What would a girlfriend want?

[dbanner8732]

That diamcalc is awesome! Too bad I don't really understand what the pictures are telling me.

The angles for that one I think are 41.2 and 35.0. Can you explain the illustrations to a self-proclaimed diamond fool lol?

 

[John P]

Mr. Pollard, I really like the link that you send in your reply. That helps as it puts picture comparisons with word and number comparisons. Are they ranked in order? A couple of them actually look better than others if that is the case lol.

Chrono took the words out of my keyboard.

That diamcalc is awesome! Too bad I don't really understand what the pictures are telling me. The angles for that one I think are 41.2 and 35.0. Can you explain the illustrations to a self-proclaimed diamond fool lol?

Fools don't usually entertain dialogue, so you are no fool... But be careful stepping down this path as it may lead to cut snobbery.

In the most basic explanation, the red in the Ideal-Scope simulation demonstrates where light has entered the diamond and is successfully returned to the viewers' eyes. White is where light has entered the diamond from the top but misses the angles critical for light-return, so that light is "leaking" out of the pavilion. Basically, due to the chosen angles, those facets are acting as windows rather than mirrors. The concern, logically, is that something of a dead-spot is created under the table - which is a pretty important area for light return.

As an aside, the darker areas (gray in the IS simulation) are the bottommost facets or pavilion mains, and the reason they are dark is because the light from the highest angles is blocked by your head. This is a single static view of course. When the diamond goes in-motion the dark areas flare to red and some of the red areas go dark...this rapid on-off effect, combined with dispersion, is what we see as scintillation.

In areas of enough leakage there is no on-off effect. The facets remain off, creating less of the all-desirable sparkle that round brilliants are known-for. Additionally the angles of this example aren't making for the most robust contrast pattern (black instead of gray).

More here:
http://www.ideal-scope.com/

The ASET adds another color which is useful in seeing indexing variations (not important to explain here) and for assessing some attributes of fancy shapes.

 

[Niel]

What type of Ritani setting are you looking to set it in??

 

[dbanner8732]

http://www.ritani.com/engagement-rings/channel-set-diamond-engagement-ring-in-18kt-white-gold/4594

It's a 2.2 mm band. It looks a lot thicker in the picture I think. I know she wants something fairly dainty and sleek looking. No big chunky stuff with too much going on in the ring. I think around 2 mm will provide that. I know there are differences in opinions on channel set. She's a nurse (and she can wear it to work) and I thought the other ones may get caught on stuff and drive her crazy. Plus I'm not particularly fond of the chainsaw look the other ones have. I think it sets fairly low too which is good. I really like the little surprise diamonds too. The best I can describe her is that she likes classic things with a touch of uniqueness. I've been set on this setting for awhile now.

 

[Niel]

That style is beautiful. I have a ritani ring and it is beautiful. But I just wanted to throw it out there that other people make that setting for a bit less. And then you could put that toward the stone. Like this combo from BGD


http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/engagement-rings/pave-and-side-stones/the-valentine-micro-pave-1-18k-white-gold-5688w18

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.117-j-vs1-round-diamond-ags-1040399230056

But I do love my ritani so I understand wanting it. It is so much more delicate than those pics

ETA I think Whiteflash sells that setting

 

[dbanner8732]

Thank you nielseel. I have viewed thousands of settings I'm sure, and I just kept coming back to that one. I do like the BG too, though. In the ritani, it has those little swoops underneath the mounting (I don't know exactly what you'd call it) but I really like that aspect of it.

Would you recommend a 4 or 6 prong for around a 1.1 or 1.2 carat center? I've heard people go back and forth on this. I think a 4 prong may show off more of the diamond, but the 6 prong is supposed to be super secure right? And I think the 6 prong would make it more of a rounded look. It's so hard to decide on all of these things, but I'm trying to still keep it fun in the heat of the battle

 

[Niel]

I'm probably not a good one to ask. I am way too nervous about busting mine so I got it in a halo bezel. I like a six prong when it's a larger stone though. It's different too, in a good way

 

[LibbyLA]

dbanner,

I'm a 6-prong gal, for both reasons you mention, plus more protection than 4-prong. However, the prongs on that Valentine micro pave are set NSEW, which protects the front/back edges (NS), unlike regular 4-prong settings.

