OMG- this is *way* too much pressure.

[scarlet16]

Date: 5/6/2008 8:54:33 AM
Author: scarlet16

Date: 5/6/2008 8:36:17 AM

Author: Ellen

Date: 5/6/2008 8:27:45 AM


Author: Deelight


If your off to NY go to Long Island and visit Jon and Sarah at Good Old Gold they will take care of you both really lovely people and then head off to Leon Mege for a beautiful custom setting



Did you have a timeline that you had to abide by?




ETA: There is no Graff, or HW in Australia at least that I am aware of .

This, is a winning combination. Stunning stone from Jon, set in the classic solitaire from Leon. Perfection.


You all know I love Leon...but it sounds like the boss it antsy and wants something ASAP, not custom. If you are going to be going overseas (say here in NY), I''d call up Tiffany''s, Cartier, Harry Winston before you come, and ask them to have several stones in several different setting ready.


PS-I saw an AMAZING 5+ct emerald cut D VVS1 at the Tiffany''s in NY the other week!

http://www.artofplatinum.com/4images/details.php?image_id=350

Not sure why my post came up in the middle of that. Weird.

Anyways...if you do decide to come to NY, I would love to be TOTALLY selfless and come spend your boss'' money with you. I''m right in Manhattan!

 

[Ellen]

Date: 5/6/2008 8:54:32 AM
Author: arjunajane

Date: 5/6/2008 8:36:17 AM
Author: Ellen

This, is a winning combination. Stunning stone from Jon, set in the classic solitaire from Leon. Perfection.

http://www.artofplatinum.com/4images/details.php?image_id=350

Hey! That was my suggestion!

....just kidding. I re inforce my advice, and say Darla you won''t be able to go wrong. Both of these great professionals will guide you right and make your boss proud and his GF love you! ha ha

Oh you did, and I missed it.

Ditto to you!

Even though it sounds like it''s not doable. Pity.

 

[LaraOnline]

Hmm, firstly, I would definitely consider perfect specs for that budget! D colour, no less than VS1, for sure!
that''s my opinion!
sometimes the wealthiest people prefer quality over flashy, y''know?
What kind of girl is she? Does she have a ''blingy'' style? Or is she kinda ''quiet'' in her presentation?
that might guide you as to whether you should go with the halo/pave split shank or maybe just a totally top dollar plat solitaire, which is set in a stunningly special way.
I agree that a ''name'' might be important to her.
Are there any really special ''designers to the stars'' that are ''uber-cool'', beyond even the scope of the regular unwashed such as myself? (other people might name a few names)?
Is she edgy in style? Classic? Sporty? The responses to these questions might help you answer questions relating to the height of the ring, and whether is should be a more or less robust setting (say, four prong vs half-bezel), etc.
Should the band (shank) be delicate or really wide? Could you consider getting a matching wedding band?
hmm, anyway, hoped we''ve all helped get the creative juices flowing!

 

[Sharon101]

With that budget you definately need to go for D and IF and preferably a brand!!! I think the high end brands have the most classy designs, and you are also buying in `safe` land!!!! Meaning you are really minimising your odds of choosing wrong because these brands have stood the test of time with their designs.

Now my opinion is to not buy something too big because it could actually end up to be `too big`. People in Australia just dont go around with massive diamonds. eg 7 c. would be rediculous imo.

But I would certainly spend the $ on a diamond wedding band to go with the er. And I would buy a fabulous diamond tennis bracelot and or some diamond studs. Im sure $500000 would not be too difficult to spend!!!

And you know that you can bargain when you have that much $ to spend. I would imagine up to 20% for a start even at the high end stores.

Oh yer....and expect to be treated......VERY WELL!!!!

 

[motownmama]

Can you narrow it down to 2 and have this guy say "that one", so in fact he did technically choose her ring? Go with simple/classic and you''ll be fine. She can show her individuality with her weddding band.

 

[cara]

Wow, that is some pressure!

Before you leave on your quest, do you have this woman's ring size? Also pictures of how she dresses herself/her personality might be helpful. If she is edgy and modern maybe a princess/other square stone would be right. If she is more vintagy/classic, maybe a cushion or asscher. Don't go yellow gold unless you know she will like it. Plat would be safer these days.

In this size, I think a little melee or some sidestones is appropriate. Otherwise the setting looks a little bare.

