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Please help me find my dream E-ring center stone (RB $8000s)

Newly_Engaged_Gal

Rough_Rock
Joined
Oct 5, 2016
Messages
8
Hello wonderful bargain hunters and huntresses. My partner proposed last month using a placeholder ring, so we could pick something out together. We've decided on a Round Brilliant Engagement Ring with Tapered Baguette Side Stones (inspired by Harry Winston http://www.harrywinston.com/en/clas...-engagement-ring-tapered-baguette-side-stones, Leon Merge https://www.leonmege.com/index.php?...art_product_id=1588&virtuemart_category_id=22 and discoinferno3000 https://www.pricescope.com/communit...ra-tapered-baguette-platinum-thoughts.189381/). The plan is to purchase a round brilliant center stone online and have the setting custom made locally. We've got the setting covered but could use some help finding a center stone.

Admittedly, I have a beer budget with Champagne taste so I'm hoping to enlist expertise to find a magnificent center stone, here's what we're looking for:

budget: in the $8000s (center stone only)
shape: round brilliant
carat: I'd love as close to a 2ct feel as possible
clarity: through SI2, eye-clean
color: through J

Thank you, thank you, thank you, in advance!
 

Newly_Engaged_Gal

Rough_Rock
Joined
Oct 5, 2016
Messages
8
Re: Please help me find my dream E-ring center stone (RB $80

Soxfan, thank you for the very thoughtful reply! I love creativity and certainly don't mind a GIA certed pre-owned stone, however the stone is an L (I'm trying to avoid color below J), though I appreciate the good value. Let me know if anything else comes to mind!
 

AdaBeta27

Brilliant_Rock
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Messages
1,077
Re: Please help me find my dream E-ring center stone (RB $80

Most baguettes are going to be colorless or very nearly so. You are going to have to stay at G or H or above if you want a diamond that doesn't contrast with the whiteness of the baguettes. It might be possible to source some specially cut baguettes in a lower color like J, but you'd have to ask your jeweler about that. I have a large (7.8mm) diamond that is a J or K in a platinum setting with colorless baguettes. The center stone doesn't match the side stones at all. Unfortunately, I don't have any good photos of this ring. It's an estate piece and the diamond is a European cut, shallow 508% depth, large table like 62% or more, and it's a very brilliant (white light) diamond but not much fire. I'd describe it as "silvery." It's like the complete opposite of an Old European Cut, and it has a look that id definitely not today's hearts & arrows. There are big old diamonds like that, and they might not get more than a "good" cut grade but if you like their look and the performance is good enough for you, then one of those might be suitable to fit your budget. But $8000 is what I'd expect to pay for a high color eye-clean 1 ct., not something larger.

If you want a 2ct look, look for shallow stone that is spready. And something that is either not completely eye-clean or is outside the norm of today's "Pricescope cheat sheet" superideal H&A RB. A shallow stone is likely to go dark when viewed up close, due to obstruction / head shadow, or whatever you want to call it. It might look great at arm's length, which is where most people are going to see it. (I know my large diamond does.) So you have to decide what you are willing to trade off, and whether you can accept limitations and imperfections if you want a big diamond that looks colorless, and only want to pay $8000. I don't see how you are going to get more than a 6.7mm to 7.2 mm diameter white diamond for that budget. I color range is where people start to notice the ivory color. Strong blue fluor will help the face-up color when you have UV light present but you will still see tint from the side and when there's no UV. J will be tinted, for sure. I'm thinking H or possibly G should be your floor for color in a ring with baguette sides.

Not many prospects at James Allen with and $8000 cap and cut grade excellent or ideal. Eyeclean SI2 will be rare, and will be usually an in-house stone that some vendor snatched up immediately. And it will be premium priced for an SI2. Lesser SI2s will be found on the virtual lists. Personally, don't need 100% eyeclean because I think it's a waste of money. And I'd rather have one black speck that I can see than a whole host of clouds or massive twinning wisps or other junk that adversely affects brilliance. But people vary and there are many on PS who certainly could never tolerate seeing a spec in a diamond. I'm okay with sometimes-visible inclusions that one has to hunt a bit to find. Cut and color show from a distance. Inclusions don't show except at close inspection. If you don't let people closely inspect your diamond, they won't know. lol
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/?CaratFrom=0.99&CaratTo=1.94&Color=G,F,E,D&Clarity=I1,SI2,SI1&Cut=Ideal,Excellent,TrueHearts&PriceFrom=8000&PriceTo=8300&Sort=Carat%20desc,%20DefaultOrder&ViewsOptions=Images&advancedParameter=PriceSliderBottom
 

Newly_Engaged_Gal

Rough_Rock
Joined
Oct 5, 2016
Messages
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Re: Please help me find my dream E-ring center stone (RB $80

AdaBeta27 Many thanks for the information. Slightly discouraging but very helpful.
 

distracts

Ideal_Rock
Premium
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Oct 11, 2011
Messages
6,131
Re: Please help me find my dream E-ring center stone (RB $80

https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.70-carat-i-color-i1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-1786278

If you've gotta hit 2 carats and aren't picky about the shape... https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/emerald-cut/2.01-carat-i-color-si2-clarity-sku-615407

Honestly I would just try to get a nice round brilliant around 1.2-1.3 carats.