If you can get a better cut diamond within budget, I'd go for it. However, regardless of what you choose, your fiancee' to be's ring will probably be better than those of 99% of the people in your town.

liz

 

[dbanner8732]

Everything's so tough lol. I think I like the 6 prong better, but will she. hmmm. I know I'd feel better about it if it was a 6 prong.

 

[Laila619]

Everything's so tough lol. I think I like the 6 prong better, but will she. hmmm. I know I'd feel better about it if it was a 6 prong.

I think 6 prong settings are more secure--it's a mind clean thing for me. I'd probably have to break 3 prongs before the stone would fall out.

 

[ariel144]

ariell144... I do like the 1.20 carat one. That is in my price range too. However, I don't see how this can be any better than the one that I had picked out. You can still see the inclusions. It is just not magnified at 20x like the one's I posted. Basically the same price as the 1.22 carat one. It's J color. Faint fluoro-- is that a big deal? And what's with the H&A? I really don't get what the difference is?

H & A means it has a perfect pattern of Hearts and Arrows which are supposed to be some of the best cut rounds. I'm no expert but if it performs better than the other two you are looking at it could be a much prettier stone than the I or H color. Of course you would have to check with the gemologist at JA to make sure it is eye clean. Faint flour. will not effect this stone unless it could possibly make it face up whiter in some lighting. Flour. is not a bad thing unless it causes the stone to appear milky or oily which only happens in about 1% of stones with medium and strong fl. Many PSr's prefer blue fl. in their stone as long as it has no adverse effect, because in some lighting it can give the stone a blue color which is really cool and adds to the personality of the stone.

I would definitely contact JA and get their opinion of this H & A 1.2 c stone:

Here is a video showing the different facet patterns of round cut diamonds, plus they have many educational videos on choosing the best stone ....hope this helps:

Ideal Cut vs Hearts & Arrows vs August Vintage OEC vs Solasfera

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwiM3COzjFM&list=UUEV7slr-i-VduBBnfv9MxhA&index=88&feature=plcp

 

[Niel]

ariell144... I do like the 1.20 carat one. That is in my price range too. However, I don't see how this can be any better than the one that I had picked out. You can still see the inclusions. It is just not magnified at 20x like the one's I posted. Basically the same price as the 1.22 carat one. It's J color. Faint fluoro-- is that a big deal? And what's with the H&A? I really don't get what the difference is?

H & A means it has a perfect pattern of Hearts and Arrows which are supposed to be some of the best cut rounds. I'm no expert but if it performs better than the other two you are looking at it could be a much prettier stone than the I or H color. Of course you would have to check with the gemologist at JA to make sure it is eye clean. Faint flour. will not effect this stone unless it could possibly make it face up whiter in some lighting. Flour. is not a bad thing unless it causes the stone to appear milky or oily which only happens in about 1% of stones with medium and strong fl. Many PSr's prefer blue fl. in their stone as long as it has no adverse effect, because in some lighting it can give the stone a blue color which is really cool and adds to the personality of the stone.

I would definitely contact JA and get their opinion of this H & A 1.2 c stone:

Here is a video showing the different facet patterns of round cut diamonds, plus they have many educational videos on choosing the best stone ....hope this helps:

Ideal Cut vs Hearts & Arrows vs August Vintage OEC vs Solasfera

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwiM3COzjFM&list=UUEV7slr-i-VduBBnfv9MxhA&index=88&feature=plcp

I am one of those! I love flour for so many reasons.
1: It is so neat! Its shows blue in a blacklight! I mean, Im a bit of a nature nerd and I just love that amazing chemical quality
2: Makes stones face up white; the blue is rarely visable in regular every day ligh, it just plays a trick on your eyes to make the color more white
3: its not considered desirable to some becuase it CAN cause milkyness so it often can make the stones less expensive, regardless if it gives it negative effects or not, because it COULD. but if a gemologist tells you it doesnt then BOOM, you've got all of the good qualities without the bad.

 

[Niel]

I dont know if this is out of your budget, BUT being a PS'er yourself and paying a bank wire its like 6600. and it scores I think a 1.6? And look how eyeclean!

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/J-VS1-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1531571.asp

 

[dbanner8732]

I haven't even looked at any with fluoro because I thought it was supposed to be undesireable. OK well maybe that's what I can look for. Nielseel... that's a little out of my pricerange. Thank you for posting it though. I can definitely tell the difference. If you find any with a max of 6,000 please send them away! Thank you.

So fluoro is no big deal then??

