Where's a chap supposed to start?

[Niel]

If that's her style, here's my choice

Go to blue Nile and search this diamond : LD06518071

H, vs1 , 1.12cts, under 6800

With one of these settings
http://www.bluenile.com/build-your-own-ring/scalloped-pave-diamond-engagement-ring-platinum_33601

http://www.bluenile.com/build-your-own-ring/riviera-pave-diamond-engagement-ring-platinum_53074?elem=img&track=product

Use the referral discount (you can Google it, its on their website) to get 100 off your purchase. With the cheaper setting (of which I prefer) it would be under 9k

Or if you want to go all out

This diamond with the cheaper setting would be 10k, its 1.3 cts. : LD06098280

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I am about to refuse to link anything from BN since NONE of their links work!!! So tired of that!

I'll repeat what others have said, NEVER buy from a friend of a friend, a friend of the family, etc. We have seen the absolute worst deals come from that arrangement. Then it is awkward to get out of. Don't do it. They will not give you these prices for the same quality, and often they can't even access that quality.

Have you ruled out Whiteflash? They certainly have plenty of diamond settings and I trust their quality over some other vendors.

http://www.whiteflash.com/engagement-rings/diamond-settings/petite-open-cathedral-diamond-engagement-ring-1539.htm

http://www.whiteflash.com/engagement-rings/diamond-settings/elena-diamond-engagement-ring-1364.htm

http://www.whiteflash.com/engagement-rings/diamond-settings/harmony-diamond-engagement-ring-878.htm

and tons of others...

http://www.whiteflash.com/engagement-rings/diamond-settings/

 

[alamana]

I am so thrilled with all of the advice I have received, it's a lot to absorb all at once but I keep going back through the posts to recap everything. While I wouldn't say I've settled on a specific stone I feel I am close to a 1.0 - 1.25 Carat Round, probably G/H and VS1/VS2, the quality of cut is the part I'm still researching now I have a better understanding of its importance.

I also have a friend who has a friend who runs a diamond business, she is looking in to thinks on my behalf too and says I could get a great deal, the good news is that I now feel much more informed on determining if it is indeed a deal or not. I may have a dilemma in looking at getting the mount and the diamond from different places but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

To narrow things down further she did send me the attached picture as her current favorite, I think the notable thing is that the diamonds in the band are larger, the theory is that if they are there then they should be easy to see and apparent.

be very wary of buying your ring from your friend

It's very easy to find people here who worked with a friend or family member and it rarely turns out well.

+1 to this.

 

[alamana]

I am about to refuse to link anything from BN since NONE of their links work!!! So tired of that!

It's beyond annoying. Why on earth is their site like that?

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I am about to refuse to link anything from BN since NONE of their links work!!! So tired of that!

It's beyond annoying. Why on earth is their site like that?

I have not seen another site that does that! You'd think they'd like us linking their diamonds! I am happy to post or look at links for people, but it helps if the link actually works!

 

[Skhii]

I am about to refuse to link anything from BN since NONE of their links work!!! So tired of that!

It's beyond annoying. Why on earth is their site like that?

I have not seen another site that does that! You'd think they'd like us linking their diamonds! I am happy to post or look at links for people, but it helps if the link actually works!

Copying and pasting the URL instead of clicking on the link will bring you to the correct Blue Nile page.

 

[alamana]

I am about to refuse to link anything from BN since NONE of their links work!!! So tired of that!

It's beyond annoying. Why on earth is their site like that?

I have not seen another site that does that! You'd think they'd like us linking their diamonds! I am happy to post or look at links for people, but it helps if the link actually works!

Copying and pasting the URL instead of clicking on the link will bring you to the correct Blue Nile page.

Yes, but that is a frustrating pain-in-the-@$$ when everything else is simply clickable.

 

[JDDN]

Hi Rogueish, wondering where you are on your search?

 

[Rogueish]

Thank you all for your valuable advice, I am finally narrowing things down. I spent an hour at a jewelery store comparing rings, particularly to get a feel for how apparent differences in size, clarity and color are, it was good to actually look at different stones side by side.

