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Ashland

Rough_Rock
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Feb 21, 2006
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Here I am. 27 years old and the reality of what is going on is truly starting to hit me. I have a gf of two years whom I love dearly and thank God for everyday. I want to marry her. She is a young teacher, just 25 years old.

I know I want to propose in August of 2006. i know I have approx. $2500 to spend and I know I want the best e-ring I can get for that money. It's not much I know, but it's all I can reasonably do.

I know from my detective work that she would like white gold, round cut, size 7.


She wants something traditional and not too fancy like diamond encrusted or multiple diamonds on the setting. Just a diamond on a wg ring.


I am happy and nervous all in one. I want to do this right. I want to make her happy. Luckily for me, she is not materialistic.

I am not sure why I posted this but I think I just needed to get this off my mind and hopefully find some guidance, God willing.


Thank you.

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awesome ashland
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welcome to ps and congratulations on this momentous occasion!
i''m not sure how much you''ve looked around here yet, but there is no doubt that we are big on cut. finding a well cut diamond is paramount in getting a beautiful diamond. you have a wonderful budget and i have absolutely no doubt that you will be able to get an amazing stone for your intended. there are some great vendors here and i can tell you that buying online does not have to be the intimidating experience you might think. you can start your search by inputing criteria into the ''pricescope your diamond'' featrue above and select ''cut quality''. there are plenty of people here to answer your questions and help along the way. best of luck and congrats again!
 
Ashland, thanks for your post! Welcome to PS!
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It''s always so exciting to see guys who are so clearly in love with their girlfriends and want to do the best they can to make them happy!
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I''m sure people will have TONS of suggestions for specific center stones and settings which you can consider, because as you will soon find out, there is nothing PS-ers like more than roaming through diamond sites.
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So good luck on your search, and we can''t wait to, ahem, see pictures once you choose the ring!!
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Congratulations!!! You''ve come to the right place. I know you are going to end up with a beautiful ring!!!!
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The folks here will help you find a wonderful diamond for your money.
 
Welcome
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We would be very pleased to help you find a beautiful diamond! Also with a classic solitaire setting that leaves more money for the diamond! What shape were you thinking of, a round presumably? You will find all the guidance you need here.

This would be a good choice and should be eyeclean http://www.whiteflash.com/round_ideal_cut/Round-Ideal-Cut-cut-diamond-2167505.htm# well within budget and you can get your setting too.
 
Date: 2/21/2006 12:23:47 PM
Author:Ashland


I know I want to propose in August of 2006. i know I have approx. $2500 to spend and I know I want the best e-ring I can get for that money.

I know from my detective work that she would like white gold, round cut, size 7.


She wants something traditional and not too fancy like diamond encrusted or multiple diamonds on the setting. Just a diamond on a wg ring.
Click to expand...


He, he
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Glad you did post!

''Guess you''ve seen one or two of the dozens of threads suggesting diamonds, right & things. So... this is bound to follow, if you so wish
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Simple WG setting could leave basically all the budget for the stone. Here''s one example why: LINK If the etting is not of much concern to begin with, I''d stay with something like that, assuming that even if it gets replaced with something fancier sometime in the future, it would do well to begin with and not represent a real tradeoff against the diamond... for now.

About the stone, the lucky thing is that the smaller the diamond, the less color shows in them. Around half a catat ''I'' is darn colorless, at 5 cts... it would be obviously tinted. Funny way to grade color, but this is it.

I am not saying ''I'' is the best ''deal'' so to speak. If you look over a range of color and clarity grades, you may discover that much of the price difference is not in them, but the weight.

Between 0.6cts E/SI and LINK and 0.73cts J/VS2 LINK would be a small bit of color difference and a bit of visible size difference (one s about 5.5mm, another 5.8). Those two show pretty well the ''extremes'' I''d keep my choices within ... if in your shoes looking for such a ring
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My (inexpert!) 2c
 
Wow.

