Spending more on the setting?

[Ivy08]

Hi all!

My boyfriend and I have started to discuss looking at rings, and I''m sort of torn in two directions. Our budget is going to be fairly small since he''s going to be starting law school soon. On one hand, I can see the practicality in going with the largest diamond I can get for our price range (not sure on that yet, definitely under 5k) and sticking with a plain solitaire setting. However, I am also totally in LOVE with a Van Craeynest setting that in 18k white gold would eat up at least half of our max budget - the setting is about $2500. I''m afraid to go with route #1 because I suspect that if I decided to upgrade later on down the road I''d feel guilty about ditching what he proposed to me with (plain setting and all)....but then with door #2 I can see regretting spending so much on a setting off the bat! I''m a fairly tall girl (over 5''7") with longish fingers and a size 5.5 ring finger, so 1/2 carat looks respectable on me. Any advice, suggestions from ladies who have been there (or men who have been on the other end of things!)? Am I being ridiculous in any way?

 

[FrekeChild]

I say, if you want that setting, you should get it, and get white sapphire to put in it for now and then later get a diamond to fit and switch it out. Sapphires are just white and icy instead of having fire. That way, no one would really notice if you changed out a sapphire for a diamond. They would notice a different setting. (Well, I would.)

That way you can have your setting. That''s what I''d do. But you could do it the other way too.

 

[lovegem]

Since you don't know your exact budget and you said under 5k (which is a very good budget), I will assume you have a 5k budget.

If you are happy with a 0.5ct stone, then I think you are ok to get the expensive setting. For example, a 0.65 ct H/SI1 stone costs $1900 at GOG. here is the link http://goodoldgold.com/diamond/4356/ Very good cut too. Then you can spend $2500 on your ring. I think you can get the ring setting you want and a diamond you will be happy with. A 0.5ct J/SI1 stone can cost as little as $1200 which is very good too.

If you are not size sensitive, the expensive ring setting and the 0.5ct stone may be the way to go.

If you don't mind sharing, I would like to see the ring setting you are interested in.

My real advice would be, diamonds are luxury items. Tuition is a necessity (even though we don't want to pay for it). I would rather buy a plain setting and a small diamond than having to borrow money for tuition and pay interest later for going to school. An extra few thousand $ in your bank while going to school will make your life so much easier. Just personal preference on how to spend money.

 

[Skippy123]

Well if you are looking to upgrade later I would check with VC and see it they could change the head out if you ever wanted to upgrade your stone.
Also, here are some pictures for inspiration https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/van-craeynest-antique-design-settings.52971/
and here https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/show-me-some-van-craeynest.79472/

 

[dockman3]

Hi there and welcome to PriceScope! I''m a guy who was just on the other end of things. I had a similar budget to yours and I was looking for rings for my gf. I had planned to spend only up to $1000 on the setting and the rest on the stone to get the biggest diamond I could in my budget. However, I came across the setting in my avatar picture and absolutely fell in love with it. She wanted a 3-stone ring, so it was perfect. I tried for a long time to find a comparable setting that wasn''t a designer setting (its a Scott Kay), but to no avail. All of the knockoffs looked like knockoffs to me and I bit the bullet and got the setting. Because of that, I had to settle for a somewhat smaller stone than I would have liked, but in my view, I''m giving her an engagement RING, not an engagement diamond. I wanted the best possible overall ring, not just the biggest diamond. That''s why I found the setting first. It was much harder to find the setting than it was to find the diamond. All well cut diamonds are really sparkly, and if you stay within certain color/clarity limits, you almost can''t tell them apart unless you have them side by side. But settings you can tell instantly just by looking at them.

The moral of my story is that if you fell in love with that setting, get it! Buy a RING and not just a diamond.

 

[sunnyd]

That''s how we''re doing it too. The setting will be about $600 more than the diamond cost (.48ct cushion). I even tried to convince myself that we should do a temp setting, but BF didn''t want me showing off a ring that I wasn''t attached to really. So, it works for us and it works for other people.

Now what setting would this be...?

 

[caligirl08]

go with what your heart tells you- you can always get a larger diamond later but that setting may not be around...

 

[NeverEndingUpgrade]

I had a $400 marquise that I had set into a $1250 18K yellow gold and diamond band and wore for 14 years. The band made the diamond look bigger and more expensive. Plus, I loved the setting. I can see why you have fallen in love with the Van Craeynest. Their stuff is absolutely beautiful.

I have just purchased a new diamond and wedding set, and the old marquise is going to be set into a pendant, and the band is going to be set with a colored stone to wear as a RHR. If you get the VC setting, you can always get a bigger diamond later (if you want) and have the original diamond set into a pendant or other piece!

 

[elle_chris]

Date: 7/16/2008 3:44:10 AM
Author:Ivy08
Hi all!

