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It's my birthday! Looking for advice

Mymaria

Rough_Rock
Joined
Sep 13, 2016
Messages
8
Long time lurker here... I've been wanting to post for a while now. But finally got the go ahead after 6 years from my boyfriend to show him what I like for an engagement ring. Happy birthday to me!! :dance: His budget is 4k.

I've learned soooo much about diamonds in the past year that I would have never known if it wasn't for this forum. I would like to call it a blessing, but then again, my standards for a round diamond are now ridiculously high.

A little about me.. I am very petite with a small hand and size 3 or 3.25 finger. I want the best amount of finger coverage for my budget so I am looking for a minimum of .70 carat round or spread of at least 5.75mm. The bigger, the better of course. I am pretty positive I would like to purchase diamond from Whiteflash due to their excellent upgrade policy, so I can get a larger diamond down the road without spending twice as much just to upgrade.

Here's my dilemma. The settings I love from there are too much for my budget if I want that size stone. Ideally, I would like to have a halo setting, but it just isn't in the budget. I would rather have the biggest diamond I can afford and set it in a solitaire. My problem is finding a solitaire that is fairly thin due to my finger size being so small and also one that doesn't dwarf my stone! I would rather not spend another $1k just for a solitaire setting bc I want more money for stone and want to upgrade to different setting eventually.

Anyone have any experience buying diamonds from whiteflash and the setting from another vendor???

I've also heard so many great things about IDJ and them working with your budget. I have contemplated that many times, I just want the perfect cut stone and seems like I can't go wrong with WF ACA line. Is it possible to get a setting from IDJ and stone from WF? Thanks so much for your help!!
 

pearaffair

Ideal_Rock
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3,445
Oh, whiteflash can work with stuller settings? Good to know!
 

tyty333

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Happy Birthday and Happy future engagement!

Not sure what your color tolerance is but looks like you can get up to a .81 (6mm) if you can do an I color. It's $3200
which leaves about $800 for a setting. You can ask WF what they have in your price range for setting that has a thinner band
(say like 2mm). Doesnt hurt to ask.
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3793653.htm


There is also this H but its not leaving much for a setting
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3802452.htm

Stuller does have a pretty big selection of settings. I'm sure you'll find something you like there.
 

Mymaria

Rough_Rock
Joined
Sep 13, 2016
Messages
8
Thanks so much! I did not know they worked with Stuller. I will definitely check them out.
 

Mymaria

Rough_Rock
Joined
Sep 13, 2016
Messages
8
tyty333|1487630876|4131374 said:
Happy Birthday and Happy future engagement!

Not sure what your color tolerance is but looks like you can get up to a .81 (6mm) if you can do an I color. It's $3200
which leaves about $800 for a setting. You can ask WF what they have in your price range for setting that has a thinner band
(say like 2mm). Doesnt hurt to ask.
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3793653.htm


There is also this H but its not leaving much for a setting
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3802452.htm

Stuller does have a pretty big selection of settings. I'm sure you'll find something you like there.

Thank you very much, TyTy! I'm so excited! I am not sure how color sensitive I am to be honest. I have looked in B&M stores, but never have seen anything other than a G color. The I you listed is bookmarked in my browser actually. It looks pretty bright and white to me. However, pictures can be deceiving I'm sure.
 

Tophat1

Brilliant_Rock
Premium
Joined
Feb 5, 2017
Messages
529
I recently selected a diamond for my future e-ring and went with an I color. I looked at many GIA graded stones in brick and mortar stores and while I could tell the color difference against a white background with the diamond face down, I certainly couldn't tell the difference with the diamond face up or mounted. J is about when I started to notice, but it isn't yellow, it just seems warmer. On a well cut diamond like a whiteflash ACA, it's even harder.
 