I am leaning toward this ring http://www.whiteflash.com/engagement-rings/diamond-settings/legato-shared-prong-diamond-engagement-ring-1009.htm or at least that style, I'm pretty certain I want platinum, I'm a little put off by the rhodium plating on white gold and it wearing over time and needing to be replated - if I have misinterpretted this I'd welcome comment.

Now, the diamond, this ring includes "8 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Diamond Melee (0.28ctw; F/G VS)", as I look for a main stone do you think it should match up to these specifications or exceed them? I have been looking around the $6-7k mark for the diamond, I'd like it to be between 1.0 and 1.2 carats I think, eye clean but still deliberate over cut/color/clarity.

Do you think it is important that I choose a "WF Rated" stone rather than "Virtual Selection"?

What stone would you choose for this ring around the $6-7k mark?

This one http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3571558.htm is 0.97 Carat, F, VS2, Expert Selection for $7k whereas this one http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3594314.htm for comparison is 1.15, G, VS2, it is eye clean but not WF rated.

It appears that the difference in size is about 0.5mm which seems marginal although then again it is about 8% "bigger" I suppose.

What would you choose to put in this ring?

 

[Gypsy]

You can go down to H. Stick to diamonds in stock. Eyeclean SI is. Good enough. .5 is a large visual difference.

 

[Rogueish]

You can go down to H. Stick to diamonds in stock. Eyeclean SI is. Good enough. .5 is a large visual difference.

Something like this maybe? http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3586264.htm

I searched on H/I, SI1, "A cut above" with an upper price of $7,200 (it's interesting how easily you slip upwards in price!). This is the largest diamond that comes up at 1.213 carats, 6.84mm.

 

[Rogueish]

My not very scientific analysis of the ring http://www.whiteflash.com/engagement-rings/diamond-settings/legato-shared-prong-diamond-engagement-ring-1009.htm suggests that the diamond shown is roughly 6.8mm in diameter, to try to get an idea of how the sizes of other diamond I have looked at I sketched it up and yes, I'd agree that those fractions of a mm make a difference



It's also reassuring that the "recently purchased" pictures seem to be 0.831ct and look pretty darned nice to me.

 

[Gypsy]

You can go down to H. Stick to diamonds in stock. Eyeclean SI is. Good enough. .5 is a large visual difference.

Something like this maybe? http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3586264.htm

I searched on H/I, SI1, "A cut above" with an upper price of $7,200 (it's interesting how easily you slip upwards in price!). This is the largest diamond that comes up at 1.213 carats, 6.84mm.

Perfect. I think you should put it on hold. It's gorgeous.

Regarding the setting. Can you ask them if they can put a Legato head on this shank instead? http://www.whiteflash.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/benchmark-csp4a-crescent-diamond-shared-prong-engagement-ring-4278.htm This shank style is a lot more comfortable than the one you were looking at.

 

[Gypsy]

I really like these two settings better:

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/engagement-rings/pave-and-side-stones/u-shaped-half-eternity-18k-white-gold-5483w18
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/engagement-rings/pave-and-side-stones/dream-half-eternity-truth-head-18k-white-gold-5498w18

 

[Rogueish]

Regarding the setting. Can you ask them if they can put a Legato head on this shank instead? http://www.whiteflash.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/benchmark-csp4a-crescent-diamond-shared-prong-engagement-ring-4278.htm This shank style is a lot more comfortable than the one you were looking at.

I think I looked at that one but felt I really wanted platinum and it's only available in gold (white, yellow and rose).

 

[E B]

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/engagement-rings/pave-and-side-stones/dream-half-eternity-truth-head-18k-white-gold-5498w18

You could pair this with this diamond, which IMO would be 'safer' in color for someone who isn't choosing for themselves (but get confirmation that it's eye-clean):

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/d...1.155-h-si1-round-diamond-ags-bl-104083953019

 

[Gypsy]

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/engagement-rings/pave-and-side-stones/dream-half-eternity-truth-head-18k-white-gold-5498w18

You could pair this with this diamond, which IMO would be 'safer' in color for someone who isn't choosing for themselves (but get confirmation that it's eye-clean):

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/d...1.155-h-si1-round-diamond-ags-bl-104083953019

Oh thats a great combo!! I love that.

 

[Rogueish]

Once again thank you all for your suggestions, in line with what has been suggested I feel I'm narrowing it down, slowly.

