thing while diamond shopping. While they say their diamonds are a certain carat weight, you don't know CUT quality or physical dimensions.

I have a .766 carat SUPER IDEAL CUT, A Cut Above H&A from White Flash that has the visual appearance of most 1 carat diamonds average people see and wear. I've even had other women oooh and ahhh about my gorgeous 1 carat diamond. I simply thank them and snicker to myself.

Keep CUT as your first priority. Compare diameters of well cut diamonds with not so great cuts. You will find you get the same visual size in a lower carat weight. And, your gal will definitely have the better performing diamond! The WOW factor! The difference between a diamond that grabs peoples eyes or just sits on the finger!
2.gif
 

BecomingACutNerd

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
Messages
13
Okay, I think I probably know the answer to this one, but I'll ask anyway. Since we're on the subject of diamond size envy ... Does anyone think there's a noticeable difference between a .9 carat diamond with a 6.32-6.39 spread and a normal, say, 1.05 carat diamond?
 

Mara

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Oct 30, 2002
Messages
31,003
assuming the 'normal 1.05c' has something like a diameter of 6.55-6.60...the difference will be slightly noticeable. then again, both my fiance and i when comparing our diamonds as previously posted saw a noticeable difference that was .15mm...so from 6.40 to a 6.55/6.60..yes I'd see a difference.

2.gif
 

69gm

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Apr 28, 2003
Messages
287
i agree with mara. when i looked around at diamonds, although it was harder to tell the difference between colors and inclusions (without a loupe), it was surprisingly easier to tell the difference in size...even when the carat weight was only very slightly different! not significantly different, mind you, but noticeable nonetheless.

just make sure cut is the most important thing. it will make color that much whiter and the size that much bigger. a well cut diamond will look bigger than a bigger...err...not-so-well cut diamond.
9.gif
 

Nate

Shiny_Rock
Joined
May 17, 2003
Messages
211
As mentioned, I wouldn't go for an SI2. You could, but you would have to find one with very hard to see inclusions. Most SI2s I looked at in the 1.3ct range had eye visible inclusions. I got a 1.33ct SI1 J, BTW, and would suggest a J to anybody! I certainly can't tell it isn't perfectly white.

Do you have any idea of what she wants? Do you know that she wants a large diamond? Ok, that was probably a silly question... when I came here I posted something similiar about wanting the largest diamond I could get. I eventually decided to get a great cut, and then stretched my budget horribly to get the large diamond I wanted!
tongue.gif
Well, I started out wanting a 1.5ct but a 1.3ct is plenty large to me.

I don't think sidestones subtract from the center, though some people do. I liek them, but only if they are big sidestones! Small sidestones next to a big center looks akward to me.

Anyway, back on the subject, maybe she would like a princess (square) shape? I don't fancy (
10.gif
) these myself, but lots of people do. This route would allow you to get a bigger diamond as the fancy shapes cost less than round brilliants.

As far as widths are concerned, go to your local jeweler and ask to see diamonds with specific widths, like 7.4mm and 7.3mm, and see if you can tell the difference. I'd question the quality of her friends stones unless they have tons of cash.
1.gif


Here is the width chart I have stolen from somewhere. Remember they are averages and, like others mentioned, getting a stone with a wider table and shallower depth will appear much larger. However, this would be sacrificing the "perfect" cut. Stones that don't have a "perfect" cut can be extremely beautiful, but you may have a harder time finding the one for you. I want with the super ideal cut so I could be sure I was getting the shiniest one. I couldn't trust my eye and I didn't want any regrets.

mmToCarat.gif
 

elmo

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jun 18, 2003
Messages
1,160
Everyone's giving good advice, but IMO if you're trying to watch the budget you're right on track with sidestones and a three-stone ring. A 2 carat of any color and clarity are going to set you back some serious $$. But why not get a G-H color center stone just under a carat and some sapphire sides? Or if it's got to be diamonds, maybe some third carat fancy yellows to go along with it? The coolest thing is that while you can keep a ring like that under $6-8k, it's something lovely and unique that her friends don't have.

