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Purchasing First Diamond!!

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slydog895

Rough_Rock
Joined
May 19, 2014
Messages
29
Hello everyone,

I am currently doing research for an engagement ring that I hope to propose with! I have read through several articles and believe I know the basics when it comes to diamonds. I would like to ask a few questions based on everyone's experience with diamonds. First of all I have not really thought about budget too much I am thinking anywhere between $8k-$20k for the entire ring (diamond and setting). Of course I would like to keep this on the low side as much as possible. Now to the girlfriends preferences...for shape she likes the princess, cushion, and radiant cuts. With that being said I believe she cares most about size, she has told me that she would love a 1.25-1.5 ct ring but I think I will go around 2 ct just to spoil her. After doing some research I think that I want to go with either an I,J, or K color and VS2 or SI1 clarity to keep the cost low and maximize on size. From what I've seen cut is most important so Excellent or Very good will be the options there. Last bit of info is that I will set this stone on a 14k or 18k white gold ring. Now for the questions:

1) at the 2ct range what is the lowest color/clarity I should be looking at in order to get an eye clean diamond? [I know this changes from diamond to diamond but I would like a general consensus. Maybe some pictures! :) ]

2)Is platinum or white gold better in concealing color or flaws?

3)How does shape affect the color/clarity? [I.E. which cut would allow me to chose a lower color or clarity and still shine?]

4)what is the optimal cut for this size diamond? [Will there be a notable difference between Excellent and Very Good?]

Any help/info will be much appreciated!! Thank you.
 
slydog895|1400522445|3676133 said:
Hello everyone,

I am currently doing research for an engagement ring that I hope to propose with! I have read through several articles and believe I know the basics when it comes to diamonds. I would like to ask a few questions based on everyone's experience with diamonds. First of all I have not really thought about budget too much I am thinking anywhere between $8k-$20k for the entire ring (diamond and setting). Of course I would like to keep this on the low side as much as possible. Now to the girlfriends preferences...for shape she likes the princess, cushion, and radiant cuts. With that being said I believe she cares most about size, she has told me that she would love a 1.25-1.5 ct ring but I think I will go around 2 ct just to spoil her. After doing some research I think that I want to go with either an I,J, or K color and VS2 or SI1 clarity to keep the cost low and maximize on size. From what I've seen cut is most important so Excellent or Very good will be the options there. Last bit of info is that I will set this stone on a 14k or 18k white gold ring. Now for the questions:

1) at the 2ct range what is the lowest color/clarity I should be looking at in order to get an eye clean diamond? [I know this changes from diamond to diamond but I would like a general consensus. Maybe some pictures! :) ] I would shoot initially for G - I colour in a cushion or Princess, possibly H in a radiant of that size. Clarity, SI1 in that size range but don't disregard SI2 if you find one you love that is eye clean to your specifications and checked by a trusted vendor or other expert.

2)Is platinum or white gold better in concealing color or flaws?
Thoughts vary on that, some prefer platinum for its strength and beauty and feel it complements colourless/near colourless diamonds better. Others prefer white gold as the ' whiteness' is perhaps a little softer. I don't think either would make much difference insofar as concealing colour or ' flaws' to any great extent.

3)How does shape affect the color/clarity? [I.E. which cut would allow me to chose a lower color or clarity and still shine?] Depending on the cut quality, this can help minimize the look of some inclusions due to the sparkle and performance but it's not an absolute rule. Radiants can show more warmth than some other shapes, so I would advise sticking with AGS or GIA graded H or higher unless you see a lower colour stone you like.

4)what is the optimal cut for this size diamond? [Will there be a notable difference between Excellent and Very Good? You can't quantify any shape diamond by labels such as Excellent or Very Good, these terms can be fairly meaningless unfortunately. This applies especially with fancy shapes, these are a whole different ballgame to rounds. Work with a vendor that has the stones in house or that can call them in for analysis, you can't buy these shapes by numbers, the proportions can work as an initial screening but they certainly don't give much meaningful information

Any help/info will be much appreciated!! Thank you.
Click to expand...

I hope this helps start you off, welcome to Pricescope!

I would also suggest spending some time researching exactly what you and your lady would like out of these shape diamonds. There are various branded Princess and cushions that are superbly cut and absolutely beautiful, so it's well worth looking at those on the sites below.

Check out -

www.craftedbyinfinity.com for Princess, also www.highperformancediamonds.com

www.goodoldgold.com for their range of August Vintage cushions

www.engagementringsdirect.com branded and other cushions

www.briangavindiamonds.com for branded Princess and cushions

www.whiteflash.com branded Princess, some cushions too.

