What is your sweet spot - diamond cost & setting cost?

[BeachGirlG]

So, does everyone have a preference for what portion of the total budget goes toward the setting vs what portion goes toward the diamond?
Does it go up/down depending on the total budget??
I'm not sure how I feel, but I know I love size so I'd be inclined to put most of the budget toward the diamond....UNLESS the budget is pretty high.
But, then I even confuse myself because I see people come here with a modest budget and I think maybe they should focus on the total ring instead of the biggest diamond they can afford.
I am going to have the honor of helping my son find a ring for his gf in the near future and I know this will come up. She has hinted that she would like a 3 stone RB with diamonds on the shank. The rings she has pointed out all have center stones of about .50ct. So, he will be putting more of his total budget into the ring as opposed to the center stone. She has tiny hands so I'm sure it would be fine, but inside I'm screaming that he could get a nice 1.25ct for his budget and put it in a simple solitare (Please note: I will help him get whatever SHE wants and not try to force my opinion on him.. )

 

[04diamond<3]

So, does everyone have a preference for what portion of the total budget goes toward the setting vs what portion goes toward the diamond?
Does it go up/down depending on the total budget??
I'm not sure how I feel, but I know I love size so I'd be inclined to put most of the budget toward the diamond....UNLESS the budget is pretty high.
But, then I even confuse myself because I see people come here with a modest budget and I think maybe they should focus on the total ring instead of the biggest diamond they can afford.
I am going to have the honor of helping my son find a ring for his gf in the near future and I know this will come up. She has hinted that she would like a 3 stone RB with diamonds on the shank. The rings she has pointed out all have center stones of about .50ct. So, he will be putting more of his total budget into the ring as opposed to the center stone. She has tiny hands so I'm sure it would be fine, but inside I'm screaming that he could get a nice 1.25ct for his budget and put it in a simple solitare (Please note: I will help him get whatever SHE wants and not try to force my opinion on him.. )

That would be me for SURE!!! I always always think get the biggest stone for your budget and upgrade the setting later. That way, she gets a big stone AND she gets to chose the setting she wants later.

 

[chrono]

As much as possible on the stone with just enough left for a plain solitaire setting. Settings can always be changed out but not everyone is open to stone upgrades.

 

[ame]

Another vote for as much to the stone as possible leaving enough for a simple Plat setting.

 

[Enerchi]

Add my vote to the "more diamond/less setting" ratio. I don't know if there is any particular formula, but I do feel I'd rather maximize my diamond size now and change the setting later on.

That's wonderful your son will take your advise and have you involved in this process!!! Very exciting - and I'm so happy that you two have such a good relationship that he relies on your expertise!! Enjoy the process BeachGirlG! (and tell him PS thinks more diamond, less setting!)

 

[dudeinlove]

I really wanted to go with a simple pave solitare setting and get as much diamond as possible but my FF made it clear she wanted a halo. So I went with 3000 on the setting and 13000 on the diamond. I would have spent about 13K on the diamond either way, so really I simply blew my budget by 2K on the setting :p. Can't wait to get it

 

[Fly Girl]

Congratulations, Mom! My recent experiences helping my son select a diamond ring are here. Such fun!

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-son-proposed-with-a-brian-gavin-blue.184827/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-son-proposed-with-a-brian-gavin-blue.184827/[/URL]

As you can see in our case, there simply were no funds for a fancy setting, and fortunately, that worked with her tastes.

I think the way to save money in your case would be to go with the PS vendor who carries the best stock setting that meets her tastes.

 

[Polished]

Definitely the whole package for me. I find it very easy to love a smaller diamond - and larger ones! What's harder is to marry it with a setting that both enhances its beauty and suits the wearer's hand and personality.

 

[BriBee]

Maybe you should have him do some PS research on DSS

I think it's awesome that you want to let him get whatever gf will be happy with, I don't think I'd have the same restraint. Either way, he's so lucky to have a smart mom who will get the best possible stones! I've got a couple guy friends who are getting close to shopping time and I'm BEGGING them to let me help, I have so much fun with it! Plus, I'd just hate to see them waste money in a mall store or something like that. Hopefully I'll be on here soon using all our wonderful PSers to help find stones!

ETA...Haha, I didn't even answer your question....but I'm like you and all about the center stone, so I'd probably be like 80/20 or 90/10 on the budget. That's what we did for my ring and I'll upgrade the setting later if I want.