 

[Niel]

Or this one! Looks like a good price
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/K-VVS2-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1451144.asp
HCA: 1.3

ETA: and its Canadian haha

 

[dbanner8732]

even with the K color?

 

[Niel]

K is the color it doesnt effect the light performance. K wouldnt bother me, personall, it depends if she is color sensitive or not. I mean, may mall store stones are lower color than that.

 

[Laila619]

I haven't even looked at any with fluoro because I thought it was supposed to be undesireable. OK well maybe that's what I can look for. Nielseel... that's a little out of my pricerange. Thank you for posting it though. I can definitely tell the difference. If you find any with a max of 6,000 please send them away! Thank you.

So fluoro is no big deal then??

Many people like it and think it's a cool characteristic. But technically, in the trade, diamonds with fluor are priced lower because the value is lessened.

 

[LibbyLA]

dbanner,

I think that K color is something you'd have to make sure she is okay with. Even J may be stretching it a bit. I happen to prefer warmer colors (especially in antique cuts) to the colorless grades, but that's just my personal preference and lots of people don't feel that way. However, there are also people who are fans of Brian Gavin blues, which are diamonds of warmer color with fluorescence.

Most of the people who will see the ring probably bought or are wearing mall store diamonds, most of which aren't nearly as good a quality as you will be getting for your fiancee. Her diamond will probably compare very favorably with those around her even.

liz

 

[TC1987]

I don't like any of the diamonds you picked, so far. They are a compromise of both cut and clarity to get size. Cut, I won't compromise on. Too much leakage is something that you see right off the bat, if you put a so-so cut up against even a premium cut. A premium cut, I might go for, because those are the ones that just miss "Ideal" and there can be a number of reasons for that, and some are just more or less splitting hairs on specs, and are not too visible to the human eye.

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/8830/ is an example of of SI2 type inclusions that you could probably live with and that would be less objectionable than what those SI1 diamonds have under their tables.

As I stated before, CLARITY is where I will back down and accept less to get size, but only provided that the cut is near ideal. Inclusions are kind of an individual preference. Some people can't stand any, and some of us don't care as much. As soon as that diamond ring goes through one hand-washing, it's not perfectly clean. So I don't insist that it has to be perfectly eye-clean internally, either.

The average e-ring here (in my dismal town) is probably .6ct - .75 ct now, down from .75 ct in early 2009 and 1ct in 2008 and earlier. About .8 seems to be what a lot of PS people are buying now for first e-ring.

I suggest that you go to a jeweler that sells AGS diamonds, and look at the best-cut ones that he or she has in stock. I think if you go lower than the HCA 2-rated diamonds, you'll eventually be sorry because in time you will start to notice the nuances that you can't pick up right now.

I'm confused about 4 vs 6 prongs. You keep showing that same Ritani, and it doesn't have a changable head. If you want 6 prongs, you have to pick a different setting or have a special 6 prong version made of that one.

 

[TC1987]

dbanner,

I think that K color is something you'd have to make sure she is okay with. Even J may be stretching it a bit.

dbanner, just for giggles, go look at L and M ideal cut diamonds in person, or at least look at some of those in the PS pics. L and M are subtle light yellow or a candlelight ivory. J and K, to me, are kind of in the region that is a dirty white. L and M, I love. Look for body tints like pink, green, gray, brown, I forget what else, because the "cape" color diamonds sometimes have them and they affect the appear of the diamond depending how they act. But if she wants size, I think that a pale L color might also work quite well to get a gorgeous stone for lower price. These are diamond colors that can look different in different lights. And individual stones might look better in YG or rose gold than in a white metal, too.

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/j-color-stones-in-platinum.24731/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/j-color-stones-in-platinum.24731/[/URL]

 

[Niel]

That link has nice k's in there too.

 

[Niel]

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/show-me-your-k-colored-diamonds.112476/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/show-me-your-k-colored-diamonds.112476/[/URL]
I agree in a beautiful rose gold it would look so unique and puuurdy. But not everybody looks good in RG. I think the diamond worth considering, sense you think her eyes arent as sensitive to diamonds specs, I think a drop in color is a better compromise than a drop in cut. I'd ask JA to reserve it and the other 1.2 ct you liked on there, they dont charge and they can give you their thoughts on them.

ETA: Page 3 has a K in a ritani setting

 

[TC1987]

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/are-hearts-and-arrows-worth-it.181636/#post-3306795#p3306795']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/are-hearts-and-arrows-worth-it.181636/#post-3306795#p3306795[/URL] Especially read Wink's comment about people picking cut then size over color. And I accidentally found a GOG video that compares H&A pattern to "chaotic," side by side. Both are GIA excellent and AGS ideal.

