Yeah... a newbie needing some input.

[V-Dude]

Hi there,

I must admit that it is possible that I just grab some info and disapear, but I am surely recommending this place to friends. I have begun reading this forum a few weeks ago and finally I could not resist joining. On one hand, I wish I never began reading about diamonds because now my decision is harder and harder. On the other hand, it is totally interesting. I can see why some of you have a passion for this. I am beginning to like it myself.

I have a couple of questions if some of you don''t mind taking the time?

I am working on buying a ring now. I can only afford somewhere in the range of 1/2 carat. (Around $600-$1000)

Is there a way to maximize that? For example: Does a 1/2 carat Princess look bigger than a 1/2 carat round? Is there a certain cut that usually looks bigger? Is there a certain cut that I want to avoid because they just don''t work/look well as a smaller stone?

My girlfriend says she prefers small and from the heart. I thought, "Great! I will get a heart shape" but I think the 1/3 carat heart that I found would be too small to show that it is actually a heart?

She says small, so I''m lucky because that is what I can afford, but I would like something that might stand out. This is a goofy example, but her fingers are the size of a tube of lipstick. Would a 1/2 carat be decent for that size of finger? (I''m working on getting her actual size now)

I read that one should go with a solitare to get maximum bang for the buck, and I can see why, but I am still looking for that special setting that would have some meaning for us. (Upwards of $500)

Thanks for any and all help!

V-Dude

 

[Lorelei]

Welcome to PS, glad you decided to join in the fun! When trying to maximise bang for the buck, many advise to think fancy shapes, pears, Marquise and ovals can look the largest for the carat weight if your GF likes these shape diamonds. An Asscher can look the smallest for it's carat weight, with Princesses I am not sure.....Of course a round is always right and .5 carat is a lovely size and very classic on small fingers. Whatever you choose make cut your top priority as this is what makes a diamond beautiful. Also you can go for an H or even I colour and S12 clarity to maximise size and still have a clean white diamond in a round. Fancy shapes depending, an H is a good middle ground for colour as you might see a little warmth in a fancy at I and above but this depends on the individual colour perception.

Hope this helps

ETA - is your budget of $600 - 1000 for the centre diamond or to include the setting?

 

[V-Dude]

Nice! This is the type of input that I was looking for.
Thank you very much! (and thank you in advance to anyone else)

Would I have to watch for something on a marquise that small?
I would think the edges might be pretty fragile???

I like Marquises. Princess was coming in 2nd, followed by rounds.
I was thinking $600-$1000 for the stone and I saw some settings with side stones/diamonds in the $300-$600 dollar range.

I can''t believe I am actually finding this quite interesting.

Thanks a million!

V-Dude

 

[Lorelei]

You are welcome! With a Marquise, properly set it shouldn't be a problem, maybe Jazmine or someone who knows more about these can chime in? Princess cuts - it is said that the edges can be more fragile and you can have the tips chamfered ( blunted off ) if you wish by a cutter, but this is subject to opinion - a good setting can help a lot. I am sure you will be able to find what you want in your budget, I had a quick look on Whiteflash and found a couple of .5 rounds which might fit the bill for just under the $1k mark. You are right, it is interesting and addictive and that is why so many of us stick around for so long to help newbies navigate the waters, plus the fun and friendship we find within the PS community.

 

[blodthecat]

Hi and welcome to PS!

You should have no problem finding a .50ct diamond for 1k. Have a look at Whiteflash 'expert selection'. As Lorelei has already said, the cut is the most important thing.

If your lady has larger hands, it might be good idea to consider a setting with a bit more detail. Either side stones or bagettes. Again you should be able to find something within your budget.

I personal prefer RB because they offer the most light return, However, do you know what your lady prefers?

I have found a setting at Whiteflash ($500) which would definitely add extra BLING to your ring. But I would definitely test the water and try to find out what she likes.

Enjoy the process!

 

[Lorelei]

Bleh! I wish I could post pics like that Bloddie me old pal, I am useless at that kind of thing....nice setting BTW!

Here is a diamond within budget which might have possibilities http://www.whiteflash.com/round_ideal_cut/Round-Ideal-Cut-cut-diamond-2362024.htm#

 

[ladykemma]

hi -- this forum attracts mathemeticians, science nerds and computer geeks. diamond science-- refraction and reflection, covalently bonded carbon you know...
1. get some input from your lady and find out whether she likes yellow metal or white metal.
2. preferred shapes? marquise and ideal round will get you more bang for the buck. i would gently try to steer you away from heart shape as these are better used for pendants.
3. a plain solitaire setting will never go out of style. 6 prong is safer.

