Small quality vs Large and showy

[hewittthefool]

Good day!

I have a dilemma between quality and quantity here.

Let me give you some background. Early 30's, decent job, just bought a house. student loans, some house debt. Needless to say I am on a budget for the e-ring.

I am writing this today to solicit the opinions of what appears to be a very educated crowd. i want this to be a total surprise so I cannot ask her directly and she is the most intuitive woman I have ever known so indirect questions are out as well.

Firstly, let me just say that I am extremely lucky to have a close family association with a certified gemologist , wholesale buyer and gem cutter.

My initial insticts was smaller and quality:

(attached pic)

.62 k square cushion hearts and arrows

clarity: vvs1
color: j
cut : AGS certified triple 0 ideal

I realize the color is a bit low, but this diamond sparkles like nothing I have ever seen even in low light and at a wholesale, its hard to argue with the price point. We spent a couple of hours comparing it to round ideal h&a diamonds in his stock and nothing came close.

Thing is square cushion h and a jump very quickly in price as size goes up. I plan on having it set in a solitaire as a presentation setting and then going back and having her choose the setting later, more than likely with additional diamonds. (advantage of having a close relationship with a jeweler). In addition, like most reputable jewelers , there is a 100% trade in value on upgrades in the future.

Fundamental question to all you brides to be, future or current: What would you want?

 

[Enerchi]

Lucky you, hewitthefool, to have such fortunate connection! I got engaged in 1984 and we bought what we could afford. Because your connection offers you a great advantage, you'll get a much bigger bang for your buck, for certain! I like your plan to present her with an initial proposal ring then allow her to select her 'forever' ring, after. IMHO, I'd prefer the G - J colouring over anything higher, if it allowed me a larger stone.

the cushion H&A you've posted looks gorgeous! Nice choice! something a bit out of the ordinary - very cool! Good luck!

 

[OCgirl]

Hi Hewit, welcome to the forum.

Before I mention anything, I want to say this stone looks BEAUTIFULLY cut. No doubt you've gotten that piece down. With that said, my personal preference would be:
1) Clarity - You are paying way too much for the VVS1 clarity. I would say drop it to VS1 or even VS2 to achieve the same effect.
2) Color - I would be a little hesitant to pick J as an engagement ring. Most people will able to detect a tint in J. I would stick to H or above to be safe.

If you plan on upgrading in the near future, this stone is beautiful and should definitely be considered. But if you can find an ideal cut stone in the H VS2 range (I think the price point will be similar if not cheaper than a J VVS1) that would be a better option, in my opinion.

 

[hewittthefool]

Thank you for the input. I really appreciate it.

I was a little concerned about the j color. I had my friend pull some D diamonds just for comparison and we looked at them in several light sources.

Looking at it face on from the top as you would see it in the mounting, it was hard to tell the difference side by side. However, when you flipped them over and compared them on a white peice of paper, it was barely there but perceptable.

You make a valid point though. I will give it some thought.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

What is the price of that stone? (Just making sure the deal is a good one for you!)

 

[hewittthefool]

I am a little embarassed to say since my budget is so small.

retail is 2000ish depending on who you talk to (square cushion h and a are hard to come by at the moment for some reason)

i am getting it at a wholesale of 1300. which leaves me enough for a platinum setting with some wiggle room for additional accent diamonds

 

[OCgirl]

I am a little embarassed to say since my budget is so small.

retail is 2000ish depending on who you talk to (square cushion h and a are hard to come by at the moment for some reason)

i am getting it at a wholesale of 1300. which leaves me enough for a platinum setting with some wiggle room for additional accent diamonds

You should NOT feel embarassed about your budget. You just got a house and if this is a reasonable amount to you, then it is. Please don't feel embarassed.

I believe it is true that H&A cushions are harder to come by.
I think another thing to consider if you are thinking about getting a pave setting with accent diamonds (or any setting with side diamonds) is that the J will look off from the accent diamonds (which are usually F/G/H colors). You can always ask them to use I/J melee/accent diamonds though. Should check with your friend just to be sure?