Option One:
Ring : http://www.whiteflash.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/benchmark-csp4a-crescent-diamond-shared-prong-engagement-ring-4278.htm
Diamond : http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3586264.htm

Option Two:
Ring : http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/engagement-rings/pave-and-side-stones/u-shaped-half-eternity-18k-white-gold-5483w18
Diamonds : http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.441-k-vs2-round-diamond-ags-bl-104084407033 or http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.218-j-vs2-round-diamond-ags-104084407004

I'm juggling the color/clarity aspect, she clearly said she likes a little color in a diamond so I'm not hesitant about going to I, I'm not sure about going to J or K though.

I think that if I am understanding things correctly the last two diamonds are good clarity (VS2) and going from J to K takes me from a 6.8mm stone to a 7.2mm for roughly the same price.

Do you think "I like color in a diamond" equates to going to a K? I saw one diamond in a store last night that was noticeably cloudy, I didn't like it at all but that's "clarity", correct? A VS2 whether a J or K should be clear but with some color?

 

[Lenapie]

A VS2 should be eye-clean in most cases; really, really just depends on how eagle-like you/your fiancée's eyes are!

The one from Whiteflash is an SI1, but it's got the "Eyeclean" designation, so that should be a safe pick.

A good thing about that K coloured one from BGD is that it's got fluorescence, which will make it appear whiter! It's quite a bit larger than the other two options, too, which is also a plus. With really good cuts, even at J or K colour the stone will still appear quite white, especially top down. It's only at an angle do you usually see a hint of warmth to the stone. I have an antique cushion cut and it's a J. Because of the excellent light performance, it appears very white 90% of the time. Only when I look very closely and at an angle do I see the hint of warmth. Perhaps you could check out the exchange/upgrade policies of the two companies and see which gives you a better safety net, just in case your soon-to-be fiancée does find the stone too warm, then you can always exchange/upgrade (some places allow for higher priced or same price upgrades) the stone.

Excited to see the finished product!

 

[Rogueish]

A VS2 should be eye-clean in most cases; really, really just depends on how eagle-like you/your fiancée's eyes are!

Obviously I'm drawn to this one http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.441-k-vs2-round-diamond-ags-bl-104084407033 due to the size but I want to be sure I'm not compromising too much. From what I understand being a VS2 it should be "eye clean", i.e. not cloudy so I'd expect it to be clear with a slight yellowish tint probably only really visible from the side, does that sound correct?

I've been watching videos on YouTube comparing stones of different color ratings and feel pretty comfortable that a J or K wouldn't look unduly colored. I guess they have a 15-day inspection period which is good news, the only downside is that I wanted to have the ring engraved too and you cannot return one that has been engraved.

I wonder if I could buy it then get it engraved elsewhere assuming I like it, or I could save the engraving for the wedding band maybe, that sort of feels more appropriate.

 

[Lenapie]

I'm sure you could keep the ring and just return the stone and find another one with higher colour. The ring, being engraved, would probably be a no return, but the stone alone shouldn't be a problem, is my guess. Of course, do check it out with the vendors first, just to confirm!

And yes, I would say your summary does sound correct. At the end of the day, though, it's all a matter of perspective. Have you checked out any videos that show J or K coloured diamonds that are excellent quality cuts? It'd be helpful to take a look at a some of those to see what you think. Just make sure you're looking a high quality cut ones, because that will make a difference.

 

[Rogueish]

I'm sure you could keep the ring and just return the stone and find another one with higher colour. The ring, being engraved, would probably be a no return, but the stone alone shouldn't be a problem, is my guess. Of course, do check it out with the vendors first, just to confirm!

I agree, I do need to see the ring in person too though. When we first looked we thought these bands looked too thick, we then went to a few jewelers and decided 2.4mm - 3.0mm was what she liked, this one is 2.2mm but looking at the stones set in the band I think it would work really well - I'm loathe to jump straight in with engraving though on an $1,800 ring sight-unseen.

I suspect I'll get the ring and diamond, take a look then decide if I like it how to get it engraved or whether to wait and have the wedding band engraved (as I'll know the dimensions and how it looks by then).

