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Thoughts on this BN sig .50 ct, IF??

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coastcat

Rough_Rock
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Apr 6, 2008
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Folks,



I have enjoyed reading these forums and learning such much, thank you.



Thinking about buying this diamond for my girlfriend and letting her pick her own setting after the fact. She is 5'' with small ring size (~3) and works in medical field, so is fairly active, and I think, not wanting a rock that will stick out too far. I could afford a larger stone, but think this might be a good size and this stone seems to have the other dimensions nailed, including cut (H&A inscribed). It scores 1.3 on HCA. I wish it had some flourscence, but it has none. Can anyone see any red flags with this?
http://www.bluenile.com/diamonds_details.asp?pid=LD01295110&keyword_search_value=LD01295110

BTW, I also like the WF website but couldn''t find the right ACA for my situation.



Any thoughts?



Thanks so much,
Ben
 
Well, my thoughts are that you should probably get an idea of what she wants. Are you sure she''ll want a .5 carat D/IF? Or would she rather have a 1 carat H/VS2? Or even bigger, if you can afford it? What do her friends and sisters have?

A lot of guys, in my opinion, go for the D/IF thing, whereas I would say 98% of women would rather have a bigger diamond with a more midrange color/clarity. Even if she is small, a 1 carat certainly won''t look overpowering on her. Just my two cents! I don''t know if you''re trying to surprise her, but it would probably be worth sniffing around to see what she''s hoping for. Perhaps you could enlist a friend of hers or her sister or mother and find out?
 
If you want something that is that high in colour and clarity then I think that looks like a good option, but seems rather expensive for what it is. Would you consider someone else besides WF or BN? This GOG stone is only very very slightly smaller and almost half the price with what seems to be good stats to me. It scores a very slight higher 1.1. The main with this over the BN stone would be the savings and the fact that you could upgrade later if you wanted.
 
The GOG stone is beautiful and you will get a well trusted person to actually look at it and talk to you about it over the phone. I don''t think BN offers that.

But the biggest question I''d have is how important is it to get a D IF. You are paying such a high premium for those specs (especially in the BN stone). I, too, recommend you find out what her preference is. I''ve just not heard of any woman who was disappointed that their stone was too big.
 
This is great feedback, thank. It is helpful to hear women''s thoughts especially. I definitely do not want her to feel .50 ct is too small... and that is what I am anxious about. I''m trying to make best judgement based what I think she would like, how it would "fit in" with what her sister and friends have... and also what I think is important and can afford. I''d like to see her get a great custom setting (she is very into design and photography) that she picks out and totally willing to spend a significant amount on the actual ring (e.g $2-$3k or more).

The .50 carat appeals to me because it seems to score high on other metrics... her friends and sister have modest rings (to my eye) and I feel like a top-notch 1 carat might be too showy.

Here are a few others I saw on BN (signature) that looked interesting... and scored well on HCA, but didn''t seem to have H&A... so not sure about them. Thanks again.

.6 ct
http://www.bluenile.com/diamonds_details.asp?pid=LD01290348&keyword_search_value=LD01290348

.71 ct
http://www.bluenile.com/diamonds_details.asp?pid=LD01151446&keyword_search_value=LD01151446

.83 ct (like the med blue flourescence)
http://www.bluenile.com/diamonds_details.asp?pid=LD01259269&keyword_search_value=LD01259269
 
If possible, I''d honestly steer clear of BN for all the reasons that Swingirl and I previously mentioned.

I have a .47 carat centre, .70 total if you take into account the tapered baguettes, and I personally think that it''s too small. I live in an area (London) where my ring is the "norm" for my age. Maybe it''s because I''m actually from the South of the US, but I think a .75-1 carat blends in almost anywhere without being considered too flashy.
 
Date: 4/6/2008 4:14:41 PM
Author: Addy
If possible, I''d honestly steer clear of BN for all the reasons that Swingirl and I previously mentioned.