 

[Agent3Civ]

V-Dude, I was recently in the same boat as you. Wanting to spend about $1500 for the diamond and setting. I was able to find a lot of options to choose from. I decided to go with a RB H&A from WF. I agree with what everyone says about cut being the most important thing. Are you dead set on getting a setting with diamond accents or are you considering a solitaire. Getting a solitaire would give you a little extra money for the diamond itself. Here''s the one I picked out if it helps you get a gage on what you can expect for that kinda money. Like I said its a round brilliant Hearts & Arrows. .555 carat, I color, SI1 clarity. With the 18k white gold setting, the price came to just under $1500. Hope any of this helps ya out and good luck with the search.

 

[firebirdgold]

Maybe this link will help. It''s a visual comparison of diamond shapes at different carat sizes. The caveat is that it''s ''best case'' scenario which isn''t always connected to real life. The best bet is to keep an eye on the mm dimensions of whatever shape you''re looking at. Because of the differences in cut a .45 carat could look as big if not bigger than a .5 carat. (But you probably already know that.)
Our budget isn''t that much bigger than yours is (I presume), so I''ve been stuffing a few likely looking rb candidates in my wishlist at WF.
One of them is the J Lorelei posted.
I also have:

https://www.whiteflash.com/round_ideal_cut/Round-Ideal-Cut-cut-diamond-2362018.htm
And
https://www.whiteflash.com/round_ideal_cut/Round-Ideal-Cut-cut-diamond-798840.htm
And
https://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-1358347.htm
Don''t forget there''s a Pricescope discount on WhiteFlash diamonds.

I''m most fond of Whiteflash since I feel like they have the best selection of diamonds in our budget range.

I recently went to a jewelry store and fell in love with the look of a .5 tcw trellis/x-prong three stone ring. Since the price per carat ratchets up as the carat size increases, one .3 carat and two .1 carat diamonds would be less than a .5 carat diamond. Yet it would span 10-10.5 mm across her finger. Granted that''s only 4.5 mm thick at the center stone, but it does make it easier to fit a wedding band next to the ring. I don''t know how much WF would charge to custom make it, but I do know that three stone x-prong rings are manufactured by someone in that size range, since I saw a manufacturer''s catalog with them. (didn''t catch the name though).
Hope I could help

 

[Small]

Date: 4/20/2006 4:06:29 AM
Author: V-Dude
Nice! This is the type of input that I was looking for.
Thank you very much! (and thank you in advance to anyone else)

Would I have to watch for something on a marquise that small?
I would think the edges might be pretty fragile???

I like Marquises. Princess was coming in 2nd, followed by rounds.
I was thinking $600-$1000 for the stone and I saw some settings with side stones/diamonds in the $300-$600 dollar range.

I can''t believe I am actually finding this quite interesting.

Thanks a million!

V-Dude

Welcome to PS V-dude

Do you have any ideas on what shape your GF prefers??? The reason I ask is this...I own a marquise and while I still think it''s a nice shape I would definitely NOT choose it again. Marquise shape will definitely look bigger for it''s ct weight (mine is .81 and looks alot bigger) however it''s definitely not a shape that everyone loves. So my advice with that is to make sure she will love it before buying. 7 years later I''m not in love with it thus my new round stone for an anniversary upgrade of sorts

There have been some really nice suggestions in the .5ct RB ideal cuts. If she''s a fan at all of rounds I think you can''t go wrong with listening to the suggestions of these helpful psers. As for princess cuts...I love them but I found in my search for my new stone that they appeared smaller (.5 and 1ct is all I tried) than the many rounds that I tried on. But that was just my findings and preferences.

Wish you the best of luck in your search. Keep us updated with what you decide!

 

[V-Dude]

Wow! You guys/girls are really great!

I want to respond to everyone, but I don''t want to tie up the thread. However I did look at all the pictures and they are super. At first I was feeling like I couldn''t get anything adequate but your posts confirm that I can.

I know sincerely know that she will be happy with whatever I get her, but I want to get her a little something more than she is expecting. I am lucky because with her, anything over a couple of dollars will bring a "You shouldn''t have" reaction.

Well, a few hours ago I just learned that she actually likes Pears. Ouch! It looks like they are a bit lower on the per carat cost, but I didn''t expect that??

I am also thinking of a setting with some side stones?

With a Pear, what would some general rules be? Any limits on color with white gold, as opposed to yellow?

This is really cool! Thanks a million!
(and I promise to post a picture)

V-Dude

P.S.
Agent3Civ don''t tell my friends that I said this: That is a beautiful ring! haha

 

[mrssalvo]

Hey V-dude, I would suggest startinga new thread asking for help on pears. our resident pear owners will surely chime in. I don''t know much about them at all except you have to watch for what looks like a bowtie running through the middle