 

[Gypsy]

I don't think a K in a diamond sidestones setting like that is a good idea. Too much contrast with the sidestones. I'd stick to I or better in color.

I STRONGLY suggest this.

 

[Lenapie]

Sounds like a solid plan! Excited to see the final ring!

 

[Rogueish]

I don't think a K in a diamond sidestones setting like that is a good idea. Too much contrast with the sidestones. I'd stick to I or better in color.

I STRONGLY suggest this.

Captures my dilemma, going to an I around the same price takes it down to 1 ct vs. 1.4 ct, I should never have let her lok at the 1.5 ct loose stone last night at the jewelry store!!

Given that the side stones are set in to the band do you still feel it is significant? I guess it's terminology, I had thought of "side stones" as being the ones in a three-stone mount with a larger diamond in the middle and smaller ones mounted at the sides.

 

[E B]

An "I" in your budget is doable, you just may have to switch vendors (or go virtual selection at Brian Gavin).

This setting from JA is pretty:

http://www.jamesallen.com/engagemen...num-scalloped-pave-engagement-ring-item-53017

With this 1.4 I, SI1 True Hearts (AGS ideal) you're at $10,380:

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-dia...arat-i-color-si1-clarity-ideal-cut-sku-872676 (check about inclusions, here- it looks eye-clean but it's hard to tell what's going on in the report scan.)

If you want to stick with the BGD setting, you could have them call in some out of house and find a nice one in-budget.

 

[Rogueish]

An "I" in your budget is doable, you just may have to switch vendors (or go virtual selection at Brian Gavin).

This setting from JA is pretty:

http://www.jamesallen.com/engagemen...num-scalloped-pave-engagement-ring-item-53017

With this 1.4 I, SI1 True Hearts (AGS ideal) you're at $10,380:

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-dia...arat-i-color-si1-clarity-ideal-cut-sku-872676 (check about inclusions, here- it looks eye-clean but it's hard to tell what's going on in the report scan.)

If you want to stick with the BGD setting, you could have them call in some out of house and find a nice one in-budget.

I'm not sure I understand, are you saying BG are more expensive for comparable diamonds? I realize that I can get a higher color rating (or bigger for that matter) by jumping up $1,500 in price but I feel I have to draw the line somewhere. I started off looking around $6,000 for a diamond, slipped up to $7,000 then a bit beyond but I figure I have to draw the line somewhere.

If the consensus is that a K is unacceptable I'd probably lean toward the whiteflash stone, going down to 1.2 ct in order to get a whiter stone. From what I have read though a K from BG isn't a bad thing as the fluorescence tends to whiten it somewhat.

 

[E B]

If the consensus is that a K is unacceptable I'd probably lean toward the whiteflash stone, going down to 1.2 ct in order to get a whiter stone. From what I have read though a K from BG isn't a bad thing as the fluorescence tends to whiten it somewhat.

It's hard to say...what's acceptable is so different for each person. Have you been talking to your girlfriend about this process? If so, you could involve her in the diamond choosing process but keep the setting/proposal details secret for the best of both worlds.

 

[Rogueish]

If the consensus is that a K is unacceptable I'd probably lean toward the whiteflash stone, going down to 1.2 ct in order to get a whiter stone. From what I have read though a K from BG isn't a bad thing as the fluorescence tends to whiten it somewhat.

It's hard to say...what's acceptable is so different for each person. Have you been talking to your girlfriend about this process? If so, you could involve her in the diamond choosing process but keeping the setting/proposal details secret for the best of both worlds.

To quote her she doesn't mind / quite likes a little color and size is a big deal to her, she wants 1.5ct. Combining that with trying to set a budget is my challenge. The WF stone I posted earlier was my first choice as a good balance then when I preferred the BG setting I started the diamond search there and came across the two I posted.

While I see from comparison videos that color can be noticed all I've read suggests the way BG pick them with regard to fluorescence minimises it, I also get the impression that on its own it's much harder to tell as you're not comparing stones side by side.

My worry is a noticeable difference between the band stones and then centre stone.

 

[Lenapie]

Would it be possible to ask BG to put the K coloured stone into a setting they have in stock (that has the same/similar shoulder stones) and take a picture for you? They can just rest the diamond in the unset prongs. It would be super easy to do, I think.