I have a .47 carat centre, .70 total if you take into account the tapered baguettes, and I personally think that it''s too small. I live in an area (London) where my ring is the ''norm'' for my age. Maybe it''s because I''m actually from the South of the US, but I think a .75-1 carat blends in almost anywhere without being considered too flashy.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I agree with Addy. A 1 carat is definitely not flashy by pretty much any standards. I would really try to find out what she has in mind. You wouldn''t want her to be secretly disappointed with a .5 carat when you could have bought her the 1 carat she wanted, you know?

There was a thread here not too long ago about the girl being guiltily disappointed because she wanted a much bigger diamond than what her boyfriend proposed with and she had always assumed she''d contribute to the ring since she made a lot more money than her husband.

A friend of mine was also very disappointed with the ring she was proposed to with (it''s around a .3 carat), but didn''t say anything to her husband about it for several years. He also probably could have gotten her a bigger diamond, but didn''t think ahead and just bought something spur of the moment.

And I''m not trying to put down diamonds under 1 carat at all, but when a girl is expecting a 1 carat and gets proposed to with a .5 carat, it puts her in an awkward situation, you know? So please try to figure out what *she* wants!
 
My center diamond is .52 carat - I work in medical research and a high set large stone wouldn''t be ideal.

However, when my fiance proposed I am ashamed to admit that I was very disappointed in the size. It is small compared to friend''s rings and though it is very nice, I wanted an upgrade immediately.

Try to get an idea of what SHE wants (I am sad to say that my fiance tried too hard to surprise me, and didn''t ask what would have made me happy). To top it off, I was not surprised when he asked me to marry him. Trust me, she''ll know it''s coming!

From a girl that''s been there - make sure you''ll consider her tastes. And it seems like you have a very good budget, so I know you''ll find something that she''ll love.
 
You have a very nice budget ($5k stone--$2-3k setting), your lady is artistic and creative, I am guessing that she will want something that expresses her taste. .75-1 ct stones can be set low so they don't get in the way when working. Trying on different sizes (not even looking for cut, color or clarity) will help get the feel of a size range. Then you can come back on line and start shopping. Some people really do prefer smaller stones but you want to make sure you understand her preference.

Also definitely consider a vendor with an upgrade policy and one with an expert who can critique it with you. The respected PS vendors are very good about honestly describing their stones.
 
I totally agree with the others that I would go for a larger stone and go to maybe G VS for color and clarity. In ideal cut stones, you really do not see tint in F-G stones, so I just wouldn''t sacrifice size to go with D IF.

Here are some nice F-G VS stones in the .75-.80 range (around $4000):

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/4149/ .77 F VS1

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/3892/ .81 G VS2

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/4152/ .76 F VS1

I''d probably propose with an inexpensive low set tiffany setting in white gold and then let her take her time picking out the permanent setting.
 
Hi, probably being redundant with the above great posts, but definitely try to get some more info. from your future fiance (or, if this is to be a total surprise, from her best friend, sister, Mom, etc.) to see what she wants - have to agree that personally I would opt for lower color/clarity as long as it was an ideally cut stone - you have a nice budget and like others have said, I would consider using a place that has a super upgrade policy vs. Blue Nile - (I used BN for a pair of diamond studs and LOVE them, but a different kind of purchase.) One other comment on the setting - especially if you are going to have her do her own custom setting, don''t go w/ a smaller stone just because you don''t want it to sit too high - you can set even larger stones quite low to the hand without compromising anything about the ring - I actually love a low setting and she could design something beautiful to suit her. You obviously love your GF very much and want ''the best'' for her - for my DH too, his inital thought was ''that means D/IF or D/VVS1'' and as you cruise around PS you will see that''s not necessarily so -- by all means get that if it is a true priority for her, but there are gorgeous, inspired rings at all different color/clarity points. good luck with your search!
 
Thank you, this is all very helpful. Someone asked on another thread (i accidentily posted two that were identical) - she is a dentist... and has to wear gloves over any ring.. so another reason why I was thinking small... but I don''t want to go too small... decisions, decisions! Thnks again! -Ben
 
I think that the setting is going to be more important than the size in terms of wearability. Also, are you sure that she plans on wearing a ring at all when she works?
 
