Where to start?

[herv64]

My boyfriend and I are talking marriage. Before we end up all confused at local jewelers I want to go in with some general knowledge. I am a novice!
I''ve got some of the 4-C''s down, I''m thinking of a VS1 or VS2, D-G with a cut between .75 - .90, white gold with palladium.
My hands are small!

Here are some of my concerns: I prefer a square cut but have heard that the princess is over marketed, hence over priced, yet I don''t like the sharp corners of the princess. I''ve heard of something called a box cut. I kind of like the Flanders, too. I really like the ''radiant'' cut. (?)
Next - I prefer a more shallow pavillion as I don''t like a diamond to be far raised from the ring itself. Can that be fixed more by the mounting? Can a larger diamond be kept more snug to the band and not lose it''s fire?
Another concern, I don''t like the typical prong setting, is there something other type/name? A basket setting?
I saw the Tiffany Lucida and loved it but don''t want platinum, is there anything closely resembling it? Thanks!!!

 

[Hest88]

Whew! Congratulations on your pending engagement! You have a lot of questions, but one of the first things you need to do is read the Pricescope tutorial up above. It will help you clarify questions about such things as cut--which means something altogether different than size. Also, I would dissuade you from thinking of the pavilion as something that merely makes a diamond flatter. A shallow pavilion will make little difference in how your ring sits, but will make a huge difference in how your diamond looks. Again, the tutorial will help. Take a gander at it and then come back and we can help you sort more stuff out.

 

[Lynn B]

Hest is right...

but I have another question. Just curious, but why do you want white gold instead of platinum? I only ask because I have one ring of each, and the platinum is certainly my favorite metal. I'm finding that rhodium plating on my white gold ring (I have 18K) to be a royal PAIN!!!!

Lynn

 

[herv64]

Hi Lynn - thanks for writing! I had a white gold ring before that I wore for many years and never had a problem, perhaps it's the palladium that can be a pain. (?)
I'm thinking that I'd rather have us invest the money in the diamonds than the platinum.

 

[herv64]

HI Hest and thanks for responding.
Okay, I am going to begin reading more on the tutorial. I think it's going to take me going to a jewelers to get a better idea of what I like.
Here is a question, though, that has me wondering:

What about estate/vintage/second hand diamonds (most likely taken out of settings) as opposed to buying new?

 

[goldengirl]

Hmm, well, I dunno about princess having a cut premium

I had understood from this site that rounds are the most expensive shape.

However, if you don't the sharp corners of the princess but prefer a square shape to a round, take a look at the jubilee!!

Some other good choices might be the Asscher, Queen of Hearts, or a square cushion. And like you said, Flanders, Radiant, and possibly even Emerald Cut (although this one is a little different).

But you can see there are plenty of square brilliants to choose from, most of which I like better than the princess!

I'd take a look at these cuts and settle on which cut you like first, and then try and find a setting to fit it.

I didn't like high settings, either. Don't stick around here much or you'll change your mind too!

The lucida is replicated a million times over on practically every jewelry site. And like Hest said, don't look for a shallower pavilion because you think it'll make the diamond sit lower--all a too-shallow pavilion will do is reduce your diamond's performance!

Re: estate diamonds: one thing to consider is that the art of cutting has come a long way since vintage diamonds. You'll find that vintage diamonds will have better performance by candlelight than by harsh office lighting. They're beautiful in their own right, and some people love them because of their sometimes quirky characteristics. Another thing is that the diamond grading system has become much more precise since an estate diamond was graded

so I wouldn't trust an ancient cert to be accurate.

 

[michela002]

----------------
On 10/12/2004 3:01:27 PM herv64 wrote:





My boyfriend and I are talking marriage. Before we end up all confused at local jewelers I want to go in with some general knowledge. I am a novice!
I've got some of the 4-C's down, I'm thinking of a VS1 or VS2, D-G with a cut between .75 - .90, white gold with palladium.
My hands are small!

Here are some of my concerns: I prefer a square cut but have heard that the princess is over marketed, hence over priced, yet I don't like the sharp corners of the princess. I've heard of something called a box cut. I kind of like the Flanders, too. I really like the 'radiant' cut. (?)
Next - I prefer a more shallow pavillion as I don't like a diamond to be far raised from the ring itself. Can that be fixed more by the mounting? Can a larger diamond be kept more snug to the band and not lose it's fire?
Another concern, I don't like the typical prong setting, is there something other type/name? A basket setting?
I saw the Tiffany Lucida and loved it but don't want platinum, is there anything closely resembling it? Thanks!!!
----------------

I too loved the Tiffany Lucida initially (not the diamond per se, but the setting.) However after researching online I've found that setting has been replicated to death, so you should have no problem finding something very, very similar to the Lucida setting, even though the diamond will be different. (Technically the Lucida diamond is trademarked.) The Lucida style of setting, to my knowledge, is called an X-prong setting, so if you search around for that you should find it no probs. (Also search the name Vatsche.)

This is an example I found, but it's not a great picture.

As for diamonds, I've really started to like the Emerald cut; if you want something a real "square" diamond, look at Asschers, if you want a slightly more rectangular shape go for a Emerald cut. Now, preferring the Emerald, I find I really dislike the princess cut. The cushion cut is also really pretty, although in my experience I only like it in certain settings. Weird, I know.

Have a surf around Pricescope, read lots of what others have to say and you'll pick stuff up in no time and go into the jewellers actually knowing something. Although if you stick around for long enough chances are you may end up knowing more than the salesgirl lol.

Congratulations and good luck!

Michela.

 

[ChooChoo]

Michela, I'm with you - I really like emeralds and asschers, and don't care for princesses or radiants at all!

 

[herv64]

Hi all (Hest, Lynn, ChooChoo, Michela and Goldengirl)-
You've given me a lot to consider and I appreciate all of it!

I'm going to take a look at the Tiffany knock-off settings.

I'll write again as soon as I delve a little more into it.

In the meantime, does anyone have carat suggestions, insight, etc?

 

[JC]

herv64....Well, it certainly is an exciting time for you. It looks like you've got some good advice so far. Don't hesitate to call some of the online vendors that you see listed right here on Pricescope. I'm sure we would all be more than happy to assist you with this special purchase, and give you some good pointers of what to look for. Good luck...