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Unexpected surprise means I need help finding diamond!

Kayelle

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 10, 2017
Messages
58
Hi all,

So, my partner and I have just found out we're expecting our first baby :shhh::cry2:. I'm 35, and thought I would have fertility problems so it has been very exciting, overwhelming and unexpected!!

We'd talked about getting engaged 'one day' and now he wants to move that along that we will be having a baby coming. However he knows nothing about rings, knows that I know what I want, and is happy to leave it up to me.

I now feel guilty about what my original budget was, with this baby on the way. So I think to be sensible I really have to revise it (or at least, lower the expectations and qualities of the diamond that I had in mind). I'm also in Australia, and our dollar is crap at the moment.

So... lovely PS folk.. please help find me a diamond!!
My requirements are:
Eye clean
Looks white and sparkly
It will be set in a Yellow gold band with white gold/platinum clasp(I love the micropave styles) - does this change how lower coloured diamonds 'behave' or look in a setting? i.e will a yellow gold band make a I diamond look MORE yellow?
I was hoping for 1ct but know this has to be revised now to about 0.7-0.8 due to budget.
I don't really know much about fluorescence.

I'm guessing I'll probably have to get a SI1-2, G-I colour?
Budget is approx $3-4k USD (hopefully no more than $5-6k AUD including import taxes)
 

Karl_K

Super_Ideal_Rock
Trade
Joined
Aug 4, 2008
Messages
14,632
Being in the trade I can not recommend specific diamonds on here but I wanted to say congrates!!!!!!
A baby and an engagement how exciting!!!!
Congrates and best wishes!!!!!!:appl:
 

laurenk

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Nov 12, 2011
Messages
973
I’d definitely look at second hand, you can get more for your dollar maybe. I’ll have a search.

What shape stone?
Can you find any pics of what you love so we can help?

I’m a fellow Aussie (Brisbane) so I get the dollar issues eek
 

lovedogs

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jul 31, 2014
Messages
18,023
Yay, congrats!! Is 3-4k for the stone and setting, or just the stone? That will help us recommend stuff.
 

Dandi

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jan 9, 2006
Messages
6,652
So exciting, congratulations on bubby and your impending engagement! I'm in Australia too so I feel your pain re. the AUD, boo. I've bought a few pieces from ID Jewelry, I'd send them an email with what you'd like and see what they say. They can do amazing things with a budget!
 

Snowdrop13

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Aug 27, 2011
Messages
2,960
Wow, lots happening for you, how exciting!

Blue Nile have lots of options in your budget, stones around the 0.75 mark, here is a combo that might suit, there are other YG pavé settings but they cost a few hundred more,

18BCB113-FB18-4DAF-95E9-06EC83787058.png

If you were interested in buying from one of the US vendors I’m assuming you need to pay around 20% in taxes?

You could have this (0.64 H Si1) https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3981503.htm, with this
https://www.whiteflash.com/engageme...k-large-pave-diamond-engagement-ring-4784.htm maybe?
 

Matilda

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Oct 30, 2018
Messages
467
Congratulations! In terms of tax, as that will play into budget, please correct me if I am wrong, but it is 10% and no duty?
 

Dandi

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jan 9, 2006
Messages
6,652
Yep, no duty in acccordance with the AUSFTA.
 

Matilda

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Oct 30, 2018
Messages
467
Great so just 10% import tax then?
 

Lykame

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jun 1, 2018
Messages
1,433
Congratulations on your upcoming baby and also on your upcoming engagement! Don't feel too guilty about the budget, once your baby is born there will frequently be a better spend for the money, and you're growing a human being! That's hard work - you deserve something sparkly and lovely.

What about something along the lines of this?

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4070326.htm

I don't know whether they have any settings that take your fancy. I know that it's a bit of a ship between them and you in Australia, but they have amazing customer service and a great upgrade policy too.
 

rubybeth

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Nov 12, 2007
Messages
2,568
Just to alleviate your fears, a white gold prong head on a ring with a yellow gold shank won't make the diamond appear more yellow. Diamonds will pick up color that's around them or right next to them, but not to the extent that yellow gold will make a diamond look yellow. That's why settings typically have a white gold or platinum head (what you called the "clasp"), and the shank (what you called the "band"). Also, I wonder if you've thought about how a pave shank will look with a potential wedding band.

