Rookie Needs Education

[robtali]

PLEASE HELP!!!! I have been with my girlfriend (I hate calling her that because she is SO much more!!!) for about 7 years now, and have wanted to propose for at least 4 of those years. Unfortunately, I went into business with some people about 3 years ago, with the expectation that the money would start pouring in and I could accelerate my proposal plans. Unfortunately it was the opposite. The first two months were great, and then it went downhill. I went months without a paycheck many times during that period. Long story not-so-short, my credit was messed up and I was broke.

I got a new job a year ago, after looking for a long time, and finally I am in a good place. My credit is still damaged, but at least I have money.
She deserves the absolute best, biggest diamond I could ever find, but I can''t wait any longer. I have to propose soon, I feel like I am in a place to get a decent ring that she can be proud of. Unfortunately my sisters, our mothers, and other people in our social circle have beautiful settings and 1-1.5 carat center stones, and I don''t know if I can give her something like that.
She always said she wants a more traditional design, round cut, white gold. We have also talked about getting our birthstones (amethyst and aquamarine) on each side. I think I can get a wrap later that would serve that purpose, and just concentrate on a larger solitare now.
I have somewhere around $2000 available now, give or take a few hundred. Can anybody give me some advice or a woman''s perspective on my situation? Should I go for as close to a carat as possible and sacrifice on the clarity and color? Does a I or J look bad against white gold? At what point do you start to notice the color with the "naked eye"? What about si1-2 vs i1? I know that in coming years I could upgrade the stone, but I am too anxious to wait!

Thanks in advance!!!

 

[Dee Jay]

I just did a quick search of diamonds available from Pricescope vendors and there are several around 3/4 carat I/J SI1/SI2 (as long as it''s eye clean) that easily fit within your budget. 3/4 carat is nothing to sneeze at so you might want to consider that, even though some people in your social circle have bigger rings. She can always upgrade later, but I bet she would be thrilled with a well cut stone in this size. And a good 3/4 carat stone is a much better option than a bad 1 carat (or more), so don''t just think of size. The setting can also have some impact on how big the diamond looks, so consider that too when you''re choosing.

 

[allycat0303]

Hi Robtali,

Welcome to Pricescope! Are you looking to buy online or in a B&M store?

I think that J color can face up white (depending on how color sensitive your soon-to-be fiance is.) There's this big thread of J stones in platinum. I think it looks good from pics, but I've never seen them in real life, so I can't tell you. A diamond with some fluor might help too if you are worried about the color. Although those J pics look pretty white to me!

I think this is a pretty stone from WF (my stone is from there, and it's an expert selection and it's really very beautiful) This one is slightly over your budget though, but just a little something to get you started. I'm sure some of the more knowledgeable people will jump in.

http://www.whiteflash.com/round_ideal_cut/Round-Ideal-Cut-cut-diamond-1948524.htm# Here's a J color expert selection.

I personally like this setting a lot, but I don't know if WF makes it in white gold.

http://www.whiteflash.com/Engagement-Rings/Styles/Solitaire/6-Prong--Tiffany--Style---14k-Gold_687.htm

I think the ideal would be a J, S1, to maximize the size you can get. That's what I would do. Just make sure that cut is a priority and the ring will sparkle a lot.

Have you been ring shopping with your girlfriend? And compared diamonds side by side to see how color sensitive she is? I know that some people on this forum can tell a D from a G (hopefully she's not one of them

). As for size, has she told you that she wanted a 1 carat? Some girls don't feel that it suits their lifestyle, etc.,

good luck on your search!

Ally

 

[allycat0303]

oops sorry, here's the J in platinum thread that Mara started. There's a lot of pictures in it.

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/j-color-stones-in-platinum.24731/

 

[Lorelei]

Yes I was thinking that .75 would be a great size. You could shoot for a J S12, a J will face up nicely in either yellow or white gold/ plat, check with the vendor whether the diamond is eyeclean. There are diamonds like this out there within your budget. A simple solitaire setting is classic and affordable too. Whatever you do, to really blow her socks off make cut your number 1 priority, she will be mesmerised by how much her diamond sparkles. Read the tutorials in the knowledge section. Vendors such as Whiteflash, Good old Gold, Wink Jones etc will work with you and your budget to help you find an incredible diamond. Remember too the better the cut the more imposing any diamond looks, so whatever you do DON'T SKIMP HERE! CUT IS KEY! Good luck to you and hope this helps, also there is the search tool at the top of the page to help you.

