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What specs would you require for an engagement ring?

champagnepear

Rough_Rock
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Feb 24, 2016
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40
Looking at ~1.3 carat round lab diamonds. Leaning towards going with a G, SI1 or VS2. I am fairly color sensitive and I've heard that lab diamonds tend to show brown - I don't want or need it to look ice white but I just don't want dingy. And I'd like eye clean but past that I don't care about clarity. Going with an ideal cut for sure. Thoughts?
 

MRBXXXFVVS1

Brilliant_Rock
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Dec 5, 2019
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I think your specs are perfect! G should not show color (maybe a little warmth) and will be a great value. With an ideal cut, you could also look at H or I if value is important, as it will face up very white/colorless. I would stick with VS or above, but SI1 might be OK if it's eye clean.

I am personally very color sensitive, so I prefer F or above color, VVS clarity or above for engagement rings.
 

anangel

Brilliant_Rock
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Aug 1, 2008
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838
For an engagement ring, I think G, maybe H but on a case by case basis and not a hard rule; VS1 preferred but VS2 should be okay, but depends on the location and type of inclusions.
Above all, like you noted, cut! All the rules for angles on mined diamonds apply to lab as well. Find your favorite candidates, ask for pics, run them through Cut Estimator first (it’s free), and then your top picks can go through the HCA.
And a quick word of personal experience, be ready for delays if they aren’t in house.
 

OoohShiny

Ideal_Rock
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Apr 25, 2014
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Here is the merchant photo:

Screen Shot 2020-05-29 at 5.18.48 PM.png

Looks like it has quite a large table - is it a 60/60 style stone? (~60% table, ~60% depth)

If it is, it should have a lot of white light return but perhaps less coloured 'fire' than other angle combinations (if my understanding is correct).
 

champagnepear

Rough_Rock
Joined
Feb 24, 2016
Messages
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If I'm interpreting this correctly then yes - here's the measurements. Doing some reading I see a slightly deeper stone would result in more fire (but less spread?) Should I return for something with more fire?

Screen Shot 2020-05-31 at 5.15.49 PM.png
 
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OoohShiny

Ideal_Rock
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It will still create fire, don't worry :) but perhaps less than higher crown / smaller table combinations.

I don't think there is an empirical grading system of the amount of fire a given cut style will give, except the work done by Serg on his Cutwise platform. It could be worth having a browse on that :)
 

champagnepear

Rough_Rock
Joined
Feb 24, 2016
Messages
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Update: DK sent a video of my stone along with potential side stones. Thoughts?? Looks good to my untrained eye but I don't want to regret my choice later...

 

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MRBXXXFVVS1

Brilliant_Rock
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What are the specs of the side stones? They look whiter to me...
 

OoohShiny

Ideal_Rock
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Looks nice from here :)

Make sure to check it out in flat/diffuse lighting as well as the magic store lighting!l
 

champagnepear

Rough_Rock
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Feb 24, 2016
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What are the specs of the side stones? They look whiter to me...

I agree. They are G, VS1 as well. I asked David about this, makes me nervous that my main stone is too dark for a G and/or isn't reflecting light well.
 

anangel

Brilliant_Rock
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838
You mentioned you received a video of your main stone? Can you share it?
I agree that your side stones don’t look the same shade as your center in that specific picture
 

OoohShiny

Ideal_Rock
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Smaller stones with identical specs are likely to look whiter because when light is travelling through them, it spends less time/distance within the material and therefore has less time/distance to pick up any tint (if I understand things correctly). :)

They could also be large table / low crown 60/60s that produce more white light / brightness than coloured fire.
 

champagnepear

Rough_Rock
Joined
Feb 24, 2016
Messages
40
Smaller stones with identical specs are likely to look whiter because when light is travelling through them, it spends less time/distance within the material and therefore has less time/distance to pick up any tint (if I understand things correctly). :)

They could also be large table / low crown 60/60s that produce more white light / brightness than coloured fire.

Interesting. So what would the solution be? Lower color? Find some with smaller table? Just live with it?
 

MRBXXXFVVS1

Brilliant_Rock
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Dec 5, 2019
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Paging @mrs-b as she is an expert on 3 stone rings!
 

mrs-b

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Hallo all!

Firstly, I'm assuming all 3 stones are graded by GIA? Assuming yes - larger stones will show tint more easily, simply by virtue of being larger and ergo easier to see, but they also show more black/grey, due to the size of the facets - and this is what most people are picking up . For my money, I prefer a smaller table as it cuts that effect somewhat, but even having said that - I like the three stones you've chosen and don't find there to be an obvious color difference. I can see a very slight tint in your center stone, but suspect I would in your sides, were they the same size. Are the sides lab diamonds or mined?

If you were to drop the color of the sides, you'd probably then see tint in them from certain angles, and it would be a different tone of tint anyway (yellow as opposed to the grey you're currently seeing from the facets), so you'd be no better off. So my preferred option with a 3-stone is to keep all three the same color.

Also - are you setting in yellow, platinum, rose, or mixed? Are you planning to tilt the sides or have all three flat / on the same angle? Tilting the sides will make things appear more cohesive, as it cuts the direct comparison and means all three stones aren't reflecting light on the same angle anyway.

Can you tell me the ctw of all three? I like these proportions!
 

champagnepear

Rough_Rock
Joined
Feb 24, 2016
Messages
40
Hallo all!

Firstly, I'm assuming all 3 stones are graded by GIA? Assuming yes - larger stones will show tint more easily, simply by virtue of being larger and ergo easier to see, but they also show more black/grey, due to the size of the facets - and this is what most people are picking up . For my money, I prefer a smaller table as it cuts that effect somewhat, but even having said that - I like the three stones you've chosen and don't find there to be an obvious color difference. I can see a very slight tint in your center stone, but suspect I would in your sides, were they the same size. Are the sides lab diamonds or mined?

If you were to drop the color of the sides, you'd probably then see tint in them from certain angles, and it would be a different tone of tint anyway (yellow as opposed to the grey you're currently seeing from the facets), so you'd be no better off. So my preferred option with a 3-stone is to keep all three the same color.

Also - are you setting in yellow, platinum, rose, or mixed? Are you planning to tilt the sides or have all three flat / on the same angle? Tilting the sides will make things appear more cohesive, as it cuts the direct comparison and means all three stones aren't reflecting light on the same angle anyway.

Can you tell me the ctw of all three? I like these proportions!

Thank you SO MUCH for your response, this helps a lot! To answer your questions...
1. No, they are all lab grown so it's IGI I believe. I don't have the cert for the side stones though actually.
2. I am setting in yellow gold, and the sides will be tilted. Your explanation makes a lot of sense.
3. The center stone is 1.34 cts and the side stones are a total of .72 cts. Trying to find the balance of substantial sides while still having the center stone be prominent.

Here is the CAD, by the way! Perhaps your experienced eye has feedback here as well?

0.jpeg
 
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