Something like this could could fit the bill: https://www.jamesallen.com/engageme...ite-pave-engagement-ring-flush-fit-item-56275

Edited to add a diamond option. Right now, James Allen is offering 25% off a setting with a True Hearts diamond puchase: https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...color-vs2-clarity-true-hearts-cut-sku-6166794

So this combo would be $4,100 US.
 

AV_

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Aug 5, 2018
Messages
3,889
.

.63 D / VS1 - WWW

FVY ♡ - same size - colour! & so bright I am wishing for this quality in a square & just kept a note on this as there are so few of the breed.

I wish I had keepsakes of any kind of a few times not half as wonderful as yours!
 

Kayelle

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 10, 2017
Messages
58
Wow thank you everyone for some amazing responses! For those that listed the JA Pave Band - yes I love that one and it is what probably I'd love to go with.

Just to alleviate your fears, a white gold prong head on a ring with a yellow gold shank won't make the diamond appear more yellow. Diamonds will pick up color that's around them or right next to them, but not to the extent that yellow gold will make a diamond look yellow. That's why settings typically have a white gold or platinum head (what you called the "clasp"), and the shank (what you called the "band"). Also, I wonder if you've thought about how a pave shank will look with a potential wedding band.

Thanks for that Rubybeth. I have considered a little bit how that combo may look but I probably need to put some together and look in real life. And that diamond you posted looks gorgeous - a great find!

Congratulations on your upcoming baby and also on your upcoming engagement! Don't feel too guilty about the budget, once your baby is born there will frequently be a better spend for the money, and you're growing a human being! That's hard work - you deserve something sparkly and lovely.

Hahaha thanks Lykame - I think that's how I'll have to put it to my partner!!
 

sledge

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Apr 23, 2018
Messages
5,791
Nice find @Swirl68.

Also OP, its smart to buy slightly less than 1 carat and avoid that magic weight premium.

FYI, its take about another $500+ USD to buy new an equal super ideal vs the deal found in Australia. Also you avoid the import taxes. And BGD is very good cut quality. Love the small table and steep crown. Should be a sparkle bomb.

OP should be aware buying used will preclude them from the BGD upgrade program, unless she talks to them ahead of time and they reach a special agreement. Might be worth a call to Lesley to confirm. Of course the upgrade program may not matter but felt it prudent for the OP to be aware.

Point of reference, I paid nearly the same asking price for my fiancee's BGD Blue 0.867 H VS2.
 

partgypsy

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Nov 7, 2004
Messages
6,622
Nice find! If I was you I would snatch that bgd! It is above budget but not too bad. Perhaps you could see if the buyer will take a lower amount. To save money perhaps a very simple setting, and for a 1, 2 year anniversary upgrading the setting.

If there is no issue with imports I also suggest ID jewelry as a budget friendly option. I got diamond studs from them and I was impressed with the quality for the price.
 

Lykame

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jun 1, 2018
Messages
1,433
Has anyone purchase from her me before? https://www.vraiandoro.com/engagement-rings/the-solitaire-pave?gold=yellow-gold

Can a jeweller tell the difference between a ‘lab created’ diamond and a ‘real’ diamond? These seem to be much closer to my budget and getting a larger stone!

Personally if I were going to get something lab grown I would look at August Vintage because @Rhino is incredibly respected on here and even more importantly he cares about light performance so all of his lab grown etc diamonds are amazingly cut, his videos are great, etc etc. You would really know what you were getting.
 

Kayelle

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 10, 2017
Messages
58
Personally if I were going to get something lab grown I would look at August Vintage because @Rhino is incredibly respected on here and even more importantly he cares about light performance so all of his lab grown etc diamonds are amazingly cut, his videos are great, etc etc. You would really know what you were getting.

Thanks for the suggestion :) I’ll check them out too!
This is the certificate of the diamond I was looking at (they use Diamond Foundry diamonds at Vrai and Oro). https://certificate.diamondfoundry.com/download/201865.pdf
 

Lykame

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jun 1, 2018
Messages
1,433
So for example:

https://www.augustvintageinc.net/co...08ct-i-vs2-laboratory-grown-diamond-305893161

That's an I VS2 and over a carat and I'm sure in budget. I can't see pictures for that one not sure why, perhaps you have to ask? @Rhino? Perhaps it's just my phone being silly but I can see pictures for the majority of the rest. Hmm.