While a round solitaire might be safe, they don't come off as well in the gigundo size range. Avril Lavigne's is pretty much as big a round as I would want to own, and I like her set mainly for the eternity ring that goes with. Check out the celebrity ring thread for some ideas.

Given the time frame and budget, I think you have to go brand name as others have suggested. While you might have the budget for D/IF, you will significantly restrict your choices if you limit yourself to that color/clarity combo. You'd basically be choosing based primarily on who can get a ring in that is D/IF rather than the ring itself or cut of centerstone. If you are open to D/E/F and VS1/VVS/IF then you will have more choice (which I know on some level you might want less of).

Good luck!!!

ETA: Last thought, you might consider a colored diamond ring. That will use up some large fraction of your budget and reduce the size range. But it would involve guessing what the lucky lady would prefer!

 

[Rhea]

Date: 5/6/2008 9:07:59 AM
Author: NewEnglandLady

If it were me, for this budget, I''d just walk in to Harry Winston and buy a large (4 - 5 carats?) cushion on a beautiful pave band. Huge round brilliants can look cartoonish and dare I say it...a little matronly? While round brilliants are very classic, I think a stylish younger woman who is looking at 4+ carat diamonds would probably steer away from a huge round brilliant solitaire. I think you should just book the trip, go to HW, Tiffany, Graff, Cartier, etc. in NYC and just see what you love!

What she said! A 4-5 carat is very large. Harry Winston is very respectable (definitely commands more attention than Tiffany). A cushion is more unique than a round but not too far off the beaten path like another shape can be. Pave is classic and modern at the same time.

 

[golden]

If he wants name brand, I would go right to Harry Winston or DeBeers. I would get a round solitaire or a round with pear sides... If I was spending that kind of money, I would go right to debeers for the following ring

I believe this is a debeers image

 

[golden]

And here is a picture of Angie Harmon''s round with pear sides-

 

[chitowngal]

i am all about a HW with a huge cushion and plain band. swooon

 

[rainydaze]

wow, what a project!!! i can't even imagine the pressure.... and the fun!

i hope DiamanteBlu does not mind my posting her thread - Diamante? she tried on some gorgeous rings while shopping for her upgrade, and i think her experience and photos could be of some help to you. i am thinking they might give you some point of reference about size, design and how to go about shopping for your purchase.
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/nyc-trip-report-upgrade-shopping-has-begun.75825/

my first thoughts when reading your post echo those already offered - either find a spectacular diamond and have the setting designed by Leon Mege (artofplatinum.com) OR set up appointments with Tiffany, Graff, Cartier, Harry Winston. let them know in advance what you will be looking for and your budget so they will have their pieces ready to show you.

do you know anything about what her circle of friends/peers wear? if you do, that would help you to know what size diamond she would most likely be comfortable sporting on her finger, as well as the style she might lean towards (i.e. if her friends wear large solitaires or more elaborate designs).

ETA: on page 2 of Diamante's thread she has a pic of her 6.89ct RB solitaire, so that might help you to see what the Whiteflash 7 ct would look like. not sure of her finger size offhand, but i'm sure it is in there somewhere!

 

[purrfectpear]

Also, any idea of her finger size? I wear and 8 1/2 and I could wear a 7 carat

Little bitty size 4 fingers, maybe not so well? I vote for a cushion with side shields or bullets, Harry Winston style.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Date: 5/6/2008 4:46:29 PM
Author: rainydaze
wow, what a project!!! i can''t even imagine the pressure.... and the fun!

i hope DiamanteBlu does not mind my posting her thread - Diamante? she tried on some gorgeous rings while shopping for her upgrade, and i think her experience and photos could be of some help to you. i am thinking they might give you some point of reference about size, design and how to go about shopping for your purchase.
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/nyc-trip-report-upgrade-shopping-has-begun.75825/

my first thoughts when reading your post echo those already offered - either find a spectacular diamond and have the setting designed by Leon Mege (artofplatinum.com) OR set up appointments with Tiffany, Graff, Cartier, Harry Winston. let them know in advance what you will be looking for and your budget so they will have their pieces ready to show you.

do you know anything about what her circle of friends/peers wear? if you do, that would help you to know what size diamond she would most likely be comfortable sporting on her finger, as well as the style she might lean towards (i.e. if her friends wear large solitaires or more elaborate designs).

