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Useless bf needs help choosing a diamond/engagement ring

chuci_24

Rough_Rock
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Jan 6, 2021
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Hi! As the title states, I need help with a diamond. I'm currently looking at this 1.2ct cushion:

Video - https://streamable.com/1b0zqu
GIA Report - https://i.ibb.co/XxDYvrg/tempsnip.png

Price I'll be paying is £5360 or $7305. Does anyone see any reason not to go for it? Is it a decent price for what I'm getting?

Secondly - my gf is a size 6.5 / M 1/2 finger. I plan to use a halo setting similar to this (but with a plain platnium band rather than pave) https://i.pinimg.com/564x/d7/85/03/d785031438600382bce90d7698b96f03.jpg -I'm a little worried that it's going to look really small on a 6.5 finger. Does anyone know how many mm a halo similar to above would add to the dimensions? Obviously I don't want to add a huge halo and dwarf the center stone, so it would have to be within proportions.

Thanks in advance!
 

seaurchin

Ideal_Rock
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Nov 2, 2012
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Haha, "useless boyfriend." And no, you're not, because you are consulting us before buying!

One thing I can say off the top is that for more bang for the buck, personally I'd go down on the color and clarity, easily to G and VS2 anyway, and use that for a larger stone or just to save money because I don't think it would be a noticeable difference.

Also, who you buy from matters. Is this one of the recommended vendors on here or...?

And, I think the setting you've picked out is lovely.

Do you know for sure this is what your fiancee prefers though?

I'll leave the rest, like opinions on the price, to others. Congrats and good luck with it. :)
 
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chuci_24

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Thanks! See I was reading up about cushion cuts (I've done way too much reading that I'm going insane!) and everywhere states that cushions show colour more than other shapes. I've also tried to keep within the table and depth %s recommended and fluoresence. I of course could drop the colour and clarity to get a bigger ct, but then I'm stuck with the whole quality vs quantity debacle. Actually I had a budget of around £8k for the whole ring, but the 1.5s I saw didn't warrant the added expenditure because they were either too deep etc. I hate all this! I just want to use a gummy ring and be done with it.

Edit to say - I've had pictures she sent me from years ago of rings she liked. This was before I knew any shape other than round. I showed a few places and they all said it was a cushion cut halo. :lol:
 

foxinsox

Ideal_Rock
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The setting/ring you’ve shown is a round in a cushion halo - do you want a cushion in a cushion halo?
Who is making the setting? Is it the vendor of the stone? Have you seen or can you get examples of their halo work to judge the quality? The example you’ve shown is quite delicate and fine so you’ll need to be sure your vendor can make that.
If your gf wants this ring, you could get a round and put it in a cushion halo - at that point, your colour dilemma goes away or is less of an issue
 

lulu_ma

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@chuci_24 also, cushions tend to present smaller than round brilliant.
 

chuci_24

Rough_Rock
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Jan 6, 2021
Messages
22
The setting/ring you’ve shown is a round in a cushion halo - do you want a cushion in a cushion halo?
Who is making the setting? Is it the vendor of the stone? Have you seen or can you get examples of their halo work to judge the quality? The example you’ve shown is quite delicate and fine so you’ll need to be sure your vendor can make that.
If your gf wants this ring, you could get a round and put it in a cushion halo - at that point, your colour dilemma goes away or is less of an issue

I realised after I posted it, but it was just a quick google search. I was just meaning the halo around the stone rather than the actual stone itself. It will be a cushion halo. The vendor is based in Hatton Gardens, and they're procuring the stone for me but doing the setting all themsleves. They showed me this as an example of one they did previously - . I'd probably ask them to make the stones in the halo a bit closer together which she said is fine
 

lovedogs

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I agree with others that unless your GF specifically wants a D color, an E/F/G will almost certainly allow you to go bigger, and dropping to VS2 won't be an issue. The stone will still almost certainly be eye clean. The setting is beautiful! I am not an expert on cushion pricing, but can look at stones from trusted vendors to look into price comparisons.
 

Bruin Bling

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Apr 21, 2020
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I will defer to the more knowledgeable ones here, but wanted to chime in to wish you the best of luck! Listen to what people say on here, they know their stuff!
 