I have edited this: I want to say the angles on this particular stone aren't what I would have expected (? Hence why no picture?) But I still trust August Vintage and I would personally reach out to them to ask for a stone in range that meets Pricescope's exacting standards for angles and ASET images etc to see if they have one that fits.
 
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Lykame

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jun 1, 2018
Messages
1,433
Thanks for the suggestion :) I’ll check them out too!
This is the certificate of the diamond I was looking at (they use Diamond Foundry diamonds at Vrai and Oro). https://certificate.diamondfoundry.com/download/201865.pdf

The angles in that are nice. I don't know anything about that company but for lab grown there are specific forums here with more knowledgeable people and you may be better posting an additional thread there. I would wish to see an ideal scope image and an ASET picture really.
 

Lykame

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jun 1, 2018
Messages
1,433
To be honest the angles on yours are better than the angles on the one I posted - apart from the fact I know nothing about either that company or the grading company I would still ask for ASET images to see if they have them. Are there pictures and videos? I think if you went lab grown you may even manage a carat.
 

rockysalamander

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
May 20, 2016
Messages
5,105
https://www.augustvintageinc.net/co...t-i-si1-laboratory-grown-diamond-lg_286711683

The angles on this one are better, it's an I SI1 but I would imagine it's eye clean - again you would have to ask. Just thought I would redeem myself by finding one that actually had the numbers I normally recommend! I got ahead of myself. :oops::oops::oops2::oops2:
I like this one.

The question on lab-grown is do you ever see yourself wanting to upgrade or sell the stone? In selling, lab stones are killed on the secondary market. They sell for, sometimes, 1/10 the cost. Most lab-grown vendors don't offer a "trade-up" program either.

I love AugustVintage stones and have full faith in them. If an upgrade policy allowance is important, Diamond Foundry is a good option. We can help weed through the options to find a well-cut stone. But, if you got this route, you should ask the mods to move this over to the Laboratory Grown board.
 

sledge

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Apr 23, 2018
Messages
5,791
With DeBeers splashing into the lab grown (LG) market with their LightBox brand I'd have a hard time spending the ask price of either LG stone.

We've seen they have phenomenal prices compared to other LG alternates, although you have to buy, disassemble and reset as they will not sell the LG stones loose. Still the price is so good it's worth the hassle.

Side note. The other day I got asked to review a stone and realized it was LG. Effectively I found a natural mined stone in the 1.9ct range that would have cost the OP $2k difference (after her trade in) and she was of the opinion having $10-11k in LG was better than the $12-13k of natural.

I respected her decision as she wanted to keep the difference as small as possible. Yet I feel she ignored the big picture value.

Of course in fairness I prefer natural to lab, so that also has to be taken into account.
 

Lykame

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jun 1, 2018
Messages
1,433
@sledge, you know I was really surprised when I looked into Lab Grown and discovered just how expensive they are. You save over a mined diamond but they are so much more expensive than I was expecting.

However I still think cut cut cut cut cut - I don't know how much attention LightBox gives to that? I also prefer natural diamonds, but if I were going to get a Lab Grown diamond, I would rather spend the August Vintage type prices and get one that was awesomely cut, rather than LB type prices and get a mediocre diamond. I actually have some Carat London diamond earrings, they weren't too expensive at all. They have arrows under an idealscope but heck knows they don't look right at all under the ASET scope. They glitter and do look very nice, and people think they're real diamonds, but they're nothing like an ideal cut diamond.

I do think the OP has to pay some careful attention to what both you and @rockysalamander are saying about the future though. If she never wants to upgrade the diamond then okay, but if that's important it's really something that she should strongly consider. Also she should be aware that what she thinks she wants now may not be what she wants in the future. I said somewhere else recently that when I bought my previous ring I was like 'nooo, would never upgrade the central stone, just the setting' and now I've upgraded the central stone. I had believed myself 200% at the time.

If this is going to slide down into man-made diamond stuff, then perhaps this thread doesn't need to be moved, but at the very least a new one should be started in that forum. =)2
 
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