Purchase error? Help appreciated

[Dystran]

I purchased an engagement ring here in the UK.

My partner has faiirly small fingers and is 5 foot 2" tall.

Rather than going for the 1 Carat, I went with a half Carat D, IF, Excellent cut and polish, no flouresence - everything else is top notch also. Its a round cut and is being presented in a tiffany (6 round claw setting) with a thin platinum band. It sparkles!

Thing is, I am now wondering if this is too small for an engagement ring.

We are in early 30s and she has no other diamonds. Her friends are not snobs, but I don''t really want them to think it''s a rubbish diamond!

Being honest, should I try and exchange for a lower quality 1 Carat? or go with this smaller rarer one? My budget is maxed out so its not like I can buy a bigger exceptional quality one

)

Help really appreciated

 

[luckystar112]

Does your diamond have a trade-up policy?
It can''t hurt to bring it in and look at bigger stones in lower colors/clarity, if that''s what you think you might want to do. Your diamond sounds beautiful and I think it will be a winner either way!

 

[luckystar112]

I guess you wouldn''t need a trade up policy if you''re going to use the same budget, eh? lol.
Well if you can still return it than I think you should give it a shot if it''s something you''re thinking about!

 

[Dystran]

Last sentence should read that I cannot afford a larger one of the same quality

 

[Maisie]

What does she think of the ring? Does she love it or is she thinking it could be bigger....?

I suppose it depends on what you are looking for in a diamond. I am from England and I was about to spend £3500 buying a .47ct ring from Tiffanys until I found Pricescope. After a lot of advice from PS members I decided that cut was my priority and I was willing to sacrifice colour and clarity to get a bigger diamond. I am now able to get a 1.2ct rock for the same money!!

How long do you have to return your diamond? If its the standard 30 days then spend the next week or so reading up on here about diamonds and you will be in a better position to decide what to do next.

Good luck!

Maisie

 

[diamondglee]

I think an IF stone, especially in that size, but even larger is overkill when/if it all looks the same to the eye.

A VVS2 or even a VS1 or 2 is eye clean, why not try for that?

In other words, I''d rather have larger eye clean stone...but thats just me.

 

[Gypsy]

Well... for me a D IF in a stone that size... well it''s definitely overkill. Especially since you are paying for a lot of things you just can''t see.

When ladies ooh and ahh over each other''s rings (unless then are from PS) they don''t say, "look at the clarity on that stone..." they usually comment on the size and sparkle.

I think that without compromising on the quality of the cut, you can very easily drop down to a larger F VS2 and have a VERY happy FI.

I would want the bigger stone. The sparkle and size are the first things you notice in a diamond.

 

[Kaleigh]

Date: 2/9/2007 5:11:34 PM
Author: Gypsy
Well... for me a D IF in a stone that size... well it''s definitely overkill. Especially since you are paying for a lot of things you just can''t see.

When ladies ooh and ahh over each other''s rings (unless then are from PS) they don''t say, ''look at the clarity on that stone...'' they usually comment on the size and sparkle.

I think that without compromising on the quality of the cut, you can very easily drop down to a larger F VS2 and have a VERY happy FI.

I would want the bigger stone. The sparkle and size are the first things you notice in a diamond.

Ditto.

 

[ebonykawai]

First off, nobody''s going to think your sweetie''s diamond is rubbish, lol. I bet it''s beautiful!

But secondly, I totally agree that you can go down in clarity and color and get a bigger stone. VS2 is a sweet place to be (check if it''s eyeclean, but chances are it is), and G is my sweet spot in color. Everyone''s different, but if you want to go bigger, you can do it easily. Read these boards and you''ll get an excellent education. Plus, people are really great here.

Good luck!

 

[FireGoddess]

If it were me, I would want a larger stone and lower clarity. I agree with the VS2. You can even go lower, but VS2 is a sweet spot for some. It will certainly lower the price enough that you could afford a bigger stone! Even the color...if you want to say in the colorless range, go down to an F.

 

[Dystran]

Hmmm, okay. For that same price I could get a 0.75 Carat, D VS2 Excellent cut (or E VS1). So, that might b the better way to go I suppose.

 

[Dystran]

A 1 Carat goes slightly out of budget for me unfortuntely

)

 

[Gypsy]

Date: 2/9/2007 5:29:01 PM
Author: Dystran
Hmmm, okay. For that same price I could get a 0.75 Carat, D VS2 Excellent cut (or E VS1). So, that might b the better way to go I suppose.

Yes, definitely.

Um... is there a reason you prefer not to consider F color? It''s the best value in the colorless range.... if you get an F VS2 you might be able to get .85... which would be a nice amount of spread in an ideal cut.

 

[diamondglee]

D color is still very high....have you considered dropping down to an F or G? In that size you might not notice a difference and it could bring you to that "magic" 1 carat. Just a thought.