 

[diamondseeker2006]

That is a great price! We have a vendor here who sells them, and I just wanted to make sure your price was really good because 99 out of 100 times when someone comes on here and says they have a "friend of the family" jeweler, we see big red flags. But this time, you are looking at a high quality stone at a good price! If they had more of a selection, I would rather have H VS2 or something like that since you really don't get any visual benefit from VVS. But if there are no others in your price range with higher color, then this one sounds fine!

 

[OCgirl]

That is a great price! We have a vendor here who sells them, and I just wanted to make sure your price was really good because 99 out of 100 times when someone comes on here and says they have a "friend of the family" jeweler, we see big red flags. But this time, you are looking at a high quality stone at a good price! If they had more of a selection, I would rather have H VS2 or something like that since you really don't get any visual benefit from VVS. But if there are no others in your price range with higher color, then this one sounds fine!

+1
I agree with diamondseeker.

 

[swingirl]

That's a gorgeous stone. And since you have an upgrade option, in the future you can change out the stone if you so wish. I think with a stone so nicely cut the K color won't be a problem, especially since you have already seen it. K's do show a little color. I would probably stay away from high-colored side stones.

 

[slg47]

it looks beautiful. since there are not a lot of square H&As to choose from (i.e. there is probably not a H/VS2 in the size you are looking at)...I would stick with the J VVS1. I have a square cushion H&A and I love it please come back and post pics after you propose!

 

[decodelighted]

I was in my late 30's when proposed to and first and foremost ... I would want to be consulted.


ETA: I should add that the stone posted looks very nice & that it would seem you're getting a good deal on it. If you're set on a surprise and are getting it through a connection -- could you propose during the return period just in case she had something different in mind?

 

[motownmama]

gorgeous stone!

 

[hewittthefool]

The brightest point of all of this is that I don't really have a "return period". He wil exchange the diamond for me at any point if she doesn't like it. And she will choose her own setting since I am only having it set in a presentation setting.

 

[slg47]

The brightest point of all of this is that I don't really have a "return period". He wil exchange the diamond for me at any point if she doesn't like it. And she will choose her own setting since I am only having it set in a presentation setting.

that sounds like a great idea! i would just make sure you have this in writing. but overall looks like a really nice diamond!!

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Are you related to diamondheadache? Of course, I am always happy to be wrong.

cheers--Sharon

 

[diamondseeker2006]

@Sharon...

 

[hewittthefool]

It was mentioned that there is a certain amount of skepticism regarding a "friend of the family" This is more of a adopted family situation. My grandparents have been friend wih the man who opened the shop for 50 years. There are mutual family functions. I guess I did not realize how often these situations turn out to be a bugger haha

 

[Amys Bling]

That is a great price! We have a vendor here who sells them, and I just wanted to make sure your price was really good because 99 out of 100 times when someone comes on here and says they have a "friend of the family" jeweler, we see big red flags. But this time, you are looking at a high quality stone at a good price! If they had more of a selection, I would rather have H VS2 or something like that since you really don't get any visual benefit from VVS. But if there are no others in your price range with higher color, then this one sounds fine!

Ditto.

 

[Gypsy]

Have you gone ring shopping with her to see what she likes?

It's a beautiful diamond and you have a full return policy on it, I would say go for it if you think she would like it-- but I don't want to say go for it if you don't know what her priorities are (shape, carat, etc.)

 

[Dreamer_D]

If you want it to be a complete surprise, then I would only proceed if I could get a *refund* not only exchange. She might not even want a diamond!

Of course, I always recommend asking her advice. A totaly suprise can backfire on you. We see it a lot.

I also caution dealing with a friend of the family, no matter how close. Do not let your relationship blind you to the need to protect yourself as a consumer. Get a receipt stating what you bought. Get a return period stated in writing. Make sure you can get a cash refund at the end of the return period. Trust me, please. You think you won't need it, but you never know.