Please help me pick out a stone

[Garysax]

With the holidays done and gone, I'm all ready to get my engagement ring made and I need to pick out a stone for the ring...

It'll be going in this Gelin and Abaci setting w/blue sapphires, instead of diamond sidestones and all polished, not two toned white gold. Probably set w/mickey roof.

TR-105

I'm looking for:

princess
Size: .9-1--looking for the best quality for the money so probably closer to .9
Clarity: SI1 or better, must be eyeclean
Color: at least H, since it is tension it will be easily seen from the side and I can see yellow in lower colors
Cut: As good as I can possibly get my hands on for the budget

Budget: ~ 3250 for the stone, that's pretty firm. I know it's a tight budget, but w/the tension setting running quite a bit there's money being diverted to that.

To get things started, something like this (w/PS discount these almost fit budget)

http://www.whiteflash.com/princess/Princess-cut-diamond-2267495.htm

or this

http://www.whiteflash.com/princess/Princess-cut-diamond-2267188.htm

But I think I can do a lot better with your help. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!

 

[focalmatic]

There is a princess that I remember seeing here:
http://www.winkjones.com/specials/diamonds.php -----> #4264

You probably are saying that it doesn''t fit any specifications that you listed except that its a princess, but I am positive that WINK will discuss all the details about the diamond and whether or not it will fit into your scheme of things if you ask him.

3250 is kind of steep for that size you are asking for.

 

[SeaOats]

Check out www.goodoldgold.com

 

[Garysax]

Date: 1/8/2006 4:13:14 PM
Author: Rascal49
Check out www.goodoldgold.com

Yeah, I've been there, most of their in house stones are out of my range for the price I'm looking at.

Also, re: focalmatic, you really think it's a steep price for that size diamond? I thought it was a pretty tight budget for a really well cut stone of that size.

 

[Garysax]

Give this a bump and add a couple more diamonds that I''ve been looking at.

http://www.whiteflash.com/princess/Princess-cut-diamond-1740781.htm

Would be worried about the very thin girdle in this one:

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamond.asp?cid=131&item=166796

Anyway, I''m just having such a hard time judging the cut of fancies online. I''ve read the guides and whatnot, but it''s really a struggle. The budget is too tight for an ideal diamond, but can anybody care to help me out? What should I be looking for that I''m missing to judge these diamonds right now based on my current selections?

Right now I like the first WF diamond I linked in the first post the best; anybody want to critique that diamond for me? Big thing would be finding out if it''s eyeclean.

Thanks everybody!

 

[belle]

i wouldn''t go with a thin girdle diamond in a tension setting...no way.
the best thing to do would be to call wf and talk to them. they are used to buying diamonds and know what to look for. i think all of your selections look okay..but give them a call and see what they can do for you.

 

[Garysax]

Date: 1/9/2006 5:36:50 PM
Author: belle
i wouldn''t go with a thin girdle diamond in a tension setting...no way.

the best thing to do would be to call wf and talk to them. they are used to buying diamonds and know what to look for. i think all of your selections look okay..but give them a call and see what they can do for you.

I felt the exact same way in regards to the girdle, I''m glad to see that someone else agrees with me.

Yes, I''ve been contacting them by e-mail. Most of the things that I want to know they really can''t tell me without calling it in--is this SI1 eyeclean, etc. I guess all I can do is go to a tutorial on princesses (like GOG very useful one) and look at the measurements and get "as good" a diamond as I can get. I really don''t want WF to have to dicker around calling in a lot of stones or anything... oh well, the perils of doing online diamond shopping!

It''s occasionally very discouraging to be on this forum and shop for a cheaper diamond, so many beautiful AGS ideals and the like (do I chooose between this ideal or that one?) on the board!