Think outside the box
1.gif
.
 

ringbling17

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jan 14, 2003
Messages
2,808
I think everyone brought up really good points.
First off, there is a huge difference visually between 0.5 mm. I have two stones, one is 7.42mm and the other is 8.0 mm and the other ring always draws much more attention to it.
Secondly, I agree with Mara about getting an I color and SI1 clarity, rather than getting an H SI2, I think I am more of a clarity snob than a color snob! Just my personal preference.
Third, if you really want to make your diamond look bigger, I suggest a thin band, not much larger than 2.5mm and a higher setting. I think medium to high settings make a diamond appear much larger. Or even bezel set diamonds. I had a 0.65 carat diamond set in a bezel setting and everyone who saw it thought it was at least one carat. At one point, my co-worker, who has a one carat from Cartier
rolleyes.gif
, asked me to take it off and compared it to her ring and kept telling me it had to be one carat.
Here is a beautiful setting by Ritani that I covet. It has exactly what I was talking about, a very thin band- about 2 mm. , a bezel set center stone, and it is fairly high.
Anyway, good luck with your search.

endless love octagon bezel top view.jpg
 

Mara

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Oct 30, 2002
Messages
31,003
That is beautiful Kayla--very early 1900s. Kind of like the Michael B setting but much prettier. I adore the skinny band with pave..that is what we were going for with the look of our ring, but I wanted it thinner than the 2.5mm! I was veto'd in the name of 'daily wearing safety'..heehee.

That is another good point, if you get a ssetting similar to what Kayla posted, you can get away with a smaller stone. Put the stone into a bezel or even a pave set bezel like that picture. Set the diamond high as she suggested (e.g. cathedral setting or setting with shoulders). People's *perception* of a stone size is almost always off. People always think my stone is a 1.5c but its not...and when I see a 1.5c that I know is a 1.5c (my friend has one), I know hers is bigger. But on the street? I can't tell what sizes are, only that its bigger.

Recently I was on a flight and a girl had a beautiful half-bezel set ring, somewhat like Cowboy Stu's setting. The diamond looked be AT LEAST 2 or 2.5c but you couldn't even tell because of the bezel, it makes it look much bigger, ESP when set in platinum. The whiteness of the stone plays off the whiteness of the metal and it ALL looks sparkly.

Just a few more ideas if you want to visually play with size, but again...what does she want?
1.gif
 

fire&ice

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jul 22, 2002
Messages
7,828
Also, consider an I/J stone w/ med/strong blue fluor. The stone will more than likely face up whiter.

A stone w/ a good make will hide body color & many flaws.

Good luck.

Size *is* a very noticeable "c"
 

RyanGS

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jun 30, 2003
Messages
2
Thanks for all the helpful advice, I was wondering (I don't know if this is a factor?), but my GF is petite (5'0) and has smaller fingers compared to her friends, size 4. Would you think that could contribute to making a diamond look bigger too? For example, a 1.6 CT on a size 6 vs a 1.3 CT -1.4 CT on a size 4 look the same? Assuming of course, you don't put them side-by-side. An optical illusion I guess?

This is a total surprise for her and we haven't gone ring-shopping, but I know for sure she like rounds, as for fancy shapes, I'm not sure so I'm not even going to try for one, she may not like it, but thank you for suggesting it.

I must say I am leaning toward getting her a solitaire with a 2 mm platinum setting after you comments.

Ryan
 

Giangi

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jan 23, 2003
Messages
2,530
Yes, it will look larger than its weight. Unless of course you compare a 1.6 and a 1.3 side by side.
Another idea would be a beautiful 2cts fancy light yellow radiant with white sides. It would be gorgeous, not overly expensive and definitely unusual!
1.gif
 

Nate

Shiny_Rock
Joined
May 17, 2003
Messages
211
Whats your budget like? I got a 1.33ct SI1 J center and two 0.5ct SI2 J sides and an awesome designer setting for under $9k. All H&A super ideal cuts!
 

diamluvr

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jun 12, 2003
Messages
16
Hi! I'm not sure if a 1.3 would look bigger on a size 4 than a 1.6 on a 6, but I do know that it will look BIG!
10.gif
I say get it set in a 4-prong solitaire with a thin band. In my opinion, 4-prongs make a RB look bigger. Good luck!
1.gif
 

elmo

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jun 18, 2003
Messages
1,160
As soon as I suggest smaller center stone with sapphires or fancy yellow sidestones, Moosejaw posts a perfect example of something lovely along the lines of what I was thinking about that's only $5500 in the thread ".93ct, D, VS1, Platinum Filigree with Blue Sapphire Ring for sale" at https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/93ct-d-vs1-platinum-filigree-with-blue-sapphire-ring-for-sale.6881/.

How many of your gf's friends have something nice like that? How many have a VS-1 D diamond? Folks here might nitpick the angles
1.gif
, but I bet the package looks great.
 
Status
Not open for further replies. Please create a new topic or request for this thread to be opened.
Be a part of the community Get 3 HCA Results
Top