My thought is this. You picked a nice stone, but you can''t upgrade with BN. If you start out with a .50. she may want to upgrade down the road. Something to think about
2.gif
GOG, WF and JA have upgrade policies. I''d check them out for sure. I''d rather see you go for a larger stone, and skip the IF, that''s over kill in my book.
 
I work in medical research too. I have seen lots of women at work with large stones, rings etc and they don't seem to be a problem wearing gloves all day. I really don't think the difference in depth between a 0.5ct and a 1.0ct stone is that big it would make such a difference.

I originally thought that 0.5ct would be plenty big enough until I started seriously looking at diamonds. I ended up purchasing a 0.8ct stone and I can tell you I have got used to it pretty quick, and I am not even wearing it yet!! I had it set in a Tiff replica setting, and I requested the stone be set as low as possible, so it doesn't become an issue for me. Also, you could try a bezel setting, that way prongs would not be snagged on anything if you are worried about that aspect.

Ditto diamondseekers suggestions, I would definately go the 3/4ct mark, I personally find it's the perfect size to still look substantial enough but not flashy. The perspective of size changes from one person to another, just the other day my partner told me that it looked huge on my finger, and I was like, ummm, I was starting to think it looked to be getting smaller
20.gif
 
Date: 4/7/2008 12:54:36 AM
Author: Kaleigh
My thought is this. You picked a nice stone, but you can''t upgrade with BN. If you start out with a .50. she may want to upgrade down the road. Something to think about
2.gif
GOG, WF and JA have upgrade policies. I''d check them out for sure. I''d rather see you go for a larger stone, and skip the IF, that''s over kill in my book.
Click to expand...
Amen to all the above!
 
A slightly different perspective, but I wouldn''t want anything less than F and VS2. I''ve seen the phrase "mind clean" written on here a few times, and there are some women, me included, who don''t want to see *any* yellow in their stone, nor worry about visible inclusions.

A carat is a classic size, but perhaps your girlfriend has a similar mindset. Either way, do your research and you''ll get your answer. Good luck.
 
Honey22, that is very helpful, thank you... I think you are right, the increased depth is marginal going from .5 ct to .75 or 1 ct, even... and setting is most important.

I am now thinking about the diamonds below... after more research, it definitely seems like area to sacrifice is clarity... VS1 seems adequate because inclusions are not typically visible to naked eye. As for color, would like to be able to hang hat on one superlative metric other than cut, which people don''t seem to understand (unless they have found pricescope!)

.75 ct - D/VS1 - GOG
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/4159/

.81 ct - D/VVS2 - GOG (polish is only VG, not ideal)
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/4143/

.83 ct - D/VVS2 - BN
http://www.bluenile.com/diamonds_details.asp?pid=LD01259269&keyword_search_value=LD01259269

1ct - D/VS1 - WF-ACA (if I really want to stretch)
http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-608081.htm

Any thoughts on these?
Thanks, Ben
 
Stretch.
31.gif
It''s fine that you want to stick to one colour grade, although the differences between a D-E-F are so minimal probably no one could tell the difference visually. VVS is totally overkill though. I like the WF stone, obviously. You are paying for a superior stone there. Good luck.
 
Date: 4/7/2008 9:45:17 AM
Author: lyra
Stretch.
31.gif
It''s fine that you want to stick to one colour grade, although the differences between a D-E-F are so minimal probably no one could tell the difference visually. VVS is totally overkill though. I like the WF stone, obviously. You are paying for a superior stone there. Good luck.
Click to expand...

Ditto-most ladies really want to reach the carat mark! FYI, I hope you put that WF diamond on hold because when I use the link it''s coming up as sold. WF has a D/VS2 that''s a better price if the D/VS1 is sold to someone other than you. (And the 40x magnified picture looks spotless, so I wouldn''t worry about the VS2 clarity.)

http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-636617.htm
 
My goodness! I have never seen a budget more than double this quickly! If you bought that stone, great! If not, I think the .75 D VS1 represents the best value and the .81 D VVS2 next.
 
