Please help me get the perfect engagement diamond

[Scott1]

Hi everyone.
I really hope some of you can help me. I want to propose to my girlfriend, she is an amazing person and I really want to make the right choice when picking a ring.

After looking online I came across this nice heart shaped diamond ring. It's the first ring I have enquired about and to be honest after check the certificate I'm no longer convinced. Why, because it is described as Crystal Knot in the grading. I came across this website when googling about crystal knots. The opinion seemed to be give them a wide birth.

Can you tell me what you think of the ring and the price and the grading. The lady in the phone quoted £3600 GBP but after a chat with her manager about my budget they agreed to come down to £3000.

Here is a link to the ring style and here is a link to the certificate.

http://www.gia.edu/cs/Satellite?reportno=2141429488&childpagename=GIA%2FPage%2FReportCheck&pagename=GIA%2FDispatcher&c=Page&cid=1355990168790

Just in case that link does not work the certificate number to search on the gia website is:
2141429488

Ring can be found here:[urlhttp://www.madisondiamondrings.co.uk/Diamond_single_stone_rings/15.html#enquiry/url]




would really value some opinions.

Thank you so much.

 

[ringo865]

Has your girlfriend expressed an interest in heart shaped diamonds? If not, you're probably safer sticking with a round.

 

[Scott1]

She loves hearts and although I was going to stick with a round diamond I know she would love that ring. I'm just not sure it's a good price and that crystal Knot grading concerns me.

 

[VRBeauty]

By definition, a knot extends to the surface of the diamond. A of the impact on how a diamond looks would depend on where the knot is located, i.e. if it's above or below the girdle, and whether it's visible to the naked eye.

I don't know how diamond prices in the UK compare to prices here in the U.S., but you're looking at paying about US $4,400 for that ring. A quick look at on-line inventory using PS's diamond search feature shows about 20 .70ct, GIA D, VS1 stones costing between $2100 and $3,000. So you there are a lot of similar stones out there that cost quite a bit less - and might even cost less when duties etc. are taken into account - many of which probably don't have concerning features such as crystal knots.

 

[msop04]

She loves hearts and although I was going to stick with a round diamond I know she would love that ring. I'm just not sure it's a good price and that crystal Knot grading concerns me.

I love hearts, but I'd never want a heart shaped diamond as my engagement ring. Unless she has specifically told you that she desires a heart shape, I would stick to round. You can always add hearts in other ways (filigree, engraving, heart shapes on the gallery, heart shaped side stones).

 

[Scott1]

Hi VRBeauty. Thank you for your reply.
That is the exact same conclusion I had reached. I used the price comparison site and this version was only a little bit more money but was flawless.
http://www.b2cjewels.com/dd-8208723-0.77-carat-Heart-diamond-D-color-FL-Clarity.aspx?sku=8208723&utm_source=pricescope.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=pricescope.com

Thank you for your help.
The only thing I guess, is, is it normal to buy a Diamond internationally without seeing it?

 

[Scott1]

Msop04. Hi. It's a tricky one. I showed the ring to a lady yesterday and she said she thought it was beautiful and would have loved it. My girlfriend does love anything with a great theme but I agree, it's a huge gamble :/

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Stick with a round for the e-ring, seriously. Just FYI, you can't judge fancy cuts by a grading report. We'd only be able to give opinions if you also posted magnified photos of the diamond.

 

[VRBeauty]

A lot of people here on PS have bought diamonds without seeing the in person. They're able to use the various diagnostic tools (ASET and hearts and arrows images, for example), proportions and angles, certification reports, and photographs to assess the diamonds from afar and come up with a winner. The problem with fancies, and particularly heart shaped diamonds, is that all that data analysis just doesn't apply. One of the most important elements of a heart-shaped diamond is its shape, which should be symmetrical side-to-side and in proportions that you fine pleasing. You should note that the specific B2C diamond you posted earlier is shown with a "stock image" - not a photo of the actual diamond you would be receiving - so you can't even assess the overall symmetry or shape.

Once you've narrowed down your selection, you could ask a vendor to prepare a video that would allow you to see how the top contenders perform side-to-side. However, it looks like some vendors just don't stock many heart-shaped diamonds in-house, but have them in "virtual inventory" which means they have to call them in from suppliers. This is of course costs money, and some vendors will either limit how many stones they'll call in for closer examination, or they'll ask you to pay a small amount for them to call in the stones (although this cost is usually applied to your purchase, assuming you end up buying from them.)

If your heart is set on buying your girl a heart-shaped diamond, you might want to start by looking at James Allen. They seem to have quite an inventory of HSDs, and they provide actual photos of candidate stones in a grid format that makes it easy to compare shapes, and they provide 360 videos of most stones.

BTW I share the reticence some of the other posters have expressed about giving a heart-shaped diamond as a surprise. HOWEVER, I also remember a similar conversation with another poster, some time ago, who giving his wife a significant e-ring upgrade as an anniversary gift. We pretty much persuaded ( ) him to talk to his wife about her preferences - and she was thrilled with the prospect of getting a heart-shaped diamond! So I'll just say that you know your GF and we don't - but if you're not absolutely sure that she'd love a heart-shaped engagement diamond, try to do something to get a read on this before you commit to this shape.

Oh, and one more thing... you can go lower in both color and clarity and still get a beautiful stone, if you'd like to consider a larger stone while keeping the budget comfortable.

 

[Gypsy]

How about a three stone?

A round diamond center with heart sidestones?

I'm not a heart person, and even I find the look lovely.

 

[misskittycat]

I love the two hearts as side stones idea. It's on my list of settings for "one day". Classic yet beautiful.

 

[Scott1]

Thank you everyone for your advice. I'm thinking of sticking with a round stone. Really appreciate all of your opinions and advice.