Cushions especially can vary in type and appearance so it's well worth spending time researching those. Radiants also vary tremendously, apart from The Original Radiant cut I cannot think of any other branded radiants, but some of the trusted vendors might be able to source one for you on request once you know what you are looking for.

It's a lot to take in but we will help you and I can promise you it's worth the research when you end up with the ring of your GF's dreams.
 
If going for pure size, I would go for princess cut as you get the most carats for your dollar. Alternatively, you could go for a crushed ice cushion and hide inclusions/colour within the virtual faceting. Not sure if that is a overwhelming factor vs colour entrapment issues, but I am sure someone smarter than me can set me straight.

If going for 2 carats, and you want to know what clarity to shoot for, it very much depends on what you consider "eye clean".

As you go up in size, you need to go up in clarity grades to remain eyeclean. If you want eyeclean from 12 inches, you may be fine with SI2/1. If you want eyeclean from any angle, any distance, any lighting, you may need VS2/1 on a stone of this size.

As for colour, do you mind a bit of warmth or do you want the icy white? Princess tends to show a bit more colour than round brilliants ("RB"), so you will likely need to go up a colour grade compared to a RB to keep the same level of whiteness.

If you go for a yellow gold setting, I feel you can go slightly warmer and retain the same "whiteness". The gold colour from the setting masks the warmness of the stone, and makes it look whiter by contrast. Similarly, I think it is a waste to go for a really high colour stone in a gold setting as it will absorb some of the colour by reflection anyway. Some others on the forum think that icy white on gold makes it pop more.

If you are having a rubover or halo kind of setting where only the face of the diamond is showing, you can go lower in colour again, as you will only be looking from the face of the diamond, and allow the cut to help in whiteness.

If you are going for a white metal, I would overwhelmingly choose platinum over whitegold. Replating is a pain, and at this budget, there is really no reason to go for white gold. You may also want to consider Pt90/10Ir or Pt950/50Ru instead of Pt950/50Ir.

If you are going for prongs with platinum to let maximum light in, you want to aim for the whitest stone your budget allows.

So, I would start with what metal and what setting do you want before starting to narrow down your choices.
 
Thanks for both of your responses! I believe for setting I am going to go with platinum based on the info above. Also, she loves the halo settings so that is what I will be looking into.
 
Slydog

Here is some info on the shapes you are considering to start you off. There are videos on the pages also, definitely take time to watch those, Jon at GOG has made some incredibly useful videos on fancy shapes and cushions in particular.

https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/cushion-cut-diamond

https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/princess-cut-diamond

https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/radiant-cut-diamond

I strongly advise you to read up on these shapes and to compare as many as possible as there are so many variables, you don't want to buy uninformed and spend the rest of your life regretting it, get it right now, the time will be well spent.
 
Shape preference is very personal IMHO (I prefer ECs myself for diamond rings), and given the choices of cushion, princess and radiant, I would probably opt for a cushion, mainly because I have seen a lot of stunning rings with cushions on PS, a number of them are halos.

Definitely platinum over white gold for reasons already mentioned.

As I have learnt from PS, cut is the most important of the 4Cs, and I would get the best cut that I could afford, by dropping the colour to no lower than J (I personally believe I is very under-rated as a colour, and there are some stunning Ks), with clarity SI1 or even SI2 providing it is eye-clean.

Good luck with your purchase.

DK :))
 
Great information! I will be sure to watch those videos. Here is an example that I was looking at:

http://www.lumeradiamonds.com/diamonds/detail/53246053#

I am still about 4-5 months from purchasing but want to make sure I am looking at the right things. Does this diamond look OK if I were to put it in a platinum halo setting?
 
slydog895|1400526861|3676194 said:
Great information! I will be sure to watch those videos. Here is an example that I was looking at:

http://www.lumeradiamonds.com/diamonds/detail/53246053#

I am still about 4-5 months from purchasing but want to make sure I am looking at the right things. Does this diamond look OK if I were to put it in a platinum halo setting?
Click to expand...

Very glad to help!

I am pleased to hear you have plenty of time to plan and purchase the ring, I take it you are planning a proposal around the Holidays? As for the diamond in the link, there is not enough info unfortunately, without images such as ASET and detailed photographs, I would only be guessing and with diamonds, that is never a good thing to do!
 
