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Started Looking at Rocks for an Engagement Ring

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bolivianram

Rough_Rock
Joined
Oct 14, 2012
Messages
43
Hello all,

I have begun looking for a diamond for an engagement ring. When I asked a female friend for help at guessing the size, it turns out that while she is able to help me approximate the size, she could help me out a lot more because about 9 months ago my girlfriend had sent her an email with several pictures of rings she likes, subject header: "in case you ever need this". haha

I am somewhat new to this, mostly having read Blue Nile and then some non-vendor information sources on the web about the 4Cs etc.

I am not looking to purchase for at least 6 more weeks, I am planning on having a significant amount of overtime money in that period and using that, plus another few thousand i have saved up specifically for this, for my budget so as to not interfere with other plans we have together.

I checked several sites I see recommended on this forum for settings they offer (Blue Nile, Allen, OldGold, and something-ice) and only found one (Blue Nile) with a setting matching the style she likes, in fact it is one of the exact pictures she sent (stock number 19851):

http://www.bluenile.com/build-your-own-diamond-ring?forceStep=STYLE_STEP&offer_id=19851

She is about a size 4.5 finger. Using the gallery of pictures with that setting, some info i read on finger sizes to diamonds and comments she's made about a friends 1 carat ring being too big, using Blue Nile and selecting a maximum price range, then starting with a "Signature Ideal" setting for cut and narrowing down the Clarity and Color, I finally narrowed it down to this stone:

Stock # LD02341229

http://www.bluenile.com/round-diamond-1-carat-or-less-signature-ideal-cut-f-color-vvs2-clarity_LD02341229?keyword_search_value=ld02341229

Diamond Details
Stock number: LD02341229
Price: $6,764
Bank wire price:$6,663
Price per carat:$8,351
Carat weight:0.81
Cut: Signature Ideal
Color: F
Clarity: VVS2
Depth %:61.6%
Table %:57%
Polish:Excellent
Symmetry:Excellent
Girdle:Medium to Slightly Thick, Faceted
Culet:Small
Fluorescence:None
Measurements: 5.99 x 5.96 x 3.68 mm


I used the price scope diamond search for similar items and there were none that were much cheaper anywhere else.

Did I do this right for a first-timer in terms of finding a good stone for my budget and setting? Is there another way for me to find settings among the dozen that she has picked out and emailed to my friend? She got them all off of the Zales website, but first of all I don't see any of them on their website anymore (maybe they all go out of fashion after 9 months???), and I think that I may be getting better value through other sources?

Thanks for your help, and let me know If I posted the right stats and information!
 
Hello! :wavey:
I love it when guys have input from their GF's even if it is in the form of e-mails she sent to friends!

I really like the setting you posted it is very pretty and the shape is really unique. Even though I haven't seen the others from Zales Im going to tell you I don't like any of them. They will be overpriced, poor quality and the diamonds there are awful. So just say no to Zales (or any other mall jewelry store, we call them maul stores). You could still post the pictures and we could use them to find better settings that are similar.

I don't care for the diamond you posted either. The HCA tool is a great way to rule of poorly cut diamonds. https://www.pricescope.com/tools/hca
You cant pick a stone based only on its HCA number but you can rule out poor choices. Don't consider a stone with a score over 2.0, the smaller the number the better the diamond is going to preform in terms of sparkle. The diamond you posted scored a 4.8

Also a clarity of VVS2 is really high. You are paying a premium for something that isn't worth it in my opinion. I would suggest going for a VS1 or VS2 and honestly many SI1's can be eye clean and save you a ton of money. Vendors like James Allen can help determine if the stone is eyeclean, blue nile does not have its diamonds in stock so they cannot go look at their stones.

Color is another consideration, F is a really icy white color but the only difference you are going to see between a F and a G is a price drop. Unless your girlfriend is really color sensitive she isn't going to notice and it will save you money.

It looks like from the diamond and setting you posted your budget is right around $8,500! If so we can easily help you find an amazing engagement ring at that price and probably less than that considering you are wanting to keep the size under 1 ct.

Ill go hunt around for some diamonds for you to look at. Hope this helps
 
Thanks! I had not heard of the HCA tool before.

I typed in this diamond and got a slightly different number than you, still above 2, but want to make sure I am using it right..

I used:

Depth 61.6%
Table 57%
Crown Angle 34.5
Pavilion Angle 41.2
Culet 1.8%

and got a 3.3 - Very Good

I must have typed in something different if you got a 4.8?

Thanks again and looking forward to seeing your suggestions.