Thank you all for your kind words and support. I have never seen such a welcoming to a board before. That made me feel good.


I would like to go as close to 1 ct as possible while still having a good cut and color. Everything I look at in my search perimeters is D-F. Is it really ok to go to the "J''s?"


I just don''t want to hand her a diamond that is yellow...lol.

I need to learn more about cuts though. Thanks for the great community and site info. I have been reading for a week now and finally got up the nerve to register and post!
 
Hi Ashland!

Congratulations on starting the journey for the "big purchase"! The amount of information can be overwhelming but everyone here is certainly willing to help.
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You have a fine budget. Don't worry about that. You are at the right place in trying to maximize what you can spend.

If you are looking for a solitaire, I personally think the tiffany replica is as good as it gets. Whiteflash and Dimend Scaasi have pretty good versions of it. Here is a link to the Dimend Scaasi one:

http://www.dscaasi.com/build/step1.asp?prodID=1A3

It's a little bit more than the other 4 or 6 prong settings, but I think it is so much prettier.

I like the diamonds that EBree posted. I have a J colored stone and I love it.
Good luck with your search!
 
Rounds face up whiter than other cuts because of their brilliant-cut facets. If you get an excellenct cut diamond, you can go lower in color. No worries, it will not look yellow.
 
Take a look at the thread J stones in platinum, a well cut J won't look yellow! I wouldn't go as high as a D personally, you will pay a premium for the colourless, anywhere between F to J would be good or if you prefer to shoot in the middle, G or H might be good. Cut makes all the difference with a properly graded and top notch cut. Take a look at the thread and see how pleased the J owners are. Mara where are you?

Mara has a fantastic J diamond which she loves and is very pleased with her choice.

Click https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/j-color-stones-in-platinum.24731/ to see the brilliant J colour diamonds shown off by their very happy owners.
 
Here''s a pic of my J diamond. It is the one in the center of the 3 stone ring. The side stones are G for comparison. Granted, you can''t tell too much from a computer screen, but in real life it faces up totally white. I love it!

SK3stone.jpg
 
Forgive me if I get annoying. This is a big moment in time for me/us and I feel like a fish out of water. (Not as bad as I was a week ago but still...)


I am VERY thankful for you all. This means more to me than I can put into words.


I know at the B&M''s and the malls, all they want to do is sell me something...anything. I don''t feel I am learning anything there.



I am glad to see these links everyone directs me to. I just discovered the Idealscope as well! Great tool. I am going to closely read up on these threads that were provided and respond hopefully with a clearer frame of mind.



God Bless

Ashland
 
I just have to say, Ashland --- you''re a breath of fresh air. Your loving attitude and willing spirit will have people TRIPPING over themselves to help you find the very, very best e-ring possible for your future bride.

Can''t wait to follow this process & chime in if I have good finds or insights for ya ...
 
So glad we were able to help. Look at the threads and read the tutorials and check out the vendor pages and compare, it will be time well spent and you will end up with a great diamond! It is overwhelming to many that there is such a lot to learn when buying a diamond, but it is so worth it. Online vendors have the best prices and cuts available and are well used to helping " rookies"! It can require a leap of faith buying online but most of us have done it with great results. Don''t be afraid to ask if you have any more questions!
 
Ahsland - CONGRATS!!

i think it''s wonderful that you want to ask her to marry you, and i have NO doubt that whatever you choose, she''s going to love it :O)
 
Ashland, what a wonderful first post! Welcome! You will have lots of eager help here! I am a teacher and my daughter is a junior majoring in education now, so I have a special interest in seeing how this works out!

I will tell you that I am a little nervous about going to I or J, but I feel H color is a great compromise to stay white but get a better value than D-G. H is the color I am looking at for my own anniversary ring. I am partial to VS clarity, but many here have gotten good value on eye-clean SI1''s.

