Hey folks,
Long time lurker, first time poster! Hopefully it is not rude to ask for help on my first post, but I have been absolutely blown away by the depth of knowledge on this forum (not to mention seriously impressed with some of the bling). I have been searching for an engagement ring for my girlfriend, and was hoping for some guidance. Lengthy post to follow, so you can skip to the questions below if you dont need details or dont like long essays
.
My budget for this is $15k, although there is some wiggle room there for the *perfect* ring. Based on my PS education, my basic strategy for diamond shopping is pay for what you see-->mainly cut and carat while meeting minimums in color/clarity. My personal goals for the diamond are:
1. Excellent Cut - There are a lot of variables and levels of excellent/ideal obviously, but I have been following the general table/depth/pavilion/crown/girdle percents and angles suggested on this board.
2. H color or better - I have done some in-store looking and my eyes start to pick up color around here
3. SI2 or better clarity - basically I want the diamond to be eye clean, I know this is more rare at SI2, a bit more common at SI1, etc
4. No Carat requirement - gf has no minimum, but I'm generally trying to get above 1.5ct...1.7/1.8 would be ideal
The diamond will be set in a 6-prong "tiffany style" solitaire, and I'm leaning towards platinum over white gold for durability and its hypoallergenic qualities. I'm aiming for a pretty thin shank, probably around 2mm or less but here's the rub: I KNOW she would really appreciate some uniqueness to the setting, so I'm trying to figure out my options between engraving, putting a birthstone on the inside of the ring, etc...something to set it apart. Finally, I expect we will look for a diamond wedding band, and ideally I would like it to sit flush with the ER. GF has a ring size of 5.5 or so.
Initially I was looking at local jewelers, but I have been shown a number of diamonds outside some of the recommended cut characteristics. They all look bright and shiny, and I'm no expert, so I'm concerned about value. I feel more comfortable verifying with idealscope and ASET images so I know what I'm getting, and obviously less overhead online. Based on recommendations here, it sounds like Good Old Gold, Whiteflash, Brian Gavin, etc are the places to be.
Onto the questions:
1. How does my overall strategy/information sound? Any recommended changes? All ideas welcome!
2. Any online retailers to add or take away? I have heard good things about CBI, brilliantly engaged, James Allan
3. Many of these jewelers have different Ex/Ideal cut levels: ACA at WF, Ascendancy at GOG, Signature at BG, but many also have a 2nd level like expert selection at WF, premium select at GOG, etc. Will a layman such as myself EVER be able to tell the difference between these?? I'm a value shopper at heart
, and I'm not sure I would pay a ton extra for an extra 1% sparkle if thats the real difference between top 2 levels.
4. For the setting, how thin of a shank could I engrave something on? How thin could I mount an internal birthstone? Are these good ideas (I've heard mixed reviews)? Any recommendations?
5. How much should I expect to pay for a custom setting like the one above? Any recommendations? I've heard the names Victor Canera and Steve Kirsch (sp?)
Aaaand thats it!!! Apologies for the long post, it was helpful for me to get it all down in one place. Lots of info out there, not a lot of experience for me.
A pre-emptive THANK YOU for any and all help!!!
-Steve
Long time lurker, first time poster! Hopefully it is not rude to ask for help on my first post, but I have been absolutely blown away by the depth of knowledge on this forum (not to mention seriously impressed with some of the bling). I have been searching for an engagement ring for my girlfriend, and was hoping for some guidance. Lengthy post to follow, so you can skip to the questions below if you dont need details or dont like long essays
My budget for this is $15k, although there is some wiggle room there for the *perfect* ring. Based on my PS education, my basic strategy for diamond shopping is pay for what you see-->mainly cut and carat while meeting minimums in color/clarity. My personal goals for the diamond are:
1. Excellent Cut - There are a lot of variables and levels of excellent/ideal obviously, but I have been following the general table/depth/pavilion/crown/girdle percents and angles suggested on this board.
2. H color or better - I have done some in-store looking and my eyes start to pick up color around here
3. SI2 or better clarity - basically I want the diamond to be eye clean, I know this is more rare at SI2, a bit more common at SI1, etc
4. No Carat requirement - gf has no minimum, but I'm generally trying to get above 1.5ct...1.7/1.8 would be ideal
The diamond will be set in a 6-prong "tiffany style" solitaire, and I'm leaning towards platinum over white gold for durability and its hypoallergenic qualities. I'm aiming for a pretty thin shank, probably around 2mm or less but here's the rub: I KNOW she would really appreciate some uniqueness to the setting, so I'm trying to figure out my options between engraving, putting a birthstone on the inside of the ring, etc...something to set it apart. Finally, I expect we will look for a diamond wedding band, and ideally I would like it to sit flush with the ER. GF has a ring size of 5.5 or so.
Initially I was looking at local jewelers, but I have been shown a number of diamonds outside some of the recommended cut characteristics. They all look bright and shiny, and I'm no expert, so I'm concerned about value. I feel more comfortable verifying with idealscope and ASET images so I know what I'm getting, and obviously less overhead online. Based on recommendations here, it sounds like Good Old Gold, Whiteflash, Brian Gavin, etc are the places to be.
Onto the questions:
1. How does my overall strategy/information sound? Any recommended changes? All ideas welcome!
2. Any online retailers to add or take away? I have heard good things about CBI, brilliantly engaged, James Allan
3. Many of these jewelers have different Ex/Ideal cut levels: ACA at WF, Ascendancy at GOG, Signature at BG, but many also have a 2nd level like expert selection at WF, premium select at GOG, etc. Will a layman such as myself EVER be able to tell the difference between these?? I'm a value shopper at heart

4. For the setting, how thin of a shank could I engrave something on? How thin could I mount an internal birthstone? Are these good ideas (I've heard mixed reviews)? Any recommendations?
5. How much should I expect to pay for a custom setting like the one above? Any recommendations? I've heard the names Victor Canera and Steve Kirsch (sp?)
Aaaand thats it!!! Apologies for the long post, it was helpful for me to get it all down in one place. Lots of info out there, not a lot of experience for me.
A pre-emptive THANK YOU for any and all help!!!

-Steve