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Definitely can go closer to the F/G/H colour range to have it still face up white. Cushions mask inclusions (Better than step cuts anyway) so you can go VS2 or even SI1 and still be eyeclean (ofc that depends on the type of inclusion). Make sure to specify to the vendor that you want the halo melee to match the centre stone (ie if you go for a G colour cushion, the melee should be G-H and not D-E).
 

SapphireLover

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Does your girlfriend definitely still want a halo? You said she sent over pictures years ago- tastes change over time. The stones on that halo are probably about 1.4mm so the ring will have a lot of coverage on her finger- probably adding it up to about the width of a 3 carat stone. I only ask as you are in the UK and we tend to have less “blingy” engagement rings. If you are in a circle of friends where big is best then fire away, they look like beautiful choices. Good luck with your dream ring and proposal.
 

Austina

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I am a similar sized finger to your g/f, and I think the size will be perfect, it’ll be a gorgeous ring.
 

chuci_24

Rough_Rock
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Jan 6, 2021
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Thanks all! One thing I forgot to ask about was pointer sizes. Can anyone guesstimate the pointer size between the two:

d785031438600382bce90d7698b96f03.jpg



I'm trying to get an idea of how much size different stones within a halo add. The top one looks a bit more delicate and smaller imo. Could just be the angle though
 

MsShnooks

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Feb 11, 2020
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That will be one blingy ring by U.K. standards (unless you play in the premiership). The halo does make it look a lot bigger so the coverage will be at least the same as a 2.5ct cushion solitaire. Cushions do come up small, though, so if size is a priority, you could see if she likes pears or ovals.

However, I wouldn’t drop too far on the colour/clarity. Definitely no lower than F/VS2 on the GIA scale If you want a ring to look more Harrods than Ernest Jones.

Will you be able to see the jeweller in person? They could show you different size of halos. Going for larger stones would be fine too: it’d just be more of a traditional cluster ring look (you can see some on the Garrards or Boodles websites) vs the on-trend halo design.

Slightly off-topic, but I’d ask the jeweller for a design that allows space underneath for the wedding ring. Mine is a bit too low so there’s an annoying gap between the two rings.
 

chuci_24

Rough_Rock
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Thanks for you advice all. I decided to go with the original stone. The jeweller has sent me a cad of the design, what do you guys think?

IMG-20210113-WA0012.jpg

IMG-20210113-WA0013.jpg

IMG-20210113-WA0014.jpg


I've gone back and asked if

1) it's possible to make a more seamless design, or if it's just the renders that make look like this

2) to drop the center stone height a bit as its sitting too high for my liking

3) reduce the size of the band as I'd like something as thin as possible without compromising integrity.
 

chuci_24

Rough_Rock
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Jan 6, 2021
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And reply from the jeweller

"The band is currently 1.8mm. I will ensure to remove the taper.
The gaps are exaggerated by the scale and when made will be a lot less noticeable. The shine of the matal and diamonds will help disguise what small gaps are there, giving a beautiful full appearance.
I can understand exactly what you mean, the stone is a tad proud. I will make sure there is enough space for the stone to be set low. The bezel will be level with the tables of the halo stones. This will ensure the centre stands out amongst the stones but is not overly protruding.
The cushion halo example is wonderful. We will aim for this seemless look.
You're not a pain at all! I commend your interest and attention to detail. We will make sure it is perfect.
I will make those changes and send you the new CAD asap.
Kind regards
 

MsShnooks

Shiny_Rock
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Feb 11, 2020
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168
I’ve seen those more seamless halos and they do sit differently to this one. Not that there’s anything wrong with this one, it’s just a slightly different style so down to personal preference. Having said that, it‘ll definitely look great being made bespoke for the stone. I think it’ll have a great presence on the hand: I‘m size O with long fingers and 1.5ct in a halo and it does look sizeable especially by U.K. standards.

I would have a think about the band width, though as 1.8mm is very thin already. Going thinner might make the finger look fatter. I find that on my bigger fingers, closer to 3mm looks ‘right’ so maybe that 1.8mm would be a good choice for a size M1/2.
 