You will get the most from your money by shopping online if you are comfortable with that. The vendors have a great return policy and will give you good advice on each diamond's merits.

 

[robtali]

Thank you all for taking the time to give me some tips and advice, it is truly appreciated. Based on what I have seen, I do think that ordering online would get me the most for my $$, but I am a little skeptical about buying something sight unseen. I buy many things online, but a purchase as important and expensive as this makes me nervous.
I have heard that you can get the ring sent to an appraiser prior to buying, is that recommended? I have seen the "hearts and arrows" and they do look beautiful, is a .75 H&A in my price range?

Also, I read something about a PS discount, I am assuming it is pricescope.com discount, how and where does that work?

Thanks again....you really are helping an extremely nervous guy maintain a bit of composure....

 

[robtali]

One more question I forgot to ask.....dj you mention the setting can make the stone look bigger, what settings do you think work best? Should I consider a slightly smaller center and include some side stones? Does that make it look more impressive, or would a bigger solitare look better?
Thanks again!!! You people are great!

 

[allycat0303]

Robtali,

Well for me personally, if budget and size were my main concern, I wouldn''t buy a H&A because I wouldn''t want to pay the premium (which my boyfriend didn''t) many of the expert selections barely missed being H&A, and are still very beautiful. So this way you can get more size for your budget.

As for settings, well side stones are nice, but then the cost of the setting goes up (and you have less for the center stone). Usually a very thin band helps the stone "pop" more. And I believe (although not sure about this one) a high setting.

Well I don''t want to look like I''m pushing the stone or anything, but the ideal scope on this stone is nice. And to my eye anyways, I can see those arrows, so maybe you can run a search and see if anything catches your eye.

 

[robtali]

Is that picture from the link you posted above? If so, when I looked at that, the main picture on the page said "sample image", so I wasn''t sure if this is the actual stone or just a sample of what it may look like. Since you are more experienced, can you tell me? How do I know if I am looking at the actual stone or just a sample?
I know I am asking a ton of questions, sorry....I''m just trying to educate myself! I want it to be perfect, ''cause she is!

 

[Regular Guy]

Hi, Rob,

I see you''re not too far from where I hang my hat (DC), and could send you one of about 3 directions, mentioning 3 options myself, too.

1) James Allen is not too far from you in Frederick, he has a "maybe" policy about visiting him, and at his place of business, you could have the opportunity to use an internet vendor, and see locally. This is an option you can consider from him (though it seems you can go bigger), at least as a back-up; see the link below my signature for strategies for optimizing with him (which is what I did).

2) WF has a particularly nice option, and if you consider this G, you''ll want to ask them about the clarity, what they think and see. Also, see about appraiser options here...Dave Atlas in Philly offers you a conveniently available alternative, whereby you can see these, or anybody''s, including James Allens, or GOG''s (see #3) below. DC has appraiser options, too, but they''re not as well equipped, unfortunately.

3) GOG is a specialty store just outside of NYC. If you''ve time, I''d make the trip to go out there. He has this one in as a back-up, may be a wee bit pricier than these other two on a tight price point where you''d want to go bigger, but he offers, from what I read here, a Disneyland of diamonds and testing equipment that will make it worth the trip.

Enjoy, good luck, and Happy New Year.

 

[Lorelei]

You can get the PS discount with WF I believe if you pay by wire transfer. Buying online does require a leap of faith but there are many happy purchasers out there, myself included. I think you can get the diamond appraised prior to buying with some vendors, or they encourage you to do so during the return period, but it is harder to accurately assess a mounted diamond.

I tend to like a plain solitaire with a 2 - 2.5 mm band for maximum " pop" rather than a 3 stone, but that is just me. Also Ally makes a good suggestion with the expert selection, great way to get a lovely diamond for your money.