ETA: on page 2 of Diamante''s thread she has a pic of her 6.89ct RB solitaire, so that might help you to see what the Whiteflash 7 ct would look like. not sure of her finger size offhand, but i''m sure it is in there somewhere!

Good thinking, Rainy. There are also pics of her ring in this thread from our Boston GTG. I think on Page 3 there is a shot of all the rings so you can see her 6+ carat RB and Emerald amongst our smaller 1 - 2 carat stones.

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/ma-get-together-so-much-fun.75187/page-2

 

[risingsun]

Date: 5/6/2008 9:15:01 AM
Author: thing2of2
With your timeline (1 week only, right?) I would call the big names (Harry Winston, Tiffany, Cartier), ask them to pull rings in the $200-$300k range and go to NYC and choose. It seems like a no brainer that she would want a brand name ring since her friends work at Tiffany. All of the PS vendors are amazing, and in pretty much any other situation I''d recommend using one of them, but if you have 1 week to get a $200k engagement ring, I think your only option is to go with a designer vendor. Plus that takes a lot of pressure off of you to hunt down the right vendor and setting and pick the perfect diamond.

A round solitaire is a no brainer, but I think that sometimes round diamonds start to look crazy in super huge sizes. In my opinion, another classic is the Harry Winston cushion cut halo. If she''s a blingy girl, I''d go for that instead of a classic Tiffany solitaire. You could also go with the Tiffany Legacy or the Tiffany round brilliant in a halo if you think she''d only like Tiffany.

If you do go for a round brilliant, you can get all the information from the certificates and check the numbers against ideal cut numbers. For cushion cuts and other fancy shapes, you sort of have to go by your eyes more. You can check the numbers, but they''re not as strict as with round brilliants.

I would just relax, call Tiffany, Harry Winston and Cartier, fly there, and pick out the prettiest, biggest ring you can get for his budget!

I absolutely agree with this post. The Harry Winston cushion cut halo in platinum would be gorgeous. I also wouldn''t go super huge. Big, but not overdone. I think you will find a winner!!

 

[kcoursolle]

While I would normally suggest a pricescope vendor, in this instance I really think cartier or harry winston are the way to go. Your boss has a huge budget and his girlfiend might prefer a good brand. They have a beautiful selection of very high end expensive rings. You also don''t have to worry about going to tiffany''s and seeing people who know her.

As far as what style to get....I''m not sure. What type of clothing does she wear, have you ever seen her in any other jewelry? Does she wear modern jewelry with sleek lines, classic jewelry like solitaires, antique stuff? You can''t go too wrong with a 3-6 carat stone in a simple setting or with some slight pave from cartier or harry winston.

 

[kcoursolle]

The 1895 solitaire in pave is a beautiful ring that would be adaptable for most women, and it would look fabulous with a large beautiful stone: http://www.cartier.com/bridal/index.php?t=1&nav=ficheprod&ref=N4160400&cc=us&codeLang=en

 

[Sharon101]

Date: 5/6/2008 2:43:17 PM
Author: Addy

Date: 5/6/2008 9:07:59 AM
Author: NewEnglandLady

If it were me, for this budget, I''d just walk in to Harry Winston and buy a large (4 - 5 carats?) cushion on a beautiful pave band. Huge round brilliants can look cartoonish and dare I say it...a little matronly? While round brilliants are very classic, I think a stylish younger woman who is looking at 4+ carat diamonds would probably steer away from a huge round brilliant solitaire. I think you should just book the trip, go to HW, Tiffany, Graff, Cartier, etc. in NYC and just see what you love!

What she said! A 4-5 carat is very large. Harry Winston is very respectable (definitely commands more attention than Tiffany). A cushion is more unique than a round but not too far off the beaten path like another shape can be. Pave is classic and modern at the same time.

I strongly second this!!!!!

 

[rainydaze]

Date: 5/6/2008 5:49:58 PM
Author: NewEnglandLady

Good thinking, Rainy. There are also pics of her ring in this thread from our Boston GTG. I think on Page 3 there is a shot of all the rings so you can see her 6+ carat RB and Emerald amongst our smaller 1 - 2 carat stones.

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/ma-get-together-so-much-fun.75187/page-2

oh, i''m so glad you posted that!!!

i tried searching for it but couldn''t seem to find it. i knew there were some good shots of her RB in that thread! not to mention everyone else''s beaties... there is a nice range of styles to give darla some ideas!