Not all of the settings she picked had the additional diamonds in the ring, however they all share the characterisic of a silver-colored band and having either a "twist" and/or a small gap on each side of the center stone. My friend referred to it as "Twisted Shank" style. I had trouble finding any other settings like that on the "build your own" sites I looked at, so I was happy to see that one on BlueNile and do like what it looks like in the gallery / 3d photos, there is even a 0.79 carat stone which looks nice in the gallery photos which is how I decided that the size wasn't too small for the setting and also seems appropriate for her finger and tastes (doesn't want to be "real housewives" >1 carat bling). Now - that bit about real housewives is also coming from a mutual friend, who has in her life tended to exaggerate and/or take things too seriously, and as such my girlfriend might have said "yeah your 1.01 carat is too big for me!" meant as a compliment rather than a fact, and my friend is now making a big deal about how I can't go over 1 carat because of an offhand comment like that, possibly.

In a casual conversation we had a few months back I know that she definitely isn't looking for me to spend any more money than the amount I've already come to with the choices above (she mentioned a much lower figure but as I have said I am specifically earning extra money for this right now, so it doesn't affect our future plans), so I know she isn't expecting a $10K stone and $4k setting, etc. She definitely won't be upset with something in that .81 carat range because of it being "too small" or anything like that. My budget is 9K so I wasn't at the max with the above choice.
 
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/F-SI1-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1520376.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/F-VS1-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1474261.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-SI1-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1526818.asp

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2829736.htm

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2813893.htm

here is another setting option similar to the one you posted but a bit less. It looks like you are looking for a twisted shank or a split shank setting.

http://www.jamesallen.com/engagemen...ve-shank-contemporary-solitaire-11197w14.html

http://www.jamesallen.com/engagemen...ve-shank-contemporary-solitaire-11192w14.html

Also since you are a pricescoper you get a discount at James Allen and Whiteflash :naughty:

another helpful resource
https://www.pricescope.com/tools/ideal-scope

Edit: I very well may have typed a number incorrectly into the HCA (I'm 9 months pregnant the brain has suffered a bit haha) But either way the number you got isn't in the acceptable range.
 
Oh boy, now the engineer / math side of me is having too much fun with this HCA tool.

I took the settings I had on my blue nile sliders when I found that other diamond, which were:

F / G color
VS1 + clarity
Ideal cut
.79 - .99 carat
< $7,500

and I just sorted by the price from low to high...I found a 1.8 diamond on the HCA here :

http://www.bluenile.com/build-your-own-diamond-ring?forceStep=DIAMONDS_STEP&track=tab#diamonds_forceStep=DIAMONDS_STEP|builder=BYOR|pid=LD02295940

Did I do that one right for the HCA?

I can see why it is less expensive, because it is G instead of F and 0.02 carats less. But it still fits within my budget and has a higher "sparkle factor" by what I think the HCA is telling me.

There are a total of 45 round diamonds in those slider options...so I guess I can run an HCA on the whole list?
 
OK I see you just posted above me! Thanks and congrats on your upcoming child. I will look at those stones! Feel like I am already making a big step towards narrowing this all down.
 
I looked at that stone again and I'm not sure where you found the cutlet percentage but it is only required if you enter a pavilion percentage vs the angle of the pavilion.
 
Should I have any hesitation if I end up choosing a stone from one vendor and a setting from another? Seems easier to have one-stop-shopping, but if the issues are not a big deal then I can handle it.
 
bolivianram|1350275961|3285371 said:
Should I have any hesitation if I end up choosing a stone from one vendor and a setting from another? Seems easier to have one-stop-shopping, but if the issues are not a big deal then I can handle it.
Click to expand...

Guess it's too late to edit the above post, so here's a follow up.

Using the new info provided above, I feel a lot more confident that between my work and PriceScope I'll be able to find a perfect diamond.

The problem is, I have checked all of the website referenced (James Allen and WhiteFlash, as well as Good Old Gold) and I cannot find anybody except Blue Nile who has one of the settings that matches her preferences as closely. The ones linked above are really nice but I don't think they are quite in line with the ones she listed in the email to her friend...the ridge running around the ring is one part of that (the ones she listed is solid for the bottom 50% instead of split for the whole circumference), and it just doesn't quite match.

I could post the pictures of the settings, but I have already gone through all of the settings I think I could find on those 3 sites and nothing caught my eye as "Wow, this is what's on her list, AND i like it a lot too!" as much as the one on BN did.

Is there any reason to avoid a BN setting? Would there be any issues if I (with the forum's help) find a nice stone on another site and had to combine the two? I would have to find a reputable jeweler to do the setting, who wouldn't mind that they didn't get the business on the materials purchasing side of the equation and do a solid job.
 
I like this stone from GOG

http://goodoldgold.com/diamond/9661/

You are getting more size, and if you ever decide to do so they have an excellent upgrade program. I would place it on hold if you are interested.