 

[Niel]

Those cis are good, heres a color one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcmSj8dOLRI&feature=relmfu
skip to 13.5 mins

I know that K i linked you has the clarity a bit over the top, but its in your budget so I guess thats just a bonus

 

[ariel144]

Thanks for posting the "J" thread...this is my favorite story (pg. 4) Above this post is a 1.19 J SI2 "Expert Selection"
I still like the 1.2 J SI2 H & A I posted earlier for cut, size, and price.
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/J-SI2-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1479411.asp

Here is a 1.03 J SI1 H & A (HCA 1.2)
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/J-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1421578.asp

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/j-color-stones-in-platinum.24731/page-4']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/j-color-stones-in-platinum.24731/page-4[/URL]


Post by kcwade33 » 27 Jun 2005 13:32
I actually have some good news. I was at the minor league Frisco Roughrider game here in Texas and a lady came over to look at the new purchase on my girl''s finger. She kept complimenting back and forth and showed her ring. I asked what she had. It was an ideal cut 1 carat F VS2. I mean to tell you our J SI2 blew that ring out of the water in sparkle, color, etc. I''m not tooting my own horn by any means Image but I was so happy. It amazed me how our ring actually faced up just as white if not better. It made me wonder if she had her facts straight but she swore she knew. She even brought her husband over to look at it. I was grinning from ear to ear Image

 

[seaurchin]

Hey there. I didn't read all the replies but the two stones in your original post sound very close. How big they appear depends more on the diameter than carat weight. Cut proportions are maybe most important but you have to dig a bit to find what is ideal. That's what makes it sparkle and look gorgeous most, I believe.

Also, just my opinion and some might think it not as romantic, but my ring has been on my finger for a lot of years. I live with it day in and day out. I would much rather be told the budget and be involved in picking out my ring than be surprised. Chances are slim that he would pick out what I would like the most. I'm glad that way back when, my husband proposed without a ring and the proposal was the romantic surprise. The ring was mostly up to me. But like I say, just my opinion on the larger question of "What would a girlfriend want?"

 

[seaurchin]

Also, my two cents about fluorescence, it can make a stone perhaps go up a letter or two in color appearance and also lowers the price. I wanted medium blue fluorescence because I also like the magic of it, that it glows bright blue under blacklights. I believe that milky thing is usually the "strong" fluorescence. So much is subjective, of course.

Also, I am assuming you know what shape stone she prefers? For example, a round stone looks tiny on my hand, I wouldn't like it. An elongated shape flatters my hand much more and also looks much larger on me (I have a 1.4 ct. marquise). Just a thought, in case she hasn't said anything about the diamond shape...

 

[dbanner8732]

Seaurchin, I know that she is fond of the round stones. Those are the only ones I have even considered. Of course, I'm sure she might see some other shapes that she likes, but I know that down the road she will wish she had a round. I know her tastes pretty well in these situations. If I was super nervous or worried about her not liking what I got, then I would most definitely do the same as your husband. That was a very smart move on his part. Our situation is a little different than that. I know her tastes, even on this topic, fairly well and trust myself to do it on my own. Plus, if I'm shelling out the cash I want to have some fun too! I've always been big on surprises and I think she wouldn't want it any other way.

Ariel, thank you for your help! Here's a couple more questions: The setting is white gold- would a J color stone look ok with that? I really like the 1.20 carat J SI2 you showed me.. the H&A one from james allen. Also, you're saying that this one would perform much better than the one I had originally posted? And last, I like convinience, so that's why I was looking at buying the diamond and setting from ritani, but any jeweller can just set a diamond in the setting? They don't care that I bought it elsewhere? How much money would that cost?

 

[Niel]

Depends in the place if they will set it an the cost. For me, I took a stone to a B&M store and they shipped my diamonds to ritani to have to set with no extra cost to me. But that was a bezel, yours wouldn't be, so they may just set in in house. Did you look though that thread of j's? They were some set in WG. how did you like them? Also if you're worried about the side stones you can ask them to match, though I think those are so small it wouldn't matter much.
And yes wasn't that 1.2 H&A an ach 1.3?
If so then yes it would perform much better. H&A stones are cut to try and provide optimal light performance. Which is a step above just the "4 c's" ..... Why isn't that part of what everyone tells you