soon to be college graduate looking for some help

[E B]

I have to say, I love the idea of a proposal straight out of Tangled. Worth the money!

If the BGD stone + JA setting doesn't work out for whatever reason, this is a nice alternative setting, and may be easier to pair a wedding band with.

http://www.bluenile.com/solitaire-diamond-engagement-ring-setting_21019

http://www.bluenile.com/build-your-..._STEP&pid=LD02740702#DIAMONDS_STEP|LD02740702

I like this combo for your budget if you're wanting to go with "J" color. It's an AGS0 ideal cut, the clarity is pretty close to flawless, and it scores a 1.1 on the HCA. It's a little over at $1371, but I think the hand engraving on the setting would be worth it.

 

[Niel]

Would it be possible to buy the diamond and the setting from different vendors?

for example, http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/0.413-j-vs2-round-diamond-ags-c-104063435097 this with

with this: http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/vintage/14k-white-gold-vintage-infinity-engagement-ring-item-17858

I'm dying here......

YES, I hope so !!!
That diamond is BEAUTIFUL, right?
And the setting is just what you said she wanted.
And the price is right.
She'll love it !!!!!
(this is coming from someone who didn't get a ring until married 31 years !!!!! )

James Allen will set an outside stone, I don't know if BG will use an outside setting, I'd talk to JA about it see if you can have BG ship the stone directly to them instead of you. That way you don't have to pay the shipping. They may charge you though, so I quire about that.

 

[bunnycat]

Would it be possible to buy the diamond and the setting from different vendors?

for example, http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/0.413-j-vs2-round-diamond-ags-c-104063435097 this with

with this: http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/vintage/14k-white-gold-vintage-infinity-engagement-ring-item-17858

I'm dying here......

YES, I hope so !!!
That diamond is BEAUTIFUL, right?
And the setting is just what you said she wanted.
And the price is right.
She'll love it !!!!!
(this is coming from someone who didn't get a ring until married 31 years !!!!! )

James Allen will set an outside stone, I don't know if BG will use an outside setting, I'd talk to JA about it see if you can have BG ship the stone directly to them instead of you. That way you don't have to pay the shipping. They may charge you though, so I quire about that.

BG will set their stones in rings that are not theirs. (They did with my setting when I got my BG Blue.) You just have to send it to them. They do charge a setting fee for the diamond in that case. If you want to go this route, I'd just call BG and say you have a setting and want one of their stones and ask if they'll set it to be sure. They are very nice.

 

[distracts]

that is a good point.

To be honest, she prefers a setting that intertwines (braided) but not so much with the diamonds on the setting like this:
http://www.vipjewelryart.com/1-05-CT-Princess-Cut-Diamond-Encrusted-Braided-Engagement-Ring.993


however, it seems that, to me at least, anything under .4 carat looks tiny.

I'm pretty satisfied with the BN or the JA option I looked at,

but the other option suggested by Niel looks pretty nice too with only a minor bump in price.

however, spending too much money on this ring is not really a smart option seeing as we will have other things to pay for later (moving, rent, bills, etc)

From JA do you think she'd like a setting like this:
http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/14k-white-gold-twisted-shank-contemporary-solitaire-item-6854
http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/vintage/14k-white-gold-vintage-infinity-engagement-ring-item-17858

With this diamond:
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.46-carat-j-color-si2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-211440
Which I think will look fine in real life despite the inclusions being scary in the closeup (I mean... remember this diamond is a bit less than half a centimeter across. Those inclusions are TINY in real life.)

 

[teobdl]

R_M if you haven't put a reserve on that BG diamond, do so quickly! I think you'd be hard pressed to find a better deal for such a nice diamond. I also got a J Brian Gavin Signature recently for a very good price relative to non-super ideal but similarly spec'd stones, and I'm absolutely delighted. It is super bright and incredibly dynamic.
One thing about BG is that depending on the size of the diamond, the facets that affect light performance most will be of different proportions. In this case, those facets are slightly thicker than most other diamonds at that same carat weight, which will makes its flashes as broad as a slightly bigger diamond.

 

[R_M]

I don't plan on actually purchasing the ring for a little while, so I doubt I can reserve the hearts and arrows from BG...


Plus a lot of their settings that she may like (I talked to her a little about rings yesterday and she said she preferred settings that were pretty; AKA pave, vintage, three stone, etc.) were out of my budget

Therefore I will be going a little out of budget by a little pricier setting.

So far, this seems to be the one I find the prettiest at a reasonable price.

http://www.bluenile.com/build-your-own-diamond-ring?action=add&builder=BYOR&forceStep=DIAMONDS_STEP&is_ring=1&offer_id=42029&oid=42029&oid_band=&sAction=basket&select_this_style_top=Select+this+style&shape=

Ideal-cut, I-color, VS2-clarity, Round, 0.46-carat Diamond. Stock #: LD03319792 $765
Petite Diamond Engagement Ring in 14k White Gold (.07 ct. tw.). Stock #: 42029 $650
SUBTOTAL: $1,415


Comes out a little over my budget, but that's ok since the she's worth the extra money to keep her happy about a prettier setting.


Any thoughts?

 

[Niel]

gah! ok... i feel like there has got to be a way to find a used ring that will fit your budget.
Setting is pretty enough, but i feel like if you start a new thread the gurus that are great and finding rings online might be able to find you something nice.

and keep in mind, if you buy a ring thats old enough, its considered "vintage" and there's no stigma from anyone about that

 

[R_M]

haha for some reason I keep shying away from used rings because it just doesn't feel right...


Quick question btw, it seems like BN and JA are tax free.

Is this true?

 

[sonnyjane]

I don't plan on actually purchasing the ring for a little while, so I doubt I can reserve the hearts and arrows from BG...

May I ask when you DO plan on purchasing the ring? If you're not ready for quite a while then it's probably not best to spend tons of time searching online inventories now because those stones won't be available when you are ready to buy anyway.

 

[Niel]

haha for some reason I keep shying away from used rings because it just doesn't feel right...


Quick question btw, it seems like BN and JA are tax free.

Is this true?

SJ makes a good point, looking for specific diamonds isnt a good idea right now, but then again, diamonds rarely go down in price....

have you seen this?
http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/halo/14k-white-gold-pave-halo-twisted-shank-solitaire-item-17470

seems to have the best of both worlds, that braid look she likes, and diamond accents....


anywho, yes if you dont live in NY you arent paying taxes on it at purchase

 

[marymm]

Blue Nile charges sales tax for orders shipped to Washington state and to New York

James Allen charges sales tax for orders shipped to Maryland and to New York

I would like to point out that the Blue Nile setting you have picked at $650 has sides-stones with SI2 clarity - their performance will not be as sparkly and lively as compared to sidestones with better clarity.

What if you go with one of the JA stones previously suggested to you, and maybe went with this JA setting at $750 - http://www.jamesallen.com/engagemen...-cathedral-diamond-engagement-ring-item-17840?

 

[R_M]

I didn't realize diamonds become so readily unavailable over time.

perhaps it wasn't the right time to do all the research afterall then.

I do apologize for that in advance then

I shall return for the cry of help (with some panic) when it is closer to the time I must purchase.

thank you all for your help!

 

[R_M]

P.S. I plan on purchasing anytime between Jan 2014 - May 2014.

 

[JulieN]

Too early. See you next year!

Give yourself 2-3 months before your engagement for plenty of time.

 

[Niel]

No apologies! This batch out now won't be available then, but a new batch will, an now you'll know exactly what to look for.