 

[Dee Jay]

You can add some side stones or a pave halo to a ring for more impact, but all those "extras" can become pricy. Given your scenario, I think I would focus on the biggest (yet still well cut, white looking, eye clean) single stone you can get, expecially since you mentioned the idea of getting a wrap later on with other stones. In terms of a setting that might make the stone look bigger, I was more specifically thinking about a mounting that''s a little higher (but not so high as to be obnoxious!) and on a very thin band (maybe a knife edge style). Then diamond would stand out more on it''s own.

You mention some hesitation about buying through the internet. The numbers on the stone will be helpful in terms of picking a stone (i.e., a stone with good depth and table %s over a stone with bad numbers), and you can always call the vendors and get their opinions on the stones since they can see them. But don''t forget, your own eye is the one that matters, so once you get the stone you have to decide if it''s what you''re looking for. Check out the return policy on the vendor before you order so there is no problem if you do decide to return a stone. And don''t forget, the $ you save in sales tax from buying over the internet can be put toward the diamond!

P.S. - In case you haven''t already looked through the education section of the site it has a wealth of info that will make you more comfortable when considering stones.

 

[Lorelei]

I think it should say sample image if not the actual IS of the diamond. That might not be it if it says sample, maybe Ally can chime in.

 

[devientdrow]

Robtali,
A thin plain band will make the diamond look larger....thats probably the best thing to do right now, like you said you could always get a wrap or even change the setting later. Something you and your girl could pick out together?? I think they have given you great advice on stones...CUT IS KEY!! I have a .83 ideal cut G Si2.....it''s eyeclean....I can''t see a flaw anywhere! I went into Jared yesterday and noticed that my .83 ideal cut is the same size as thier 1ct round brilliant rings!! hahaha.....a well cut stone can look bigger than it is!

As for buying online...I got my stone from www.jamesallen.com I was really skeptical and when I found out that his office was located in my state I went and viewed the diamond...this was not normal protocol and when I saw the diamonds I felt like a fool for not just ordering. I knew when I met him that he wouldn''t carry a BAD diamond. Sure some are better in color, cut and clarity then others but I would not see him selling someone a bad diamond. I think you have NOTHING to worry about ordering from the Pricescope vendors. I don''t think they would sell anyone a bad diamond. I would not hesitate to order online again!

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 12/30/2005 11:38:06 AM
Author: devientdrow
Robtali,
I went into Jared yesterday and noticed that my .83 ideal cut is the same size as thier 1ct round brilliant rings!! hahaha.....a well cut stone can look bigger than it is!

HEE HEE, hard to beat that feeling Denvie......

Sorry for the hijack, Rob you can do this and you have come to the right place, with help and research it will pay dividends and your gal will have a blinding rock you will both be proud of!

 

[allycat0303]

Robtali,

The ideal scope image that I posted is the actual ideal scope of the ACTUAL diamond in question (so the 0.735 carat J, VS1). For some reason WF doesn''t have the "normal picture"of the diamond up yet. If you call them, they will be happy to help you, and might even take a pic for you if they are able. Although this one is a VS1 so you are going to have NO PROBLEMS with the clarity. Usually the expert selections have 2 pictures, one normal blown up, and one ideal scope (the red pic).

Here''s another expert selection I looked at for you. This is a K (I know that there are 1 or 2 people that have a K) but I don''t know if it''s really, really white. There are less K owners on pricescope then J.

Now the big pic is the actual diamond, and ontop of the diamond pic you get it''s ideal scope, AGS, and Sarin.

http://www.whiteflash.com/round_ideal_cut/Round-Ideal-Cut-cut-diamond-1990452.htm

Take a look at it!

 

[Lorelei]

Blimey Ally you are finding some good stuff, that too could be a corker!

A K is very OK in my book, if Rob doesn''t mind a little warmth plus the fab cut on that would be yummy!

 

[allycat0303]

Actually I just plugged the 0.735 into the HCA, and it's a 0.3. I believe (if not mistaken) that under 0.7 means that the diamond may have a dark center??? Someone will clarify this I'm sure. But I remember 0.7 and under being better for pendents..... so Í think I would pass on that one, although the ideal scope looks yummy.

I'm going to do the K diamond now....