 

[Maisie]

Would it be very rude to ask what your budget is?

 

[ebonykawai]

Date: 2/9/2007 5:31:30 PM
Author: Dystran
A 1 Carat goes slightly out of budget for me unfortuntely

)

Yeah, heh, that happens to a lot of us.

That just happened to me, lol.

Looks like you''re going in a good direction. If you post specs on the stones you''re looking at, I''m sure lots of people can advise you about the cut if you have questions.

 

[Dystran]

Okay, you have all been a great help.

You have persuaded me! No reason for a D except a nice to have, but you are all more experienced and so i''m listening

My budget is around £3320 (including band). I am near Hatton Gardens, and have checked a few of the (what I feel are top) online placs for price checks.


I didn''t consider 0.85.... was thinking in "quarters" silly me. I can push that.

Problem is, next week I have a week trip to Loire Valley (monday to friday) France, and planned to propose on the 15th (yep the day after Valentines to catch her of guard). I have goods hotels booked and everything.

I have a 30 days returns on the current ring (ends Monday), so am going to call tomorrow and see what they have in stock and that suit my needs.

Question:
In a worst case scenario, can I reasonably propose without a ring. i.e. If I propose with a store card saying her diamond is waiting for her to select a band and setting. Or, maybe if they have the diamond I can present that and say we will visit the store to select the setting....

 

[Maisie]

You could definitely propose without a ring. If you feel that she would like to be involved in the whole buying process that is!

For your budget you could really get a lovely diamond from the States. Thats what I am doing and even with the 20% duty and VAT you would have to pay you would still end up with much better and larger than you would here in the UK.

Obviously buying online and from abroad isn''t for everyone. Its a personal thing I guess. I am happy to do it but then I have spent rather a lot of time on PS finding my way around.

Maisie

 

[jaz464]

Remeber, diamonds are not all about color, clarity, and size. Cut is very, very important. It will improve on all of the other Cs. A diamond with a great cut will look whiter, hide inclusions better, and look bigger than a diamond with the same grades but with a average cut. Plus, it will throw off all kinds of sparkle and color (scintillation.)

I too would rather have a bigger diamond with lower color and clarity.

 

[Stone Hunter]

Sorry I have to chime in and agree that the Clarity and color of your initial choice is over the top. I would want a larger stone of lower color and clarity. Do you know what your Girlfriend would want?

What size stones do her friends wear?

Do you travel outside of England? Stone sizes for erings are larger here in the US.

What size stones do her other rings have in them?

It''s alot to consider but it''s great that your thinking about all of this now.

 

[Stone Hunter]

Oh I forgot to add that I am 5'' 3" tall and have small fingers.

 

[Pandora II]

I'm London based and used to work in the jewellery industry - only in Italy and Belgium not UK.

It's a bit pointless buying D IF in that size - or any size unless you plan to keep it in the bank in it's plastic casing as an investment stone. I would suggest an F colour VS2 as the topline - unless you are an expert with eyes like 10x loupes you'll never know the difference.

You haven't said anything about the cut - which is way, way more important. It doesn't matter how much of a D IF it is, if the cut's out it won't sparkle - especially in small sizes.

Personallly, I would return it and buy on line with one of the PS vendors.

My FI proposed without a ring on Christmas Eve - I wanted it that way:

First, proposal was about US not the bling - I am obssessed with bling so that was good for him!

Second, I have to wear this forever so I am putting a lot of thought into it - I've only just bought my centre stone (Tsavorite rather than a diamond - I'm a colour fan) I bought it through a PS vendor in the states and he's going to custom make my diamond set mounting.

Third, what girl doesn't want the fun of ring shopping?

I'd say 80% of my friends here (all 30 something graduates) have had ring-less proposals. Half a carat is very repectable in the UK, but I think you could make your £££ work harder for you online. Check that £/$ exchange rate!

Check taxes and duty by the way if you do import - a quick romantic trip to NY is an alternative....

Good luck whatever you choose!

 

[kcoursolle]

I did not read the other posts, my apologies if this is redundant.


Firstly,
I would keep you gf''s tastes in mind. Does she like delicate jewelry, larger stones, perfect quality, etc.? If she wants a modest, but perfect quality stone than I wouldn''t think twice about your purchase. However, if there is any indication that she would like a larger stone...than you might be right to question your purchase.

Secondly,
A D/IF stone looks pretty much identical to a similarly well-cut an eye-clean G/SI! I see no reason to buy a D/IF since it looks the same as something lower. I would put my money into cut quality and go to mid color/clarity to either: a)save money...maybe for a nice diamond wedding band or something, or b) get a larger center stone. Honestly, cut is what matters...color and clarity really are secondary.