Dancing Fire

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Apr 3, 2004
Messages
33,852
Mymaria|1487632443|4131398 said:
Thank you very much, TyTy! I'm so excited! I am not sure how color sensitive I am to be honest. I have looked in B&M stores, but never have seen anything other than a G color. The I you listed is bookmarked in my browser actually. It looks pretty bright and white to me. However, pictures can be deceiving I'm sure.
The report is from which lab?
 

Mymaria

Rough_Rock
Joined
Sep 13, 2016
Messages
8
Tophat: that's good to know! It makes me feel better knowing that. And they have a great return policy if the color bothers me too much.

Dancing fire: I didn't ask. I just saw it on the tag. I was going to look mainly for sizes to see which size looked best. I'm sure it wasn't GIA or AGS though since it was in the mall.
 

bmfang

Brilliant_Rock
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Jan 2, 2017
Messages
1,851
Dancing Fire|1487643963|4131523 said:
Mymaria|1487632443|4131398 said:
Thank you very much, TyTy! I'm so excited! I am not sure how color sensitive I am to be honest. I have looked in B&M stores, but never have seen anything other than a G color. The I you listed is bookmarked in my browser actually. It looks pretty bright and white to me. However, pictures can be deceiving I'm sure.
The report is from which lab?

More than likely IGI (and likely IGI NY) or another lab that services mall jewellers (like GSI, etc), so in GIA/AGS terms it probably is a I at worst, H at best.
 

Dancing Fire

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Messages
33,852
Mymaria|1487657311|4131601 said:
Tophat: that's good to know! It makes me feel better knowing that. And they have a great return policy if the color bothers me too much.

Dancing fire: I didn't ask. I just saw it on the tag. I was going to look mainly for sizes to see which size looked best. I'm sure it wasn't GIA or AGS though since it was in the mall.
Then you are wasting your time with over graded stones... :knockout:
 

Diamond_Hawk

Brilliant_Rock
Trade
Joined
Apr 8, 2014
Messages
1,229
Dancing Fire|1487734721|4131998 said:
Mymaria|1487657311|4131601 said:
Tophat: that's good to know! It makes me feel better knowing that. And they have a great return policy if the color bothers me too much.

Dancing fire: I didn't ask. I just saw it on the tag. I was going to look mainly for sizes to see which size looked best. I'm sure it wasn't GIA or AGS though since it was in the mall.
Then you are wasting your time with over graded stones... :knockout:

Our advice will always be to use a consistent, trusted lab like those listed - also remember that diamonds are graded upside down. Why? So the cut (among other factors) does not influence the grader's opinion. If you go with a superior cut diamond it will likely "face-up" a grade or two higher than it is graded. If you are comfortable with a mall-cut GIA G or H, you may find an I or even J works really well when you get a superior cut.
 

Mymaria

Rough_Rock
Joined
Sep 13, 2016
Messages
8
Diamond_Hawk|1487739045|4132022 said:
Dancing Fire|1487734721|4131998 said:
Mymaria|1487657311|4131601 said:
Tophat: that's good to know! It makes me feel better knowing that. And they have a great return policy if the color bothers me too much.

Dancing fire: I didn't ask. I just saw it on the tag. I was going to look mainly for sizes to see which size looked best. I'm sure it wasn't GIA or AGS though since it was in the mall.
Then you are wasting your time with over graded stones... :knockout:

Our advice will always be to use a consistent, trusted lab like those listed - also remember that diamonds are graded upside down. Why? So the cut (among other factors) does not influence the grader's opinion. If you go with a superior cut diamond it will likely "face-up" a grade or two higher than it is graded. If you are comfortable with a mall-cut GIA G or H, you may find an I or even J works really well when you get a superior cut.

Thank you all for your advice. I agree 100%. If it wasn't for pricescope I would have ended up with a ring from Zales. I am so thankful I researched prior. I have decided I'm going with whiteflash ACA..just not sure which one yet. I like the ones TyTy linked above. My main concern is finding a solitaire setting that is dainty enough for my finger and diamond size, which will range .70-.80 carats. I love this forum and so thankful for all of the help people provide with newbies like me. You all are amazing!
 
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