 

[BriBee]

I just thought of a question...maybe it would be weird to ask but how do your son and his GF feel about the idea of an upgrade? I know some DHs on here need a little time to warm up to the idea. For me, I had to really put all the budget into our stone because SO wants me to have it forever. He feels strongly about keeping the diamond, but less so about the setting. So we got the best stone we could find, and he knows I'll probably change the setting one day. Shhhh...don't tell anyone, but I'm just kinda hoping he comes around to the idea of upgrades in the future, haha But if he doesn't I'm fine with that too....just means I'll have to play with things like earrings and pendants and bracelets

Anyways, back on topic, the upgrade idea is just something to consider I think. Because if they feel like they'll NEVER want to upgrade, maybe he should go for a slightly bigger stone now.

 

[bunnycat]

I just thought of a question...maybe it would be weird to ask but how do your son and his GF feel about the idea of an upgrade? I know some DHs on here need a little time to warm up to the idea. For me, I had to really put all the budget into our stone because SO wants me to have it forever. He feels strongly about keeping the diamond, but less so about the setting. So we got the best stone we could find, and he knows I'll probably change the setting one day. Shhhh...don't tell anyone, but I'm just kinda hoping he comes around to the idea of upgrades in the future, haha But if he doesn't I'm fine with that too....just means I'll have to play with things like earrings and pendants and bracelets

Anyways, back on topic, the upgrade idea is just something to consider I think. Because if they feel like they'll NEVER want to upgrade, maybe he should go for a slightly bigger stone now.

I'd agree about finding out how they feel about upgrading (either part actually). Some people don't want to touch any of it (who knows if they'll change their mind later), some people are sentimental about the stone, and some about the setting.

How I'd feel about which part to pay attention to kind of depends a little on budget. Like for some of the people who've been through here, with budget of under $1K, I'd a say a package deal might be the best route.

If they or she is sentimental depending on which part she is sentimental about, a happy medium might be the way to go. Like a 1ct center with a pretty band if she thinks .5 "looks fine".

One thing to consider about his FF is how she's thinking. She sounds like she may have tiny fingers, since she keeps looking at small centers. Or she may feel as if she would be thought of as ungrateful for wanting a larger stone but thinks that may make her seem greedy if she tries any so she may be afraid to say what she really wants out of fear. (I don't know if 1.25ct is a budget your son has or not for this, but that's a MAJOR size difference from the .5c she's been looking at.) If there was a way to urge her to try on difference size stones, that would be good. What she think is a good size now, of course, may quickly become "oops...should have tried more stuff on..." later.

 

[BriBee]

I just thought of a question...maybe it would be weird to ask but how do your son and his GF feel about the idea of an upgrade? I know some DHs on here need a little time to warm up to the idea. For me, I had to really put all the budget into our stone because SO wants me to have it forever. He feels strongly about keeping the diamond, but less so about the setting. So we got the best stone we could find, and he knows I'll probably change the setting one day. Shhhh...don't tell anyone, but I'm just kinda hoping he comes around to the idea of upgrades in the future, haha But if he doesn't I'm fine with that too....just means I'll have to play with things like earrings and pendants and bracelets

Anyways, back on topic, the upgrade idea is just something to consider I think. Because if they feel like they'll NEVER want to upgrade, maybe he should go for a slightly bigger stone now.

I'd agree about finding out how they feel about upgrading (either part actually). Some people don't want to touch any of it (who knows if they'll change their mind later), some people are sentimental about the stone, and some about the setting.

How I'd feel about which part to pay attention to kind of depends a little on budget. Like for some of the people who've been through here, with budget of under $1K, I'd a say a package deal might be the best route.

If they or she is sentimental depending on which part she is sentimental about, a happy medium might be the way to go. Like a 1ct center with a pretty band if she thinks .5 "looks fine".

One thing to consider about his FF is how she's thinking. She sounds like she may have tiny fingers, since she keeps looking at small centers. Or she may feel as if she would be thought of as ungrateful for wanting a larger stone but thinks that may make her seem greedy if she tries any so she may be afraid to say what she really wants out of fear. (I don't know if 1.25ct is a budget your son has or not for this, but that's a MAJOR size difference from the .5c she's been looking at.) If there was a way to urge her to try on difference size stones, that would be good. What she think is a good size now, of course, may quickly become "oops...should have tried more stuff on..." later.

I think this is a great point too...I know this is how I first started out with SO. I didn't want to ask too many questions about budget and size when it first came up, I thought he just kind of wanted ideas of what I liked...so I didn't want to freak him out by pointing out things that I thought my be too extravagant or outside of his budget. But, I soon realized that he was even happier just letting me pick with him so once he told me the budget I was like "WELL....in THAT case..."

 

[Laila619]

I don't like solitaires (unless the diamond is HUUUGE), so I'm more of a total package gal. I would rather have a smaller diamond in a blingy setting than a solitaire. I'm so cheap when it comes to settings though--I don't like to spend much more than $2,000 on a setting.