I would call GOG and or send pictures of the setting you are interested in. They carry an array of settings. I am sure they can find something very similar if not build you a setting for the diamond.
 
Thanks, farmergal.

I have contacted GOG, WhiteFlash, and JamesAllen with links to the setting I am interested in and requesting information on whether or not they have a similar setting, along with mentioning that I am also looking to one-stop shop the diamond and setting.

In the mean time, I set up an Excel sheet just to kill some time (I'm on night shift!) and kept perusing the Blue Nile diamonds.

I used the HCA tool and narrowed down my previous settings (which resulted in 60 results) to a "Short list" of 28 stones currently available that pass the HCA website test from the GIA available on BN.com (this is almost like "practice" because who knows what will still be available a month from now when I am ready to purchase), to see if I am getting the hang of this. If I were to grab two VS1 diamonds off this list as an example of items I would pursue further:

http://www.bluenile.com/build-your-own-diamond-ring?builder=BYOR&forceStep=DIAMONDS_STEP&pid=LD02501218


Stock number: LD02501218
Price: $6,163
Bank wire price: $6,071
Price per carat: $7,609
Carat weight: 0.81
Cut: Signature Ideal
Color: F
Clarity: VS1
Depth %: 61.2%
Table %: 55%
Polish: Excellent
Symmetry: Excellent
Girdle: Thin to Medium, Faceted
Culet: None
Fluorescence: None
Measurements: 6.02 x 6.00 x 3.68 mm

http://www.bluenile.com/build-your-own-diamond-ring?builder=BYOR&forceStep=DIAMONDS_STEP&pid=LD02466870

Stock number: LD02466870
Price: $6,467
Bank wire price: $6,370
Price per carat: $7,792
Carat weight: 0.83
Cut: Signature Ideal
Color: F
Clarity: VS1
Depth %: 61.3%
Table %: 56%
Polish: Excellent
Symmetry: Excellent
Girdle: Medium to Slightly Thick, Faceted
Culet: None
Fluorescence: None
Measurements: 6.05 x 6.07 x 3.71 mm



Those seem to meet some standards in terms of the 4Cs and then the next step of the HCA tool. The 0.83 one has a bigger girdle, per the description. But are these examples of stones which are high quality and fit into my budget? With the fact that BlueNile doesn't make further analysis available (that I know of) is this as far as I can go, IF I were dead-set (which i'm not) on one-stop-shopping at BN?

If the answers to the above is yes, I would next need to narrow down from 28 to 1 lol
 
If you get the stone posted above from GOG, they carry Gabriel & Co. They also have the intertwined settings. Marie can help you if you provide her with a picture, but check these out first:

All criss cross:
http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/styles/1?category=ER&style=Criss+Cross

Here is one very similar to BN and I think much more elegant profile: http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/style/ER6273W44JJ
This is close too: http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/style/ER8043PT4JJ

You may also want to consider a split shank because it's similar to a criss cross: http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/styles?category=ER&style=Split+Shank

I think you'll be able to find a setting from Gabriel and you'll be very happy. The settings are really pretty. I've tried many on.
 
Wow, Gabriel really has some nice ones that indeed match the styles she likes! Thanks for turning me onto that.

Is GoodOldGold as preferred a vendor on PriceScope as whiteflash and Allen? It seems like their diamond selection might be smaller.

(the reason I am asking is because I can't quite buy now, so that diamond 9661 might not be available at the time. I am working over 200 hours of overtime in the next 5 weeks on a ridiculous work schedule, but that is where the funds for my purchase will come from)
 
here are my preferred choices from JA, one of the top preferred PS vendors here that also offer PS discounts to members :

0.91ct G VVS1 $7230 after PS and wire discount (HCA 1.4) :
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VVS1-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1521382.asp

1.03ct G VS2 $7289 after PS and wire discount (HCA 1.7):
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS2-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1524183.asp

1.01ct G VS2 $7309 after PS and wire discount (HCA 1.8 ):
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1466080.asp

JA also offers a good financing option that is interest free for 6 months... perhaps you can go this route so you don't miss out on the top notch diamonds? i just know that links posted here could get snatched in an instant by lurkers... yikes !
 
Yes GOG is on par with whiteflash and James Allen.

They carry top quality rounds, but their wide range of fancy shapes and fancy rounds with different faceting patterns are what they're most known for here.
 
I am looking at the Gabriel settings more closely.