My boyfriend and I have started to discuss looking at rings, and I''m sort of torn in two directions. Our budget is going to be fairly small since he''s going to be starting law school soon. On one hand, I can see the practicality in going with the largest diamond I can get for our price range (not sure on that yet, definitely under 5k) and sticking with a plain solitaire setting. However, I am also totally in LOVE with a Van Craeynest setting that in 18k white gold would eat up at least half of our max budget - the setting is about $2500. I''m afraid to go with route #1 because I suspect that if I decided to upgrade later on down the road I''d feel guilty about ditching what he proposed to me with (plain setting and all)....but then with door #2 I can see regretting spending so much on a setting off the bat! I''m a fairly tall girl (over 5''7'') with longish fingers and a size 5.5 ring finger, so 1/2 carat looks respectable on me. Any advice, suggestions from ladies who have been there (or men who have been on the other end of things!)? Am I being ridiculous in any way?

A setting should not be a second thought because you can get a larger stone for that money. The ring is the WHOLE package.

If you fell in love with the van craeynest, go for it! You''ll enjoy looking at it everyday and that''s what matters most.

 

[Love in Bloom]

I'd say go for the ring you love. I admit, I'm partial to Van Craeynest because most of my jewelry is from them.

I had to reset my engagement diamond because my first setting was so awfully made. That doesn't mean my proposal was any less special to me, but if my husband had proposed with the VC ring set with my diamond...it would have totally rocked my world!!

Also, I agree with Skippy123 (thanks for linking the VC thread Skippy!) about asking if you can change out a stone later. They may be able to size up prongs in anticipation of that happening. What setting are you thinking about getting Ivy?

 

[Ivy08]

Wow so many responses! Thanks everyone! To answer/respond to a few things...

FrekeChild, while I can see doing that (I had no idea white sapphire was so economical), I would be reluctant to have something without as much fire as a diamond. We can afford to put a diamond in the setting, albeit a smaller one than on a solitaire.

lovegem, do you think a J would be too warm-looking set in white gold? I agree that having extra $$$ for tuition would be very nice, but I want to make sure the diamond looks white in the setting.

Skippy123...Oh man, I''ve already ogled those threads thoroughly.

dockman3 - thanks for sharing your story. What you said really made sense to me, about giving the ring and not just the diamond. I think you''ve convinced me that I would rather, if given the choice, upgrade the rock and not the ring.

sunnyd - whew. That makes me feel better. A lot of the advice given in these forums is to go for the bigger rock and stick it in a solitaire to stretch the budget. But I guess I forgot that in those cases, usually diamond size was the prevailing issue.

caligirl08: I didn''t even consider that...

NeverEndingUpgrade...I also didn''t consider the idea of just relocating the diamond, instead of giving it up entirely for a new one, should I feel that way...great suggestion!

elle_chris, thanks for the support...this is the way I have been leaning, but I think I needed to hear other people tell me I wasn''t nuts!

Love in Bloom - oooh yes I''ve seen your bling. Gorgeous! Re: the prongs. So if I had it set with a .5 ct and hadn''t had them adjust the prongs in anticipation of a larger diamond I might run into problems? Or is that only if I were to get above a 1 ct with a style that isn''t meant for something that large?

And...it''s style 457 - the one with the orange blossoms and shields. Clay-Pot had the best picture of it here. *Loves* ...Although I will admit, I am also deeply attracted to 456. I love the use of orange blossoms...how Victorian and perfectly fitting an engagement ring or wedding band!

 

[dockman3]

You''re very welcome and excellent choice on the setting! Its gorgeous, and she will love it!

 

[phoenixgirl]

Well, only you can decide what you really want, but I think you sound really exciting about the setting(s) that you are considering. Being a teacher, most of my friends have under one carat diamonds, and the ones that really stand out are the ones with blingy or unusual settings.

 

[MomHelpingSon]

I agree--a quality setting is very important and you should go with what you love!

 

[Ivy08]

I am really excited. I was afraid it was weird that I was leaning towards being way more attached to the setting than to the diamond, but all of you made me feel a lot better about it.

 

[Love in Bloom]

Date: 7/16/2008 10:24:36 PM
Author: Ivy08

Love in Bloom - oooh yes I''ve seen your bling. Gorgeous! Re: the prongs. So if I had it set with a .5 ct and hadn''t had them adjust the prongs in anticipation of a larger diamond I might run into problems? Or is that only if I were to get above a 1 ct with a style that isn''t meant for something that large?

And...it''s style 457 - the one with the orange blossoms and shields. Clay-Pot had the best picture of it here. *Loves* ...Although I will admit, I am also deeply attracted to 456. I love the use of orange blossoms...how Victorian and perfectly fitting an engagement ring or wedding band!

Thanks Ivy! I''m totally partial to the settings you mentioned ...

Maybe you could contact them to see if anything could be done to anticipate a stone change? I''ll bet it''s totally possible and I''m kind of curious myself.

I have my suspicions, though, that it could probably be done by any competent stone setter. I know Selkie bought a prefiously set WG ring and had her jeweler build up the prongs to fit her Tsavorite garnet perfectly. Also, Mariposa had her prongs fixed and stone set correctly by VC. I personally wouldn''t want anybody else other than VC to set my stone or work on my rings because I have had bad experiences with jewelers in my area. But I''m sure there are other jewelers out there who could totally do it!