Thanks for that search! I will keep those in mind. Since I am doing a halo setting could I go down to an I, J, or K color? I have seen other rings on this site with J and some even with K diamonds that don't show color on halo settings.
 
slydog895|1400534688|3676302 said:
Thanks for that search! I will keep those in mind. Since I am doing a halo setting could I go down to an I, J, or K color? I have seen other rings on this site with J and some even with K diamonds that don't show color on halo settings.
Click to expand...

You could definitely consider GIA or AGS graded I or J colour possibly in Princess or cushion, radiants can tend to hold warmth so I would initially make the cutoff H colour unless you find a radiant you like in I or J colour. K might start seeing more warmth, I love warmth in cushions, Princess, it depends on the particular stone and radiants I prefer a distinct tint rather than a hint but that's me.
 
I think from what I have read on PS I am probably buying the diamond and setting on GOG but wanted to know what you guys thought about this:

http://www.lumeradiamonds.com/diamonds/detail/53558167

From what I have seen its a great deal but it does not give as much detail as GOG. Another question I had was if anyone had financed their ring with GOG and if they gave a 6-12 month no interest period like other sites. Also, am I correct when I am thinking that a 1.9 Ct diamond is a much better value than a 2.0 Ct?? I think I might be moving down my budget to $15,000 so I could pay off the ring before any interest accumulates. I know this will bring down the color of the diamond but I have seen some beautiful J's and don't mind staying in that category. On another category, does anyone have any recommendations on anyplace that sells nice halot settings? I absolutely LOVEE Victory's settings but they are much too expensive and I'd rather spend most of the 15K on the diamond (to hopefully get a 1.8-2 Ct stone). I have been looking for diamonds on GOG but they don't have that perfect fit yet, I will patiently wait for the right stone.

Thanks for all your help guys...I am becoming a diamond expert!
 
slydog895|1400596219|3676749 said:
I think from what I have read on PS I am probably buying the diamond and setting on GOG but wanted to know what you guys thought about this:

http://www.lumeradiamonds.com/diamonds/detail/53558167

From what I have seen its a great deal but it does not give as much detail as GOG. Another question I had was if anyone had financed their ring with GOG and if they gave a 6-12 month no interest period like other sites. Also, am I correct when I am thinking that a 1.9 Ct diamond is a much better value than a 2.0 Ct?? I think I might be moving down my budget to $15,000 so I could pay off the ring before any interest accumulates. I know this will bring down the color of the diamond but I have seen some beautiful J's and don't mind staying in that category. On another category, does anyone have any recommendations on anyplace that sells nice halot settings? I absolutely LOVEE Victory's settings but they are much too expensive and I'd rather spend most of the 15K on the diamond (to hopefully get a 1.8-2 Ct stone). I have been looking for diamonds on GOG but they don't have that perfect fit yet, I will patiently wait for the right stone.

Thanks for all your help guys...I am becoming a diamond expert!
Click to expand...


The problem is with the Lumera stone is that there aren't any images provided so we can learn anything about the cut quality, I am not sure if Lumera could provide an ASET image and a detailed photo on request, but no harm in asking. Whether a 1.9ct diamond is ' better value' than a 2ct depends on so many variables and personal preference. If you can find a well cut 1.9 that has a good spread for the weight and superior edge to edge light return than the 2 carat and it is considerably cheaper then yes, it could be good value as you get a close to 2 carat ' look' for less money. A well cut stone will often look visually larger compared to a heavier lesser cut diamond of similar or even more weight.

I am not sure of GOG's recent terms and conditions, best to drop them a line if the info you want isn't on the site.

Settings, many of the well known vendors have variations of the halo style and sometimes have access to other designs not featured on their sites.

If you would prefer to buy from GOG, speak to Jon and give him your desired specs, he might be able to come up with something as the vendors have access to many other diamonds that are not necessarily listed on their websites.
 
I hope you guys can see this:

http://www.solomonbrothers.com/DiamondComparison.aspx

Here I just posted 5 gems that look pretty close to what I want. I know I don't have detailed pictures yet (I have asked for them). But based on what is here which diamond would be the top choice? **Some are GIA and some are EGL**

Thanks!
 
slydog895|1400608514|3676871 said:
I hope you guys can see this:

http://www.solomonbrothers.com/DiamondComparison.aspx

Here I just posted 5 gems that look pretty close to what I want. I know I don't have detailed pictures yet (I have asked for them). But based on what is here which diamond would be the top choice? **Some are GIA and some are EGL**

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Sorry, the link isn't working for me, also, I would stick to GIA or AGS graded diamonds, they are considered to be the gold standard for diamond grading.
 
slydog895|1400608514|3676871 said:
I hope you guys can see this:

http://www.solomonbrothers.com/DiamondComparison.aspx

Here I just posted 5 gems that look pretty close to what I want. I know I don't have detailed pictures yet (I have asked for them). But based on what is here which diamond would be the top choice? **Some are GIA and some are EGL**

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Nothing came up for me...it wants me to login. You might have to post each link individually. For modern cut stones we like
GIA/AGS graded stones. EGL grades loosely so you are not getting what you think.
 