Just to counter the lighthearted 'bigger, bigger... me wantie BIGGER!' posts... *flees* its not always the case...

when it was my turn i was given clear instructions - she thought her mum's 0.5ct stone was 'too big' and that my mums 0.2ct stone was just about right...

i ended up with a 0.3(08)ct stone, in a low mounted ring - it looks great (IMHO) and certainly it wouldnt look the same with a larger diamond. (her job involves her wearing latex gloves all day - so a high set ring would rip the gloves... my sister is the same - as a dentist shes wearing gloves all day, she picked out a bezel set 4 stone ring - 2x 0.25 and 2x 0.1ct stones... and she's loaded!
31.gif
)

But then we're in the relativly 'poorer' north of england where tiny diamonds are more the norm (<0.25ct)
 
Can you propose without the stone and then let her help you pick it out? Many people do that and she may really enojy the process of picking a pretty.

Or at the least fish around for what she wants.

DD
 
UPDATE -- she said yes!! I gave her a (temporary) engagement ring, a sterling silver ring with an amber stone (she likes that color) and it fit perfectly. We are going to pick out the diamong engagement ring together. She has some very cool ideas re: the setting, I think.... she (Sandy) is thinking about a relatively thin platinum band (maybe 2-to-2.5mm wide) that works well with smaller finger size, and she would like maybe three small stones embedded on band on each side of the solitaire (pave style?). We looked at a few rings already and she is thinking somewhere in the .75 ct to 1 ct range for the solitaire and/or TCW. D-to-F color for all the stones, preferrably. So thank you to everyone who gave me feedback on the .50 ct, which wouldn;t have worked!

Any suggestions for us on the setting described above?

THANKS,
Ben
 
Congratulations, have fun shopping.
 
Congratulations!!
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I will let some of the settings experts suggest some for you - otherwise, take a look at Whiteflash.com and GoodOldGold.com, who both have a lovely range.

I can''t be the only person who read this thread thinking "Diamond ring.. latex gloves... powder ALL over the lovely diamond"!!!

Please, please buy an ultrasonic jewellery cleaner so that your new fiancee can keep her diamond sparkling and clean. Believe me, the powder off those gloves will stick all over the diamond and stop it sparkling...
7.gif


It''ll be the best thing you ever buy (next to the diamond ering, of course!). :)

Keep us posted please!

x x x
 
Ben, I know you''re going down another path now, but for future reference, GIA does NOT inscribe "H&A" or declare stones to be such. That inscription is only as good as whoever had it put on there, undoubtedly the original owner of the stone. It could be true, or it could be a load of codswallop. I know this because I have a stone from B&N inscribed such, although mine does NOT indicate that it is an ADDITIONAL inscription. GIA has gotten hammered by some for this, coyly shooting back that they note this for "identification purposes". I see that now they have given in to good sense and are not misleading (for whatever reason) the consumer into thinking they are grading for H&A.

That said, my stone was indeed as labeled, a lovely H&A. I got lucky. But if you are looking for a guaranteed H&A, better to go with a branded cut or a company like GOG that inspects every diamond personally.

Glad your search is going well! Let us see pics when you''re done!!
 
On that last comment... that was one of the very few stones on Blue Nile that I have seen in the signature ideal collection that actualled showed a H&A inscription in the photo, and in which the photo of the underside of the diamond actually showed heart shapes... all the rest look much less symmetrical. For that reason, i have been focusing more on GOG and WF/ACA as we continue our search... my fiance has identified tacori and march schneider as possible designers of the setting...

thanks again all...

Ben
 
Update! Sandy and I bought from Nice Ice. Thank you Todd! We are going to try to post a longer review shortly (having trouble with posting system). Here is the stone:

Stone from Nice Ice!

Trying to attach a pic of the stone next to Sandy''s ring finger....

bns_rock5.JPG
 
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