 

[rcrosier]

If you are set on a future upgrade, be sure to buy from a seller with a trade-up policy... As for setting vs. stone, I would go for the stone over the setting, but thats going to have to be your decision based on how much you like settings. One of my friends got engaged and spent $3K on the setting and $4K on the diamond... I couldn''t believe it, but it is what she wanted so good for them!

 

[decodelighted]

I love that orange blossom setting. Its like creating an heirloom! I totally *get it*. Unless you intend to trade that original diamond in to get a larger one later, don''t worry about the trade up policy or the prong issue. But if you eventually want a larger diamond in that setting - def check out both of those things.

PIX when you gets it!!! pretty pls.

 

[Jelly]

The setting is gorgeous. I definitely second the idea of getting the setting with a smaller diamond and going with a jeweler with a good trade-up policy. That''s what I did and I''ve been very happy.

That setting has an beautiful antique feel. A warmer colored diamond would look so beautiful in it!

 

[Circe]

As so many people have already said, the important thing is the ring, not just the diamond. The setting that you''ve chosen is amazing, and a .5 ct. stone will look gorgeous in it. Get what makes you happy!

P.S. - I wear a J stone in platinum, and it looks white as can be in daylight, with a little richness in others lighting. Other posters call it an "ivory" tinge, or "warmth" ... it''s a different look, but not a detraction. Be sure to go and look at actual stones/call them in to be sure that you''re not color-sensitive in a negative fashion, but I''d say you have an excellent plan.

 

[Ivy08]

Love in Bloom, I think I will contact them...so far I''ve only spoken to a couple of the retailers that carry VC to try and get an idea on pricing for white gold vs. platinum (

- almost a $1500 dollar difference)...do you think perhaps dealing with VC directly would be a better idea? We don''t have a solid budget yet, my FF surprised me by saying "we should keep it under 8k" - I think maybe he''s been saving for longer than I imagined because I was sure it wouldn''t be that much, so I might actually be able to get a bit more than a 1/2 ct. In that case, the upgrade might not be necessary.

decodelighted, I will totally post pics when I get it...whenever that eventually happens, lol. But I promise!

Jelly and Circe - do you think so, that I could go with a "warmer" diamond? My only concern would be having it look yellow in the setting. I have never really looked closely at different color grades next to each other, so it''s something I''d have to look into. I think one of the few times I got an honest look at a lower grade was at Sam''s Club, because there''s nothing like warehouse lighting to strip away any pretense...they had mostly I''s (with I1 clarity!) and I was just entranced by the sparkle more than anything - plus I was mostly seeing what 1/2 ct. (albeit poorly cut) looked like on my finger. No pressure sales to deal with at Sam''s, just good old-fashioned research.

 

[lovegem]

Ivy, I have not seen a J color stone myself. I know many people here have I-J color stones, and they are very happy with them. I would suggest you not to put the different color side by side. Look at them separately first if you can''t tell the difference, then put them side by side. For myself, I couldn''t really tell a G color from a D color unless I put them side by side. I wouldn''t pay for the extra money for a D color just because I can tell the difference when put them side by side. In real life neither me nor my observer will be able to put another D color stone beside my G color stone just for trying to put me down.

Now that you have extra money you can play around a bit with color, size, clarity and cut. Isn''t it nice? Have fun!

 

[Bliss]

I agree! The setting is lovely and it''s what makes the diamond ring... well, YOU.

Even with a fabulous rock, if you put it into a poorly made or generic setting, it''s just not the same. Take it from me. I know!!! The setting is where the personality shows most. YAY!

Congrats!

 

[Love in Bloom]

Date: 7/18/2008 5:57:48 PM
Author: Ivy08

Love in Bloom, I think I will contact them...so far I''ve only spoken to a couple of the retailers that carry VC to try and get an idea on pricing for white gold vs. platinum (

- almost a $1500 dollar difference)...do you think perhaps dealing with VC directly would be a better idea? We don''t have a solid budget yet, my FF surprised me by saying ''we should keep it under 8k'' - I think maybe he''s been saving for longer than I imagined because I was sure it wouldn''t be that much, so I might actually be able to get a bit more than a 1/2 ct. In that case, the upgrade might not be necessary.

I have had wonderful experiences dealling with VC directly and wouldn''t hesitate to call regarding pricing. I think it would be awesome to get the setting in platinum if you can!

 

[AnitaT]

Ivy08,
I can''t believe I missed this VC post until now! Like LIB (hiya LIB

), I have worked with Larry directly. He is a kind and talented person who really takes pride in his work. I wish he was on the East coast, but that''s okay.

When my bf and I started looking, it seemed like some jewelry stores equated aloof with quality...as if buying a setting and a center stone wasn''t stressful enough.

Thank goodness for Larry and GOG! Both have been down-to-earth and answered my questions. I felt like I was interacting with real people who enjoy what they do. I am very happy we are getting a VC setting. It will be a very special piece.

(LIB--we sent off the stone!)

 

[Love in Bloom]

Date: 7/23/2008 12:01:43 AM
Author: AnitaT


(LIB--we sent off the stone!)

fantastic news!!!!