So that you can put the most money toward the diamond, I''d suggest the Stuller Solstice setting instead of the tiffany replica mentioned. It will be much less expensive and is very classic and beautiful. I''ll give you a link to Patty''s new diamond set in the Stuller Solstice.

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/1-48-j-si1-ags1-in-wg-stuller-solstice.40522/

Here are some of my diamond choices for you:

http://www.whiteflash.com/round_ideal_cut/Round-Ideal-Cut-cut-diamond-2107683.htm
(a little more than your budget, but a super choice)

http://www.questjewelers.com/diamonds.cfm?cmd=stoneDetails&number=120-067&cut=Ideal

I''ll look more later. One of the sites I want to look at is down right now. But stick with Ideal cut and that will narrow things down a lot.

Blessings to you at this exciting time!
 
You can run the diamond''s numbers through the Cut Advisor (under Tools on the Pricescope menu bars) and get a good idea of the cut grade.
 

I think that you ought to consider a K colored stone, I have one set in a white gold pendent and it is quite lovely. This .78 K VSI 6.00-6.02X3.63 from WF is 1999$. You can view the stone and take it into all sorts of lighting situations and see how you feel about it. The stone I linked is a VS1 which is expensive, but you could call and ask the folks at Whiteflash to see if they can find you a nice eye-clean SI1 or 2 K or J colored stone. They are such a great value. My pendent is set in white gold, My e-ring center stone is an I and the melee are F&G colored stones. The pictures below are of my ring and pendent sitting next to each other. I can see a difference when they are next to each other but both are really lovely.




a%20few%20of%20my%20favorite%20things%208.JPG

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Date: 2/21/2006 1:38:49 PM
Author: decodelighted
I just have to say, Ashland --- you''re a breath of fresh air. Your loving attitude and willing spirit will have people TRIPPING over themselves to help you find the very, very best e-ring possible for your future bride.

...
Click to expand...
Ditto! Ditto!

That said, I would seriously consider stones in the I/J/K color range in the SI1/2 clarity range. You may go to a B&M store that sells certed stones(GIA, AGS or IGI) stones and see the color view in person.
 
What does it mean for a color to be floured?
 
Yay! I''m happy for you! I think it''s precious that you''re seeking God''s will in this; it''s a huge commitment and I simply CANNOT wait (or at least I don''t want to) for my own precious boy to offer me a token of his unending love.

I have a ball looking around for new styles; he, however, is starting to get overwhelmed. Do your best to relax, soak up all the information, and know that she''ll be taken away with the thought of getting to love you for the rest of her life as you slip the diamond on her hand! :)

God be with you both!!
 

Way to go Ashland!!!



I am in a similar position to you. I am putting together a ring for my GF right now. Like you I knew nothing about diamonds about 4 months ago. This is a great site for getting info and advise (thank you to everyone who contributes

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Since I have gone through some of the same things that you are trying I though I could share some things I learned along the way. I think it is good that you are starting this early. That will help you to do some research without feeling rushed.



First (and this was most important for me)- Go out and look at some diamonds. Yes, you have to put up with the sales pitch in B&M stores but it is worth it (and for me is part of the fun

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) Try to find a store that has loose diamonds if possible and a wide selection of colors and clarities. This will allow you to see the difference between an H and E, or a VS1 and a SI2. I found that after I saw diamonds in person it helped me to define what I did and didn''t want in a diamond. (For example: I started out thinking VS2 was my minimum. But after seeing several very nice stones in the SI range I changed my opinion)



Second- Get some opinions. I asked all sorts of female friends and coworkers what they thought. I wanted to give my GF something she could be proud to show to her friends. So I asked around to see what they wanted in a diamond. I have discovered that most women know much more about diamonds then men do. Many know what size, clarity, and color they would want. It helped me to define what was generally acceptable. Also try to find out if she has any opinions on these areas.