JulieN|1400610567|3676908 said:
that is a no.

This one has good spread for a 1.8, strong blue fluoro to help the color, and the price is good: http://www.b2cjewels.com/dd-4636460-1.80-carat-Cushion-diamond-I-color-VS2-clarity.aspx
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I agree with Jules, the first is a no from me too, the ASET image isn't that good, I do like the look of the one Jules posted above plus the strong blue fluorescence could be a nice feature and help the I colour face up a little whiter.

Sly, here is some information on analysing ASET images so you can read up, http://www.highperformancediamonds.com/index.php?page=education-performance
 
Wow that is a beautiful Gem and at a great price! I will definitely keep that one handy. Hopefully I can find one a bit bigger but if not this is perfect! Also, what do you guys think about best time to buy a diamond. Most places I have seen say in the summer because purchasing slows during those months but information is not too concrete.
 
With the fluorescence bringing down the price, combined with it being under 2 cts to avoid the price jump, it is a very good value if the fluorescence is not an issue, you have to check with the vendor on that. You could get about 5% more face up surface area by going up to 2 cts, but the price increase will be more than 5%.
 
I'm not really sure the ASET is "better." They both pass the ASET test. Final test is your personal preferences and what you are looking for in a diamond.

Very nice, that is a good choice.
 
JulieN|1400614234|3676961 said:
I'm not really sure the ASET is "better." They both pass the ASET test. Final test is your personal preferences and what you are looking for in a diamond.

Very nice, that is a good choice.
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My thoughts too, also well done, the second diamond you posted is a definite contender.
 
Ok thanks! There is so much to learn. What do you think between the shapes that I was looking into (Princess, Cushion, Radiant)? Does one stand out more than the other given the same color, clarity and cut? Also does adding blue fluorescence on any diamond color I and lower help it seem more white?
 
slydog895|1400612973|3676941 said:
Wow that is a beautiful Gem and at a great price! I will definitely keep that one handy. Hopefully I can find one a bit bigger but if not this is perfect! Also, what do you guys think about best time to buy a diamond. Most places I have seen say in the summer because purchasing slows during those months but information is not too concrete.
Click to expand...


The best time to buy is when you find the stone you love I believe, especially with fancy shapes as they are so variable. If you wait, you might not find what you are looking for, especially with well cut fancy shapes in the size, colour and clarity you want.
 
slydog895|1400614501|3676967 said:
Ok thanks! There is so much to learn. What do you think between the shapes that I was looking into (Princess, Cushion, Radiant)? Does one stand out more than the other given the same color, clarity and cut? Also does adding blue fluorescence on any diamond color I and lower help it seem more white?
Click to expand...

I am sure Jules will return to give her thoughts, mine are as follows. I am biased perhaps because I like cushions best out of the shapes mentioned but go with what you think your GF would love the most. Medium, strong and very strong blue fluorescence * might* help an I colour face up whiter if the lighting is conducive, but I would caution that for strong and very strong, be sure your GF is ok with seeing the stone fluoresce if the lighting is right and also check with strong and VSB that there aren't any negative effects such as cloudiness in UV light, this effect is rare but best to check with an expert that can inspect the stone for you.
 
Alright I made some progress! She can't tell the difference between H, I and J color and I am pretty sure really wants me to get her the 1.50 ct ( I am making it seem that 1.25 is all I can do) so I will try to get her 2 ct. She does not like the blue fluorescent and is completely obsessed with the cushion cut. I have been searching for princess hahaha glad I figured that out soon. I asked her to show me what kind of band she likes and she really really likes this one:

http://newyorkdiamondbuyer.blogspot.com/

She also said that shape was nice but I believe that's an emerald?? Anyways I was trying to find bands she would like and she wants a halo setting for sure and wants the band on the setting to be VERY delicate. I showed her this which she didn't like at first but then saw it on the finger and said it was cool:

http://www.debebians.com/channel-cushion-split-shank-halo-engagement-ring.html

Anyone have any ideas on diamonds or bands that fit these descriptions. I am currently asking different shops online for ASET images so I can post them here and we can discuss them. Also I should state that for the band she wants something that looks different from what "everyone" has but delicate.
 
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