 

[bunnycat]

I just thought of a question...maybe it would be weird to ask but how do your son and his GF feel about the idea of an upgrade? I know some DHs on here need a little time to warm up to the idea. For me, I had to really put all the budget into our stone because SO wants me to have it forever. He feels strongly about keeping the diamond, but less so about the setting. So we got the best stone we could find, and he knows I'll probably change the setting one day. Shhhh...don't tell anyone, but I'm just kinda hoping he comes around to the idea of upgrades in the future, haha But if he doesn't I'm fine with that too....just means I'll have to play with things like earrings and pendants and bracelets

Anyways, back on topic, the upgrade idea is just something to consider I think. Because if they feel like they'll NEVER want to upgrade, maybe he should go for a slightly bigger stone now.

I'd agree about finding out how they feel about upgrading (either part actually). Some people don't want to touch any of it (who knows if they'll change their mind later), some people are sentimental about the stone, and some about the setting.

How I'd feel about which part to pay attention to kind of depends a little on budget. Like for some of the people who've been through here, with budget of under $1K, I'd a say a package deal might be the best route.

If they or she is sentimental depending on which part she is sentimental about, a happy medium might be the way to go. Like a 1ct center with a pretty band if she thinks .5 "looks fine".

One thing to consider about his FF is how she's thinking. She sounds like she may have tiny fingers, since she keeps looking at small centers. Or she may feel as if she would be thought of as ungrateful for wanting a larger stone but thinks that may make her seem greedy if she tries any so she may be afraid to say what she really wants out of fear. (I don't know if 1.25ct is a budget your son has or not for this, but that's a MAJOR size difference from the .5c she's been looking at.) If there was a way to urge her to try on difference size stones, that would be good. What she think is a good size now, of course, may quickly become "oops...should have tried more stuff on..." later.

I think this is a great point too...I know this is how I first started out with SO. I didn't want to ask too many questions about budget and size when it first came up, I thought he just kind of wanted ideas of what I liked...so I didn't want to freak him out by pointing out things that I thought my be too extravagant or outside of his budget. But, I soon realized that he was even happier just letting me pick with him so once he told me the budget I was like "WELL....in THAT case..."

Yeah- I say that because that's exactly how I felt. I'd never had a diamond before, I was slightly appalled at spending thousands on a small object like a ring, and so I had no idea which way to go.

 

[TC1987]

It's important to know why she wants a smaller diamond. Back when I first became engaged, I actually thought I'd never want anything like a 2ct diamond, ever. Why? Because all of the large diamonds I'd ever seen up close were very poorly cut and had ugly faceting and poor performance. But I'd seen lots of 1ct and under diamonds that looked great. I concluded, based on what was available in the Dark Ages before PS, that the larger the diamond, the crappier it was going to look. Seriously. I just had never had the opportunity to see nicely cut larger diamonds. The people around me that had big stones had lifeless marquises, or large oddly-cut rounds with a 70% table and no personality.

 

[BriBee]

I just thought of a question...maybe it would be weird to ask but how do your son and his GF feel about the idea of an upgrade? I know some DHs on here need a little time to warm up to the idea. For me, I had to really put all the budget into our stone because SO wants me to have it forever. He feels strongly about keeping the diamond, but less so about the setting. So we got the best stone we could find, and he knows I'll probably change the setting one day. Shhhh...don't tell anyone, but I'm just kinda hoping he comes around to the idea of upgrades in the future, haha But if he doesn't I'm fine with that too....just means I'll have to play with things like earrings and pendants and bracelets

Anyways, back on topic, the upgrade idea is just something to consider I think. Because if they feel like they'll NEVER want to upgrade, maybe he should go for a slightly bigger stone now.

I'd agree about finding out how they feel about upgrading (either part actually). Some people don't want to touch any of it (who knows if they'll change their mind later), some people are sentimental about the stone, and some about the setting.

How I'd feel about which part to pay attention to kind of depends a little on budget. Like for some of the people who've been through here, with budget of under $1K, I'd a say a package deal might be the best route.

If they or she is sentimental depending on which part she is sentimental about, a happy medium might be the way to go. Like a 1ct center with a pretty band if she thinks .5 "looks fine".

One thing to consider about his FF is how she's thinking. She sounds like she may have tiny fingers, since she keeps looking at small centers. Or she may feel as if she would be thought of as ungrateful for wanting a larger stone but thinks that may make her seem greedy if she tries any so she may be afraid to say what she really wants out of fear. (I don't know if 1.25ct is a budget your son has or not for this, but that's a MAJOR size difference from the .5c she's been looking at.) If there was a way to urge her to try on difference size stones, that would be good. What she think is a good size now, of course, may quickly become "oops...should have tried more stuff on..." later.