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I wouldn’t go thinner than a 1.8mm shank. I would probably actually want to stick to 2mm to be safe but I guess 1.8mm should be fine since there’s no pave in the setting, it’s a cathedral style and what seems to be a small donut (that all add to structural stability). Is the setting currently tapering from 2-2.2 in the palm to 1.8 at the top (is that the taper the jeweler’s referring to)? I would probably keep the taper for greater safety, but if the jeweler thinks it’s stable without you can keep it the way it is.

It looks like a lovely CAD!
 

chuci_24

Rough_Rock
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Jan 6, 2021
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Thanks for advice about band width. I believe it's 2mm tapered to 1.8mm at the top. She's been great so I've asked honestly if 1.8mm will be okay all the way round. I'm sure she'll tell me if that's not the case

Re the diamond setting height, I think it's just a personal preference. Also it seems a bit more secure when lower down and more protected... Although that's just a guess.

The pointers are 1.2-1.25mm whatever that is in regular terms and I've asked for them to be colour matched.
 

MsShnooks

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I’ll be very excited to see the finished ring. If it works out well, then I’m hoping for a jeweller recommendation as I’d like a nicer setting myself :)
 

tyty333

Super_Ideal_Rock
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27,195
Just want to ditto @AllAboardTheBlingTrain . What taper is the jeweler talking about getting rid of? I think the taper on the images
look good and I would keep it.

Did they give you a side view of the ring? How can you tell how high its sitting? Are you planning on wearing a wedding band with
this ring?
 

chuci_24

Rough_Rock
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Jan 6, 2021
Messages
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Just want to ditto @AllAboardTheBlingTrain . What taper is the jeweler talking about getting rid of? I think the taper on the images
look good and I would keep it.

Did they give you a side view of the ring? How can you tell how high its sitting? Are you planning on wearing a wedding band with
this ring?

The taper is at the top. Only reason I'm getting rid is because my gf wants as thin a band as possible. So I thought ok maybe make the whole thing 1.8mm rather than just at the top

Pic 2 refers to what I mean when I mean sitting high. The stone is popping up above the halo quite a lot imo whereas I'd prefer it to be lower and think it looks better that way
 

chuci_24

Rough_Rock
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Jan 6, 2021
Messages
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Thought I'd update the thread after all your help to say that the ring has been cast now. Still needs a couple more polishes and the the center and pointers to be set which will be later this week. Here it is currently. Went with a thin band and 1.1mm halo stones (not sure what that is in pointers)


 
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Snowdrop13

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Looks good! Who is making it for you? We’re short of U.K. jeweller recommendations really, it would be good to hear a review eventually.
 

Diamond Girl 21

Ideal_Rock
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I can't wait to see the finished ring. I'm sure it will be lovely.
 

diamondseeker2006

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Looks beautiful so far!
 

chuci_24

Rough_Rock
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Looks good! Who is making it for you? We’re short of U.K. jeweller recommendations really, it would be good to hear a review eventually.

It's a jeweller in Hatton Garden called Eric Ross. Someone I know recommended a lady there who made his wife's earrings and necklace, so I contacted her directly and she's doing it for me privately. Helped me source the stone and has been in constant contact throughout. Still nervous about the finished piece. Looking for a seamless halo, where the center stone isn't too raised and as little metal on show as possible. She's also asked me if I want claw type prongs so they appear thinner.

Let's see how the finished piece looks! Will happily share her name if you like it and she agrees for me to put her name up on here.
 

Snowdrop13

Ideal_Rock
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It's a jeweller in Hatton Garden called Eric Ross. Someone I know recommended a lady there who made his wife's earrings and necklace, so I contacted her directly and she's doing it for me privately. Helped me source the stone and has been in constant contact throughout. Still nervous about the finished piece. Looking for a seamless halo, where the center stone isn't too raised and as little metal on show as possible. She's also asked me if I want claw type prongs so they appear thinner.

Let's see how the finished piece looks! Will happily share her name if you like it and she agrees for me to put her name up on here.

Yes, that would be brilliant, thank you! Hope it turns out well, looking forward to seeing the finished ring.
 
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