 

[robtali]

Wow, Alley, that''s beautiful! I wonder how much difference there really is between that k and a j. Maybe I should go to a local jeweler that has one of each and a couple with less yellow and compare. The only concern I have about color would be the fact that she wants white gold. If it was yellow, I wouldn''t be as worried. She isn''t a "high maintenance" type of woman (I wouldn''t be with a woman like that!), so I know she will love anything I give her, but that just makes me want to get her something that much better!!! I am going to try to find a local store that I can look at the different color grades in person, because that K seems like such a great deal!

Devient and Ira, thanks for the info, since I am in Baltimore that should really help. Maybe I will go see James Allen.....

 

[robtali]

Can you tell me what the 0.3 HCA is?

 

[allycat0303]

Well the K is a 0.6 on HCA, so again something I think might be problematic for a ring. Again, I'm sure someone who knows more about the workings of the HCA will chime in.

In any case, the expert selection stones, can be really, really amazing. I say this because I have one, and I am in love with it.

I think you should look at them side by side if you can. I have heard the J color ideal cut faces up extremely white, and it is only from the pavillion (side angle) that you can see the color. If possible, (unless you want to surprise her) maybe you can bring her to look at the stones. People's color perception is different. You might not see it, but she may.

I think though, that generally a G stone is a good bet for whiteness. I have an H with fluor and for the life of me, all angles, under all light, it is extremely white. Really, I think I could have gone with J (probably would like the fluor on it) and would have been happy.

ETA: Holloway Cut Advisor: so on the top under tools, you have this thing called the Cut Advisor, put the numbers from the Sarin report in, and it gives you a little report. It's used to eliminate poor performers.

Oh yes, thought I'd let you know, when my boyfriend bought my diamond, we looked at the WF pics, then used the HCA, and then asked the people on the forum what they thought. That's all, nothing more then that.They thought it looked good, so he purchased it. When it arrived, I was beyond pleased.

 

[E B]

Hey, Rob! Welcome to PS!

Here at PS, the emphasis is usually placed on buying a "bigger stone"...but the problem with that is, without a budget of 8-10k (and I'm exaggerating a bit), a bigger stone usually only means a couple of points more, which are undetectable to the eye. Diamonds, as they get bigger, get exponentially more expensive.

I'm a HUGE believer in the ring making a statement, not just the diamond, and, as you said, if we can find you a setting with some sidestones, I think that's something you might consider. My ring is a .85 ct center with a gorgeous .20 ctw platinum pave band, and I adore it. Would I have gone up .5 cts more (with maybe 2 grades forward in color?) and sacrificed the gorgeous setting? No way. The entire ring sparkles like crazy.

Just something to think about. She's not going to be wearing JUST the diamond, she's going to be wearing the ring. With that being said....and with a budget of $2000 give or take a few hundred (which is MORE than reasonable!) how about something like this...

(.71, J VS1, 0.9 on the HCA, $1972 with PS discount):
http://www.whiteflash.com/diamonds/diamond_Details.aspx?itemcode=AGS-6544305

and perhaps...

Blue Nile Setting

total= $2422.00

I also really like the stone Regular Guy posted...the G SI2. If it's eye clean (and it's $1999 with the PS discount) you should strongly consider that as well.

I just read over your post again and realized you wanted to buy wraps for the ring. If that's the case, a diamond band might not be necessary, but they sure are pretty. I can attest! Good luck in your search!

 

[robtali]

Wow, you are right. I have seen many settings, but I don''t think I have ever seen one around that price that has the side stones. That is a great option! Now I''m excited.... Does Blue Nile only sell that for $450 if you get the diamond there, though? If I get the setting there and the diamond at WF, who would actually set the stone in the ring? Would there be a charge for that as well?
Thanks!!!

 

[E B]

Rob,

That's a good question. Check BlueNile's site for any red flags. It was my understanding that that's usually the case if a setting is the website's BASIC setting... but that particular setting is a cathedral with diamond sides. For $450.00, I think that setting is an excellent deal. I know a couple women whose husbands have purchased their entire rings from Blue Nile, and they're beautiful. I'd still recommend buying your center stone from Whiteflash, though. They have amazing rounds for decent prices.

I just wanted to let you know that the diamond I posted before is actually $27 more than I had originally posted (I just wrote it down wrong). I adjusted the prices to reflect the change! Not too shabby.

p.s. The setting got great reviews! Be sure to click on "Customer Feedback"