I think this is a great point too...I know this is how I first started out with SO. I didn't want to ask too many questions about budget and size when it first came up, I thought he just kind of wanted ideas of what I liked...so I didn't want to freak him out by pointing out things that I thought my be too extravagant or outside of his budget. But, I soon realized that he was even happier just letting me pick with him so once he told me the budget I was like "WELL....in THAT case..."

Yeah- I say that because that's exactly how I felt. I'd never had a diamond before, I was slightly appalled at spending thousands on a small object like a ring, and so I had no idea which way to go.

Completely! Even now....I was so so so excited when we got our stone and then met with the jeweler, I was on cloud 9. But then I started to feel guilty like, SO is spending all this $$$ on something and it's only for ME, it's not something we can share like new furniture or a vacation or a remodel or something. But when I brought it up he assured me that he was also excited and loves seeing how happy and giddy I get...I still feel a little bad like he needs something pretty too, but maybe it's just a girl thing, haha

 

[swingirl]

I prefer the whole package. My stone to setting ratio was about 60/40. For me the setting was very important and I got a custom made platinum piece. However, I know I will never upgrade or find myself trying to sell the setting. While I have seen lovely solitaries, it's not something I would want. I like all the extra sparkle that comes with side stones and pave, even if it means a smaller center stone.

Allow the GF to figure out what she likes and then help your son get the best he can within his budget. A 3 stone on a small finger would be lovely. I wouldn't encourage your son to get her a large solitaire to be reset later unless that's what she wants. It also depends on her age and their location. In many parts of the country a 0.5 ct center stone is still the norm for a young bride.

 

[BriBee]

I prefer the whole package. My stone to setting ratio was about 60/40. For me the setting was very important and I got a custom made platinum piece. However, I know I will never upgrade or find myself trying to sell the setting. While I have seen lovely solitaries, it's not something I would want. I like all the extra sparkle that comes with side stones and pave, even if it means a smaller center stone.

Allow the GF to figure out what she likes and then help your son get the best he can within his budget. A 3 stone on a small finger would be lovely. I wouldn't encourage your son to get her a large solitaire to be reset later unless that's what she wants. It also depends on her age and their location. In many parts of the country a 0.5 ct center stone is still the norm for a young bride.

And yet another good point...I was engaged once before, and I was much younger than I am now. At the time I had a modest (by PS standards) 1.28 set in a halo. Compared to all my peers it was HUGE (esp with the added finger coverage of a halo) and I sometimes felt uncomfortable about it. Now I'm older and feel more comfortable going with a larger size, but this will be personal for each person. Is this going to be a total surprise, or will there be a way to get some of these questions answered?

 

[Dancing Fire]

I don't like solitaires (unless the diamond is HUUUGE), so I'm more of a total package gal. I would rather have a smaller diamond in a blingy setting than a solitaire. I'm so cheap when it comes to settings though--I don't like to spend much more than $2,000 on a setting.

i spent $450 for my wife's 14K WG solitaire setting... after 8 yrs the ring has started to turn yellow,so the next setting will be in Pt.

 

[04diamond<3]

I don't like solitaires (unless the diamond is HUUUGE), so I'm more of a total package gal. I would rather have a smaller diamond in a blingy setting than a solitaire. I'm so cheap when it comes to settings though--I don't like to spend much more than $2,000 on a setting.

i spent $450 for my wife's 14K WG solitaire setting... after 8 yrs the ring has started to turn yellow,so the next setting will be in Pt.

You can still get a PT solitaire for like $600ish...I would think ID Jewelry would have the best price on them...

 

[Dancing Fire]

I prefer the whole package. My stone to setting ratio was about 60/40. For me the setting was very important and I got a custom made platinum piece. However, I know I will never upgrade or find myself trying to sell the setting. While I have seen lovely solitaries, it's not something I would want. I like all the extra sparkle that comes with side stones and pave, even if it means a smaller center stone.

Allow the GF to figure out what she likes and then help your son get the best he can within his budget. A 3 stone on a small finger would be lovely. I wouldn't encourage your son to get her a large solitaire to be reset later unless that's what she wants. It also depends on her age and their location. In many parts of the country a 0.5 ct center stone is still the norm for a young bride.