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3227665.htm
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.37-carat-h-color-si1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-2185457
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.40-carat-h-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-2021303
http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-details/LD06914114

Given your inspiration rings, I think the last option is what you'll be happiest with. (Please check the dimensions/face-up size of the diamonds you're looking at! Some diamonds face up smaller than others.)
 

AdaBeta27

Brilliant_Rock
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Messages
1,077
Re: Please help me find my dream E-ring center stone (RB $80


http://www.hhjewels.com/products-page/engagement-rings/round-brilliant-cut-diamond-ring-with-baguettes/
Combines a bezel and the two side baguettes

I concur that the 1.3 or so range is a pretty good choice to get peak performance at that budget. The 2ct range will be out of reach because 2ct is one of those goals people strive for. 1.5ct is extremely competitive because it's so popular with upgraders. I looked a long time for a 1.5 - 1.6 ct diamond to upgrade to, on a budget, and could never hit my price point. I bought a GOG signature H&A 9.5 ISEE2 AGS 000 F SI2 instead. It looks very large on my hand, which has short fingers and sz 5 ring finger. Everyone says "That looks huge!" D-E-F whiteness always helps a stone look larger from a distance, too. (just my opinion)

If you bezel something 7.2 mm or more, it should hit the apparent-2ct diameter of 7.8 - 8mm, or larger. See [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-aca-in-be-bezel.220042/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-aca-in-be-bezel.220042/[/URL] is a 1.3ct J VS2 from Whiteflash
(Click the link and look at pics. She posted pics from Photobucket and PS won't let us link to those now.)

bezelbag1.jpg

bezelbag3.jpg
 

Newly_Engaged_Gal

Rough_Rock
Joined
Oct 5, 2016
Messages
8
Re: Please help me find my dream E-ring center stone (RB $80

Sounds like maybe I've been too ambitious and should re-consider a solitaire setting.
 

LadyMCh

Shiny_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jun 30, 2016
Messages
318
Re: Please help me find my dream E-ring center stone (RB $80

Newly_Engaged_Gal|1478194931|4093298 said:
Sounds like maybe I've been too ambitious and should re-consider a solitaire setting.

Maybe find the largest nice stone you can find now, then upgrade your setting later for an anniversary?
 

DiamondDense

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Nov 1, 2016
Messages
189
Re: Please help me find my dream E-ring center stone (RB $80

distracts|1478066175|4092868 said:
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.70-carat-i-color-i1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-1786278
just out of curiosity, what is that strange looking smudge in the photo on the left side of the face?
 

distracts

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Oct 11, 2011
Messages
6,131
Re: Please help me find my dream E-ring center stone (RB $80

DiamondDense|1478198357|4093325 said:
distracts|1478066175|4092868 said:
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.70-carat-i-color-i1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-1786278
just out of curiosity, what is that strange looking smudge in the photo on the left side of the face?

That's an inclusion.
 

AdaBeta27

Brilliant_Rock
Premium
Joined
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Messages
1,077
Re: Please help me find my dream E-ring center stone (RB $80

J_GH.jpg
^ That's the big 1.78ct J/K that I have. That's actually one of the vendor's photos from ebay when I bought it. The setting is platinum, with very white baguettes, and the center stone has large table, shallow crown, and a good bit of tint. It's a fishtail head, which is a bit hard to discern from that photo. The center diamond shows tint in office lighting more than at other times. It's a gorgeous ring, too much for daily wear in my small town. You might be able to find something you like that's big and in your price range in stores that sell secondhand jewellers. I bought this as a complete ring, on ebay, from Deena Jewelers in NYC in probably 2006 or 2007. Pricescope people probably would not choose it, but there are plenty of people who would be thrilled with it even if it is quirky and not superideal H&A or AGS 000. Center stone is 7.8mm iirc, and looks 2 carats. I bought this because my no ex-sil had a 2ct solitiare and I wanted something similar without paying a lot for it. This was advertised as European cut, J color. Looks J or K to me.
 

DiamondDense

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Nov 1, 2016
Messages
189
Re: Please help me find my dream E-ring center stone (RB $80

distracts|1478201885|4093349 said:
DiamondDense|1478198357|4093325 said:
distracts|1478066175|4092868 said:
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.70-carat-i-color-i1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-1786278
just out of curiosity, what is that strange looking smudge in the photo on the left side of the face?

That's an inclusion.
i missed the I1 but my goodness, that is quite visible.
 

distracts

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Oct 11, 2011
Messages
6,131
Re: Please help me find my dream E-ring center stone (RB $80

DiamondDense|1478224804|4093497 said:
distracts|1478201885|4093349 said:
DiamondDense|1478198357|4093325 said:
distracts|1478066175|4092868 said:
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/1.70-carat-i-color-i1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-1786278
just out of curiosity, what is that strange looking smudge in the photo on the left side of the face?

That's an inclusion.
i missed the I1 but my goodness, that is quite visible.

I think irl the single large inclusion that is whitish rather than black will be less visible than a lot of the other I1s I was seeing. But it certainly looks scary in magnified pictures.
 
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