Third- Get a female friend or relative to look at some rings with you. I went out with my sister (and she was more then happy to go. What woman doesn''t like trying on diamond rings for a day

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). By seeing them on her hand it gave me a better appreciation for what different settings will look like and the impact of size (.5 cts vs. .75 cts.). I originally was looking at 1 ct stones but I realized this would be bigger then what my GF would like (she is not big into jewelry and doesn''t wear anything currently). I think she would find that to be ostentatious and just "too much", as she would say.



After all of my research and looking around this is what I have decided on (I am going to look at a few stones and pick one out this weekend):



.75 ct
F-G color
SI1-SI2 clarity
With an ideal cut (preferably H&A)

This is what works for me. I wish you luck in your search for the "perfect" stone for you.


 
Hi Ashland,

You sound like a very sweet guy who is very in love. I am sure she will be pleased with what you select for her.

I haven''t been around at PS long enough to post advice as I''m still asking for it myself!
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But I will tell you that you have found a wonderful place here with very wise people who truly know their diamonds and are so willing to help.
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I wish I knew about PS when I got my e-ring!

Best of luck on the search-I know you will make her happy.
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God Bless
 
I don''t have much to add in the way of advice since it''s all been covered, but congrats! Sounds like you have a lovely girlfriend & you''ve come to the right place. If you shop carefully, you should be able to buy something really lovely within your budget.
 
Sorry to bump a thread from 3 mos ago but I thought it would be easier than re-typing my whole story.

I feel I have learned alot from everyone and through real life testing.


Yesterday, I went to a local trusted jeweler (highly recommended by friends and co-workers)

I told her my range was 2000-2500.


She showed me a few different stones but the one I liked the most was the first one she showed me.

Price: $2500
Report: EGL
Shape: Ultimate Ideal (hearts & arrows)
Carat: 0.510
Color: D
Clarity: SI1
Depth: 61.2
Table: 55.5
Crown Angle: don''t remember
Crown %: don''t remember
Pavilion Angle: don''t remember
Pavilion %: don''t remember
Girdle: Med
Polish: Excellent
Symmetry: Excellent


This price she said, would also include the setting in WG, the appraisal, the whole 9 yards for $2500



The other one I found last night I really like is:

Price: $1855
Report: AGS
Shape: A Cut Above H&A
Carat: 0.572
Color: F
Clarity: SI1
Depth: 60.4
Table: 55.9
Crown Angle: 34.8
Crown %: 15.3
Pavilion Angle: 40.8
Pavilion %: 43
Girdle: Thin to Medium Faceted
Polish: Ideal
Symmetry: Ideal
Culet: Pointed
Fluorescence: Negligible
Measurements: 5.40-5.42X3.27


http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-2370997.htm#


With the platinum setting (6 prong) I found that I think she would like, the total would be $2305.


What do you think it regards to each of these. I feel more comfortable with the local jeweler because I can see them and everything but I think it might be a better value online.

Thank you
Ashland.
 
No worries Ashland welcome back
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No contest as far as I am concerned, I wouldn''t even consider the other diamond compared to the WF diamond. Very nice choice!
 
The ACA is likely a killer. You can't go wrong. But if you saw the local stone, got to observe it in various lighting situations, and you love it... then perhaps that is the right stone for you?

HOWEVER... if you are still unsure, here's my 2 cents. I would DEFINITELY recommend that you consider a J or a K SI stone. I have a gorgeous AGS-0 2.36 J/SI2 RB that I adore. And I would SO consider a well-cut K, too! Like my diamond, a lot of SI stones are completely eye-clean. I love the warm color and depth of fire of J/K stones, but I also love the awesome cost savings they represent.

My first diamond was an AGS-0 1.53 G/VS2 - because I was a newbie and afraid "to make a mistake". That diamond was in the "comfort zone" for me. But I continued to get more educated about diamonds, and began to consider lower color/lower clarity stones for an upgrade. WHOA BABY, I have NEVER been sorry!

The cut of a diamond is my first priority, and I would NEVER sacrifice there. BUT saving money on color and clarity let me put it where it counts (to me)... SIZE!
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