And yet another good point...I was engaged once before, and I was much younger than I am now. At the time I had a modest (by PS standards) 1.28 set in a halo. Compared to all my peers it was HUGE (esp with the added finger coverage of a halo) and I sometimes felt uncomfortable about it. Now I'm older and feel more comfortable going with a larger size, but this will be personal for each person. Is this going to be a total surprise, or will there be a way to get some of these questions answered?

aren't we all??..

 

[CharmyPoo]

I think about the end product (ie. whole package) and then determine how much I want to spend on each and what scarfices I can make. For example, if I wanted a 3 stone ring of a certain size - I would consider going white gold or slight lower clarity, color, size for the stones.

Also, I have a strong belief that you can get almost anything you want on the second hand market at your budget (as long as it is some what realistic). This doesn't just apply to jewelry ... I really wanted a Monique L'hullier but refused to pay full price given that I was only going to wear it for a few hours. I stalked and stalked ebay and I got it for the price I was willing to pay! Granted, it was like 6 sizes too big but I got it tailored down and it was still an acceptable price.

 

[BriBee]

I prefer the whole package. My stone to setting ratio was about 60/40. For me the setting was very important and I got a custom made platinum piece. However, I know I will never upgrade or find myself trying to sell the setting. While I have seen lovely solitaries, it's not something I would want. I like all the extra sparkle that comes with side stones and pave, even if it means a smaller center stone.

Allow the GF to figure out what she likes and then help your son get the best he can within his budget. A 3 stone on a small finger would be lovely. I wouldn't encourage your son to get her a large solitaire to be reset later unless that's what she wants. It also depends on her age and their location. In many parts of the country a 0.5 ct center stone is still the norm for a young bride.

And yet another good point...I was engaged once before, and I was much younger than I am now. At the time I had a modest (by PS standards) 1.28 set in a halo. Compared to all my peers it was HUGE (esp with the added finger coverage of a halo) and I sometimes felt uncomfortable about it. Now I'm older and feel more comfortable going with a larger size, but this will be personal for each person. Is this going to be a total surprise, or will there be a way to get some of these questions answered?

aren't we all??..

Haha, this made me LOL

 

[madelise]

If I had a million bucks to spend,
I'd buy a million dollar diamond, and make the jeweler make me a <$2k setting to put it in. And the jeweler better gift it to me on his dime from having me purchase that million dollar diamond!

If I had 50K to spend, I'd spend most of it on a diamond, and get a ~$2k setting to put it in.
If I had 5K to spend, I'd spend $4800 of it on the diamond, and get a simple solitaire for $200.

 

[lapelirroja]

Just calculated the ratio for my ring: 15% on the (designer) setting, leaving the vast majority for yummy ACA!

 

[shadytree]

On my $18k budget, I'm putting $4k on the setting (engagment ring and wedding ring) and $14k on the center stone. That works out to 22% setting, 78% stone.

 

[Christina...]

We spent the majority on the diamond but knew that we would eventually be setting it in a custom setting, so in the end we will have spent as much on the stone as the setting.

It's obviously different for everyone. Some people want the total package the first time around, a beautiful diamond in a beautiful setting. Some want the most diamond they can within their budget and set it in a simple solitaire. Some have chosen their setting before even looking at diamonds and are willing to choose any diamond that will fit in it. So, I guess I think it's important to know what she is thinking.

I think that it's so wonderful that you will be helping your son choose an engagement ring for his future bride. I have a son too and would be honored if he came to me for help. What a special time!

 

[luckyerialc]

If I had a million bucks to spend,
I'd buy a million dollar diamond, and make the jeweler make me a <$2k setting to put it in. And the jeweler better gift it to me on his dime from having me purchase that million dollar diamond!

If I had 50K to spend, I'd spend most of it on a diamond, and get a ~$2k setting to put it in.
If I had 5K to spend, I'd spend $4800 of it on the diamond, and get a simple solitaire for $200.

This x 10000

 

[diamondseeker2006]

This sounds exactly like what she wants, and if it is close to her ring size, it could be a great deal!

http://diamondbistro.com/index.php?a=2&b=33494

I think a .5 center just wouldn't have as much impact as this one would. I would not even bring up the upgrade idea. The vast majority of people do not ever think of such a thing and most young couples have other financial priorities than a new diamond. We on PS are a tiny minority in our upgrading!

 

[Christina...]

This sounds exactly like what she wants, and if it is close to her ring size, it could be a great deal!

http://diamondbistro.com/index.php?a=2&b=33494

I think a .5 center just wouldn't have as much impact as this one would. I would not even bring up the upgrade idea. The vast majority of people do not ever think of such a thing and most young couples have other financial priorities than a new diamond. We on PS are a tiny minority in our upgrading!

Wow DS! Great find! And look at that finger coverage! I agree, this could be a great option!!