For example:

http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/style/ER7546W44JJ

They look great and I have heard they are really good quality. However, I have had a hard time finding many hand-shots (Even on PriceScope) ... these rings seem to have stuff going on underneath the diamond that I haven't seen in other settings. Are these settings supposed to be used with the suggested matching wedding band, and that is why they have that design? Do they look funky on their own? Seems like they would come farther off the hand. It seems that almost all of Gabriel's settings have this style.

Thanks!
 
The more I look at it, the more I like that setting. I have read in PriceScope that I may be able to get it sized for a <1 ct diamond even though it says on the site it's non-changeable 6.5 mm.

I think that is my favorite on Gabriel's site due to the combo of it meeting:

either twisted or split shank
with pave stones that don't obscure 2 sides or more of the center stone
the prongs seem small enough that they won't obscure a smaller stone.... Is this right?? Is there a way to find out?

What do you all think of that setting?

I can't find many others on Gabriels site that meet what I am looking for (based on adding my personal prefences within the confines of the pictures she suggested), but at the same time I don't want to feel like I am cheaping out. With $9K budget, and not expecting to go for > 1 ct stone, I wonder if I am going to run into a situation where I am putting a diamond on the setting that costs 5 times or more than the setting. That seems like an awfully high ratio to me.

Also it says it is 5.55 mm wide?? That is one of the biggest widths I have ever seen. That must include the split at the 9 oclock positions...I am emailing them some questions from above on this ring.
 
Gabriel is a great choice! You don't have to pair it with one of the matching wedding bands, but it makes for a pretty easy option when the time comes. I think the quality is really good and they pay attention to small details, like the profiles.

You should spend more money on the stone...I don't think you would be "cheaping out" with a Gabriel setting. You can consider getting it in platinum instead of white gold. You can also look at the Amavida collection which is their "designer" line.
http://www.gabrielny.com/amavida/styles?style=Criss+Cross
http://www.gabrielny.com/amavida/styles?style=Split+Shank

I think this one is lovely: http://www.gabrielny.com/amavida/style/ER7560W83JJ

In terms of diamonds....they come and go. I wouldn't be too concerned with one particular diamond selling. If you are concerned about it, you can order the diamond now and have it set later (if you can swing it). I think GOG has a 6-month financing plan and that way you can get what you want now and you will be able to pay it off within the 6 months. Just an idea.

In any case, I would not search BN anymore. Stick with GOG and White Flash. If you cannot find a setting you like at WF, they can custom make a setting for you based on the Gabriel one you like.
 
That is a good one... The more I look at the one I linked though, the more I feel it really represents the style she was looking for. Of the ones she gave, the majority of them are criss-cross with pave stones.

I will only post these example settings for a few days, as I don't want them sticking around on my Flickr account which she could log into and then realize I have gotten these pictures from our friend because obviously I've begun this process. She intentionally told the friend that she wanted to be surprised, when she originally sent her these pics a year ago, and not to tell her if or when I started asking about ring information (which she obviously correctly assumed I would do .. hence I suggest ALL men do this, just like "they" say, the friends usually have the inside scoop! just not the size apparently, though I have a coworker of hers working on that by bringing in ring size finders to work and acting like she's picking out her wedding band, which is true anyway, and inviting my girlfriend to try it out as well)

Here's the ones she liked. I notice that there are a couple of styles but the one I mentioned at the beginning of the post seems to be the most prevalent.

I tried to make them Private but still send a link, let me know if you can see them.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8183/8095575453_97d4a4acfd_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8469/8095580798_8e8a8969c2_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8463/8095580832_aabb32c6b3_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8330/8095575533_0a2c3e9717_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8195/8095575581_d73eb0cdf9_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8470/8095575601_4d6921589e_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8047/8095580982_c5c48e4e57_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8331/8095575671_05c209280a_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8184/8095581046_07a5c7869b_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8185/8095581086_f4cabb1363_m.jpg


She doesn't want it to be "flashier" than anything there, from everything I've heard directly from her in conversations she's had with others. Additionally, I personally want to spend the most money on the stone and not have the setting take away options from within her guidelines. I also want the diamond, now that I'm learning so much from PriceScope and putting a lot of effort into finding the best choice, to be the main focus and so I am hesitant for halo options or the cross/split shanks that cover up the left and right sides of the diamond.

Mandasand, what did you think of the setting I already posted from Gabriel?

Thank you!
 
Also, what would the major thing to look at for the differences between these 3 be?

http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/style/ER7546W44JJ

http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/style/ER9522W44JJ

http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/style/ER9943W44JJ

Different thickness, and I guess the first one says how many carats the side stones are whereas the second 2 don't (probably because < 0.2, i guess they don't even list it?)

I also see that the width varies. I did find a ring of hers and measured it (Size 5) that she said was "too small" in a cold room. I will print out a width chart and see what width it has for a frame of reference.
 
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