The great cushion and halo e-ring hunt - advice needed!

[smudgesicle]

First up reading these forums has been invaluable. Without them, I think my man would have walked into a shopping centre jeweller and bought the first stone that met our (very basic at the time) specs. Thanks to PS we've moved on and he's okayed me to do the research and design my dream ring. Any advice and thoughts on the below are much appreciated. Despite a lot of reading I still feel very much a newbie!

Budget
About $7000US for both diamond and setting. We're in Australia, so we’ll be buying purely online (although would consider getting it set locally). This gets us to approx $8500AUS with the exchange rate and adding on GST.

Setting
Want a bit of a vintage look.
I love Leon’s Heidy r5682 https://www.leonmege.com/index.php/portfolio/view-all/heidy-halo-pave-engagement-platinum-ring-millgrain-pave-detail but with a single row of pave, however it’s a bit out of our price range at $4-5k just for the setting. So now I’m looking at the Gabriel & Co victorian halo http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/style/ER7527W44JJ

The Diamond
Cushion cut – do not like modified cushions with the crushed ice look at all.
0.75-1 ct
H+
eyeclean SI+

Here’s what we’ve come up with.

Blue Nile http://www.bluenile.com/au/diamond-search?pt=setform&track=NavDiaSeaCU#diamonds_pid=LD01265198 No pics or ASET through bluenile (correct?) but the plot looks to be an 8-main (from my limited knowledge?) and the table and depth are in CharmyPoo’s recommended range.

GOG
Obviously pictures and ASET are both available from GOG and we could buy the diamond and have it set with the G&Co setting in the same place.

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/10782/ I colour, depth is a little out of the rec range and it might be pushing the budget a little.

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/11116/ AVC! but smallest and an I

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/11562/ Brellian cushion but depth is out of range and might be a problem???

Do your worst people!

 

[JulieN]

Ignore the depth unless it is very deep or very shallow. It doesn't mean much. Just go by pictures. Unless you can get a picture, "cushion brilliant" is not a guarantee of good cut quality. There are plenty of terrible cushion brilliants.

Also don't go by carat weight, go by dimensions. The .79 AVC has significantly larger dimensions than the .80 and the .83

 

[smudgesicle]

Thanks JulieN! Good point about dimensions.

After some further research and watching GOG videos I've ruled out the Bluenile diamond and GOG Brellia because I definitely prefer the AVCs. Although I haven't really narrowed because I've added two more in!

So the finalists are:

1. http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/11116/ Probably my favourite but I wish it was just a little larger.

2. http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/10787/ Better size but probably going to put us overbudget

3. http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/8982/ An L but otherwise ideal. After watching some of Jon's videos I don't mind the warmer look in an AVC

4. http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/10782/ Premium vintage not AVC. I'm still not 100% sure on the difference but I'm guessing it's just a lesser cut than the AVC?

What would be your preference PSers?

 

[JulieN]

GOG will make you a video comparing them for a deposit.

 

[smudgesicle]

Thanks again. I emailed them and David and Stephanie have replied with all sorts of fabulousness, so hopefully we are getting close!

 

[MonkeysInk]

I have a GOG Signature Cushion with their lifetime guarantee (which I wanted in case I changed my mind later about the stone) and I'm so happy with it. At the time I got it, it was significantly different in price than their AVC and has a slightly different cutlet and main facet pattern. Still has that chunky vintage look and got me a bigger, whiter diamond for the money than I would have gotten with an AVC. Maybe the "premium vintage" is a similar designation?